DISC OF SONGS IN HAMSHEN DIALECT OF ARMENIAN LANGUAGE RELEASED
KRASNODAR, MARCH 10, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A disc titled
“First of Hamshen” was released in Krasnodar. According to the
“Yerkramas” (country) newspaper of the Armenians in Russia, the most
popular music compositions in the dialect of Hamshen are gathered in
the disc for the first time. The compositions are recorded being
performed by the “Caravan” music group of the region of Tuapse,
Krasnodar, with the organization assistance of the “Hamshen” Armenian
scientific information-cultural center and financial aid of the local
benefactors.
There are other works as well in the 2006 programs of the “Hamshen”
center: working out of the form of the “Encyclopedia of Hamshen,”
urgent researches in the regions of inhabitation of Armenians of
Hamshen, publication of scientific reference books concerning problems
of Hamshen Armenians, creation of the site of the organization,
preparation of the idea and scenario of a documentary film,
publication of the “Library of Hamshen” serios of books, creation of
the Armenian folk theater, organization of the Hamshen cultural
festival, etc.
Armenians of Hamshen make the great part of the waterside region of
Krasnodar and few regions of Kuban and Adghe. They moved to Kuban from
the Hamshen province (at present in the territory of Turkey) of the
Western Armenia in the middle of the 19th century and early in the
20th century, after the Armenian Genocide in Turkey. According to
experts’ data, about 250 thousand Armenians of Hamshen live jointly in
Kuban, Adghe and Abkhazia, and according to data of different sources,
from 700 to 1.5 mln Armenians of Hamshen became Moslem live within the
borders of the traditional inhabitation in the territory of Turkey.