THE CURRENT SITUATION IN ARMENIAN COMMUNITIES
By Sevak Hakobian

Yerkir.am
June 22, 2007

Development of information and communication technologies, open borders
and migration have made it considerably difficult to preserve national
identities, cultures and traditions.

Elaboration of new approaches for preservation of the Armenian
identity has emerged as an urgent challenge. Noravanq Scientific-
Educational Foundation, the Caucasus Media Institute and Yerkir
Union for Repatriation organized a conference titled "The Current
Situation in the Armenian Communities" on June 19-20. Guest speakers
from Irkutsk, Kuban, Krasnodar, Pyatigorsk and Javakhq participated in
the conference. During the two-day conference the current situation in
the Armenian communities in Russia, prospects for their development,
the situation in the Armenian communities in Georgia, possibilities
for integration and repatriation were discussed.

Director of Noravanq Foundation GAGIK HARUTYUNIAN noted in his opening
remarks that the Foundation’s attempt to calculate how many Armenian
communities there are in the world had failed. This means that we
do not have adequate information about the Armenian communities in
other countries.

"It is not the territory that determines the power of a state but
first of all the demographic situation in the country," chairman of
Yerkir Union SEVAK ARTSRUNI stated.

Over 70% of the Armenians live outside their historical homeland. 60%
of Armenia’s population lives in Yerevan and the regions adjacent to
Yerevan. Demographics is very important in this context. It includes
repatriation, resettlement, natural growth of the population that
will lay the firm foundation for strengthening of the nation state. We
should aim to ensure that the Diaspora Armenians are closely connected
to Armenia.

This envisages direction of economic programs towards Armenia as well
as strengthening of cultural, intellectual and scientific connections
with the homeland. Such "Armenia-centrism" will not only contribute
to the strengthening of our country but will also slow down the
dissolution of the Diaspora. The Diaspora Armenian communities
and the demographic situation in the Diaspora should be studied in
detail. Repatriation of Diaspora Armenians should become our common
national will.

Head of the Government Administration Minister Manuk Topuzian welcomed
the participants of the conference on behalf of the Government noting
that it is necessary to strengthen the connection between the Diaspora
and Armenia.

Armenian communities in Russia

Speaking about the Armenian communities in the post-Soviet space
EDUARD MELKONIAN, researcher from the Institute of History of the
RA Academy of Sciences noted that Russia hosts the largest number of
Armenian communities.

1/3 of all Diaspora Armenians live in Russia, Belarus and
Ukraine. People emigrate from Armenia mostly because of hard
socio-economic conditions.

Political parties and cultural organizations that are peculiar for
the Diaspora could not emerge in the Armenian communities in Russia.

Professor of the University of Irkutsk VICTOR DYATLOV noted that
there are differences between the perception of the Armenian identity
by the Armenians who immigrated to Russia earlier and those who
immigrated recently.

The nature of the emigrants, their orientation as well as their
adaptability is changing. Since Russia is a "country of immigrants"
various conflicts between the immigrants and the receiving society
emerge. If the immigrant community is closed this might cause a
conflict between the community and the host country.

Professor of the State University of Kuban Mikhail Savva spoke about
the Armenians in Krasnodar region. The largest Armenian community in
this region is in Kuban. Over half of the Armenians living in Kuban
are men which means that these are mostly migrant workers. The economy
of the Krasnodar region needs migrant workers therefore the regional
authorities support immigration.

The Armenian community is the second best integrated community in the
region after the Ukrainian community. As a result of such integration
only 1500 Armenian children are studying the Armenian language. The
Armenian community is organizing various cultural events, religious
ceremonies, lectures in order to preserve the community’s Armenian
identity.

Chief Editor of Yerkramas Newspaper in Krasnodar TIGRAN TAVADIAN says
Armenian students in schools are interested in learning the Armenian
language but there are very few teachers of Armenians in the schools.

Besides, the Armenian community is rather passive in terms of
cultural and educational initiatives. Armenian communities in other
countries are closely connected with the Armenian Church. Meanwhile,
in Krasnodar there are 10 Armenian churches but Armenians go there only
on holidays. In this context assimilation of the Armenians is imminent.

The Hay Dat Cause is only limited to commemorating the Armenian
Genocide on April 24. The Armenian Apostolic Church is considered the
unifying force for the Armenian community in Stavropol. The Church
organizes various cultural events. However, it is necessary to revive
the national consciousness among the young people here. 5.5% of the
population in Stavropol, 150-160 thousand people, is Armenian.

Professor of the University of Pyatigorsk VIKTOR HAKOBIAN pointed
out lack of Armenian newspapers among the problems of the Armenian
community. The Armenian Panorama Newspaper is the only Armenian
newspaper in the region.

Armenians are not represented in the regional
authorities. Anti-Armenian acts can sometimes be observed such as
destruction of Armenian cemeteries, an attempt to set the Pyatigorsk
Cultural Center on fire, etc. Nevertheless, the local authorities are
trying not to show any negative attitude towards the immigrants. If
Armenian wants Diaspora Armenians to return to their homeland,
Russia in its turn wants them to stay in Russia because Russia has
demographic problems. Hakobian stressed the importance of establishing
a scientific center in Stavropol, and activating the youth centers.

Armenian communities in the Caucasus: the present situation with
Hamshen Armenians

Senior researcher from the Armenian Studies Center at Yerevan State
University HAYKAZUN ALVRTSIAN spoke about the present situation
with the Hamshen Armenians. The Hamshen Armenians lived in Turkey
till 1890’s.

The Hamshen Armenians were massacred in the Ottoman Empire and forced
adopt Islam. They escaped massacres and spread throughout the Pontiac
cost of the Black Sea and after the Armenian Genocide they escaped
to the Russian costs of the Black Sea, to Abkhazia and Anapa. Due to
the continuous and consistent policies of forced adoption of Islam
and genocide the Hamshen Armenians were divided into two large groups.

The Turkish segment of the Hamshen Armenians preserves the national
traditions but is heavily influences by the Turkish culture. The
Hamshen Armenians are facing common problems and community
problems. National identity, language, cultural and religious issues
are among the problems that are common both for Islamic and Christian
segments of the Hamshen Armenians. The community problems are connected
with organization of community life, schools, cultural organizations,
press, church, etc.

Alvrtsian stressed the importance of creating an international
structure to coordinate the information flow and the discussion of
issues relevant for the Hamshen Armenians.

Armenian communities in Georgia

Head of the Caucasus Studies Department at the Caucasus Media Institute
SERGEY MINASSIAN spoke about the Armenian communities in Georgia. 98%
of the population in Akhalqalaq and Ninotsminda regions in Georgia
is Armenian.

Most of these people live in rural areas. Physical security of this
population is not an issue but their legal status and the social
condition of the Armenian communities is a problem. There are many
political manipulations of the Javakhq issue but Javakhq itself is not
very politicized. The Georgian government’s discriminatory policies
became more obvious after the Rose Revolution in 2003. "Javakhq finds
itself in a situation whereby it cannot defend its interests. The only
way out for Javakhq is to transfer its problems to the international
level," Minassian stated.

Head of the Social Sciences Research Program of Noravanq
Foundation TAMARA VARDANIAN spoke about the Armenian community in
Tbilisi. Armenians have always formed a large share of the population
in Tbilisi. Over 250 thousand Armenians currently live in Georgia.

"The increased lack of trust between the Armenians and Georgians causes
the concern among the Armenian social-political circles. You can easily
see the intolerant, and sometimes openly hostile attitude towards the
ethnic Armenian citizens of Georgia," Vardanian noted. Anti-Armenian
articles are often published in the Georgian press. In the context
of the present close ties between Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey it
is impossible to lobby for any Armenian interests in Georgia.

The Armenians in Tbilisi have always been less politicized as opposed
to the Armenians in Javakhq. There are 2 Armenian schools in Tbilisi
and 6 Georgian schools that have Armenian classes. The Armenians
in Tbilisi have to learn Georgian to be able to integrate into the
Georgian society. The Armenian community in Tbilisi is not well
organized. It does not have a leader. The Armenian cultural centers
here are also in a very bad condition.

Preservation of the Armenian identity

The reports were followed by a discussion of the future of the Armenian
communities and organization of repatriation of Armenians.

Director of the Caucasus Media Institute ALEXANDER ISKANDARIAN noted
it is not correct to blame the government for not doing anything to
preserve the Armenian communities. It is necessary to invite experts
and discuss the possibilities for repatriation of Armenians. Of
course, it will be impossible to organize massive repatriation of
Armenians. There were attempts to do so in the Soviet times but most
of the people who returned to Armenia later left it. People have an
idealistic image of the homeland. When they come here they see that
it is not like the homeland they had imagined.

There are many Armenians in Russia who would like to return to Armenia.

These are people who did not manage to adapt to the Russian environment
and find a job there.

Ethnographer HRANUSH KHARATIAN believes not all Diaspora Armenians
will want to return to Armenia. Many Armenians came to Armenia from
Iraq after the war. However, most of them later returned to Iraq or
left for other countries. The Diaspora knows that we are not ready to
accept the Diaspora Armenians. "We have a problem of ethnic survival
in the Diaspora. We want our communities to be ethnic communities,"
Kharatian said.

Member of Yerkir Union ROBERT TATOYAN believes that Armenia is not
ready for repatriation. Even though emigration from the country
has decreased in the past several years it has not been stopped
yet. Tatoyan pointed out three main conditions for improvement of
the demographic situation in the country – decrease of emigration,
growth of the birth rate, and immigration, repatriation of
Armenians. Despite the controversies around adoption of the dual
citizenship, nevertheless, adoption of dual citizenship will slow
down the dissolution of the Diaspora.

Director of Noravanq Foundation Gagik Harutyunian stressed the
importance of a professional structure aimed at preservation of the
Armenian identity, and formation of a common information environment
between Armenia and the communities. Well-planned and organized
repatriation is also very important.

Harutyunian believes no government programs in this direction
can be efficient without involvement of experts. He stated that
the possibility to listen to the opinions of Armenian and foreign
experts on these issues during the conference was one of the positive
accomplishments of the conference.

Another conference on repatriation programs and perspectives will be
organized in the fall of 2007.