The Armenian Community in the Don

Armenians established themselves on the Don in the second half of XVIII century. During the Russian-Turkish war, seeking to weaken the Crimean Khanate, the Russian Empress Catherine the Great organized the migration of the Crimean Armenians in the new reclaimed areas of Russia.

Already in 1779 by decree of Catherine builds the city of New Nakhichevan. 12,600 Armenians from these times are approved at the bank of the Don and New Nakhichevan became the center of the Armenians in Russia. Russian government has done everything to the Armenian population settled on the banks of the Don. In particular, by the decree of Empress Armenians 10 years were exempt from all taxes, the Government has every Armenian in 1930 acres of fertile land, the Armenian community was given a broad internal autonomy. A short time later the Armenians have made the revival of economic life of the Don: they have opened factories, and they are mainly hunted fur, bacon, eggs, and the goods exported abroad and other Russian cities. They built churches, opened a school…

The community acted Diocesan School, Crown School of the Holy Cross, the craft school, high school to them. Gogoyana Publish a newspaper, “The new word,” “New Life”, “Our Voice”, “Light,” “Community”.

With a history of New Nakhichevan connected such famous names as Hovsep Arghutyan, Serobve Patkanian, Harutyun Alamdaryan Grigor Patkanian, Rafael Patkanian, Mikael Nalbandian, Alexander Myasnikyan Sargis Lukashin, Saryan, these days – Varderes Samurgashev and others.

That today is the Armenian community in the Don

On-Don has gathered more than half a million Armenians. They gathered together, but they are scattered.

Don Armenians can be divided into four groups.

Locals

This is a significant part of the Don Armenians. They live in Rostov and the surrounding Armenian villages Chaldr, Big Sala, Sala, Leninavan, Leninakan …

Armenians living in these villages, despite the full integration into Russian life, live an isolated and somewhat isolated community life. In Chaldre there are an Armenian school, church, his hour on television. They speak mostly Russian, sometimes at the local, do not understand the Armenian dialect. They see themselves as Armenians, and in their everyday life and mentality are the elements of national identity.

Chaldra Armenians throughout the region are known as business, shrewd, hard-working … Locals are rightfully considered Chaldr capital of the Armenian-on-Don. So great importance in the life of Don Chaldra that there is even anecdote: Russian ask: “where is the growth? He says – near Chaldra …

Armenians in the other villages do not differ significantly from the Armenians Chaldra.
Emigrants from Armenia

The second largest group are immigrants from Armenia. They can be divided into two parts – the old-timers, who for 15 years as a settled here and have Russian nationality, and has already mastered the local more: and the new ones, temporary migrants, who came mainly in search of work. Many of them have citizenship and do not return home.

Georgian Armenians

The third large group of this Georgian Armenians. This group is completely closed. These Armenians are the bearers of the Armenian language, culture and traditions. Their number is on the Don is quite large. They are mainly engaged in trade and business.

Exiles from Azerbaijan

They can also be divided into two groups. Emigrants from the Armenian-populated regions of Karabakh Armenians and Azerbaijan are endowed with consciousness and life habits are Armenian and Armenians who migrated from Baku and other cities, Russified.

Community leadership and cultural life

Cultural life of Don Armenians cannot be called rich. You can list on the fingers of the activities organized during the year. In addition to religious holidays that take place with the participation of the Church of the Holy Cross, through its board of trustees, are organized Armenian evenings, which are not particularly different from the usual discos. At one of these discos were selected Armenian beauty Don. Last year marked 230 years of foundation Nakhichevan.

In this series, I do not specify the individual performances of groups and artists from Yerevan, as they pursue purely commercial purpose and ticket prices many times higher than the price of tickets for popular European bands.

In general, the influence of community leaders is insignificant, in fact, it is zero. More influential Armenian criminal groups that keep under its influence is the whole south of Russia. By the way, thanks to these groups Russian Nazi skinheads do not dare to enter the Rostov.

Vahe ANTANESYAN