Armenians in Russia
Encyclopedia
Armenians in Russia or Russian Armenians are ethnic Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....

 who live in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

. The 2002 Russian census recorded 1,130,491 Armenians in the country, but most probably did not take into account the Armenian guest workers, most of whom do not hold Russian citizenship. Various figures estimate that the Armenian population actually exceeds 2,900,000.

Regardless, Russia possesses the largest Armenian population outside of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...

 proper, making it home of the largest community in the Armenian diaspora
Armenian diaspora
The Armenian diaspora refers to the Armenian communities outside the Republic of Armenia and self proclaimed de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...

.

Armenians populate various regions, including Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

, Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

, Krasnodar Krai
Krasnodar Krai
-External links:* **...

 in the North Caucasus
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus is the northern part of the Caucasus region between the Black and Caspian Seas and within European Russia. The term is also used as a synonym for the North Caucasus economic region of Russia....

 and as far as Vladivostok
Vladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...

 in the East.

Russian government is encouraging Armenians to immigrate and settle in Russia under Compatriots program and is providing financial and settlement incentives. By some estimates Armenian population in Russia may now exceed the population of Armenia.

History

There has been an Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....

 presence in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

 since the Late Middle Ages
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages was the period of European history generally comprising the 14th to the 16th century . The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern era ....

, when various artisans, merchants and traders
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...

 ventured north to the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...

 and the northern Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...

 in order to set up trade ties and conduct commerce.

Distribution

Number of Armenians in Russia by federal subjects and by years.
Rank Federal subject
Subdivisions of Russia
Russia is divided into several types and levels of subdivisions.-Federal subjects:Russia is a federation which since March 1, 2008 consists of 83 federal subjects . These federal subjects are of equal federal rights in the sense that they have equal representation—two delegates each—in the...

1959 1970 1979 1989
Soviet Census (1989)
The 1989 Soviet census, conducted between January 12-19 of that year, was the last one conducted in the former USSR. It resulted in a total population of 286,730,819 inhabitants...

2002
Russian Census (2002)
Russian Census of 2002 was the first census of the Russian Federation carried out on October 9 through October 16, 2002. It was carried out by the Russian Federal Service of State Statistics .-Resident population:...

1 Krasnodar Krai
Krasnodar Krai
-External links:* **...

78,176 98,589 120,797 182,217 274,566
2 Stavropol Krai
Stavropol Krai
Stavropol Krai is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Stavropol. Population: -Geography:Stavropol Krai encompasses the central part of the Fore-Caucasus and most of the northern slopes of Caucasus Major...

25,618 31,096 40,504 72,530 149,249
3 City of Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

18,379 25,584 31,414 43,989 124,425
4 Rostov Oblast
Rostov Oblast
Rostov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in the Southern Federal District. Rostov Oblast has an area of and a population of making it the sixth most populous federal subject in Russia...

49,305 53,620 56,902 62,603 109,994
5 Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast , or Podmoskovye , is a federal subject of Russia . Its area, at , is relatively small compared to other federal subjects, but it is one of the most densely populated regions in the country and, with the 2010 population of 7,092,941, is the second most populous federal subject...

5,353 5,683 7,549 9,245 39,660
6 Volgograd Oblast
Volgograd Oblast
Volgograd Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Volgograd. Population: -Geography:*Area: 113,900 km²;*Borders length: 2221,9 km²....

2,898 4,229 6,784 26,974
7 Saratov Oblast
Saratov Oblast
Saratov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in the Volga Federal District. Its administrative center is the city of Saratov. Population: -Demographics:Population:...

1,046 1,815 3,531 6,404 24,976
8 Samara Oblast
Samara Oblast
Samara Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Samara. Population: In 1936–1990, it was known as Kuybyshev Oblast , after the Soviet name of Samara .-Demographics:Population:...

1,027 1,629 2,216 4,162 21,566
9 City of Saint-Petersburg 4,897 6,628 7,995 12,070 19,164
10 North Ossetia 12,012 13,355 12,912 13,619 17,147

Saint Petersburg

In 1708 the first Armenians came to St. Petersburg, and in 1710 in the city already existed “Armenian offices”. In 1730, under the leadership of the priest Ivan Sheristanova organized the first parish of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Throughout the 20th century Armenian population of St. Petersburg has been steadily increasing. The number of Armenians in St. Petersburg increased from 1,759 in 1926 to 19,164 in 2002.

According to Soviet 1989 census
Soviet Census (1989)
The 1989 Soviet census, conducted between January 12-19 of that year, was the last one conducted in the former USSR. It resulted in a total population of 286,730,819 inhabitants...

 47% Armenians speak Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...

 as native language, 52% speak Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...

 as native language. At the same time almost all fluent in Russian language. About half of the Armenians have higher education and, consequently, higher social status.

Southern Russia

According to Russian 2002 census
Russian Census (2002)
Russian Census of 2002 was the first census of the Russian Federation carried out on October 9 through October 16, 2002. It was carried out by the Russian Federal Service of State Statistics .-Resident population:...

 there were 615,123 Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....

 living in the Southern Federal District
Southern Federal District
Southern Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. Its territory lies mostly on the Pontic-Caspian steppe. Its population was 13,856,700 according to the 2010 Census, living on an area of...

. Majority of Armenians of Northern Caucasus are living in Krasnodar Krai
Krasnodar Krai
-External links:* **...

 (274,566), Stavropol Krai
Stavropol Krai
Stavropol Krai is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Stavropol. Population: -Geography:Stavropol Krai encompasses the central part of the Fore-Caucasus and most of the northern slopes of Caucasus Major...

 (149,249) and Rostov Oblast
Rostov Oblast
Rostov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in the Southern Federal District. Rostov Oblast has an area of and a population of making it the sixth most populous federal subject in Russia...

 (109,994).

Krasnodar Krai
Armenian diaspora of Krasnodar Krai is one of the biggest communities of the Armenian diaspora
Armenian diaspora
The Armenian diaspora refers to the Armenian communities outside the Republic of Armenia and self proclaimed de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...

. According to Russian 2002 census
Russian Census (2002)
Russian Census of 2002 was the first census of the Russian Federation carried out on October 9 through October 16, 2002. It was carried out by the Russian Federal Service of State Statistics .-Resident population:...

 there are 274,566 Armenians (141,501 male and 133,065 female). 211,397 of them speak Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...

 as native language and 6,948 had Armenian citizenship.
In an earlier census in 1989, the Krasnodar Territory was home to over 182 thousand Armenians (34,2% of the total number of Armenians in the RSFSR). In the period between the censuses of 1989 and 2002, Armenians became the second largest after the Russian ethnic community in Krasnodar Territory (after being third to the Ukrainians).

The old settlements:
  • Cherkesogai;
  • Hamshenis;
  • Khemshils;

Resettlement group:
  • Armenians displaced from Abkhazia
    Abkhazia
    Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...

     (descendants of the old residents groups Hamshen Armenians living mainly in the Sochi district), characterized by the presence of long direct contacts with the Armenians in the Russian territory, the similarity of occupations, values and language identity, that most facilitated their adaptation to new social environment;
  • Refugees and displaced persons from Azerbaijan
    Azerbaijan
    Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...

     (including the Nagorno-Karabakh
    Nagorno-Karabakh
    Nagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, lying between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains...

    , which for many refugees and migrants has become a kind of transit point), divided by geography on the outcome of Baku residents, Sumgait residents, Kirovabad residnets and others;
  • Migrants from Georgia
    Georgia (country)
    Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...

     - from Akhalkalaki, Bogdanov (Frangi, Erzerumtsi) and Akhaltsikhe areas and in small amounts - from Tbilisi. Akhaltsikhe and Ninotsminda municipalities of Georgia are still some places densely populated by Armenians, including the Armenian-Catholic population (most of them were relocated there after Adrianople Peace Treaty in 1829) and in the Akhalkalaki region of the Armenian population of the ethnic majority (natives of Erzurum). In the Krasnodar Territory Akhalkalaki Armenians settled in the village of Kazan, in Gulkevichi, Kropotkin, Timashevsk;
  • Immigrants from Armenia
    Armenia
    Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...

    , who left their homes mainly because of difficult living conditions, generated by transport, energy and trade blockade continued since the war in Karabakh, part of the Armenians - affected by the earthquake of 7 December 1988 (areas Leninakan and Spitak), adopted by local authorities in the hotels and sanatoriums Gelendzhik, Anapa, Tuapse and the city of Krasnodar;
  • Immigrants from Central Asia
    Central Asia
    Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...

     - originally came from Nagorno-Karabakh, Zangezur and Goris regions of Armenia. This group can be attributed, and refugees and displaced people in Grozny (Chechnya).


Armenians (mostly Christian Hamshenis
Hamshenis
The Hemshin Peoples or Hemshinli are a diverse group of people who in the past history or present have been affiliated with the Hemşin district in the province of Rize, Turkey. They are called as Hemshinli , Hamshenis, Homshentsi meaning resident of Hemshin in the relevant language...

) have also lived in the region since at least the 18th century.

The total number of ethnic Armenians (including the Cherkesogai and Hamsheni Armenians) is around 275,000 making them the biggest ethnic minority in Krasnodar Krai
Krasnodar Krai
-External links:* **...

 of total population of 5.125,000 (Census 2002)

History of the settlement: Most Armenians resettled in the 15th century in the Crimea, where the time was finally formed Turkish vassal the Crimean Khanate and the living conditions prevailing there once Christians (Greeks - Rumei - Armenians - Crimean Goths) deteriorated sharply. In 1475, when the Turks finally conquered the Crimea and began to exterminate the civilian population, Armenians began to migrate actively, with some of them finding refuge among the Circassian
Adyghe people
The Adyghe or Adygs , also often known as Circassians or Cherkess, are in origin a North Caucasian ethnic groupwho were displaced in the course of the Russian conquest of the Caucasus in the 19th century, especially after the Russian–Circassian War of 1862.Adyghe people mostly speak Adyghe and most...

s and Abkhazians. Armenians settlers lived in the mountains 300 years, adopted the language, customs, habits, peculiarities of everyday life, the whole lifestyle of the Circassians, among whom they settled, but have retained their ethnic identity and Christian faith - the Armenian Gregorian Apostolic faith. As a result of the interaction of the two cultures, a new ethnic group was formed, Cherkesogai - the Mountain Armenians. By the end of the 18th century, Islam started to spread within the Circassian population, and the Mountain Armenians came at the verge of losing the national religion. In late 1836 they turned to Major General Baron G. F. von Sasse (in Russian Григорий Христофорович Засс) asking him to "take them under Russian protection, and give them the means to resettle near Russian populations". In 1837 by decision of the Russian general, they resettled in the village Prochnookopskoy (in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...

 Прочноокопской), that became a small mountain village for the Armenians.

In the 1839 settlement cherkesogaev moved closer to the mouth of the river Urup. This year is considered the official establishment date of Armavir, with the original name being Armenian village. 120 families had settled in the early years, and by 1840 their number increased. In addition Mountain Armenians, several hundred serfs Highlanders joined (in 1859 raising the population to 800). The Cherkesogai continued applying their traditional tribal rules, dividing the area into quarters.

In 1848 the settlement was officially named Armavir village in honor of the ancient Armenian capital of Armavir in Armenia. Now both cities are sister cities. In 1875 Armavir started being served with the Vladikavkaz Railway. In 1876 village got the status of the village. In 1908 the Armavir-Tuapse railroad began being constructed. On March 23 (5 April) 1914, by Council of Ministers' decisoon, the village was transformed into a city.

Rostov-on-Don

Nakhichevan-on-Don ' onMouseout='HidePop("97015")' href="/topics/Armenians">Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....

-populated region within the city of Rostov-on-Don
Rostov-on-Don
-History:The mouth of the Don River has been of great commercial and cultural importance since the ancient times. It was the site of the Greek colony Tanais, of the Genoese fort Tana, and of the Turkish fortress Azak...

, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

.

In 1778, Catherine the Great invited Armenian merchants from the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...

 to Russia. After moving to the area, they established a settlement on the Don
Don River (Russia)
The Don River is one of the major rivers of Russia. It rises in the town of Novomoskovsk 60 kilometres southeast from Tula, southeast of Moscow, and flows for a distance of about 1,950 kilometres to the Sea of Azov....

, which they named "Nor Nakhichevan", after one of the ancient areas of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...

, Nakhichevan
Nakhichevan
The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is a landlocked exclave of Azerbaijan. The region covers 5,363 km² and borders Armenia to the east and north, Iran to the south and west, and Turkey to the northwest...

. In 1928 Nor Nakhichevan was merged with Rostov-on-Don.

Religion

Most Armenians are of the Armenian Apostolic faith of the Armenian Apostolic Church
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...

 and fall under the jursodiction of the see of Holy Echmiadzin
Echmiadzin
Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin is a 4th century Armenian church in the town of Ejmiatsin, Armenia. It is also the central cathedral of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin of the Armenian Apostolic Church....

.

The number of churches is growing as the Armenian Russian community expands.
Here is a list of some of the major Armenian churches in Russia:
  • Moscow
    Moscow
    Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

    • Surb Haroutyoun (Resurrection) Armenian Apostolic Church (Moscow)
  • St. Petersburg
    • St. Ekatherine Armenian Apostolic Church (St. Petersburg)
    • St. Voskresenija (Resurrection) Armenian Apostolic Church (Vasil'evsky Island, St. Petersburg)
  • South Russia / Northern Caucasus
    • Surb Hovannes Avedaranich (St. John the Evangelist) Armenian Apostolic Church (Krasnodar
      Krasnodar
      Krasnodar is a city in Southern Russia, located on the Kuban River about northeast of the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. It is the administrative center of Krasnodar Krai . Population: -Name:...

      , South Russia)
    • Surb Grigor Lousavorich Armenian Apostolic Church (Vladikavkaz, South Russia)
    • Surb Vartan Armenian Apostolic Church (Kislovodsk, South Russia)
    • Surb Maryam Asdvadzadzin Armenian Apostolic Church (Armavir, South Russia) (started construction in 1843, sanctification in 1861)
    • Surb Gevorg Church (Armavir)
    • Surb Gevorg Armenian Church (Apsheronsky)
    • Surb Garabet Armenian Apostolic Church (Rostov-on-Don
      Rostov-on-Don
      -History:The mouth of the Don River has been of great commercial and cultural importance since the ancient times. It was the site of the Greek colony Tanais, of the Genoese fort Tana, and of the Turkish fortress Azak...

      )
    • Armenian Church of South Russia (Sochi
      Sochi
      Sochi is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated just north of Russia's border with the de facto independent republic of Abkhazia, on the Black Sea coast. Greater Sochi sprawls for along the shores of the Black Sea near the Caucasus Mountains...

      )
    • Holy Cross Church (Sochi)
    • Surb Sargis Cathedral (Sochi)
    • Church of the Holy Ovanessa (Loo, Sochi)
    • Church of the Holy Assumption (Tenginka) (modern church was built in 2003)
    • Church of Tenginka (Tenginka) (old dilapidated church
    • Surb Sargis (Slavyansk-na-Kubani
      Slavyansk-na-Kubani
      Slavyansk-na-Kubani is a town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located in the Kuban river delta. Population: 56,000 .Slavyansk originated in the Middle Ages as Copa or Coparia, a Genoese trade outpost controlled by the Ghisolfi family...

      )
    • Armenian Apostolic Church St. Echmiadzin
    • Armenian Apostolic Church (Novorossiysk)
    • Armenian chapel (Gaikodzor
      Gaikodzor
      Gaikodzor is an Armenian village in the Krasnodar Krai region, Russia, part of the municipal formation of the Russian resort city of Anapa....

       or Haikadzor)
    • Surb Sargis (Gaikodzor or Haikadzor)


There are much smaller Armenian Catholic and recently Armenian Evangelical communities.

See also

  • Armyansk
    Armyansk
    Armyansk is a city in northern Crimea, Ukraine. It is located on the Isthmus of Perekop.Armyansk was founded in the beginning of the 18th century by Armenians and Greeks, who had come from the nearby city of Or Qapı . The first name of the town was Ermeni Bazar .-External links:*...

  • Cherkesogai
    Cherkesogai
    Cherkesogai or Circassian Armenians are ethnic Armenians who inhabit Russia's Krasnodar Krai and Republic of Adyghea since the end of 15th century that spoke the Adyghe language , apart from other Armenians living in the region. They reside mostly in the cities of Armavir and Maykop...

  • Gaikodzor
    Gaikodzor
    Gaikodzor is an Armenian village in the Krasnodar Krai region, Russia, part of the municipal formation of the Russian resort city of Anapa....

  • Nakhichevan-on-Don
  • Armenians in Ukraine
    Armenians in Ukraine
    Armenians in Ukraine are ethnic Armenians who live in Ukraine. They number 99,894 according to the 2001 Ukrainian census. However, the country is also host to a number of Armenian guest workers which has yet to be ascertained. The Armenian population in Ukraine has nearly doubled since the...

  • List of Armenian-Russians
  • Russian Armenia
    Russian Armenia
    Russian Armenia is the period of Armenia's history under Russian rule beginning from 1829, when Eastern Armenia became part of the Russian Empire to the declaration of the Democratic Republic of Armenia in 1918...


Pages in Russian language Wikipedia
  • Большие Салы (in Russian)
  • Хутор Победа (in Russian)
  • Хачкар (журнал) - խաչքար (Khachkar) publication (in Russian)
  • Экономический форум Bridge Artsakh - Organization in Artsakh

External links

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