Minorities In Armenia

[Vigil]

List of minorites in Armenia.

 

PDF file

http://www.osce.org/documents/oy/2002/01/148_en.pdf

 

It says there are Armenian of Polish and German descent living in Armenia due German colonies? Is this true?

[Vigil]

Another Site I found that talks about minorities in Armenia.

 

http://www.tacentral.com/people.asp?story_no=1

 

All of these minorities, indeed, are an intricate part of Armenia in every respect. I hope we can keep the rich cultural and historic diversity from fading away.

 

It is strange how all the minorities have found Armenia a safe haven, which leads me to assume Armenia has been a safe haven for non-Armenians as much as it has been for Armenians.

Edited July 26, 2004 by Vigil

[Vigil]

armenianow.com

August 6, 2004

 

The Greek Connection: Descendents (if only a few) of first generation still

call Armenia home

 

 

By Vahan Ishkhanyan

ArmeniaNow reporter

 

During Soviet times, Hankavan was home to 120 Greek families, descendents of

the six families who founded the village in 1828. The Greeks came to Armenia

to work in gold and copper mines. At one time there were about 5,000 Greeks

throughout Soviet Armenia.

But when the mines closed in the early 20 th century, the Greeks - like the

Armenians - turned to cattle breeding.

 

Hankavan: The Greeks call it home

In the 1990s almost all the Greeks of Hankavan returned to Greece. Today,

after migration and immigration, the Greek community in Hankavan is only

about 15 residents.

Seventy-nine-year old Apolstle Chakhirov was among the Greek residents who,

in 1992, moved back his native country.

But, like others, Greece didn't live up to expectations, so he came back to

Hankavan just three years later. His family convinced him to give Greece

another try. So he moved a second time. And moved back to Armenia a second

time, in 2002. He says he has no intention of moving again.

"First, I came back because this is my homeland and second, because of my

age I couldn't find any job and it was impossible to continue my bee-keeping

in Salonica," Apostle says.

Like most of the older generation, Apostle's wife and three sisters also

weren't satisfied in Greece, and came back to Hankavan. (All the women are

Greek citizens, and get pensions of about 200 Euro per month.)

Apostle is the unofficial leader of the Greek community. He is also a member

of the Armenian Communist Party, a follower of Marxism and Leninism. At the

same time he is a spiritual leader of sorts and the manager of Greek

Orthodox Church in the village. In the early 20 th century the church had a

priest, but he was shot, in 1937 during Stalin's repressions.

As soon as Apostle came back from Greece he repaired the inner parts of the

church.

"I am both communist and believer in God. I like Christ, he was very clever

person. But when our priests say that he (Christ) will be back, I don't

believe. He is dead and so, can't be back," Apostle says.

 

Apostle, a Marxist, makes candles for the church

He puts candles in the church which are made by him from bees-wax from his

very own bees.

"Priests' candles are false. Things that bees create are created by God,"

the beekeeper says.

Maria, Apostle's 83 year old sister, is the oldest resident of Hankavan.

Maria remembers when she was 15, and her father engaged her to an Armenian

boy. But she didn't want to marry an Armenian, so her father gave permission

to marry a Greek.

When her husband died several years ago, her children took her to Greece.

"Greece is good, but it is not for me. Armenia is better," she says. She

says she will never go to Greece again. Now her children come to see her.

Maria lives alone next to sister Natalie's home, who also came back with her

husband to the village, leaving her children in Greece.

"Greeks in Greece are not like Armenian Greeks, we don't like them," says

Natalie. "In Greece we went to Armenian restaurant and our sons were crying

under the Armenian music. We will die here in Armenia; we will not go to

Greece. But here in Armenia there is nobody who cares about us: neither

telephone, nor roads . . ."

Before, there was a telephone in the village, but 10 years ago some people

cut the wires and took them. Just days ago, Natalie's husband suffered pain

all night, but they had no possibility to take him to hospital. The next

morning, by chance, Natalie's nephew, who was back from Greece to visit

relatives, came to the village and took him to hospital. But as of the next

day, none of them had news about Natalie's husband.

Two years ago Donara Avgirova's parents persuaded to come back to Hankavan

from Greece. Over the course of the two years, both parents died, leaving

her alone in the village, where she manages the hardship of poor living

conditions.

 

Some have come back from Greece for eternal rest in Armenia

She first lived in Yerevan, but now faces the village life of collecting

firewood, and trying to find a means to get running water in her house.

She says that when she moved to Greece, she too coerced her parents into

going. "We took them like birds in a coup," she says. "They wanted to live

here."

Donara has children in Greece, but says she wants to continue living in

Hankavan.

"My blood doesn't flow in Greece," she says. "My homeland is Armenia and we

got used to that life."

Donara, who is in her 50s, says there are several reasons why life for her

is more comfortable in Hankavan. For example, she says that it is difficult

to establish relations. She says she wants to get married, but that in

Greece, the men "who only want to take you to bed right away."

Language is also an obstacle for her in Greece, because her family speaks a

different dialect among themselves here, than in her native community in

Greece.

Spiridon Kerasov's mother has returned to Hankavan, but later than she might

have wished.

 

Natalie came back after moving to Greece.

"Twelve years ago my four brothers and I went back to Greece and took mother

with us," Spiridon says. "Mother asked us to let her stay in the village,

but we didn't allow it, saying that she is an old woman and can't stay

alone.

"We promised to bring her remains back to Hankavan if something should

happen to her in Greece."

In 1998, six years after leaving Hankavan, the mother died.

Two weeks ago Spiridon brought his mother's ashes back to be buried in

Armenian soil. An Armenian priest conducted the interment.

In Greece, the family had rented a grave for their mother, which had to be

vacated after six years. It was after that time that the sons remembered

their mother's request.

Now she lies in a free grave under her portrait, and next to Spiridon's

father. In an Armenian village the Greeks call home.

Spiridon keeps his house in Hankavan and doesn't want to sell it, because

prices are too low. At the same time, he isn't eager to move back to

Armenia. Unlike his compatriot Donara, Spiridon isn't ready to make a

permanent home here.

Yes, this is our country, but this is not the right way to live," he says.

"Who knows? Maybe one day it will be better."

[kakachik77]

I saw a documentary at the Armenian Film Fest in San Francisco about Jews in Armenia. It was quite interesting, because they claimed that Jews in Armenia always end up assimilating with the Armenian culture because they don't experience any discrimination unlike pretty much anywhere else. This film was called "Jews of Armenia" or something like that. Check it out.

[Arpa]

Little Tulip, you may want to review the following thread;

 

http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=6955&hl=jews

[Vigil]

I saw a documentary at the Armenian Film Fest in San Francisco about Jews in Armenia. It was quite interesting, because they claimed that Jews in Armenia always end up assimilating with the Armenian culture because they don't experience any discrimination unlike pretty much anywhere else. This film was called "Jews of Armenia" or something like that. Check it out.

 

I have heard of that documentary and in no way do I want to learn about "Jews". If they love Israel so much why the hell don't they move back? There is nothing in Armenia for them. Israel is not in a economic and political crisis, so, they have no reason to leech off other countries.

 

I have no problem with Kurds, Greeks, and the rest of the minorities/citizens of Armenia that may not have Armenian ancestry, but I JUST DO NOT LIKE JEWS LIVING IN ARMENIA. You do not know which one is a Jew and which one is actually a double agent.

 

It would be a different story if they had lived in Armenia for centuries and or had working synagogues there, but they don't, so, they should stop moving to Armenia.

 

Sorry, I CAN NOT TRUST THEM.

 

Please do not post articles relating to them unless it has some connection to the real minorities of Armenia, thanks in advance.

Edited August 8, 2004 by Vigil

[kakachik77]

I have heard of that documentary and in no way do I want to learn about "Jews". If they love Israel so much why the hell don't they move back? There is nothing in Armenia for them. Israel is not in a economic and political crisis, so, they have no reason to leech off other countries.

 

I have no problem with Kurds, Greeks, and the rest of the minorities/citizens of Armenia that may not have Armenian ancestry, but I JUST DO NOT LIKE JEWS LIVING IN ARMENIA. You do not know which one is a Jew and which one is actually a double agent.

 

It would be a different story if they had lived in Armenia for centuries and or had working synagogues there, but they don't, so, they should stop moving to Armenia.

 

Sorry, I CAN NOT TRUST THEM.

 

Please do not post articles relating to them unless it has some connection to the real minorities of Armenia, thanks in advance.

no, nobody is moving there, it was more of a historical perspective, actually it went back centuries, it was at an Armenian Film Festival organized by the Armenian community. Don't worry Jews are not taking over Armenia A lot of Russian Jews live/lived in Armenia through mixed marriages like Levon Ter-Petrossian's wife, and btw there is a synagogue in Yerevan.

[kakachik77]

Little Tulip, you may want to review the following thread;

 

http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=6955&hl=jews

thank you, Arpa, nice link.

[kakachik77]

I have heard of that documentary and in no way do I want to learn about "Jews". If they love Israel so much why the hell don't they move back? There is nothing in Armenia for them. Israel is not in a economic and political crisis, so, they have no reason to leech off other countries.

 

I have no problem with Kurds, Greeks, and the rest of the minorities/citizens of Armenia that may not have Armenian ancestry, but I JUST DO NOT LIKE JEWS LIVING IN ARMENIA. You do not know which one is a Jew and which one is actually a double agent.

 

It would be a different story if they had lived in Armenia for centuries and or had working synagogues there, but they don't, so, they should stop moving to Armenia.

 

Sorry, I CAN NOT TRUST THEM.

 

Please do not post articles relating to them unless it has some connection to the real minorities of Armenia, thanks in advance.

Don't tell me what to do and be open minded, you might learn something.

[Vigil]

Don't tell me what to do and be open minded, you might learn something.

 

IF anyone needs to have an "open mind" it should be people like you, who in my opinion, are so caught up in this "one world" concept that you do not realize the very same people which promote this idea are the very ones that benefit from it.

 

Kakachik, wake the hell up man. Me, you, these people we mean nothing. Good and evil are relative terms in that one mans loss is another mans gain. Stop limiting yourself by thinking in cycles, rules, and boxes because all these boundaries will always be broken if any gain will come from it. In a matter of years those very same Jews in Armenia will have successfully connected themselves to the economy and our precious Armenia will be another Zionist piggy bank. Yeah, go ahead call me names and push people like me into boxes, but at the very end I will have the last laugh.

 

Armenians need to realize that there is no honor and loyalty in politics. Everything you do in life revolves around your needs as a human being. If you had to pick between your life and another person, who would you pick? If someone was pointing a gun at you and another man, would you honestly give all you’re dreams and aspirations for the life of another? Maybe you will and maybe you won’t, but at the very end it boils down to survival.

 

Either, you win or you lose, but in the end, it is the winner that lets say for a lack of a better phrase “screws the prom queen”. Quit, buying into these delusional ideas of utopia because IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN.

 

Kakachik, let me ask you, who do you think is history’s most ruthless, evil, and conniving figure? I am sure you do not know, hell, I do not know, but what I am sure of is that he came up with the phrase "good will always triumph over evil" to trick everyone into thinking that being "evil" is a weakness when in fact being "evil" is a strength.

 

Think about it and you will begin to see the world for what it truly is. In short, you can either become a god among beasts or a god among men.

Edited August 9, 2004 by Vigil

[kakachik77]

I am too Christian to think that way

[Vigil]

I am too Christian to think that way

Good for you!

[groul]

It would be a different story if they had lived in Armenia for centuries and or had working synagogues there, but they don't, so, they should stop moving to Armenia.

 

There were some Jewish colonies in Armenia even in the times of Tigran the Great.

They all ended up being assimilated.

 

As for the modern days: there is no Jewish immigration into Armenia, but there is Jewish (as well as ARmenian, Greek, Russian) emigration from Armenia. And they have a sinagogue here in Yerevan.

 

There are about 500 ppl who claim they are Jewish, but part of them are Armenians who just want to receive aid from Jewish organizations

 

Want more info on them? PM me

[Vayri7X]

Anyone know anything of the Loma of Armenia? Also known as the Boshas or Bosa. In Europe , their Diaspora is called Roma, with the common exonym ( and an erroneous one) calling them " Gypsies" or "Tziganskii".

 

Armenia Now" published some info on them , although it was a little on the paternalizing side. I did some research under the Roma-American scholar Dr. Hancock in the US on the language, Lomavren, which is the central variant of Romani.

 

Apparently, this language is dying out, although I know first-hand some people who still can functionally speak it. It is quite a shame in that of the three major routes that these people took out of India a thousand years ago, a point of major signficance was Armenia. Vlax Romani , a widespread dialect of Romanes, indicates great influence from Armenian. Moreover, most all dialects, including Domari , show a great amount of Armenian influence as well. There is very, very little written focusing centrally on them.

 

For hayastanci s , is it true that there is a good deal of prejudice towards Bosha?However, from what I have heard , Armenia is one of the few places where the prejudice is quite low in comparison to Turkey, Iran, Georgia and Azerbaijan. If so, that's a good track record considering that Roma all over Europe are having to engage in a massive collective move towards basic civil rights (such as the recent uprising in Slovakia).

[gamavor]

Even some of them were posting in this Forum long, long time ago. Some are 'half' - half what - only God knows.

[groul]

For hayastanci s , is it true that there is a good deal of prejudice towards Bosha?

There is some, but nothing serious.

 

BTW, I remember seeing lots of boshas around when I was a kid, but I do not remember seeing any for the last 10-15 years.

[bellthecat]

There is some, but nothing serious.

 

BTW, I remember seeing lots of boshas around when I was a kid, but I do not remember seeing any for the last 10-15 years.

Probably they have all left for richer pickings elsewhere. See, economic depression can have at least one positive outcome.

[bellthecat]

IF anyone needs to have an "open mind" it should be people like you, who in my opinion, are so caught up in this "one world" concept that you do not realize the very same people which promote this idea are the very ones that benefit from it.

 

Kakachik, wake the hell up man.

That's a lot of asumptions to make about someone who has only been a member for a couple of days and has only made a dozen or so postings.

 

And Kakachik is actually a woman, right?

 

Steve

[Arpa]

There were some Jewish colonies in Armenia even in the times of Tigran the Great.

They all ended up being assimilated.

That is the smelliest yezan triq (better known as BS in English) ever.

So! You were there and you spoke to them in Hebrew?

Are yo one of them?

Have you looked in the mirror to see if your below the belt anatomy is intact or is it missing a part?Oh! How some people base their religion on "heads" other than the one above the neck!!

Where does all this so-called historical garbage come from?

I may know, and I will elaborate.

In the meantime...

Has anyone seen any reference to it in Jewish sources?

Has any Jew ever mentioned that?

St Paul wrote epistles (letters) to all the colonies where there may have been Jews. Like the Epistle to the Romans, Corinthians, the Galatians, Philipians, Colossians, Thesalonikans and the Ephesians.

Did he write an Epistle to the Jew of Armenia?

Why not!

 

And finally!

Can we get off this Jew and talk about us!!

Edited August 9, 2004 by Edward

[Arpa]

I just PM'd Ed thanking him for editing my post above.

 

The question is. How much patience must one have reading about those blasted people day in and day out?!

 

Is there no other subject to discuss?

 

One gets sick and tired reading about them a million times more than about ourselves. Do they talk about us as often as we talk about them? Are they even aware of our existence? Do they care?

 

Would it be possible of our administrators to set a filter and intervene every time the J word is mentioned.?

 

THE HELL WITH THEM!!!

 

If I never hear about them again it will be too soon.

 

As promised I will elaborate, as much I hate to do, and see where all this garbage is coming from.

[Vigil]

Arpa, they are their own source.

 

Anyways, since this is my thread I would appreciate it if you do not post anything about yevries, thanks in advance.

[Sasun]

I just PM'd Ed thanking him for editing my post above.

 

The question is. How much patience must one have reading about those blasted people day in and day out?!

 

Is there no other subject to discuss?

 

One gets sick and tired reading about them a million times more than about ourselves. Do they talk about us as often as we talk about them? Are they even aware of our existence? Do they care?

 

Would it be possible of our administrators to set a filter and intervene every time the J word is mentioned.?

 

THE HELL WITH THEM!!!

 

If I never hear about them again it will be too soon.

 

As promised I will elaborate, as much I hate to do, and see where all this garbage is coming from.

It seems like you never miss the opportunity talking about "them" by posting this type of posts. If Jews are a minority in Armenia then it seems like a perfectly on-topic subject to talk about their existence in Armenia. You don't want to talk about "them" but you already made 2 posts in a single thread, and now you will "elaborate" even more. Haven't you "elaborated" enough already, or are you above criticism yourself?

Edited August 10, 2004 by Sasun

[Sasun]

Anyways, since this is my thread I would appreciate it if you do not post anything about yevries, thanks in advance.

I suggest you bring some pork meat in the thread to repel the J subject

[Arpa]

Arpa, they are their own source.

 

Anyways, since this is my thread I would appreciate it if you do not post anything about yevries, thanks in advance.

Thank you Vigil for your friendly advice.

But if you want to speak about those damn people I may suggest that you move your thread from HYEFORUM to HryaForum.

Remember? This is a forum for HYES, not for HRYAS.

 

DAMN IT!!!

[Vigil]

I suggest you bring some pork meat in the thread to repel the J subject 

 

http://www.mandel.org/gfx/pork.jpg