Armenians in Central Asian states:Uzbekistan,Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan andTurkmenistan, were mainly settled there during the Soviet era for various reasons.
According to old historical records, Armenian warriors and traders once moved freely in many parts of Central Asia, often fighting alongside local warlords in return for trading privileges.[1]
The following table shows the number of Armenians in each Central Asian country according to Soviet censuses from 1926 to 1989, and censuses taken place after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
| Country | 1926 | 1939 | 1959 | 1970 | 1979 | 1989 | Post-Soviet(Year) | Latest(Year) | Estimates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uzbekistan | 14,976 | 20,394 | 27,370 | 34,470 | 42,374 | 50,537 | 42,359(2000) | 42,000 | |
| Turkmenistan | 13,859 | 15,996 | 19,696 | 23,054 | 26,605 | 31,829 | 33,368(1995) | 22,000(2010) | 22,000 |
| Kazakhstan | 636 | 7,777 | 9,284 | 12,518 | 14,022 | 19,119 | 14,758(1999) | 13,776(2009) | 13,000 |
| Tajikistan | 171 | 1,272 | 2,878 | 3,787 | 4,861 | 5,651 | 995(2000) | 434(2010) | 400 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 278 | 728 | 1,919 | 2,688 | 3,285 | 3,975 | 1,364(1999) | 809(2009) | 800 |
| TOTAL | 29,920 | 46,167 | 61,147 | 76,517 | 91,147 | 111,111 | 94,977 | 78,000 |
Armenians inTurkmenistan number anywhere from 30,000 to 34,000. According to theSoviet 1989 census there were 31,829 Armenians in Turkmenistan.[2] Their history can be traced back to the Soviet days, particularly afterWorld War II, whendiaspora Armenians, encouraged to settle in theArmenian SSR were dispersed by the government across theSoviet Union. Today there are three main groups ofArmenians living in the country: ethnic Armenians who are Turkmen citizens, Armenian refugees fromAzerbaijan, and Armenian citizens fromArmenia. Many Armenian nationals and refugees are no longer legally residents and are considered illegal due to a visa regime being implemented in 1999. Approximately 7,000 Turkmen Armenians are considered illegal. With the help of the Norwegian government and other organizations, several hundred of these Armenians were repatriated to Armenia. Most have moved on to live in Russia.[3]
Armenians in Kazakhstan are ethnicArmenians living in theRepublic of Kazakhstan. There are an estimated 25,000 Armenians living within the country today.[4]
The first Armenians arrived in Kazakhstan in the 1860s when theRussian Empire, which already controlled Armenian-populated areas in thenorth Caucasus, moved to conquer theKazakh Steppe. Immigrants from throughout the empire moved to the frontier, Armenians being among the first, acting as interpreters for the Russians (as many already spokeTurkic languages), consuls and businessmen for the emerging oil industry.[5]
The first mass movement of Armenians into the country, however, occurred in 1937, in which almost 1,121 Armenian andKurdish families were transplanted from theAzerbaijan SSR to theKazakh SSR.[5] During the reign ofJoseph Stalin, in whichforced migration was widely used as a political tool in order to keep vassal nations under control and avoid ethnic conflict, Armenians and many other groups were sent to Kazakhstan when it was found convenient. In 1948, roughly 5800 Armenians andPontic Greeks from theBlack Sea region were deported to southern Kazakhstan, for being suspected sympathizers of theArmenian Revolutionary Federation, an anti-Soviet political party. Earlier, in 1944, a number of the Armenian-derivedHamsheni were deported to Kazakhstan from parts ofGeorgia and other central Asian republics, among other groups. They would later petition the Soviet Government underMikhail Gorbachev to move them to theArmenian SSR, but were turned down for fears they would spark conflicts with their Christian relatives.[citation needed]
Armenians in Kyrgyzstan form one ofthe country's smaller minority groups. The first Armenian, Shaverdov Mirkur, came to the area of theTurkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic which today comprises Kyrgyzstan in 1918; he was engaged in the hotel business.[6] Another pair of early Armenians in Kyrgyzstan were the brothers Nikita and Sergei Bedrosov, whose nephew Emmanuel Simoyants managed the first soft drinks factory of theKirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1996, Eduard Sogomonyants founded the Caravan association, which runs a Sunday school teaching Armenian language and culture to the community's children.[7]
According to the 2009 Census, the Armenian population in Kyrgyzstan was 890, falling from 3,975 in the 1989 census and 1,364 in the 1999 census.[8] Their numbers have actually been bolstered in recent years by new migrants from among theArmenian community in Turkmenistan. Roughly half areHamshenis, Muslims of Armenian origin.[9]
There is a small community of Armenians in Tajikistan. The 1989 census found 5,630 Armenians in Tajikistan; however, many left the country in the years following due to hardships caused by thecollapse of the Soviet Union and the followingcivil war in Tajikistan. Another driver for emigration was the fear of anti-Armenian prejudice, as seen in the1990 Dushanbe riots which were sparked by an unfounded rumour that large numbers of Armenian refugees would be resettled there and get free housing during a period when there was a housing shortage.[10] By the time of the 2000 census, only 995 people identifying themselves as Armenian remained, primarily inDushanbe,Khujand,Chkalovsk, andQurghonteppa. 57.6% could speakArmenian, 100% could speakRussian, and 14.8% could speakTajik. According to interviews with community members, the first Armenians are believed to have arrived in Tajikistan in the 1930s. A number later rose to prominent positions in society, such as the former head of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan Dr. Arutyunov.[11]
Armenians in Uzbekistan refers to ethnicArmenians living inUzbekistan. They number around 40,000. The Armenian community of Uzbekistan is the largest community in Central Asia, and most of them live inTashkent. The modern day community formed during theArmenian genocide when many Armenians fled throughAzerbaijan toUzbekistan for safety in theRussian empire, and then made communities inSamarkand,Tashkent,Andijan,Fergana, and many other cities. After theSoviet Union was formed, the Armenians became big contributors to the Uzbekistani economy and agriculture, with many holding high positions in government and skilled labor.[12] After the collapse of the Soviet Union, however, many Armenians moved to mainly toRussia, but also toArmenia and theUnited States.
There are still many Armenians living in Uzbekistan nevertheless. Their main language isRussian, but some still speakArmenian at home. Instead of seeing the typical "ian" or "yan" at the end of Uzbek-Armenian last names, many will encounter Armenians with "ov" or "ts" at the end. This gives great insight into the heavy amount of Russian influence on Armenians in Uzbekistan.[12] The Armenians still keep their traditions alive by their music, religion, and food however. Additionally, there are many Armenian cafes and restaurants in Tashkent and Samarkand. There are even two Armenian Churches in Uzbekistan, one in Samarkand and the other in Tashkent. The Armenian Church in Samarqand was firstly opened in 1905, but during the Soviet Union era it was closed and in 1995 a Businessman from Samarqand of an Armenian Origin – Artur Martirosyan, donated to re-construct and re-open the Church.
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| Historic areas of Armenian settlement | ||
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| Former Soviet Union | ||
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