Armenians in Georgia

Armenians in Georgia are ethnic Armenians living within the country of Georgia. Armenians are the largest ethnic minority in Georgia at about 6% of the population. The Armenian community is mostly concentrated in the capital Tbilisi and the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, which borders Armenia to the south. Armenians form the majority in this region, making up about 54% of the population.

History

House of Melik-Azaryants in Tbilisi

In the 18th and 19th centuries, rich Armenian merchants, including famous jewelers and oil industrialists invested heavily in business in Georgia and helped build cultural centers and schools. The number of Armenians increased progressively such that by the early 19th century, the Armenians far outnumbered Georgians in the capital. Tbilisi became a veritable cultural center for Eastern Armenians (so-called Russian-Armenians "rusahayer") just like Istanbul in Turkey became cultural center for the Western Armenians (called Turkish-Armenians "terkahayer").

Architecture

Armenians left rich architectural imprint in Georgia, and Tbilisi has many architectural pearls constructed by prominent Armenian architects of the last centuries. There are many mansions that were built by influential Armenians and comprise some of the most attractive historical buildings in Tbilisi.

A great example of the Armenian presence is the elegant house of Melik-Azaryants in Tbilisi on a principal avenue in Tbilisi called Rustaveli Avenue.

Domes of Armenian Churches are seen in all parts of the city; however their bells have been silent for many years. In the beginning of the 20th century there were 30 Armenian churches in Tbilisi.

Armenian Norashen Church, an architectural monument from 1701 is in ruins. The walls of Norashen, which means “new construction”, had been decorated by the frescoes of Hovnatan Hovnatanian, the court painter of Georgian King Iraklii II, but are now being lost to decay.

Religion

Early History

Front view of St. Gevork Armenian Apostolic Church in Tbilisi

The Armenian church in Georgia has 15 centuries of ecclesiastical presence as it had existed as early as the 5th century AD. Medieval Armenian historian Oukhtannes reported that in the Georgian town of Tsurtavi, there was an Armenian prelacy under the jurisdiction of the Armenian Patriarch, led by a bishop called Movses.

Another historian, Matheos of Urkha, reports that during the reign of Georgia’s king David IV the Armenian church was granted status of a recognized diocese. Surb Gevork Armenian Cathedral of Tbilisi was then its administrative centre. Over 600 religious and cultural sites, likes churches, seminaries, monasteries are documented, although a large portion of these sites is extinct due to natural disasters, vandalism, and other factors.

Present situation

The Armenians in Georgia belong mainly to the Armenian Apostolic fauth, with important numbers of Armenian Catholics as well concentrated in Samtskhe-Javakheti

Armenian Apostolic Georgians

A big majority of the Armenians living in Georgia are Apostolical (Orthodox) Armenians belonging to the Armenian Apostolic Church and are under the jurisdiction of the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin.

Local matters of the Armenian Georgians are run by the Diocese of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia. The head of the diocese is Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan.

Just two Armenian churches are operational in Tbilisi. However there are other Armenian churches that are disputed about or in the wake of being "Georgianized". The Armenian Church in Georgia has request to repossess the ownership rights over six Armenian vhurches five of which are in Tbilisi:

• Norashen
• Surb Nshan
• Shamkhoretsots Surb Astuadzatsin
• Mughno Surb Gevorg
• Surb Minas

and one, namely Surb Nshan in the town of Akhaltsikhe of Samtskhe-Javakheti, a region with a majority Armenian population. All these churches, that served the Armenian community for centuries, are today shut and made no use of whatsoever by any denomination. During the Soviet era, the Communist government nationalized most Christian temples, but after restoration of Georgian sovereignty, these Armenian temples were not returned to the Armenian Church.

The reconstruction of churches requires huge investments and so far neither the Armenian Government, nor the Holy See Etchmiadzin or the Armenian Community of Tbilisi can afford it.

Several Armenian churches in Georgia were redecorated to remove any characteristically Armenian architectural features and belong now to Georgian Orthodox or other faiths.

Armenian Catholic Georgians

In Georgia, there are also an important segment of Armenians Catholics belonging to the Armenian Catholic Church notably in Samtskhe-Javakheti with fewer Armenian Catholics in the rest of the country including Tbilisi.

Education and Integration into Georgian society

Capital Tbilisi has three strictly Armenian schools. There are also five Armenian-Russian and Armenian-Georgian schools. All of them teach Armenian language and literature in addition to the official curriculum. But a common complaint is that Armenian History hours are not included. The Armenian Government sends thousands of textbooks in Armenian to the schools. But still, the schools have a deficit of books, furniture, and all need urgent renovation. Annually around 50 Armenian students of Georgian nationality enter Armenian universities

The biggest concern Armenians have in Georgia is assimilation. They say the best chance to have success in Georgia is to change the Armenian surname suffix "ian" or "yan" to "shvili" or "dze".

One of the biggest problems of the Armenians in Georgia is the is the inability to use their language in public life. The government’s new language policies are a source of strong resentment and it is accused of abolishing minorities’ former rights to use Armenian or Russian and thus limiting access to jobs and education. President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan has urged ethnic Armenians to learn the Georgian language, which he said is essential for their integration into the Georgian society.

Armenians in this region of Georgia should think about learning Georgian instead of how they could replace it with Armenian. Without the knowledge of Georgian Armenians in Georgia will not be able to seek senior and high government position and can not run successful businesses.

Media

An Armenian newspaper "Vrastan" is published in Tbilisi in Armenian.

Organizations

There are a number of Armenian organizations and associations in Georgia. Amongst them:

• Armenian Community of Tbilisi
• Armenian Center of Cooperation of Georgia (ACCG)

Samtskhe-Javakheti

Main article: Armenians in Samtskhe-Javakheti

The ethnic Armenians form the majority of the population in the region of Samtskhe-Javakheti (Javakhk in Armenian). The local Armenian United Javakhk Democratic Alliance has proposed a local autonomy for Javakheti within Georgia.

The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and South Caucasus natural gas pipeline which passed through the region, has met opposition from local Armenians, as well as the planned Kars-Akhalkalaki-Baku railway as it isolates Armenia.

Famous Armenians in Georgia

Tombstone of Hovhannes Tumanyan in Tbilisi, Georgia

Raffi (Armenian: Րաֆֆի) the pen name of Hakob Melik Hakobian (Armenian: Յակոբ Մելիք-Յակոբեան) is a renowned Armenian author born in 1835 in Payajouk, an Armenian village situated in north of Iran, but led all his productive literary life in Tbilisi (Tiflis in Armenian) where he died in 1888. Raffi is a prominent figure of Armenian literature.

Hovhannes Tumanyan (Armenian: Հովհաննես Թումանյան) (1869 -1923) is considered one of the greatest Armenian poets and writers. He was born in village of Dsegh in the Province of Lori, Armenia, but lived and wrote in Tbilisi. He is usually regarded in Armenian circles as "All-Armenian poet". He created lyrics, fables, epic poems and translations into Armenian of Byron, Goethe and Pushkin

Anti-Armenianism

See also: Anti-Armenianism § Anti-Armenianism_in_Georgia

Some Armenians believe they are victims of a policy to shift the Samtskhe-Javakheti region’s demographic balance as a number of Georgian families were settled there.. Armenians are also underrepresented in the government (holding 5 seats in the 235-member Parliament, for example), leading to the perception of discrimination and mutual distrust . There were several protests, some of which turned violent after clashes with law enforcement agents.. The Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia also has a significant population of Armenians, where they make up roughly 20% of the population. However, the de facto Abkhaz authorities have been accused by local Armenian NGOs of intentionally decreasing the number of Abkhazian-Armenians.

See also

• Armenians in Abkhazia
• Samtskhe-Javakheti
• St. George's Armenian Apostolic Church, Tbilisi

Ecternal links

• Armenian Georgian web portal