Armenians in Abkhazia

The Armenians in Abkhazia form the second largest ethnic group in the region of Abkhazia after the Abkhaz. [ [http://www.iwpr.net/?s=f&o=257748&p=crs&l=EN&apc_state=hena-Abkhazia_2______publish_date_1_10_compact_11 Abkhazia Offers Citizenship to Diaspora] . IWPR. CRS No. 314, 10-Nov-05.] Armenians settled in Abkhazia in late 19th and the early 20th centuries and are now the largest ethnic group in Gagra, Sukhumi and Gulripsh districts forming 20% of the Abkhazian population with 45,000 out of a total of 215,000.

History

Although a few Armenians lived in Abkhazia in the Middle Ages significant Armenian immigration to Abkhazia began in the late 19th century when much of Abkhazia became depopulated due to the exodus of many Abkhaz to the Ottoman Empire after the Russian crackdown on the rebellion in Abkhazia; at the same time anti-Armenian pogroms started there and the attitude of the Porte towards its Armenian subjects became increasingly worse.Л.С. Ланда (L. S. Landa), [http://anthropology.ru/ru/texts/landa/east07_25.html Амшенские армяне Абхазии: фрагменты истории] ("Hamshen Armenians of Abkhazia, fragments of history"), Материалы VII Молодежной научной конференции по проблемам философии, религии, культуры Востока. Серия “Symposium”. Выпуск 33. СПб.: Санкт-Петербургское философское общество, 2004. C.106-108)] More Armenians came to Abkhazia in 1910s fleeing the genocide.

During the 1992–1993 War in Abkhazia most of Armenians [Helen Krag and Lars Funch. The North Caucasus: Minorities at a Crossroads. (Manchester, December 1994)] supported Abkhazians [http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=4377 Abkhazia Today.] "The International Crisis Group Europe Report N°176, 15 September 2006, page 5". Retrieved on May 30, 2007. "Free registration needed to view full report"] [AGBU, [http://www.agbu.org/publications/article.asp?A_ID=159 ABKHAZIA ARMENIANS: HOLDING A HOME IN AN UNSTABLE TERRITORY] , 11/1/2004] [The Security of the Caspian Sea Region pg 286 by Alexander Kyrlov edited by Genadi Chufrin] and many fought on their side. Armenian population declined after the war as many Armenians left the country (mainly for Russia) due to the economic hardships.

Demography

The earliest reliable records for Abkhazia are the Family Lists compiled in 1886 (published 1893 in Tbilisi), according to which the Sukhumi District's population was 69,000 of which 28,000 were Abkhaz. The Armenians in that list totalled 1,090.

According to the 1897 census there were 58,697 people in Abkhazia who listed Abkhaz as their mother tongue. [1-я Всеобщая перепись населения Российской Империи 1897 г. Кутаисская губерния. Спб: 1905. С. 32б retrieved from "АБХАЗИЯ-1992: ПОСТОКОММУНИСТИЧЕСКАЯ ВАНДЕЯ" by Svetlana Chervonnaya] There were about 1,500 Armenians in the Sukhumi district (Abkhazia) at that time; its total population was nearly 100,000. [ [http://gatchina3000.ru/brockhaus-and-efron-encyclopedic-dictionary/098/98427.htm Sukhum] in Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary ru icon]

The Russian, Armenian and Georgian population grew faster than Abkhaz, due to the large-scale migration enforced especially during the rule of Joseph Stalin and Lavrentiy Beria.

The following table summarises the results of the other censuses carried out in Abkhazia.

ent|1|*** - [http://www.ethno-kavkaz.narod.ru/rnabkhazia.html 2003 Census statistics] ru icon] Georgian authorities did not acknowledge the results of this census and consider it illegitimate. At the same time, the Abkhaz regime have been accused by local Armenian NGOs of intentionally decreasing the number of Abkhazian-Armenians. [ [http://www.armradio.am/news/?id=4999&part=pol The authorities in Abkhazia intentionally decrease the number of Armenians] . Public Radio of Armenia. February 2, 2006.]

Religion

The religious affairs of the Armenians however is taken by the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Politics

There are ethnic Armenians in the People's Assembly of Abkhazia and Armenian-language schools in Abkhazia. However, Armenians are under-represented in the Assembly as the number of the parliamentarians of this ethnicity is less than their share in the republic population. [http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=4377 Abkhazia Today.] "The International Crisis Group Europe Report N°176, 15 September 2006, page 10". Retrieved on 30 May 2007. "Free registration needed to view full report"] The Council of Armenian Community of Abkhazia has complained over "negative attitude to Armenian population" and has expressed concerns over the distribution of anti-Armenian leaflets, as well as an attempt of sabotage at a Sukhumi Armenian secondary school in 2006. [ [http://www.armtown.com/news/en/pan/20060116/16008/ ARMENIAN COMMUNITY OF ABKHAZIA CONCERNED OVER NEGATIVE ATTITUDE TO ARMENIAN POPULATION] . "armtwon.com". January 16, 2006.]

In 2007, the Georgian media began running several stories on the parliamentary elections in Abkhazia, claiming that ethnic Armenians in the area, who make up roughly 20% of the local population, would be controlling the elections.Fact|date=September 2008

References