Armenians are one of the most ancient peoples on Earth. This is well known. It is all the more interesting to find out how the formation of the ethnic group took place, as well as to recall several theories.
For the first time, the theory about the connection of modern Armenians with the inhabitants of the ancient state of Urartu appeared in the 19th century, when historians discovered traces of an ancient civilization on the Armenian Highlands. The debate on this issue is ongoing in scientific and pseudo-scientific circles to this day.
However, Urartu as a state came to a decline already in the 6th century BC, at that time the ethnogenesis of the Armenians was only in the final stage of development. Back in the 5th century BC, the population of the Armenian Highlands was heterogeneous and consisted of the remnants of the Urartians, proto-Armenians, Hurrians, Semites, Hittites and Luwians. Modern scientists recognize that the genetic component of the Urartians is present in the genetic code of the Armenians, but no more than the genetic component of the same Hurrians and Luvians, not to mention the proto-Armenians. The connection of the Armenians with the Urartians can be evidenced by the borrowings taken by the Armenian language from the Urartian and Hurrian dialects. It can also be recognized that the Armenians also experienced the cultural influence of the once powerful ancient state.
ancient sources
The "Greek version" of the ethnogenesis of the Armenians elevates this people to Armenos of Thessaly, one of the participants in the expedition of the Argonauts. This legendary progenitor received its name from the name of the Greek city of Armeninon. After traveling with Jason, he settled in the territory of the future Armenia. This legend is known to us thanks to the Greek historian Strabo, who wrote, in turn, that he learned it from the records of the military leaders of Alexander the Great.
Apparently, given the lack of earlier sources, it was during the years of the campaigns of the "king of the world" that this legend arose. In principle, this is not surprising. At that time, there was even a version about the Greek origin of the Persians and Medes.
Later historians - Eudoxus and Herodotus spoke about the Phrygian origin of the Armenians, finding the similarity of the two tribes in clothing and language. Today's scientists recognize that the Armenians with the Phrygians are related nations that developed in parallel, but no scientific evidence of the origin of the Armenians from the Phrygians has yet been found, therefore both Greek versions of the ethnogenesis of the Armenians can be considered near-scientific.
Armenian sources
Until the 19th century, the main version of the origin of Armenians was considered to be the legend left by the "father of Armenian historiography" and the author of the work "History of Armenia" Movses Khorenatsi.
Khorenatsi erected the Armenian people to the legendary progenitor Haik, who, according to the pre-Christian version of the myth, was a titan, according to the Christian version, he was a descendant of Japheth and the son of Fogarm, the ancestor of the Armenians. According to the myth, Hayk entered into a fight with the tyrant of Mesopotamia Bel and defeated him. After Haik, his son Aram ruled, then his dreams Aray. In this version of the Armenian ethnogenesis, it is believed that numerous names of the Armenian Highlands received their names from Hayk and other Armenian ancestors.
Hayas hypotheses
In the middle of the last century, the so-called "Hayas hypotheses" became popular in Armenian historiography, in which Hayas, the territory to the east of the Hittite kingdom, becomes the ancestral home of the Armenians. Actually, Hayas is mentioned in the Hittite sources. Armenian scholars such as Academician Yakov Manandyan (a former adherent of the migration theory), Professor Yeremyan and Academician Babken Arakelyan wrote scientific papers on the topic of the new "cradle of Armenians".
Until that time, the main migration theory was recognized as "bourgeois".
The exposition of the Hayas theory began to be published in Soviet encyclopedias. However, already in the 60s of the XX century, it was criticized. First of all, from the side of the honored orientalist Igor Dyakonov, who published the book "The Origin of the Armenian People" in 1968. In it, he insists on the migration-mixed hypothesis of Armenian ethnogenesis, and calls the "Hayas theories" unscientific, since there are too few sources and evidence base for them.
Numbers
According to one of the hypotheses (Ivanov-Gamkrelidze), the center of the formation of the Indo-European language was eastern Anatolia, located on the Armenian Highlands. This is the so-called glottal theory, that is, based on language. However, the formation of the Indo-European languages was already in the 4th millennium BC, and the time of the alleged settlement of the Armenian Highlands was the 1st millennium BC. The first mention of Armenians is in the records of Darius (520 BC), the first texts are in the 5th century AD.
Civilizations have changed in world history, entire nations and languages have appeared and disappeared without a trace. Most of the modern nations and nationalities were formed already after the first millennium of our era. However, along with the Persians, Jews, Greeks, there is still another ancient original people, whose representatives found the construction of the Egyptian pyramids, the birth of Christianity and many other legendary events of ancient times. Armenians - what are they? How do they differ from the neighboring Caucasian peoples and what is their contribution to world history and culture?
The appearance of the Armenians
Like any nation whose origin goes back far into the past, the history of the appearance of the Armenians is closely intertwined with myths and legends, and sometimes it is the oral tales that have been transmitted for millennia that give clearer and clearer answers than numerous scientific hypotheses.
According to folk legends, the founder of the Armenian statehood and actually the entire Armenian people is the ancient king Hayk. In the distant third millennium BC, he, along with his army, came to the shores of Lake Van. August 11, 2107 B.C. e. a battle took place between the ancestors of modern Armenians and the troops of the Sumerian king Utuhengal, in which Hayk won. This day is considered the starting point of the national calendar and is a national holiday.
The name of the king gave the name to the people (the self-name of the Armenians is hai).
Historians prefer to operate with more boring and vague reasoning, in which much remains unclear about the origin of such a people as the Armenians. What race they have is also the subject of controversy between different researchers.
The fact is that in the highlands in the first millennium BC. e. there was a state with a highly developed civilization - Urartu. Representatives of this people, the Hurartians, mixed with the local population, gradually adopted the language, and such a nation as the Armenians was formed. What they have become over two millennia, what they had to face is a separate drama.
History of the struggle for identity
Every nation is confronted in its history with a foreign invasion, with attempts to change the very essence of the nation. The whole history of the Armenians is a struggle against numerous invaders. Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Turks - they all left their mark on the history of Armenians. However, the ancient people with their own script, language and stable family ties were not so easy to assimilate, dissolve among the foreign-speaking settlers. All this was resisted by what they had, what their neighbors had - these issues also became the subject of friction.
In response to this, measures were repeatedly taken to forcibly deport these people to the territory of Iran, Turkey, and genocide was organized. The result of this was the mass migration of Armenians around the world, which is why the national diasporas are very large and one of the most united communities in the world.
In the 18th century, for example, Caucasians were resettled to the banks of the Don, where the city of Nakhichevan-on-Don was founded. Hence the large number of Armenians in southern Russia.
Religion
Unlike many other peoples, it is possible to determine exactly in which year the Armenians converted to Christianity. The national church is one of the oldest in the world and gained independence a long time ago. Folk tradition clearly gives the names of the first preachers of the young faith at that time - Thaddeus and Bartholomew. In 301, King Trdat III finally decided on Christianity as the state religion.
Many people are often lost in the answer to the question of what faith the Armenians have. To which trend do they belong - Catholics, Orthodox? In fact, as early as the middle of the fourth century AD, a decision was made on the independent election of clergy and primates. Soon the Armenian Apostolic Church finally separated from the Byzantine one and became completely autonomous.
451 defined the main dogmas of the local church, which in some respects differed significantly from the norms of neighboring Eastern Orthodox churches.
Language
The language determines the age of the people, distinguishes it from other ethnic groups. The Armenian language began its formation in the middle of the 1st millennium BC. e. on the territory of Urartu. The newcomer conquerors of the Hurartians assimilated with the local population and adopted its dialect as a base. Armenian is considered one of the most ancient languages of the Indo-European family. It is the Indo-European family that includes the languages of almost all the peoples of modern Europe, India, Iran.
Some researchers even put forward a bold hypothesis that it was the ancient Armenian dialect that became the very Proto-Indo-European language, from which modern English, French, Russian, Persian and other languages of a significant part of today's population of the globe later emerged.
Writing
The first rudiments of their own alphabet appeared before the beginning of our era. The priests of Armenian temples invented their own cryptography, on which they created their sacred books. However, after the establishment of Christianity, all written monuments were destroyed as pagan. Christianity also played a major role in the emergence of the national alphabet.
After the Armenian Apostolic Church gained independence, the question arose of translating the Bible and other sacred books into their own language. It was also decided to create their own recording facilities. In 405-406, the enlightener Mesrop Mashtots developed the Armenian alphabet. From the printing press, the first book in Armenian graphics was published in 1512 in Venice.
culture
The culture of the proud people goes back to the depths of the 1st millennium BC. e. Even after the loss of independence, the Armenians retained their originality and a high level of development of art and science. After the restoration of the independent Armenian kingdom in the 9th century, a kind of cultural renaissance began.
The invention of their own writing was a powerful impetus to the emergence of literary works. In the 8th-10th centuries, the majestic epic "David of Sasun" was formed about the struggle waged by the Armenians against the Arab conquerors. What other literary monuments they created is the subject of a separate extensive discussion.
The music of the peoples of the Caucasus is a rich topic for discussion. The Armenian one stands out with a special variety.
Among the original people - the original people were even included in the UNESCO lists as one of the intangible objects of the cultural heritage of mankind.
However, among the traditional elements of culture, Armenian cuisine is best known to ordinary people. Thin cakes - lavash, dairy products - matsun, tan. No self-respecting Armenian family will sit at a table without a bottle of wine, often home-made.
Black pages of history
Any original people, fiercely resisting absorption and assimilation, becomes the strongest object for the hatred of the invaders. The territory of Western and Eastern Armenia, divided between Persians and Turks, was repeatedly subjected to ethnic cleansing. The most famous is the Armenian genocide, which has never happened before in history.
During the First World War, the Turks organized the real extermination of the Armenians living in the territory of Western Armenia, which was then part of Turkey. Those who remained alive after the massacre were subjected to forcible eviction in barren deserts and doomed to death.
Between 1.5 and 2 million people died as a result of this unprecedented act of barbarism. The terrible tragedy is one of the factors that unites Armenians all over the world even more with a sense of involvement in the events of those years.
The dishonesty of the Turkish authorities lies in the fact that they still refuse to recognize the obvious facts of the deliberate extermination of people on a national basis, referring to the inevitable losses of wartime. The fear of losing face by admitting guilt still prevails over the sense of conscience and shame of Turkish politicians.
Armenians. What are they today
As they often joke now, Armenia is not a country, but an office, since most of the representatives of the nation live outside the mountainous republic. Many people were scattered throughout the world as a result of wars of conquest and invasions of the country. The Armenian diasporas, along with the Jewish ones, are today the most united and friendly in many countries of the world - the USA, France, Germany, Russia, Lebanon.
Armenia itself restored its independence not so long ago, along with the collapse of the USSR. This process was accompanied by a bloody war in which the Armenians call Artsakh. By the will of the politicians who cut the borders of the Transcaucasian republics, the territory with a predominantly Armenian population turned out to be part of Azerbaijan.
During the collapse of the Soviet empire, the Karabakh Armenians demanded the legal right to independently determine their own destiny. This resulted in an armed struggle and the subsequent war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Despite the support of Turkey and some other powers, the overwhelming advantage in numbers, the Azerbaijani army suffered a crushing defeat and left the disputed territories.
Armenians have been living in Russia for many years, especially in the south of the country. During this time, they ceased to be foreigners in the eyes of local residents and became part of a cultural community.
Armenians are a nation that has its own language, history, culture, a large number of customs and traditions. Historians around the world are still arguing about when the history of one of the most ancient and first peoples, the Armenians, begins. Armenians experienced a lot of harassment and persecution from historical lands. Along with many ancient peoples, Armenians honor their ancestors and their history. A striking example of such reverence is the recognition of the genocide that claimed the lives of thousands of Armenian ancestors. Armenians, for the most part, have a family cult - Armenian families are friendly, numerous and ready to help at any time of the day or night, if necessary.
Armenian language.
According to studies, the Armenian language is among the 50 most popular languages in the world. More than 5.5 million people around the world speak the Armenian language, and all of them once again prove that it is possible to honor one's culture not only in the historical homeland, but also where the fate of a native speaker has thrown it. Disputes about the origin of the Armenian language do not subside to this day. Some historians argue that the Armenian language can be considered a mixture of ancient Greek with such extinct languages as Dacian and Phrygian, the second group of historians refute this fact. Therefore, at present, it is generally accepted that the Armenian language has absorbed the features of many living and dead Indo-European languages. An interesting fact worthy of additional mention and knowledge is the Armenian alphabet. It has been unchanged for over 1600 years. The Armenian alphabet was created in 405 by the priest Mashtots.
Mesrop Mashtots made a huge contribution to the writing and development of the Armenian language. As a reader, translator and priest, Mashtots is a cult character in Armenian history. Mashtots created the Armenian alphabet, consisting of 36 letters, in a long-term expedition, which helped him improve the alphabet and make it a real discovery. So significant that to this day, the Armenian alphabet is in its original form.
Religion.
In 301, the Armenians adopted Christianity and chose this faith as the state. As a result, many historical events will take shape around the faith of the Armenians, they will try to break them, force them to accept a different faith, but the Armenian people will show real steadfastness in their convictions and no other religion will be able to “lure” the Armenians to their side. It should be noted that Armenians are Monophysites and, unlike Orthodox Christians, they see only one nature in Jesus Christ, without dividing it into divine and human.Holidays and historical dates of Armenia.
January 1 - New Year. The Armenian New Year is practically no different from the Russian New Year. The main characters are also Santa Claus and the Snow Maiden, festive tables are bursting with traditional dishes and drinks, relatives and friends congratulate each other as best they can - some by personal visit, and some by phone.
January 6 - Christmas. On the eve of the holiday, believers go to churches to become part of the liturgy, light a candle and go home with a lit candle. This is considered to illuminate the house and cleanse from all evil.
February 14 - Terendez. This holiday is an alternative to Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day.
February 19 - St. Sargis Day. Saint Sarkis is the patron saint of all lovers in Armenia. He was a brave warrior, commander.
February 26 - Day of Remembrance of those killed in pogroms and beatings in Baku, Kirovabad. The criminals destroyed the Armenians in apartments, houses, on the streets and wherever they encountered. Victims were killed, burned alive, mutilated with improvised means. From February 26 to February 29, 1988, the Armenian people again felt fear and injustice.
April 24 is the Day of Remembrance of the fallen in the genocide against the Armenian people. Around the world and in countries that have recognized the genocide, April 24 is a day of remembrance for those who suffered under the Ottomans in 1915. is a bleeding wound for the Armenian people, an event that cannot be forgotten.
Many holidays, such as the day of the border guard, the day of Victory, the day of the radio are celebrated in Armenia as well as in Russia. Holiday dates are the same.
Culture and traditions of the Armenian people.
At present, the Armenian wedding has retained only some of the customs that were adopted in the Middle Ages. The wedding still consists of several parts:
1.Betrothal. This rite has undergone minor changes and is still an important event in the life of the young. On the appointed day, agreed between the young and their parents, all relatives gather in the groom's house. Groom's parents, close relatives, kavor (godfather) with his wife. After the buffet (earlier, instead of a buffet, there was a real feast that could last about 5 hours), gifts, gifts for the bride are collected in wicker baskets and all relatives go to the bride's house on foot, regardless of where the bride lived - across the street or in a neighboring village . Now in the baskets you can see fruits, sweets, decorations. Armenians slowly abandoned the tradition of putting meat, milk, and bread in baskets. These products were present in baskets at a time when it was considered an indicator of the groom's wealth. In the meantime, the last preparations were made in the bride's house - all the best was put on the table, the bride preened herself and went to a separate room until a certain moment. When approaching the bride's house, the basket-carriers had to raise them above their heads so that everyone could see for what purpose the crowd was approaching. Of course, at present, the groom's side will not walk from the groom's house to the bride's house, so the custom has changed somewhat. After the groom gives the mother of the bride all the baskets of food, the guests are invited to the table. After some time, the wife of the kavora takes the bride to the guests, the parents bless the young and the groom puts the ring on the bride's finger. It should be noted that many observers are confused by one small feature of the Armenian engagement. Engagement and wedding rings are worn on the ring finger of the left hand. Many Russians, seeing this, are somewhat discouraged by this fact, as they are used to seeing these rings on the ring finger of their right hand. Previously, it was necessary to give the bride gold, but now the groom's parents present jewelry, often a family heirloom (ring, bracelet, necklace, passed down from generation to generation).
2.Wedding. Nowadays, an Armenian wedding is not much different from any other wedding. The bride and groom make final preparations, dress, preen each at home. After that, the groom's side goes for the bride, who should be in the parental home. Having passed all the competitions and "barriers" on the way to the bride, the groom with a bouquet enters the father's house of the future wife and takes her away. The wedding cortege is sent to the registry office, where the marriage ceremony takes place, and after that everyone goes to the church for the wedding of the newlyweds. After the wedding, the entire wedding procession goes to the restaurant in order to adequately celebrate the celebration. One of the highlights of the wedding is the dance of the bride surrounded by guests. The guests present the bride with money during the dance, and this reward can count * auto-deletion of bad words * from small to exorbitant amounts. Due to the fact that time does not stand still and many traditions undergo changes, the Armenian wedding has lost such original rituals as the presentation of red apples, candles and red wine to the mother of the bride as a sign that her daughter was innocent before the wedding night. A rather symbolic tradition has remained in the past.
Birth of a child. It is noteworthy that, despite the change in many traditions and customs, the pregnancy of a bride before marriage in an Armenian family is practically impossible. Armenians have no such thing as a family created because of a child. An Armenian family is first created, and then a child is born in it. Armenian girls save themselves for their husbands, they are brought up in such a way that they don’t even think about a different outcome. Modern Armenian women say that they do not experience any restriction or explicit prohibition, the need for sex before marriage, because many of them make marriage proposals before they come of age and it remains only to wait for a certain age and the wedding ceremony. It should be noted that there are still Armenian families who did not register their relationship with the registry office, but simply got married. Pregnancy before marriage is also excluded.
Every Armenian, the head of the family, dreams of an heir, a son who will inherit not only his surname, but also many of his father's skills. At present, nothing depends on the sex of the child, this is just another reason for the pride of the father. The main tradition of the Armenian people associated with the birth of a child is that only family members see the newborn for 40 days. Only on the 40th day of the child can be shown to friends, distant relatives, neighbors. An outfit is bought, a festive table is laid, and happy parents show their child to everyone who came to the holiday. Of course, in the age of social networks it is difficult to maintain this custom, since every mother wants to show her baby to everyone. But, despite this, time flies so quickly that these forty days come very soon.
Hospitality. It's no secret that the Armenian people are famous for their hospitality and chic feasts on important occasions. The arrival of one of the relatives, seeing off to the army, appointment to a new position - any event is an occasion to convene all neighbors, relatives and friends. Armenians believe that the more you sincerely rejoice, the more happiness God will give you. Feasts are accompanied by national dishes, good alcohol, incendiary dances and, of course, good mood. It should be noted that the Armenians do not have a cult of alcohol. In families where the older generation, grandparents are present, it is a shame to go overboard with alcohol. Regardless of age, social status, the “cheered up” guest may be asked to leave the holiday. Naturally, such concepts as "drunken fights" at Armenian feasts are simply excluded.
National dishes. The history of the Armenian national cuisine has more than 2000 years. The interweaving of cultures, dependence on the environment - all this brought special elements to the cuisine of the Armenian people.
Soups and hot dishes. Experienced housewives often remember how mothers or grandmothers taught future housewives all the intricacies of cooking and patience, since it was very difficult to get used to the fact that it can take more than 2 hours to cook one soup. Cooking technologies are very different from those familiar to Russian people for preparing cabbage soup, soups and borscht. Due to the fact that one product in a dish (for example, meat) can undergo several processing options (frying, stewing, smoking), the dishes turn out fabulous and are remembered forever. It is noteworthy that Armenian cuisine is replete with a variety of herbs and spices. Armenian dishes are distinguished by their natural taste, unlike many Caucasian dishes.
Meat. The main place in the cookbook of any Armenian housewife is occupied by meat dishes. Despite the small number of types of meat, each meat dish has its own unique taste due to the preliminary preparation of the meat. Special marinades (wine, cognac) with the addition of spices can convey the whole gamut of taste of any type of meat.
The most popular Armenian national dishes include barbecue, dolma, kyufta.
Armenians believe that every housewife should be able to cook national sweets: kata and nazuk. These are multi-layer pies with a variety of fillings. Of course, there can be no talk of dough bought at the nearest supermarket.
Fruits and vegetables also occupy the main place in the diet of any Armenian.
Side dishes for main dishes are cereals.
Lavash is the most important bakery product. Armenians use it instead of bread with all dishes: with meat, soup, dipped in sauces. Modern housewives make various fillings and wrap them in pita bread.
Famous Armenians of the world. The Armenian people are scattered all over the planet and their representatives, of course, have achieved different heights. Armenians are proud of their compatriots, and those, in turn, do not hide their origin.
Charles Aznavour (Shakhnur Aznavourian) - French chansonnier, actor, public figure, poet, composer. His parents fled to France in 1922, fearing a repeat of the 1915 Armenian genocide. Charles was born in France and from childhood he knew what he would do all his life. He is known all over the world. In 2014, at the age of 90, he gave a concert at the Crocus City Hall. All tickets were sold, regardless of their value. Aznavour wrote the song "They fell" in memory of the victims of the genocide. The video clip filmed for this song featured Armenian actors, singers and celebrities of Armenia and Armenian descent.
Armen Dzhigarkhanyan. Theater and film actor, producer, director. Armen Borisovich was born on October 3, 1935 in Yerevan. From an early age, Dzhigakhanyan accompanied his mother to film premieres, theater performances and exhibitions. Elena Vasilievna, mother of Armen Borisovich, instilled in him a love for culture and art. Later, Dzhigarkhanyan admits that if it were not for her mother and her ardent love for cinema, then perhaps everyone would have known Dzhigarkhanyan the economist, but they would never have known about Dzhigarkhanyan as an excellent actor, able to reincarnate and play diverse and diverse roles. Known for the films "Hello, I'm your aunt." "Dog in the manger", "The meeting place cannot be changed."
Tigran Keosayan. Director, screenwriter, producer. The son of the famous director of "The Elusive Avengers" Edmond Keosayan, Tigran, worthily continued his father's work, becoming a director and screenwriter. He stood at the origins of creating video clips for songs by popular Russian performers. Keosayan presented Russian viewers with his directorial work "Poor Sasha", where A. Zbruev played the main role. He is married to actress Alena Khmelnitskaya.
Jivan Gasparyan. An Armenian musician who glorified the Armenian national instrument duduk to the whole world. He is a composer for the famous films "Gladiator", "The Passion of the Christ", "The Da Vinci Code". Despite his age (born in 1928) he still gives concerts and teaches the art of playing the duduk.
Varteres Samurgashev. Champion of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Greco-Roman wrestling. Champion of Europe, World, Russia. Honored Master of Sports. He is best known to the residents of Rostov-on-Don, as he lives there.
Shavarsh Karapetyan. Famous swimmer, champion of Europe and the USSR. After a heroic deed, he left the sport for a while due to health problems.
A feat that few people know about now. In 1976, while jogging daily on the shore of a lake in Yerevan, Shavarsh saw a trolleybus with people from the road near the lake fall into the water. Shavarsh decides to save as many people as possible and in a matter of seconds comes up with a plan: he dives and gets people, while his brother and the coach, who were with him on a run, continue to help. It is worth noting that the tragedy occurred in mid-September, the water was cold, and there was no visibility under water at all. Under such conditions, Shavarsh saved more than 20 people. Those who analyzed this whole situation were shocked: Shavarsh saved people with absolutely zero chance. But he did. At the cost of your own health. After his act, Karapetyan came down with severe pneumonia and returned home a month and a half later.
Suzanne Kentikian. Boxer woman. Women's World Lightweight Champion. Of the 25 fights held, 25 were winning, 16 of them by knockout. It has a height of 1.50 m and a weight of 50 kg.
Hmayak Hakobyan. Circus performer, actor. For many, he became famous for being the host of the Good Night, Kids program. Children of the 90s remember him in colorful magician outfits, his tricks and unique spells.
Vyacheslav Dobrynin (Vyacheslav Petrosyan). Famous singer and composer. Winner of many song contests and awards.
Mikhail Galustyan (Nshan Galustyan). KVNschik, actor, producer. At present, few people do not know Michael.
Irina Allegrova. Popular singer, performer of such hits as "Junior Lieutenant", "Empress".
Evgeny Petrosyan. Spoken artist, comedian.
It should be noted that a large number of Armenians in Soviet time tried to change their surnames and tried in every possible way to "disown" their origin. After the passions around the Armenians subsided, many tried with all their might to regain their ancient surnames, but it was all in vain.
Armenian communities or the unity of the people, regardless of location.
As mentioned above, everyone knows that Armenians, wherever they are, will always be happy to help their compatriot. Thanks to this feature, in every corner of the world, there are Armenian communities that form the Armenian diaspora. The Armenian diaspora numbers more than 8 million people. It should be noted that only 40% of Armenians live on the territory of Armenia, while the rest are scattered all over the world.
Historically, Armenians were often persecuted, and therefore a large number of Armenians were forced to settle where it was safe. The diaspora increased markedly after the Armenian genocide in 1915. Those who were able to survive these terrible, bloody events settled all over the world. Fear for themselves, for their families, for their children and their loved ones pushed a huge number of Armenians to leave their native lands in search of safety and a peaceful life.
The Armenian communities are concerned that, having arrived in foreign lands, the Armenians will lose the need to preserve culture, traditions, cease to be native speakers, and therefore in every possible way contribute to the fact that the Armenian only changes his place of residence, but not his habits and his identity.
Arriving in any corner of the world, an Armenian can be sure that he will be able to find his compatriot or community. The community performs the function of a patron and helper when the visitor is poorly oriented in what kind of life awaits him in the future in a foreign land. Of course, no one helps the visitor financially, mainly it is moral assistance and organization of leisure activities, the celebration of national Armenian holidays by all members of the community. Many Armenians note that thanks to the unity of spirit in the communities, in a foreign land they have not lost faith in themselves and their future, no matter how difficult it may be.
Also, everyone knows that the Armenians are trying to move their family to where they settled down. Many laugh at this trait, laugh until they are faced with the indifference of their own family in emergency situations.
Historical events that changed the lives of many Armenians.
The main and, unfortunately, tragic events that forever and irrevocably changed the lives and destinies of thousands, and maybe millions of Armenians, include:
- Armenian Genocide. In the past year, 2015, Armenians around the world celebrated the 100th anniversary of a terrible event not only in the history of the Armenian people, but also in world history. Studies have shown that more than 42% of the world's population do not know the main causes and consequences of the Armenian genocide. They just heard that "something happened and the Armenians began to be killed." This is a terrible omission and a gap in people's knowledge. The most basic reason for what happened is the refusal of the Armenians to accept the faith of the Turks - Islam. Figuratively speaking, the Armenians, who adopted Christianity in 301 and did not force anyone to their faith, found themselves on the path of the Turks, who began to surrender their positions to the strongest Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans, in order to prove their strength to themselves and to all countries, began to oppress the Armenians. Of course, everything was much deeper and more conflicting, but the fact remains: the Turks wanted to amuse their pride and unleashed a war with people they did not like. Armenians were slaughtered in families, burned alive in their homes, drowned in rivers. The Turks began their execution of many thousands with the murders of priests, politicians and all those through whom ordinary people could turn for help to the world, to Russia, to the countries of Europe. Since then, the Armenians, at some genetic level, have been hostile to the Turks, who still have not admitted their guilt in this bloodshed. The duty of every Armenian was the mission: to convey to the world how terrible the action of the Ottomans was. That is why the Armenian Genocide was recognized in 30 countries of the world. In 30 countries, among which Turkey did not appear. In one of the interviews, Nicolas Sarkozy thanked the Armenian people for their perseverance, for the fact that the Armenians are seeking the truth: "...perhaps thanks to such solidarity, the Armenians prevented the genocides of other peoples." Many sociologists noted that in the 2008 war in Tskhinvali, Mikheil Saakashvili tried to use similar tactics against the Ossetians.
- Earthquake in Spitak. Dirty, in a torn shirt and looking for his family among the stones and debris, a resident of the Armenian city of Spitak, said to one of the journalists: “I don’t know how we so angered God that another test fell to our lot.” And it was true. A cry from the heart and a request for help. On December 7, 1988, the worst earthquake in the history of Armenia occurred in the Armenian Spitak. At 11.41 local time, there was a strong (almost 12 points on the Richter scale, which is the maximum value) tremor, which was felt even by residents of Yerevan, located a hundred kilometers from Spitak. In this tragedy, about 25 thousand people died, and thousands were maimed, under the rubble of the city. Armenians all over the world shuddered. Someone in Spitak had relatives, someone had friends. Airports were overcrowded - everyone was trying to fly to a city that no longer existed. The worst thing was that in 1988 there was the coldest winter and those who survived after the aftershocks could simply die from the cold. The main politician of that time, the head of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev, having learned about the earthquake, immediately interrupted his business trip to America and immediately went to Armenia. Countries that learned about the tragedy sent trucks, planes and trains with humanitarian aid, the best doctors and rescuers, but did not take into account the main thing - along with residential buildings, kindergartens and schools, hospitals were also destroyed. The situation was getting out of control and terrified even the most steadfast. The most “severe” patients were sent by planes and helicopters to the nearest hospitals, rescuers, doctors and just civilians worked around the clock at the scene of the tragedy, who did not lose hope of finding their loved ones among the ruins. Later, the city was restored and currently about 40 thousand people live in Spitak.
- Nagorno-Karabakh . The last high-profile conflict in which Armenia was involved was the Karabakh conflict. The enclave, territorially located between Armenia and Azerbaijan, was called Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenians lived in Nagorno-Karabakh, who wanted to become either part of Armenia or gain independence. Armenia and Azerbaijan began to conduct political negotiations, during which they could not peacefully agree on who should own Karabakh. The conflict peaked in November-December 1988, and the Spitak earthquake cooled the ardor of the belligerents for a while. Civilians were at enmity with each other, each tried to appropriate the "foreign" Karabakh. The disputes over Karabakh resumed after perestroika and, thanks to the right strategic actions of Serzh Sargsyan, who at that time was not yet the president of Armenia, led Armenia to restore justice and return historical lands.
In fact, Armenians have a lot of habits, both positive and negative, and their character traits are very diverse. The temperament and mentality of Armenians is a very complex thing. However, this article contains everything that can distinguish an Armenian from representatives of other nationalities.
Armenians are an ancient people who predominantly speak Armenian. The formation of the Armenian people on the territory of the Armenian Highlands began at the end of the 2nd millennium BC. e. and ended by the 6th century BC. e.
Despite the fact that the Armenians are united by one history, one blood and many common features, both externally and internally, the representatives of this nation are radically different from each other. The Sputnik Armenia portal tried to understand what an Armenian really is.
One heartbeat
Representatives of the Armenian communities live predominantly in all major countries of the world. Most of the Armenians live in Russia, France and the USA. In particular, Armenians moved to many countries after the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire. The most interesting thing is that Armenians have about 50 dialects, while there are Western Armenian and Eastern Armenian languages, which are spoken by the vast majority of representatives of this nation. As for Eastern Armenian, this is one of the modern variants of the Armenian language, which is spoken in modern Armenia.
The second variety of the Armenian language is common among the Armenian diaspora, which appeared after the Genocide. This group of Armenians predominantly lives in North and South America, Europe and the Middle East. Despite the fact that the dialects are very different, Armenians can easily communicate with each other, speaking their own dialect. The most difficult to understand Armenian dialects are among the inhabitants of the Syunik region and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Artsakh). It is for this reason that many Armenians do not speak their native language, but they are fluent in the language of the country in which they live.
If you communicate with Armenians, then, undoubtedly, you have noticed that these people have a bright sense of humor. They can cheer you up in a few minutes, tell a lot of funny stories, anecdotes, and make you walk around with high spirits for the next few days.
It is impossible not to note the fact that there are a lot of famous Armenian comedians in the world. In particular, the well-known Evgeny Petrosyan, Garik Martirosyan and Mikhail Galustyan. In fact, despite their cheerful disposition and enthusiasm, Armenians are very serious people, especially if we are talking about people of the older generation, who had many difficulties.
There are also eternally dissatisfied Armenians. Usually, these are people who will never find their place in life. Most of all, in my opinion, Armenian taxi drivers and public transport drivers are dissatisfied. It is clear - the driving style in Yerevan and other cities of Armenia is distinguished by a special temperament.
If you are a person close to an Armenian, then, most likely, he is ready for a lot for you, and maybe for everything. Probably, only Armenians know how to give everything to a loved one without a trace, surround him with care, attention and affection.
Armenians love and value family very much. In the Armenian family, the parent is the king. And in fact, this is all mutual, since many Armenian parents raise their children in great love and do everything for them, even the impossible. The attitude towards children in our country is special, and this can be called a cult of children. Also, an Armenian man idolizes his beloved women (mother, sister, wife).
Hospitality
Another national trait is hospitality. If you are visiting a "correct" Armenian, then he will definitely treat you to something. But if you have agreed in advance to visit an Armenian or an Armenian family, then a whole festive treat awaits you! And especially, delicious Armenian cognac.
You can talk about Armenian dishes forever and write for a long time, but the most favorite dishes of Armenians are dolma (stuffed cabbage rolls from grape leaves), khash - a spicy soup of beef legs with garlic, spas - a healthy soup based on yogurt, Armenian salad taboule from bulgur and finely chopped parsley.
Armenian habits
Most Armenians are hardworking. If an Armenian finds a job he likes, then he works tirelessly.
The sunny weather of Armenia allows the inhabitants of the country to hang clothes on the streets. Such a habit is traditional, for example, for the inhabitants of Italy, when a huge amount of clothing is hung from building to building.
The "classic" Armenian is distinguished by the fact that he likes to consume a large amount of bread and coffee, organizes luxurious weddings, birthdays, engagements, christenings and other holidays. And in fact, an Armenian may not have money ... He will take it on credit, he will pay off the debt for months. But if the soul wants a holiday, then he will not be able to deny himself and his loved ones this.
Armenians love expensive cars, clothes and accessories. Probably, this feature is characteristic of all nationalities.
And many Armenians also open all the windows in the car when their favorite song is playing, regardless of whether you like this music or not. But the music lover will pass through the city, having listened to his favorite track several times, even in winter.
If you decide to use public transport in Armenia, and there is no longer a place where you can sit down, then you will definitely give it up.
And Armenians love to greet each other very much. "Barev" and "Bari luys" ("hello" and "good morning") - this is what can cheer up a person or become an occasion for further communication. No wonder they say in Armenia that "the greeting belongs to God."
Very often Armenians say "merci" instead of the traditional "thank you". Maybe it's just too lazy to pronounce the beautiful word "shnorakalutsyun" every time.
By the way, only an Armenian will buy an expensive gadget for himself - a phone, laptop, tablet or netbook, and will be too lazy to study it himself in order to properly exploit it. He will definitely start asking others how to set everything up and make it work.
In fact, Armenians have a lot of habits, both positive and negative, and their character traits are very diverse. The temperament and mentality of Armenians is a very complex thing. However, this article contains everything that can distinguish an Armenian from representatives of other nationalities.
We are glad if Armenian habits are also characteristic of you.
Sputnik.
Representatives of Armenian communities live in all major countries of the world. Most of all - in Russia, France and the USA. In particular, Armenians moved to many countries after the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire.
Armenian language
The most interesting thing is that Armenians have about 50 dialects, while there are Western Armenian and Eastern Armenian languages, which are spoken by the vast majority of representatives of this nation. As for Eastern Armenian, this is one of the modern variants of the Armenian language, which is spoken in modern Armenia.
The second variety of the Armenian language is common among the Armenian diaspora, which appeared after the Genocide. This group of Armenians predominantly lives in North and South America, Europe and the Middle East. Despite the fact that the dialects are very different, Armenians can easily communicate with each other, speaking their own dialect.
The most difficult to understand Armenian dialects are among the inhabitants of the Syunik region and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Artsakh). It is for this reason that many Armenians do not speak their native language, but they are fluent in the language of the country in which they live.
Armenian humor
If you communicate with Armenians, then, undoubtedly, you have noticed that these people have a bright sense of humor. They can cheer you up in a few minutes, tell a lot of funny stories, anecdotes, and make you walk around with high spirits for the next few days.
It is impossible not to note the fact that there are a lot of famous Armenian comedians in the world. In particular, the well-known Evgeny Petrosyan, Garik Martirosyan and Mikhail Galustyan. In fact, despite their cheerful disposition and enthusiasm, Armenians are very serious people, especially when it comes to people of the older generation, who have had a lot of difficulties.
© Sputnik / Ramil Sitdikov
There are also eternally dissatisfied Armenians. Usually, these are people who will never find their place in life. Most of all, in my opinion, Armenian taxi drivers and public transport drivers are dissatisfied. It is clear - the driving style in Yerevan and other cities of Armenia is distinguished by a special temperament.
Armenian hospitality
If you are a person close to an Armenian, then, most likely, he is ready for a lot for you, and maybe for everything. Probably, only Armenians know how to give everything to a loved one without a trace, surround him with care, attention and affection.
Armenians love and value family very much. In the Armenian family, the parent is the king. And in fact, this is all mutual, since many Armenian parents raise their children in great love and do everything for them, even the impossible. The attitude towards children in our country is special, and this can be called a cult of children. Also, an Armenian man idolizes his beloved women (mother, sister, wife).
Another national trait is hospitality. If you are visiting a "correct" Armenian, then he will definitely treat you to something. But if you have agreed in advance to visit an Armenian or an Armenian family, then a whole festive treat awaits you! And especially, delicious Armenian cognac.
You can talk about Armenian dishes forever and write for a long time, but the most favorite dishes of Armenians are dolma (stuffed cabbage from grape leaves), khash - spicy soup of beef legs with garlic, spas - a healthy soup based on yogurt, Armenian salad taboule from bulgur and finely chopped parsley.
Armenian habits
Most Armenians are hardworking. If an Armenian finds a job he likes, then he works tirelessly.
The sunny weather of Armenia allows the inhabitants of the country to hang clothes on the streets. Such a habit is traditional, for example, for the inhabitants of Italy, when a huge amount of clothing is hung from building to building.
© Sputnik / Asatur Yesayants
The "classic" Armenian is distinguished by the fact that he likes to consume a large amount of bread and coffee, organizes luxurious weddings, birthdays, engagements, christenings and other holidays. And in fact, an Armenian may not have money ... He will take it on credit, he will pay off the debt for months. But if the soul wants a holiday, then he will not be able to deny himself and his loved ones this.
Armenians love expensive cars, clothes and accessories. Probably, this feature is characteristic of all nationalities.
And many Armenians also open all the windows in the car when their favorite song is playing, regardless of whether you like this music or not. But the music lover will pass through the city, having listened to his favorite track several times, even in winter.
If you decide to use public transport in Armenia, and there is no longer a place where you can sit down, then you will definitely give it up.
And Armenians love to greet each other very much. "Barev" and "Bari luys" ("hello" and "good morning") - this is what can cheer up a person or become an occasion for further communication. No wonder they say in Armenia that "the greeting belongs to God."
© Sputnik / Samvel Sepetchyan
"Areni" festival: truth in wine
Very often Armenians say "merci" instead of the traditional "thank you". Maybe it's just too lazy to pronounce the beautiful word "shnorakalutsyun" every time.
By the way, only an Armenian will buy an expensive gadget for himself - a phone, laptop, tablet or netbook, and will be too lazy to study it himself in order to properly exploit it. He will definitely start asking others how to set everything up and make it work.
In fact, Armenians have a lot of habits, both positive and negative, and their character traits are very diverse. The temperament and mentality of Armenians is a very complex thing. However, this article contains everything that can distinguish an Armenian from representatives of other nationalities.
We are glad if Armenian habits are also characteristic of you.
