The problems of preservation of ethnic identity of the Belarusian diaspora in Soviet and post-Soviet Armenia

Abstract

The object of this research is the problems of preservation of ethnic identity of the Belarusian diaspora in Armenia during Soviet and post-Soviet period. Interethnic families comprise the current Belarusian community in Armenia. These scattered ethnic groups are the soft target for assimilation processes in the predominantly conservative and monoethnic regions of Armenia. The article presents a brief overview on the history of Belarusian diaspora of Yerevan and Belarusian ethnic groups in the Armenian regions since its formation until the present. Certain backbone characteristics of the concept of diaspora are described. The novelty consists in the division of Belarusian diaspora of Armenia into Belarusian diaspora of Yerevan and ethnic groups of the regions of the Republic of Armenia. A comparative analysis of these fundamentally different communities allowed better understanding the problems that threaten the existence of Belarusian diaspora in Armenia. Analysis is conducted on the basic factors of ethnic identity of the Belarusian diaspora in Armenia. The article reviews the factors that contribute to assimilation and ethnic transformation of Belarusian ethnic groups of the Republic of Armenia and the diaspora of Yerevan. In Yerevan, Belarusian ethnic identifiers are being replaced by the Russians, while in rural areas of Armenia even Russian indicators are being dislodged by the local ethnic components, which can result in fatal assimilation.