Armenian Identity Research Articles

AB-Türkiye İlişkileri Bağlamında Ermenilerin Kimlik İnşasına Yeniden Bakış

This article critically analyses the reconstruction of the Armenian identity in the context of reforms in Turkey's European Union (EU) accession process. Within the scope of the research, in order to understand the cultural, ethnic and religious identity construction processes of the Armenian community in Istanbul, the existing academic literature on Armenians in Turkey has been analysed in detail, and field research based on observation and in-depth interviews has been conducted. In line with the historical background ranging from the Ottoman millet system to the Republic's policies of creating a homogenous nation, from the democratisation movement to the EU accession process, the construction process of Armenian identity has been analysed in three stages in the light of the relevant theoretical debates. Firstly, the historical development of different legal statuses evolving from non-Muslims to minorities is analysed; secondly, the reform process brought about by the EU membership process is examined. While analysing this process, the basic dynamics that contributed to the formation of Armenian identity were first identified. Secondly the prominent changes in the legal, political, social and cultural fields that accelerated the reconstruction of the Armenian community's identity by the EU reform process were tried to be identified. Finally, the social dilemmas experienced in the aftermath of the reforms are analysed and the ongoing identity struggle of the Armenian community is outlined. While the EU membership process allows the Armenian community in Turkey to express their identities more openly and freely, social insecurity and dilemmas prevent this process from being fully realised. The study analyses the theoretical approaches to identity construction and the political, economic, social and cultural transformations experienced by the Armenian community in Turkey and offers suggestions on the processes of identity struggle. In particular, it is emphasised that overcoming social insecurities and dilemmas is critical for the sustainable survival of Armenian identity. In this context, it is concluded that more inclusive and supportive policies should be developed in order to preserve the Armenian identity and increase its social acceptance. Key Words: Identity, European Union, Türkiye, Armenian identity, minority

Հայ ռամկավար կուսակցությունը և դրա Կահիրեի ակումբի գործունեություն 1915-1921 թթ. / The Armenian Ramkavar Party and the activities of its Cairo Club in 1915-1921

The Ramkavar Azatakan Party (PRA), one of the traditional Armenian parties, was founded in 1921, as a result of the unification of the Armenakan founded in 1885 and other parties active in Armenian reality. The intermediate link in the Armenakan-PRA chain was the Armenian Constitutional Party Ramkavar (ACPR). During its existence (1908-1921), the party was on the side of the people and fought for them. Some of the Armenians who escaped the genocide after the genocide found refuge in Egypt. The Ramkavars established their local structures here. One of them was the Cairo Club, which, continuing the pro-Armenian activities of the party, played its role in the preservation of Armenian identity.

Ռումինիայի հայ մամուլի արժևորման հարցի շուրջ

In this article we touched upon the Armenian community of Romania, the Armenian press, as well as the Armenian press of Romania. Under the dictates of historical and political circumstances, Armenians also settled in Romania. They have created their respective community structures, published the Armenian press, etc. This press touches upon various issues: community life, Homeland-Diaspora relations, etc. The coverage of the problems of the Armenian press in general is of great relevance. The Armenian press of Romania is also developing activities in the Armenian community to preserve the Armenian identity, especially among the younger generation, contributes to the preservation of the Armenian language, traditions and customs. The “Armenian Press” database on the website of the National Library of Armenia contains bibliographic data of the Armenian periodicals of Romania in serial numbers. There is a link “read online” where digital copies of periodicals are available.

Уточнение термина «армяне-халкидониты»

The ethnic self-consciousness of the Armenian ethnos, which passed the peak of ethnogenesis at the end of the first millennium BC, was ensured by the common origin, language and territory, common historical memory, continuity of state-political formations, cultural traditions and customs. Armenia is one of the oldest Christian states, and the Christianisation of the country in the early 4th century introduced a new cementing component into the Armenian identity. Wars with Mazdean Iran and later with the Muslim world, the struggle for fatherland and the struggle for faith cemented ethno-cultural and ethno-political identity. Armenia was one of the first countries to enter the Universal Church of the Christian East. Armenians participated in three Ecumenical Councils: the Council of Nicaea (325), the Council of Constantinople (381) and the Council of Ephesus (431), but did not attend the Fourth Council of Chalcedon (451) because of the war with Iran. The acts of the Council of Chalcedon, which reached Armenia much later, divided Armenians into two confessional directions — supporters and opponents of the Chalcedonian oros; the latter suspected in it hidden Nestorianism and did not recognise the supremacy of the Patriarch of Constantinople, while their opponents accused them of heresy. The emergence of Armenian writing in the early 5th century and the phenomenon of the «Golden Age» — the unprecedented rise of Armenian literature after the invention of the alphabet — determined for centuries the ethnic identity of Armenians, the unity of which was most universally and concretely reflected in the ethnic term «Armenian» (հայ, hay, ἀρμένιος). That is why the designation of the supporters of the Chalcedonian oros as Armenians-«Romaeans» and Armenians-«Georgians» did not find an adequate explanation for a long time. The term «Chalcedonian Armenians» was introduced in the early XX century by N. Y. Marr, as a designation of Armenians, called in the sources of XI–XV centuries «Romans» or «Ivirs», depending on their belonging to the Greek or Georgian Church. This hypothesis posed an important problem in Orientalism, caused continuous discussions and, accordingly, initiated further research. In recent decades, various aspects of the problem of the Chalcedonian Armenians (political, social, administrative, theological, polemical, historiographical) have attracted the attention of researchers; however, there is a range of issues that are unexplored or controversial. The term «Chalcedonite Armenians» proposed by N. Y. Marr instead of «Armenians-Romeans» and «Armenians-Ivirs» remained the most debatable issue for a long time. The aim of this paper is to clarify the content of the term «Chalcedonian Armenians» and, accordingly, the use of double ethnonyms in medieval sources, which served the emergence of this term in Modern times, i.e. to study the chronology and authorship of these sources.

General Outlines for the National Identity of Modern Armenians

This article analyzes the main results of a representative nationwide sociological survey devoted to the study of the distinctive characteristics of the national identity of modern Armenian society. Based on a theoretical analysis of the obtained data and a comparative study of secondary data obtained in earlier sociological studies, the dynamic image of the main characteristics of the national identity of modern Armenians is constructed. The main gender, age and urban differences in the national self-identification of the population of Armenia are provided. Sociological analysis of the self-perception of Armenians in relation to other ethnic groups of a large historical region is given. The outlines of social distance within the Armenian ethnos between various groups of its diaspora are considered in detail. Some of the sociological data obtained is compared to the results of recent genetic studies of the Armenian ethnos.

Juxtapositions and Inventions: Sergei Parajanov, Ispoved’, and Armenian Identity

Abstract Sergei Parajanov, famously and sardonically, noted in various ways that he was an Armenian, born in Georgia, educated in Moscow, and arrested in Kiev for Ukrainian nationalism. He was also the quintessential idealized Soviet subject of the Caucasus. Parajanov directed a series of highly experimental films that are impossible to categorize. He began work on his Confession (Ispoved’) an autobiographical script exploring his upbringing, as an Armenian, in Tiflis/Tbilisi. Parajanov began to film Confession in 1989, but became ill before more than a fragment was filmed. This essay examines Confession in an effort to decipher Parajanov’s self-image as an Armenian/Soviet director from Tbilisi.

In the Beautiful Heaven, a Golden Cage: Race, Identity and Memory in Turkification of Armenian Children in State Orphanages During the Armenian Genocide

ABSTRACT The perpetration of the Armenian Genocide did not originate as the direct implementation of ideological convictions; rather, stemmed from an amalgamation of certain theories adjusted to political and economic developments in the Ottoman Empire in tandem with the desire to transform a multi-ethnic and multi-religious empire into a Turkish nation-state. Within this nation-building project, the Young Turk’s government chose to exterminate the indigenous Armenian minority, using forced transfer and the assimilation of children and young women into Turkish society as one of the methods of destroying the Armenian community. This fits well into the overall Turkish nationalist ideology, as women and children were deemed as not having a transmutable ethnic identity: while a woman’s identity could be discounted, the identity of children could be reprogrammed by stripping them of their Armenian identity and imposing a new identity through change of personal data, religious conversion and education. Building on existing research, this article first presents the ideological foundations of Turkish nation-building and the implementation of the Armenian Genocide to achieve this end, focusing on the forcible transfer and assimilation which selected Armenian children endured. Informed by both published and unpublished memories of transferred children, the second part of the article reconstructs the actual process and methods of Turkification used in several state-run orphanages while also presenting the resistance of Armenian children to these efforts. This article expands the number of known state orphanages and widens the geographic scope of where Turkification practices took place, thus substantiating a general assimilation policy of the CUP towards some selected Armenian children and arguing that forced transfer and Turkification were used as a method of destroying the Armenian community. It also enters new testimonies into public circulation that help to better understand the role of forced transfer during the Armenian Genocide and its implications on the survivors.

Remembered in translation: Retranslators of William Saroyan into Turkish as guardians of erased memories

ABSTRACT This paper examines the Turkish translations of two selected short stories from William Saroyan’s My Name is Aram, paying special attention to the strategies used by translators in the transfer of details describing the daily lives of Armenian migrants in the US and their affective connections to their ancestral home. Through textual and paratextual analysis, and situating the translations in their socio-political contexts, the paper foregrounds the potential of (re)translated literature as a site for observing the changing politics of memory in a receiving culture. It concludes that, while earlier translators aligned themselves with the dominant politics of ‘silence and denial’, weakening the longings of Armenian characters for their ‘old country’, recent translators have been more meticulous about details related to the Armenian identity of characters. They reinstate the memories and yearnings erased in earlier translations, thereby contributing to newly emerging bottom-up energies challenging the official discourse and offering new channels of discussion.

The Scribe Narrates – The Art of Ara Oshagan

Abstract Photographer and installation artist Ara Oshagan examines diaspora and displacement, in his solo exhibit, How the World Might Be (2022). Oshagan’s visual vernacular explores Armenian identity, especially as it relates to the subject of indigeneity. Taking his cue from contemporary art – a mix of disparate styles, genres, and media – Oshagan constructs a hybridized model of native Armenian identity, one that is an eclectic mix of peoples, places, and cultures. Consequently, he formulates a new genus of Armenian through his art, much the same way contemporary art mixes dissimilar elements to create a novel art form.

Editors' Note

Editors' Note Daria Farman-Farmaian and Mikael Pir-Budagyan Dear Reader, Whereas identities may previously have been independent of one another because of geographic isolationism, our increasingly globalized world challenges these norms of homogeneity. Today, people all over the world are forced to contend with changing personal, national, state, ethnic, economic, and political affiliations. For better or for worse, identity is inherently disordered but exists at every level of our world. It merges, erases, changes, and coexists in distinct forms and environments. It does not disappear in international relations; instead, often, it is brought to the fore, making the global order infinitely more complex and challenging to predict. And though some identities are blatant, most remain unobservable, disrupting the clarity of our everyday world. As a source of both conflict and unity, identity is no less important in international relations than issues such as international law, economic development, armed conflict, global health, or sustainability policy. In fact, we believe identity is at the core of all these topics. The field of international affairs faces an unprecedented and diverse set of challenges and opportunities. Across the climate crisis, a globalizing world, democratic advancement and backsliding, or the war in Ukraine, identity remains a central part of the debate. Whether forged on the battlefield or transformed by technological innovation, identities transgress the linear perception of global developments and deserve the utmost attention from academics and practitioners. The question is not if we address identity in international relations but when and how. The Georgetown Journal of International Affairs Edition 24, Volume I is a bold attempt to bring identity center stage and explore its implications globally. In pursuing this goal, we lead with a few questions: How do global forces bring us together or tear us apart? What are the dangers and opportunities of increased identity polarization or homogeneity? How do identities intersect, conflict, and coexist on a global scale? We are grateful for the insight of this volume's contributing scholars and practitioners who have sought to probe such questions. Because of their expertise, we have had the opportunity to explore issues such as digital identity and inclusion, ethnonationalist conflicts in Ethiopia, and Armenian identity in the face of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Editing the works of these authors has made clear to us that a conversation about identity on a global scale is long overdue. This volume of the 24th edition would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of each graduate and undergraduate student member of the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs. The Journal's high publication and professional standards are safeguarded by the hard work and dedication of our organization's Editorial Assistants, Section Editors, Development Team, and the rest of our Board. It has been an enriching experience for both of us, and we look forward to you, Reader, discovering the insights this volume presents. Daria Farman-Farmaian, SFS '23 Mikael Pir-Budagyan, MAERES'24 GJIA Print Editor's in Chief [End Page 1] Copyright © 2023 Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University

The Tragic Pages of Armenian History in Alan Hovhaness’ Works

The American Armenian composer Alan Hovhaness’ “otherness” in the context of the 20th century musical discourse can be explained by his Armenian-Scottish origins, Armenian-Eastern musical identity and his unique interpretation of different artistic traditions of eastern musical cultures - Indian, Japanese, Korean etc., available in his works. The tragic pages of Armenian history are reflected in Alan Hovhaness’ immense heritage; this article particularly focuses on the “Exile” symphony (No. 1, 1939), dedicated to the Armenian Genocide. The “Exile” is a kind of catharsis in the long run of Hovhaness’ pursuit of national spirit and musical identity to achieve solution to his psychological and creative crisis. The symphony became a symbolic self-acknowledgement of the composer’s Armenian identity, and an offering in commemoration of the Genocide victims in the realm of the musical space of the composer’s individual perceptions.

Identification of Ethno-Confessional Groups in Syria (a Case Study of the Armenian Community in Syria)

The article looks into some issues regarding the identification of ethno-confessional groups in the Syrian Arab Republic with a focus on the concepts (or terms) applied to them. Syrian Armenians are chosen as a case study, since they recognize themselves as Syrians and at the same time attach much importance to maintaining their Armenian identity. The first section of the article deals with the concept of minority and the usage of the term in the academic literature and legal sources, since ethno-confessional groups are often studied through the prism of this concept. Usually, it implies not just the size of the group but its non-dominating political and legal status. This often brings about some negative connotations even in the cases of the “neutral” usage of the concept. The second – studies the approach of the Syrian government and explains what factors define their terminology applied to ethno-confessional groups and how the concepts and terms used by the Syrian authorities reflect their policies towards ethno-confessional issues in Syria. The third section is a case study of the Armenian community of Syria. It offers an account of concepts used by them which are compared to those used within the governmental approaches. It is concluded that, on the one hand, the Syrian government is pursuing the idea of a common Syrian identity, which unites all the Syrians no matter their ethnic and confessional identity. On the other, despite that, on the local level ethno-confessional groups still identify themselves and other groups based on their ethno-confessional identity.

Фактор диаспоры в контексте модели общеармянской идентичности: между нацией и государством

Research on the Armenian diaspora take a special place in the modern Armenian studies. Approximately 70 per cent of ethnic Armenians live outside the modern Republic of Armenia. Preservation of the Armenian identity within the diaspora is declared as a priority objective. At the same time, the diaspora is perceived as a strategic resource for the development of the Armenian statehood. Meanwhile, there is practically no comprehensive research on this topic. Accordingly, certain myths exist about a unified Armenian diaspora, however, in reality it is more accurate to refer to it as a plethora of Armenian communities in different countries of the world that vary in many ways and are rather fragmented due to their lack of institutionalized unity. This article aims to study the communities of the Armenian diaspora in all their diversity with the objective to reveal the socio-political portrait of these communities. The analysis especially focuses on the institutions within the Armenian diaspora in order to identify their role in the functioning of these communities in general and the preservation of Armenian identity in particular. The main aim is to comprehend the unity between the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian diaspora through examining the place and role of modern Armenian statehood in the models of self-identification of diaspora communities. To this end, the authors study the available literature on the topic, as well as specific empirical material, namely in-depth interviews with experts in the Republic of Armenia and the results of an extensive sociological poll “The Armenian Diaspora Survey” conducted across various communities of the Armenian diaspora. The study concludes that there is a common cultural and linguistic Armenian identity, which does not extend to include civil, political, and – currently – confessional components.

The Pattern of the Transformation of the Religious Life of the Armenian Diaspora in Ukraine: Conditions, Causes, Consquences

The article reveals the role of the Armenian Church in preserving the ethnic identity of Armenians in the diaspora on Ukrainian land. The transgression or adaptation of the religious and ecclesiastical sphere of Armenians to the new environment in Ukraine was a "soft" process, since it was a transition within a Christian society, and therefore not on religious, but on the confessional basis of "Own"/Christians, although "Others." The specifics of the mentality, general algorithms of migration and incorporation into the new socio-cultural environment determined the main aspects of the transition of the religious and ecclesiastical sphere of Armenians into the alien cultural environment: the creation of their own autonomous religious locus, which became the center of the formation of the social topography of their colonies; legal registration and consolidation of the status of religious autonomy; parallel functioning of religious location of Armenians (not only the traditional Armenian Apostolic Church, but Orthodox/Chalсedonians as well as Catholic Armenians). In the diaspora, the necessity of Armenians to adapt to the landscape, climate, political, and socio-economic realities of the Kyiv and Galician-Volhynian States, and later the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, should have led to appropriate adjustments in mentality and stereotype of behavior. This tendency was significantly strengthened by the Union1 processes. The changed mentality and stereotype of Armenian behavior made it possible to successfully unite the Ukrainian branch of the Armenian Apostolic Church with Rome. The Union with Rome fixed two main mental components of Armenians in diaspora: despite all the changes in rite, language, liturgy, laws, etc., they were still Armenians, but they became another, different Armenians, not like the Armenians of the ancestral homeland. Both the Armenian Apostolic and Armenian Catholic churches have played a leading role in preserving the national cultural and historical memory of Armenians, which became a safety mechanism preventing the complete assimilation with the Ukrainian-Polish (Ukrainian-German, Ukrainian-Romanian and Ukrainian-Russian) environment.

Արգենտինայի և Բրազիլիայի հայ մամուլը

Thus, we touched upon the Armenian communities of Argentina and Brazil, the Armenian press, as well as the Armenian press of Argentina and Brazil. Under the dictates of historical and political circumstances, Armenians also settled in Brazil and Argentina. They have created their respective community structures, published the Armenian press, etc. This press touches on various issues: community life, Homeland-Diaspora relations, etc. The coverage of the problems of the Armenian press in general is of great relevance. The Armenian press of Argentina and Brazil is also developing activities in the Armenian communities to preserve the Armenian identity, especially among the younger generation, contributes to the preservation of the Armenian language, traditions and customs.

ПОТОМКИ МАНУК-БЕЯ МИРЗАЯНА/Descendants of Manuk-Bey Mirzayan

Four generations of Manuk-Bey Mirzayan descendants - children, grand-children, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren - received a good education. Many of them intermarried with representatives of elites of the Russian Empire and noble families of European countries. They possessed con-siderable capital, were actively engaged in their vast lands’ development, were involved in construction and charity, vigorously participated in public life and, to a lesser extent, in politics. Many of them won government awards. Also, Mirzayan’s descendants, especially in the second and third genera-tions, sought to preserve the Armenian identity. Almost all got married and baptized in Armenian churches, donated to Armenian churches and schools, kept the Armenian language and traditions in their families, closely communi-cated with Armenian circles - both Manuk-Bey’s associates and dozens of other Armenians of Bessarabia. This cohort affected the Armenian community devel-opment and significantly strengthened the Armenian diaspora in Bessarabia, playing a full role in its economic life.

MODERN ARMENIAN KHACHKAR CULTURE AND THE VANDALISM OF AZERBAIJAN

The cross and the khachkar have been and remain one of the most important symbols of the Armenian identity, undergoing iconographic, thematic and content changes during their centuries-old existence. Azerbaijan's official policy, in the way of creating its own identity, which was carried out at the expense of the Armenian identity and against that identity, often resorted to the appropriation (Albanisation, Udiization) of the cross and the khachkar and finally its destruction. After the first Artsakh war, the khachkar, having undergone corresponding dimensional and iconographic changes, became the main symbol of the liberated territories, settlements and especially the borders.

Քուվեյթի հայ մամուլը որպես հայապահպանության միջոց

Thus, summarizing the above, we can state that various Armenian-Arab relations have a centuries-old history and continue also in the 21st century. Armenia-Kuwait relations should be considered in the domain of Armenia-Arab world relations. There is a viable Armenian community in Kuwait, which plays an important role in the life of a hospitable country. The Armenian press has an important mission. That applies equally to the Armenian Diaspora press. The “Armenian Press” database, posted on the website of the National Library of Armenia, is also important.The press published in Kuwait covers a variety of topics, in a certain way also contributing to the extremely important, relevant and urgent imperative of preserving the Armenian identity.

The Ottoman Armenians Discuss Ottoman Civic Identity during Tanzimat Reforms

This paper explores how the Armenian efendis conceptualized and responded to the Ottoman imperial nation-building project during the Tanzimat reforms. It seeks to answer whether for the Armenian elite, the new form of the Ottoman civic identity was exclusively based on membership in an imperial nation, or it promoted a dual identity – one imperial, and one ethno-religious or national. Discourse analysis of reports of the Armenian National Assembly, and editorials of Armenian newspapers, published in Constantinople (Istanbul), let me argue that although the Armenian Tanzimat-men shared the idea of Ottoman citizenship, they made it clear that membership in an imperial nation could not exclude the Armenian identity which was relatively inflexible.

The “Karabakh – Armenia” Theme in the Iconography of Armenian Identity

The images and written formulas depicted on banners and posters are a vivid manifestation of national identity and tend to appear and reappear in abundant quantities in times of societal crises. In this sense, the iconography of the Karabakh Movement represents a rich and broad field of study. What is distinctive about the posters created during the Karabakh Movement is that a great majority did not simply proclaim the programmatic ideas of certain parties or political trends but rather expressed the people’s concerns, moods and wishes and their interpretations of events as they unfolded. The posters and banners of the Movement manifested in varying genres and revealed diversity in their content. They were the product of both Soviet and nationalist mentality. The theme “Karabakh-Armenia” had many different manifestations in the iconography of the Karabakh movement, such as quotations and the creation of posters using or based on “quote thinking”; unification of Karabakh with Armenia as a solution for the Karabakh issue; the theme of Mother Armenia and child-Karabakh; “Karabakh is ours”; manifestations of solidarity with the people of Karabakh; Karabakh and Armenia as one entity. This article aims to present and analyse those banners and posters as manifestations of national identity.