Talk:Armenians in Kazakhstan

ARMENIANS IN KAZAKHSTAN: PAST AND PRESENT Dana MUKANOVA-KHURSHUDIAN Eduard KHURSHUDIAN

Dana Mukanova-Khurshudian, Ph.D. (Biol.), Deputy Chairperson, Armenia-Kazakhstan Friendship Society

Eduard Khurshudian, D.Sc. (Hist.), Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic

In Lieu of Introduction In the second half of the 19th century, driven by the Russian elite interests and aggravated rivalry with Britain, the Russian emperor moved to Central Asia to conquer Turkestan. Having captured the Kazakh steppes, Russian troops continued their advance across the Caspian deeper into Central Asia. At that time the Trans-Caspian Region offered no economic advantages. However, it was a key to British-dominated Afghanistan and India and, as such, was of an immense strategic value. Under Russians economically backward Central Asia became part of a much more advanced capitalist country and the area was promptly exposed to commodity-money relations. Armenians were part of this and later processes.

In 1867, the Turkestan Governor-Generalship was set up to supervise Syr Darya, Trans-Caspian and Semirechie regions of Kazakhstan.

Attracted by new possibilities Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, Jews, and people of other nationalities crossed the Caspian Sea. Armenians moved there from the Kypchak-speaking areas—their linguistic skills helped them find a common language with the local Turkic-speaking population. In 1891 head of the Trans-Caspian Region General Kuropatkin reported to the czar: “Persians, Caucasian Tartars, Georgians and others all followed the Armenians and came here from the Caucasus.” The Trans-Caspian Region became the outpost of Armenian movement to Turkestan.

According to czarist administrators and other sources, Armenians did a lot to strengthen Russia’s positions in the area. Their growing role on the domestic market, in foreign trade and industry caused certain anti-Armenian sentiments among the top administrators who were frequently reporting to St. Petersburg about an increased domination of what they called the “Armenian element.” General Kuropatkin reported to the Ministry of War: “In ten years the Trans-Caspian area developed, to a great extent, into an Armenian corner...” And then, on 5 December, 1894, he noted: “I do not allow a thought about moving here even a small amount of Armenian settlers: the Armenian element here looks like an extremely dangerous rival for the Russian element. In 1890 there were 2,893 Armenians and 4,815 Russians here. By 1 January, 1894, there were 3,438 Armenians and 9,082 Russians with the total population of 387 thousand.”

By the early 1880s Armenians entrenched themselves in all Russian trade outposts on the Caspian eastern shore. They crossed the sea together with the Russian army, built there……………..

—Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.47.186.239 (talk) 13:24, 4 January 2009 (UTC)