by David Zenian
Like a general regrouping his troops after a long battle, the Armenian community of Bulgaria is bustling with energy, scurrying to repair an infrastructure eroded by decades of communist rule.
From parents to teachers, to priests and newspaper editors, the pre-occupation is the same: pick up the pieces and move on.
"It will be totally wrong to say that the old regime was anti-Armenian. It was not. But at the same time, the circumstances it created had a negative impact on the natural progression of our community life," veteran newspaper editor Garo Hayrabedian said in a recent interview.
During 45 years of communist rule, all community-based groups were abolished and replaced by the Yerevan Association, a government-funded entity which many today say was a "puppet of the central government and communist party."
The Yerevan Association was everything. It had its own theater group, orchestra, dance troupe, sports clubs, youth movements and as one community activist commented "it constituted the ultimate in a controlled and manipulated society."
But times have changed. Communism is gone, and the government is no longer funding the Yerevan Association.
Hayrabedian, editor of the Yerevan newspaper, the mouthpiece of the association which carries the same name, feels isolated. After all, editing a "branded" newspaper is not an easy task.
"We are no longer subsidized by the government, and this means we are very much on our own, both financially, and otherwise. We are losing money and our future, especially that of the newspaper, is very much in doubt," he said.
In recent years, the newspaper has received a helping hand from Armenian Assembly chairman Hirair Hovnanian and an Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) chapter in Europe.
"The first was in the form of cash, and the second a gift which we sold on the open market and used the money to keep us afloat until now," Hayrabedian said.
The Yerevan newspaper today publishes in both Armenian and Bulgarian, but is no longer the only community newspaper.
Armenian newspapers have mushroomed across Bulgaria.
The newspaper Vahan in the city of Plovdiv and Hayer in Burgas have created not only a diversity, but a healthy choice for Bulgaria's 20,000 Armenian community.
Vahan often reflects the political line of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, and is published in both Armenian and Bulgarian. The newspaper Hayer, on the other hand, is only in Bulgarian with a special "teach-yourself" section to help its young readers read Armenian.
The diversification of the once-monopolized media is a clear indication of the changes taking place not only in Bulgaria as a whole, but the Armenian community as well.
Government restrictions on ethnic education were dropped in 1991, allowing the reopening of the Armenian school in Plovdiv. But more importantly, the birth of democracy in Bulgaria became a godsend gift to the rebirth of Armenian community life.
"The government is ready to do everything in its power to help the Armenian community, especially in education and language classes," said Deputy Minister of Science and Education Julieta Savova.
"We are re-printing Armenian textbooks at government expense, and we are providing Armenian language teachers, but we need help in our teacher training programs. We could use the expertise of Armenian communities around the world," she said.
"It would be nice if we could organize joint Armenian teacher training seminars together," she added.
Bulgaria in the mid-1930's was home to more than 30,000 Armenians, many of them survivors of the 1894-96 and 1915-16 massacres of Armenians by Ottoman Turks.
Statistics from that period indicate that several Armenian "revolutionaries" sought refuge in Bulgaria and settled there, playing an active role in the educational and political life of the community.
Today, and after 45 years of communist rule, the ice is melting and community groups are emerging from their hibernation.
"It is time to regroup and move ahead," says community activist and chairwoman of the Armenian General Benevolent Union's Sofia Chapter Sevda Sevan.
Ms. Sevan, who was recently named Armenia's Honorary Consul to Bulgaria, along with other community leaders like Professor Edward Selyan of the Bulgarian Ministry of Science and Education, Philip Mesrob, Marie Balyan and a core group of activists are sparing no efforts to make up for the time lost.
In the short few years since the collapse of communism, the Armenian community has rebuilt most of its old institutions.
While "traditional" Armenian political parties are still absent from the Bulgarian scene, several "surrogates" have appeared on the arena alongside the Armenian General Benevolent Union, which traces its roots in Bulgaria to 1910.
The return of organized community life also has brought in a rejuvenation long absent from the Bulgarian scene.
The AGBU has strong and well established chapters not only in the capital, Sofia, but also in Plovdiv and Russe. A new chapter is in the making in Varna and others are planned for the future.
Other Armenian organizations are also mushrooming across Bulgarian towns and cities, adding spice to community life and increasing the level of national awareness and identity.
As the community continues to jump-start itself, more and more people are getting involved with the Armenian Church - an institution which was the most isolated in the communist era. Today the church is playing an important role in the rebuilding process.
Nearly all cultural, social and other Armenian organizations are using church owned property as their venues - without rent. This is especially true in Sofia and Plovdiv, and to some extent Russe.
In Plovdiv, the church "compound" houses the Armenian school and the various Armenian associations which have mushroomed since the fall of communism.
While not lacking space or buildings, the Church also needs help.
With Armenian churches in at least seven Bulgarian cities, the shortage of clergy is becoming a serious issue. Sofia had to ordain a 43-year-old part-time deacon as parish priest in 1991 to fill the vacuum.
Plovdiv has a resident clergyman and a young priest is on loan from Armenia, serving in the 162-year-old Holy Asdvadzazin Church in the Bulgarian town of Russe, where an Armenian Bible published in 1805 in Constantinople is still in use along with religious literature dating back to 1895, 1889, 1833 and even 1799.
"For many years, the church was ignored and shunned as an institution. Today, the Armenian church is bringing everyone together by providing the various associations the space needed for them to organize and function," said Plovdiv's parish priest, Father Kevork Khatcherian.
