Nor Nakhichevan, Russia — A lot has changed since the early 14th century, but the people of this 214-year-old Armenian community in southern Russia still remember Ani, the city they were forced to abandon hundreds of years ago, and Empress Catherine the Great for giving them a new lease on life.
Chosen in the 10th century by Ashot III the Merciful to be the capital of Armenia, Ani had flourished under the Bagratid Dynasty but later occupied by the Byzantine, sacked by the Seljuk Turks and finally destroyed by an earthquake in 1319.
The entire population of Ani, on the outskirts of Kars in what is Turkey today and a few miles across the border from Armenia, was uprooted and forced into an exodus which ended in the Crimea in 1338.
For nearly 440 years, the survivors of Ani flourished. They built their churches, schools and maintained their language, heritage and culture in the Crimean cities of Simferopol, Feodosya and Yalta — cities which are now in the Ukraine.
"The Armenians prospered as traders, builders, and craftsmen. They established very solid roots," retired language teacher and historian Haig Derderian explained.
But history repeated itself.
This time it was not a natural calamity, but rather the first Russo-Turkish war in the Crimea between 1768-1774 that triggered the second exodus.
Empress Catherine the Great had other plans — other parts of her Empire needed attention and improvement, particularly the southern flanks of her vast territories.
She had already started promoting trade and the development of underpopulated regions by "inviting foreign settlers" such as the Volga Germans, and had founded new towns like Odessa on the Black Sea.
Enter Catherine's loyal Armenian subjects in the Crimea.
"Moving the Armenians from the Crimea to the banks of the Don River was a very conscious and calculated decision.
The Armenians were very industrious and educated and a definite asset to Empress Catherine's long-term plans," the historian said.
"She was a pioneer in reorganizing local administrations. She wanted to involve the educated classes in administration in return for their loyalty7 and her protection. She did not forcibly conscript society into the service of the state, but rather encouraged individual initiative in pursuit of self-interest," he said.
Thus, the Russian-organized "voluntary emigration" of the Armenian population of the Crimea during the middle of 1778 with the objective of giving Armenians new homes and at the same time consolidating the Empire's southern flank.
Escorted by units of the Russian army, the Armenians were on the road for 18 months, marching east to a new life and a new beginning — this time on land granted by Empress Catherine along the remote shores of the Don River.
Of the estimated 13,000 Armenians who began the 400-mile trek, nearly one-third died on the way due to illness, but for the others there was light at the end of the tunnel.
On November 14, 1779, the reward came in the form of a decree signed by the Empress granting the Armenians 86,000 hectares of fertile land along the Don river, a ten year tax exemption, and permission not only to build a city, but five villages and the money with which to carry out the plans.
Every step was meticulously planned — down to the detailed blueprints which were sent from St. Petersburg. The city was to be built east of the Russian garrison. The avenues were to be named after famous people, and the streets were to have numbers.
That's how the city of Nor (new) Nakhichevan, 650-miles south of Moscow — an important transport center at the gateway to the Caucasus — was born, and its five surrounding villages which were named Chaldir, Topti, Medz (large) Sala, Pokr (small) Sala, and Nisfita.
There was nothing accidental about the names and the region's official coat of arms. Nor Nakhichevan was named after Nakhichevan proper in southern Armenia, Chaldir was named after a lake north of Ani and the other names were those of villages the Armenians had left behind.
The coat of arms depicted a beehive and five bees — symbolizing the industrious nature of the new settlers.
"When the Armenians arrived at these shores, there was nothing except a small Russian army garrison," teacher- historian Derderian said.
Today, almost 214 years later, Nor Nakhichevan — while incorporated within the greater city limits of Rotsov-on- Don — remains a vibrant and predominantly Armenian town where avenues are still named after such favorite sons as Martiros Saryan, the artist.
The five original villages, along with three others — which were built between 1922 and 1926 and named Garmeer (Red) Crimea, Leninakan and Leninavan — are the new witnesses to the resilience of the survivors of Ani.
Few communities outside Armenia have roots as strong as the people of Nor Nakhichevan. They have built their city with their bare hands — starting with the Soorp Khatch (Holy Cross) Cathedral and seminary in 1784 which today serves as an Armenian museum — one of several in the region depicting the evolution of the Armenian population.
A khatchkar — an old stone cross — recovered from the ruins of Ani occupies one of the most prominent places in the Cathedral where Armenians pray and light candles.
Along with the Soorp Khatch Cathedral, the Armenians built numerous churches — one or two in each of the villages and several in Nor Nakhichevan — of which only one has survived years of wars and later decades of religious repression by the communists.
But despite the hardships of the communist era, Armenians in the region have remained loyal to Russian soil, defending it against German invaders during the 1941-45 war. At least 2,600 Armenians were killed and many others taken prisoner.
Communism has collapsed, and the Armenians are busy making up for the time lost.
Nor Nakhichevan's St. Karapet Church today is the symbol of religious revival and focal point of activity aimed at reclaiming the community's heritage.
From Medz Sala to Chaldir and Garmeer Crimea, Armenian volunteer workers and crews are busy repairing churches damaged by years of neglect.
Structures which served as barns and storage houses under communist rule are getting a face-lift and a fresh coat of paint.
Village committees are mobilized and so are fund-raising drives. Armenian theater groups from the Georgian capital of Tbilisi and other cities frequently visit Nor Nakhichevan. Efforts are underway to restore the publication of a local newspaper.
The Armenian community center is open and functioning, and the old Armenian Theater — now owned by the Russian administration of Rotsov-on- Don — is busy attracting new talent.
Along with the religious and national renaissance, the size of the Armenian community is also on the rise, but like elsewhere in the Russian Federation, statistics are hard to get.
According to the best available information, some 100,000 Armenians live in and around Nor Nakhichevan — evenly split between the city and surrounding villages.
Unofficial sources, however, place the figure much higher because of a recent influx of large numbers of "temporary visitors" from Armenia and "Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan."
Nor Nakhichevan is alive — thanks to the survival instinct of their ancestors from Ani.
