by David Zenian
Moscow - Working in the Kremlin office of the late Communist dictator Joseph Stalin can be eerie at times, but then these are changing times in the corridors of power of what once was the Soviet Union.
The collapse of communism has brought down enough walls and cracked wide open not only the doors of the inner sanctums of the former super power, but also the iron gates of the suburban Moscow homes of former Party and Politburo bosses.
The reshuffling of the Soviet political structure has paved the way for new elements - including some "recycled communists" - to rapidly move into power centers of the new Russia.
Andranig Mehranian, Serge Jilavian, Archbishop Tiran Gureghian, Stepan Sitarian and Samvel Grigorian are only some of the "old and new" Armenians playing key roles in shaping the Armenian community of Moscow.
"Some of the rules may still be the same, but it certainly is a totally new game with a whole lot of new players," political scientist Andranig Mehranian said in a recent interview.
Mehranian, a graduate of Yerevan University, is one of Russian President Boris Yeltsin's trusted aides. Jilavian, a Moscow newcomer, is a millionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist. Archbishop Gureghian shoulders the mammoth task of seeing to the spiritual needs of the rapidly growing Armenian community. Sitarian is a leading economist, and Grigorian, a community activist, heads the prestigious Institute of Mechanics at Moscow University.
"Armenians have a lot of indirect influence in Russian politics. Russian-Armenian rapprochement is vital for the survival of Armenia and to a great extent the well-being of Russia itself," Mehranian said over a "business lunch" - a novelty on the Russian political scene.
As a member of Yeltsin's inner circle and one of the Russian leader's ten "senior advisors", Mehranian sees "a lot in common" between the national interests of Russia and Armenia and wants to see them better cultivated.
In Moscow since 1967, first as a graduate student and then as a member of various Soviet think-tanks, the 49-year-old political scientist and son of Armenian parents from Moush and Gars, Mehranian's daily work on Yeltsin's Presidential Council involves the preparation of policy briefs and speeches.
With a strong background in the Theory of Democracy and two semesters of teaching at San Diego State University, Mehranian was called upon to serve on the Yeltsin team in January 1993.
"One night we all gathered for a meeting in the Kremlin office of Stalin. Imagine, this was the room people were afraid to go in because of the horror stories linked to it. When Yeltsin came in to attend part of the meeting, we all felt something strange ... no one had used that room since Kosygin. Being in that room, late at night, was a strange experience," Mehranian said.
As an "insider", Mehranian is a strong advocate of "realpolitik".
"Armenia should not swim against the political waves of the region. For example, the appointment of former Armenian Foreign Minister Raffi Hovannissian was seen in Moscow as an unloyal step ... or even an anti-Russian act. It sent the wrong message to Moscow," commented Mehranian.
Despite his "sensitive and important" position within the new Russian administration, Mehranian is not openly active in community affairs.
But Serge Jilavian, one of Moscow's "nouveau riche" is.
In Moscow only since 1990, the bearded and graying "businessman" from Stepanavan, Armenia, has entered community life with the high-visibility of a politician running for office.
An otherwise shy and quiet bachelor, Jilavian is driven by his "sense of duty" and devotion to the Armenian people.
In the three years since his arrival on the Moscow scene, Jilavian has already established a day school for Armenian children, donated millions of rubles "in cash" to the Armenia Fund, organized high level meetings between Armenian and Russian Orthodox churches, and shipped hundreds of tons of relief aid to Yerevan.
The Jilavian Gymnasium, which has an enrollment of about 90 students from 1st to 9th grade, is a modern facility totally financed by the 41-year-old philanthropist.
"At least 80 percent of the students are Armenians, but we also have some Russians, Jews and Yezedis. We teach them not only Armenian, but more importantly good Russian and English. At the moment, we are not charging tuition because Serje is paying for everything," the school's principal Edvard Jilavian said. The two Jilavians are cousins.
The "everything" also includes room and board for some of the less fortunate and orphans from Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
Serge Jilavian, who despite major donations to Armenian causes has refused a position on the Moscow Committee of the Armenia Fund, openly criticizes some other Diaspora Armenians for "wasting their money" on various Armenia relief projects.
"The same cash you are using to buy this or that for Armenia in the United States, France or whatever, can be better utilized in Moscow. In fact, your dollars will stretch ten times more here than in the United States," Jilavian said in a recent interview at his gated and heavily guarded Moscow villa.
"Russia is very important and a lot can be achieved from here. Dollar for dollar, everything is cheaper here and it's easier to send things from here to Armenia than from the U.S. to Armenia," Jilavian added.
With the Armenian school up and running, Jilavian is now focusing his attention on an Armenian-Russian community center to include Armenian and Russian churches and cultural facilities "all under one big roof."
Enter Archbishop Tiran Gureghian, the spiritual leader of the Armenian community of Moscow and a highly motivated community activist and organizer.
"There are between one and one and a half million Armenians in the Russian Federation and the Armenian church has a very important role in bringing these people together," Archbishop Gureghian said in a brief interview at the small Byzantine-style 1815 Holy Resurrection chapel, the only place of worship for Moscow Armenians.
Located inside the Armenian cemetery on the outskirts of Moscow, the church has in recent years become one of the focal points of community life.
"We have no newspapers, television or radio. So if we want to know what is happening in Armenia or Karabagh, we come to church to meet fellow Armenians and find out what's happening," a young student said after a recent Sunday service.
Archbishop Gureghian, with help from a "group of devoted Armenians", is busy building a community structure "to tie up all the loose ends" of a community scattered in a city of more than 12 million people.
"We have a young Sargavak (deacon) in the Siberian town of Omsk where the Armenian community wants to build a church. We get similar requests from all across Russia where Armenians live. The Armenian community has a long way to go. It's a new Diaspora despite the age of this society. We have just put together what you refer to as a Parish Council consisting of key individuals. We need to grow as a church and we need to get closer to the Russian Orthodox church," Archbishop Gureghian said.
Among those on the Parish Council is Stepan Sitarian, a former Vice-Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers and chairman of the Moscow division of the Armenia Fund.
At 63, Sitarian is busy introducing the concept of fundraising to Armenian community life in Moscow.
"We have a lot of problems. For example, we don't know how to reach all the Armenians in this huge city. People do not know what fundraising is. People want to know how their donations are going to be spent, some are very skeptical," Sitarian said in a recent interview.
Born in the Armenian town of Allahverdi near the border with Georgia, Sitarian moved to Moscow in 1948 as a student.
With a Ph.D. in Economics, Sitarian has held a number of key positions in the old Soviet Union including that of Deputy Minister of Finance, First Deputy Chairman of the State Planning Committee (GOSPLAN), Chairman of the State Foreign Economic Commission and Vice-Chairman of the Union and Republican Currency Committee.
As the Chairman of the Moscow chapter of the Armenia Fund, Sitarian chairs a 16-member committee formed earlier this year to raise money and stimulate business in Armenia.
"One of our committee members, Serge Jilavian, donated 18 million rubles, but apart from that, we have not been able to do much more because we are busy setting up bank accounts and working out details of a fundraising program, which is not easy for any community," he said.
Sitarian is confident that despite initial difficulties, the Armenian community will pull together and fight for its survival.
"We never became Soviets like you became Americans, so in that sense, we did not assimilate as other ethnic groups did in the former Soviet Union. But we are far from Yerevan, and therefore need schools, churches, and community centers to help us sustain our existence. We can do this with support from Armenia," Sitarian said.
But organizing a community in a new Diaspora is not an easy proposition, as Prof. Samvel Grigorian has found out "the hard way."
Grigorian, chairman of the Institute of Mechanics at Moscow University and a renowned inventor, took over the helm of "The Armenian Community of Moscow" - the officially registered organization formed in late November 1991.
"It all started well, until an internal power struggle almost destroyed the organization. Today, there are two groups calling themselves the same thing, which is sad in a way," Grigorian said.
According to some community members, the split was "all but nice". There are "horror stories of kidnappings and threats to literally dissolve people in acid tanks." Like in other Armenian communities around the world, efforts were made to unite the two camps, but so far with little success.
"Thank God things are at least peaceful now. All our differences are part of the growing pains of a community. For the time being, each of the groups have their own followers, but I am sure the community will mature and leave all these differences behind because its future is at stake," Grigorian said.
