Armenians in Samtskhe-Javakheti

Location of Samtskhe-Javakheti within Georgia

Armenians in Samtskhe-Javakheti are ethnic Armenians of Georgian nationality living in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region of the Republic of Georgia, which borders the Republic of Armenia to the south and where ethnic Armenians form the great majority of the population with minority Georgians and populations of Russians and others.

Background

A film by Go Group/Eyewitness Studio about Armenians in Javakheti

Armenians in Samtskhe-Jаvakheti believe they are victims of a policy to shift the region’s demographic balance as a number of Georgian families were settled there. Armenians also say they are underrepresented in the government and discriminated against. Most of the Armenians in the region immigrated from the province of Erzerum in the Ottoman Empire after the area became part of Russia in 1829 while most of the Muslims (Meskhetian Turks and Adjaris) in the region emigrated to the Ottoman Empire. More Armenians came to region later on as a result of Turkish massacres and the Armenian genocide.

There have been several protests and clashes with police about the treatment of the Armenians of Samtskhe-Jevakheti.

The Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan oil pipeline and South Caucasus gas pipeline which passed through the region, has met opposition from local Armenians, as well as the planned Kars-Akhalkalaki-Baku railway as it isolates Armenia.^{[citation needed]}

The local Armenian United Javakhk Democratic Alliance has proposed a local autonomy for Javakheti within Georgia. The organization also proposed to hold a referendum on autonomy or secession of Javakheti in 1998.^{[citation needed]}

Some Armenian political groupings of the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian diaspora, amongst them most notably the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) claim that Javakhk (Armenian name for Javakheti) should belong to Armenia, United Armenia shall include all territories designated as Armenia by the Treaty of Sèvres as well as the regions of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Javakhk (Armenian name for Javakheti), and Nakhchivan. However, Javakhk (Javakheti) is not officially claimed by the government of Armenia.

History

Ethnic Armenians are chiefly concentrated in Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda districts. At the beginning of 1918 in Akhalkalaki region had 120,000 population, from which Armenians were 89,000 (74%), Meskhetian Turks were 8,000 (7%), representatives of other nationalities 23,000 (19%) During this period in Ahalkalak district there were 111 villages from which 66 were Armenian, 24 Turkish, 9 Russian, 10 Georgian (including former Armenian villages Vargav and Hzabavra, the population of which had assimilated with Georgians), and one village with the Armenian-Georgian mixed population. In the first years of Soviet system ruling in Georgia, on the territory of today's Samtskhe-Javakheti region lived 200,402 persons. The region had following national structure:

1.	Armenians	109, 748 (54.8%)
2.	Meskhetian Turks (combined with all Muslims)	57,079 (28.5%)
3.	Georgians	18,536 (9.2%)
4.	Other nationalities	15,040 (7.5%)

Thus, Armenians made overwhelming^{[citation needed]} majority in Samtskhe-Javakheti, Meskhetian Turks were 1/4 of the total population and Georgians - obvious minority.^{[citation needed]} In 1944 by decision of a government of the Soviet Union the Meskhetian Turkish population of Samtskhe-Javakheti (approximately 100,000 person) has been exiled to Central Asia (Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan). Their former residences have been populated by Georgians from Imereti. From 120 villages left by Meskhetian Turks 115 were in Adigen, Akhaltskha and Aspindza administrative areas from which 65 have been resettled by the Georgian population from Imereti. Other villages became basically thrown. Only 5 villages (Sagamo, Khavet, Erindja, Davnia, Karsep) were in Akhalkalaki (4) and Bogdanovka (1) areas which in a consequence have been populated by Armenians. The Georgian local government forbade Armenian population to settle the thrown villages, and has agreed on it only when has seen, that the Georgian newcomers have flatly refused to settle and live there in these severe climatic conditions.^{[citation needed]}

Today, there are numerous debates about returning the Meskhetian Turks on former places of residing. It is necessary to note, that from those left 120 villages in 65 lives Georgians, about 50 settlements are thrown and now have already ruined, and only in 5 villages belonged Meskhetian Turks, now live Armenians.^{[citation needed]}

Deportation nearby 100,000 Meskhetian Turks has noticeably changed demographic picture of Samtskhe-Javakheti. According to census of 1979 the population of region had approximately 190,000 person. Armenians were 124,000 (65.3%), Georgians 44,000 (23.2%), and others Russians, Ukrainians, Greeks, Jews, etc.^{[citation needed]}

Demographics

This table is a comparing table of Armenian population of Samtskhe-Javakheti in 1939, 1989, 2002.

District	1939			1989			2002
	Total	Armenians	Armenian %	Total	Armenians	Armenian %	Total	Armenians	Armenian %
Akhalkalaki	64,655	54,081	83.6	62,977	57,209	90.8	60,975	57,516	94.3
Akhaltsikhe	55,490	16,454	29.7	50,430	25,753	51	46,134	16,879	36.6
Ninotsminda	34,575	27,376	79.2	32,064	27,090	84.5	34,305	32,857	95.8
Adigeni	41,314	942	2.3	19,598	1,627	8.3	20,753	698	3.4
Borjomi	37,437	3,946	10.5				32,422	3,124	9.6
Tsalka	40,286	11,726	29.1	44,438	12,671	28.4	20,888	11,484	55
Aspindza	32,644	1,741	5.3	11,265	2,068	18.4	13,010	2,273	17.5
TOTAL	306,401	116,266	37.9	220,772	126,418	57.3	228,487	124,831	54.6

See also

• Armenians in Georgia
  • Armenians in Tbilisi
  • Armenians in Abkhazia

External links

• (Armenian) (English) (French) Javakhkh.com portal
• Javakhk.net portal
• Ararat Center's section: Javakhk: News, Facts and Analyses