What year was Armenia founded? The era of national revival

ARMENIA (in Armenian Hayastan), the Republic of Armenia (official self-name - Hayastani Hanrapetutyun), a state in western Asia, in the Transcaucasus. Area 29.8 thousand square meters. km. It borders on Georgia in the north, Azerbaijan in the east and southeast, Iran in the south, and Turkey in the west and southwest.

ARMENIA (in Armenian Hayastan), the Republic of Armenia (official self-name - Hayastani Hanrapetutyun), a state in western Asia, in the Transcaucasus. Area 29.8 thousand square meters. km. It borders on Georgia in the north, Azerbaijan in the east and southeast, Iran in the south, and Turkey in the west and southwest.

The independent Republic of Armenia was established in Transcaucasia in May 1918. In 1920, Soviet power was established on its territory. In 1922, Armenia, along with Georgia and Azerbaijan, became part of the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (TSFSR), which joined the USSR. In 1936 the federation was abolished, and Armenia became a union republic within the USSR. After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the Republic of Armenia was restored. December 21, 1991 she became a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

ANCIENT HISTORY

The first information about the Armenian Highlands dates back to the 14th century. BC. There existed the states of Nairi in the basin of the lake. Van and the states of Hayasa and Alzi in the nearby mountains. In the 9th century BC. an alliance was formed with the self-name Biaynili, or Biaynele (the Assyrians called it Urartu, and the ancient Jews - Ararat). The first Armenian state arose as a result of the collapse of the union of states of Urartu immediately after the fall of the Assyrian Empire in 612 BC. At first, Armenia was under the domination of Media, and in 550 BC. became part of the Persian Achaemenid Empire. After the conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great, Armenia was ruled by representatives of the Orontid dynasty (Armenian Yervanduni). After the death of Alexander in 323 BC. Armenia became a vassal of the Syrian Seleucids. When the latter were defeated by the Romans in the battle of Magnesia (190 BC), three Armenian states arose - Lesser Armenia west of the Euphrates, Sophene - east of this river and Greater Armenia with a center in the Ararat plain. Under the rule of the Artashesid dynasty, Greater Armenia expanded its territory up to the Caspian Sea. Later, Tigranes II the Great (95-56 BC) conquered Sophena and, taking advantage of the protracted war between Rome and Parthia, created a vast but short-lived empire that stretched from the Lesser Caucasus to the borders of Palestine.

The rapid expansion of Armenia under Tigran the Great clearly showed how great the strategic importance of the Armenian Highlands was. For this reason, in later eras, Armenia became a bone of contention in the struggle between neighboring states and empires (Rome and Parthia, Rome and Persia, Byzantium and Persia, Byzantium and Arabs, Byzantium and the Seljuk Turks, Ayubids and Georgia, the Ottoman Empire and Persia, Persia and Russia, Russia and the Ottoman Empire). In 387 AD Rome and Persia divided Great Armenia among themselves. On the territory of Persian Armenia, internal self-government was preserved. The Arabs who appeared here in 640 defeated the Persian Empire and turned Armenia into a vassal kingdom with an Arab governor.

MIDDLE AGES

With the weakening of Arab domination in Armenia, several local kingdoms arose (9th-11th centuries). The largest of them was the kingdom of the Bagratids (Bagratuni) with its capital in Ani (884-1045), but soon it fell apart, and two more kingdoms were formed on its lands: one west of Mount Ararat with a center in Kars (962-1064), and the other - in the north of Armenia, in Lori (982-1090). At the same time, an independent Vaspurakan kingdom arose in the lake basin. Van. The Syunids formed a kingdom in Syunik (modern Zangezur) south of the lake. Sevan (970–1166). At the same time, several principalities arose. Despite numerous wars, at this time there was a rise in the economy and the flourishing of culture. However, then the Byzantines invaded the country, followed by the Seljuk Turks. In the valleys of Cilicia in the northeastern Mediterranean, where many Armenians, mainly farmers, had previously moved, an “Armenia in exile” was formed. At first it was a principality, and later (since 1090) a kingdom (the Cilician Armenian state), headed by the Ruben and Lusinyan dynasties. It existed until it was conquered by the Egyptian Mamelukes in 1375. The territory of Armenia itself was partly under the control of Georgia, and partly under the control of the Mongols (13th century). In the 14th century Armenia was conquered and ravaged by the hordes of Tamerlane. In the next two centuries, it became the object of a fierce struggle, first between the Turkmen tribes, and later between the Ottoman Empire and Persia.

THE ERA OF NATIONAL REVIVAL

Divided in 1639 between the Ottoman Empire (Western Armenia) and Persia (Eastern Armenia), Armenia remained a relatively stable country until the fall of the Safavid dynasty in 1722. As a result of the Russian-Iranian wars, under the Gulistan peace treaty of 1813, Russia annexed the Karabakh region, and under the Turkmanchay treaty of 1828, the Yerevan and Nakhichevan khanates. As a result of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, Russia liberated the northern part of Turkish Armenia.

Shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, the Turks set about solving the "Armenian question" by forcibly expelling all Armenians from Asia Minor. The Armenian soldiers who served in the Turkish army were demobilized and shot, women, children and the elderly were forcibly relocated to the deserts of Syria. At the same time, from 600 thousand to 1 million people died. Many of those Armenians who survived thanks to the help of the Turks and Kurds fled to Russian Armenia or other countries in the Middle East. May 28, 1918 Russian Armenia was proclaimed an independent republic. In September 1920, Turkey unleashed a war against Armenia and captured two-thirds of its territory. In November, units of the Red Army entered Armenia, and on November 29, 1920, the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed.

SOVIET ARMENIA

On March 12, 1922, Armenia concluded an agreement with Azerbaijan and Georgia, according to which they formed the Federal Union of the Socialist Soviet Republics of Transcaucasia, which was transformed on December 13, 1922 into the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (TSFSR). At the same time, each republic retained its independence. On December 30, the federation became part of the USSR.

Under Stalin, a dictatorship was established in the country, accompanied by the collectivization of agriculture, industrialization (with an emphasis on heavy industry and the military industry), urbanization, the brutal persecution of religion and the establishment of an official "party line" in all areas of life.

In 1936 ca. 25,000 Armenians who opposed the policy of collectivization were deported to Central Asia. During the Stalinist purges, the first secretary of the Communist Party of Armenia Aghasi Khanjyan, Catholicos Khoren Muradbekyan, a number of government ministers, prominent Armenian writers and poets (Yegishe Charents, Axel Bakunts and others) perished. In 1936, the TSFSR was abolished, and Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, which were part of it, were proclaimed independent union republics within the USSR.

At the end of the war, Stalin, taking into account that the Armenian diaspora abroad has large funds and highly qualified specialists, suggested that the Catholicos appeal to foreign Armenians with a call for repatriation to Soviet Armenia. During the period from 1945 to 1948, approx. 150 thousand Armenians, mainly from the countries of the Middle East. Subsequently, many of them were repressed. In July 1949, the mass deportation of the Armenian intelligentsia with their families to Central Asia was carried out, where most of them died.

INDEPENDENT REPUBLIC

In May 1990, elections were held to the Supreme Council (SC) of Armenia, which included both communists and representatives of the opposition - the Armenian National Movement (ANM). In August Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Chairman of the ANM Board, was elected Chairman of the Supreme Council. On August 23, 1990, at the first session of the Supreme Council, the “Declaration of Independence of Armenia” was adopted, according to which the Armenian SSR was abolished and the independent Republic of Armenia was proclaimed. On September 21, 1991, a nationwide referendum was held on secession from the USSR. This proposal received approx. 95% of the citizens who took part in the referendum. On September 23, the Supreme Court approved the results of the referendum and proclaimed the independence of the Republic of Armenia. L. Ter-Petrosyan was elected the first President of Armenia. December 21, 1991 Armenia joined the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

On March 22, 1992, the Republic of Armenia was admitted to the UN. In the spring of 1992, paramilitary units of Armenia established control over Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1993, the armed forces of the Karabakh Armenians attacked the positions of the Azerbaijanis, from which the latter fired at Karabakh and the settlements of eastern Armenia. A civil war broke out in Azerbaijan itself. The armed forces of Nagorno-Karabakh captured a significant part of the Azerbaijani territory adjacent to the Karabakh enclave from the north and south, and cleared the Lachin corridor that separated Karabakh from Armenia. As a result of these actions, hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis were forced to leave their homes and became refugees. In May 1994, with the mediation of Russia, an agreement was concluded between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the cessation of hostilities.

Against the backdrop of the worsening economic crisis and widespread corruption in the government in 1994, dissatisfaction with President Ter-Petrosyan and his ANM party began to grow. Despite the fact that Armenia gained a reputation as a state with successful democratization processes, in late 1994 the government banned the activities of the Dashnaktsutyun party and the publication of several opposition newspapers. The following year, the results of a referendum on a new constitution and parliamentary elections were rigged. For the constitution, which provided for strengthening the power of the president by reducing the powers of parliament, 68% of the votes were cast (against - 28%), and for parliamentary elections - only 37% (against - 16%). Numerous violations were committed in the parliamentary elections. Foreign observers rated them as free, but not flawless. The Republican bloc, led by the Armenian National Movement, the successor to the Karabakh movement, won a landslide victory.

On March 30, 1998, according to the results of early elections, Robert Kocharyan, the former president of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, became the President of Armenia. As a result of the parliamentary elections held on May 30, 1999, the Miasnutyun (Unity) bloc received the largest number of seats in parliament. The 5% barrier was overcome by the Communist Party of Armenia, ARF Dashnaktsutyun, the Iravunk ev Miabanutyun (Law and Unity) bloc, the Orinats Yerkir (Land of Law) party, and the National Democratic Union.

The government of Armenia was formed by representatives of the Miasnutyun bloc and the ARF Dashnaktsutyun.

RELIGION

Armenians were converted to Christianity thanks to the activities of Gregory I the Illuminator (Armenian Grigor Lusavorich, later canonized) in 301, and Armenia became the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as a state religion. Although the Armenian Apostolic Church was originally independent, it maintained ties with other Christian churches up to the Chalcedon (451) and Constantinople (553) Ecumenical Councils, and then retained close ties only with the Monophysite churches - Coptic (Egypt), Ethiopian and Jacobite (Syria) . The Armenian Apostolic Church is headed by the Catholicos of All Armenians, whose residence has been in Etchmiadzin since 1441. The Catholicosate of all Armenians includes four patriarchies (Etchmiadzin; Cilicia, from 1293 to 1930 with a residence in the city of Sis, modern Kozan, in Turkey, and since 1930 - in Antilias, Lebanon; Jerusalem, founded in 1311; Constantinople, founded in the 16th century. ) and 36 dioceses (8 - in Armenia, 1 - in Nagorno-Karabakh, the rest - in those countries of the world where there are Armenian communities).

From the 12th century a small part of the Armenians began to recognize the supremacy of the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope of Rome. Supported by the Dominican missionaries of the Order of Jesus (Jesuits), they united into the Armenian Catholic Church with a patriarchal residence in Beirut (Lebanon). The spread of Protestantism among the Armenians was facilitated by American Congregational missionaries who arrived from Boston in 1830. Since then, there have been many Armenian Protestant congregations. At present, the Armenian Catholic Church, the Armenian Evangelical Church, a synagogue, as well as churches and prayer houses of various religious minorities operate in Armenia.

CULTURE

From the 7th c. AD Armenia was an outpost of Christianity in the surrounding Muslim world. The Armenian (Monophysite) church preserved the traditions of Eastern Christianity, which opposed both its Western and Eastern branches, from which it was isolated. After the loss of independence by Armenia (1375), it was the church that contributed to the survival of the Armenian people. Starting from the 17th century. contacts are established with Italy, then with France and somewhat later with Russia, through which Western ideas also penetrated. For example, the famous Armenian writer and public figure Mikael Nalbandyan was an ally of such Russian "Westerners" as Herzen and Ogaryov. Later, cultural ties between Armenia and the United States began.

Education.

Conductors of public education until the middle of the 19th century. remained Christian monasteries. In addition, the development of culture was greatly facilitated by the creation of Armenian schools in the Ottoman Empire by Armenian Catholic monks from the Mkhitarist order (established in the early 18th century in Constantinople by Mkhitar Sebastatsi to preserve the monuments of ancient Armenian writing), as well as the activities of American Congregationalist missionaries in 1830- e years. The Armenian Church and enlightened Armenians educated in the universities of Western Europe and the USA helped to organize Armenian schools in the places where Armenians were densely populated. An important role in the cultural life of the Armenians of the Russian Empire was played by the Armenian schools founded in the 1820–1830s in Yerevan, Etchmiadzin, Tiflis and Alexandropol (modern Gyumri).

Many representatives of the Armenian people in the 19-20 centuries. received education in Russia, especially after the creation in 1815 by Ioakim Lazaryan in Moscow of an Armenian school, transformed in 1827 into the Lazarevsky Institute of Oriental Languages. Many Armenian poets, writers, statesmen came out of its walls, including Count M. Loris-Melikov, who proved himself in the theater of military operations in the Caucasus (1877-1878) and as the Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia (1880-1881). The famous marine painter I.K. Aivazovsky was educated at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts.

The education system in Armenia was created during the years of Soviet power on the model of the Russian one. Since 1998, it has been reformed in accordance with the World Bank program, for the implementation of which 15 million dollars have been allocated. School curricula are being revised, hundreds of new textbooks are being printed. In Armenia, there are incomplete secondary schools, complete secondary schools, gymnasiums, lyceums and higher educational institutions (colleges, universities and institutes), including 18 state universities and 7 colleges with 26 thousand students, and 40 non-state universities with 14 thousand students. Up to 70% of students in secondary specialized educational institutions receive education on a commercial basis. Most universities are located in Yerevan. The most prestigious universities are the Yerevan State University (founded in 1920), the State Engineering University of Armenia, the Yerevan State National Economic Institute, the Armenian Agricultural Academy, the Yerevan State Linguistic Institute named after. V.Ya.Bryusov, Yerevan State Medical University, Armenian State Pedagogical University, Yerevan State University of Architecture, Yerevan State University of Architecture and Construction, Yerevan State Institute of Theater Arts and Cinematography, Yerevan State Art Academy, Yerevan State Conservatory. There are higher educational institutions, including branches of some Yerevan universities and institutes, in such cities as Gyumri, Vanadzor, Dilijan, Ijevan, Goris, Kapan, Gavar. In 1991, with the support of the University of California in Yerevan, the American University of Armenia was founded. In 1999, the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University was opened in Yerevan, where approx. 800 students, predominantly Armenians (90%).

The leading scientific center is the Academy of Sciences of Armenia, founded in 1943, with several dozen research institutes. The Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (founded in 1946) is world famous. In 1990, more than 100 research institutes (including academic and other departmental ones) functioned on the territory of Armenia. During the period from 1990 to 1995, the number of scientific workers decreased by almost 4 times (from 20 thousand to 5.5 thousand). Currently, the state finances only priority scientific areas.

customs and holidays.

Many traditional folk customs have been preserved in Armenia: for example, the blessing of the first harvest in August or the sacrifice of lambs during certain religious holidays. A traditional holiday for Armenians is Vardanank (St. Vardan's Day), celebrated on February 15 in memory of the defeat of the Armenian troops led by Vardan Mamikonyan in the battle with the Persian army in the Avarayr field. In this war, the Persians intended to convert the Armenians to paganism by force, but having won and suffered huge losses, they abandoned their intention. The Armenians preserved the Christian faith, defending it with weapons in their hands.

Currently, the following holidays and memorable dates are officially celebrated in the Republic of Armenia: New Year - December 31 - January 1-2, Christmas - January 6, Motherhood and Beauty Day - April 7, Memorial Day of the victims of the Armenian Genocide - April 24 (1915), Victory and Peace Day - May 9, First Republic Day - May 28 (1918), Constitution Day - July 5, Independence Day - September 21. All these days are non-working. December 7 is the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Spitak Earthquake.

Armenia is one of the most ancient civilizations in the world. This area has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Archaeologists continue to find evidence that the territory of Armenia was among the first places where human civilization settled. Mount Ararat, which is currently in Turkey, but which was part of the territory of the Armenian Kingdom, is the place where Noah's Ark stopped after the Flood.
During the Bronze Age, several states flourished within the Armenian Plateau: the Empire of Hitit, Mitani (southwest of historical Armenia) and Ayasa-Azzi (XV century BC) and in the Iron Age, the Indo-Europeans Phrygians and Mushki attacked and destroyed the kingdom of Mitani .Also bloomed Nairi (XII - IX centuries BC) and the kingdom of Urartu (IX - VI centuries BC), immediately preceding the state of Armenia. In 782 B.C. King Argishti I of Urartu founded the fortress of Erebuni, in the north of the country (today Yerevan, the capital of Armenia).
After the fall of the state of Urartu, the ancient Armenian Kingdom appeared on its territory. The first mention of the country of Armin (Armenia) is made in the cuneiform writings of the era of the Persian king Darius I (5th century BC). But the Armenians themselves call themselves hay, and the country - Hayastan, which comes from the name of the country of Ayas. The Greek historians Xenophon and Herodotus first mention Armenia in the 5th century BC. Xenophon, who in his famous work Anabasis, describing the retreat of tens of thousands of Greeks from Armenia in 401-400 BC, testifies that Armenia had a prosperous agriculture: horticulture and cattle breeding, the country was rich in wines, wheat and fruits, the author describes much of the life of the Armenian people and their hospitality.
The ancient Armenian Kingdom under the rule of the Yervandid dynasty was under the rule of the Persian Akemenids. Armenia was divided into two parts: Greater Armenia and Lesser Armenia. After the campaign of Alexander the Great, the period of Hellenization of Armenia began, but soon Armenia fell under the rule of the Seleucid Empire. In 190 BC The Seleucid Empire fell under the rule of the Romans and Armenia gained freedom. King Artashes I of Greater Armenia, the founder of the Artashesid dynasty, united most of the Armenian-speaking regions.
The Armenian Kingdom reached its peak of power during the reign of Tigran II the Great (95-55 BC) of the Artashesid dynasty. When it turned into one of the most powerful kingdoms of its time, it was called by historians the "Empire of the Three Seas", as it reached the shores of the Caspian, Black and Mediterranean seas. For centuries, this country, due to its strategic localization between two continents, was subjected to invasions by all the powers that were in this zone: Assyrian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Mongolian, Persian, Turkish-Ottoman and Russian.
In 301, Armenia became the first state to officially adopt Christianity, thanks to the influence of St. Gregory the Illuminator, the first Catholicos (Patriarch), now the patron saint of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Tiridates III (238-314) was the first king to be officially baptized along with his subjects. This happened 24 years before the Roman Empire gave Christianity official legality and 36 years before Emperor Constantine I the Great was baptized (337).
In the year 387 Armenia was divided between two powerful states, Byzantium and Persia. The Armenian population was in danger of disappearing. Catholicos Sahak Partev and King Vramshapuh, who ruled the Persian part of Armenia, decided to strengthen the Armenian culture and thus prevent the disappearance of the nation. The task of creating the Armenian alphabet was entrusted to Mesrop Mashtots, the adviser to the king. After hard, many years of work, in 405 he created an alphabet, which gave rise to national writing. This period is known as the first golden age of Armenia.
Under Roman-Persian rule, Armenia retained some sovereignty, but in 428 it lost it entirely. Persia tried to root out Christianity in the territories that were under its rule and convert the Armenians to Zoroastrianism and assimilate them, which led to a popular uprising. The Armenian army, under the leadership of Prince Vardan Mamikonyan, entered into a decisive battle against the numerically superior Persian army in the Avarayr valley. Both parts suffered important losses, the prince himself died. There were neither winners nor losers in this battle, but subsequently the Persians abandoned the spiritual colonization of the country.
In the 7th century Persia was conquered by the Arabs. The long struggle of the Armenian population for their independence ended at the end of the 9th century, when the Arabs appointed the Bagratid princely family as the rulers of the Aryan territory, and Ashot Bagratuni was declared the king of Armenia. A period of flourishing and development of culture began. The incredible flowering of art and literature led to the second golden age in the history of Armenia, due to autonomy within the Arab Empire. The reign of the Bagratids left a significant mark on the history of Armenia.
In 1045 the Byzantine Empire conquered Bagratid Armenia, although their rule did not last long as the Seljuk Turks who arrived from Central Asia in 1071 defeated Byzantium and conquered Armenia, establishing the Seljuk State. Many princes ceded their lands to the Byzantine emperor, receiving land in Cilicia in return. Many residents of the Armenian regions began to move there, fleeing the persecution of the Seljuk Turks, and at the end of the 11th century, the Rubenid dynasty founded a new state, the Armenian Cilician Kingdom, which lasted 3 centuries.
This new state became an ally of the Crusader armies that came from Europe to fight against the Muslim threat on behalf of Christendom. Finally, in 1375, the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia fell under the rule of the Mamelukes of Egypt, who controlled the area until they finally surrendered to the Ottoman Turks in the 16th century.
Since the 12th century, Armenia has been occupied by several barbarian tribes: the Seljuk Turks, the Mongols, the Tatar hordes of Tamerlane. The Seljuk State began to crumble. In the early 1100s, the Armenian princes of the noble Zakaryan family created an Armenian semi-independent principality in the north and east of Armenia, which is known as Zakaryan Armenia. In 1230 the Mongol khanate conquered the Zakarian principality, as well as the rest of Armenia. The Mongol invasions were followed by invasions by other Central Asian tribes, which continued during the 12th and 14th centuries. With each invasion, Armenia weakened more and more.
The Ottoman Turks replaced the Seljuk Turks and from the 13th century they began to conquer Asia Minor. In 1453 they took Constantinople and went east, conquering Persia. The scene for numerous wars between Turkey and Persia was the territory of Armenia, until the country was finally divided between the two Muslim states in the 17th century. Later, the Russian Empire annexed Eastern Armenia, which included the Yerevan and Karabakh khanates in Persia in 1813 and 1828. The rest, known as Western Armenia, remained under the yoke of the Ottoman Empire until the end of the First World War.
In 1895-1899, the Turkish authorities organized brutal massacres of Armenians in Western Armenia. In 1915, the Young Turk government, using the situation of war, implemented its pre-planned program for the complete extermination of the Armenian population in Turkey. During 1915-1917, while the male population was being destroyed, women and children were deported to the deserts of Mesopotamia and were killed or died of starvation and exhaustion. More than one and a half million victims are the result of the first genocide of the 20th century. About 800 thousand survivors scattered around the world and founded diasporas. Armenia and its diaspora have been campaigning for more than 30 years for official recognition of these events as genocide. Every year on April 24, on the day at the dawn of which the arrests of the Armenian intelligentsia and more than 800 writers, artists, journalists, politicians, doctors, businessmen, etc. began. were sent to the deserts of Mesopotamia and killed, the memory of all the innocent victims who fell from the Turkish sword is honored.
In 1918, Eastern Armenia declared its independence, which lasted for 2 years. Over the next 70 years, being one of the 15 republics of the USSR, it went through a difficult path of socio-economic development, full of achievements and hardships. Finally, when the Soviet Union collapsed, in 1991 Armenia regained its independence.

With the fall of the USSR in 1989, discussions began again about the future of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region, the historical part of Armenia inhabited by Armenians, which in 1923 was annexed to Azerbaijan by Stalin's decision. The Armenian population of the region began to move towards reunification with Armenia. In November 1991, after the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh decided to reunite with Armenia, the Azerbaijani parliament decided to deprive Karabakh of autonomy, which led to a referendum, as a result of which Nagorno-Karabakh was declared an independent state (not officially recognized). A number of conflicts led to violent actions and massacres of Armenians who lived in other regions of Azerbaijan. Thus, a war began between the two republics. With the ceasefire in 1994, most of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as many neighboring Azerbaijani regions, remain de facto under the control of the armed forces of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.
In 1990, the first legislative democratic elections were held in Armenia and in 1991 the first President of the Republic was elected. In 1992, Armenia joined the UN and in February 2000, as a full member, it joined the Council of Europe.

Dates and important events
IV - III millennium BC-The emergence of pra-Armenian tribal unions on the territory of the Armenian Highland

XIII century BC-The first mention of the Urartians in the cuneiform writings of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser I

859 BC. -The first mention of the first king of Urartu - Aram in the cuneiform writings of the Assyrians

782 BC. -Foundation of the fortress-city of Erebuni by the Urartian king Argishti I

550 BC- Mention of the Armenian Kingdom in the chronicles of Xenophon.

520 c. C- Mention of the country of Arminius and the people of Armin in the trilingual inscription of the Persian king Darius I

VI-V BC- Completion of the ethnic education of the Armenian people and the Armenian language

95-56 BC-Reign of Tigran the Great

301 -Official adoption of Christianity.

387 -Partition of Armenia between Byzantium and Persia

405 - Creation of the Armenian alphabet by Mesrop Mashtots.

859 -Establishment of the Armenian principality, vassal to the Arab Caliphate.

885 -Foundation of the Bagratid dynasty and the restoration of the sovereignty of Armenia

104 -Conquest of Armenia by Byzantium and Seljuk Turks

1080 -Foundation of the Rubenid dynasty of Cilik Armenia.

1024 - The liberation of the city of Ani from the Turks - the Seljuks.

1236 - Mongol invasions

1375 -Conquest of Cilician Armenia by the Mamluks

1441 -Moving the Holy See to Etchmiadzhin

1639 -Partition of Armenia between Ottoman Turkey and Persia

XVII-Appeal to Europe, asking for protection from the Turks and Persians

1722 -Arrival of Russian troops in the Caspian Sea

1724 -Creation of an independent Armenian principality in Kapan by David Bek

1812 -Victory of Russian troops over the Persians on the banks of the Araks River

1813 -Signing of the Gulistan Treaty by Russia and Persia

1826-1828 -Second war with Persia. Annexation of Eastern Armenia to Russia according to the Treaty of Urkmenchay

1828 -Establishment of the Armenian region as part of the Russian Empire

1849 -Creation of the Erivan province as part of the Russian Empire

1894 , summer- Massacre of Armenians in Sasun

1895, autumn- Massacre of Armenians in Constantinople, Trebizond, Erzrum, Sebastia, Van, Bayazet

1914 -Extermination of the Armenian military in the Turkish army

1915 -Deportation and extermination of Armenians expelled to the deserts of Syria and Mesopotamia

1920 -Establishment of Soviet power in Armenia

1991 -Independence of the Republic of Armenia

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Republic, state in the Caucasus. The name is first mentioned on a carving in 521 G. BC e. inscriptions on a rock near the Persian city of Kermanshah. Formed from the name of the Arim-Armenians, who inhabited the Armenian Highlands (the ancient name of Nairi - "country of rivers") . National name of Armenia Hayasa ("country of the hai people") known from a document of the 2nd millennium BC. e., discovered during excavations in Asia Minor. The ethnonym hai currently serves as a self-name arm. people. Derived from him nat. country name Hayastan - "country of Armenians". Cm. also Erzurum.

Geographical names of the world: Toponymic dictionary. - M: AST. Pospelov E.M. 2001 .

Armenia

1) (Hayastan - "country of Armenians"), Republic of Armenia , state in the south Transcaucasia. Pl. 30 thousand km², divided into 11 regions (Mars). Capital - Mr. Yerevan . In the IX-VI centuries. BC e. the state of Urartu existed here; in the III-IV centuries. state-in, dependent on Iran and Byzantium. In the 7th-15th centuries subjected to destructive invasions of Arabs, Byzantines, Turks, Mongol-Tatars, Timur. In the XVI-XVIII centuries. divided between Iran and Turkey. In 1805–28 Vost. A. became part of Russia (Erivan province), but b.ch. remained in Turkey, where in 1915-16. there was a mass extermination of Armenians. In 1918, the independence of Azerbaijan was proclaimed, in November 1920 Soviet power was established, and since 1922 it has been part of the USSR (since 1936 it has been a union republic). Since 1991, an independent state, headed by the president, the legislative power of the National. assembly. In 1991–94 - armed conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh .
Occupies SW. Armenian highlands (the highest point is Mt. Aragats , 4090 m), with volcanic plateaus and intermountain basins (Ararat Plain), framed in the NE. and V. ridges (Zangezur and others). Up to 700 miners. sources; high seismicity (in December 1988, a strong earthquake occurred in northern Armenia, accompanied by great destruction and loss of life); landslides, sat down. The climate is temperate continental, medium. July temperature 24–25 °С, January 5 °С; rainfall approx. 500 mm per year. Rapid rapid rivers are not navigable, they are used for irrigation and as a source of energy resources. The main rivers Araks , bordering with Turkey and Iran, and its left tributary Hrazdan ; over 100 lakes (the largest Sevan ). OK. 13% of the territory is covered by forests (beech, oak, hornbeam, juniper), deciduous woodlands and shrubs; in the south, semi-desert areas; on the slopes - steppes and meadows. National Sevan park; reserves: Dilijan, Khosrovskiy and etc.
Population 3.3 million people (2001); 93.3% are Armenians; Kurds (56 thousand), Russians (15.5 thousand), Ukrainians (8 thousand), Assyrians (6 thousand), Greeks (5 thousand), Georgians (1.5 thousand), Belarusians (1 thousand .). All Azerbaijanis emigrated in 1990–92. In turn, Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan moved to Armenia. Official language is Armenian. Religion - Armenian Gregorian Apostolic Church; headed by the Patriarch-Catholicos of all Armenians (residence in Vagharshapat). Main cities of Yerevan, Gyumri , Vanadzor , Vagharshapat , Kafan, Hrazdan . The most populated are the Ararat and Shirak plains, the coast of the lake. Sevan. Own energy resources - hydroelectric power station, state district power station, nuclear power plant (stopped in 1988, in 1995 the 1st unit was reactivated) - are insufficient. It imports fuel and gas from Russia (through the territory of Georgia). Mining of molybdenum, copper, lead, zinc, building. stone (dolomite, marble, multi-colored tuff, pumice, basalt, granite, etc.). Non-ferrous metallurgy, machinery; chem., light, food. (wine, cognac, canned fruit) industry; production of building materials. Viticulture and fruit growing (famous peaches and apricots). Cereals (wheat, barley), fodder, tech. (sugar beet, tobacco), gourds, potatoes. Meat grinder. livestock, sheep. The railroad is well developed. (0.9 thousand km of roads) and road (7.6 thousand km of roads) transport. AN (1943). The largest universities: Yerevan University (1920), Engineering University, Sel.-khoz. Academy, Institute of Foreign Languages. V. Bryusov, Academy of Medical Sciences, American University of Armenia (branch of California). Conservatories, theaters, museums. Cash unit - dram;
2) (Armenia), the city in the center Colombia, on the app. slopes of the Center. Cordillera, between the Espejo and Quindio rivers, at an altitude of 1483 m. Adm. center of Quindio department. 281 thousand inhabitants (1999). Founded in 1889 by colonists from Antioch (Small Armenia in the SE of Asia Minor). In the XX century. turned into one of the main centers of the country for the production and processing of coffee. Light industry. Huge market, handicraft fair. Tourism in the surrounding nat. Los Nevados Park, Guayaquil, Navarco, Bremen, El Jardin reserves. Univ. Pl. Bolivar with Cathedral, Church of San Francisco. In the vicinity (to the north) is the Kimbai Museum of Culture (ceramics, gold items). In January 1999, the city was hit by a devastating earthquake.

Dictionary of modern geographical names. - Yekaterinburg: U-Factoria. Under the general editorship of Acad. V. M. Kotlyakova. 2006 .

(in Armenian Hayastan), the Republic of Armenia (Hayastani Hanrapetutyun), a state in western Asia, in the Transcaucasus. Until 1991 it was part of the USSR, since 1992 - an independent republic. Area 29.8 thousand square meters. km. Has no access to the sea. It borders in the north with Georgia, in the west and southwest - with Turkey, in the south - with Iran, in the southeast - with the Nakhichevan Republic, which is part of Azerbaijan, in the east - with the main territory of Azerbaijan. The total length of the borders is 1254 km.
NATURE
Terrain relief. Armenia is a mountainous country (approximately 90% of its area is located at altitudes over 1000 m above sea level). It is located within the northeastern part of the Armenian Highlands, and from the north and east it is bordered by the ridges of the Lesser Caucasus. In the central part of the country, a strip of volcanic mountains stretches in a sublatitudinal direction, represented by weakly dissected medium-altitude and high lava plateaus and shield-like massifs. In this strip there are many cones of extinct volcanoes. The highest mountain peaks - Aragats (4090 m), Azhdahak (3597 m) and Vardenis (3522 m) are confined to the shield-like massifs. The rivers originating on the shield massifs have developed deep canyons.
The north and southeast are dominated by medium-altitude folded-block mountains, dissected by a dense network of valleys, many of which are deep gorges. Southwestern Armenia is located within the flat Ararat plain, the surface of which is composed of alluvial and lacustrine-alluvial deposits.
The territory of Armenia is confined to the zone of young Alpine folding, in which modern mountain-building processes continue. This is evidenced by frequent earthquakes (Leninakan 1926, Zangezur 1931, Yerevan 1937 and especially destructive Spitak 1988).
Minerals. The bowels of Armenia are rich in ore minerals. In the north and east of the country there are rich deposits of copper ore (Alaverdi, Kafan), in the southeast of molybdenum (Dastakert deposit), in the central and southeastern regions - iron ore (Razdan, Abovyan and Svarants deposits), in the north Akhtal, on south-east of the Kafanskoe deposit of polymetallic ores. In addition, there are industrial reserves of aluminum nepheline syenites, as well as barite with an admixture of gold and silver, deposits of lead, zinc, manganese, gold, platinum, antimony, mercury, and arsenic. There are rare earth metals bismuth, gallium, indium, selenium, thallium, tellurium, rhenium. Tufas (orange, yellow, pink, black), marble, travertine, limestone, which form the mountains of Armenia, are excellent building and finishing materials. Agate, jasper, amethyst, beryl, yahont, obsidian, onyx, turquoise stand out among the semi-precious and ornamental stones. Known ca. 7500 fresh and 1300 mineral water sources, many of which are used for balneological purposes (Jermuk, Arzni, Dilijan, Bjni, Hankavan, Sevan, etc.).
Climate. Armenia is located in the subtropical zone. The climatic features of the country are determined by its mountainous relief. The vertical climatic zonality is clearly expressed. Rainfall is extremely uneven throughout the year. The maximum precipitation occurs in spring and early summer.
On the Ararat Plain (within which Yerevan is located) and in the basin of the Arpa River, the climate is dry continental with hot summers (average July temperature 26 ° C, maximum 42 ° C), cold winters (average January temperature -4 ° C) and a small amount of precipitation (350 mm per year).
In the low mountains adjoining the Ararat Plain from the north and east, the climate is moderately dry with warm summers (average July temperature 20 ° C), cold winters (average January temperature -7 ° C) and heavy rainfall (up to 640 mm per year).
In the middle mountains of the central part of the country (altitudes 1500–1800 m), the climate is temperate, with warm summers (average July temperature 18–20 ° C) and cold winters (average January temperature -10 ° C) with heavy snowfalls; the average annual precipitation is 760 mm.
In the middle mountains in the north and south-east of the country, the climate is moderately warm, humid (average temperature in January is -4–0 ° С, in July + 18–19 ° С, the average annual rainfall is 600–700 mm).
In the extreme southeast and northeast, at altitudes less than 1500 m, the climate is dry subtropical with long hot summers (average July temperature 24 ° C) and mild snowless winters (average January temperature 0 ° C). The average annual rainfall is 300–400 mm. At altitudes of 1800–3000 m, the climate is moderately cold (average January temperature is -12° C, July +10 C), humid (average annual precipitation 800–900 mm).
In the highlands, the climate is cold (average January temperature is -14°С, July +10°С), humid (average annual precipitation is more than 800 mm). In winter, snow often falls in Armenia, which in the middle and high mountains reaches a thickness of 30–100 cm and persists for a long time.
Water resources. Most of the rivers belong to the basin of the longest river in Armenia, the Araks, which flows along the borders with Turkey and Iran and flows into the Kura River in Azerbaijan. The major tributaries of the Araks in Armenia are Akhuryan, Kasakh, Hrazdan, Arpa and Vorotan. The rivers Debed, Aghstev and Ahum are the right tributaries of the Kura, which flows into the Caspian Sea. Part of the Armenian rivers belongs to the drainage basin of the lake. Sevan. The rivers are fed by snow, rain and soil. In the second half of summer and winter, the level of rivers drops significantly.
There are dozens of shallow lakes on the territory of Armenia. The largest lake Sevan is confined to the intermountain basin in the east of the country. The edge of the lake was 1914 m above sea level, the area was 1417 sq. km. After the implementation of the hydropower project in 1948, the area of ​​​​Sevan was reduced to 1240 square meters. km, and the level decreased by 15 m. Subsequently, its level decreased by another 6–7 m.
Soils. The soil cover of Armenia is variegated. Soils are developed mainly on volcanic rocks. At relatively low altitudes, mountain-brown and mountain-chestnut soils are common, in some places, in the Araks valley, solonetzes and solonchaks. Mountain chernozems are widely represented in the middle belt of mountains, and mountain-meadow soils are found at high altitudes.
Vegetable world. The most widespread in Armenia are steppe and semi-desert formations. On the lower tiers of the relief, sagebrush semi-deserts are developed and there are limited areas of saltwort and Achilles-Juzgun deserts. Grass and forb-cereal steppes dominate in the middle mountain belt, which give way to meadow steppes and alpine meadows with height. In the early 1990s, less than 12% of the country's area was covered by forests. They are confined mainly to the northeastern and southeastern regions. In the northeast, broad-leaved forests are common with a predominance of oak, beech and hornbeam, with a small participation of linden, maple, ash, in the southeast - more xerophilous oak forests. Poplar and walnut, wild fruit trees and shrubs (apple, pear, cherry, plum, dogwood, wild rose) are often found in forest plantations. Significant areas on volcanic plateaus are occupied by stone placers devoid of vegetation. Flora of Armenia has approx. 3200 species, of which 106 are endemic. The Ararat plain is the center of origin of wheat and a number of other cultivated cereals.
Animal world. The fauna of Armenia includes 76 species of mammals, 304 species of birds, 44 species of reptiles, 6 species of amphibians, 24 species of fish and approx. 10 thousand invertebrates. In the semi-deserts, rodents (gopher, jerboa, mole rat, gerbils, voles) and reptiles (agama, tortoise, gyurza, viper) are numerous, there are a steppe cat, an eared hedgehog. Lynx, reed cat, wild boar, jackal and many birds are found in the coastal thickets of the Araks River. The fauna of the steppe regions is similar to the semi-desert, in addition, hare and fox are often found there, less often - wolf and badger. The steppes of the central and western regions are characterized by a predatory animal bandaging, and for the southern and southeastern regions - bezoar goat and mouflon. Roe deer, marten, lynx, squirrel, forest cat, bear are found in the mountains of the northeast; sika and red deer have been introduced. The mountain forests of the southeast are inhabited by lynx, forest cat, marten, bezoar goat, mouflon, wild boar, bear, roe deer, leopard. Numerous species of birds nest in Armenia: crane (the national symbol of the country, in Armenian - krunk), stork, partridge, quail, black grouse, eagle, vulture, snowcock, on the lake. Sevan - ducks and seagulls. In Sevan, valuable commercial fish ishkhan (Sevan trout), khramuli, barbel are found, Ladoga whitefish is introduced. Coypu has been introduced in the river valleys in the south of the country.
The state of the environment. Over the past decade, forests have been cleared in Armenia on an area of ​​more than 30 thousand hectares, which has led to the activation of erosion processes, disruption of the ecological balance, and the development of desertification processes, including in the lake basin. Sevan. The habitats of many large mammals and birds have been destroyed, resulting in a decrease in their numbers and an increase in the populations of rodents and harmful insects.
The largest Armenian Lake Sevan, which has an important economic and recreational value, is currently considered a zone of ecological disaster. The use of its waters for irrigation and energy purposes has led to a significant decrease in its level. The entry into the water area of ​​a number of rivers polluted by waste from industrial enterprises led to the eutrophication of the lake, its “blooming” and the death of many fish species, in particular, to a decrease in the population of the Sevan ishkhan. Now this species is listed in the Red Book. A long-term government program to save Lake Sevan has been adopted. The primary task is to restore the Vorotan reservoir and the construction of the Vorotan tunnel, through which in the lake. Sevan will receive annually 190 million cubic meters. m of fresh water. This will raise the level of the lake by several meters. In the longer term, it is planned to complete the construction of treatment plants in the industrial cities of Martuni, Vardenis and Gavar, located in the Lake Sevan basin. It is planned to allocate funds for the maintenance of the Sevan National Park.
An unfavorable ecological situation has developed in the vicinity of the "Armenian Copper" metallurgical plant in Alaverdi, the Vanadzor chemical plant and other industrial centers. Due to the lack of advanced technologies, the efficiency of processing ore raw materials is only 25%. When copper, molybdenum, and gold are extracted from it, such valuable components as silver, nickel, platinoids, sulfur, iron, and metal oxides remain in the waste.
POPULATION
According to the 2003 census, out of the officially registered 3326 thousand people, 3003 thousand people actually lived in Armenia (in 1989 the population was 3.3 million, in 1979 - 3.7 million). In 1989, ethnic Armenians accounted for 93.3%. The most significant minorities were Azerbaijanis (2.6%), Kurds (1.7%) and Russians (1.6%). In addition, Ukrainians (0.3%), Assyrians (0.2%), Greeks (0.1%), as well as Jews, Georgians, Belarusians, Poles, Germans, Lithuanians (0.2%) lived in Armenia. As a result of the ethnic conflicts of 1989-1993, almost all Azerbaijanis left the country, and 200,000 Armenians from the territory of Azerbaijan moved to Armenia. Over the past 10 years, about 955 thousand people have left the country, mostly Armenians, as well as Azerbaijanis, Muslim Kurds, Greeks, Russians, Ukrainians, Jews, Assyrians. The share of national minorities decreased to 3%. Yezidis and Kurds dominate among them. There is a small community of Molokan Russians, descendants of one of the sects of spiritual Christians who were persecuted in Russia and moved to Armenia in the 19th century.
The age group under 15 years old is 21.1% of the population, from 15 to 65 years old - 68.3%, over 65 years old - 10.6%. As of 2003, the birth rate was estimated at 12.57 per 1000 population, the death rate - 10.16 per 1000, the emigration rate - 3.87 per 1000. As a result, the country is depopulating (0.21% in 2001). The infant mortality rate is 40.86 per 1000 newborns. Life expectancy - 66.68 years (men - 62.41, women - 71.17).
Language. The Armenian language belongs to the family of Indo-European languages. Classical Armenian (ancient Armenian grabar - written language) is currently used only in worship. The modern literary Armenian language has two main branches: Eastern Armenian (also called Ararat), which is spoken by the inhabitants of Armenia and Armenians living in other CIS countries and Iran, and Western Armenian, which is spoken by Armenians living or born in in Turkey. The Armenian alphabet was created by the enlightener, scientist, monk Mesrop Mashtots in 405-406.
Religion. The overwhelming majority of the population of Armenia are Christians. The Armenians were converted to Christianity in 301 thanks to the work of Gregory I the Illuminator (Armenian Grigor Lusavorich, later canonized). Armenia became the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as a state religion. Although the Armenian Apostolic Church (sometimes called by the name of Gregory I Armenian-Gregorian) was originally independent, it maintained ties with other Christian churches up to the Chalcedon (451) and Constantinople (553) Ecumenical Councils, and then retained close ties only with the Monophysite churches - Coptic (Egypt), Ethiopian and Jacobite (Syria) ( see also monophysitism). The Armenian Apostolic Church is headed by the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians (currently Garegin II), whose residence has been located in Etchmiadzin since 1441. The Catholicosate of All Armenians in Etchmiadzin is formally subordinate to the Cilician Catholicosate (the residence in 1293-1930 was in the city of Sis (modern Kozan, Turkey), and since 1930 - in the city of Antilias (Lebanon)) and two patriarchates (Jerusalem, founded in 1311, and Constantinople, founded in 1461), as well as 36 dioceses (8 - in Armenia, 1 - in Nagorno-Karabakh, the rest - in those countries of the world where there are Armenian communities).
From the 12th century a small part of the Armenians began to recognize the supremacy of the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope. In 1740, supported by the Dominican missionaries of the Order of Jesus (Jesuits), they united into the Armenian Catholic Church with a patriarchal residence in Beirut (Lebanon). Like the Armenian Apostolic Church, it belongs to the Eastern churches whose rites and liturgy are celebrated in Armenian. During the existence of the USSR, the Armenian Catholic Church was subjected to persecution, and only in 1991 the Catholic ordinariate was reopened in Armenia in the city of Gyumri (former Leninakan). At present, there are 180-220 thousand Catholic Armenians in the country, who mainly inhabit the northern regions of Armenia.
The spread of Protestantism among the Armenians was promoted by American Congregationalist missionaries who arrived in Armenia from Boston in 1830. Many Armenian Protestant congregations have been created and still exist today, which carry out missionary activities. Pentecostals are active in Armenia (about 25 thousand people), Jehovah witnesses(about 7.5 thousand people), Armenian Evangelical Church (about 5 thousand people), Charismatic Christians (about 3 thousand people), Evangelical Christian Baptists (about 2 thousand people). ) ( Cm. Baptism), The Church of Jesus Christ of Doomsday Saints (Mormons, from 1.5 to 2 thousand people), seventh day adventists(0.8 thousand people). Of the other Christians, Nestorians are represented, who are close in their dogmas to the Monophysites (about 6 thousand people) and Molokans (about 5 thousand people) - representatives of one of the trends of spiritual Christianity in Russian Old Believers. The Orthodox in Armenia are subordinate to the Moscow Patriarchate, but in terms of numbers they are inferior to the Molokans. Most of the Orthodox and Molokans living in Armenia are concentrated in the north of the country, while the majority of Protestants live in large cities.
Among the Kurds, a fairly significant community is formed by the Yezidis (Yazidis), whose religious beliefs include elements of Zoroastrianism, Islam and animism ( see also Kurds and the Kurdish question). The Yezidis inhabit primarily rural areas in the mountains of Aragats, northwest of Yerevan. According to the population census in 1989, their number reached 51.9 thousand people, but according to recent estimates, it is 30-40 thousand.
During the existence of the Soviet Union, Islam in Armenia was spread mainly among Azerbaijanis and Kurds, but as a result of the Karabakh conflict, most Muslims were forced to leave the country. The largest Muslim community, including Kurds, Iranians and immigrants from the Middle East, is currently preserved only in Yerevan. The Muslim Kurdish community, primarily in the Abovyan region, has only a few hundred people, most of them belong to the Shafiite Sunnis. In the east and north of the country, mainly in the border villages, small groups of Muslim Azerbaijanis live, and in the cities there are more than 200 people. Baha'is.
There are also a few Hare Krishna and pagan communities in Armenia. There are also 0.5-1 thousand followers of Judaism.
The attitude in society towards the majority of religious minorities is ambivalent. The constitution guarantees freedom of religion, incl. the right to profess any religion or none, and existing legislation establishes the separation of church and state. Currently, there are 57 religious organizations in Armenia, a synagogue has been opened, as well as churches and prayer houses of various religious minorities. At the same time, the status of the national church of the Armenian people is legally assigned to the Armenian Apostolic Church, and certain restrictions (for example, a ban on proselytism) are imposed on the religious freedom of representatives of other confessions.
Cities. The capital of Armenia, the city of Yerevan, was founded in the 8th century. BC. 1258 thousand people live in it (2002). The second place in terms of population is occupied by the city of Vanadzor (from 1935 to 1992 Kirovakan) with a population of 147 thousand people. The city of Gyumri (from 1924 to 1992 Leninakan) is home to 125,000 people. Until December 1988, it was the second largest city in the Armenian SSR, but it was badly damaged during the Spitak earthquake. One of the oldest cities in Armenia, Vagharshapat, has 66 thousand inhabitants, the regional center Hrazdan has 63.8 thousand.
GOVERNMENT
On August 23, 1990, at the 1st session of the Supreme Council of Armenia, the declaration "On the Independence of Armenia" was adopted. As a result, the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic was abolished and the independent Republic of Armenia proclaimed. On September 21, 1991, a nationwide referendum was held on secession from the USSR. 94.99% of those who took part in the voting supported the full independence of Armenia. On September 23, 1991, the Supreme Council proclaimed the Republic of Armenia an independent, independent state. The reorganization of the state power structure was completed in 1992.
Authorities. According to the constitution, approved by referendum on July 5, 1995, Armenia is a democratic republic. The head of state is the president, who is elected for a five-year term in a general election by citizens over the age of 18. The presidential post can be held by an Armenian citizen who is at least 35 years old and has been permanently residing in the country for the previous 10 years. In accordance with the constitution, the head of state is the guarantor of the constitution, independence, territorial integrity and security of the republic, ensures the normal functioning of the legislative and executive powers, appoints and dismisses the prime minister and, on his recommendation, approves the ministers, assures government decisions. Since March 30, 1998, the President of Armenia is Robert Kocharyan (b. in 1954, in 1992-1996 Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which separated from Azerbaijan, in 1996-1997 President of Nagorno-Karabakh, in 1997-1998 Prime Minister of Armenia).
The highest legislative body is the unicameral parliament, the National Assembly (NA), elected for 4 years. Of the 131 deputies of the National Assembly, 56 are elected by single-member districts, 75 by the system of proportional representation (according to party lists). A citizen of the Republic of Armenia, at least 25 years of age, who has permanently resided on its territory for at least three years before the election day, can become a deputy of the National Assembly.
The highest body of executive power is the government. The head of government, the prime minister, is appointed by the president of the republic. The prime minister forms a cabinet whose members are approved by the president. The head and members of the government must resign if the National Assembly rejects the government's program. The Prime Minister since 2000 is Andranik Markaryan.
Armenia is subdivided into 10 regions and the city of Yerevan. The heads of the regions (marzpets) are appointed by the government, while the mayor of Yerevan is appointed by the president on the proposal of the prime minister. The regions are divided into urban and rural communities, Yerevan - into neighborhood communities. Elected communal local self-government bodies consist of a council of elders and a community leader (city mayor or village headman), who forms his own administration. Local authorities manage community property, approve the local budget and control its execution, establish local taxes, and so on.
Judicial branch. The system of courts of general jurisdiction includes courts of first instance, courts of appeal and the court of cassation. There are also economic, military and other specialized courts. The highest court is the Council of Justice, which is headed by the President. The Constitutional Court, which is the body of constitutional control, consists of 9 members (five are appointed by the National Assembly, four by the President of the Republic).
Political parties. Since 1990 Armenia has had a multi-party system. The largest parties in the country are:
Republican Party(RP) - founded in 1990, liberal. In the 2003 elections, she collected 23.5% of the vote and secured 31 seats in the National Assembly. Leader - Andranik Markaryan (Prime Minister).
« Country where the law rules”(Orinants Yerkir) is a liberal-centrist association that arose in 1999. It supports President Kocharyan and is a member of the government. In the 2003 elections, she received 12.3% of the vote and 19 seats in the National Assembly. The leader is Artur Baghdasaryan.
Block« Justice"(Ardatyun) - an opposition coalition, formed in 2003. The bloc included: Democratic Party(conservative; leader Aram Sargsyan, prime minister in 1999-2000), National Democratic Union(created in 1991, centrist; leader - Vazgen Manukyan, prime minister in 1990-1991), National Democratic Party(leader Sh. Kocharyan) and People's Party(formed in 1998, left; leader - Stepan Demirchyan). In the 2003 elections, he collected 13.6% of the vote and received 14 seats in the National Assembly.
Armenian Revolutionary Federation« Dashnaktsutyun"- one of the oldest parties in Armenia, founded in 1890 as a party of a social revolutionary direction, which also advocated the annexation of the historical regions of Armenia, now part of Turkey. She was in power in independent Armenia in 1918–1920, banned under the rule of the Communist Party, worked in exile. It resumed its activities on the territory of Armenia after 1990. In 1994-1998, it was persecuted by the government of President Levon Ter-Petrosyan. In favor of democratic socialism, under nationalist slogans. Part of the Socialist International. Supports President Kocharyan, is a member of the government. In the 2003 elections, she collected 11.4% of the vote and won 11 seats in the National Assembly. Leader - Vahan Hovhannisyan.
National Unity Party - was founded in the late 1990s by the former mayor of Yerevan Artashez Geghamyan as a conservative organization "Law and Unity". Is in opposition. In the 2003 elections, she won 8.8% of the vote and won 9 seats in the National Assembly.
The country also has: United Labor Party(Social Democratic; 5.7% of the vote in the 2003 parliamentary elections and 6 seats in the National Assembly; leader - Gurgen Arsenyan); Liberal Democratic Union(4.6% of votes); nationalist parties Mighty homeland" And " Dignity, democracy, homeland»; Liberal Democratic Party« Ramkawar Azatakan"(formed in 1917, recreated in 1991; leader Harutyun Mirzakhanyan); Communist Party of Armenia(founded in 1920, was part of the CPSU and was in power until 1990, ceased to exist in 1991, re-established in 1992; leader - Vladimir Darbinyan); social democratic party Hunchak” (“The Bell”, the oldest in the country, created in 1887, banned in 1920-1991); Armenian national movement(a moderately conservative party formed in 1989 on the basis of the "Karabakh" committee, which demanded the annexation of Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia; was in power in 1990-1998; leader - Alex Arzumanyan); Pan-Armenian Labor Party(Social Democratic, 1 seat in the National Assembly); " Republic"(Conservative Party, 1 seat in the National Assembly) and others.
Armed forces. The Armed Forces of Armenia include ground forces, air force, air defense forces, as well as internal and border units (Security Service). The draft age is 18 years. Military spending reaches 6.5% of GDP. The internal order is enforced by the police.
Foreign policy. Armenia is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, is a member of the UN and its specialized organizations. Diplomatic relations with Russia were established in 1992. The country's first president, Levon Ter-Petrosyan (1991–1998), sought to maintain close ties with Russia, the United States, and France (the latter have large Armenian communities). Under President Kocharyan (since 1998), allied relations with Russia have been significantly strengthened, and relations with Iran are developing.
The country's foreign policy situation is complicated in connection with the conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, which flared up in 1988 and turned into an undeclared war between the two countries. There are 236,000 Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan in Armenia; in addition, there is approx. 50 thousand internal refugees and displaced persons. In connection with the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh by the Armenian forces, Turkey closed the border with Armenia and organized its economic blockade. In 1994, an agreement was reached on a ceasefire in the Karabakh conflict, but the problem remains unresolved and instability persists. OK. 16% of the territory of Azerbaijan remains occupied by Armenian rebels. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate and try to reach a peaceful settlement.
ECONOMY
At the beginning of the 20th century Armenia was an agrarian country, the basis of its economy was animal husbandry and crop production. Industrial production was reduced mainly to the development of minerals in small mines and the production of cognac. Industrialization began immediately after the establishment of Soviet power, and Armenia gradually turned into a modern agrarian-industrial country. Metalworking, mechanical engineering, chemical, light (textile and leather and footwear), food (fruit and vegetable, wine and cognac) industries, non-ferrous metallurgy, processing of precious stones, production of building materials developed. Industrial products were sent to the fraternal republics, from where Armenia received raw materials and electricity.
After the collapse of the USSR, most of the industrial enterprises ceased to function, as they were associated with the maintenance of the military-industrial complex of the former Soviet Union. This led to an increase in unemployment. As of 2001, the army of unemployed was 10.3% of the able-bodied population. The country's economy again acquired a predominantly agrarian character.
The economy of Armenia has always been the most vulnerable compared to other Transcaucasian republics of the former USSR due to the peculiarities of its geographical location and natural resource base (lack of access to the sea, lack of oil and gas resources, low soil fertility). As a result of the economic blockade of Armenia in connection with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the country was cut off from Azerbaijan and Turkey, and because of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict - from Russia (previously 90% of cargo transportation was carried out by rail through Abkhazia).
In early 1991, the Supreme Council adopted the laws "On the Fundamentals of Privatization in the Republic of Armenia" and "On Peasant and Collective Peasant Farms." The privatization of agricultural land began at a rapid pace. However, measures to provide credit and material assistance to the peasantry were developed only in 1995-1996. In 1994, the privatization of small and medium-sized industrial enterprises began, and in 1995 - large ones. To date, most small and medium-sized industrial enterprises have been privatized.
The current state and prospects for the development of the country's economy are closely related to the solution of the Karabakh problem. Most of the aid coming from abroad goes to Nagorno-Karabakh. After the conclusion of a truce in May 1994 and the receipt of funds for the restoration of the national economy from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, the country's economy gradually stabilized. Inflation rates decreased from 5000% to 8-10% per year, GDP growth was outlined (5-7% per year, official data).
In 2003, Armenia's GDP was estimated at $11.79 billion. which corresponded to 3500 US dollars per capita. In 2003, GDP grew by almost 10%. In the structure of GDP, 23% is accounted for by agriculture, 35% by industry and 42% by the service sector. In 2002 ok. half of the population lived below the official poverty level, unemployment reached 20%.
Energy. In 1962, the construction of the Sevan-Hrazdan irrigation complex and the cascade of hydroelectric power stations, begun in 1937, was completed. Sevan in order to replenish its water reserves. As a result, part of the electricity generated in the republic was exported to Georgia and Azerbaijan in exchange for natural gas. In Yerevan, Hrazdan and Vanadzor, thermal power plants operating on gas fuel were built.
In 1977-1979, a nuclear power plant with two power units was put into operation in Metsamor near Yerevan, which fully met the needs of the republic for electricity, including an aluminum plant and a large plant for the production of synthetic rubber and car tires. After the Spitak earthquake, the Metsamor nuclear power plant was mothballed in 1989, but was re-launched in 1995. At present, Armenia not only covers its own energy needs, but also exports electricity to Georgia and Iran.
Industry. Thanks to attracting foreign investment and assistance from the IMF, a number of industrial facilities have been put into operation in recent years. Traditionally, mining and processing of building materials is carried out: basalt, perlite, limestone, pumice, marble, etc. Cement is produced. On the basis of the development of copper ore deposits in Kapan, Kajaran, Agarak and Akhtala, the work of the copper-smelting plant in Alaverdi was resumed. Based on local raw materials, aluminum, molybdenum and gold are produced. Diamonds are being cut. The Vanadzor chemical complex, consisting of 25 enterprises, has started working again. Growth in production was noted in the light and food industries (production of wine and cognac products). There are enterprises producing metal-cutting machines, molding equipment, precision instruments, synthetic rubber, tires, plastics, chemical fiber, mineral fertilizers, electric motors, tools, microelectronics, jewelry, silk fabrics, knitwear, hosiery, software, synthetic stones for the production of tools and watches.
Agriculture. Approximately 45% of the country's area is included in agricultural turnover, and only 20% is cultivated, and 25% falls on pastures. Large tracts of arable land are available only in three regions: on the Ararat plain, where two or three crops are usually harvested a year, in the valley of the Araks river and on the plains adjacent to the lake. Sevan. Soil erosion is a serious obstacle to the development of agriculture. The main crops are vegetables, gourds, potatoes, wheat, grapes, fruits, essential oils, tobacco, sugar beets. Animal husbandry specializes in dairy and meat cattle breeding; sheep are bred in mountainous areas.
In 1987 there were 280 collective farms and 513 state farms in Armenia. During 1991-1992, almost 80% of agricultural land was transferred to the peasants working on it. The result was approx. 320 thousand individual and collective peasant farms. Now the private sector produces up to 98% of agricultural products. However, during the period from 1992 to 1997, the area under crops decreased by 25%. Due to the absence of foreign markets, the volume of sales of agricultural products in 1997 amounted to 40% of the 1990 level. A significant part of agricultural products is consumed in the peasant farms themselves. 60–70% of fruits and vegetables are sold, approx. 30% potatoes, 20% grains and dairy products. No more than 17% of products are processed.
Transport. The transport network includes railways with a length of 830 km (90% of them are electrified) and motor roads with a total length of 7700 km. By highways, Yerevan is connected with Georgia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Iran. In 1996, the construction of a modern bridge over the Araks River was completed, connecting Armenia with Iran near the city of Meghri. It is open to two-way traffic. From Yerevan, regular intercity bus flights are carried out to many settlements of the country, as well as to Georgia, Russia and Iran. Transport communication with Azerbaijan and Turkey has been interrupted. There is also no railway connection between Armenia and Russia.
All major cities of Armenia are connected by air routes. Currently 17 airports, incl. 11 have hard coated tracks. The largest airport Zvartnots is located in the vicinity of Yerevan. It serves flights to Moscow and other major cities of the CIS, Europe and Asia. In addition, international flights are carried out through the airports of Erebuni (Yerevan) and Shirak (Gyumri).
International trade. In 2000, imports ($913 million) were almost three times as valuable as exports ($284 million). The main export items are polished diamonds, machinery and equipment, and copper ore. The main export partners are Belgium, Iran, Russia, USA, Turkmenistan, Georgia. Armenia imports such energy sources as gas, oil, as well as tobacco products, food, rough diamonds, fertilizers, and agricultural machinery. The main import partners are Russia, USA, Belgium, Iran, Great Britain. In 2001, for the first time in the years of independent development of the country, the trade turnover between Armenia and Russia increased.
Finance. In November 1993, a new monetary unit, the dram, was introduced. In 1993 alone, Armenia received millions of dollars in loans from Western countries. The World Bank provided a loan of 12 million dollars, the United States allocated 1 million dollars for the purchase of seed wheat, Russia provided a loan of 20 billion rubles. (approx. 5 million dollars) for the purchase of Russian oil and agricultural products. In 1994, 52 local and 8 foreign banks operated in Armenia. The United Nations, the United States, Japan, Russia (which accounts for more than half of foreign investments) and other countries continue to provide financial assistance to Armenia. More than 500 joint Russian-Armenian enterprises operate.
CULTURE
From the 7th c. AD Armenia was an outpost of Christianity in the surrounding Muslim world. The Armenian (Monophysite) church preserved the traditions of Eastern Christianity, which opposed both its Western and Eastern branches, from which it was isolated. After the loss of independence by Armenia (1375), it was the church that contributed to the survival of the Armenian people. Starting from the 17th century. contacts are established with Italy, then with France and somewhat later with Russia, through which Western ideas also penetrated. For example, the famous Armenian writer and public figure Mikael Nalbandyan was an ally of such Russian "Westerners" as Herzen and Ogaryov. Later, cultural ties between Armenia and the United States began.
Education. Conductors of public education until the middle of the 19th century. remained Christian monasteries. In addition, the development of culture was greatly facilitated by the creation of Armenian schools in the Ottoman Empire by Armenian Catholic monks from the Mkhitarist order (established in the early 18th century in Constantinople by Mkhitar Sebastatsi to preserve the monuments of ancient Armenian writing), as well as the activities of American Congregationalist missionaries in 1830- e years. The Armenian Church and enlightened Armenians educated in the universities of Western Europe and the USA helped to organize Armenian schools in the places where Armenians were densely populated. An important role in the cultural life of the Armenians of the Russian Empire was played by the Armenian schools founded in the 1820–1830s in Yerevan, Etchmiadzin, Tiflis and Alexandropol (modern Gyumri).
Many representatives of the Armenian people in the 19-20 centuries. received education in Russia, especially after the creation in 1815 by Ioakim Lazaryan in Moscow of an Armenian school, transformed in 1827 into the Lazarevsky Institute of Oriental Languages. Many Armenian poets, writers, statesmen came out of its walls, including Count M. Loris-Melikov, who proved himself in the theater of military operations in the Caucasus (1877-1878) and as the Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia (1880-1881). The famous marine painter I.K. Aivazovsky was educated at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts.
The education system in Armenia was created during the years of Soviet power on the model of the Russian one. Since 1998, it has been reformed in accordance with the World Bank program, for the implementation of which 15 million dollars have been allocated. School curricula are being revised, hundreds of new textbooks are being printed. In Armenia, there are incomplete secondary schools, complete secondary schools, gymnasiums, lyceums and higher educational institutions (colleges, universities and institutes), including 18 state universities and 7 colleges with 26 thousand students, and 40 non-state universities with 14 thousand students. Up to 70% of students in secondary specialized educational institutions receive education on a commercial basis. Most universities are located in Yerevan. The most prestigious universities are the Yerevan State University (founded in 1920), the State Engineering University of Armenia, the Yerevan State National Economic Institute, the Armenian Agricultural Academy, the Yerevan State Linguistic Institute named after. V.Ya.Bryusov, Yerevan State Medical University, Armenian State Pedagogical University, Yerevan State University of Architecture, Yerevan State University of Architecture and Construction, Yerevan State Institute of Theater Arts and Cinematography, Yerevan State Art Academy, Yerevan State Conservatory. There are higher educational institutions, including branches of some Yerevan universities and institutes, in such cities as Gyumri, Vanadzor, Dilijan, Ijevan, Goris, Kapan, Gavar. In 1991, with the support of the University of California in Yerevan, the American University of Armenia was founded. In 1999, the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University was opened in Yerevan, where approx. 800 students, predominantly Armenians (90%).
The leading scientific center is the Academy of Sciences of Armenia, founded in 1943, with several dozen research institutes. The Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (founded in 1946) is world famous. In 1990, more than 100 research institutes (including academic and other departmental ones) functioned on the territory of Armenia. During the period from 1990 to 1995, the number of scientific workers decreased by almost 4 times (from 20 thousand to 5.5 thousand). Currently, the state finances only priority scientific areas.
Literature and art. The earliest literary monuments in Armenian that have come down to us date back to the 5th-6th centuries. First of all, these are the historical works of Movses Khorenatsi ( History of Armenia), Koryun ( Lives of Mashtots), as well as translations of theological books into Armenian. In the early Middle Ages (11th century), Grigor the Master (Pahlavuni), the author of the treatise Letters, which raises philosophical, political, theological and scientific questions. In addition, his translations into Armenian of Plato's dialogues are known. Timaeus And Phaedo And geometries Euclid.
The names of the authors of historical works have come down to us - Hovhannes (Ioannes) Draskhanakertsi ( History of Armenia And Chronologies of the Armenian Catholicoses, late 9th - early 10th century), Tovma Artsruni (960-1030), Stefanos Orbelyan (13th century) and others. National epic Sasunci David (David Sasunian), which depicts the struggle of the Armenian people for liberation, took shape during the 7th-10th centuries. Samples of the earliest lyrical, moralizing and philosophical Armenian poetry can be found in the works of Grigor Narekatsi (951–1003), Nerses Shnorali (Nerses IV the Gracious, 1112–1173), Hovhannes Tlkurantsi (14–15 centuries), Frick (13–14 centuries .) and others. In the 12th–13th centuries. created by such Armenian fabulists as Mkhitar Gosh and Vartan Aygektsi.
The theatrical art of Armenia has very ancient roots. It is known that the Armenian king Tigran II the Great (1st century BC) built an amphitheater in the capital Tigranakert (ruins have been preserved), where Greek artists invited by him staged Greek tragedies and comedies. According to Plutarch, the Armenian king Artavazd II composed tragedies that were staged in Artashat, the second capital of Armenia (1st century AD). They also showed bacchantes Euripides.
Architecture developed in medieval Armenia, church music existed. Books were often illustrated with miniatures of independent artistic value.
In the 19th century Armenian literature and art developed under the influence of Russian and Western European culture. The historical narratives of Ghevond Alishan, the novels of Khachatur Abovyan, Raffi, Muratsan (Grigor Ter-Hovhannisyan), Alexander Shirvanzade, the poems and poems of Petros Duryan, Siamanto (Atom Yarjanyan), Daniel Varuzhan, Vahan Teryan, Hovhannes Tumanyan, dramas (Gabriela Sundukyan, Alexander Shirvanzade, Hakob Paronyan). Armenian composers and folklorists (Komitas and Grigor Suny) collected folk songs and used them for concert performances. The most famous Armenian composers are Tigran Chukhadzhyan (1837-1898, author of the first Armenian operas, operettas, symphonic and chamber works), Alexander Spendiarov (Spendiaryan, 1871-1928) and Armen Tigranyan (1879-1950).
Poets such as Vahan Mirakyan, Avetik Isahakyan, Yeghishe Charents and Nairi Zaryan worked in Armenia. The music of Armenian composers Aram Khachaturian, Mikael Tariverdiev and Arno Babajanian is popular. Among the Armenian painters, Vardges Surenyants, Martiros Saryan and Hakob Kojoyan stand out.
In Yerevan in 1921 the Theater named after A. G. Sundukyan is the largest drama theater in Armenia. On its stage, the works of both Western classics and famous Armenian playwrights - Sundukyan, Shirvanzade and Paronyan are staged. In 1933, the Yerevan Opera and Ballet Theater was opened, on the stage of which famous Armenian singers Pavel Lisitsian, Zara Dolukhanova, Gohar Gasparyan performed.
Museums and libraries. The State Historical Museum, the Museum of the History of the City of Yerevan, the State Picture Gallery, the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Children's Art and a number of other museums are located in Yerevan, the Museum of Ethnography and Folklore is in Sardarabad, and the Museum of Religious Art is in Etchmiadzin.
The National Library of Armenia (before 1990 - the State Library named after Myasninyan) has 6185 thousand units of printed publications, has a department of rare and archival books. The fund of the Republican Scientific and Technical Library has 20 million items of storage (of which more than 16 million are patent documents). Among the best scientific libraries, the Library of the Academy of Sciences of Armenia and the Library of Yerevan State University stand out. In Yerevan there is the Institute of Ancient Manuscripts Matenadaran named after. Mesrop Mashtots, whose collection contains approx. 20 thousand ancient and medieval books and manuscripts.
History of printing and mass media. In 1512–1513, the first printed books in Armenian were published in Venice: Parzatumar(Explanatory calendar), Akhtark(Prayer book), Pataragamatuits(Missal), Saints (Parzatumar), Psalms (Sagmozaran). Subsequently, Armenian printing houses appeared in Constantinople (1567), Rome (1584), Paris (1633), Leipzig (1680), Amsterdam, New Julfa (Iran), Lvov, Etchmiadzin (1771), St. Petersburg (1780), Astrakhan, Moscow, Tbilisi , Baku.
In 1794, the first Armenian weekly newspaper Azdarar (Herald) was published in Madras (India), and somewhat later in Calcutta, the magazine Azgaser (Patriot) was published. In the first half of the 19th century in different countries of the world, about 30 magazines and newspapers were published in Armenian, of which 6 were published in Constantinople, 5 in Venice, 3 (including the newspapers Kavkaz and Ararat) in Tiflis. The Yusisapail (Northern Lights) magazine was published in Moscow and played a huge role in the spiritual life of the Armenian diaspora.
Published in Armenia approx. 250 newspapers and 50 magazines. The largest newspapers are Ekir (30,000 copies in Armenian), Azg (20,000 in Armenian), Respublika Armenia (10,000 copies each in Russian and Armenian). Outside the republic, the Armenian press has become a significant factor uniting the Armenian communities of different countries of the world.
customs and holidays. Many traditional folk customs have been preserved in Armenia: for example, the blessing of the first harvest in August or the sacrifice of lambs during certain religious holidays. A traditional holiday for Armenians is Vardanank (St. Vardan's Day), celebrated on February 15 in memory of the defeat of the Armenian troops led by Vardan Mamikonyan in the battle with the Persian army in the Avarayr field. In this war, the Persians intended to convert the Armenians to paganism by force, but having won and suffered huge losses, they abandoned their intention. The Armenians preserved the Christian faith, defending it with weapons in their hands.
Currently, the following holidays and memorable dates are officially celebrated in the Republic of Armenia: New Year - December 31 - January 1-2, Christmas - January 6, Motherhood and Beauty Day - April 7, Memorial Day of the victims of the Armenian Genocide - April 24 (1915), Victory and Peace Day - May 9, First Republic Day - May 28 (1918), Constitution Day - July 5, Independence Day - September 21. All these days are non-working. December 7 is the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Spitak Earthquake.
HISTORY
Ancient history. The first information about the Armenian Highlands dates back to the 14th century. BC. There existed the states of Nairi in the basin of the lake. Van and the states of Hayasa and Alzi in the nearby mountains. In the 9th century BC. an alliance was formed with the self-name Biaynili, or Biaynele (the Assyrians called it Urartu, and the ancient Jews - Ararat). The first Armenian state arose as a result of the collapse of the union of states of Urartu immediately after the fall of the Assyrian Empire in 612 BC. At first, Armenia was under the domination of Media, and in 550 BC. became part of the Persian Achaemenid Empire. After the conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great, Armenia was ruled by representatives of the Orontid dynasty (Armenian Yervanduni). After the death of Alexander in 323 BC. Armenia became a vassal of the Syrian Seleucids. When the latter were defeated by the Romans in the battle of Magnesia (190 BC), three Armenian states arose - Lesser Armenia west of the Euphrates, Sophene - east of this river and Greater Armenia with a center in the Ararat plain. Under the rule of the Artashesid dynasty, Greater Armenia expanded its territory up to the Caspian Sea. Later, Tigranes II the Great (95-56 BC) conquered Sophena and, taking advantage of the protracted war between Rome and Parthia, created a vast but short-lived empire that stretched from the Lesser Caucasus to the borders of Palestine.
The rapid expansion of Armenia under Tigran the Great clearly showed how great the strategic importance of the Armenian Highlands was. For this reason, in later eras, Armenia became a bone of contention in the struggle between neighboring states and empires (Rome and Parthia, Rome and Persia, Byzantium and Persia, Byzantium and Arabs, Byzantium and the Seljuk Turks, Ayubids and Georgia, the Ottoman Empire and Persia, Persia and Russia, Russia and the Ottoman Empire). In 387 AD Rome and Persia divided Great Armenia among themselves. On the territory of Persian Armenia, internal self-government was preserved. The Arabs who appeared here in 640 defeated the Persian Empire and turned Armenia into a vassal kingdom with an Arab governor.
Middle Ages. With the weakening of Arab domination in Armenia, several local kingdoms arose (9th-11th centuries). The largest of them was the kingdom of the Bagratids (Bagratuni) with its capital in Ani (884-1045), but soon it fell apart, and two more kingdoms were formed on its lands: one west of Mount Ararat with a center in Kars (962-1064), and the other - in the north of Armenia, in Lori (982-1090). At the same time, an independent Vaspurakan kingdom arose in the lake basin. Van. The Syunids formed a kingdom in Syunik (modern Zangezur) south of the lake. Sevan (970–1166). At the same time, several principalities arose. Despite numerous wars, at this time there was a rise in the economy and the flourishing of culture. However, then the Byzantines invaded the country, followed by the Seljuk Turks. In the valleys of Cilicia in the northeastern Mediterranean, where many Armenians, mainly farmers, had previously moved, an “Armenia in exile” was formed. At first it was a principality, and later (since 1090) a kingdom (the Cilician Armenian state), headed by the Ruben and Lusinyan dynasties. It existed until it was conquered by the Egyptian Mamelukes in 1375. The territory of Armenia itself was partly under the control of Georgia, and partly under the control of the Mongols (13th century). In the 14th century Armenia was conquered and ravaged by the hordes of Tamerlane. In the next two centuries, it became the object of a fierce struggle, first between the Turkmen tribes, and later between the Ottoman Empire and Persia.
The era of national revival. Divided in 1639 between the Ottoman Empire (Western Armenia) and Persia (Eastern Armenia), Armenia remained a relatively stable country until the fall of the Safavid dynasty in 1722. As a result of the Russian-Iranian wars, under the Gulistan peace treaty of 1813, Russia annexed the Karabakh region, and under the Turkmanchay treaty of 1828, the Yerevan and Nakhichevan khanates. As a result of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, Russia liberated the northern part of Turkish Armenia.
Shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, the Turks set about solving the "Armenian question" by forcibly expelling all Armenians from Asia Minor. The Armenian soldiers who served in the Turkish army were demobilized and shot, women, children and the elderly were forcibly relocated to the deserts of Syria. At the same time, from 600 thousand to 1 million people died. Many of those Armenians who survived thanks to the help of the Turks and Kurds fled to Russian Armenia or other countries in the Middle East. May 28, 1918 Russian Armenia was proclaimed an independent republic. In September 1920, Turkey unleashed a war against Armenia and captured two-thirds of its territory. In November, units of the Red Army entered Armenia, and on November 29, 1920, the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed.
Soviet Armenia. On March 12, 1922, Armenia concluded an agreement with Azerbaijan and Georgia, according to which they formed the Federal Union of the Socialist Soviet Republics of Transcaucasia, which was transformed on December 13, 1922 into the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (TSFSR). At the same time, each republic retained its independence. On December 30, the federation became part of the USSR.
Under Stalin, a dictatorship was established in the country, accompanied by the collectivization of agriculture, industrialization (with an emphasis on heavy industry and the military industry), urbanization, the brutal persecution of religion and the establishment of an official "party line" in all areas of life.
In 1936 ca. 25,000 Armenians who opposed the policy of collectivization were deported to Central Asia. During the Stalinist purges, the first secretary of the Communist Party of Armenia Aghasi Khanjyan, Catholicos Khoren Muradbekyan, a number of government ministers, prominent Armenian writers and poets (Yegishe Charents, Axel Bakunts and others) perished. In 1936, the TSFSR was abolished, and Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, which were part of it, were proclaimed independent union republics within the USSR.
At the end of the war, Stalin, taking into account that the Armenian diaspora abroad has large funds and highly qualified specialists, suggested that the Catholicos appeal to foreign Armenians with a call for repatriation to Soviet Armenia. During the period from 1945 to 1948, approx. 150 thousand Armenians, mainly from the countries of the Middle East. Subsequently, many of them were repressed. In July 1949, the mass deportation of the Armenian intelligentsia with their families to Central Asia was carried out, where most of them died.
Independent Republic. The situation in Armenia sharply worsened in 1988 in connection with the conflict with Azerbaijan over the ownership of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia met with massive support for the demands of the Armenian population of Karabakh to secede from Azerbaijan and join Armenia. Mass demonstrations, rallies and strikes broke out in the republic. The situation worsened after the pogroms of Armenians in the Azerbaijani city of Sumgayit in February 1988. Until 1990, 250,000 Armenians fled from Azerbaijan to Armenia, and 150,000 Azerbaijanis from Armenia.
In June 1990, the Supreme Council of Armenia expressed its consent to the entry of Nagorno-Karabakh into Armenia, but this decision was canceled by the leadership of the USSR. Moscow's actions met new mass protests. They were headed by the "Karabakh" committee, on the basis of which the Armenian National Movement (ANM) was formed in 1989.
In the context of the unresolved Karabakh problem, in May 1990, parliamentary elections were held in Armenia - the Supreme Council. Significant success was achieved by candidates from the ANM and other groups that were not part of the Communist Party. In August 1990, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the former leader of the Karabakh Committee, was elected chairman of the Supreme Council (head of state). The government of the republic was headed by Vazgen Manukyan; The communists went into opposition. On August 23, the Supreme Council declared the independence of Armenia, but this decision actually came into force only after the collapse of the USSR. September 21, 1991 St. 99% of the referendum participants voted for secession from the USSR, and on September 23 the Supreme Council declared Armenia an independent state. In October 1991, Ter-Petrosyan was elected president, the government was headed by Gagik Harutyunyan. In the same year, Armenia joined the Commonwealth of Independent States.
In early 1992, market reforms began in Armenia: price liberalization, land privatization, and so on. The conflict with Azerbaijan and the blockade of the country prompted the authorities to declare a state of emergency in the economy. In 1992, Khosrov Harutyunyan was appointed as the new prime minister. In late 1992 - early 1993, Armenia signed with Russia agreements on economic cooperation and on friendship and cooperation, which provided for the provision of Russian assistance in raw materials, energy and food. The multiple price increases for bread, gas and electricity in February 1993 triggered a government crisis; Prime Minister Khosrov Harutyunyan, who objected to the accelerated liberalization of the economy, resigned and was replaced by Hrant Bagratyan, a supporter of radical market reforms. In November 1993, Armenia introduced its own currency, the dram. The situation in the area of ​​the Karabakh conflict in 1993 finally changed in favor of the Armenian side, which managed to occupy a significant part of the Azerbaijani territory, including the Lachin corridor linking the territories of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh; in May 1994, a ceasefire agreement was concluded with the mediation of Russia.
Despite this, the economic crisis continued to deepen. In November 1994, Parliament approved an economic reform plan that called for a reduction in the budget deficit, tax reform, and the privatization of state-owned enterprises. The price of bread was raised again. Western states and international organizations approved the provision of assistance to Armenia. The opposition increasingly accused the authorities of incompetence and corruption. Demonstrations demanding Ter-Petrosyan's resignation became more frequent. In December 1994, the president announced the temporary suspension of the activities of one of the main opposition parties, Dashnaktsutyun, and the publication of a number of opposition newspapers.
In July 1995, the Armenian authorities held a referendum on a new constitution and parliamentary elections. The opposition announced numerous violations and fraud; OSCE observers also made critical assessments. The referendum was attended by approx. 54% of the population, but approx. 70% of them voted for the new constitution. The victory in the elections was won by the government bloc "Republic", headed by the ANM (the Republican Party, the parties "Hnchak", "Ramkavar", Christian Democrats, etc. also participated in it). In September 1996, Ter-Petrosyan won the presidential election, collecting approx. 52% of votes; his main rival Vazgen Manukyan received 41%. The new Cabinet of Ministers was headed by Armen Sargsyan. Thousands of opposition supporters protested what they believed to be electoral fraud; massive clashes took place. The opposition attempted to storm the parliament building; in response, authorities sent troops into the capital, banned rallies and demonstrations, and ordered the temporary detention of opposition leaders.
In an effort to ease political tensions, in March 1997, President Ter-Petrosyan appointed the leader of Nagorno-Karabakh, Robert Kocharyan, as the new prime minister. In the fall of 1997, the President agreed in principle to the OSCE plan, which provided for a phased settlement of the Karabakh conflict. However, the alleged concessions to Azerbaijan caused widespread discontent in the ruling camp: objections were raised by Prime Minister Kocharyan and the military leadership; The minister of foreign affairs, the chairman of parliament and the head of the Central Bank resigned. The government bloc in the National Assembly split. In February 1998, under pressure from opponents, Ter-Petrosyan was forced to resign. Early presidential elections in March were won by Prime Minister Robert Kocharyan, backed by the Yerkrapah (Militia) faction of the parliamentary majority, the Republican Party, and the re-authorized Dashnaktsutyun. He managed to defeat his main rival - the former (in 1974-1988) leader of the Communist Party Karen Demirchyan, who later created a new People's Party. The government was headed by former Economy Minister Armen Darbinyan. But the political situation remained difficult: as a result of assassination attempts in 1998–1999, the prosecutor general, deputy ministers of defense and internal affairs, and the commander of the special police forces were killed. The elections in May 1999 were won by the Unity bloc, founded by the Republican Party (which was joined by the leaders of the Yerkrapah faction) and the People's Party. The new Republican leader Vazgen Sargsyan (former defense minister) was appointed prime minister, and Demirchyan became parliament speaker. However, already in October 1999, a group of armed nationalists led by Nair Hunanyan broke into the parliament building, killed the heads of government and parliament, one minister and 5 deputies, and took others hostage. The attackers surrendered the next day. The parliamentary majority elected the brother of the deceased head of government Aram Sargsyan as the new prime minister. But after a bitter struggle for power between President Kocharyan and the cabinet of ministers, in May 2000 Aram Sargsyan was removed and replaced by Andranik Markaryan, who enjoys the confidence of the head of state.
In February - March 2003, presidential elections were held in Armenia, during which Kocharyan defeated opposition candidates Stepan Demirchyan, Artashez Geghamyan and Aram Karapetyan. The opposition accused the government of fraud. The re-elected head of state proposed constitutional amendments that would limit the role of parliament, but they were rejected in a referendum in May. At the same time, parliamentary elections were held, which brought success to the ruling parties - the Republican Party, the Party where the law rules and the Dashnaktsutyun. In 2004, the opposition again held mass demonstrations, demanding a referendum on no confidence in President Kocharyan. However, the referendum was not held. On January 21, 2007, Robert Kocharyan became one of the laureates of the award "For outstanding activity in strengthening the unity of Orthodox peoples", established by the Moscow Patriarchate.
LITERATURE
Tokarsky N.M. Architecture of Armenia IV–XIV centuries. Yerevan, 1961
Chaloyan V.K. Armenian Renaissance. M., 1963
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Decorative art of medieval Armenia. M., 1971
Khalpakhchyan O.Kh. Civil architecture in Armenia(residential and public buildings). M., 1971
Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire. Yerevan, 1982
Bakshi K. fate and stone. M., 1983
Abaza V. History of Armenia. Yerevan, 1990
The Armenian Question and the Armenian Genocide in Turkey. Yerevan, 1995
Marsden F. Crossroads: a journey among Armenians. M., 1995
Harutyunyan A. Institute of the President of the Republic of Armenia. Yerevan, 1996
Ayvazyan S.M. Russian history. Armenian trace. M., 1997
Aikoyants A.M. Problems of Legal Regulation of Foreign Investments in the Republic of Armenia. Yerevan, 1998
Armenia through the eyes of journalists. M., 1999
Avakyan R.O. Monuments of Armenian law. Yerevan, 2000
Lurie S.V. Images of Armenian political mythology. M., 2000
Manukyan A. Republic of Armenia. Authorities. Chronicle of events. political organizations. Biographies. M., 2002
Post-Soviet South Caucasus: bibliography and review of publications in the social and political sciences. M., 2002
Atovmyan M. Some issues of the formation of the labor legislation of the Republic of Armenia. Yerevan, 2003
Hovhannisyan R. Foreign relations of the Republic of Armenia. Yerevan, 2003

Encyclopedia Around the World. 2008 .

ARMENIA

REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
Republic in the Transcaucasian region of Western Asia. It borders on Georgia in the north, Azerbaijan in the east, and Turkey in the west and south. The area of ​​the country is 29800 km2.
The population (as of 1998) is 3,421,800; 93% of the population are Armenians. Minorities include Azerbaijanis, Russians, Kurds, Ukrainians, Georgians and Greeks. Language: Armenian (state), Russian. Religion: Armenian Apostolic (Orthodox) Church, Russian Orthodox Church. The capital is Yerevan. Largest cities: Yerevan (1305000 people), Kumayri (123000 people).
The state structure is a republic. Head of State - President Levon Ter-Petrosyan (in office since October 16, 1991, re-elected in September 1996). Head of Government - A. Sargsyan (since November 1996). Monetary unit - dram. Average life expectancy: 70 years for men, 76 years for women.
Armenia is an ancient country, the first Christian state in the world, formed in 301. Independence was declared on September 23, 1991. Armenia is a member of the UN, CIS.
Armenia is a mountainous country located on the Armenian plateau, the average height of which is about 1800 m above sea level (the highest point: Mount Ararat - 4090 m). Numerous mountain ranges of the Lesser Caucasus Range pass through the country. Among the natural attractions of Armenia are the alpine Lake Sevan, up to 86 m deep and over 1200 km2 in area, and the Khosrov Reserve, where you can see wild boars, jackals, lynxes and Syrian bears. The Dilijan Reserve is also interesting, where roe deer, brown bear, and stone marten live.
The main attractions of the country are located in Yerevan and Kumayri, where you can see a large number of ancient Armenian churches. In addition, there is a botanical garden and a zoo in Yerevan; ruins of a Roman fortress; the Turkish fort of the 16th century and the mosque of the 18th century, the churches of Katoghike (XIII century) and Zoravar (XVII - XVIII century). There are also 15 different museums in Yerevan. (former Leninakan), Echmiadzin, Kafan, Hrazdan.
Armenia is predominantly a mountainous country. It occupies the north-eastern part of the Armenian Highlands (the highest point is the city of Aragats, 4090 m), framed by the ridges of the Lesser Caucasus. In the southwest is the Ararat plain - the main agricultural region of the country. The climate of Armenia is mainly continental and dry. On the plains, the average January temperature is -5 °C, July 25 °C. Precipitation falls up to 400 mm per year. The main river is the Araks (with the Hrazdan tributary). There are over 100 lakes in Armenia, the largest is Lake. Sevan.
The territory of Armenia is a "museum of landscapes" - at a distance of only 30 km from the Ararat plain to the top of Aragats, one can cross the landscapes of semi-deserts, dry and mountain steppes, arid woodlands, subalpine and alpine meadows. More than half of the entire territory of the republic is occupied by steppes. Forests and shrubs cover no more than 11% of the country's area. A number of reserves have been created in Armenia, the Dilijan and Khosrov reserves and the Sevan National Park.
Armenia is a country of ancient agricultural culture dating back to the time of the state of Urartu. Armenia is called an open-air museum - there are more than 4 thousand works of architecture on its territory. Among them are such unique ones as the fortress of Garni (a Hellenistic monument of the 3rd–2nd centuries BC), the pagan temple of the Sun (1st century AD), the temples of Etchmiadzin (4th century), Hripsime, Mastara (7th century BC). ), the three-tiered temple of Zvartnots (7th century), the patriarchal palaces in Dvin (5th–6th centuries) and Arucha (7th century), the medieval pearl of Geghard (4th–13th centuries), the monastic ensembles of Sevan (9th century), Tatev, Sanahin, Haghpat.
National cuisine
Armenian cuisine is less known than Georgian, but no less interesting. Its formation was influenced by foreign invasions and the emigration of Armenians to various regions of the world. Armenia has a very specific meat cuisine. It includes a large number of original dishes: basturma, dolma (meat cooked in grape leaves), bozbash (boiled lamb), khash (thick soup made from lamb or beef legs), etc. As elsewhere in the Caucasus, one of the most characteristic Armenian dishes - shish kebab (khorovats). There is a "Khorovats Street" in the very center of Yerevan. For one and a half kilometers in each house, of which the street consists, a barbecue is arranged. From fish dishes we recommend river trout, baked or boiled with herbs. Unfortunately, the precious trout from Sevan (ishkhan) (“royal fish”) is almost gone, but you can try the cooked Sevan whitefish.
Armenian cuisine includes many vegetable dishes, dozens of different herbs and seasonings. In Russia, varieties of Armenian bread are known: the thinnest lavash and matnakash. Less familiar is the national drink - fermented milk yoghurt. In summer, Armenians dilute matsoni with ice water, preferably mineral water, this drink is called "tan" - it perfectly quenches thirst. Among alcoholic drinks, Armenian cognac and mulberry, that is, mulberry, vodka are famous. This is the strongest, most delicious and fragrant drink, which is also considered healing. - This term has other meanings, see Armenia (meanings). Republic of Armenia Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն ... Wikipedia

The Armenian people and the country of Armenia as its abode have existed since ancient times. The very first mentions of Armenia are found in the cuneiform writings of the Persian king Darius (522-426 BC). Xenophon tells about Armenia in the VI century BC. e. The National School believes that the history of ancient Armenia originates from Hayk, the fifth generation grandson of the biblical Noah. The most ancient Greek historians attributed the name "Armenia" to one of the Argonauts, Armenos of Tesal, i.e., they also attributed the origin of the Armenians to the prehistoric era.
The hieroglyphic records of Manetho (Egypt, late 4th - first half of the 3rd centuries BC), as well as Bishutian and Assyrian cuneiform writing, mention ancient Armenia as a country defending its independence in centuries-old wars against the all-consuming weapons of the great conquerors of the world. And in fact, being between Rome and Parthia, constantly at war with each other, the Armenians had a hard time.

While the neighboring peoples - the Marys, Persians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans - shone on the historical horizon like mighty stars, either bright or dim, Armenia, having no aggressive aspirations, almost never stood out as an all-powerful and international power, although the people of Armenians were older than some of these peoples, and had their own native land. Only in the royal family of Arshakuni, the third branch of the Parthian Arshakids, did the names of such conquerors as Vagharshak, Artashes and Tigran the Great shine for a short time. The most glorious for Armenia were the times of Tigran the Great, who ruled for 40 years, and during his reign increased the territory of Greater Armenia from 300,000 to 3,000,000 〖km〗^2.
But the ancient Armenians preferred a peaceful life and developed their merchants, agriculture and crafts. Pottery, carpet weaving, jewelry, lace-making, blacksmithing, stone and wood carving, leatherworking, and chasing were well developed. Samples of the first coins of ancient Armenia, the khalks, issued in the 3rd century BC, have been preserved. Kings Sames, Arsham I, Arsham II, Xerxes and Abdisares. Halks were made of copper and decorated in the Hellenistic style. The obverse side of the coin depicts the profile of a king wearing a crown. On the reverse side are various images describing the king, as well as inscriptions in Greek.
At the same time, medicine also developed. Ancient Armenia was famous for its medicinal herbs, which were popular in other countries as well. In the 1st century BC. in ancient Armenia there were gardens for the cultivation of medicinal plants. From the medicine of ancient Armenia, such preparations as ammonia, Armenian clay, borax, etc. got into the world.

prehistoric era

During excavations on the historical, as well as on the current territory of Armenia, many archaeological monuments were found that testify to human activity. These are burial grounds, household utensils, means of labor, military supplies, etc. Not far from the city of Sisian is the Karahunj complex, which is a structure made of huge stones, on the top of which there are round holes. There is an opinion that this is an ancient observatory. The structure was erected presumably in 5.7 thousand - 2 thousand years. BC.
On the shore of Lake Sevan, in the territory of the village of Lchashen, monuments of the pre-Urartian period were discovered, which are a fortress of cyclopean masonry, burial grounds and ground burials. It is proved that the complex belongs to the III millennium BC. Also, in different places of the Armenian Highlands, traces of an ancient man were found: stone tools and cave-dwellings. Traces of a man belonging to the period of the Bronze Age, as well as traces of his activities (stone structures, traces of cyclopean fortresses) were found in the Shengavit region of Yerevan.
On the territory of modern Yerevan, on the Arin-Berd hill, there are the ruins of the ancient Urartian city of Erebuni, which was built by King Argishti I. Linguists have proved that Yerevan and Erebuni have the same meaning (father's residence), therefore the year of foundation of Yerevan is considered to be the year of foundation of Erebuni – 782 BC On the territory of Artashat, the former capital of Armenia, founded by Artashes, fragments of household utensils were found during excavations of the fortress wall. Among them: karases and other ceramic products related to Urartu.

Formation of the Armenian people

According to Armenian mythology, the progenitor of the Armenians is Hayk, Noah's great-grandson (Noah-Japhet-Gomer-Tiras-Torgom-Hayk).
There are two scientific hypotheses, according to one of which the formation of the Armenian people dates back to the end of the 2nd millennium - the beginning of the 6th century BC. During this period, the Armenian-speaking tribes lived in the southeast of the Armenian Highlands (Small Hayk). According to one hypothesis, they arrived here from the Balkans, according to another - from the west of Asia Minor. In the XIII - XII centuries BC. around Lake Van, an alliance of Nairi tribes is formed, which included not only Armenians, but also the Khets, Hurrians and Luvians, who were fleeing from the constant raids of the Assyrians. Subsequently, this union turned into the Urartian state, headed by the Urartian-speaking nobility. Later, the speakers of the proto-Armenian language scattered throughout the territory of Great Hayk.
Today in Armenia, the second hypothesis is more supported, according to which it was ethnic Armenians who began to inhabit the Armenian Highlands much earlier.

State of Hayas XVI - XIII centuries BC

According to the studies of some scholars, “Hayasa” consists of the Armenian word Hay (haya, Armenian) and the Hittite suffix asa (country), and is translated as “country of Armenians”. The state of Hayasa occupied the territory of present-day Turkey (Western Armenia). Armenian was the main language of the state of Hayasa. The capital of Hayasa was the city of Kummakh, later Kemmakh, located at the headwaters of the Euphrates. In 1405 - 1380. BC. there was a long war between Hayasa and the Hittites for the Hayasa province of Tsopk. During this period, the army of Karanni, the successor of the Hayas king Mariyas, attacked and devastated the Hittite kingdom more than once. After another attack, Karanni captured and burned the capital of the Hittite kingdom of Hattusa. The confrontation lasted until 1317 BC, until the Hittites suffered several serious defeats near the fortress of Ur and near Kanuvara.
As a result of constant wars with the Hittites and the raids of the Hurrians, the State of Hayas lost its strength. So, by the beginning of the XIII century. BC. it collapsed, and its territory went to the Hurrian tribes.

State of Urartu XIII - VI centuries BC.

After the collapse of Hayas, separate small tribes were formed on the territory of the Armenian Highlands, having the common name "Nairi". These tribes competed with each other, trying to establish their charter throughout the Armenian Highlands. But, having a common enemy - Assyria, they united into one state. So, in the XIII - XII centuries BC. around Lake Van, an alliance of Nairi tribes is formed, which later became the basis of the Urartian state, headed by the Urartian-speaking nobility. During the formation of the Armenian people, the Urartians spoke the ancient Armenian language and constituted the main genetic component of the Armenian people.
One of the famous kings of Urartu was Rusa II, who ruled in 684-645. BC. During his reign, the southern part of the highlands, the Ararat valley, was built up, and the Teishebaini fortress was erected in the northern part. After the death of Russa II, Urartu gradually lost its power. Several kings changed on the throne, but their rule did not lead to new conquests and the restoration of the territorial integrity of Urartu. Closer to 580 BC
Urartu finally ceased to exist as a state, and its territory was captured by the Scythians and Cimmerians.

ARMENIA (in Armenian Hayastan), the Republic of Armenia (official self-name - Hayastani Hanrapetutyun), a state in western Asia, in the Transcaucasus. Area 29.8 thousand square meters. km. It borders on Georgia in the north, Azerbaijan in the east and southeast, Iran in the south, and Turkey in the west and southwest.

ARMENIA (in Armenian Hayastan), the Republic of Armenia (official self-name - Hayastani Hanrapetutyun), a state in western Asia, in the Transcaucasus. Area 29.8 thousand square meters. km. It borders on Georgia in the north, Azerbaijan in the east and southeast, Iran in the south, and Turkey in the west and southwest.

The independent Republic of Armenia was established in Transcaucasia in May 1918. In 1920, Soviet power was established on its territory. In 1922, Armenia, along with Georgia and Azerbaijan, became part of the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (TSFSR), which joined the USSR. In 1936 the federation was abolished, and Armenia became a union republic within the USSR. After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the Republic of Armenia was restored. December 21, 1991 she became a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

ANCIENT HISTORY

The first information about the Armenian Highlands dates back to the 14th century. BC. There existed the states of Nairi in the basin of the lake. Van and the states of Hayasa and Alzi in the nearby mountains. In the 9th century BC. an alliance was formed with the self-name Biaynili, or Biaynele (the Assyrians called it Urartu, and the ancient Jews - Ararat). The first Armenian state arose as a result of the collapse of the union of states of Urartu immediately after the fall of the Assyrian Empire in 612 BC. At first, Armenia was under the domination of Media, and in 550 BC. became part of the Persian Achaemenid Empire. After the conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great, Armenia was ruled by representatives of the Orontid dynasty (Armenian Yervanduni). After the death of Alexander in 323 BC. Armenia became a vassal of the Syrian Seleucids. When the latter were defeated by the Romans in the battle of Magnesia (190 BC), three Armenian states arose - Lesser Armenia west of the Euphrates, Sophene - east of this river and Greater Armenia with a center in the Ararat plain. Under the rule of the Artashesid dynasty, Greater Armenia expanded its territory up to the Caspian Sea. Later, Tigranes II the Great (95-56 BC) conquered Sophena and, taking advantage of the protracted war between Rome and Parthia, created a vast but short-lived empire that stretched from the Lesser Caucasus to the borders of Palestine.

The rapid expansion of Armenia under Tigran the Great clearly showed how great the strategic importance of the Armenian Highlands was. For this reason, in later eras, Armenia became a bone of contention in the struggle between neighboring states and empires (Rome and Parthia, Rome and Persia, Byzantium and Persia, Byzantium and Arabs, Byzantium and the Seljuk Turks, Ayubids and Georgia, the Ottoman Empire and Persia, Persia and Russia, Russia and the Ottoman Empire). In 387 AD Rome and Persia divided Great Armenia among themselves. On the territory of Persian Armenia, internal self-government was preserved. The Arabs who appeared here in 640 defeated the Persian Empire and turned Armenia into a vassal kingdom with an Arab governor.

MIDDLE AGES

With the weakening of Arab domination in Armenia, several local kingdoms arose (9th-11th centuries). The largest of them was the kingdom of the Bagratids (Bagratuni) with its capital in Ani (884-1045), but soon it fell apart, and two more kingdoms were formed on its lands: one west of Mount Ararat with a center in Kars (962-1064), and the other - in the north of Armenia, in Lori (982-1090). At the same time, an independent Vaspurakan kingdom arose in the lake basin. Van. The Syunids formed a kingdom in Syunik (modern Zangezur) south of the lake. Sevan (970–1166). At the same time, several principalities arose. Despite numerous wars, at this time there was a rise in the economy and the flourishing of culture. However, then the Byzantines invaded the country, followed by the Seljuk Turks. In the valleys of Cilicia in the northeastern Mediterranean, where many Armenians, mainly farmers, had previously moved, an “Armenia in exile” was formed. At first it was a principality, and later (since 1090) a kingdom (the Cilician Armenian state), headed by the Ruben and Lusinyan dynasties. It existed until it was conquered by the Egyptian Mamelukes in 1375. The territory of Armenia itself was partly under the control of Georgia, and partly under the control of the Mongols (13th century). In the 14th century Armenia was conquered and ravaged by the hordes of Tamerlane. In the next two centuries, it became the object of a fierce struggle, first between the Turkmen tribes, and later between the Ottoman Empire and Persia.

THE ERA OF NATIONAL REVIVAL

Divided in 1639 between the Ottoman Empire (Western Armenia) and Persia (Eastern Armenia), Armenia remained a relatively stable country until the fall of the Safavid dynasty in 1722. As a result of the Russian-Iranian wars, under the Gulistan peace treaty of 1813, Russia annexed the Karabakh region, and under the Turkmanchay treaty of 1828, the Yerevan and Nakhichevan khanates. As a result of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, Russia liberated the northern part of Turkish Armenia.

Shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, the Turks set about solving the "Armenian question" by forcibly expelling all Armenians from Asia Minor. The Armenian soldiers who served in the Turkish army were demobilized and shot, women, children and the elderly were forcibly relocated to the deserts of Syria. At the same time, from 600 thousand to 1 million people died. Many of those Armenians who survived thanks to the help of the Turks and Kurds fled to Russian Armenia or other countries in the Middle East. May 28, 1918 Russian Armenia was proclaimed an independent republic. In September 1920, Turkey unleashed a war against Armenia and captured two-thirds of its territory. In November, units of the Red Army entered Armenia, and on November 29, 1920, the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed.

SOVIET ARMENIA

On March 12, 1922, Armenia concluded an agreement with Azerbaijan and Georgia, according to which they formed the Federal Union of the Socialist Soviet Republics of Transcaucasia, which was transformed on December 13, 1922 into the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (TSFSR). At the same time, each republic retained its independence. On December 30, the federation became part of the USSR.

Under Stalin, a dictatorship was established in the country, accompanied by the collectivization of agriculture, industrialization (with an emphasis on heavy industry and the military industry), urbanization, the brutal persecution of religion and the establishment of an official "party line" in all areas of life.

In 1936 ca. 25,000 Armenians who opposed the policy of collectivization were deported to Central Asia. During the Stalinist purges, the first secretary of the Communist Party of Armenia Aghasi Khanjyan, Catholicos Khoren Muradbekyan, a number of government ministers, prominent Armenian writers and poets (Yegishe Charents, Axel Bakunts and others) perished. In 1936, the TSFSR was abolished, and Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, which were part of it, were proclaimed independent union republics within the USSR.

At the end of the war, Stalin, taking into account that the Armenian diaspora abroad has large funds and highly qualified specialists, suggested that the Catholicos appeal to foreign Armenians with a call for repatriation to Soviet Armenia. During the period from 1945 to 1948, approx. 150 thousand Armenians, mainly from the countries of the Middle East. Subsequently, many of them were repressed. In July 1949, the mass deportation of the Armenian intelligentsia with their families to Central Asia was carried out, where most of them died.

INDEPENDENT REPUBLIC

In May 1990, elections were held to the Supreme Council (SC) of Armenia, which included both communists and representatives of the opposition - the Armenian National Movement (ANM). In August Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Chairman of the ANM Board, was elected Chairman of the Supreme Council. On August 23, 1990, at the first session of the Supreme Council, the “Declaration of Independence of Armenia” was adopted, according to which the Armenian SSR was abolished and the independent Republic of Armenia was proclaimed. On September 21, 1991, a nationwide referendum was held on secession from the USSR. This proposal received approx. 95% of the citizens who took part in the referendum. On September 23, the Supreme Court approved the results of the referendum and proclaimed the independence of the Republic of Armenia. L. Ter-Petrosyan was elected the first President of Armenia. December 21, 1991 Armenia joined the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

On March 22, 1992, the Republic of Armenia was admitted to the UN. In the spring of 1992, paramilitary units of Armenia established control over Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1993, the armed forces of the Karabakh Armenians attacked the positions of the Azerbaijanis, from which the latter fired at Karabakh and the settlements of eastern Armenia. A civil war broke out in Azerbaijan itself. The armed forces of Nagorno-Karabakh captured a significant part of the Azerbaijani territory adjacent to the Karabakh enclave from the north and south, and cleared the Lachin corridor that separated Karabakh from Armenia. As a result of these actions, hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis were forced to leave their homes and became refugees. In May 1994, with the mediation of Russia, an agreement was concluded between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the cessation of hostilities.

Against the backdrop of the worsening economic crisis and widespread corruption in the government in 1994, dissatisfaction with President Ter-Petrosyan and his ANM party began to grow. Despite the fact that Armenia gained a reputation as a state with successful democratization processes, in late 1994 the government banned the activities of the Dashnaktsutyun party and the publication of several opposition newspapers. The following year, the results of a referendum on a new constitution and parliamentary elections were rigged. For the constitution, which provided for strengthening the power of the president by reducing the powers of parliament, 68% of the votes were cast (against - 28%), and for parliamentary elections - only 37% (against - 16%). Numerous violations were committed in the parliamentary elections. Foreign observers rated them as free, but not flawless. The Republican bloc, led by the Armenian National Movement, the successor to the Karabakh movement, won a landslide victory.

On March 30, 1998, according to the results of early elections, Robert Kocharyan, the former president of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, became the President of Armenia. As a result of the parliamentary elections held on May 30, 1999, the Miasnutyun (Unity) bloc received the largest number of seats in parliament. The 5% barrier was overcome by the Communist Party of Armenia, ARF Dashnaktsutyun, the Iravunk ev Miabanutyun (Law and Unity) bloc, the Orinats Yerkir (Land of Law) party, and the National Democratic Union.

The government of Armenia was formed by representatives of the Miasnutyun bloc and the ARF Dashnaktsutyun.

RELIGION

Armenians were converted to Christianity thanks to the activities of Gregory I the Illuminator (Armenian Grigor Lusavorich, later canonized) in 301, and Armenia became the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as a state religion. Although the Armenian Apostolic Church was originally independent, it maintained ties with other Christian churches up to the Chalcedon (451) and Constantinople (553) Ecumenical Councils, and then retained close ties only with the Monophysite churches - Coptic (Egypt), Ethiopian and Jacobite (Syria) . The Armenian Apostolic Church is headed by the Catholicos of All Armenians, whose residence has been in Etchmiadzin since 1441. The Catholicosate of all Armenians includes four patriarchies (Etchmiadzin; Cilicia, from 1293 to 1930 with a residence in the city of Sis, modern Kozan, in Turkey, and since 1930 - in Antilias, Lebanon; Jerusalem, founded in 1311; Constantinople, founded in the 16th century. ) and 36 dioceses (8 - in Armenia, 1 - in Nagorno-Karabakh, the rest - in those countries of the world where there are Armenian communities).

From the 12th century a small part of the Armenians began to recognize the supremacy of the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope of Rome. Supported by the Dominican missionaries of the Order of Jesus (Jesuits), they united into the Armenian Catholic Church with a patriarchal residence in Beirut (Lebanon). The spread of Protestantism among the Armenians was facilitated by American Congregational missionaries who arrived from Boston in 1830. Since then, there have been many Armenian Protestant congregations. At present, the Armenian Catholic Church, the Armenian Evangelical Church, a synagogue, as well as churches and prayer houses of various religious minorities operate in Armenia.

CULTURE

From the 7th c. AD Armenia was an outpost of Christianity in the surrounding Muslim world. The Armenian (Monophysite) church preserved the traditions of Eastern Christianity, which opposed both its Western and Eastern branches, from which it was isolated. After the loss of independence by Armenia (1375), it was the church that contributed to the survival of the Armenian people. Starting from the 17th century. contacts are established with Italy, then with France and somewhat later with Russia, through which Western ideas also penetrated. For example, the famous Armenian writer and public figure Mikael Nalbandyan was an ally of such Russian "Westerners" as Herzen and Ogaryov. Later, cultural ties between Armenia and the United States began.

Education.

Conductors of public education until the middle of the 19th century. remained Christian monasteries. In addition, the development of culture was greatly facilitated by the creation of Armenian schools in the Ottoman Empire by Armenian Catholic monks from the Mkhitarist order (established in the early 18th century in Constantinople by Mkhitar Sebastatsi to preserve the monuments of ancient Armenian writing), as well as the activities of American Congregationalist missionaries in 1830- e years. The Armenian Church and enlightened Armenians educated in the universities of Western Europe and the USA helped to organize Armenian schools in the places where Armenians were densely populated. An important role in the cultural life of the Armenians of the Russian Empire was played by the Armenian schools founded in the 1820–1830s in Yerevan, Etchmiadzin, Tiflis and Alexandropol (modern Gyumri).

Many representatives of the Armenian people in the 19-20 centuries. received education in Russia, especially after the creation in 1815 by Ioakim Lazaryan in Moscow of an Armenian school, transformed in 1827 into the Lazarevsky Institute of Oriental Languages. Many Armenian poets, writers, statesmen came out of its walls, including Count M. Loris-Melikov, who proved himself in the theater of military operations in the Caucasus (1877-1878) and as the Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia (1880-1881). The famous marine painter I.K. Aivazovsky was educated at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts.

The education system in Armenia was created during the years of Soviet power on the model of the Russian one. Since 1998, it has been reformed in accordance with the World Bank program, for the implementation of which 15 million dollars have been allocated. School curricula are being revised, hundreds of new textbooks are being printed. In Armenia, there are incomplete secondary schools, complete secondary schools, gymnasiums, lyceums and higher educational institutions (colleges, universities and institutes), including 18 state universities and 7 colleges with 26 thousand students, and 40 non-state universities with 14 thousand students. Up to 70% of students in secondary specialized educational institutions receive education on a commercial basis. Most universities are located in Yerevan. The most prestigious universities are the Yerevan State University (founded in 1920), the State Engineering University of Armenia, the Yerevan State National Economic Institute, the Armenian Agricultural Academy, the Yerevan State Linguistic Institute named after. V.Ya.Bryusov, Yerevan State Medical University, Armenian State Pedagogical University, Yerevan State University of Architecture, Yerevan State University of Architecture and Construction, Yerevan State Institute of Theater Arts and Cinematography, Yerevan State Art Academy, Yerevan State Conservatory. There are higher educational institutions, including branches of some Yerevan universities and institutes, in such cities as Gyumri, Vanadzor, Dilijan, Ijevan, Goris, Kapan, Gavar. In 1991, with the support of the University of California in Yerevan, the American University of Armenia was founded. In 1999, the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University was opened in Yerevan, where approx. 800 students, predominantly Armenians (90%).

The leading scientific center is the Academy of Sciences of Armenia, founded in 1943, with several dozen research institutes. The Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (founded in 1946) is world famous. In 1990, more than 100 research institutes (including academic and other departmental ones) functioned on the territory of Armenia. During the period from 1990 to 1995, the number of scientific workers decreased by almost 4 times (from 20 thousand to 5.5 thousand). Currently, the state finances only priority scientific areas.

customs and holidays.

Many traditional folk customs have been preserved in Armenia: for example, the blessing of the first harvest in August or the sacrifice of lambs during certain religious holidays. A traditional holiday for Armenians is Vardanank (St. Vardan's Day), celebrated on February 15 in memory of the defeat of the Armenian troops led by Vardan Mamikonyan in the battle with the Persian army in the Avarayr field. In this war, the Persians intended to convert the Armenians to paganism by force, but having won and suffered huge losses, they abandoned their intention. The Armenians preserved the Christian faith, defending it with weapons in their hands.

Currently, the following holidays and memorable dates are officially celebrated in the Republic of Armenia: New Year - December 31 - January 1-2, Christmas - January 6, Motherhood and Beauty Day - April 7, Memorial Day of the victims of the Armenian Genocide - April 24 (1915), Victory and Peace Day - May 9, First Republic Day - May 28 (1918), Constitution Day - July 5, Independence Day - September 21. All these days are non-working. December 7 is the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Spitak Earthquake.