History of Armenian schools in Russia (19th century–early 20th century)

The existence of Armenian schools in Russia was conditioned by the formation of Armenian colonies in that country (as early as the 14th century) when Armenian communities were established in Moscow, Novgorod and later-in Astrakhan, Kazan and other places1. In quantitative and qualitative terms, those schools developed significantly in the mid-18th century and the first decades of the 19th century due to Russia’s broad-minded policy of enlightenment and the development of the school building sector. These phenomena were inevitably linked to the cultural relations between the titular nation in Russia and the peoples that were part of it. Thanks to the latter, wide opportunities opened up for Armenian schools to develop their national schools bearing the benevolent influence of the Russian school2. The latter circumstance was mostly related to the organization and management of school affairs, the expansion of the secular significance of education in Armenian schools and the strengthening of advanced teaching methods.

In the preparation of this work, we have primarily relied on the most significant studies in Soviet and contemporary Armenian historiography, where the subject under consideration has undergone thorough scientific analysis. By applying methods of historical criticism and scholarly research to these studies, we have arrived at several important conclusions. Based on the results of our analysis, we find it necessary to highlight the following points. Soviet Armenian historiography thoroughly examined the available primary sources and, for the first time, approached the topic scientifically, while also placing considerable emphasis on descriptive essays. This approach aimed to provide both the academic community and the general public with a comprehensive understanding of the Armenian schools that operated in Russia. However, this descriptive tendency is scarcely observed in the works of modern Armenian researchers focusing on the subject. Instead, their works are primarily dedicated to a critical analysis of the contributions 152

made by their predecessors in the field. It is important to note that both Soviet and contemporary Armenian historiographies have consistently acknowledged and highly valued the positive role played by Russia-particularly in the development of school infrastructure, as well as in the educational and cultural advancement of the Armenian people.

The history of Armenian schools of Russia (19th century-early 20th century) has been studied mainly in two directions to date. The ones relate to elementary church schools (parish schools) and diocesan schools (colleges, seminaries) and, secondly, to the important significance of the aforementioned schools in the field of Armenian-Russian educational and cultural relations. There is valuable information on the Armenian schools of Russia and the problems of school construction in the works of A. Shavarshyan, V. Yerkanyan, K. Grigoryan, M. Santrosyan, V. Diloyan, V. Barkhudaryan, H. Aleksanyan and others3.

A. Shavarshyan in particular referred to the status of the Armenian Church of Russia, its rights and obligations in the development of Armenian schools which were defined by the famous Charter of “Polozhenie” (1836). V. Yerkanyan thoroughly presented valuable information about the legislative regulations implemented in the field of education of Russia showing their important positive consequences for Armenian schools of Russia. V. Barkhudaryan closely linked the gradual process of development of Armenian schools and its content with the reforms taking place in the country in general also focusing on the effective results of the independent activities of the Armenian Church in this area. With specific statistical data, he presented the significant increase in the number of Armenian schools in Russia (including in the dioceses of Astrakhan, New Nakhichevan) and Bessarabia as well as in the Armenian settlements of the Crimean Peninsula. Among the mentioned works, V. Diloyan’s study has special merit, in which the role and significance of the Moscow Lazarian Seminary in the field of Armenian and Russian Oriental Studies as well as the development of the Eastern Armenian School and pedagogical thought were highlighted.

The research materials of this article testify to the need to reflect on the beneficial influence of Russian culture on Armenian pedagogical thought and school construction based on the history of schools that existed in the Armenian colonies of Russia (18th century-the first decades of the 20th century). It should be emphasized that researchers have addressed this issue but not in sufficient depth.

CONTENT

Armenian colonies were formed in Russia in the 11th-12th centu-ries4.In the 14th century, there were Armenian communities in Moscow, Novgorod, and later in Astrakhan, Kazan and other places5. Armenians have gradually expanded their activities in various fields, from trade and industry to culture. They also built Armenian schools in their settlements. At the end of the 18th century, among the most famous Armenian educational centers were the schools of the Holy Cross Monastery of Nor Nakhichevan6, Aghababyan of Astrakhan and the Lazar Seminary of Moscow7.

In the article, we will present important Armenian educational centers that operated in Russia. We will try to present the importance of the role of those educational centers not only from the point of view of preserving the national image and introducing new teaching methods into the national education system but also from the point of view of promoting the development of Armenian-Russian socio-political and cultural relations. In our scientific research, we will also present the activities of a number of Armenian educational centers that operated during the Soviet period, as well as in the Russian Federation (that have been operating in recent years).

The used professional literature, researches, works and articles, as well as the official information posted on the websites of the state structures of the Republic of Armenia, greatly helped to complete our conclusions. From this point of view, it should be noted that the researches conducted to date are largely descriptive (despite their analytical aims). Of course, there are objective assessments of the fate of Armenian schools of Russia. On the other hand, there has not yet been an in-depth discussion of the approaches adopted in that country towards national minorities in general taking into account their and the national preservation issues of the Russian-Armenian community. As for the analysis of issues related to the fate of Armenian schools that survived in Russia during the Soviet period and the years after the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , there are no serious studies on them in scientific circles; existing ones are in the nature of conclusions obtained from the results of opinion polls.

Let’s emphasiz that at the initial stage of the formation of Armenian colonies in Russia, the desire to preserve Armenian traditions, language and culture was stronger and was among the national priorities than it is at the modern stage where globalization and universal values have been pushed to the forefront all over the world. It was already clear that in the future, instead of Armenian day schools, there would be one-day educational institutions or a certain number of teaching hours in schools with Russian basic education. For example, if the Lazarian Seminary opened in Moscow in 1815, which initially engaged in the education of poor Armenian children, turned into a high-class educational center for the development of Oriental studies and Armenian studies over the decades, then today most of the small number of Armenian Sunday educational centers are facing the threat of closure due to the lack of students and due to financial difficulties.

For Armenian schools operating in Russia for 300 years, certain rules for the organization of the school process were formed and specific educational programs and teaching methods were developed in which positive changes and shifts took place starting from the first half of the 19th century. After a long struggle by the progressive forces of the Armenian society for the sake of secularization, popularization of educational centers and the development of unified educational programs, school charters were created in the late 1860s, and schools began to be opened not only in Eastern but also in various provinces of Western Armenia8. Until then, in the small number of church and monastic schools, teaching was done in a scholastic way using corporal punishment, and the range of knowledge provided was limited. Individual, home schooling was widespread which lacked any control as there were no such supervisory or regulatory bodies. In the absence of Armenian statehood, the Armenian Apostolic Church was officially considered the organizer of Eastern and Western Armenian educational affairs for centuries.

The Armenian historian V. Yerkanyan has conducted extensive research on these issues, with a particular focus on the general development of Armenian school construction in the 19th century, the history of Armenian culture up to 1917, and the establishment and progress of several Armenian schools in Russia. However, Yerkanyan’s studies do not include a comparative analysis or description of the Russian and other national minority schools operating in Russia during the same period. We believe that addressing this aspect would have significantly enhanced the objectivity of his research.

It can be stated that Armenian schools of Russia developed thanks to the great efforts of a small number of nationalist Armenian individuals and progressive church figures, who rightly fought against the clerical and conservative methods of teaching in national schools. The schools existed mainly on their own budgets and funds provided by Armenian philanthropists. It should also be noted that the event of the joining of Eastern Armenia to Russia in 1828 by the Treaty of Turkmencha became the impetus for this movement, which started with the aim of new educational programs and modern teaching methods, improving the quality of education9. Before that, there were only one school attached to the churches in Yerevan and Nakhichevan, although there were also a number of private Armenian schools opened by priests in Russia.

In 1868, the First General Rules of the Armenian parish schools came into force, according to which the church-parish elementary school with a duration of 2-3 years became the main focus of the people’s educa- tion10.In this way, the development of education reached a new level because in those educational institutions teachers were employed in specific professions and scholastic teaching methods and corporal punishment were no longer used.

Armenian church-parish schools were similar in structure to the folk-zemstvo schools operating in Russia bearing the positive influence of the latter. In the 1870s, based on the programs of those Armenian schools, Armenian spiritual or state schools were created as pre-schools with a duration of 6-8 years of study including various scientific subjects in the curriculum11.Karapetian School of Akhaltskha, Mesropian School of Akhalkalak, Spiritual Schools of Baku and Agulis, Church Schools attached to the Saint Savior Church of Alexandropol were among such educational centers. Armenian female schools were also part of the spiritual schools.

In 1836, high-type Armenian secondary schools were built which were called diocesan schools or spiritual seminaries. Those types of schools had a secular content. Until the 1870s, of the 6 Armenian dioceses of Russia, such schools were only in Tiflis (Tbilisi), Yerevan and Shushi. The ones gradually became centers contributing to the progress of the education of Eastern Armenians.

In the 70s of the 19th century, 4 types were formed in the educational system of Armenian schools in Russia: parochial, spiritual, diocesan, seminary.

According to the data of the Etchmiadzin Synod, in 1871 there were 90 Armenian schools (including diocesan schools) in Transcaucasia in particular, in 1885 there were 270 schools, 41 of which were female, and in total, more than 310-330 Armenian schools were operating in the Armenian-populated areas of Russia. In 1894-1895, the number of Armenian parish schools operating in Russia was 253.In the academic year 1914-1915, the number of Armenian church-parochial schools in Transcaucasia alone was about 400, and in the North Caucasus and Middle Asia, there were more than 40 Armenian schools (including parochial schools)12.

The Armenian parochial schools operating in the territory of Russia coordinated their programs with the Armenian Apostolic Church and were in fact subordinated to that spiritual structure remaining independent from the Russian educational authorities13. However, this did not mean that these state institutions were indifferent to the Armenian educational system. For understandable reasons, they were concerned about the issues of those schools and their governance. In the 30s of the 19th century, those issues were the focus of more serious attention14.

The Armenian Community of Astrakhan had been making efforts to create a national educational institution since the 1780s, but the relevant government structures did not immediately approve the requests sent to them to establish Armenian schools15.Thanks to the broad-minded educational policy of the Russian authorities, the first Armenian educational center started operating there at the end of the 18th century. In 1788, first of all, with the efforts of the local resident Minas Dilanchyan, a national school was opened next to the Armenian church of Astrakhan, and then, until 1799, they started teaching the Armenian language in the main Russian school of the city16.They taught Armenian, Russian and Latin in that spiritual school founded by M. Dilanchyan, and the costs of the educational center were covered by the money received from renting the booths of the guest house built especially for that purpose17.

Among Armenian historians, H. Zakaryan has conducted a historical and scientific analysis of the cultural life of the Armenian community, touching to some extent on the activities of local Armenian educational institutions. However, his work remains largely within the framework of descriptive essays. A similar observation applies to the articles written by V. Khachatryan. In contrast, the work of another researcher, K. Grigoryan, is distinguished by well-founded and valuable conclusions derived through the historical-comparative analysis method.

Margar Manucharyan, one of the outstanding public figures of the Armenian Community of Petersburg greatly contributed to the opening of an Armenian Secular School in Astrakhan. Hoping to achieve that goal, in 1782 , he applied to the Petersburg Academy of Sciences to help draw up the program of the educational institution18. Let’s emphasize that there is very little information about that school19. In the 80s of the 18th century in Astrakhan, there were no appropriate teaching staff, developed school curricula and textbooks thanks to which it would be possible to ensure the educational work of Armenian students, and the students were mostly the children of Armenian merchants who were more interested in knowledge related to the success of trade20. The prominent Armenian educator, spiritual and public figure, poet H. Alamdaryan (1795-1834) graduated from the Aghababyan School. He was the First Superintendent of the Lazaryan Seminary of Moscow (1814), and later, the Superintendent of the Nersisyan School of Tiflis (1824 -1830). Alamdaryan had a Russian orientation. Due to this, he had a great positive influence on Russian progressive pedagogical thought, school construction as well as the application of progressive pedagogical methods in the schools he led.

A concise account of the history of Armenian schools in Russia can be found in the works and articles of the renowned Armenian historian V. Barkhudaryan. His research provides a deep scientific analysis of the development and trajectory of Armenian schools in Russia, as well as the beneficial influence of Russia on their survival and growth. While his works offer an informative overview of the subject, they are often written in an encyclopedic style, providing only brief information. This brevity, however, may overshadow the broader scope of the scientific work conducted, potentially leading to an incomplete understanding of the subject.

At the end of the 18th century, several Armenian schools were opened by the efforts of the Armenian Colony of Astrakhan21.At the beginning of the 19th century, in 1810, the Aghababian School operating there became famous for its curriculum and teaching staff in a short period of time contributing to the educational and cultural life of the local Ar-menians22.The foundation works of the educational center started as early as in 1804 under the patronage and financing of the Astrakhan merchant Nikoghayos Aghababyan23. The school which had been in educational activity for about a century had a stable number of students: there were about 70 students every year.

In 1817, another educational institution was opened in Astrakhan, the Armenian Theological Seminary or Mother School of Astrakhan which operated for more than 35 years24.

In the second half of the 19th century, several Armenian schools were founded in Astrakhan. The Armenian Parochial School of Astrakhan (it was opened in 1850), the Armenian Four-Grade Female School of Astrakhan (it was founded in 1870) and the local Armenian Vocational School(which had been operating since 1877) were famous among the ones. The Armenian Catholic School of Astrakhan founded in 1806 also played a special role in publishing the local Armenian press25.

In the 50s of the 19th century, there were 7 Armenian schools operating on a private basis and 1 Armenian Catholic School in Astrakhan26. National colleges and schools were also operating in the Armenian Colony of New Nakhichevan from the end of the 18th century. It should be noted that the Lazaryans initially decided to open their seminary in this city taking into account the educational and cultural interests of the local Armenian community and its significant weight. At the end of the 18th century, with the financial resources of the Lazarians, an Armenian city school was founded in the city instead of a seminary where famous Armenian pedagogues and intellectuals of the time worked and taught27.

It is worth noting the school opened in Nor Nakhichevan in the 30s of the 19th century with the assistance of the famous writer Theodoros Kha-damyan. Among the best Armenian female educational centers operating in Russia in the same period were the Srbuhyan School of Grigoriopol (opened in 1868)28, the Girls’ School of Teodosia (opened in 1860)29, the Gogoyan Girls’ School of Nor Nakhichevan (opened in 1882), the Girls’ Parish School of Astrakhan (opened in 1870), the female school named after Saint Nune of Tbilisi (opened in 1846), the Hripsimyants Female School of Yerevan (opened in 1850) and others.

The Armenian Colony of Crimea was quite rich in schools. An Armenian religious or desert school operated here in the 15th century. The first Armenian school was founded in Gharasubazar in 1816 by Manvel Kyumashkhanetsi. Armenian schools were operating in Old Crimea, Te-odosia, Evpatoria, Simferopol, Kerch, Orabazar and other local Armenian settlements30. The Khalibyan School was special, which was opened in Feodosia in 1858 with the efforts of Gabriel Aivazovsky and Harutyun Khalibyan. It had been operating for about 13 years31. It should be emphasized that in the history of Armenian intellectual culture and school, G. Aivazovsky is known for publishing textbooks that were innovative for their time. He used methodologically based approaches to teaching, which gradually deepened moving from simple to complex. In the years 1870-1917, parish schools functioned in almost all Armenian-inhabited areas of Crimea32.

The best students and graduates of most of the Armenian schools mentioned above continued their studies at the Lazarian Seminary in Moscow. It was founded by the initiative of the wealthy Russian resident Hovhannes Lazaryan and operated for years with the support of his heirs33.

In 1824, this multi-level educational institution with an Oriental orientation became a gymnasium of oriental languages, and in 1827 it was named the Armenian Institute of Oriental Languages. The lyceum department of this educational institution transformed into a first-class higher education institution in 1848 and operating for more than 100 years corresponded in its scientific level to the Department of Oriental Languages of St. Petersburg University34. Applicants of different nationalities not only from Russia but also from Ottoman Turkey, India and Persia applied to study here.

The Lazarian Seminary greatly contributed to the development of Armenian culture and Armenian studies. Famous Armenologists Levon Mseryants, Karapet Kusikyan, Grigor Khalatyan and others taught there35. Especially at the beginning of the 20th century, the Seminary contributed to the scientific study and development of oriental studies becoming one of the important centers of oriental thought in Russia. In that period, the students and professors of the educational institution published their oriental studies and articles in the issues of the scientific collection «Ori-ental Studies» published by the Seminary. In addition, textbooks, study manuals, methodological guides, chrestomaties, dictionaries for various fields of oriental studies were published by the authority of the seminary’s employees36.TheSeminary took an active part in the works of the Eastern Commission created by the Moscow Archaeological Society.

The role played by the Lazarian Seminary in the mutual recognition of Armenian and Russian literature and cultural values in general is unde- niable. Thanks to the translations made by the seminarians, the Armenian readers and the intellectual elite communicated the progressive trends of the Russian culture of the time contributing to the development and secularization of the new Armenian literature37.

It should be noted that from the beginning of the 18th century, Armenian private schools were operating in Tiflis, among which E. Galstyan, N. Mamulyan and S. Patkanyan Schools were famous38. Already in the 30s of the 19th century, not only their number increased but also changes were made in educational and training programs and methods. New teaching methods were used especially in private schools of Kh. Abovyan, G. Yeretspokhyan, H. Orbeli, G. Patkanyan39.

The Nersisian School⁴⁰ which was opened in Tbilisi in 1824 played a prominent role among the Armenian schools of Russia. This school was opened by the efforts of Nerses Ashtaraketsi, the head of the Armenian Diocese of Georgia and the local Armenian community⁴¹.The school began to be called after Nersisyan since 1861. The latter had been active for almost a century. In 1837, it was transformed into a diocesan spiritual school, and from the 1850s, it became the main educational center that gave impetus to the educational work of Armenians in the entire Transcaucasia.

The Nersisian School of Tiflis played an exceptional role in the educational and cultural life of Armenians living in Russia preparing famous figures, teachers, Armenologists and writers in those fields. It was not only an educational center for training spiritual-ecclesiastical servants, but also became in some sense a general education school for Arme-nians42. Even here, educational trips were organized for the students, during which they saw the native nature, Armenian architectural monuments and ancient monuments and also got acquainted with the living conditions of the working Armenian peasant43.

In the first half of the 19th century, the Diocesan Theological Schools of Yerevan and Shushi were distinguished among the Armenian spiritual schools of Russia. Although the works of the latter were regularly disrupted, the efforts of their management and employees did not stop to improve the educational process44. The first of those schools was founded in 1837, and the second-in 1838. Initially, there was a limitation in the selection of students of those educational centers: only the children of clergymen were accepted, because future clergymen had to be trained in them. After some time, that restriction was removed, subjects with secular content were added, and teaching was conducted in Armenian along with the Russian language.

It is necessary to state that the Armenian diocesan spiritual schools operating in Russia gradually turned into secondary educational institutions of secular education during their activity, mainly training teaching staff. From this point of view, the Gevorgyan Seminary opened in Etch-miatsin in 1874 was particularly outstanding. It was both a school for training clergymen and an important center of Armenian studies. Armenology education was given to the students in the classroom section of the Gevorgyan Seminary45.

In 1843-1844, the Yerevan Provincial School stood out, which tried to educate students with new and advanced pedagogical methods, involving them in school construction.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Moscow and St. Petersburg also became centers for the development of Armenology. Thousands of young Armenians received their education in the Russian and Armenian schools operating in those cities. Later, they were involved in the works of the best institutions in the scientific, cultural and educational spheres of both the motherland and Russia46. In addition, it should be noted that already in the second quarter of the 19th century, the number of Armenian schools in Russia increased, and the range of national elementary schools expanded. For example, on the eve of the First World War, there were more than 34 Armenian elementary schools in the North Caucasus.

There were also diocesan, church-parish and vocational schools in various Armenian settlements of Russia. Such educational centers operated particularly in Nor Nakhichevan. There were diocesan, vocational and female schools. In the local vocational schools, students were skilled in locks mithing, carpentry and shoemaking47.The girls were given handicraft lessons in the 6-year-old Girls’ School of Gogoyan of Nor Nakhichevan along with general education subjects. This educational center was among the gymnasiums under the management of the empress48.

It is necessary to mention that in the Armenian-populated cities of Middle Asia joined to Russia in the second half of the 19th century, having no intra-community units, the Armenians nevertheless tried to maintain their national image through church-parish Armenian schools. The number of the latter was 8 at the beginning of the 20th century, although there were also private schools49.

After the annexation of Eastern Armenia to Russia, provincial Armenian schools were opened in Shushi (in 1830), in Akhaltskha (in 1831), in Yerevan (in 1832), in Nakhichevan (in 1837), and in Alexandropol (in 1847)50.In the same period, there were 108 Armenian schools that did not obey any rules, which were closed in the second half of the 1830s by the order of the tsarist authorities of Transcaucasia.

In 1836, the Armenian Apostolic Church was allowed to have diocesan schools attached to its dioceses and parish schools attached to churches. An important role in the development of education was played by the diocesan school founded in Yerevan in 1837, which at first had a spiritual orientation and then turned into a secular school51.

All Armenian schools of Russia were subjected to certain restrictions by the relevant state structures in the last decades of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. However, those schools were able to find various ways of survival and maintenance within the framework of the law on schools attached to churches and monasteries adopted in June 189752.

The Armenian educational cause was greatly harmed by the law adopted on June 12, 1903, which nationalized all property and funds of the Armenian Church and schools. The First Russian Revolution prevented its implementation, and on August 1, 1905, the law was canceled byDecree53. As a result of all this, the Armenian parochial schools were closed for 1 year in 1884, and in 1897, the Armenian elementary schools were also closed passing under the authority of the Ministry of Enlightenment of Russia. In addition to the Armenian language and religion, they began to organize teaching in Russian54.Although Armenian schools were reopened by a special decree on August 1, 1905, the legally established state policy towards most of them continued until World War I55.

As for the educational programs and teaching methods of Armenian schools of Russia, it should be noted that over the centuries the ones have remained virtually unchanged or minor changes have been made to them. At the beginning of the 19th century, the main subjects taught were related to religion or related to theology. In schools, students were forced to learn lessons by heart without delving into the meaning and content; in addition, they had to know by heart the biblical psalms and Book of Hours of the Armenian Apostolic Church («Zhamagirq» of the Armenian Apostolic Church)56.At the beginning of the 20th century, after a persistent and long struggle, the lessons of religion were reduced in school programs (particularly after 1905, this result was noticeable), and the lessons of languages and natural sciences were increased57. The duration of Armenian elementary schools became 4 or 6 years, and male and female children began to study mostly together. In rural areas, of course, the education level continued to be low and the rural schools rarely filled the volume of 4- or 6-year education. The students in those educational centers became literate only at the end of the 2nd year58. Thus, it can be noted that the adopted school programs were almost never fully implemented in the Armenian schools of Russia.

In the Armenian schools of Russia, first of all, there was a very difficult problem with providing the educational centers with Armenian textbooks. Let’s mention the fact that almost new and somewhat secular Armenian textbooks were created and used as early as the beginning of the 18th century59. Among them were the ‘’Alphabet’ ‘published in 1781 by G. Khaldaryan, the Russian-Armenian ‘’Alphabet-Reading Book’’ by K. Sarafyan published in 1788, the title of which was ‘’A Book called the

Key to Science’’60. In the first half of the 19th century, not only alphabet books but also a number of grammar, arithmetic, history, orthography textbooks, dictionaries, reading books, study manuals as well as translation textbooks were published in Moscow, Petersburg, Tiflis, Shushi, Etchmiatsin.

Thanks to the aforementioned positive changes in the school system, the church-parish school was brought to a high level of national education for Armenians at the end of the 19th century. At the same time, Armenian schools began to open more in the Armenian-populated regions of Transcaucasia, in Eastern Armenia, in the territories of Central Asia and other places61.

Most of the Armenian students continued their education in public and private secondary schools in Russia. Among them were also Armenian educational centers: for example, the school of K. and S. Lisitsians was famous which began to operate in Tbilisi (Tiflis) from the beginning of the 20th century. The latter was transformed into a private gymnasium in 1915, and some subjects were taught there in Armenian62. It is also necessary to mention the Mariamyan-Hovnanyan and Gayanyan Schools of Tbilisi, the Gayanyan School of Yerevan, the Arghutyan School of Al-exandrapol, the Mariam Ghukasyan Female Secondary School of Shushi, Hripsimyan and Mesropyan Parochial Secondary Armenian Schools of Baku.

It should be noted that approximately 1/3 of the students of Armenian schools (including those operating in the territory of Russia) studied on a public basis due to poverty, at the expense of fees collected by the Armenian Community or donated by Armenian wealthy people63. In general, not only was the budget of the popular masses poor from the point of view of providing education for the growing generation but also the state funds allocated for education were insignificant, and the number of schools did not meet the demands of the Armenian Community. Naturally, the level of literacy of the population in general was low64.

In Sovietized Russia, the activity of the Armenian Apostolic Church were banned, and Armenian schools were closed from the second half of the 1920s. The ones were reopened again after the collapse of the USSR. It should be noted that the ones were rather Armenian learning groups or one-day educational institutions, especially in those settlements where there were active Armenian communities.

Conclusion:

• •    Due to geopolitical circumstances, the Armenian people settled in different settlements of Russia had established Armenian educational centers in order to preserve their national image;

• •    In the initial stage of the formation of Armenian colonies in Russia, the drive to preserve Armenian school traditions, language and cul-

• ture was stronger and among the national priorities than it was in the modern globalization stage;

• •    In the past and especially today, the Armenian educational centers of Russia are carrying out their activities according to the legislation of that country and the instructions and laws of the relevant structures controlling education;

• •    Both Soviet and contemporary Armenian historians have made efforts to examine and present the history of Armenian schools in Russia, consistently recognizing and positively evaluating Russia’s role in their establishment and development. Many of these works hold significant value from a historiographical perspective. The primary shortcoming in previous studies is the insufficient application—or, in some cases, the complete absence—of historical-comparative analysis. In certain instances, this method has only been partially implemented. In this regard, our modest study aims to address and bridge this gap.

Notes Примечания (Endnotes)

• 1.    Barkhudaryan V., History of the Armenian Communities of Moscow and St. Petersburg (Mid-18th–Early 20th Century), pp. 12-13 (Բարխուդարյան Վ․, Ալեքսանյան Հ․, Ռուսաստանի հայ գաղթօջախների պատմություն, էջեր 38, 150); Barkhudaryan V., Aleksanyan H., History of Armenian Diaspora Centers in Russia, pp. 38-150 (Բարխուդարյան Վ․, Մոսկվայի և Պետերբուրգի հայկական գաղութների պատմություն (18-րդ դարի կես-20-րդ դարի սկիզբ), էջ12-13).

• 2.    History of Armenia. Fundamental Issues. From Ancient TImes to Modern Times, Zangak-97 Publishing House,Yerevan, 2000, p. 156(Հայոց պատմություն: Հիմնահարցեր։ Հնագույն ժամանակներից մինչև մեր օրերը, Զանգակ-97 հրատ․, Երևան, 2000, էջ 156).

• 3.    Armenian Pedagogues (XIX century),Yerevan, State Publishing House, book A, 1958 (Հայ մանկավարժներ (XIX դ․), Պետհրատ․, Երևան, գիրք Ա, 1958); Yerkanyan V., Struggle for a New Armenian School in Transcaucasia, Publishing House of the NAS of the RA, Yerevan, 1970(Երկանյան Վ․, Պայքար հայկական նոր դպրոցի համար Անդրկովկասում, ՀՀ ԳԱ հրատ․, Երևան, 1970); Santrosyan M., The Eastern Armenian School in the First Half of the 19th Century, State Publishing House, Yerevan, 1964 (Սանթրոսյան Մ․, Արևելահայ դպրոցը XIX դարի առաջին կեսին, Պետհրատ․, Երևան, 1964), Barkhudaryan V., A brief outline of the history of Armenian schools of the Russian Empire (end of the 18th century-beginning of the 20th century), Publication of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, Yerevan, 2006 (Բարխուդարյան Վ․, Համառոտ ուրվագիծ ռուսական կայսրության հայկական դպրոցների պատմության (18-րդ

  դ․ վերջ-20-րդ դ․ սկիզբ), ՀՀ ԳԱԱ Պատմության ինստիտուտի հրատ․, Երևան, 2006); Barkhudaryan V., Aleksanyan H., History of the Armenian Diaspora of Russia, Publication of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, Yerevan, 2015 (Բարխուդարյան Վ․, Ալեքսանյան Հ․, Ռուսաստանի հայ գաղթօջախների պատմություն, ՀՀ ԳԱԱ պատմության ինստիտուտի հրատ․, Երևան, 2015); Diloyan V., From the History of the Social and Political Activities of the Lazaryans (the second half of the 17th century), Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR, Yerevan, 1966 (Դիլոյան Վ․, Լազարյանների հասարակականքաղաքական գործունեության պատմությունից (XVII դ․ երկրորդ կես), ՀՍՍՀ ԳԱ հրատ․, Երևան, 1966).

• 4.    Barkhudaryan V., Aleksanyan H., History of Armenian Diaspora Centers in Russia, Publishing House of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Yerevan, 2015, pp. 8-9 (Բարխուդարյան Վ․, Ալեքսանյան Հ․, Ռուսաստանի հայ գաղթօջախների պատմություն, ՀՀ ԳԱԱ պատմության ինստիտուտի հրատ․, Երևան, 2015, էջ 8-9); Barkhudaryan V., History of the Armenian Communities of Moscow and St. Peters-burg (Mid-18th–Early 20th Century), Gitutyun Publishing House of NAS RA, Yerevan, 2010, pp. 11-12 (Բարխուդարյան Վ․, Մոսկվայի և Պետերբուրգի հայկական գաղութների պատմություն (18-րդ դարի կես-20-րդ դարի սկիզբ), ԳԱԱ Գիտություն հրատ․, Երևան, 2010, էջ11-12).

• 5.    Barkhudaryan V., Aleksanyan H., History of Armenian Diaspora Centers in Russia, pp. 38-150(Բարխուդարյան Վ․, Ալեքսանյան Հ․, Ռուսաստանի հայ գաղթօջախների պատմություն, էջ 38, 150); Barkhudaryan V., History of the Armenian Communities of Moscow and St. Petersburg (Mid-18th–Early 20th Century), pp. 12-13 (Բարխուդարյան Վ․, Մոսկվայի և Պետերբուրգի հայկական գաղութների պատմություն (18-րդ դարի կես-20-րդ դարի սկիզբ), էջ 12-13).

• 6.    Barkhudaryan V., History of the Armenian Community of Nor Nakhichevan, Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR, Yerevan, 1967, p. 405 (Բարխուդարյան Վ․, Նոր Նախիջևանի հայկական գաղութի պատմություն, ՀՍՍՀ ԳԱ հրատ․, Երևան, 1967, էջ 405).

• 7.    Barkhudaryan V., History of the Armenian Communities of Mos-cow and St. Petersburg (Mid-18th–Early 20th Century), pp. 216-249 (Բարխուդարյան Վ․, Մոսկվայի և Պետերբուրգի հայկական գաղութների պատմություն (18-րդ դարի կես-20-րդ դարի սկիզբ), էջ 216-249).

• 8.    Yerkanyan V., The Armenian school in 1800-1870,Lraber Hasarakakan Gitutyunneri,Yerevan, 1970, No. 10, pp. 31-32 (Երկանյան Վ․, Հայկական դպրոցը 1800-1870 թթ., Լրաբեր հասարակական գիտությունների, Երևան, 1970, N10, էջ 31-32).

• 9.    History of Armenia. Fundamental Issues. From Ancient Times to Modern Times, Zangak-97 Publishing House, Yerevan, 2000, p. 156 (Հայոց պատմություն: Հիմնահարցեր։ Հնագույն ժամանակներից մինչև մեր օրերը, Զանգակ-97 հրատ․, Երևան, 2000, էջ 156).

• 10.    History of the Armenian people, Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR, vol. 6, Yerevan, 1981, p. 756 (Հայ ժողովրդի պատմություն, ՀՍՍՀ ԳԱ հրատ․, գիրք 6, Երևան, 1981, էջ 756).

• 11.    Ibid, p. 757.

• 12.    Ibid, p. 765.

• 13.    Ibid, p. 492.

• 14.    History of Armenia, Zangak-97 Publishing House, vol. 3, book I, Yerevan,2010, p. 315 (Հայոց պատմություն, Զանգակ-97 հրատ․, հատոր 3, գիրք I, Երևան, 2010, էջ 315).

• 15.    Zakaryan H., From the Cultural Life of the Armenian Community of Astrakhan, Banber Yerevani Hamalsarani Hasarakakan gitutyunneri, YSU Publishing House, Yerevan, 1980, No.2, p. 123 (Զաքարյան Հ․,Աստրախանի հայոց գաղթօջախի մշակութային կյանքից, Բանբեր Երևանի համալսարանի հասարակական գիտությունների, ԵՊՀ հրատ․,Երևան, 1980, N 2, էջ 123).

• 16.    Ibid.

• 17.    Ibid.

• 18.    History of the Armenian people, brief outline of the History of Armenian Schools of the Russian Empire, Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR, vol. 5,Yerevan, 1974, p. 574(Հայ ժողովրդի պատմություն,ՀՍՍՀ ԳԱ հրատ․,հատոր 5, Երևան, 1974, էջ 574).

• 19.    Barkhudaryan V., A brief outline of the History of Armenian Schools of the Russian Empire, Publishing House of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Yerevan, 2006, pp.1921 (Բարխուդարյան Վ․,Համատոտ ուրվագիծ Ռուսական կայսրության հայկական դպրոցների պատմության, ՀՀ ԳԱԱ Պատմության ինստիտուտի հրատ., Երևան, 2006, էջ 19-21).

• 20.    History of the Armenian People, vol. 5, Yerevan, 1974, pp. 479, 574 (Հայ ժողովրդի պատմություն, հատոր 5, Երևան, 1974, էջեր 479, 574).

• 21.    Zakaryan H., From the Cultural Life of the Armenian Community of Astrakhan, Banber Yerevani Hamalsarani Hasarakakan gitutyu-nneri, Yerevan, 1980, No.2, p. 124 (Զաքարյան Հ․,Աստրախանի հայոց գաղթօջախի մշակութային կյանքից, Բանբեր Երևանի համալսարանի հասարակական գիտությունների, Երևան, 1980, N 2, էջ 124).

• 22.    Khachaturyan V., From the history of the Armenian press in Russia, Lraber hasarakakan gitutjunneri, Yerevan, 1967, No. 1, p. 99 (Хачатурян В., Из истории армянской печати в России, Լրաբեր հասարակական գիտությունների, Երևան, 1967, N1, էջ 99).

• 23.    History of the Armenian People, vol. 5, Yerevan, 1974, pp. 479, 493, 574 (Հայ ժողովրդի պատմություն, հատոր 5, Երևան, 1974, էջեր 479, 493, 574).

• 24.    Ibid, p.575.

• 25.    Ibid, p. 485.

• 26.    Ibid, p. 492.

• 27.    Ibid.

• 28.    Ibid, p. 493.

• 29.    History of the Armenian people, vol. 6, Yerevan,1981, p. 657 (Հայ ժողովրդի պատմություն, հատոր 6, Երևան, 1981, էջ 657).

• 30.    History of Armenia, vol. 3, book I, Yerevan, 2010, p. 314 (Հայոց պատմություն,հատոր 3, գիրք I, Երևան,2010, էջ 314).

• 31.    Ibid.

• 32.    Ibid, pp. 49-50.

• 33.    Yerkanyan V., The Armenian School in 1800-1870, Lraber hasarakakan gitutjunneri, Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR, Yerevan, 1970, No.10, p. 40 (Երկանյան Վ․, Հայկականդպրոցը 1800-1870 թվականներին, Լրաբեր հասարակական գիտությունների, ՀՍՍՀ ԳԱ հրատ․, Երևան, 1970, N10, էջ 40).

• 34.    Ibid.

• 35.    History of Armenia, vol. 3, book I, Yerevan, 2010, p. 315 (Հայոց պատմություն, հատոր 3, գիրք I, Երևան, 2010, էջ 315).

• 36.    Several Armenian schools operated in Tbilisi at the beginning of the 19th century (History of Armenia,Yerevan, vol. 3, book I, 2010, p. 314).

• 37.    Santorosyan M., The Eastern Armenian school in the first half of the 19th century, State Publishing House, Yerevan, 1964, p. 399 (Սանթրոսյան Մ․, Արևելահայ դպրոցը 19-րդ դարի առաջին կեսին, Պետհրատ․, Երևան, 1964, էջ 399).

• 38.    Yerkanyan V., Struggle for a New Armenian School in Transcaucasia, Publication of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian, Yerevan, 1970, pp. 175-176 (Երկանյան Վ․, Պայքար հայկական նոր դպրոցի համար Անդրկովկասում, ՀՍՍՀ ԳԱ հրատ․, Երևան,1970, էջ 175-176).

• 39.    History of Armenia. Fundamental Issues. From Ancient Times to Modern Times, Yerevan, 2000, p. 309 (Հայոց պատմություն: Հիմնահարցեր։ Հնագույն ժամանակներից մինչև մեր օրերը, Երևան, 2000, էջ 309).

• 40.    Yerkanyan V., Armenian Culture in 1800-1917, Publication of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian, Yerevan, 1982, p. 38 (Երկանյան Վ․, Հայկական մշակույթը 1800-1917 թթ․, ՀՍՍՀ ԳԱ հրատ․, Երևան, 1982, էջ 38).

• 41.    Հայ ժողովրդի պատմություն,հատոր 6, Երևան, 1981, էջ 630(History of the Armenian people, Yerevan, 1981, vol. 6, p. 630).

• 42.    Ibid, p. 643.

• 43.    Ibid.

• 44.    Ibid, p. 662.

• 45.    History of Armenia. Fundamental Issues. From Ancient Times to Modern Times, Yerevan, 2000, p. 315 (Հայոց պատմություն: Հիմնահարցեր։ Հնագույն ժամանակներից մինչև մեր օրերը, Երևան, 2000, էջ 315).

• 46.    Ibid.

• 47.    Barkhudaryan V., A brief outline of the History of Armenian Schools of the Russian Empire, Yerevan, 2006, p. 44 (Բարխուդարյան Վ․, Համատոտ ուրվագիծ Ռուսական կայսրության հայկական դպրոցների պատմության, Երևան, 2006, էջ 44).

• 48.    Ibid, P. 46.

• 49.    History of the Armenian people, vol. 6, Yerevan, 1981, pp. 657-658 (Հայ ժողովրդի պատմություն,հատոր 6, Երևան, 1981, էջ 657-658).

• 50.    Ibid,p. 658.

• 51.    History of the Armenian People, vol. 5, Yerevan, 1974, p. 567 (Հայ ժողովրդի պատմություն, հատոր 5, Երևան, 1974, էջ 567).

• 52.    History of the Armenian people, vol. 6, Yerevan, 1981, p. 764 (Հայ ժողովրդի պատմություն, հատոր 6, Երևան, 1981, էջ 764).

• 53.    Ibid.

• 54.    Yerkanyan V., The Armenian school in 1800-1870, Lraber hasarakakan gitutyunneri,Yerevan, 1970, No. 10, p. 42 (Երկանյան Վ․, Հայկական դպրոցը 1800-1870 թթ․, Լրաբեր հասարակական գիտությունների, Երևան, 1970, N10, էջ 42).

• 55.    Ibid.

• 56.    Ibid, p. 45.

• 57.    History of the Armenian people, vol. 6, Yerevan, 1981, p. 767 (Հայ ժողովրդի պատմություն, հատոր 6, Երևան, 1981, էջ 767).

• 58.    Ibid, p. 769.

• 59.    Ibid.

Khachatryan V., From the History of the Cultural life of the Armenians of Astrakhan of the 18th century,Patma-Banasirakan Handes, Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR, Yerevan, 1964, No. 2, p. 302 (Խաչատրյան Վ․, Տասնութերորդ դարի Աստրախանի հայերի մշակութային կյանքի պատմությունից, Պատմա-բանասիրական հանդես, ՀՍՍՀ ԳԱ հրատ․, Երևան, 1964, N 2, էջ 302).

Grigoryan K., Armenian Cultural Colony in St. Petersburg in the 18th century,Texekagir Hasarakakan Gitutyunneri, Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR, Yerevan, 1953, No. 9, p. 72 (Григорян К., Армянская культурная колония в Петербурге в XVIII веке, ՀՍՍՌ ԳԱ Տեղեկագիր հասարակական գիտությունների, ՀՍՍՌ ԳԱ հրատ․, Երևան, 1953, N9, էջ 72).

Ibid.

Diloyan V., Lazaryan Seminary (on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of its foundation),Texekagir hasarakakan gitutyunneri, Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR, Yerevan, 1965, No.12, p. 48 (Դիլոյան Վ․, Լազարյան ճեմարանը (հիմնադրման 150-ամյակի առթիվ), Տեղեկագիր հասարակական գիտությունների, ՀՍՍՌ ԳԱ հրատ․,Երևան,1965, N12, էջ 48).

Diloyan V., From the history of social and political activities of the Lazarians, Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR, Yerevan, 1966, p. 225 (Դիլոյան Վ․, Լազարյաննե րիհասարակական-քաղաքականգործո ւնեութ յանպ ատմությունից, ՀՍՍՀ ԳԱ հրատ․, Երևան, 1966, էջ 225).

Author, Abstract, Key words

Hovsepyan M.V. – Candidate of Philological Sciences, Senior Researcher, Department of History of Armenian Periodicals and Social Thought, Institute of History of NAS RA (Marshal Baghramyan Ave., 0019, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia).

Kharatyan A.A. – Corresponding Member NAS RA, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of History of Armenian Periodicals and Social Thought, Institute of History of NAS RA(24 g, Marshal Baghramyan Ave., 0019, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia).

Karapetyan A.H. – Candidate of Historical Sciences, Senior Researcher of the Department of Armenian Periodical Press and History of Public Mind of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (Marshal Baghramyan Ave., 0019, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia).

The scholarly aim of this article is to present a new interpretation of the history of Armenian schools in Russia, based on modern historiographical concepts. The novelty lies primarily in revisiting key issues such as the developmental stages of Armenian schools in Russia, their methodological foundations, and, more broadly, the guidance of their educational processes by advanced Russian educational institutions, through the adaptation of specific programs and organizational features of schooling. The relevance of this research is, first and foremost, linked to the need to uncover patterns in the development of Russo-Armenian cultural relations within the realm of education. Schools in Russia were expected to prepare literate and educated subjects for the empire, and in this regard, the Russian authorities sought to align the rights and responsibilities of schools for ethnic minorities with the educational objectives of Russian schools. Additionally, it is important to consider the issue of the national character of these schools. During the period under discussion-the first decades of the 18th–19th centuries-despite some deviations, this national character was preserved to a considerable extent under Russian governance. The organization and administration of education in Russia has received little attention in the existing literature on this topic, which further underscores the relevance of this study. The core of the problem lies in the Russian state’s unification policy in the field of education-a policy that, incidentally, has now become a standard requirement in European and American schools as well. In evaluating the history of Russo-Armenian educational relations, this particular aspect has been largely overlooked and clearly awaits an objective researcher. The generalizations presented in the article are based, in part, on the conclusions and characterizations formulated using archival materials from previous authors on this subject. The primary focus has been on the alignment of educational curricula in Armenian schools in Russia with those of Russian schools, considering the organizational models and teaching methods employed. As a result of the conducted research, the authors of the article have concluded that, alongside and within this process, Armenian schools in Russia were able to preserve their national identity-an element whose content is analyzed across all stages included in this study. Moreover, the analyses were conducted with consideration of the accumulated experience of several Armenian educational institutions and schools in Russia that were known for their pedagogical significance and progressive educational programs, while also acknowledging the shortcomings observed in their activities. In this context, particular attention was given to the Aghababyan School in Astrakhan, the Nersisyan School in Tbilisi, the Khadamyan School in Nor Nakhichevan, the Lazaryan Seminary in Moscow, the Khalibyan School in Feodosia, and several national girls’ schools operating in Armenian-populated areas, whose practices and achievements serve as valuable examples for other Armenian schools. Thus, the following specific conclusion has been drawn: Armenian historiography in the previous period (both Soviet and contemporary) has attempted, through various studies, to examine and present the history of Armenian schools in Russia – rightfully offering a positive and effective assessment of Russia’s constructive role in the establishment and development of these educational institutions. Many of these works are valuable from a historiographical perspective. The main shortcoming, however, lies in the weak application – or, in some cases, complete absence – of historical-comparative analysis. In this regard, our modest study is an attempt to fill that gap.

Armenian schools in Russia, Armenian girls’ schools, Aghababyan School of Astrakhan, Lazaryan Seminary of Moscow, Khalibyan School of Feodosia, Nersisyan School of Tbilisi, Khadamyan School of Nor Nakhichevan

Авторы, аннотация, ключевые слова

Целью научно-аналитического исследования, представленного в статье, является новое осмысление истории армянских школ в России с позиций современной историографии. Научная новизна заключается главным образом в обращении к упомянутым проблемам: воспроизведении этапов развития армянских школ в России, анализе их методологических основ, а также в рассмотрении образовательного процесса в контексте следования за передовыми российскими учебно-просветительскими центрами с освоением специфики образовательных программ и организации школьного дела. Актуальность данного исследования прежде всего обусловлена задачей выявления определённых закономерностей развития русско-армянских культурных отношений в контексте школьного образования. Армянские школы в России призваны были подготовить грамотных и образованных подданных этой страны, и в этом смысле российские власти стремились обеспечить соответствие прав и обязанностей школ национальных меньшинств целям обучения в российских учебных заведениях. В известной степени к этому следует добавить также вопрос о национальной специфике самих школ, которая в рассматриваемый период, а именно в первые десятилетия XVIII–XIX веков, несмотря на отдельные отклонения, всё же сохранялась при политике российских властей.Вопросы организации и управления учебным делом в России также рассматривались в соответствующей литературе лишь в крайне ограниченном или минимальном объёме, и обращение к данной теме напрямую связано с актуальностью настоящего исследования. В основе решения этой проблемы лежит политика унификации, проводимая российским государством в сфере просвещения, которая, к слову, сегодня стала обязательным требованием и для европейских, и для американских школ. При оценке истории русско-армянских просветительских взаимодействий этот аспект практически оставался вне поля зрения, и, безусловно, ждёт своего объективного исследователя. В статье сделаны обобщения с привлечением выводов и характеристик, сформулированных на основе архивных материалов предыдущих авторов, рассматривавших данную тему. Основное внимание уделено унификации учебных программ армянских школ в России с программами российских школ, с учётом особенностей организации учебного процесса и методов преподавания. В результате проведённого исследования авторы статьи пришли к выводу, что параллельно с упомянутым процессом унификации, а также в его рамках армянским школам в России удалось сохранить национальную специфику, содержание которой проанализировано на всех этапах, рассмотренных в данной работе. При этом анализ проводился с учётом накопленного опыта целого ряда армянских образовательных учреждений и школ в России, известных своим воспитательнопросветительским значением и передовыми учебными программами, а также с учётом выявленных недостатков в их деятельности и работе. В этом контексте особое внимание уделено практике и достижениям Агабабовской школы в Астрахани, Нерсесянской школы в Тифлисе, Хадамянской школы в Нор Нахичеване, Лазаревского института восточных языков в Москве, Халибяновской школы в Феодосии, а также ряду национальных женских училищ, действовавших в армянонаселённых пунктах, чей опыт мог служить образцом для других армянских школ.Таким образом, в частности, был сделан следующий вывод. Армянская историографическая мысль в предшествующий период (советский и современный) стремилась с помощью исследований изучить и представить историю армянских школ в России, справедливо и результативно оценивая роль России в становлении и развитии этих учебных заведений. Среди этих работ немало ценных с точки зрения исторической науки. Основным недостатком или слабой стороной является то, что историкосравнительный анализ либо отсутствует вовсе, либо применяется лишь частично. В этом смысле данное наше скромное исследование представляет собой попытку восполнить данный пробел.

Армянские школы в России, армянские женские училища, Агабабовская школа в Астрахани, Лазаревский институт восточных языков в Москве, Халибяновское училище в Феодосии, Нерсесянская школа в Тифлисе, Хадамянская школа в Нор Нахичеване.