Circassian Armenian (Circassgai)

The long and complex history of the Armenian ethnos also affected the Circassian lands. Starting from the Middle Ages among the Adyge (Circassians) lived Armenians, who assumed the functions of foreign trade of Circassia. A surprising fact is their almost complete assimilation in the society of Adygs (Circassians) and becoming a separate subethnos. Who are the Circassgai (Circassian Armenians), from where they came to Circassia and what became of them — about this in a new article.

It all started in the 8th century, when the Armenian state, the vassal of Byzantium, fell under the blows of Muslim Arabs and a huge number of Armenians left their native lands, hiding in neighboring Byzantium, where they formed separate dependent principalities. Since the second half of the 11th century, the territory of Armenia was invaded by the Seljuk Turks, the Armenian again left its native lands and emigrated to the north, to Georgia, to the North Caucasus. Part of the population went to the south — to Cilicia. In 1071, after the Battle of Manzikert, the Seljuk Turks established their first state, the Sultanate of Rum, which included the whole of Armenia and the interior of Anatolia, from where the migration of Armenians to the Asian coastal areas intensified. The Armenian population was strongly persecuted, which towards the end of the 13th century was particularly expressed, for example, in Nakhichevan and nearby regions.

Further outflow of the Armenian population from the region is connected with the Tatar-Mongol invasion, and then with Tamerlan’s campaigns. The lands were taken from the Armenians and were settled by the Turks. Tamerlan moved 50,000 families of the Qajar Turks to Transcaucasia, settling them in Erivan, Ganja and Garabagh, where they eventually multiplied. During the 13–14 centuries in Armenia, the local nobility gradually became supplanted by the military nomadic — Mongolian, Turkic and Kurdish. In subsequent years, with the formation of the Ottoman Empire and the intensification of Persia, persecutions are only intensifying. At this time, the North Caucasus, Ciscaucasia and especially Crimea act as one of the important centers of settlement of the Armenian ethnos.

However, there was no rest there either — in 1475 the Ottoman Empire seized the Genoese colonies in the Crimea, where it began to Turkization and Islamization of the Christian population. Armenians of Crimea resettled in Moldova and Poland (Rzeczpospolita) Part of Armenians who traded with Circassia and had connections in it, along with the Greeks and Circassians living in Crimea, found refuge in the mountains of the North Caucasus, among the Adygs (Circassians), where during that period Islam has not yet received distribution. Greeks and Armenians in Circassia retained certain features of cultural identity until the 19th century. During the period of residence in Circassia, and immediately after the relocation, Circassian or Circassgai Armenians called themselves “Ermeli” (adyg. “Ermely” — “Armenian”), but at the same time clearly aware that in the cultural and social aspect, they differed sharply from the rest of the Armenians. Circassgai culturally and externally became similar to the Adygs (Circassians), differing only in that they distorted the Christian rituals and used Georgian icons. Travelers have noted the presence of Circassgai in sacred groves of Adygs (Circassians), which can be explained by the continued use of Christian crosses in them. Adygs (Circassians) were previously Christians and the memory of this was preserved, using crosses in rituals in their own way. Armenians themselves took on the function of merchants, not too beloved among the Adygs (Circassians). They got rich pretty quickly and took up respectable positions among the Adyge (Circassian) aristocracy. There are known the facts of the upbringing of Adyge (Circassian) princes in the family of Circassgai (custom of atalism) among Adygs-Natukhays, Shapsugs, Bzhedugs, etc.

In 1850, a scholar Ivanov, who investigated the issues of the history and ethnography of the Circassgai, wrote: “According to the stories of the Armavir old men, back that year two hundred or more, their ancestors, unhappy with the troubles that occurred in the Crimea during the reign of the khans, burdened with taxes and undergoing severe persecutions for the faith , have long been planning to retire somewhere from these troubles; Finally, under the same khan, they took a decisive intention and, having abandoned their homes and property, fled to Circassia, which they knew from trade relations before. Upon arrival in the mountains, the Circassians accepted them kindly and gave shelter, promising to protect from all the constraints of the khan, and as a sign of friendship to their young aliens they offered their daughters to the marriage. The Armenians accepted this offer, but with the condition that their wives and children profess the Christian religion. Circassians in no way resisted their guests and assured them even that they will remain forever free in the confession of Christianity and will deal with family and civil matters according to their customs. Convinced of this, the Crimean people settled in the auls, married beautiful women and lived quietly.” Armenians-settlers settled in the villages of Gyaur-Khabl (it is known about the existence of auls with this name near Abinsk and on the river Kelermes near Belorechensk), Hatukai, Yegerukhay, Hajihabl, Enem, Shokon, Psekhutg. There are Armenian auls around Anapa and Sujuk Bay, two Circassgai villages were also founded in the area of modern Gelendzhik — Azatukh and Bzatukh. The Circassian Armenians learned the basic elements of culture and clothing of the Circassians, they communicated in the Circassian language and were practically indistinguishable from the Circassians, which is noted by numerous travelers and scouts in Circassia, including James Bell and Teofil Lapinsky.

Before the seizure of the Crimean Khanate by Russia, in 1779, the remaining Armenians were evicted in the territories of the future Rostov-on-Don. Here they formed the town of Nakhichevan-on-Don, which later became the Rostov district. It is known that the first attempts to isolate the Armenian community from Circassia were undertaken under Catherine II: “Joseph Argutinsky, Archbishop of Russian Armenians, starting from 1783 with the support of Count G. Potemkin, establishes a link with the Circassian Armenians and enters with them in secret talks. Argutinsky developed a project according to which the Nakhichevan Armenians received the southern part of the Sambek steppe (an area to the west of the mouth of the Don where the small Sambek River flows into the Taganrog Gulf of the Azov Sea), and the Circassian Armenians are the northern part. Representatives of Circassian Armenians are invited to Nakhichevan (then not yet on-Don), where they are greeted with a warm welcome. The city liked the Circassian Armenians so much that they raised the issue of resettlement of Armenians to Nakhichevan, but the Nakhichevanians did not agree. The fact that the Kuban Armenians really intended to settle in Nakhichevan is confirmed by another mention. In October 1791, during the battle against the Circassian tribes, the Armenians who lived in three villages lying by the rivers (Gaurhabl, Adepsu-Hai and Hatukai) expressed a desire to go to Nakhichevan and went there among 390 people. As in the first case, the desire of the Circassian Armenians did not materialize. Mass migration of Circassian Armenians, who twice tried to move to Nakhichevan, failed. “

In addition to the Circassian Armenians, the Kizlyar, Mozdok and Nakhichevan Armenians actively participated in the trade turnover of Circassia. Often Armenian merchants acted as Circassian scouts in Russian territory and vice versa — Russian scouts in Circassia. In 1818, the trustee of trade with Circassians on the Caucasian coast of the Black Sea, Skassi wrote to Langeron, that “it will be very difficult to prohibit Armenians from producing a monopoly with the Circassians. No doubt, Armenians are forbidden to trade in the part of the Kuban that is occupied by the Black Sea Cossacks, for they have exclusive rights to this, but they trade at their border in Ust-Laba. “After trading on the Black Sea area, the borders for Armenian merchants were allowed, but then again banned. In 1828, another categorical prohibition followed, and it came to the point that Armenian merchants began to buy certificates from Circassian owners, that they are their serfs and, accordingly, the goods legally belong to these owners. Russian customs officials had nothing to complain about and a lot of merchants from Cherkessia poured to the Black Sea area. In addition, Circassgai essentially performed one of the unpleasant features of trading that spurred the Circassians to the predatory lifestyle at the expense of peasant life. It was the Armenians who bought from the Circassians captives captured in numerous raids, as well as sold by poor families from among their own children. In many respects this factor forced the Russian Empire to create bans on trade through Armenians.

The involvement of Circassgai in military operations on the side of the Circassians is fixed in a number of documents. Moreover, cooperation with the Nakhichevan Armenian community is noted: “From the testimony selected in Yekaterinodar from the people running out of Circassian captivity, it was discovered that the Nakhichevan Armenians are moving to the Circassians, have close contact with them, declare to them the number of our army standing on the border, indicate places capable of crossing for the ruin of our inhabitants, living near the border, even accompany them on this side and come together with them in the attacks in exchange for the production of a double portion; finally, having bought goods there, they are transferred to our side under the guise of the inhabitants of Circassian ones and thus return to Nakhichevan. Until 1829 the territory of Circassia was formally considered part of the Ottoman Empire. But the Armenian community of Circassia did not express any displeasure with the conditions of its existence in Circassia and did not aspire to move to the right side of the Kuban — the Russian Empire, and responded to all proposals with long correspondence in order to negotiate the best possible conditions in case of relocation. Circassgai did not take steps to emigrate from Circassia, even in the conditions of quite frequent Russian-Turkish wars of the second half of the 18th — first third of the 19th century. Many auls of Armenians were in possession of Temirgoev princes Bolotokovs who were interested in attracting commercial and industrial population and were the most reliable guarantor of security and observance of the rights of Circassgai and other non-Adyge (Circassian) communities of their principality. Another thing is that after repeated large-scale punitive expeditions that struck the Temirgoyevsky possession of the Bolotokovs, the princes could no longer fully exercise their administrative functions.

Over time, the situation in the Circassgai regions of residence becomes tense due to the cultural and religious propaganda of the Ottoman Empire, and later also the actions of Muhammad-Amin. The spreading of radical ideas of Islam among some part of Adygs (Circassians) led to clashes on everyday ground between Adygs (Circassians) and Circassian Armenians. Some Armenians begin to move closer to the Russian borders. The Russian government welcomed such initiatives based on its political and economic goals. In fact, the resettlement of Circassian Armenians from the mountainous regions of the Caucasus to the Russian borders of the Kuban with the granting of certain privileges to them, Tsarist Russia sought to strengthen the Christian factor in the conditions of a fierce Caucasian war. Since the mid-30s of the 19th century created favorable conditions for the implementation of pre-provided resettlement of the Circassian Armenians. According to the researchers, the migration of Circassian Armenians to the territory of the Kuban took place in 4 stages. The base of the first Armenian village in the Kuban refers to 1839. Historical documents report that the bulk of Circassian Armenians from the 40s of the 19 th century settled in the Circassian region, as well as the Black Sea towns-fortresses. In the 60–70 years certain groups of Circassian Armenians settled in Ekaterinodar, Maikop, Mitrovka, Ilyinka, in Labinsk, Belorechensk, Nekrasinsk, Temergoy, Kargin, Ust-Labinsk area. Individual families also find themselves outside the Kuban — in Astrakhan and Moscow. On the one hand, the relocation of the Circassian Armenians will get rid of the Turkish influence and move to safer areas, but on the other hand, in a Christian environment Circassgai undergone very rapid assimilation and dissolution did not occur in an environment Adygs (Circassians).

In March 1838, General Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Golovin, commander of the Caucasian Corps, informed the military minister, Count Alexander Ivanovich Chernyshev: “The chief of the Kuban line, gen.-m. Zass tells me the following: Upon receiving the news that knights of egerukhay tribe dwelling on the left bank of the Laba, prompted Abadzekhs begin to clearly disturb their villages and are ready to go up to remove a recalcitrant mountaineers, he informed that gen.-l. Velyaminov and afterwards sent an observation detachment on the river Laba, to keep them from fleeing by fear of weapons. Upon arrival at the detachment, the 3rd of this month, he collected knights and elders of egerukhay and inspire them, on the one hand, full trust in justice and beneficent solicitude of our government on peaceful citizens, on the other — the omnipotence of it to the prosecution and punishment of traitors, the hesitant people managed to calm down and, without resorting to violent measures, again received from him a unanimous oath of allegiance to general’s loyalty. Using the expression of unconditional obedience, General Grigory Khristoforovich Sass proceeded to resettle the Armenians who lived among the Yeherukaevs and Temirgoevs from time to time under the pretext of protecting the faithful population. This time, the number of Armenians with the formerly resettled Kuban by General Sass is up to 250 families. He believed to settle them for the Kuban, with the river. Urup, between St. George’s and the Solid-Okopsky fortifications.

On March 25, 1839, Major-General Sass drafted a management of “peaceful Kuban mountaineers”, according to which Circassian Armenians were settled for two years “on the left bank of the Kuban River against the Solid Okop.” The resettlement was carried out under cover and with the physical support of the Russian troops. Circassgai got building materials and tools. Direct administration was to be carried out by the bailiff. It was also supposed that “Armenians, being Christians, are not subject to a district court according to the folk customs of the mountaineers, but should form a special district and be governed by our laws.” Aul on three sides was surrounded by a deep moat of 2.5 meters wide and shaft. On the fourth side flowed the Kuban River, which became the natural boundary of the settlement. Its borders changed several times due to the fact that more and more families moved from the mountains. In the first years 120 families settled in the Armenian village (Ermely-Khabl), and by 1840 their number had increased to four hundred. In addition to Circassgai, several hundred serfs lived in the settlement. The life of the Circassgai in the new place proceeded according to the same laws of the patrimonial way of life, which they adhered to in the mountains. The village was divided into quarters, in which the families settled, which came from the same auls. They named the new settlement Armavir in 1848, in honor of the ancient Armenian city of Armavir — the capital of Armenia in 4–2 centuries BC.

Another 53 Circassgai left Abadzekhia and founded a separate aul near the Pashkovsky cossacks village. Several families of Circassgai settled in the Grevensky Circassian aul. Then they moved to Pereyaslavskaya cossacks village, where other settlers began to gather — Circassgai and Circassian Greeks. By 1859 there were more than 200 Circassgai in this village, many of whom moved to Armavir a year later. By 1842 in Armavir the Circassgai population was about 1300 people. In 1846 another petition was received from the Bogarsukov brothers and Rotok Shapsug. Apparently, realizing that they will not be settled on the right bank, the petitioners chose a compromise option — to settle on the rivers Aushets and Kunips, close to the Russian border, but in the Circassia. Legally and in fact this land was Adyghe (Circassian), but for a number of years it was empty, because troops passed through this region many times: it was possible to live here only with the permission of the Russian military authorities. The transfer of a large family of Bogarsukovs took place in 1853. Subsequently their descendants became prosperous merchants, public figures and patrons in Ekaterinodar.

After 1850, the tsarist administration came to the conclusion that the resettlement of the Circassgai had been completed, but a considerable part of them remained in Circassia. Resettlement on his own initiative engaged Admiral L.M. Serebryakov, an Armenian by birth. He intended all the remaining Circassgai in the mountains to settle in Novorossiysk, but he managed to do it only partly. Researcher Poghosian details all the many and many years of efforts that the Russian administration has made in the North-West Caucasus region, along with representatives of the Armenian church, in order to transform the Circassgai and fully integrate them into the unified Armenian community of the region. Scattered throughout Circassia, Armenians in a short time, united their efforts, managed to recreate and master the traditions of Armenian culture. Naturally, all this was already under the direct support of the Russian cultural environment and their fellow Armenians.

As for the Armenians of the Black Sea coast of the Kuban, the first groups of them appeared there at the end of the last Russian-Turkish war in the early 1880s as part of the program of resettlement of the faithful Armenians and Greeks from the Ottoman Empire on the coast of the Kuban region. The resettlement went under the flag of defense of coreligionists, but in fact with the purpose of settling the Adygees (Circassians) that had emptied lands after the death and eviction into the Caucasian war, by a population adapted to the local climate. A significant part of the settlers joined the ranks of compatriots during the Armenian genocide of 1915 in Turkey and the massive migrations of the 80–90s of the 20th century, including during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. But these are quite different Armenians.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — -

If you liked the publication, put like, share it in social networks. Support the project “Caucasian stories”, subscribe and follow interesting and informative articles from the history of the North-Western Caucasus and the culture of Adyge(Circassians). More intersted on YouTube “Simple History” and in Instagram @shtybin_on_air.

You can help me to develop this channel by donating on Patreon — www.patreon.com/Circassian_Notes