CC BY
43
UDC 316
BASIC SPHERES OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY OF THE ARMENIANS IN THE SOUTH RUSSIA
O. Savelyeva
Institute of social and region study. Southern federal university Rostov-on-Don, Russian Federation science-almanac@mail. ru
The significant growth of the Armenian diaspora in the South of Russia explains the interest in the adaptation strategies of this group of migrants. The study of their experience in the integration of a new socio-cultural environment that allows to identify the components of effective adaptation strategies. One measure of the success of the adaptation is to acquire social status in the new social and economic environment. The main areas of economic activity of Armenians are presented on the example of the Rostov Region and Krasnodar Territory.
Active economic activity of the Armenian diaspora in Krasnodar region, combined with high adaptability to market conditions contributed to an increased in comparison with the native majority of the material prosperity of the Armenian population. Not the last role was played by the fact that Russia has directed quite competitive part of Armenians, often not inferior to the level of education in Russian in Russia. In Krasnodar, educated and mobile groups of professionals, managers, entrepreneurs was much less than in the capital. But here, the Armenians, in comparison with the dominant Russian population, were presented in a sufficiently weighty proportions in groups of skilled labor.
In socio-professional terms urban Armenian population of Kuban shows traditionally high orientation on trade. It is significant that even the results of the population census of the Russian Empire in 1897 in Ekaterinodar more than 50% of the Armenian population were engaged in trade, diversified intermediation and lending. According to the 2002 census only 8% of the Armenian population is involved in trade in the Krasnodar region. But still this kind of economic activity prevalent in the Krasnodar Armenians ahead of the same period among the Russian population is almost 2 times, and explains the smaller representation of Armenians among employees. Stable reduction of the share-Armenian traders can be explained by the majority of the chosen adaptation model - life strategy only for the first generation of migrants.
Compared to the Russian Armenians in the Krasnodar region are less represented in the fields of education, industry and agriculture. A smaller representation of Krasnodar Armenians in agriculture can be explained partly by the fact that historically predominantly urban vector ethnic migration was partly forced phenomenon. As in the Krasnodar Territory, in the XXI century, the largest share of the Rostov Armenians found themselves in the wholesale and retail trade. In other areas of the employment share of Russian and Armenian population is almost the same except for an industry where there is a smaller proportion of the Armenians.
Indicating the presence of the representatives of the Armenians in a number of professional associations "Russian" regions of Southern Russia, it is now becoming more and more significant. At the same time it is not just about trade or services. There is expansion and transformation of the original socio-professional structure of the gainfully employed Armenian population. Commerce and mediation "bias" of Armenians begins to flourish under the development of new social and industrial niches, increase the presence of its representatives observed in many professional societies and social hierarchies South Russian regions, which is an indicator of successful integration.
Key words: Armenian Diaspora, the south of Russia, the urban population, the Armenian population, Russian population, migration, agriculture.
South of Russia over the past two centuries is one of the major focus of the Armenian population outside Caucasus and Armenia. Suffice it to say that in the mid-1920s in the southern macro-region it was accounted for nearly 90% of all the Russian Armenians. Later, with the expansion of the geography of the Armenian people, the city successfully develop a system (and some rural areas) of different parts of the country, this proportion declined. But at the end of the Soviet period it was close to 70%.
The collapse of the Soviet Union was accompanied by a rapid surge in migration activity, turned into a new "migration of peoples". Within a decade the Armenian Diaspora of Russia doubled. Although the proportion of its components in the South Russian post-Soviet period decreased more than half of Russian Armenians in the moment they are still residents of the southern macro-region. According to the 2010 Census, within it there are more than 630 thousand of Armenian (Fig. 1). In other words, South Russia currently is the largest center of Armenians outside of
Armenia. Armenians are the second largest people of the southern macro-region, ahead of the Ukrainians. Judging by the modern demography, population distribution dynamics, this position will remain with the diaspora for the foreseeable future.
700
600 500
400 300 H
200 100 n ■H nil H H N N
1897 1926 1939 1959 1970 1979 1989 2002 2010
Fig. 1 Dynamics of Armenian population in the South Russia, 1897-2010s
(thousand of people)
However, it is not just about the demographics and population distribution habitat. There is not a single major social life of the southern macro-region, any socio-professional group, which would be without presence and influence of the Armenians. A distinctive feature of the Armenian Diaspora in the South of Russia is the largest compared to other ethnic groups, the level of integration into the local socio-economic and political space. Traditionally, the high proportion of Armenians in business, science, culture and art, public sector bodies of the municipal and regional authorities [6, p. 5-7].
Significant growth of the Armenian Diaspora in the South of Russia explains the interest in the adaptation strategies of this group of migrants. The study of their experience in the integration of a new socio-cultural environment allows to identify the components of effective adaptation strategies. One measure of the success of the adaptation is to acquire social status in the new social and economic environment. This study will address the main areas of economic activity of Armenians in the example of the Rostov Region and Krasnodar Territory.
Krasnodar Territory
Historically, Armenians occupied a central place in ethnic migration in the Krasnodar region, the diaspora that has grown in the Krasnodar region in the 90s reached 60%. This enabled it to become the second ethno-cultural component of the region, pushing from this position the Ukrainians.
The main directions of the Armenian migration in the Kuban region in the post-Soviet period became the largest edge of the city and resort-recreational zone, has significant opportunities for employment in the field of trade, mediation and services. However, given the direction of the Armenian migration explains the presence in the regional capital, a number of other major centers around the Black Sea coast of the two major historical Armenian Diasporas. By the end of the Soviet period, in number Armenians were in their second or third ethnic group. By the beginning of the XXI century influential Armenian diaspora has increased even more, and they were able to seriously influence the socio-political, socio-economic and cultural life of urban communities [7, p. 92-93].
Active economic activity of the diaspora in combination with high adaptability to market conditions contributed to an increased in comparison with the native majority of the material prosperity of the Armenian population. Not the last role was played by the fact that Russia has directed quite competitive part of Armenians, often not inferior to the level of education in Russian in Russia. According to the 2002 census, 22.6% of Armenians at the age of 20 years and older had a higher education, including Russian, the figure was 22.1%. Accordingly, social positions were distributed [2, c.23]. In Krasnodar, educated and mobile groups of professionals, managers, entrepreneurs were
much less than in the capital. But here, the Armenians, in comparison with the dominant Russian population, were presented in a sufficiently weighty proportions (Table 1, 2).
Table 1
Social-professional groups of physical and intelligent labor of Russians and Armenians in Krasnodar, 2000s (in % in each ethnogroup)
Nationality Population occupied in
Physical labor Qualified intelligent labor
Russians 32 14
Armenians 32 27
Table 2
High education of Russians and Armenians in Krasnodar territory [3;4]
(in % in each ethnogroup)
2002 2010
Russians 12,2 17,7
Armenians 8,8 12,7
Socio-professional urban Armenian population of Kuban shows traditionally high orientation on trade. It is significant that even the results of the population census of the Russian Empire in 1897, not only in the "capital" Ekaterinodar, but also in the small Batalpashinsk (total 11.4 thousand inhabitants), more than 50% of the Armenian population were engaged in trade, and various mediation lending. Even Jews have traditionally gravitated to the same professional specializations in Ekaterinodar this figure was only 23% (and Russians and Ukrainians do not exceed 8-9%). Armenians of Kuban attracted urban and diverse craft (but in this respect they differed little from the citizens of other nationalities) [6, c.119].
According to the 2002 census trade employs only 8% of the Armenian population of the Krasnodar Territory (Fig. 2). But still this kind of economic activity prevalent in the Krasnodar Armenians ahead of the same period among the Russian population is almost 2 times, and explains the smaller representation of Armenians among the employees (Table 3).
Table 3
Employed and unemployed workers among Russians and Armenians in Krasnodar territory, 2010 [4]
(in % in each ethnogroup)
Unemployed workers Employed workers
Russians 3,5 42,4
Armenians 8,4 33,9
Compared to the Russian Armenians in the Krasnodar region are less represented in the fields of education, industry and agriculture. A smaller representation of Krasnodar Armenians in agriculture can be explained partly by the fact that historically predominantly urban vector ethnic migration was partly forced phenomenon. One of the main reasons - dense system of rural settlement, the lack of large desert areas, south-eastern regions of Stavropol Territory and Rostov Region. The favorable agro-climatic conditions are determined by the high level of agricultural development of land.
Ж - Utility service; З - Health and social care; К - Culture and art; Л - Forestry; Н - Science and science service; Обр - Education; ОП - Catering; ОРТ - Wholesale and retail; П - Industry; С - Communication; СХ - Agriculture; Стр - Construction; Т - Transport; У - Management; Ф - Finance, credit, insurance
At the same time, development of social and industrial infrastructure of large and medium-sized urban centers offers great opportunities for employment, provide both economic and educational, socio-cultural offers of ethnic migrants. These cities concentrate business activity, a faster pace of developing the sphere of services, trade, various mediation - traditionally appealing form of labor activity for the Armenian community.
Rostov Region
The ethnic migration of the Rostov region, as well as in the Krasnodar region is occupied by the Armenians, whose numbers grew by official statistics for the period 1989-2010s from 62.6 to 111 thousand people. But it is obvious that the actual size of the regional diaspora could increase even more, given the strong position of local Armenian groups in old-economy and administrative apparatus, various spheres of the social life of the Rostov region. In this case the Armenian migration was also largely focused on the major cities (Rostov, Novocherkassk, Shakhty), although the presence in its administrative "ethnic" area (Myasnikovsky District) contributed to the accelerated growth of the rural parts of the diaspora [7, p.111].
As in the Krasnodar region, there are the specifics of the socio-professional structure of the Don Armenians. However, in addition to the traditionally high proportion of traffickers and intermediaries, among Nakhichevan Armenians in the late XIX century, there stood out a high percentage of a variety of rentiers - those living on income from capital and immovable property, as well as those who exist at the expense of family, the money received from the treasury, nongovernmental organizations and individuals. In Rostov, the Armenian diaspora is formed mainly by immigrants from neighboring Nakhchivan, trade-intermediary orientation Armenians expressed much more clearly - in this area to work 2/3 of members of the community (in other major ethnic groups of the city, the figure was no more than 7-8%, only Jews jumping to 38%) [6, p.89].
As in the Krasnodar Territory, in the XXI century, the largest share of the Rostov Armenians found themselves in the wholesale and retail trade. However, it should be noted that the percentage of employed in this type of economic activity dropped significantly to 8.3%, but still higher than among the Russian population. In other areas of the employment share of Russian and Armenian population is almost the same except for an industry where there is a smaller proportion of the Armenians (Fig. 3).
10 8 6 4 2 0
армяне русские
& i- > В
Ж - Utility service; З - Health and social care; К - Culture and art; Л - Forestry; Н - Science and science service; Обр - Education; ОП - Catering; ОРТ - Wholesale and retail; П - Industry; С - Communication; СХ - Agriculture; Стр - Construction; Т - Transport; У - Management; Ф - Finance, credit, insurance
Stable reduction of the share-Armenian traders can be explained by the fact that the majority of the chosen adaptation model - life strategy only for the first generation of migrants. How notes G.S. Denisov [5, c.138] after the first five years of life in a new place it is the most important to recognize the issue of education of children. The second generation of migrant workers should be built on the basis of already formed the starting level and using other plans.
The proportion of those with higher education among the Armenian and Russian population are almost equal, indicating a high level of competitiveness of the Armenian diaspora in Rostov Region (table 4). Apparently, the acting pattern: the higher the degree of participation of the indigenous nationality in the key sectors of the urban economy, such as trade, commerce, at the end of the XIX century, the more intensively happens the involvement in the sphere of science, culture and health. This regularity is explained by the fact that at a certain stage of intensive development of science, culture and health in the outskirts of the former Tsarist Empire in these areas most actively involved citizens, and especially the culture of their layers. Therefore, the higher the proportion of the indigenous nationality in the key urban areas, the more likely it is included in the prestigious sector of municipal economy afterwards. Thus, in this case we can talk about the indirect impact of sectoral composition of nationalities in the past on the present.
Table 4
High education of Russians and Armenians in Rostov region [3;4]
(in % in each ethnogroup)
2002 2010
Russians 13,4 19,1
Armenians 13,8 17,8
The traditional focus of the Armenian trade, business also accounts for the fact that fewer Armenians in comparison with Russian are employed (Table. 5).
Table 5
Employed and unemployed workers among Russians and Armenians in Krasnodar territory, 2010 [4]
(in % in each ethnogroup)
Unemployed workers Employed workers
Russians 3,0 43,6
Armenians 8,3 35,9
You can not leave aside the fact that in the Rostov region and the Krasnodar territory is complex and hierarchical relationship of the Armenian population within the regional communities themselves. In its most general form, it is possible to identify the "core" and a periphery in the Diaspora. It is obvious that the main economic and social (status) potential belongs to the representatives of the old-groups, despite the fact that they include a significant part to varying degrees Russified population, including Armenians with a complex, multi-layered ethnic and cultural identity. In other words, ethno-cultural and socio-economic capital is distributed between the different components of the regional community groups unevenly.
Thus, denoting the presence of representatives of the Armenians in a number of professional associations "Russian" regions of Southern Russia, it is now becoming more and more significant. At the same time it is not just about trade or services. There is expansion and transformation of the original socio-professional structure of the gainfully employed Armenian population. Commerce and mediation "bias" of Armenians begins to blur after the development of new social and industrial niches, increase the presence of its representatives observed in many professional societies and social hierarchies South Russian regions, which is an indicator of successful integration.
References
1. Averyanov A. V. Migration processes in the South of Russia for the last 25 years: the dynamics and guidelines // Problems of National Strategy. 2015. No 6.
2. Arutyunyan Y. V. Armenians, Russians (based on ethnosociological research) // Armenians of southern Russia: history, culture, common future: Proceedings of the Scientific Conference (30 May-2 June 2012, Rostov-on-Don) / Ed. Acad. G.G. Matishov. Rostov-on-Don, 2012.
3. National Population Census 2002 URL: http://www.perepis2002.ru/index.html?id=11
4. National Population Census 2010.
URL: http://www.gks.ru/free_doc/new_site/perepis2010/croc/perepis_itogi1612.htm
5. Denisova G.S. Conflictology of socio-cultural space of the Rostov region. Rostov-on-Don, 2007.
6. Suschy S. Y. Armenians of Russia and the South Crimea (geo-demographic survey). Rostov-on-Don, 2015.
7. Suschy S.Y. Demographic processes and social conflicts in the South of Russia (the end of XX - beginning of XXI centuries). Rostov-on-Don, 2010.
Литература
1. Аверьянов А.В. Миграционные процессы на Юге России за последние 25 лет: динамика и основные направления // Проблемы национальной стратегии. 2015. №6.
2. Арутюнян Ю.В. Армяне-россияне (по материалам этносоциологического исследования) // Армяне юга России: история, культура, общее будущее: материалы Всероссийской научной конференции (30 мая - 2 июня 2012 г., Ростов-на-Дону) / отв. ред. Г.Г. Матишов. Ростов-на-Дону, 2012.
3. Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 г. URL: http://www.perepis2002.ru/index.html?id=11
4. Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 г.
URL: http://www.gks.ru/free_doc/new_site/perepis2010/croc/perepis_itogi1612.htm
5. Денисова Г.С. Конфликтогенность социокультурного пространства Ростовской области. Ростов-на-Дону, 2007.
6. Сущий С.Я. Армяне Юга России и Крыма (геодемографический очерк). Ростов-на-Дону, 2015.
7. Сущий С.Я. Этнодемографические процессы и социальная конфликтность на Юге России (конец XX - начало XXI вв.). Ростов-на-Дону, 2010.
September, 21, 2016
