Shar/comana/komana Armenians

[Joseph]

I recall reading about the Russian Molokan community that came to Central California after WWI. They cam via Armenia, where the had live since the late 1700's, deemed as heretics by the Russian Orthodox Church.

[bell-the-cat]

No such thing!
Molokans were Russians that took refuge in Armenia ,to escape persecution.

There we go - "an Armenian isn't really an Armenian at all unless he/she is a member of the Armenian Apostolic Church".

[bell-the-cat]

I recall reading about the Russian Molokan community that came to Central California after WWI. They cam via Armenia, where the had live since the late 1700's, deemed as heretics by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Read the website molokane.org, they left before WW1 as a result of a prophesy telling that a disaster would befall them if they stayed.

[Joseph]

Read the website molokane.org, they left before WW1 as a result of a prophesy telling that a disaster would befall them if they stayed.

Interesting. Thanks

[Gavur]

There we go - "an Armenian isn't really an Armenian at all unless he/she is a member of the Armenian Apostolic Church".

I thought I was simply stating a fact ,but you are insuniating that I am insuniating.....never mind!

[bell-the-cat]

I thought I was simply stating a fact ,but you are insuniating that I am insuniating.....never mind!

The fact you stated was not correct. In the Caucasus there were many ethnic Armenian Molokans as well as ethnic Russian ones.

[Gavur]

I never heard of a molokan named for instance Aram Ayvazian !Have you?

[bell-the-cat]

Just do some basic research.

[Gavur]

Well I found that they were Russian Molokans that were forc-located in Eastern Armenia 1800's, and some molokan's that were Armenian converts which I would simply classify as Protestant Armenians.

[bell-the-cat]

Abstracts of UCLA Kars/Ani conference

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10th 2001
Armenians and Molokans: Karakala, 1870s-1920
Joyce Keosababian Bivin, Jerusalem

The Armenians living in Karakala were in daily contact with Russian Molokans
living in nearby villages. A group of these Armenians adopted the Molokan's religious beliefs and
customs. The community that was thus created survived the impending persecution by immigrating to the United States where it still exists, primarily in Southern California..

This paper focuses on part of the Armenian population of Karakala during the period of the 1870s to 1920. With the help of personal letters (written in Armenian from 1898 to 1922, and in Russian until as late as 1954), especially the correspondence between the members of the Keosababian and Perumian families who remained in Karakala and the Kars region and members of their families who immigrated to the United States, some progress can be made in sketching this unique community's history. Oral testimonies, a few autobiographies, and the writings of Russian Molokans supplement the information gleaned from personal correspondence.

A brief history of the Russian Molokans describes their expulsion by the Russian tsar to the Kars region, their unique form of worship, and their observance of biblical dietary laws and five biblical feasts. Of special significance is the influence of two young prophets on the Russian and Armenian Molokan communities.

The geographic location of Kars is discussed to determine which of three locations in Turkey is the Armenian Karakala. An old photograph of the Armenian Karakala provides a glimpse of the village and its inhabitants.