Armenia: Information on the treatment of ethnic Russians
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 March 1992 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | AMN10408 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Armenia: Information on the treatment of ethnic Russians, 1 March 1992, AMN10408 , available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6acd92c.html [accessed 8 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Soviet census results from 1989 indicated that there were 51,555 Russians in the Republic of Armenia, constituting 1.6 percent of the population (RFE 15 Mar. 1991, 21). The IRBDC's USSR: Country Profile states that between 1979 and 1989 the Russian population in Armenia declined by 27 percent (IRBDC Oct. 1991, 58). A Helsinki Watch report states that 14,000 Russians left Armenia by late 1988 (Apr. 1991, 30). However, details on their reasons for leaving the republic are not given. Radio Free Europe reported in September 1990 that many Russians in the Caucasus region (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia) believed they were at risk because of rising ethnic hostilities between Azerbaijanis and Armenians (21 Sept. 1990, 14).
According to a Radio Free Europe report, in May 1990 there were armed clashes in the Armenian capital, Erevan, between Soviet army troops and Armenian militants (8 June 1990, 19). The report indicates that the violence marks "a new phase in the unrest" in Armenia because "it was Russians, not Azerbaijanis, who were the adversary" (Ibid.). There is no mention of violence against non-military ethnic Russians in this report. On 7 August 1991, Tass reported that Russia and Armenia had completed a draft bilateral treaty which envisaged protection for national minorities on their territories. Specific details on these provisions are not given.
There is no further information currently available to the IRBDC on this topic.
Bibliography
Helsinki Watch. April 1991. Glasnost in Jeopardy. New York: Human Rights Watch.
Immigration and Refugee Board Documentation Centre (IRBDC), Ottawa. October 1991. USSR: Country Profile.
Radio Free Europe. 15 March 1991. Vol. 3, No. 11. Report on the USSR. Sheehy, Ann. "Armenia Invokes Law on Mechanics of Secession."
_____. 21 September 1990. Vol. 2, No. 38. Report on the USSR. Jacobs, Margot. "USSR Faces Mounting Refugee Problem."
_____. 8 June 1990. Vol. 2, No. 23. Report on the USSR. Fuller, Elizabeth. "Armenia - From Apathy to Violence."
Tass. 7 August 1991. "Russia, Armenia Complete Drafting Bilateral Treaty."
