Exiled from Russia, they found tolerant Armenia
LERMONDOVO, FIOLETOVO, Lori Marz, Armenia — Ivan Makshanov, a Russian Molokan was born and has always lived in the village of Lermondovo. His ancestors, exiled from the Saratov province of Russia have also lived in this village. “Our homeland was Russia. We were exiled from there. If they exiled us here, and we have lived in Armenia for more than 150 years, then Armenia is our homeland,” he says he places buckets of water on the floor.
Aside from Lermontovo, Fioletovo, the Molokans also live in Yerevan and Dilijan and they number about 5000 in Armenia.
If you’ve ever been to one of the closed markets in Yerevan, you will have no doubt come across young women and girls with pale skin, red cheeks, and white head scarves, selling pickled cabbage. They are the Molokans, Russians who were exiled to eastern Armenia from the Russian countrysides because of their faith, in the early 19th century. Tsar Nikolai I, exiled to the Caucasus those Russians who did not accept the Russian Church.
The Molokans are pure Russians who rejected church icons, the Trinity, the Orthodox fasts, military service, the eating of unclean foods among other church rituals.
The village head of Lermontovo, Edik Chakhalyan was born and raised among Molokans. He is amazed at the work ethic of Molokans. “If an Armenian gets 1.5 tons of cabbage from 1000 square meters of land, then a Molokan is able to get 4 tons. They are extraordinarily hard-working and know how to work the land,” says the village head. Lermontovo which is 13 kilometers away from the city of Vanadzor has 800 Russian Molokans, 150 Armenians and 60 Yazidi Kurds.
The religion of the Molokans took shape during the second half of the 18th century in the Tambov province of Russia. The name “Molokan” is connected to the “spiritual milk” in the Bible (Moloka in Russian means milk). Molokanism was the religious expression of a social protest against slavery and the Russian Orthodox Church.
I was in Lermontovo and Fioletovo at the end of March, when the entire region was covered in snow. It occurs to you that you are in the Russian countryside. People were speaking Russian, their homes were identical to those found in Russian villages, one story structures constructed of wood and painted blue.
Olga Zatorkinan, the librarian at the Russian school in Fioletovo requested not to be photographed but agreed to speak to me. Molokans, as a rule do not like to be photographed. “We were born and raised here. This is our homeland. Sometimes, when some of our people go to Russia to work, they meet Armenians whom they consider their compatriots. We are very hospitable, just like the Armenians. We gather together every Sunday, just as God said to dedicate every Sunday to Him. Every gathering has its leader. Our Holy Bible is the Asdvatsashunch. We don’t believe in the cross, or in icons,” said Ms. Zatorkina.
The people of Fioletovo were exiled here in 1840 from the village of Algasovo, in the Tambov province of Russia. At the time, 57 families were exiled. Today, almost 170 years later, they number 1500. Fioletovo is the first village you come upon when driving from Dilijan and Vanadzor. There are only eight Armenians in this village; two brothers with their families.
The Russian language teacher at the school in Fioletovo, Alla Rudiamodkina said that very few Molokans go on to seek post secondary education, because just as in their school years, the children stay to help their parents. Alla explained that drinking alcohol is forbidden for Molokans and they are not encouraged to watch television. In the evenings, Molokans like to read, primarily the Bible.
Molokans are primarily occupied in cattle breeding and farming. During the Soviet years, when trains from Armenia would travel to the very remote corners of the union, the Molokans would sell their famous pickled cabbage in the markets of different cities.
Alexei Novikov, the village head of Fioletovo said that they live off the land. “The land is not fertile. The only way we can receive a good harvest is through extremely hard work. During Soviet times we were primarily planting cabbage, making pickles out of it and then selling it throughout the country to Moscow, Ukraine, the Urals and many other places. Today we make it only for the market in Armenia. Armenians come, we agree on a price and then they take the pickled cabbage and sell it,” said Novikov.
The village head went on to say that they have never felt discriminated against as an ethnic or religious minority in Armenia.
“We consider our homeland to be Armenia. Russia is not our homeland, where they call us presbyters because we were at one time exiled from Russia [Presbyters in Russian terminology means those people who follow the Molokan religious rituals on Sundays].
Molokans live a humble life; they are honest and hardworking. They do not pursue riches, but they most definitely help their neighbors and friends. Their houses are not large nor lavish, but certainly clean and tidy. Their numbers in Armenia are only about 5000, but without them, Armenia would certainly become even more mono-ethnic. It is certainly a good thing that they no longer leave our country and that they consider it their homeland.
by Tatul Hakobyan
This article first was published in April 2009 in THE ARMENIAN REPORTER
