Armenians in the Czech Republic
Encyclopedia
Armenians in the Czech Republic are ethnic Armenians
living in the modern Czech Republic
. The current Armenian population is unofficially estimated as being around 12,000.
, others fleeing poor economic conditions in the Armenia
n Republic.
The Armenian Community in the Czech Republic is still growing, as signified with the opening of an Armenian Saturday school in Prague
in 1996, the establishment of an Armenian Cultural Center and the later establishment of the Orer (Օրեր) newspaper (1999), edited by Hakob Asatryan, a former journalist for the Azg (Ազգ) paper in Yerevan
who moved to Prague around 1998.
It is believed Armenians may have trouble acclimating to this country, as citizenship requires you to undergo a rigorous registration process, rather than becoming a citizen at birth.
On April 3 and 4 of 2006, Armenian Deputy Minister Arman Kirakossian visited the Czech Republic, meeting with Jaroslav Bašta, the 1st Deputy Foreign Minister of the country, Jaromír Plíšek, Director General of the Territorial Section, and a representative of the local Armenian community. Topics of discussion included trade
and inter-parliamentary links.
which was a subject needed at Czech schools until the end of the 1980s this has had some impact on the language integration of the Armenian
community. The knowledge of Russian may make it easier for Armenians
to communicate with locals, and those of the older generation.
Level of Armenian migrants’ knowledge of the Czech language
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
living in the modern Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. The current Armenian population is unofficially estimated as being around 12,000.
History
Unlike Armenian communities throughout eastern and central Europe, the Armenian community of the Czech republic is made up entirely of recent immigrants, as there are no previous history of Armenian communities in the region. Most have come to the region after the dissolution of the Soviet UnionDissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
, others fleeing poor economic conditions in the Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n Republic.
The Armenian Community in the Czech Republic is still growing, as signified with the opening of an Armenian Saturday school in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
in 1996, the establishment of an Armenian Cultural Center and the later establishment of the Orer (Օրեր) newspaper (1999), edited by Hakob Asatryan, a former journalist for the Azg (Ազգ) paper in Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
who moved to Prague around 1998.
It is believed Armenians may have trouble acclimating to this country, as citizenship requires you to undergo a rigorous registration process, rather than becoming a citizen at birth.
On April 3 and 4 of 2006, Armenian Deputy Minister Arman Kirakossian visited the Czech Republic, meeting with Jaroslav Bašta, the 1st Deputy Foreign Minister of the country, Jaromír Plíšek, Director General of the Territorial Section, and a representative of the local Armenian community. Topics of discussion included trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
and inter-parliamentary links.
Language
Armenian migrants freely speak the Russian languageRussian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
which was a subject needed at Czech schools until the end of the 1980s this has had some impact on the language integration of the Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
community. The knowledge of Russian may make it easier for Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
to communicate with locals, and those of the older generation.
Level of Armenian migrants’ knowledge of the Czech language
| High level | 31% |
| Middle Level | 42% |
| Low level | 27% |