View of Tiflis from Seid-Abaz, Ivan Aivazovsky

The

Armenians Armenians ( hy, հայեր, ''hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...

have historically been one of the main ethnic groups in the city of

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million pe ...

, the capital of Georgia. Armenians are the largest ethnic minority in

at 4.8% of the population. Armenians migrated to the Georgian lands in the Middle Ages, during the Muslim rule of Armenia. They formed the single largest group of city's population in the 19th century. Official Georgian statistics of 2014 put the number of Armenians in Tbilisi at 53,409 people. Tbilisi or Tiflis (as most Armenians call it) was the center of cultural life of

Armenians in the Russian Empire Russian Armenia is the period of Armenian history under Russian rule from 1828, when Eastern Armenia became part of the Russian Empire following Qajar Iran's loss in the Russo-Persian War (1826–1828) and the subsequent ceding of its territo ...

from early 19th century to early 20th century.

History

The Armenian history and contribution to the capital city of

(known as Tiflis in Armenian, Russian, Persian, Azerbaijani and Turkish) is significant. After the Russian conquest of the area, Armenians fleeing persecution in the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...

and

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

caused a jump in the Armenian population until it reached about 40% of the city total. Many of the mayors and business class were Armenian, and much of the old city was built by Armenians. Until recently the neighborhoods of Havlabar and the area across the river were very heavily Armenian, but that has changed a great deal in the last two decades. An Armenian community has been known to have existed in Tbilisi since at least the 7th century, however a large Armenian community was not formed until the

Late Middle Ages The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Ren ...

. By the late Middle Ages, there were some 24 Armenian churches and monasteries in and around the city. According to Tournefort, Armenians constituted three-quarters of the population of Tiflis in the 18th century, and owned 24 churches. Under the Russian Empire, the city of Tiflis became the center of Russian rule for the whole viceroyalty of Caucasia. During the 19th century, Tiflis became the center of the Eastern Armenian cultural revival and an Armenian cultural hub second only to

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

. Until recently, the neighborhoods of Avlabari (Havlabar) and the area across the river were very heavily Armenian. The older Armenian neighborhood of Tbilisi, on both sides of the river between Freedom Square and Havlabar carry Armenian names, including Tumanyan, Abovian, Akopian, Alikhanian, Sundukian, Yerevan, Ararat and Sevan. The Diocese Church (the Saint Gevorg Church) in Tbilisi where the Armenian primate of Tbilisi sits is very close to the city fortress. In front of the church is the tomb of the 18th-century Armenian–Georgian bard, Sayat-Nova. In Havlabar, the other Armenian Church of Echmiadzin is undergoing renovation and reconstruction. The Armenian Pantheon of Tbilisi has the tombs of many famous Armenians including writers Hovhannes Tumanyan and Raffi.

Armenian sites

Churches

According to Tournefort, Armenians constituted three-quarters of the population of Tiflis in the 18th century, and owned 24 churches. Ten of the churches were destroyed in the 1930s, and as of 1979, fourteen were still standing. There are still two working Armenian Churches in the city, and an Armenian Theatre. The Armenian Pantheon, where prominent Armenians are buried has the tombs of some of Armenian's favorite personalities ever, including Raffi and Hovhannes Tumanyan. The adjacent Armenian cemetery was taken over by the Georgian Church and their new national cathedral was built upon it. The remaining space in between the Pantheon and the new Georgian cathedral is now the construction site of what appears to be a Georgian Seminary. Again, the Armenian tombs here are being ignored, and human bones are being moved around like dirt. A number of Armenian churches were confiscated by the Soviet state and then passed to the Georgian Church in the post-Soviet era. According to the United States State Department: "The Roman Catholic and Armenian Apostolic Churches have been unable to secure the return of churches and other facilities closed during the Soviet period, many of which later were given to the Georgian Orthodox Church by the State. The prominent Armenian church in Tbilisi, Norashen, remained closed, as did four other smaller Armenian churches in Tbilisi and one in Akhaltsikhe. In addition, the Roman Catholic and Armenian Apostolic Churches, as with Protestant denominations, have had difficulty obtaining permission to construct new churches due to pressure from the GOC."

Petros Adamian Tbilisi State Armenian Drama Theatre

Petros Adamian Tbilisi State Armenian Drama Theatre was established in 1858 by the Armenian theatre figure George Chmshkian. The first staging was "Adji Suleyman" performance. From 1922 through 1936 before building of the new current theatre building the theatres name was "Artistic theatre". In 1936 was built a new theatre building which was named Stepan Shahumian Armenian Theatre, after

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

Stepan Shahumian. The first performance was Mkrtich (Nikita) Djanan's performance " Shahname". Here worked Petros Adamian, Siranoush (Merobe Kantarjian), Vahram Papazian, Hovhannes Abelian, Olga Maysourian, Isaac Alikhanian, Mariam Mojorian, Artem and Maria Beroians, Artem Lusinian, Babken Nersesian, Darius Amirbekian, Ashot Kadjvorian, Emma Stepanian, Armenian directors: Arshak Bourdjalian, Leon Kalantar, Stepan Kapanakian, Alexander Abarian, Ferdinand Bzhikian, Hayk Umikian, Mickael Grigorian, Ivan Karapetian, Roman Chaltikian, Roman Matiashvili, Robert Yegian. Music for theatres often was written by Aram Khachaturian, Armen Tigranian, Alexander Spendiarian, and others. Nowadays Peter Adamian Tbilisi State Armenian Drama Theatre is the main spiritual and public center of Georgian-Armenian community.

Nersisyan School

Freedom Square

Once formally known as Paskevich Yerevanski Square, then Lenin Square, it was commonly called Yerevan Square. Ivan Paskevich was a Russian general and was called Paskevich of Yerevan (''Yerevanski'') in honor of his taking of Yerevan for the Russian Empire. Abutting the north side of Freedom Square is a small open space with a fountain. Buried between the bust of Pushkin and the fountain is the Bolshevik revolutionary Kamo (

Simon Ter-Petrossian Simon Arshaki Ter-Petrosian (russian: Симон "Камо" Аршакович Тер-Петросян; hy, Սիմոն «Կամօ» Տէր Պետրոսեան; 27 May 1882 – 14 July 1922), better known by his ''nom de guerre'' of Kamo, was an O ...

). His grave has been paved over and is unmarked.

Armenian Street Names

The heavily Armenian old neighborhoods of Tbilisi still have many Armenian street names, though some have been changed over time. Leselidze Street was once called Armenian Bazaar Street.

Vera cemetery

Vera cemetery was used by local Armenians before the Soviet takeover. Now it is used by Georgians.

Notable Armenians from Tbilisi

Pre-Revolution

* Sayat-Nova (1712–1795), poet, musician and ashik who had compositions in a number of languages *

Vasili Bebutov , native_name_lang = , image = Bebutov.jpg , image_size = , alt = , caption = Portrait by Stepanos Nersissian , birth_date = , death_date = , birth_place = , death_place = , placeofburial = ...

(1791–1858), Russian-Armenian general, a descendant of a Georgian-Armenian noble house of Bebutashvili/Bebutov * Stepanos Nazarian (1812–1879), publisher, enlightener, historian of literature and orientalist * Gabriel Sundukian (1825–1912), outstanding playwright, the founder of modern Armenian drama * Mikhail Loris-Melikov (1826–1888), Russian-Armenian

statesman A statesman or stateswoman typically is a politician who has had a long and respected political career at the national or international level. Statesman or Statesmen may also refer to: Newspapers United States * ''The Statesman'' (Oregon), a ...

General of the Cavalry General of the Cavalry (german: General der Kavallerie) was a General officer rank in the cavalry in various states of which the modern states of German and Austria are successors or in other armies which used the German model. Artillery officers ...

, and Adjutant General of H. I. M. Retinue *

Nar-Dos Michael Hovhannisyan ( hy, Միքայել Հովհաննիսյան, March 1, 1867 – July 13, 1933), known by the pen name Nar-Dos ( hy, Նար-Դոս), was an Armenian writer. Biography Nar-Dos was born to a wool seller's family in Tbilisi ...

(1867–1933), writer *

Mariam Vardanian Mariam Vardanian (also known as Maro Nazarbek) (1864–1941) was an Armenian political activist and revolutionary in the Russian Empire. She was one of the founders of the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party. From Tiflis, where she was born, Maro ...

(1864–1941), political activist and revolutionary in the Russian Empire. She was one of the founders of the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party * Hovhannes Tumanyan (1869–1923), the greatest Armenian poet and writer *

Nikol Aghbalian Nikol Poghosi Aghbalian ( hy, Նիկոլ Պողոսի Աղբալյան; 1875, Tiflis – 1947, Beirut) was an Armenian public figure and historian of literature, the editor of ''Horizon'' paper. Aghbalian was born in 1873 in Tbilisi. His prima ...

(1875–1947), public figure and historian of literature, 1919–1920 he was the Minister of Education and Culture of the

First Republic of Armenia The First Republic of Armenia, officially known at the time of its existence as the Republic of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի Հանրապետութիւն), was the first modern Armenian state since the loss of Armenian statehood in the Middle ...

Alexander Khatisyan Alexander Khatisian (; 17 February 1874 – 10 March 1945) was an Armenian politician, doctor and journalist. Khatisian was born in Tiflis in the Tiflis Governorate of the Russian Empire (Tbilisi, Georgia) to a prominent Armenian family of nobl ...

(1874–1945), politician and a journalist, mayor of Tbilisi (1910–1917) and Prime Minister of the

(1919–1920) * Christophor Araratov (1876–1937), major-general

Soviet era

* Stepan Shahumyan (1878–1918), Bolshevik politician and revolutionary active throughout the Caucasus * Tovmas Nazarbekian (1885–1931), general * Sargis Barkhudaryan (1887–1973), Armenian composer, pianist and educator *

Rouben Mamoulian Rouben Zachary Mamoulian ( ; hy, Ռուբէն Մամուլեան; October 8, 1897 – December 4, 1987) was an American film and theatre director. Early life Mamoulian was born in Tiflis, Russian Empire, to a family of Armenian descent. ...

(1897–1987), Armenian-American film and theatre director. *

Yervand Kochar Yervand "Kochar" Kocharyan, also known as Ervand Kochar ( hy, Երվանդ Սիմոնի "Քոչար" Քոչարյան; 1899 – 1979) was a prominent sculptor and modern artist of the twentieth century and a founder of Painting in Space art movem ...

(1899–1979), prominent Armenian sculptor and artist * Aram Khachaturian (1903–1978), prominent Soviet Armenian composer * Alexander Melik-Pashayev (1905–1964), conductor * Dmitriy Nalbandyan (1906–1993), painter * Suren Yeremyan (1908–1992), historian and cartographer *

Rafayel Israyelian Rafayel "Rafo" Israyelian ( hy, Ռաֆայել Իսրայելյան; 8 September 1973) was a Soviet Armenian architect. Seen as a follower of Alexander Tamanian, Israyelian designed some of Soviet Armenia's most prominent structures, including th ...

(1908–1973), Armenian architect and designer * Artem Alikhanian (1908–1975), Soviet Armenian physicist, one of the founders and first director of the

Yerevan Physics Institute The A.I. Alikhanyan National Science Laboratory () is a research institute located in Yerevan, Armenia. It was founded in 1943 as a branch of the Yerevan State University by brothers Abram Alikhanov and Artem Alikhanian. It was often referred to b ...

* Viktor Hambardzumyan (1908–1996), famous Soviet Armenian scientist, and one of the founders of theoretical astrophysics *

Edward Keonjian Edward Keonjian (14 August 1909 – 6 September 1999) was a prominent engineer, an early leader in the field of low-power electronics, the father of microelectronics. In 1954 Keonjian designed the world's first solar-powered, pocket-sized radio tr ...

(1909–1999), prominent engineer, an early leader in the field of low-power electronics, the father of

microelectronics Microelectronics is a subfield of electronics. As the name suggests, microelectronics relates to the study and manufacture (or microfabrication) of very small electronic designs and components. Usually, but not always, this means micrometre- ...

Genrikh Kasparyan Genrikh Kasparyan ( hy, Հենրիկ Գասպարյան; 27 February 1910 in Tbilisi – 27 December 1995 in Yerevan) was a Soviet chess player. He is considered to have been one of the greatest composers of chess endgame studies. Outside Arme ...

(1910–1995), considered to have been one of the greatest

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Def ...

s of

chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...

endgame studies In the game of chess, an endgame study, or just study, is a composed position—that is, one that has been made up rather than played in an actual game—presented as a sort of puzzle, in which the aim of the solver is to find the essentially uniq ...

* Konstantine Hovhannisyan (born 1911), professor, architect and archaeologist * Sebastian Shaumyan (1916–2007), Soviet-Armenian and American theoretician of linguistics and an outspoken adherent of structuralist analysis *

Karen Ter-Martirosian Karen Avetovich Ter-Martirosyan (russian: Карен Аветикович Тер-Мартиросян; 28 September 1922 – 19 November 2005) was a Soviet and Russian theoretical physicist of Armenian descent. He is known for his contributions to ...

(1922–2005), Russian theoretical physics scientist *

Sergei Parajanov Sergei Parajanov, ka, სერგო ფარაჯანოვი, uk, Сергій Параджанов (January 9, 1924 – July 20, 1990) was an Armenian filmmaker. Parajanov is regarded by film critics, film historians and filmmakers t ...

(1924–1990), film director and artist * Rafael Chimishkyan (born 1929), former weightlifter and Olympic champion who competed for the Soviet Union * Tigran Petrosian (1929–1984), Soviet-Armenian grandmaster, and World Chess Champion from 1963 to 1969 * Evgeny Abramyan (born 1930), Soviet/Armenian physicist, Professor, Doctor of Engineering Sciences, Winner of USSR State Prize, one of the founders of several research directions in the Soviet and Russian nuclear technology * Abel Aganbegyan (born 1932), leading Soviet and Russian economist *

Samvel Gasparov Samvel Vladimirovich Gasparov (russian: Самве́л Влади́мирович Гаспа́ров; 7 June 1938 – 26 May 2020) was a Russian film director and short story writer. He worked for some time at the Odessa Film Studio. He was bur ...

(born 1938), Soviet/Russian film director and short story writer * Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan (Komandos) (1939–2021), military leader of the

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''O ...

n forces during the

First Nagorno-Karabakh War The First Nagorno-Karabakh War, referred to in Armenia as the Artsakh Liberation War ( hy, Արցախյան ազատամարտ, Artsakhyan azatamart) was an ethnic conflict, ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 t ...

* Leonid Azkaldian (1942–1992), physicist, hero of the

* Gayane Khachaturian (1942–2009), painter and graphic artist

Post-Soviet

* Sergei Movsesian (born 1978), chess Grandmaster *

Anna Kasyan Anna Kasyan ( hy, Աննա Կասյան) (born 7 October 1981) is a Georgian-born Armenian opera singer (soprano) living in France. Kasyan is one of the young artists who is viewed with high expectations in her field. Early life and educatio ...

(born 1981), French-based opera singer *Viktor Lavrov, father of Sergey Lavrov, a Russian diplomat who is the Foreign Minister of Russia.