No fear in Armavir
The Armavir city of Krasnodar, Russia is mainly Armenian-populated, but newcomers still face barriers.
Resident of Armavir Artur Karapetyan, 22, told "A1+" that the main issue facing Armenians coming to Armavir is acquisition of Russian citizenship and a passport and sometimes the solution to the issue is prolonged for years. They are barely able to rent a house and many are not able to purchase a home since apartments in Armavir cost more than 2 million rubles (nearly 70,000 dollars).
In addition, the local Armenians are not too pleased to accept the immigrants and view them as refugees. However, parallel to that, there is no issue concerning nations in Armavir. Armenians live in peace and don't fear ultranationalists.
Artur Karapetyan and his family moved from Javakhk to Armavir in 2001 to start a new life, but they are facing great difficulties. Artur is looking for a job, but that hasn't stopped him from continuing his studies at the university.
Armenians in Armavir are mainly involved in construction and trade. Many of them cross 700-800 kilometers to reach Pitegorsk city and Adler city on the border with Abkhazia to purchase tangerines, apples and other products and sell them at the wholesale markets in Armavir.
Despite the difficult lifestyle, Armenians in Armavir try to preserve national rituals and traditions. The main issue facing parents is their children's engagement. They want to make sure their sons and daughters get married to Armenians so that their children grow up in an Armenian family.
