History

The first Armenian, Shaverdov Mirkur, came to the area of the Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic

Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic

Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was created from the Turkestan Krai of Imperial Russia...

 which today comprises Kyrgyzstan in 1918; he was engaged in the hotel business. Another pair of early Armenians in Kyrgyzstan were the brothers Nikita and Sergei Bedrosov, whose nephew Emmanuel Simoyants managed the first non-alcoholic beverages factory of the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic

Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic

The Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Kirghiz SSR, the Kyrgyz SSR, or even Kirghizia, was one of republics that made up the Soviet Union...

. In 1996, Eduard Sogomonyants founded the Caravan association, which runs a Sunday school teaching Armenian language and culture to the community's children.

According to the 2009 Census, the Armenian population in Kyrgyzstan was 890, falling from 3,975 in the 1989 census and 1,364 in the 1999 census. Their numbers have actually been bolstered in recent years by new migrants from among the Armenian community in Turkmenistan

Armenians in Turkmenistan

Armenians in Turkmenistan number anywhere from 30,000 to 34,000. According to the Soviet 1989 census there were 31,829 Armenians in Turkmenistan. Their history can be traced back to the Soviet days, particularly after WWII, when diaspora Armenians, encouraged to settle in the Armenian SSR were...

. Roughly half are Hamshenis, Muslims of Armenian origin.