The Armenians of Russia created own national and cultural autonomy

In Moscow the constituent congress of the Federal National and Cultural Autonomy of the Armenians of Russia took place. Why there was a need for creation of such organization if the Union of the Armenians of Russia actively acts? Our questions were answered by the head of a national and cultural autonomy of Armenians of the Novosibirsk region Frunzik Khachatryan:

- The representatives of seven regions from nine in which there are National and Cultural Autonomies of the Armenians gathered on the constituent congress. The geography is extensive: Kaliningrad and Novosibirsk, Kostroma and Karelia … The head of the National and Cultural Autonomy of the Armenians of the Ivanovo area Artush Garibyan was elected as the president. He should carry out a lot of work before the second congress on which all organizational questions will be finally solved.

Today there are 2, 7 million Armenians in Russia according to official data and according the informal data even more than three million. For example, less than two million Armenians live now in the USA. This huge potential needs to be used in the best way. As the president of the Union of the Armenians of Russia Ara Abramyan told: “Nobody than ourselves can't be anxious with providing the best future for our country Russia, our historical Homeland Armenia and finally for us and our children”.

- Why it was required to create the autonomy if there is such powerful organization as the Union of the Armenians of Russia?

- It is a question of compliance of the content and form. The content of work remains the same, but its forms change. But change not at someone's desire but because it is demanded by change in the legislation.

There are 20 articles in the federal law of national and cultural autonomy. First of all, the definition is made of the concept: the national and cultural autonomy in the Russian Federation is the form of national and cultural self-determination representing the public association of citizens of the Russian Federation, carrying to certain ethnic communities, on the basis of their voluntary self-organizing with a view of the independent solution of questions of preservation of originality, development of language, education, national culture. Such association is the Federal National and Cultural Autonomy of the Armenians of Russia.

It is based on the principles which have been also defined by the law: free will of citizens, variety of forms of the internal organization of the national and cultural autonomy, respect of language, culture, traditions and customs of citizens of other ethnic communities. And it is necessary to emphasize the combination of public initiative to the state support. For example, the Union of the Armenians of Russia had no right to receive such support according to the status, but the autonomy has such possibility.

- Who has the right to assist the national and cultural autonomy?

- It can do both by the public authorities and local governments. The task is formulated accurately: the help is necessary for preservation of national originality, development of national language and culture;

- What rights does the autonomy have actually?

- There is a lot of them. For example, it is possibility to address in bodies of legislative and executive power and local governments, representing the national and cultural interests. It is possible to create the mass media, educational institutions and science and culture establishments, to have a free access to national cultural values, to revive and develop art national crafts and crafts.

The most important is that we should strengthen the friendship of the people in Russia by the work!