Constantza

In 1880 there were 175 Armenians at Constanţa, and in 1894 their number increased to 559. In 1905 the community numbered 610 people, and in 1916 a total of 1,002 members.

The Armenian community was organised in August 1880. The leadership of the Armenian community was elected under the auspices of the municipality, at the request of the prefect. Out of the four candidates Matos Hagi Hampartumian was elected, and he together with the priest of the church and an ephoros appointed by the Romanian government constituted the Armenian ephorate (there were 102 church goers to the church in 1890).

The construction of a new Armenian church began in 1879–1880 and was ready in 1880, together with the Armenian school. It was closed in 1897, being too small and inappropriate for the needs of the community. In 1898 Dicran Emirzian gathered the community and the new school was ready in 1899. The community was led by Gr, M. Grigoriu, Dicron S. Emirzian, Chevorc Manisalian, Aram Acterian, Misac M. Frenkian, all important grain merchants [1]. Other important members of the community were George Caridia, Al. Logaridi, Al. Cecilianopolu, Arist Benderli, Baruh Seni, D. Sassu, M. Frenchian, O Despoti.

Since 1906 the community published “Maro”, the first Armenian publication in Romania, the director and proprietor being Murat Kevorkian Venicoglu. Another publication, “Ararat”, started in 1907.

[1] Simion Tavitian, Armenii dobrogeni în istoria şi civilizația românilor (Constanţa: Ex Ponto, 2003), 35, 65–66; Dobrogea în arhivele româneşti. 1597–1989, edited by Virgil Coman (Constanţa: Etnologica, 2013), 191–193.

References

Archival sources:

Serviciul Judeţean Constanţa al Arhivelor Naţionale (The National Archives, Constanţa Branch), Primăria municipiului Constanţa (The Municipality of Constanţa), files starting with 1878.

Bibliography:

Tavitian, Simion, Armenii dobrogeni în istoria şi civilizația românilor [The Armeanians from Dobrudja in the History and Civilisation of the Romanians] (Constanţa: Ex Ponto, 2003).

Stan, Florin, “Sinopticum. Din trecutul celor de lângă noi. Incursiuni în istoria comunităţilor etnice dobrogene” [Sinopticum. From the Past of Those Next to Us. Incurssions in the History of the Ethnic Communities from Dobrudja]”, in Tomis , 1–5 (2008), 71–74, 68–70, 71–74, 83–85, 84–86.

Dobrogea în arhivele româneşti. 1597–1989 [Dobrudja in Romanian Archives. 1597–1989], edited by Virgil Coman (Constanţa: Etnologica, 2013).