Simon Vratzian and Armenian nationalism

In the beginning was the land of Armenia and the Kingdom of Bagratuni -Ani. And Ani became Volga. And Volga became Crimea. And Crimea became Don. And Don became Republic of Armenia. And Republic became the entire world. And the Armenian became a citizen of the world. This is my story, and, changing the names, the story of all Armenians, past and present.' So begins Kianki Ughinerov ('Along Life's Ways'), the semi-autobiographical work of Simon Vratzian. In these brief, poetic sentences, an Armenian journalist, educator, politician, and statesman depicts his life and that of his forebears, the people of Ani. Ani was the resplendent capital of the Bagratid kingdom, which spanned the ninth, tenth, and eleventh centuries of the Christian era. This Armenian kingdom, the last to rise on the Armenian Plateau-an area bounded on the north and the south by the Pontus and the Taurus mountain chains, on the west by the Euphrates River, and on the east by the highlands skirting Lake Sevan-was renowned for its commercial and economic prosperity, for its monumental architectural achievements, and especially for its unique blending of cultural currents from Occident and Orient. Long after the downfall of the Bagratid kingdom, the people of Ani, despite the slaughter or captivity of hundreds of thousands of Armenians and the influx of Turkic-Moslem tribesmen, refused to quit their land-that is, until the fourteenth century, when devastating earthquakes, drought, and famine added to their many misfortunes. The citizens of the once brilliant metropolis could endure no more, and, taking as a memorial the great sculptured doors of the cathedral of Ani, thirty thousand families struck out toward the Caucasus Mountains in quest of a more tranquil life. Thus began the great trek that was to lead the Aniites to the North Caucasus, the Volga, the Crimea, the Don, the Republic of Armenia, and finally to the entire world. In the valleys of the North Caucasus, a relatively small group of Aniites founded the city of Armavir and, though eventually forgetting the Armenian language, long cherished the native traditions of their abandoned homeland. Most of the thousands of Aniites, however, deeming the Caucasus unsuitable for a new home, pressed on to the banks of the Volga River. There they were welcomed by the Mongols of the Golden Horde, who profited from the crafts and technical skill of the Armenians. For nearly a half century the Aniites played an active role in the economic life of the Volga Basin, but then suddenly, for a reason still unknown, they deserted their towns, schools, and churches, and moved swiftly westward. Neither the entreaties nor the threats of their Mongol masters could stop the exodus. After many days the great host of Aniites halted at the entrance to the Crimean Peninsula. Here the Armenian leaders were locked in heated debate. Some urged that the caravans continue to the north-west, while

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