YEREVAN, AUGUST 25, NOYAN TAPAN. The history of the Ukrainian community of Armenia started at least from the middle of the 19th century when a group of settlers who came from the region of Poltava founded the village of Nikolayevka near Stepanavan. As Olexander Bozhko, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the RA mentioned in the interveiw to the Noyan Tapan correspondent, their huts have been kept there by now. It was also mentioned that according to data of the 2001 census, 1633 ethnic Ukrainians lived in Armenia, though, according to non-official data, their number makes about 3000. The Ambassador stated that the "Ukraine" Ukrainians' Federation of Armenia functions in Armenia. The federation founded in 1995 has departments in the cities of Vanadzor, Gyumri, Hrazdan, Ijevan and Sevan. The federation publishes the "Dnipro-Slavutich" monthly in the Armenian and Ukrainian languages. O.Bozhko stated that the community members have possibility to study in Ukraine: the most gifted of them are sent annually to Ukraine to get education. "It's pleasant for us that Ukrianians founded in Armenia the "Dnipro" choir, "Verbichenka" song ensemble, children's "Dzvinochek" choir and "Malyatko" dance ensemble. Participants of those organizations every year hold their holidays in Ukraine, particularly, in the "Artek" camp," the Ambassador said. The Ukrainians' world forum, in which representatives of the Ukrainian community of Armenia as well participated, started in Kiev on August 18. In O.Bozhko's words, the "Ukrainian Song in World" artistic festival is being held within the framework of the forum. The Ukrainian choir from Armenia participates in the festival with its program. The Ambassador mentioned that this choir, almost half of participants of which is ethnic Armenians, performs songs both in Ukrainian and Armenian. As for the Armenian community of Ukraine, in O.Bozhko's words, about 30 thousand Armenians lived in Ukraine in early 90s, and their number reaches 400-500 thousand at present. The Ambassador mentioned names of famous figures of the Armenian origin, functioning in Ukraine: film director Roman Balayan, Mher Mkhitarian, the Chairman of the "Poznyaki-Zhilstroy" powerful construction corporation, Arsen Avagov, the Kharkov regional administration head. He also emphasized that four Armenians were deputies of the 4th convention of the Supreme Rada (parliament) of Ukraine. O.Bozhko mentioned that the "Aragats" newspaper (enclosure of the "Golos Ukraini" official newspaper of the Ukrainian Supreme Rada) is published in Ukraine in the Armenian and Ukrainian languages, the "Masyats Aghavni" periodical is published in Crimea, illustrated "Haykakan Lraber" is published in Donbass. Besides, there are radio and TV programs in Armenian. By financing of the state budget, Armenian books are published in Ukraine, Sunday schools function, classes with deep teaching of Armenian open. O.Bozhko stated that the Armenian community very seriously arises the issue of creating the Armenian University in Ukraine. "I consider it to be a very serious program, and as of today, the Armenian community of Ukraine has all possibilities for implementing it," the Ambassador stated. In O.Bozhko's words, a new Armenian church is built in Ukraine every year. Today they function in Kiev, Lugansk, Dnepropetrovsk, Simferopol, Odessa and Lviv. "So, one may say for sure, that today Armenians are a noticeable part of the Ukrainian society as well as Ukrainians of the Armenian one, though their number is not big," the Ambassador of Ukraine to the RA said.

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