Armenians and Molokans: Karakala, 1870s-1920

by Joyce Keosababian-Bivin, Jerusalem
UCLA Conference on Kars and Ani, Nov. 9-11, 2001
Program — Abstracts for Sat. Nov. 10 and Sun. Nov. 11
Abstract: The Protestant Armenians living in Karakala were in daily contact with Spiritual Christians Russian Molokans living in nearby villages. A group of these Armenians adopted the Prygun Molokan religious beliefs and customs. The community that was thus created survived the impending persecution by immigrating to the United States where it still exists, primarily in Southern California..

This paper focuses on part of the Protestant Armenian population of Karakala during the period of the 1870s to 1920. With the help of personal letters (written in Armenian from 1898 to 1922, and in Russian until as late as 1954), especially the correspondence between the members of the Keosababian and Perumian families who remained in Karakala and the Kars region and members of their families who immigrated to the United States, some progress can be made in sketching this unique community's history. Oral testimonies, a few autobiographies, and the writings of Spiritual Christians from Russian Molokans supplement the information gleaned from personal correspondence.

A brief history of the Spiritual Christians in Russia Russian Molokans describes their expulsion by the Russian tsar to the Kars region, their unique form of worship, and their observance of biblical dietary laws and five biblical feasts. Of special significance is the influence of two young prophets on the Russian and Armenian Spiritual Christian Molokan communities.

The geographic location of Kars is discussed to determine which of three locations in Turkey is the Armenian Karakala. An old photograph of the Armenian Karakala provides a glimpse of the village and its inhabitants.
Armenian_Jumpers
Spiritual Christians in Turkey
Spiritual Christians Around the World