Celebrowanie świąt wśród polskiej społeczności w Armenii. Nośnik tożsamości, element promocji kultury czy substytut rozrywki w obcym otoczeniu etniczno-kulturowym?
Celebrating Holidays Among the Polish Community in Armenia. A Medium of Identity, an Element of Culture Promotion, or a Substitute for Entertainment in a Foreign Ethno-Cultural Environment?

Summary/Abstract: From the historical perspective, Polish migration to Armenia intensified in the 19th century, when men were forcibly conscripted into the Tsar’s Army in the territory of the Russian partition. Since then, the dynamics of Polish mobility and its motivations have changed many times. As for the direction of the Caucasus, since the 1990s it has been closely associated with the population movement in the opposite direction, i.e., with the Armenian migration to Poland. However, we know relatively little on this subject, as most contemporary studies focus mainly on the analysis of historical processes, and the current migration movements are commonly referred to as “labor migration”. The following article is based on field research conducted by the author in 2015–2022. Their main axis was to learn about the ways of self-organization and functioning of the contemporary Polish community living in the Republic of Armenia. The article focuses on the description of individual phases of the annual rituals with which representatives of the Polish minority identify and the influence of Polish organizations on their celebration. The article covers both states, secular, and religious holidays. They create an interesting mosaic consisting of cultural and national identity, promotional and popularization elements, as well as the need for entertainment and social life in a local environment.

• Details
• Contents