Armenians in Malta

Last updated
Armenians in Malta
N18.JPG
Armenian Diaspora of Malta at Hastings Gardens
Regions with significant populations
Valletta, Qrendi c. 500
Languages
Armenian, English, Maltese
Religion
Armenian Apostolic or none
Related ethnic groups
Armenian diaspora Armenians in Cyprus, Armenians in Greece, Armenians in Italy
Chairperson of the Armenian Community of Malta Vera Boyajyan and Maltese Parliament MP David Agius Vera Boyajyan and David Agius.JPG
Chairperson of the Armenian Community of Malta Vera Boyajyan and Maltese Parliament MP David Agius
Khachqar in Valletta, Malta, installed on December 22, 2009 form Ashot and Vera Boyajyans and Armenian Community of Malta Khachqar in Valletta.JPG
Khachqar in Valletta, Malta, installed on December 22, 2009 form Ashot and Vera Boyajyans and Armenian Community of Malta
Photo of the sing installed by the Khachqar, Valletta, Malta.JPG

The Armenians in Malta are a community of the Armenian diaspora living on the islands of Malta. There are thousands Maltese of Armenian descent,[ citation needed ] but only some 400-500 identify as Armenians. The rest are assimilated with the locals and consider themselves Maltese. The surnames and documents, saved in their family archives, are indicative of their Armenian origin. The interests of the Armenian Diaspora in Malta are represented by the Armenian Community of Malta.

Contents

Notable Maltese of Armenian descent include Mikhail Basmadjian (actor), and Andy Eminyan (retired footballer).

History

The relationship of the Armenian Kingdom with the Knights Hospitaller (later the Sovereign Military Order of Malta) has very ancient roots and started in 1097. The knights became a land owner beginning with the year 1149. In 1163 the Order was granted a castle around Mamestia and two castles in Selevkia under Leo II, King of Armenia. The Order was present in Cilicia until 1375. Many Armenian knights and ordinary citizens resettled on Malta after the collapse of Armenian Kingdom in 1375.

The second mass resettlement of the Armenians in Malta took place after the Armenian genocide in 1915 in the Ottoman Empire, and the third resettlement was at the end of the 1990s after the collapse of the USSR. Basic part of the migrants later moved to the countries of Continental Europe.

One of the historical examples of the presence of Armenians on Malta is the Church of Our Lady of Liesse built by means of the funds provided by the Bali of Armenia, Fra Giacomo Chenn de Bellay, one of the descendants of the Luzinian family. [1]

Armenian Community of Malta

Armenian Community of Malta is a public organization based on self-administration that acts in accordance with the Constitution of Republic of Malta and current legislation of the republic. The members of the Community are Armenians and their family members (Malta residents) united on a voluntary basis. The Community operates on the territory of Malta and EU; is a legal body and has its own logo. [2]

The Armenian Community of Malta was registered [3] in the List of Voluntary Organisations, approved by the government, on the 10th of July 2009. The first Congress of the Armenians took place on 31 of July 2009 in Hilton Hotels. The organization management was asserted during the Congress. The Chairperson of the Community became Vera Boyajyan.

Goals and Objectives

The goal of the Community is to unite the efforts of the Armenians, aimed at preservation and development of Armenian culture and language; protection rights and interests of its members; strengthening the friendship between the Armenian and Maltese people. To reach its goals the Community contributes to publishing and distributing of literature promoting the achievements of the Armenian cultural centers, organizes seminars, conferences, exhibitions, takes part in such activities itself; helps and assists the members of the Community in all the spheres of their activities within the framework of current Maltese legislation. [2] [4]

Structure

Superior body of the Community is Members’ Assembly summoned not less than once a year. The Assembly asserts the Board of Community, determines its numerical composition and elects Chairperson. Board of Community is formed by elected members of the community. Board of Community coordinates the activities of the members of the Community; elects from its members a deputy of Chairperson; organizes preparation and holding of Assembly as well as determines the ways of realization of decisions made at Assembly.

Chairperson of Community controls the current activity of Community, represents Community in relationship with various organizations, signs agreements, letters and applications on behalf of Community, has the power to sign all financial, legal, service and other documents; controls implementation of decisions of Board of Community; has the right to summon out-of-turn Assembly and Board of Community; possesses the right of casting vote in disputes while voting in sessions of Board of Community.

Inspection commission of Community exercises control of financial and economical activities of Community. Members of Board have no right to enter in Inspection commission. [2]

Achievements

Shortly after the first Congress of Armenians on Malta Armenian Community of Malta fulfilled most of the missions formulated at the Congress.

On 22 December the unveiling of a Khachqar took place in the Hastings Gardens, near the entrance of the city of Valletta. The Khachqar was specially made for the purpose in Armenia and delivered to Malta. Members of Maltese Parliament, the Mayor of Valletta and other high-level guests were present at the ceremony. The memorial board at the Kahchqar says:

In token of friendship between the Maltese and Armenian people.
Armenia thanks Malta for its support to Armenians who found refuge in this island in the tragic years of 1375 and 1915

Another achievement of the Community is the initiation of formation of friendship group Armenia-Malta in the National Assembly of Armenia, [5] as well as the formation of similar friendship group Malta-Armenia in the Parliament of Republic of Malta. The Community management made a decision to build Armenian Church on Malta as well as to install a monument to the first Catholicos of All Armenians Gregory the Illuminator.

Armenian Community of Malta is the only organization that represents interests of Armenians on Malta and gives legal support to its members. On the 24th of June the official website of the Community was launched in three languages: English, Armenian and Russian.

See also

Footnotes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Armenia</span> National government of Armenia

The Government of the Republic of Armenia or the executive branch of the Armenian government is an executive council of government ministers in Armenia. It is one of the three main governmental branches of Armenia and is headed by the Prime Minister of Armenia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Committee</span> Body of one or more persons that is subordinate to a deliberative assembly

A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more fully than would be possible if the assembly itself were considering them. Committees may have different functions and their types of work differ depending on the type of the organization and its needs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurasian Economic Community</span> Regional economic organisation

The Eurasian Economic Community was a regional organisation between 2000 and 2014 which aimed for the economic integration of its member states. The organisation originated from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on 29 March 1996, with the treaty on the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Community signed on 10 October 2000 in Kazakhstan's capital Astana by Presidents Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, Askar Akayev of Kyrgyzstan, Vladimir Putin of Russia, and Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan. Uzbekistan joined the community on 7 October 2005, but later withdrew on 16 October 2008.

A parliamentary group, parliamentary caucus or political group is a group consisting of members of different political parties or independent politicians with similar ideologies. Some parliamentary systems allow smaller political parties, who are not numerous enough to form parliamentary groups in their own names, to join with other parties or independent politicians in order to benefit from rights or privileges that are only accorded to formally recognized groups. An electoral alliance, where political parties associate only for elections, is similar to a parliamentary group. A technical group is similar to a parliamentary group but with members of differing ideologies. In contrast, a political faction is a subgroup within a political party and a coalition forms only after elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Union of Jewish Students</span> Umbrella organization

The World Union of Jewish Students is the international, pluralistic, non-partisan umbrella organisation of independent Jewish student groups in 38 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Assembly (Armenia)</span> Unicameral legislature of Armenia

The National Assembly of Armenia, also informally referred to as the Parliament of Armenia is the legislative branch of the government of Armenia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Senate of Kazakhstan</span> Upper house in the Parliament of Kazakhstan

The Senate of Kazakhstan is the upper house of two chambers in Kazakhstan's legislature, known as the Parliament (Parlamenti). The Senate is composed of elected members: two from each region and two from three municipalities which are Almaty, Astana, and Shymkent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armenian Assembly of America</span>

The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The organization aims to "strengthen United States/Armenia relations, promote Armenia's democratic development and economic prosperity, and seeks universal affirmation of the Armenian genocide" via "research, education and advocacy."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knights Hospitaller</span> Medieval and early-modern Catholic military order

The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller, is a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was founded in the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century and had headquarters there until 1291, thereafter being based in Kolossi Castle in Cyprus (1302–1310), the island of Rhodes (1310–1522), Malta (1530–1798), and Saint Petersburg (1799–1801).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hastings Gardens</span> Public garden in Valletta, Malta

Hastings Gardens is a public garden in Valletta, Malta. It is located on top of St. John's Bastion and St. Michael's Bastion, on the west side of the City Gate. The garden offers views of Floriana, Msida, Sliema, and Manoel Island. Inside the garden is a monument placed by the Hastings family in honor of Francis, Marquis of Hastings, who was a governor of Malta. Lord Hastings died in 1826 and is buried in the garden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liesse-Notre-Dame</span> Commune in Hauts-de-France, France

Liesse-Notre-Dame is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. In the Middle Ages, the village near Laon developed around the cult of the Black Virgin, known as Notre-Dame de Liesse. Pope Pius IX granted the Marian image a decree of canonical coronation on 18 August 1857.

Ukrainian World Congress is a non-profit organization, nonpartisan association, international coordination assembly of all Ukrainian public organizations in diaspora. Originally founded in 1967 as the World Congress of Free Ukrainians, the organization was renamed in 1993 to its current name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Armenia)</span> Armenian government ministry

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia (MFA) is a state body of executive power, which elaborates and implements the foreign policy of the Government of Armenia and organizes and manages diplomatic services. The MFA acts accordingly to the Constitution and legislation of Armenia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinates the activities of the executive power bodies of the Republic in the international arena. Since 2021, Ararat Mirzoyan has been the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MIJARC Europe</span>

MIJARC Europe is the European continental branch of MIJARC. It is the platform or umbrella organization, representing the catholic, agricultural and rural youth movements in Europe. It has member movements and contact movements in Portugal (JARC), Spain, France (MRJC), Belgium (KLJ), Germany (KLJB), Hungary (KIM), Austria (KJÖ), Poland (EiR), Bulgaria (YMDRAB), Armenia (FYCA), Georgia (Umbrella), Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovakia (ADEL) and Romania, representing around 150 000 rural young people aged from 12 to 35 years old. At world level, MIJARC represents more than two million young people from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malta Environment and Planning Authority</span>

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority was the national agency responsible for the environment and planning in Malta. It was established to regulate the environment and planning on the Maltese islands of Malta, Gozo and other small islets of the Maltese archipelago. MEPA was bound to follow the regulations of the Environment Protection Act (2001) and the Development Planning Act (1992) of the Laws of Malta. The national agency was also responsible for the implementation of Directives, Decisions and Regulations under the EU Environmental Acquis as Malta is a member of the European Union, while considering other recommendations and opinion of the Union. The Authority employed over 420 government workers, from a wide range of educational backgrounds, all within their merit of profession.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of Our Lady of Liesse</span> Church in Valletta, Malta

The Church of Our Lady of Liesse is a church in Valletta, Malta. The church was built in 1740 on the site of a 17th-century church. The cupola was built to the designs of the Maltese Architect Francesco Zammit. The church is located near the shores of the Grand Harbour, close to Lascaris Battery and the site of the fish market. It is especially venerated by the people of the port area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy</span>

The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) is a grassroots umbrella organization which represents a significant part of the Armenian diaspora in Europe. The EAFJD is the main interlocutor promoting Armenian issues in the European Union and other international organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assembly of Armenians of Europe</span> Organization

The Assembly of Armenians of Europe (AAE) is a pan-European international organization.

References

  1. "Church of the Madonna of Liesse (tal-Ferh)" (PDF). National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. 27 August 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 December 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Charter. Armenian Community of Malta International public organization - Armenian Community of Malta
  3. Certificate of Enrolment
  4. Maltese Legislation Legal Malta Archived August 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  5. Национальное Собрание Республики Армения