Khezabavra :: ARMENIAN LOCATIONS

20 Monuments

Georgia (Country) / Javakhk (District) / Aspindza (District) / Khezabavra (Village)

Location

The village which forms part of the present-day district of Aspindza lies within 2 kilometres of the right bank of the river Kur, 20 kilometres north-west of Akhalkalak in a straight line, between 1,480 and 1,560 metres of altitude above sea level.

Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 234.

Historical Introduction

In the middle of the village extends a cemetery of khachkars attesting that not later than the 15th and 16th centuries, it was densely populated by Armenian-speaking inhabitants who were followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 234.

1595 y․

According to the Ottoman tax list of 1595, Khezabavra had a population of 40 houses and paid 15,165 akches to the state.

“გურჯისტანის ვილაიეთის დიდი დავთარი”, pp. 175-176: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 234.

1704 — 1714 yy․

Another Ottoman tax list, made up between 1704 and 1705, shows that in the days of Village Head Ismayil, it paid 15,000 akches, this amount being reduced to 10,000 under Village Head Yusup in 1714.

“ჩილდირის ეიალეთის ჯაბა დავთარი 1694-1732 წწ.”, pp. 109, 141: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 234.

19 c․

In the 19th century, the Armenian Catholics of Khezabavra mostly spoke Georgian. Their shifting to the Georgian language as their chief means of communication could not have taken place after the 16th century, when the region appeared under the Ottoman rule. More probably, Georgian became predominant among these people during the last stage of Georgia’s political supremacy over Javakhk—in the mid-18th century. As for the Catholic faith of the Armenian inhabitants of Khezabavra, presumably, they embraced it either in the 17th century or in the early 18th century, hoping to at least partly escape the pressure of the Ottoman tyranny in this manner. This split between the Armenians of Khezabavra and their national church resulted in their isolation from the majority of Armenians, which created favourable conditions for the Georgian language to take root in their midst.

Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 234.

19 c․

In the late 19th century, the Georgian-speaking Armenian Catholics of Khezabavra even expressed their discontent with the Armenian-language ritual of the local church.

In the 1880s, the fact that divine service was held in Armenian in the village aroused the discontent of “A Certain Meskhetian” inhabitant of Khezabavra (“დროება”, 1882, N 185). The pages of the contemporary press contain a lot of information relating to the worsening relations between Armenians and Georgian-speaking Armenian Catholics. The authors of the articles published attempted to prove that they were Catholics of Georgian origin so that it was natural for them to reject Armenian-language ritual. It was also stated that the residents of Khezabavra must have adopted the Catholic faith not later than the 17th century, whereas the local church shifted to Armenian ritual only in the early 18th century. Despite this, however, Armenian remained as the language of religious service until 1905, although its opponents kept intensifying their struggle against it. See ჭიჭინაძე ზ., სამცხე-საატაბაგო, თიფლის, 1905, pp. 99. Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 234.

Population

The village participated in World War II with 175 of its residents, 77 of whom sacrificed their lives on the front.

Դավթյան Ա., Ջավախք, Երևան, 1994, էջ 101: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 235.

Priests
1915 y․

In 1915 Father Kostandianos Sheshaberidze served the parish of Khezabavra.

«Օրացոյց և պատկեր տօնից», Թիֆլիս, 1915, էջ 81: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 237.

Type Photo
View General
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 1988 — 1989 yy․

The available statistical records on the number of the inhabitants of Khezabavra represent the following picture:

Dates	Armenian Houses	Armenians (Male)	Armenians (Female)	Total (Armenians)	Notes	Source
1824	46			262		Յակոբեան Պ., Հրաւէր ողջմտութեան, Էջմիածին, 1993, էջ 83: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 235.
1884				1120		«Արձագանք», 1885, N 26, էջ 368: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 235.
1900				2187		«Օրացոյց եւ պատկեր տօնից», Թիֆլիս, 1916, էջ 81: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 235.
1908	200			1900		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան, (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 316, ց. 1, գ. 102, թ. 33: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 235.
1914				2330		”Кавказский календарь на 1915 г.”, Тифлис, 1914, էջ 197. Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 235.
1915				2130		«Օրացոյց և պատկեր տօնից», Թիֆլիս, 1915, էջ 81: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 235.
1916	230	1162	1031	2193		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան, (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 316, ց. 1, գ. 65, թ. 36: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 235.
2000	295			1905		“2 x 2”, თბილისი,, 01.09.2000, N 1: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 235.