SEARCH SYSTEM OF THE ARMENIAN HIGHLAND MONUMENTS

Chiflik 3 Monuments

Georgia (Country) / Javakhk (District) / Akhalkalak (District) / Chiflik (Village)

Location

The village of Chiflik does not exist any more, but it used to be one of the most prospering and important villages in the neighbourhood of Akhalkalak until the late 1870s. It extended in a smooth area only one kilometre south-west of the city, at an altitude of 1,720 metres above sea level.

Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 418.

Historical Introduction

The region of Kars, which became part of the Russian Empire after the Russo-Turkish war of 1877 to 1878, attracted large multitudes of people from all parts of Transcaucasia thanks to its fertile lands. The inhabitants of Chiflik who suffered shortage of land and, particularly, water in their village abandoned their homes and moved to Kars between 1881 and 1882: “Chiflik: the residents and priest of this village have resettled in Marza Village, Kars District.” A short time after this resettlement, the derelict houses of the village were levelled with the ground to be used as “quarries.” As a result, only a small graveyard of undressed stone slabs and St. Gevorg Church remained in Chiflik as the only historical vestiges of the existence of this once thriving village. Naturally, the latter does not function any more: “...in the aftermath of the villagers’ movement to Kars, their church remains closed.” A visitor who saw Chiflik already stripped of its Armenian population and lying devastated writes the following about it: “Between 1881 and 1882, the people of this village moved to Marza Village, Kars Province due to the shortage of lands. At present the ruins of the village have disappeared without any trace, but its church is still preserved standing. Due to the location of the village on a royal road, the church, which has been standing neglected ever since the local inhabitants abandoned it, has become a kind of hiding-place for all kinds of Turkish and Kurdish shepherds. They keep all their animals, such as horses, donkeys, cows, dogs... inside the church, which is also used as a night shelter. We are hopeful that the supreme spiritual powers will attend to the problem of this church and will urgently make an appropriate decision to either have it destroyed altogether or preserve it properly as a sanctuary.” Most presumably, the church authorities granted permission for the demolition of the monument, for presently it is annihilated without any vestiges left.

Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3874, թ. 43, 46-47: «Նոր-Դար», 1895, N 128, էջ 1։ Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 418.

Population
1829 — 1830 yy․

During 1829 and 1830, a number of Armenians from Karin District took up living in Chiflik. Throughout over 50 years (1830s to 1870s), the local inhabitants mostly increased in number, despite their grave economic conditions and, particularly, the shortage of land and water.

Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 418.

Etymology

The name of Chiflik is etymologised as meaning a royal estate, but there also exists another version according to which, it is composed of the Turkish word chift, i.e. the equivalent for a pair.

«Մշակ», 1873, N 16, էջ 4: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 418.

Name	Year/Century	Etymology
Chiftlik

The available statistical data reflecting the changes in the number of the local people are as follows:

Dates	Armenian Houses	Armenians (Male)	Armenians (Female)	Total (Armenians)	Notes	Source
1838		152	148	300		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 1361, թ. 7-8: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 418.
1840		106	114	220		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3800, թ. 4: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 418.
1841		129	145	274		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3802, թ. 64-65: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 418.
1842		136	150	286		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3805, թ. 76-77: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 418.
1844		152	160	312		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3809, թ. 13-14: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 418.
1845		162	170	332		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3811, թ. 70-71: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 418.
1847		115	125	240		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3814, թ. 33-34: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 418.
1849		135	218	253		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3818, թ. 39-40: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 418.
1851	41	137	126	263		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 56, ց. 1, գ. 2596, թ. 36: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 418.
1853		146	130	276		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 2743, թ. 39-40: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 418.
1854		150	135	285		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3825, թ. 49-50: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 418.
1857		138	119	257		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3830, թ. 54-55: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 418.
1860		145	121	266		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3833, թ. 66-67: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 419.
1861	43	161	141	302		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3839, թ. 23-24: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 419.
1862		162	141	303		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3836, թ. 20-21: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 419.
1863		163	153	316		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3843, թ. 21-22: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 419.
1864		164	154	318		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3846, թ. 10-11: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 419.
1865		171	157	328		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3848, թ. 11-12: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 419.
1866	43	171	157	328		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3848, թ. 74: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 419.
1867		176	165	341		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3851, թ. 20-21: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 419.
1868		180	173	353		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3853, թ. 27: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 419.
1869		187	174	361		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3856, թ. 9: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 419.
1870		193	181	374		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3857, թ. 23: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 419.
1871		195	182	377		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3858, թ. 9-10: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 419.
1872		200	183	383		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3859, թ. 56-57: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 419.
1873		209	188	397		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3862, թ. 70-71: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 419.
1874				409		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3864, թ. 25-26: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 419.
1875	48					«Մեղու Հայաստանի», 1875, N 44, էջ 2: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 419.
1876		234	205	439		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3868, թ. 29-30: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 419.
1877		227	189	416		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3869, թ. 28-29: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 419.
1878		236	196	432		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3850, թ. 217-218: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 419.
1880		242	212	454		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3872, թ. 86-87: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 419.
1881		252	217	469		Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3873, թ. 96-97: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 419.