Armenian family maintains traditions in Tajikistan after decades of residency

The Oganesyan family has lived in the Stalinsky settlement of Gafurov, northern Tajikistan, for nearly 50 years.

Robert and Zoya Oganesyan moved to the country in 1973 after Robert worked as an air traffic controller in Armenia. They chose to stay in Tajikistan permanently, even when family members suggested they return to their ancestral home near Yerevan. The family maintains a blend of Armenian and Tajik cultural practices.

While the children speak Tajik fluently, the parents still speak Armenian to one another and cook traditional dishes like dolma and khashlama. Zoya Oganesyan bakes Armenian lavash bread and grows native herbs in her garden. The family also practices their faith by keeping icons in their home and celebrating Christian holidays. The Armenian community in Tajikistan has shrunk since the late 1980s.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and local civil unrest, the number of Armenians in the country dropped from approximately 5,600 to about 1,000 by the year 2000. Despite these demographic changes, the Oganesyan family remains integrated into the local community, noting that they have never faced discrimination and consider Tajikistan their second homeland.