Geodemographic Processes among the Russian Population of Post-Soviet Armenia

The objectives of this study are to investigate the demographic dynamics of Russia's population in post-Soviet Armenia, to analyze the relationships between natural reproduction and migration, and to record changes in the age, sex, and settlement patterns of the Russian-speaking community. A systems approach was employed in this complex study, using demographic, ethno-geographical, and sociological methods. It has been established that a period of rapid decline in the Russian population took place in the 1990s when the number of Russian speakers in Armenia decreased three-fold (from 51,500 to 14,700). In the early 2000s the rate of decline slowed down (-18,8%) but then increased again. At the end of 2010, in three of ten regions, the proportion of Russians was less than 0.1% and in four more it was between 0.1 and 0.2%. Most Russian settlers lived in two established villages (Lermontovo and Fioletovo). Migration was a major factor in the ongoing depopulation, but its contribution to the overall decline decreased from 98–99% in the late 1980s to around 75–80% in the early 1900s. Natural losses and assimilation also contributed to population decline, especially due to high rates of inter-ethnic marriage among Russian women with local men. The decline was accompanied by changes in sex and age structures, with a significant female predominance and an increase in median age. The trend of depopulation was reversed by the arrival of a new group of migrants, who increased from 20,20 to 2040. This group consisted mainly of young and mid-aged males, which helped to balance the gender imbalance and age distribution of the Russian diaspora. Migrants were concentrated in Yerevan, which became a demographic center with over 90%, compared to 40% in previous decades. The future of this group remains uncertain, but their arrival has already had a significant impact on the demographics of Armenia.