Did you know that centuries before the British, Armenian merchants built a powerful community in Kolkata, India? Today, only a handful remain.
In this documentary, Vasiliy Kondrashov travels through the forgotten Armenian quarters of Kolkata, meets its last Armenian families, explores the legendary Armenian College, and discovers how this small diaspora shaped the city’s culture, cuisine, and history.
00:00 Where Armenian Calcutta begins
01:47 Armenian Street: meeting Zaven and Liana
05:51 The luxury and success of Calcutta’s Armenians. We’re going to the very center
09:17 What Calcutta’s Armenians live on
13:54 Armenian College – the center of Armenian life in Calcutta today
14:37 Going to a service at the Armenian church in India
17:14 How Armenians influenced Indian cuisine. Trying Calcutta dolma
18:03 How many Armenians remain in Calcutta today
For cooperation and any other questions, write here: vasiliykondrashov@gmail.com
Author’s channel in Russian
source
48 Comments
They didn't wanna live anymore with poopjeets
Armenians are very special Ancient people.
Kolkata needs less diversity from muslims and more from other religions
Thumbs down.
You're dividing, not building bridges with this Armenian groyper mentality. No, Armenians did not build Calcutta. Your video shows how NOT to gain respect.
what do you mean armenians built kolkata? They built a community in kolkata, it's not the same.
And indians face racism in armenia and georgia among the most in the world. That's how they say thanks to us despite us supplying them with weapons and rockets to save their little civilization from the turks.
One valid question… Does the Armenian church not allow without permission as in google they are saying it is open to all? Do clarify… As i am planning on visiting
Armenian Ghat in Kolkata, Sasoon Dock in Mumbai. Many foreigners contributed in building India.
I admire the Armenian people because they are very resilient. God bless them. The Turks massacred one million of them and committed genocide which Erdogan denies.
Potoler dorma has its origins in armenian dolma!
Stephens court in park street is armenian
Armenian church was the first church of calcutta
I’m so proud of my nation Armenia 🇦🇲 thanks 🙏 for this video information ℹ️
The best city CALCUTTA STATE WEST BENGAL from other indian states or the cities LOVE IS THE ULTIMATE MAGNET IN HERE Armenians can live here after all they are the oldest citizens of kolkata and India
Bengalis are different from other states people of india
We love the Cultures from outside of india it can be any country Still BENGAL ls BENGAL
We Greet other countries CITIZENS if they doesn't live here
THE CITY OF KOLKATA IS A LIVE CITY IT HAS A LIFE EVERYBODY IS HAPPY HERE WITH THE ARMENIANS, PORTUGUESE, CHINESE😊
I've learnt something new about my country. Armenian are still white even after taking indian summer heat and humidity
If they marry inside their culture then there’s no problem
All persecuted groups around world were given refuge in bharat ❤love my dharna and nation for this act of love
Armenians may have been refugees but contributed in a small way to build Calcutta and today's refugees destroying Kolkata
Really Armenian built this city? In that area of Kolkata, from archeological survey they got 20000 years old human existence. Chandraketugarh ,near kolkata it was a ancient City of Nearly 2.5k years old .
Also kolkata itself a kalikshetra ( land of kali) , mention in old purans which is more than 5k years old evidence.
The streets and sorrondings in Kolkata is beyond beggar's description – Result of most corrupt administration. Being a Bengali, I feel ashamed about this.
They built sh1t, they just took refugee and nothing more, current day Armenians are racist towards indians and they forgot how we saved there @ss
Thank you for presenting my city & country, the countrymen of my country never persicuited any single creature on earth for their beliefs.❤ This is a commamdable work & should reach to the whole world. Whenever anybody tries to show a distroted & false history of India through these sort of videos in their face.❤
Title seems wrong, armenian didn't built Kolkata, they have lived there so their contribution must have been there. This region had good business and sea route connectivity so british also captured this places and ruled.
India is a unique place where jews, parsi, tibetan budhhist and other persecuted refugees got shelter and thrived.
Armenians aren't built Kolkata. Kalikatha became Calcutta because of pronunciation. There are three half city cum half village was there. Those there Kalikatha , Gobindapur and Sutanuti. These three was merged politically and formed Calcutta. Armenians were broker between Brittish and Mughal. Armenians, Dutch ,French, Danish ,Portugese,Jews were lived in that city. Lakshmi Narayan Gangapadhya was the fudal lord of this city.
Armenians came to Islamic Mughal India – that too at the time of Aurangzeb. I wonder why they didn’t go to some Christian paradise like Russia, if they hate Muslims so much.
Kolkata has a lot of refugees from different cultures, religious, ethnicities and backgrounds. And that includes Armenians. But they didn't "build" Calcutta, it's very misleading and disrespectful to even imply such a thing. Calcutta was built by Bengalis, few Biharis, few Chinese and Anglo-Indians, and a few Persians. But 90%, Bengalis.
JUST FOR THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GENTLEMAN WHO SPOKE ON BEHALF OF THE INDIAN ARMENIANS ………ARMENIA IS NOT PART OF EUROPE
Okay if Armenians get credit for building the city, should that Armenian nun who singlehandedly trafficked babies and unalived the city poor and then won the nobel prize for it, be seen as the embodiment of evil?
We have a deeper Armenian connection through SOAD…
My city has been the safe refuge for Parsis(Zoroastrians) for centuries , even today it has the highest number of Parsis after Mumbai ig
Hi Armenian representative, be thankful that Kolkata, a city in India welcomed you, allowed you to practice what you believed and live peacefully. You guys didnt build Kolkata… come on 😂😂😂
I thought kolkata has only Anglo Indian never knew about armenia
This was a very interesting and eye opening watch!
Filled with misinformation
88% of west bengal are ethnic bengalis, other than that, there are also punjabis, biharis, people from UP, who come to visit Kolkata.
Recent I was at bara bazar, tried to visit the Armenian church. It's a great regret it's no more opened to public, i understand the reason behind ,but it'd be great to witness the living history.
Calcutta is no longer safe for non Muslim. Its a Islamic city
0:42 wrong information
Little knowledge is a dangerous thing…
Absolutely baseless depiction of history and reality of the armenians in Kolkata, especially those of their school and churches. One needs to research well before making such incomplete and untrue documentary.
Armenians built Kolkata? My great great grandfather built London from scratch.
Don't let m*di & bjp find out about Armenians or they will say Hindus are in danger because of them😂
Ps. Great documentary. Learned alot.
Is there an international connection between Armenians.
Bro we belong here around thousands of years ago…..you guys just a refugee for us …jai hind 🇮🇳
There were big numbers of Armenians in Mumbai. I had met some of them who were residing near Taj Hotel. There are still some relics of Armenian Temples in Colaba area of Bombay. Most of them were successful business people. They intermarried with some of Zoarashtrians. Now there is not any.
Yes he also learnt how to spit like an India while doing the interview 😂😂
"build calcutta" implies euro-centric and colonial biases, granted benefit of doubt as english is not their first language,
but if this is wilfully implied then this guys is an asshole too.
Today’s kolkata is build by Our Indian governments, history changes bro , grow up and dont use this type of thumbnail, as we don’t like this kind of attitude .Inside India either you’re Indian or refugee thats it .