ARMENII ÎN STATISTICILE OFICIALE ALE MOLDOVEI (1820−1832)

Armenians, few in number compared to other minorities in Moldavia, have been remarked as skilled traders and skilled craftsmen. A characteristic of the Armenians in Moldavia is that they were initially established only in urban areas. Their presence in rural areas is temporary and extremely rare. They lived in the country only while they were renting their estates or selling their goods as merchants. Also, unlike other foreigners they used to practice trading in other localities than those where they had their permanent residence. As Christians, in the fiscal statistics of Moldavia from the beginning of the 19th century, they are noted along with the locals, which makes any numerical evaluation process extremely difficult. However, the censuses help us to estimate with some certainty the number of inhabitants of Armenian origin, their place and their role within the Moldavian society.