Tatyana Yangaykina: From the Depths of Mordovia to the Heart of the Armenian Soul

The Russian linguist Roman Stackelberg compared 58 words from Finno-Ugric languages with Iranian languages and Armenian, and among other things identified a similarity between words meaning “person”: in Armenian, mard (man), and in Mordovian, mirti. Have you found other interesting parallels between Armenian and the Mordovian languages?

Yes, and these parallels are truly astonishing. The earliest layers of the Mordovian languages are connected precisely with ancient contacts. But the most remarkable thing happens when you encounter such parallels in real life.

In 2025, I took part in an international Armenian studies conference in Gyumri. As I listened to a presentation in Armenian, I suddenly realized that I was hearing familiar Moksha sounds. After the presentation, I approached the speaker and asked about the Armenian word verev. It turned out to mean “upper” or “above.” And in my native Moksha language, the word vyare has exactly the same meaning. It was an incredible moment of discovery. This layer of ancient linguistic connections still needs to be studied in depth, and this accidental thread, Artsvi Genrikovich, you have now opened up for me, giving me a new subject to think about.

I would also like to share an amazing story. Recently, when I visited the editorial office of Literaturnaya Armenia magazine in Yerevan, I met with its editor-in-chief, the respected Albert Mamikonovich Nalbandyan. He told me that he had heard the surname Yangaykina for the first time and was struck by how deep and interesting it sounded. Albert Mamikonovich said with a smile: “Tatyana, there is a lot of Armenian in your surname—YAN is the ending of Armenian surnames, GAY (hay) means Armenian, and KIN means woman.” I should note that my family name has purely Moksha roots, with the following etymology: YAN means path or footpath, GAY means resonantly or loudly, and KI means road.

Did you know that another of Mordovia’s smaller ethnic groups, the Erzya, also lived in Armenia? According to 1934 statistics, 419 Mordovians lived in Soviet Armenia. In 1994, the Armenian press published an article by Harutyun Minasyan about the small community of Erzya Molokans in Armenia.

They still live in Armenia today, and I know them personally. It all began during my first trip to Yerevan, when I was invited by the Russian House. Professor Viktoria Aleksandrovna Arakelova introduced me to the well-known journalist and poet Elena Shuvaeva, who studies the Molokans of Armenia. Thanks to her, I was able to visit the village of Shoghakat (formerly Nadezhdino or Shorzha), where our Mordovian Molokans were settled as early as 1840. I spent several days there collecting unique ethnographic material and studying an old Mordovian cemetery. In 2025, I then researched the cemetery in Nubarashen district of Yerevan and met with Mordovians living in Yerevan. One of the things I was especially proud of was that a representative of the Molokan community, an Erzya man named Isai Ivanovich Grigoriev, attended the presentation of my book. It was incredibly gratifying to see a fellow countryman in the audience. Thus, the history of the Mordovian Molokans in Armenia is another important area of my scholarly work — one that was born thanks to this remarkable country.

Last August, you climbed Mount Ararat. Please share your impressions and tell us about the experience.

Yes, I really did have that experience. A year ago, my colleague, friend and intellectual inspiration, Elena Alekseevna Shuvaeva, suggested that I climb to the peak of Ararat. It happened just before the presentation of my book, which took place on August 11. Two days earlier, on August 9, as preparation and acclimatization, Elena, an experienced mountaineer, took me to Mount Aragats, the highest point in Armenia. To be honest, it was not easy: I have a phobia and am terrified of heights. But I successfully overcame that barrier and unfurled the flag of my native Mordovia at the summit of Aragats. We spent several days making our way toward the sacred Mount Ararat. We set off on August 14, and on August 16 an initiative group from the organization DIALOG — Elena Shuvaeva, as its adviser, and myself, as a regular contributor to an information portal — together with our friends from Russia, Armenia and Italy, successfully reached the peak of Greater Ararat (5,165 meters).

I often hear people say that this sacred mountain does not allow everyone to reach it. Perhaps that is true. Anyone can set out toward it, but how you make that journey is what matters. And this is not really about physical preparation, but about one’s spiritual state. A person who goes there with impure intentions, envy, or malice in their heart truly will not make it to the top.

Do you know what this mountain gave me? Humbleness and tremendous patience. Up there, I was not fighting physical hardship or the peak itself. A mountain is a mirror: it exposes a person’s true nature and shows who they really are.

Do you have any further plans connected with Armenia?

You know, I am a cautious and somewhat superstitious person, so I am always afraid of jinxing my future plans by talking about them too soon. But I can say this much: Armenia is a country that has entered my soul forever and become part of my scholarly projects. God willing, I will continue to visit this remarkable land with pleasure. And not only for research anymore — my dear Armenian friends live here, and I deeply value my conversations and friendship with them.