Postwar Repatriation and the Armenian Diaspora

Following the war, Soviet authorities encouraged the repatriation of Armenians from diaspora communities to Soviet Armenia.

The repatriation campaign of 1946–1948 brought tens of thousands of Armenians from countries including Syria, Lebanon, Greece, France, Iran, and elsewhere.

For many, migration represented an opportunity to live in an Armenian-majority homeland.

Others hoped for improved economic conditions or cultural renewal.

The reality was often more difficult.

Repatriates encountered housing shortages, economic restrictions, political surveillance, and the challenges of adapting to Soviet institutions.

Some became victims of Stalinist repression and deportation.

The repatriation movement illustrates the complex relationship between Armenian national identity and Soviet political power after World War II.