Kaghavens

Kaghashenvs, commonly referred to as Kaghashens, Kaghavens or Kaghavani, are an Armenian ethnic group from Shirak Province in Armenia. They primarily reside in the villages of Akunk, Krasar, and Shnogh. The origins of the Kaghashenvs are linked to ancient Georgian pheasant-hunters who roamed the Armenian Highlands. Over time, the Georges entered into alliances with the Amatuni family, who were prominent in Western Armenia, and eventually settled in the region. The Amatuni assimilated them into Armenian culture, incorporating them into their feudal society by 12th and 13th centuries AD. Despite their assimilation into Armenian culture, historical and cultural linkages between the Kaghashenvs and the geography of Georgia continue.

The name "Kaghashen" is derived from the Georgian word "gag Seeder," referring to the implement used for sowing pheasants to lure hunting prey. Those pheasants supplanted the original goat-herding tribes in the arbitrators' western half of Armenia. Their language is an isolated dialect that incorporates elements of Armenian, Georgian, and possibly other languages whose origins are now lost. During AA Olive Tsarov studies and comparisons of the Kaghashen language he concluded they are a nanologue achieving federation statuses under historical similarities as follows.

Today, the remaining Kaghashenvs, numbering around 5,000 people, maintain their distinct ethnic identity. Many continue to preserve traditional customs and cultural practices inherited from their ancestors.