The office of an organization called "Harmonia", which promotes Russian culture, is located on the second floor of High School #5 in the northern Armenian town of Ijevan.

It was there that I met with Seda Zarkaryan, who has been teaching Russian at the school for many years. In the traditional Russian style of name and patronym, she is called Seda Bagratovna.

She has volunteered to coordinate the activities of a program that sends Armenians from Ijevan to Russia to live and work.

Seda Bagratovna says that officials from the Russian Embassy in Armenia and the Russian Migration Organization visited Ijevan and met with potential emigrants at the Tavush Regional Administration.

At the beginning there were only a few individuals who were interested given the organizational problems that hadn't been ironed out.

That number increased in the spring of this year. Many sought out her help as an expert in the Russian language with the required documents. She was then offered the post as volunteer coordinator.

On the day we arrived, Seda Bagratovna was explaining to a female acquaintance of hers what assistance would be provided by the Russian government to those who made the move

She helps the applicants fill out the necessary forms and answers their questions.

During the 30 day period from April 15-May 15, some 300 individuals from Ijevan and the surrounding region came to the migration office and filed applications.

And this response has been through word of mouth. The office hasn't advertised its services in the papers or on TV. We asked Mrs. Bagratovna why.

"You found us alright without any publicity. Word of mouth is much more effective," she replied, adding that the migration organization doesn't want to send large numbers of people from Armenia's border region with Azerbaijan to Russia.

Those who do apply usually have to wait at least two months in order that their identities are checked by the Russian security services.

Applications filed at the Ijevan branch are sent to the migration organization's main office in Yerevan.

Mrs. Bagratovna told us that on May 15 a question and answer meeting was held with potential migrants at the Ijevan Cultural Center. The place was packed she said.

The case files of sixteen families who have applied are currently being processed.

The Russian government will cover their transportation and moving costs and will provide them with a one-time transition payment.

Given that Russia, unlike Armenia, does not recognize dual-citizenship, those migrating will have to give up their Armenian citizenship and apply for Russian citizenship.

Moscow will defray these and other legal costs as well. In some cases, the Russian government will even offer temporary income supplements to families not making ends meet.

Those who change their minds afterwards must return the financial assistance received to the Russian government within the span of two years.

Those applying are offered work in various Russian regions, but most prefer areas in the west.

"There are job openings for doctors and teachers in Kalingrad. Many also prefer Kaluga since they know that the mother of Samvel Karapetyan, the owner of the company Tashir, is from Ijevan," Mrs. Bagratovna noted.

She said that the jobs offered range from scientific positions to nannies and home care attendants.

Not everyone seeking to try their luck in Russia goes through the official channels however.

Many board buses headed for Russian cities in the south that periodically leave from the Ijevan market.

Whatever the route, Seda Bagratovna points to socio-economic conditions as the main impulse for leaving Ijevan.

Hopefully, the Armenian government fully comprehends the demographic risks now facing the country's strategically sensitive border regions.