Currently, Georgia is laying the historical foundation for a new interpretation of Russian-Georgian relations. In the direction of the main blow, a treaty was signed on June 24, 1783 in the city of Georgievsk, according to which Eastern Georgia - the Kartli-Kakheti kingdom - came under the protection of Russia as a protectorate, but while maintaining state sovereignty. A similar change of milestones began after E. Shevardnadze came to power as a result of a coup in December 1991 - January 1992 and is developing today.
The Georgian people are being taught that the Treaty of Georgievsk is a fatal mistake of the good-natured Georgian rulers, who trusted the treacherous Russian emperors, that from their northern neighbor Georgia always received only black ingratitude in response to kindness, and then lost any attributes of sovereignty. Mikheil Saakashvili is trying to create an image of a proud people, constantly subjected to deprivation and humiliation, but in the end freed from the Russian yoke and finding new and true friends.
Brief historical background
The Treaty of Georgievsk of 1783 is an agreement on the voluntary entry of the Kartli-Kakheti Kingdom (Eastern Georgia) under the protection of Russia.
In 1453, after the fall of Constantinople, Georgia was cut off from the entire Christian world, and a little later it was actually divided between Turkey and Iran. In the 16th - 18th centuries, it was the arena of the struggle between Iran and Turkey for dominance in Transcaucasia.
By the end of the 18th century, eastern Georgia was under Persian control.
During the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774, the Kartli-Kakheti and Imereti kingdoms opposed the Turks on the side of Russia. General Totleben's corps of 3,500 people was sent to help them. The victory of Russia over Turkey in 1774 significantly eased the situation of the Georgian lands subject to the Turks, and the payment of tribute to the Sultan by the Kingdom of Imereti was abolished.
On December 21, 1782, the Kartli-Kakheti king Irakli II turned to Catherine II with a request to accept Georgia under the protection of Russia.
The agreement was concluded on July 24 (August 4), 1783 in the Georgievsk fortress (North Caucasus) and signed on behalf of Russia by the general-in-chief, Prince Pavel Potemkin, on behalf of Georgia - by princes Ivan Bagration-Mukhransky and Garsevan Chavchavadze. On January 24, 1784, the treaty came into force...
The Georgian king recognized the “supreme power and patronage” of Russia, which in turn guaranteed the preservation of the territorial integrity of the possessions of Erekle II and his heirs...
Other Transcaucasian countries also sought to rely on Russia in the fight against Muslim Persia and Turkey. In 1803, Mingrelia came under Russian citizenship, in 1804 - Imereti and Guria, the Ganja Khanate and Dzharo Belokan region were also annexed, in 1805 - the Karabakh, Sheki and Shirvan khanates and the territory of Shirak, in 1806 - the khanates of Derbent, Kuba and Baku, in 1810 - Abkhazia, in 1813 - Talysh Khanate. Thus, within a short period of time, almost all of Transcaucasia became part of the Russian Empire.
There will be no complete answer to all these questions if we cannot understand the state of the Georgian people in the second half of the 18th century. The emergence of the Georgian state dates back to 487, when King Vakhtang I Gorgasal united Georgia politically and, with the consent of Byzantium, declared the Georgian church autocephalous. In the 12th and early 13th centuries, Georgia as a feudal state reached its highest development and became one of the most powerful powers in the region. The leading role in transforming Georgia into a strong state belonged to the Abkhazian kingdom. Abkhazian king Leon II at the end of the 8th century. moved the capital of the Abkhazian kingdom from Anakopia (Psyrdekh) to Kutaisi. “The city of Kutatisi (now Kutaisi) became the residence of the Abkhaz kings. Having subjugated the regions of not only Lazika itself, but also the Argvet region, the Abkhaz kings thereby embarked on the path of unifying not only Western Georgia, but also Georgia as a whole, since the Argvet region had always belonged to the Kartli (Iberian) kingdom... The new Western Georgian entity accepted name of the Abkhazian kingdom." Cultural, economic and political successes of the Abkhazian kingdom in the 8th-10th centuries. prepared the ground for annexing not only Kartli, but also part of Southern Georgia in Tao to their possessions, and thereby for the formation of a united Georgian kingdom at the end of the 10th - beginning of the 11th century.
But at the beginning of the 16th century, Georgia was divided into independent territories, hostile to each other and microstates (principalities) at war with each other - Kartli, Kakheti, Imereti, Guria, Abkhazia, Mingrelia, Svaneti and Samtskhe. In 1555, Türkiye and Persia divided the entire country between themselves without declaring war. Eastern Georgia fell under the rule of Persia, and Western Georgia (especially Abkhazia) came under Turkey.
Türkiye had a detrimental effect on the further economic development of Abkhazia, and in particular, on the cultural life of the Abkhaz people.
The first contact between Rus' and Georgia recorded by chroniclers dates back to the 70s of the 12th century, when Prince Yuri Andreevich, the son of the Suzdal prince Andrei Bogolyubsky and the grandson of the great Kyiv Yuri Dolgoruky, the husband of Queen Tamara, actually became the Georgian king. The Georgian king George III, concerned that he did not have a son-heir, made his daughter Tamara queen during his lifetime.
The Kakhetian prince Leon was the first to voluntarily turn to the Muscovite kingdom for protection in 1564 under Ivan the Terrible.
Under Peter I, one of his favorite friends and associates was the Imeretian prince Alexander. During Peter's lifetime, King Vakhtang of Kartli, overthrown from the throne by the Turks, moved with his entire family, at Peter's call, to Russia. Over 100 Georgians - princes, princes, warriors, and clergy - went to Russia with him.
The Georgian king Archil turned to Peter I with a request to help the Georgian press. “Tsar Peter ordered to immediately cast Georgian letters for printing, and the first printed books in the Georgian language came out of the Moscow state printing house. Then Russian craftsmen and teachers opened a printing house in the capital of Kartolinia - Tiflis. From the Russians they learned how to organize schools and icon painting.” (Russia under the scepter of the Romanovs. 1613-1913. St. Petersburg, 1912. - Reprint. - M.; Interbook, 1990, p. 165.)
During the reign of Catherine II, under the rule of one king, Erekle II, the two main Georgian kingdoms - Kartli and Kakheti - united. Imereti, Mingrelia and Guria paid the Turks annually shameful tribute: not only in money, but also in “live goods”, sending a certain number of girls. Kartli and Kakheti paid the same tribute to Persia.
Regularly repeated invasions of the Turks and Persians, as well as bloody internecine clashes among the scattered Georgian principalities, led to the fact that the Georgians, already small in number, were brought to the brink of physical extinction, or, at best, assimilation by the Muslim environment (Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan, mountainous Caucasian peoples). The king of Kartli and Kakheti, Irakli II, could barely field 10 thousand troops, poorly armed, completely untrained and not knowing any discipline. Therefore, Tsar Irakli II turned to Russia for help.
In accordance with the Treaty of Georgievsk, Russian military units were first stationed in Georgia in 1784 - “to preserve the possessions of Kartli and Kakheti from any touch from their neighbors and to reinforce the troops of His Grace Tsar Erekle II for defense.”
The text of the agreement, in particular, stated: “Any new ruler of Georgia can ascend the throne only with the consent of Russia; relations between Georgia and foreign states should take place under the supervision of the Russian representative in Tiflis; citizens of both countries have the same rights before the laws; Russia undertakes to keep a detachment of its troops in Tiflis.”
The Shah of Iran, Agha Mohammed Khan Qajar, sent his ambassadors to Heraclius II with a demand to break all relations with Russia. “Not only Aga Mohammed Khan, but even if all the Asian states went to war against us, I will not give up allegiance to Russia“, - this was the answer of the Georgian king to the Persians. (Abashidze G. Decree. Op. P. 172)
The acceptance of Georgia under Russian protectorate set Persia and Turkey against Russia. “Persia, which was losing its long-time vassal in the person of the Georgian king, protested openly and even gathered troops, but Turkey, which had no reason to clearly interfere in our relations with Georgia, resorted to its usual method - to raise the Caucasian peoples against us. The Kabardians, who had recently experienced the power of Russian weapons, did not accept the Turkish emissaries, but the Chechens rebelled almost without exception.” (Potto V.A. Two centuries of the Terek Cossacks (1577-1801). T.2 P.145. Vladikavkaz. 1912. - Reprint. - Stavropol, 1991.
On September 11, 1995, Shah Agha Mohamed Khan captured Tiflis, and “the entire East trembled from the horrors that accompanied the capture of the capital of Iveria. In a flourishing city, turned into a heap of ruins, no stone was left unturned; Most of the inhabitants were slaughtered in the most barbaric manner, and the rest, numbering 22 thousand souls, were taken into slavery.” (Ibid. pp. 204-205)
All churches were desecrated or destroyed, the Georgian Metropolitan Dosifei was thrown from the bridge into the Kura River.
To this day, Georgian authors sharply reproach Russia for not providing assistance during the invasion of 1795. According to Georgiy Abashidze, the real threat of an attack by Agha Mohamed Khan, enraged by Georgia’s political orientation towards Russia, arose earlier: in 1792, Irakli II first turned to Catherine II with a request for military assistance in the hope of fulfilling their obligations in accordance with the Treaty of Georgievsk.
Why didn’t Russia provide assistance to Georgia in 1795?
Firstly, a difficult war with Turkey has just ended. Secondly, a significant part of the Russian troops remained in Poland. Simultaneously with the Turkish war, there was a war with the Swedes. Third, Austria withdrew from its alliance with Russia and made peace with the Turks, while England and Prussia negotiated an armed alliance with Poland against Russia. Fourthly, the formidable shadow of Napoleon Bonaparte has already loomed on the western borders of Russia. All these factors give reason to consider Russia’s position to be constrained.
Another important circumstance was that Georgia could not then support the Russian troops allied to it. “Under Catherine the Great, Russian troops were sent to Georgia twice; but the internal unrest there was so strong that King Heraclius could not collect food supplies even for several battalions, and King Solomon of Imereti, instead of the promised abundant supplies, delivered only a few bulls to feed the Russian army. The army had to be recalled, but nevertheless, under an agreement with Russia, Turkey was forced to refuse the shameful tribute of people from Georgian lands. This was the first relief wrested for Georgia by the weapons of fellow believer Russia.” (Russia under the scepter of the Romanovs S.168).
In fact, the treaty was in force in the fall of 1795. On September 4, 1795, Catherine ordered “to reinforce Tsar Heraclius, as a Russian vassal, against hostile attempts on his life, stipulated by the treaty with them with two full battalions of infantry.”
After 8 days, Tbilisi was destroyed by the troops of Agha-Magomed Khan. General Gudovich received the Empress's order only on October 1.
By 1795, Agha Mohammed Khan had just managed to unite Iran and defeat his rivals, and the question arose of returning Georgia to Iran, which had actually separated from it after the signing of the Treaty of Georgievsk.
“At the repeated requests of Tsar Irakli, in April 1796, Russia sent the 13,000-strong Caspian Corps under the command of Lieutenant General V. A. Zubov from Kizlyar to the Azerbaijani provinces of Iran. On May 10, Derbent was taken by storm, and on June 15, Baku and Cuba were occupied without a fight. In November, Russian troops reached the confluence of the Kura and Araks rivers. However, on November 6, 1796, Catherine died. Only a small detachment of General Rimsky-Korsakov remained in Georgia, which was recalled at the beginning of 1797.”
If the events in Tbilisi in the summer of 1795 may raise questions for Russia, then Russia’s accusation that Emperor Alexander I, as the Tbilisi newspaper “Sakartvelos Republic” (Republic of Georgia) reported in 2006, quoting I. Javakhishvili, “trampled on the treatise , abolishing the kingdom in Georgia and completing its annexation” is controversial. There are historical facts and they cannot be thrown aside if they do not fit into someone’s ahistorical scheme.
In 1797, two years after the defeat of Tbilisi, an envoy from the Georgian king arrived in St. Petersburg to assure Emperor Paul of the king's devotion to Georgia and ask for help and protection.
George XII asked the Emperor of the Russian Empire to accept Georgia (Kartli-Kakheti Kingdom) into Russia: He feared that the Georgian princes would start an internecine struggle, as a result of which Georgia would be conquered by Persia. Therefore, George XII wanted his son, David XII Georgievich, to take the throne after his death.
It should be noted that the accession to the throne of George XII was marked by a new onslaught of intra-feudal reaction. The king's brothers, incited by their mother, the queen Darejana, forced George XII to approve the order of succession to the throne, according to which the throne passed to the eldest in the family. Thus, the prince became the heir to the throne Yulon, son of Heraclius. George XII soon abolished the new order of succession to the throne. As a result of this, irreconcilable enmity arose between the king and his brothers. Those dissatisfied with George began to group around the princes. The royal court was divided into two camps; The split took on an extremely dangerous character in the context of the political crisis the country was experiencing.
George XII and the diplomats who took his side sensibly assessed the situation created in the state; they understood that the only way to prevent civil strife in the country was armed assistance from Russia, in the amount necessary to ensure the external and internal security of the Kartli-Kakheti Kingdom. George XII decided to persistently seek from the Russian government the fulfillment of the obligations assumed under the treaty of 1783.
In April 1799 Emperor Paul I renewed the agreement on patronage with the king of Kartli and Kakheti. In the autumn, Russian troops arrived in Georgia.
From a letter from the last king of Kartli-Kakheti, George XII, to his ambassador Garsevan Chavchavadze dated September 7, 1799:
“Give them my entire kingdom and my possession, as a sincere and righteous sacrifice, and offer it not only under the protection of the highest Russian imperial throne, but also leave it completely to their power and care, so that from now on the kingdom of the Kartlosians will be considered to belong to the Russian state with the same rights enjoyed by other regions located in Russia ».
Emperor Paul I ordered the immediate dispatch of the 17th Jaeger Regiment to Tiflis to defend Georgia under the command of General I.P. Lazarev “to remain in it forever.”
On November 26, 1799, Russian troops entered Tbilisi. George XII met Russian troops three kilometers from Tbilisi.
The day after General Lazarev arrived in Tbilisi, November 27, 1799 A meeting of the highest clergy and nobility of Georgia took place. The ambassador of Emperor Paul I solemnly announced that the All-Russian autocrat was taking Georgia under his patronage and protection, and King George XII was establishing himself on the throne. On behalf of Paul, the Georgian king was presented with a diploma, a royal crown, porphyry and a banner with the image of a Russian double-headed eagle. George XII took the oath of allegiance to the Emperor of Russia.
First, the 17th Jaeger (later Life Grenadier Erivan) Regiment of Major General Ivan Lazarev marched to Tiflis, and a little later the Kabardian Infantry Regiment of Major General Vasily Gulyakov.
The feudal reaction that was raging in the country was ready, for the sake of personal interests, to agree to any agreement with Georgia’s age-old enemies - Turkey and Iran. It was clear to supporters of Tsar George XII that the assistance provided for by the treaty of 1783 was clearly insufficient to curb feudal anarchy and ensure the external security of Georgia, and George XII, firmly adhering to the Russian orientation, began to revise the points of the Treaty of Georgievsk.
In the note presented June 24, 1800 The Georgian ambassador in St. Petersburg, the king of Kartli and Kakheti proposed to retain only the right of limited autonomous self-government for Kartli and Kakheti, subject to the preservation of the royal throne by George XII and his heirs. The king of Kartli and Kakheti agreed to submit to the authority of the Russian emperor not only in matters of foreign policy, but also in the field of internal administration.
In St. Petersburg, the Georgian embassy on June 24, 1800 handed over to the Collegium of Foreign Affairs a draft document on citizenship. The first point read: Tsar George XII “zealously desires with his descendants, the clergy, nobles and all the people subject to him to one day forever accept citizenship of the Russian Empire, promising to sacredly fulfill everything that the Russians do.”
At an audience on November 14, 1800, Count Rostopchin and S.L. Lashkarev announced to the Georgian ambassadors that Emperor Paul I accepted the Tsar and the entire Georgian people into eternal citizenship and agreed to satisfy all the requests of George XII, “but not otherwise than when one of the envoys will go back to Georgia to announce to the tsar and people there the consent of the Russian emperor, and when the Georgians again declare by letter their desire to become Russian citizens.”
November 23, 1800 Emperor gave a rescript addressed to George XII, about the acceptance of his kingdom into Russian citizenship, he further wrote:
« “We accepted what was revealed to us with our highest royal favor and also honored our most merciful approval of your petitions to accept you into Our citizenship.”
December 22, 1800 Emperor Paul I signed a manifesto on the annexation of Georgia to Russia.
The Georgian ambassadors read out the “petition clauses” that declared David XII temporary ruler of the country until he was confirmed as king by the Russian emperor.
On November 7 of the same year, two Russian regiments under the command of General Lazarev, together with Georgian detachments near the village of Kakabeti, on the banks of the Iori River, inflicted a severe defeat on the troops (15 thousand) of the Avar Khan Omar, who had his son, who had invaded Georgia. Irakli, Tsarevich Alexander.
Time after time, the mountaineers rushed into desperate attacks, trying to crush the detachment that stood in their way, but rifle volleys and grapeshot constantly drove back the enemy. Up to 2 thousand highlanders fell in battle, Omar himself received a serious wound and soon died.
When, incited by the former masters of Georgia, the Persians, a huge horde of Lezgins rushed into Georgia for the usual robbery, 700 people of the Russian infantry of General Lazarev familiarized the Lezgins with Russian bayonet fighting. Supported by 1000 Georgian militia horsemen, they crushed the Lezgin cavalry and put it to flight.
At the end of 1800, Tsar George XII became seriously ill. During his illness, supreme power gradually passed into the hands of the plenipotentiary minister of the Russian government under the Georgian tsar, Kovalensky, and the commander of the Russian troops in Georgia, General Lazarev. During this tense time, which required the unification of all the living forces of the country, the comrades-in-arms of the princes pretending to the royal throne, even during the life of George XII, began a fierce internecine struggle that threatened the existence of the Kartli-Kakheti kingdom.
George XII was promised to retain the right of king for the rest of his life. However, after his death, the Russian government intended to approve David XII Georgievich as governor-general with the title of tsar, and to classify Georgia among the Russian provinces under the name of the kingdom of Georgia.
In the 30-50s of the 19th century. Georgians settled scores with their neighbors who had long been at enmity with them, taking an active part in the Caucasian War against Chechnya and Dagestan on the side of Russian troops. In 1944, the Georgian Lavrentiy Beria carried out a lightning-fast operation to evict the Chechens and Ingush to Central Asia and Kazakhstan. Then the Georgian Joseph Stalin changed the Borders of the Georgian SSR, to whose territory the lands of the mountain republics of the North Caucasus were “added”.
The Georgian SSR included part of the abolished Karachay Autonomous Region and the Kabardian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.
What was Georgia like before it was annexed to Russia in 1801?
The Russian ambassador reported to St. Petersburg from Georgia that “73 members of the ruling dynasty, including six brothers and eight sons of Tsar George XII, constitute mutually warring parties and “ constantly stir up civil strife and put pressure on the people, tormenting an already devastated country».
(The death of King George XII and the transfer of power to David XII in December 1800 aggravated the situation in the country. Queen Darejan (widow of Heraclius II) and her sonscategorically refused to recognize the authority of Prince David XII , as well as the annexation of Georgia to Russia.
After the death of Paul I, the decree was confirmed by Alexander I on September 12, 1801. The Georgian nobility did not recognize the decree until April 1802, when Knorring gathered everyone in the Zion Cathedral in Tbilisi and forced them to take an oath to the Russian throne. Those who refused were arrested.
In the summer of 1802, Alexander I appointed a relative of Queen Mariam, wife of George XII, Pavel Tsitsianov (Tsitsishvili), as Commander-in-Chief of Georgia. The consolidation of the new government, according to P. Tsitsianov and Emperor Alexander I himself, was hampered by the presence of numerous Georgian princes in their homeland. Therefore, Alexander I sent letters to queens Darejan and Mariam inviting them to move to St. Petersburg. However, members of the Kartli-Kakheti royal house did not agree to leave their homeland. In April 1803, General Lazarev arrived at the palace of Queen Mariam with the aim of arresting and deporting her. The queen killed the general with a dagger, for which she was exiled to Voronezh. Until 1805, all Georgian princes were also sent to Russia, most of whom settled in St. Petersburg, living on a pension assigned by the emperor, engaged only in scientific and literary activities.)
Despite all the costs, life in Georgia, after its inclusion in Russia, as well as in the Caucasus as a whole, became safe for the peoples living here. Famous English traveler Harold Buxton confirmed this in his book “Travel and Policy of Russia in Transcaucasia and Armenia” (1914): “What the Russians have done here over the last century is a matter of enormous scale. Thanks to the peace they established here, the population increased, culture developed, and rich cities and villages arose. Russian officials do not show cruelty and arrogance towards the tribes they rule, so characteristic of our officials.”
Just like in chess, when sacrificing a piece in the opening, one gets a winning position in the future, so Georgia, having sacrificed its sovereignty at the beginning of the 19th century, by the end of the 20th century, thanks to being part of Russia and the USSR, was able to save itself as a people from complete assimilation or total extermination. And ultimately, having gained vitality under the protection of Russian weapons, as a union republic, it formed the basis for state education.
On August 4 (July 24, Old Style), 1783, an agreement was concluded in the Georgievsk fortress, securing the transition of Georgia to the protectorate of the Russian Empire.
“In the early 80s of the 18th century, Russia actually annexed the Crimean Khanate and began to mobilize forces for domination in the Black Sea basin. Her circle of interests also included the Caucasus. Türkiye and Iran also sought dominance in the South Caucasus. Among them, Russia had a clear advantage, since it was a stronger state. Neither Türkiye nor Iran could resist it. Irakli II understood all this perfectly and tried to use the situation to the benefit of Georgia. It was dangerous to pursue an overt pro-Russian policy, since despite the weakening power of Turkey and Iran, they still had enough power to deal a serious blow to Georgia, especially since Georgia was in a dire situation. In such conditions, she needed a strong patron. An alliance with Iran or Turkey - Georgia's eternal enemies - was ruled out. There was no hope for help from European countries. There was only Russia left. Taking Georgia under its protection meant for Russia to have a foothold in the south of the Caucasus. Moreover, she could easily pass the Caucasus ridge. Mutual interest was evident, but Russia wanted to present the matter as if the initiator of the treaty was Irakli II. Therefore, on December 21, 1782, Irakli II officially asked Catherine II to take the kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti under her protection. The draft agreement was approved by both parties. On July 24, 1783, in the Russian military fortress in the North Caucasus Georgievsk, an agreement (treaty) was signed between Russia and Georgia. The treaty was signed by Pavel Potemkin on the Russian side and Ioane Mukhranbatoni and Garsevan Chavchavadze on the Georgian side.
Treaty of Georgievsk
On July 24, 1783, in the fortress of St. George, an Agreement was signed on the recognition of the patronage and supreme power of Russia by the king of Kartalin and Kakheti, Heraclius II (Georgievsky Treaty). On its basis, the Georgian king Irakli II recognized the patronage of Russia and abandoned an independent foreign policy, pledging to serve Russia with his troops. For her part, Empress Catherine II vouched for the preservation of the integrity of the possessions of Heraclius II and provided Orthodox Georgia with complete autonomy and at the same time protection. The Treaty of Georgievsk sharply weakened the positions and policies of the heterodox states of Iran and Turkey in Transcaucasia, destroying their constant claims to Eastern Georgia.
The preamble to the treaty states:
In the name of the Almighty God, One and Holy One in the Trinity, glorified.
From ancient times, the All-Russian Empire, in common faith with the Georgian peoples, served as protection, help and refuge for those peoples and their most illustrious rulers against the oppression to which they were subjected from their neighbors. The patronage granted by all Russian autocrats to the Georgian kings, their family and subjects, produced that dependence of the latter on the former, which is especially evident from the Russian-imperial title itself. H.I.V., now reigning safely, has sufficiently expressed her royal benevolence towards these peoples and her magnanimous providence for their good through her strong efforts made to deliver them from the yoke of slavery and from the blasphemous tribute of the youths and young women, which some of these peoples they were obliged to give, and as a continuation of their royal contempt for their rulers. In this very disposition, condescending to the petitions brought to her throne from the most illustrious king of Kartal and Kakheti, Irakli Teimurazovich, to accept him with all his heirs and successors and with all his kingdoms and regions into the royal patronage of H.V. and her high heirs and successors, with the recognition of the supreme power of the All-Russian emperors over the kings of Kartal and Kakheti, she most mercifully wanted to establish and conclude a friendly treaty with the said most illustrious king, through which, on the one hand, his lordship, in the name of himself and his successors, recognizing the supreme power and patronage of e.i.v. and her high successors over the rulers and peoples of the kingdoms of Kartalin and Kakheti and other regions belonging to them, would have marked in a solemn and precise manner their obligations in the consideration of the All-Russian Empire; and on the other hand, e.i.v. In this way she could solemnly commemorate the advantages and benefits from her generous and strong right hand that are bestowed on the aforementioned peoples and their most illustrious rulers. To conclude such an agreement e.i.v. deigned to authorize the Most Serene Prince of the Roman Empire, Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin, the troops of his general-in-chief, commanding the light cavalry, regular and irregular, and many other military forces, the senator, the state military board of the vice-president, the Astrakhan, Saratov, Azov and Novorossiysk sovereign governor, his general- adjutant and actual chamberlain, cavalry guard corps lieutenant, life guards Preobrazhensky regiment lieutenant colonel, chief commander of the armory chamber, holder of the orders of St. Apostle Andrew, Alexander Nevsky, military St. Great Martyr George and St. Equal to the Apostles Prince Vladimir of large crosses; the royal Prussian Black and Polish White Eagles and St. Stanislaus, the Swedish Seraphim, the Danish Elephant and the Holstin St. Anne, with the power, in his absence, to elect and provide with full power from himself, whomever he judges for the good, who accordingly elected and authorized the excellent Mr. from the army e.i.v. lieutenant general, commander of troops in the Astrakhan province, e.i.v. the actual chamberlain and orders of the Russian St. Alexander Nevsky, the military great martyr and victorious George and the Holstein St. Anne cavalier Pavel Potemkin, and his lordship the Kartalin and Kakheti king Irakli Teimurazovich elected and authorized for his part their lordships his general from the left hand of Prince Ivan Konstantinovich Bagration and His Grace Adjutant General Prince Garsevan Chavchavadzev. The aforementioned plenipotentiaries, having begun with the help of God and exchanging mutual powers, according to their strength, decided, concluded and signed the following articles. (...)
Originally signed :
Pavel Potemkin. Prince Ivan Bagration. Prince Garsevan Chavchavadzev.
It was confirmed with seals and signatures: “ This agreement is made for eternity, but if anything is deemed necessary to apply or add for mutual benefit, it will take place by mutual agreement».
The signing of the Treaty of Georgievsk was followed by a chain of important historical events. By order of P.S. Potemkin, for communication with Georgia, the Georgian Military Road was built through the Cross Pass. The road, which was built by 800 soldiers, was opened in the fall of 1783, and the prince himself drove along it to Teflis. To protect the road from attacks by the Ingush, the Vladikavkaz fortress was founded in 1784, and Ossetia became part of Russia.
In 1791, at the request of Russia, Türkiye renounced its claims to Georgia. This became one of the conditions for signing the Treaty of Iasi, after the next Russian-Turkish war.
The example of Irakli II was followed by other rulers of Transcaucasia. The rulers of Armenia in 1783 also asked for protection. In 1801, Western Georgia joined the treaty.
The Treaty of Georgievsk declared itself in 1795, when the large army of the Iranian Shah Agha Mohamed Khan invaded Georgia. At first, Russia managed to send only two battalions of soldiers with four guns to help Irakli II. Georgian and Russian troops were unable to stop the aggressor, who captured Tbilisi, plundered and destroyed it, and took the survivors into slavery. In response, Russia declared war on Iran and launched a “Persian campaign” into its Azerbaijani provinces. In 1796, Russian troops occupied the entire Caspian coast from Derbent to Baku and Shamakhi.
Armenia was also subjected to aggression from Iran. The consequence of this was the resettlement of a large number of Armenians to the Caucasian line in 1797.
Following the traditions established by the Treaty of Georgievsk, in 1802 a congress of the rulers of the Caucasus was held in Georgievsk, which was attended by representatives of the mountain peoples.
In 1984, a memorial sign was unveiled on Goriyskaya Street in Georgievsk in honor of the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Georgievsk. The authors of the monument are a creative group of Georgian architects: N.N. Chkhenkeli, A.A. Bakhtadze, I.G. Zaalishvili.
St. Nicholas Church in Georgievsk, where in 1783 a prayer service was solemnly served in honor of the signing of the Treaty of Georgievsk. It was performed by the Georgian Archimandrite Gayoz with two regimental priests.
The walls of the temple remember many famous people who visited it: Pushkin, Lermontov, Ermolov. In 1837, Tsar Nicholas I attended mass here.
Material used: georgievsk.info
rusidea.org
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The treatise contained 13 points:
1. The King of Kartli-Kakheti declares that neither he nor his heirs recognize any other supreme ruler and patron other than Russia.
2. The Russian Emperor and his heirs accept Georgia under their permanent protection.
3. Upon ascending the throne, each new king of Georgia had to immediately inform the emperor about this and receive royal regalia (signs) from him.
4. Tsar Irakli and his heirs had to coordinate correspondence with foreign states with Russia.
5. King Heraclius was supposed to have his representative in Russia, just as Russia did in Kartli-Kakheti.
6. Russia pledged not to interfere in the internal affairs of the kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti.
7. The King of Kartli-Kakheti, if necessary, was obliged to provide assistance to Russia with troops. When promoting a person, Irakli had to take into account the merits of this person to Russia.
8. The Catholicos of Georgia became a member of the Russian Synod and took eighth place among the bishops of Russia.
9. Georgian princes and aznaurs were equal to Russian princes and nobles.
10. Georgians have the right to move to Russia. Georgians released from captivity can, at their discretion, remain in Russia or return to their homeland.
11. Georgian merchants enjoy the same rights in Russia as Russian merchants and vice versa.
12. The contract is concluded for a permanent period.
13. Ratification of the treaty will take place within 6 months.
At the same time, four separate (secret) points were approved:
1. King Heraclius must establish normal, peaceful relations with Solomon I. In case of disagreements among themselves, the kings had to turn to Russia.
2. Russia was supposed to send two battalions and four guns to Georgia.
3. In the event of war, the commander of the “Caucasian Line” pledged to take all measures to protect Georgia from the enemy.
4. Russia pledged to take care to return to Georgia the lands seized by its enemies.
On January 24, 1784, the treaty’s instrument of ratification was signed by Heraclius II. The document was also signed by Catherine II. Thus, the treaty was ratified.
Tsar Irakli II hoped, with the help of Russia, to strengthen royal power and stop the predatory raids of the Lezgins. Having reliable protection from Iran and Turkey, the king intended to unite Georgia.
Georgia's Muslim neighbors greeted the conclusion of the Russian-Georgian Treaty with alarm. Soon anxiety was replaced by aggression. Georgia's opponents saw firsthand that Tsar Heraclius was an ally of Russia. The appearance of Russia in the south of the Caucasus caused discontent not only in Turkey and Iran, but also in large European countries – England and France.”
Quoted from: Vachnadze M., Guruli V., Bakhtadze M. History of Georgia (from ancient times to the present day)
“The reign of Emperor Paul was the first and unsuccessful attempt to solve problems that had come into play since the end of the 18th century. His successor pursued new principles in both foreign and domestic policy much more thoughtfully and consistently.
The phenomena of foreign policy are developing extremely consistently from the international position of Russia, which developed during the 18th century from the time of Peter the Great. These phenomena are so closely related to each other that I will review them before the last Turkish war, 1877-1878, without distinguishing between reigns. In continuation of the 18th century. Russia is almost completing its long-standing desire to become part of natural ethnographic and geographical boundaries. This endeavor was completed at the beginning of the 19th century. the acquisition of the entire eastern coast of the Baltic Sea, the annexation of Finland with the Åland Islands under the treaty with Sweden in 1809, the advancement of the western border, the annexation of the Kingdom of Poland, according to the act of the Congress of Vienna, and the southwestern border, the annexation of Bessarabia under the Treaty of Bucharest in 1812. But, as soon as the state became its natural borders, Russia's foreign policy bifurcated: it pursues different aspirations in the Asian, eastern and European southwest.
The difference in these tasks is explained mainly by the dissimilarity of the geographical conditions and the historical environment that Russia encountered when it reached its natural borders, in the east and in the southwest. The Russian borders in the east were not sharply defined or closed: in many places they were open; Moreover, beyond these borders there were no dense political societies that, by their density, would have restrained the further spread of Russian territory. That is why Russia soon had to step beyond natural boundaries and delve deeper into the steppes of Asia. This step was taken by her partly against her own will. According to the Treaty of Belgrade in 1739, Russia's possessions in the southeast reached the Kuban; Russian Cossack settlements have long existed on the Terek. Thus, having positioned itself on the Kuban and Terek, Russia found itself in front of the Caucasus ridge. At the end of the 18th century, the Russian government did not even think about crossing this ridge, having neither the means nor the desire to do so; but beyond the Caucasus, among the Mohammedan population, several Christian principalities vegetated, which, sensing the proximity of the Russians, began to turn to them for protection. Back in 1783, the Georgian king Heraclius, pressed by Persia, surrendered to the protection of Russia; Catherine was forced to send a Russian regiment beyond the Caucasus ridge, to Tiflis. With her death, the Russians left Georgia, where the Persians invaded, devastating everything, but Emperor Paul was forced to support the Georgians and in 1799 recognized the successor of Heraclius George XII as the king of Georgia. This George, dying, bequeathed Georgia to the Russian emperor, and in 1801, willy-nilly, he had to accept the will. The Georgians worked hard to ensure that the Russian emperor accepted them under his authority. The Russian regiments, having returned to Tiflis, found themselves in an extremely difficult situation: communication with Russia was possible only through the Caucasus ridge, inhabited by wild mountain tribes; Russian troops were cut off from the Caspian and Black Seas by native possessions, of which some Mohammedan khanates in the east were under the protection of Persia, others, small principalities in the west, were under the protectorate of Turkey. For safety, it was necessary to break through both to the east and to the west. The Western principalities were all Christian, that is, Imereti, Mingrelia and Guria along the Rion. Following the example of Georgia, and one after another they recognized, like her, the supreme power of Russia - Imereti (Kutais) under Solomon in 1802; Mingrelia (under Dadian) in 1804; Guria (Ozurgeti) in 1810. These annexations brought Russia into conflict with Persia, from which it had to conquer numerous khanates dependent on it - Shemakha, Nukha, Baku, Erivan, Nakhichevan and others. This clash caused two wars with Persia, ending with the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813 and the Treaty of Turkmanchay in 1828. But as soon as the Russians stood on the Caspian and Black Sea shores of Transcaucasia, they naturally had to secure their rear by conquering the mountain tribes. From the moment of the appropriation of Georgia, this long conquest of the Caucasus begins, ending in our memory. Based on population composition, the Caucasus Range is divided into two halves - western and eastern. The western one, facing the Black Sea, is inhabited by Circassians; eastern, facing the Caspian Sea, by Chechens and Lezgins. Since 1801, the struggle with both has begun. Previously, the Eastern Caucasus was conquered by the conquest of Dagestan in 1859; in the following years the conquest of the Western Caucasus was completed. The end of this struggle can be considered 1864, when the last independent Circassian villages submitted.”
Irakli II, king of Kartli and Kakheti, letter to Catherine II:
Most Serene, Most Sovereign Great Empress Empress Ekaterina Alekseevna, All-Russian Autocrat, Most Gracious Empress.
We have waited for these most prosperous times, in which the great mercy of your imperial majesty shone over us, our thoughts, brought to despondency by various secular events, and our withered bones were resurrected, having received the decree of your imperial majesty, which is filled with your royal mercies, your majesty deigned to grant the order of the blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky to your slave, my son George, for which we, your slaves together with my surname, to the throne of your imperial majesty, with our deepest respect, dare to offer our deepest gratitude with a bow to the ground.
Moreover, Your Imperial Majesty deigned to command that our affairs and our borders be presented to Your Majesty through His Grace General Potemkin, and we accepted such your most merciful command with due obedience and consider it an indescribable happiness both for our family and for our regions.
Your Imperial Majesty, with your most sanctified thoughts, I most humbly ask you to recognize your servants me and my children as such your most faithful slaves, who at all times, according to your highest and most merciful commands, are ready and in submission and wish, if possible, to render their services as diligently as own life.
By order of your Imperial Majesty, we most humbly dared to present both our previous petitions and the current one to the most merciful court through your Serene Highness Prince General Potemkin, so that they could be conveyed to your Imperial Majesty through heaven, and therefore, most merciful empress, I most humbly dare to ask, if anything is in our most humble petitions deign to see not by your highest permission, then do not deprive us of your royal mercies, and may we, your servants, remain under your most merciful protection without change.
Your Majesty
the most humble slave Heraclius
Quoted from: TsGVIA USSR, f. 52, on. 1/194, d. 20, part 6, pp. 32-33 rev. Translation from Georgian, modern to the original. Original: same thing, ll. 18-18rpm
Diplomatic Dictionary
GEORGE TREATISE 1783
the transfer of Georgia under the protection of Russia was concluded on 4. VIII in the Georgievsk fortress. Constant danger from the east (Iran) and west (Turkey) threatened the national existence of Georgia, and the only way out of this situation, the king of Kartali and Kakheti Irakli II considered strengthening the old political and cultural ties with Russia. In an effort to strengthen her position in Transcaucasia, Catherine II provided the book. G.A. Potemkin(see) broad powers to conclude an agreement with King Heraclius. Princes were appointed as representatives from the Georgian side. I.K. Bagration and Prince. G. R. Chavchavadze.
According to the Civil Code, Heraclius renounced vassal dependence on Iran or any other power and pledged for himself and for his successors not to recognize any other authority over himself than that of the Russian emperors. For the convenience of relations, a Georgian minister should be in St. Petersburg, and a Russian minister or resident in Tbilisi. Heraclius undertook, without prior communication with the Russian border authorities and without advice from the Russian minister accredited to him, not to enter into any relations with the “neighboring authorities.” A separate article guaranteed the protection and safety of Russian subjects. For her part, Catherine II vouched for the integrity of the possessions of Heraclius II, promised to protect Georgia from any enemy attacks and consider its enemies her own enemies. Georgian subjects were given the same rights as Russians to trade, move and settle on Russian territory. The Catholicos remained at the head of the Georgian diocese with the rights of a 1st class bishop. Four secret articles supplemented the treatise. According to them, the Russian government pledged to maintain two infantry battalions with 4 guns in Georgia and, in the event of war, to increase the number of its troops. At the same time, the Georgians were strongly advised to maintain unity and avoid internecine strife, for which Heraclius had to eliminate all misunderstandings with the Imeretian king Solomon.
In 1801 the final annexation of Georgia to Russia took place.
Literature: Agreement made between her imp. great. and the king of Kartalin and Kakheti Irakli II. Full collection zak. Ross. imp. T. XXI. St. Petersburg 1830. pp. 1013-1017. -Charterates and other historical documents dating back to Georgia. T. 2. Ed. A. A. Tsagareli. St. Petersburg Vol. 1. 1898. pp. 99-110. Vol. 2. 1902. pp. 32-41. - Burnashev, S. D. A picture of Georgia or a description of the political state of the kingdoms of Kartalin and Kakheti. Tiflis. 1896. IV, 24 p. - Butkov, P. G. Materials for the new history of the Caucasus from 1722 to 1803. Part 2. St. Petersburg. 1869. 602 s-Dubrovin, N. History of war and Russian rule in the Caucasus. T. 2. St. Petersburg. 1886. XVIII, 318 p. - Kishmishev, S.I. The last years of the Georgian kingdom. Tiflis. 1898. II, 113 p. - Markova, O. Annexation of Georgia to Russia in 1801. "Marxist historian". 1940. No. 3. P. 5 7-91. - History of Georgia, part I. Ed. S. Janashia. Tbilisi 1946. 454 p.
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Background
After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Georgia found itself cut off from the entire Christian world, and a little later actually divided between Turkey and Iran, and survived by maneuvering between these two states. She managed to achieve an acceptable and sometimes even a privileged position within these states, but the religious barrier was an insurmountable obstacle to final integration. At this time, hope for Russian help gradually formed. The first attempts at rapprochement took place back in the 17th century, but without serious consequences. The first real attempt at a long-term alliance with Russia occurred in the era of Peter I.
Iranian War of 1722
In 1720, A. Volynsky was appointed governor of Astrakhan. He was instructed to persuade the Georgian king Vakhtang to side with Russia. Persia was going through a period of crisis and Peter was preparing his Persian campaign. Already in 1721, negotiations began on joint actions. For Russia, the Georgian army was only an auxiliary force, but, apparently, Volynsky promised Vakhtang a lot, almost a permanent alliance and patronage, which was so desired in Georgia. Impressed by these promises, Vakhtang decides to break off relations with Persia.
But something happened that was not expected in Georgia - Peter canceled the campaign.
The consequences were tragic. The Shah declared Vakhtang outlawed, the Dagestan [ ] the crowds ravaged Tbilisi . Taking advantage of this, the Turkish army occupied Kartli and Kakheti. The Turkish occupation lasted until 1734.
Turkish War 1768-1774
In the 20s, clergy and entire classes sent requests for help to the Russian government, but without consequences. At one time, the idea arose to resettle Georgians to the North Caucasus (to the Terek), but this proposal was not accepted. In Georgia they could not understand Russia’s pragmatic policy, and, in spite of everything, they believed in its help. A legend even arose that Peter indicated in his will: “Georgia is unhappy, defend it for the sake of faith, send her an army...”, but the intrigues of the courtiers prevented his will from being fulfilled.
The situation changed when the Russo-Turkish War approached. At one of the meetings of the Council, it was decided to raise the entire Christian population of the Balkans, Greece and Georgia against Turkey. The Collegium of Foreign Affairs compiled “a discussion on the ways in which Georgians can be inclined to accept participation in the present Ottoman war with the Porte.” Thus began the second attempt at rapprochement, which failed, but became the first step towards the Treaty of Georgievsk.
Sending Totleben's expeditionary force to Georgia, Panin explained to the general the essence of the upcoming war: “the soul would be local, but the body would be Georgian.” The joint campaign project was doomed to failure from the very beginning: it was impossible to coordinate the actions of the regular Russian and irregular Georgian armies. Despite a number of victories, Catherine II was generally dissatisfied with the results. In Georgia they hoped that it would at least be mentioned during peace negotiations with Turkey - then it was called “include in the treaty.” But this was not done either. The Kuchuk-Kainardzhi Treaty, concluded on July 20, 1774, did not mention a word about the Kakheti and Kartli kingdoms. (The words “Georgia” in paragraph 23 of the treatise mean its Western, vassal part of Turkey). Having recognized the vassal dependence of the West. Georgia (Imereti) from the Ottoman Empire, thereby Russia prevented the reunification of Georgia into a single state, and the union treaty of the kings (kings) of Kartl-Kakheti Erekle (Irakli) II and Imereti Solomon I of 1773 remained unfulfilled.
Even during the stay of Russian troops in Georgia, shortly before their recall, Tsar Irakli II sent Catherine a written representation about the conditions under which he wished to enter under the protection of Russia. With this document he sent his son Levan and his brother, Catholicos Anthony. He asked “to honor us now with such patronage so that everyone ... can see that I am an exact subject of the Russian state, and my kingdom has been added to the Russian Empire.” Irakli proposed those forms of dependence that previously had dependence on Iran. He offered to send one of his sons, several princes and nobles to the Russian court as a hostage. The population pays the Empire 70 kopecks per yard, annually sends 14 of the best horses, 2,000 buckets of wine, and also supplies soldiers to Russia. It was from this “idea” that the St. George’s treatise was subsequently formed.
The offer was rejected. On February 8, 1773, Panin reported this to Irakli (“strange and completely out of time proposals,” he wrote). In 1774, Catherine reported in a letter that military assistance to Georgia was currently unprofitable, although she promised to demand guarantees from Turkey for the security of Georgia [ ] .
Conclusion of an agreement
Commemorative medal, 1790
According to the agreement, Tsar Irakli II recognized the patronage of Russia and partially renounced an independent foreign policy, pledging to serve the Russian Empress with his troops. Catherine II, for her part, acted as a guarantor of the independence and integrity of the territories of Kartli-Kakheti. Georgia was granted complete internal independence. The parties exchanged envoys.
The agreement equalized the rights of Georgian and Russian nobles, clergy and merchants (respectively).
Four secret articles of the treaty were of particular importance. According to them, Russia pledged to defend Georgia in the event of war, and during peace negotiations to insist on the return to the Kartli-Kakheti kingdom of possessions that had long belonged to it (but seized by Turkey). Russia pledged to keep two infantry battalions with 4 cannons in Georgia and, in the event of war, to increase the number of its troops.
At the same time, Georgians were strongly recommended to maintain unity and avoid internecine strife, for which Heraclius II had to make peace with King Solomon I of Imereti.
The main political significance of the Treaty of Georgievsk was the establishment of a Russian protectorate in relation to Eastern Georgia, sharply weakening the positions of Iran and Turkey in Transcaucasia, formally destroying their claims to Eastern Georgia.
Treatise in 1783-1787
From the moment of its conclusion, the Treaty operated without interference for 3-4 years. However, then strong opposition from Turkey began. Under her influence, raids by the Dagestanis and the Akhaltsikhe Pasha became more frequent. Russia expressed protests, but they did not have the desired impact. Moreover, Türkiye demanded that Russia cancel the Treaty of Georgievsk and demolish the fortifications of Vladikavkaz. As a result, in 1787, Russian troops were withdrawn from Georgia, which was a gross violation of the terms of the treaty and thereby actually denounced it. There are two versions of the reasons for this conclusion.
Version No. 1
According to this version, Georgia was the first to violate the treaty by entering into separate negotiations with the Turks. In September 1786, Suleiman Pasha of Akhaltsi sent a letter to the King of Georgia, Heraclius II, proposing to conclude a separate peace treaty.
From Colonel Burnashev’s report to Pavel Potemkin:
His Highness... intends to send the amanats (hostages) required to Akhaltsikhe by Suleiman Pasha, apologizing that he was forced to do this by his subjects and by the extreme need to get rid of the devastation of his lands from the Turkish side. To this end, I had the honor to report to His Highness that after the conclusion of the Treaty of the 4th Article with Georgia, in the case of sending envoys or letters from neighbors, one must agree with the main border commander, and especially in this circumstance, which requires diligent consideration«.
Thus, the king retreated from the treaty, starting negotiations with the Turkish authorities. In December 1786, Irakli wrote to Pavel Potemkin: “ ... and so that we do not go to extreme extremes, for this we send two princes to the pasha to approve the agreements“ .
Potemkin was extremely alarmed: “... extremely grieving that your Highness and the advice of your nobles are allowed to be ready to fulfill the demands of Soleyman Pasha of Akhaltsikhe... I humbly ask your Highness to consider all the demands of Soleyman Pasha and all his relations with you. From the very moment he began to correspond with Your Highness, his demands were as follows: 1. By deceiving you with various imaginary benefits, to shake your loyalty to Russia; 2nd To withdraw Russian troops from Georgia and get rid of the formidable defenders, to strip it from defense; for if our troops were not threatening to them, he would not have had the need to seek their withdrawal from Georgia... I advise, for your benefit, I earnestly ask you not to give the amanats to your pasha, for by doing this you will offend the dependence you have sworn on oath and will cause harm to your own kingdom.”
But, despite the warnings of P. Potemkin, the conditions of Article 4 of the Treaty of Georgievsk, Tsar Heraclius concluded an agreement with the Pasha, which was ratified by the Sultan in the summer of 1787 (just during the war between Russia and Turkey). From that moment on, the Treaty of Georgievsk lost its force. Russian troops had to leave Georgia; on October 26, 1787, Russian troops were already in Vladikavkaz. This point of view was voiced, in particular, in the article by A. Epifantsev.
Version No. 2
According to the second version, Russia withdrew its troops because it made concessions to Turkey. Not wanting to bring matters to war at that time, she withdrew the battalions, sent the Georgian ambassador from St. Petersburg and agreed to demolish the fortifications of Vladikavkaz.
A.V. Potto writes about the same thing:
The two battalions left in Georgia could not bring significant benefit in the event of a new enemy invasion, but they themselves could easily fall victim to it. And since there was absolutely nothing to strengthen them with, Colonel Burnashev was ordered to leave Tiflis and return to the Line. At the same time, all the fortifications built by Potemkin on the road to Georgia were destroyed. Russia's first attempt to firmly establish itself in Georgia thus ended in failure.
D. Zhukov adheres to the same version. Z. D. Avalov writes that Russia considered it more reliable for Georgia to protect itself “by renewing its previous alliances, which were destroyed solely by the presence of Russian troops in the country.” In other words, at that time the Treaty of Georgievsk turned out to be unprofitable for Russia.
According to the first version, the king of Georgia violated the Treaty of Georgievsk and thereby left Georgia without protection from the troops of Agha-Magomed Khan. In fact, the treaty was in force in the fall of 1795. On September 4, 1795, Catherine, after much delay, finally ordered “to reinforce Tsar Heraclius, as a Russian vassal against hostile attempts on his life, stipulated by the treatise with them two full battalions of infantry." After 8 days, Tbilisi was destroyed by the troops of Agha-Magomed Khan. General Gudovich received the Empress's order only on October 1.
In St. Petersburg, the Georgian embassy on June 24, 1800 handed over to the Collegium of Foreign Affairs a draft document on citizenship. The first point read: Tsar George XII “zealously desires with his descendants, clergy, nobles and all the people subject to him to one day forever accept citizenship of the Russian Empire, promising to sacredly fulfill everything that the Russians do.”
Manifesto of Paul I
Handwritten copy of the manifesto
In the fall of 1800, the Georgian delegation made an attempt to propose to Russia a project for closer unity. On November 17, Prince Chavchavadze submitted a note and “petitions” on behalf of Tsar George. This proposal was considered at the College of Foreign Affairs and on November 19 was approved by the emperor on all counts.
On November 23, 1800, the emperor gave a rescript addressed to George XII on the acceptance of his kingdom into Russian citizenship, then he wrote “we accepted what was expressed to us with our high-monarchal favor and were also honored with our most merciful approval of your petitions to accept you into Our citizenship.”
George was promised to retain his royal rights for the rest of his life. However, after his death, the Russian government intended to confirm the heir to the throne, David Georgievich, as governor-general with the title of tsar, and to classify Georgia among the Russian provinces under the name of the kingdom of Georgia.
Everything was moving towards a bilateral agreement, which could become a legally flawless solution to the issue. However, 2 days before the audience, an imperial rescript to General Knorring followed. He was ordered to send troops into Georgia and, in the event of the death of King George, not to appoint a successor until a special order. This order was contrary to the principles of the treaty of 1783, which left the issue of appointing an heir within the competence of the king of Georgia. On December 18, even before the ambassadors arrived in Georgia, a manifesto on the annexation of Georgia was signed. Thus, the issue was resolved unilaterally, even before the death of Tsar George, which followed on December 28.
Ambassadors with “points” arrived in Georgia at the beginning of January, and on January 15, Prince David published an appeal: “I have been commanded by the highest to approach the throne of Georgia by inheritance, with the rank of its ruler.” On January 18, the manifesto of Paul I was published in St. Petersburg. The text of the manifesto itself was compiled somewhat vaguely and vaguely, without mentioning the fate of the Georgian dynasty.
We hereby declare with our imperial word that upon the annexation of the Kingdom of Georgia for eternity under our power, not only will all rights, advantages and property legally belong to everyone be granted and will be intact, but that from now on every state of the people of the above-mentioned regions has the enjoyment of those rights, liberties, benefits and advantages, which the ancient Russian subjects, by the grace of our ancestors and Ours, enjoy under Our protection.
How complex the issue was can be seen from the fact that the issue was considered at a meeting of the Council of Emperor Paul, and then for another six months at the Council of Alexander I.
Vorontsov and Kochubey proposed: to elect one of the princes to the kingdom according to the order of inheritance or based on personal qualities, if necessary, remove other contenders, and leave a certain number of troops in Georgia “to feed the land.” It was also proposed to appoint a minister under the king.
Knorring's mission
“General Knorring could not find anything other than the confusion that he reported to the sovereign…. he falls into the same mistake as other observing officers: their eyes, accustomed to the order of the parade ground and the office, saw nothing but chaos and disorder in Georgia.”
After staying in Georgia for 22 days, Knorring returned to St. Petersburg and on June 28 submitted his report to the emperor. He spoke negatively to the question of whether Georgia could survive without help, and positively to the question of whether Georgians unanimously desire citizenship.
Final decision
On August 8, 1801, a regular meeting of the Council on the issue of Georgia was held. Time was working for the “imperial” party: according to the reports of Russian envoys, during the year of anarchy, Georgia had already lost any semblance of a state. In addition, a clumsy justification for annexation was used with statements that “in the world” Georgia was already considered part of Russia and it was inconvenient to retreat from annexation from the point of view of the dignity of the empire.
At the meeting, a report by Knorring and a report by Vorontsov and Kochubey were heard. The council sided with Knorring. They talked about the need to forestall the Turks and Persians, who were capable of capturing Georgia, and that annexation would help “curb the predatory mountain peoples.” Kochubey insisted on his opinion: in his final speech he drew attention to the danger of expanding borders, to the injustice of annexation from a monarchical point of view and insisted on maintaining the vassal status of Georgia. And yet the Council decided the issue of accession in the affirmative.
Alexander still hesitated. On August 12, he received a note from V. Zubov and sent it to Novosiltsev for consideration. On August 13, the issue was discussed at a meeting of the Secret Committee. The committee members were still against it, but Alexander gradually leaned towards the Council's decision.
Meanwhile, the Georgian commissioners were still trying to ensure that “the essentially voluntary annexation of Georgia was truly voluntary in form.” They sent notes to the emperor with their proposals and generally wanted the decision on the issue of Georgia to be made in their presence as representatives of the voluntarily annexed Georgian people. But no one was interested in their opinion.
The rapprochement between Russia and Georgia was in the interests of both states. Back in 1771, at the height of the Russian-Turkish war, the Georgian king Heraclius sent an embassy to St. Petersburg with a proposal to conclude an agreement on the transfer of Kartli and Kakheti under the protection of Russia. But St. Petersburg, fearing a prolongation of the war with Turkey, did not dare to sign such an agreement. Ten years later, a more favorable situation emerged. Preparing to complete the fight against the Crimean Khanate, the Russian government wanted to have a loyal ally in Transcaucasia. In December 1782, correspondence began between Irakli II and Catherine II, and in the spring of 1783 a draft agreement was developed, which then formed the basis of the Treaty of Georgievsk, which was signed shortly after the annexation of Crimea to Russia.
According to the Treaty of Georgievsk, the Georgian king Irakli II pledged not to recognize any other authority other than the power and patronage of the Russian sovereigns. From now on, the monarchs of Russia approved the Georgian king to ascend the throne, and he took an oath of allegiance to them. Eastern Georgia refused independent relations with foreign states and accepted Russian mediation in resolving disputes with Western Georgia (Imereti). The king of Kartli and Kakheti retained “power associated with internal administration, court and reprisals, and collection of taxes.” In turn, Russia took upon itself obligations to promote the unification of all Georgian lands, defend the East Georgian kingdom and send two battalions there, and in case of war, other troops. On November 3, 1783, the Russian detachment was solemnly welcomed in Tiflis, and on November 23, Irakli II swore allegiance to Russia.
This was a painful blow to both Turkey and Iran (Persia), who competed for possession of Transcaucasia. The signing of the agreement was greeted with enthusiasm by the Georgian people. In Tiflis, wrote G.A. Potemkin, his envoy Colonel Burnashev, “a people’s masquerade walked the streets, all the residents and the most elderly were constantly splashing their hands while beating the tambourines, and it seems that the people day by day imagine new prosperity in sight.” A gala dinner was given in the palace of Irakli II, accompanied by cannon fire. 101 shots were fired for the health of Catherine II, 51 shots for members of the Russian imperial family, 51 shots for Tsar Irakli, and 31 shots for members of his royal family. Immediately after the signing of the treaty, the commander of the Russian troops in the Caucasus, P. Potemkin (a relative of the famous field marshal), sent out a “universal” throughout the Caucasus, which said: “To all those bordering the kingdoms of His Serene Tsar Irakli Teimurazovich and the surrounding peoples, through this it is announced that they, recognizing his lordship, forever allied and protected by Russia, moved away from all enterprises harmful to him.”
FOR SUCH MONARCHY YOUR MERCIES
APPEAL OF HERAKLIUS II TO KATHERINE II WITH A REQUEST TO ACCEPT HIS COUNTRY UNDER THE PROTECTION OF RUSSIA
The Most Serene and Sovereign Great Empress, Empress Ekaterina Alekseevna, All-Russian Autocrat, Most Gracious Empress.
Your Majesty's most merciful decrees ordered us to be accepted under your Majesty's most merciful protection and to send troops to reinforce us.
For such kindnesses, we offer our most humble gratitude to your majesty, and your majesty most humbly dare to ask that you most mercifully send a search to us in a short time, so that by the mercy of your majesty we can be delivered from the infidels, and grant us troops numbering four thousand regular, or including half of the irregulars, and command him to be especially in our regions, so that I could act together with them against the Turks; for previously the Russian troops that were with us did not have time to always be with us. Moreover, as far as possible, I have to follow the advice of the chief commander over these troops being sent, so that the main commander also accepts my advice, since I have sufficient information about the state and circumstances of local affairs.
Since our ancestors were kings from ancient times, therefore, Your Majesty most graciously asks that I and my descendants remain forever without change in my dignity, but nevertheless under obedience and in rendering Your Imperial Majesty such services as are described below. The Catholicos also has the right to remain in his office without change. Since, with the help of God and the happiness of Your Majesty, many of the Georgians, being prisoners in the Crimea, received freedom for themselves, therefore Your Majesty most mercifully dare to ask, command that they be allowed to return to their fatherland. When Your Imperial Majesty's troops arrive in our regions and we, together with them, take back our regions that were taken from us by the enemies, then how much money from the treasury will be spent on this corps, from those conquered places in a few years we have such a number for Your Majesty's treasury we will contribute.
To represent and bother Your Majesty, although I acknowledge the following for considerable boldness, however, when the troops first entered Georgia from Russia, at that time I was forced to spend money in transporting them, and, moreover, when I repeatedly collected my troops, then We have had enough, and if the money is needed, then I humbly ask you to lend us this money, which will again be contributed to your Majesty’s treasury, for the maintenance of our troops.
When the above-mentioned favors are shown to us, then I have your imperial majesty to send one of my sons, as well as, if possible, several princes and nobles.
How many different ores and metals are now available in our region, as well as how many of them will be found in the future, then from the profits received from all of them, half the amount will be given to your Majesty’s treasury and will be collected. Also, all those inhabitants who are under our possession have to pay seventy kopecks annually from each household to your Majesty’s treasury.
Your Imperial Majesty is sent to have fourteen of the best horses available in our regions every year.
When the Persians and Turks ruled us, every two years they took nine slaves from our kingdom by force, and to supply them with travel expenses, seventy kopecks from each yard. In addition to this, they received fifty loads of the best grape wine, which they transported at their own expense to their sovereign. And now, for the court of Your Majesty, we will annually bring the best grape wine in our region, amounting to two thousand buckets on our own kosht, to Kizlyar.
From the arrival of Your Imperial Majesty's troops in our regions until the conquest with help from other places, we must serve Your Imperial Majesty from those regions that we now own, according to our promises presented above. And when we take possession of other places by your Majesty’s force, then they will provide your Imperial Majesty with their services as presented below.
When, by the force and help of Your Majesty's corps, we still take possession of the places taken from us by the Turks, then the residents in those newly conquered places will have to pay into the treasury of Your Imperial Majesty, as much as in the Russian Empire taxes are collected from noble peasants, against them in the floors.
If, by your Majesty’s happiness, we still take possession of the places taken from us, then we also have to serve those places as written above, that is, to pay seventy kopecks annually from each yard, and from the same places we have to Your Majesty send two hundred pounds of lye every year, and if it is possible for us, then more than that date.
Most merciful monarch! At the same time, I most humbly dare to convey that it was commanded this spring to begin the conquest of the Akhaltsikhe region, and when peace follows with the Sultan, then not to leave it under Turkish possession, for this Akhaltsikhe region lies on Georgian land, the people there have the Georgian language and many There are Christians there, and many of them, who in recent times have turned into Mohammedanism.
When, by the happiness of your imperial majesty, our possession receives freedom from the infidels and will be in peace, then both from our present ancient kingdom, and from now on from the newly conquered places, we have soldiers from so many households, from so many souls in the service of your imperial majesty to represent The Russian Empire is gaining strength. If, with the help of God and your Majesty’s happiness, in addition to our own lands taken from us, we conquer other enemy regions with the help of your Majesty’s corps, then what will be done with them, since your Majesty’s permission will follow.
Your Imperial Majesty, we dare to most humbly ask for your royal favors to be granted to us, and, moreover, we present on our part those same services of ours, which we most humbly reported to your Imperial Majesty even before this, on December 30, 1771, and which we acknowledge to provide myself able. And Your Imperial Majesty now show us such motherly mercy as you deign from Your Majesty’s highest will.
Irakli
ARTICLE TWO FOR TEN
This agreement is made for eternity; but if anything is deemed necessary to change or add for mutual benefit, it will take place by mutual agreement.
OVER THE KINGS AND KINGDOMS OF KARTALIN AND KAKHETI
LETTER OF CATHERINE II TO HERACLIUS II ON THE RATIFICATION OF THE TREATISE OF GEORGE
His Serene Highness Tsar Irakli Teimurazovich of Kartalin and Kakheti, loyal and sincere to us. Having approved by our imperial charter the agreement with your highness, decreed on your recognition of ours and the successors to our imperial throne over the kings and kingdoms of Kartalin and Kakheti of supreme power and protection and on the advantages and benefits granted from us to these rulers and peoples, we will take this case with pleasure We repeat our certificates of our excellent goodwill towards your Highness and your entire royal house. As a new proof of this, we bestowed upon your Most Serene Empress, your wife, our Order of St. Catherine, of which we are sending signs to be placed on her. However, we entrust your Highness and your entire house to Almighty God. We are welcoming you.
Originally signed by Her Imperial Majesty's own hand as follows:
Catherine