Latest / The Story of Armenia: Survival Through Empires and Genocide — Fexingo History / The Treaty of Turkmenchay: How Russia Reshaped Armenia
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've spent a lot of time looking at Armenia in the 20th century — the genocide, the first republic, the Soviet period. But today I want to step back a hundred years earlier, to a treaty that essentially created the borders of what we now call Eastern Armenia. Luna: You mean the Treaty of Turkmenchay, right? I've heard that name but I don't know much about it. Lucas: Exactly. It was signed in February 1828, ending a two-year war between the Russian Empire and Qajar Iran. And for Armenians, it was a game-changer. The war itself had been triggered by border skirmishes, but it turned into a decisive Russian victory, led by General Ivan Paskevich — a very capable commander. Lucas: Paskevich pushed deep into Persian territory, capturing the fortresses of Abbasabad and Sardari in the Yerevan khanate. By October 1827, he took Yerevan itself, which was a huge symbolic and strategic prize. Luna: So the treaty basically gave Russia control of what is now central Armenia? Lucas: Yes, specifically the khanates of Yerevan and Nakhchivan. The Persians had ruled those territories for centuries, but the treaty formally ceded them to Russia. It also gave Russia exclusive naval rights on the Caspian and a big indemnity. But the most important clause for Armenians was Article XV, which allowed a one-year period for the population of the ceded territories to move freely across the new border. Lucas: That triggered a massive migration. Perhaps 45,000 to 50,000 Armenians from Persian Azerbaijan and other regions moved north into Russian-controlled territory, settling in the newly created Armenian Oblast. The Russian administration encouraged this, partly to strengthen the Christian population in a Muslim-majority region. Luna: That must have changed the demographic balance dramatically. What about the Muslims who lived there? Lucas: Many Muslim inhabitants, mostly Azeri Turks and Kurds, migrated the other way, into Persia. So the treaty effectively redrew the ethnic map. The Russian government set up the Armenian Oblast with its center in Yerevan, and placed it under a military governor. It was the first time in centuries that a unified administrative unit for Eastern Armenians existed under Christian rule. Luna: It sounds like a foundation stone for the later Armenian national movement. Lucas: Absolutely. And the Russian army itself had Armenian auxiliary units fighting alongside the regulars. One notable figure was General Valerian Madatov, an Armenian from Karabakh who served as a key commander in the Russian army during this war. He led several successful cavalry charges. Lucas: The treaty was negotiated on the Persian side by the crown prince Abbas Mirza, who had hoped for better terms but was forced to accept. The Russian delegation included the playwright and diplomat Alexander Griboyedov — yes, the same Griboyedov who wrote 'Woe from Wit'. He later became Russia's ambassador to Persia and was killed in the 1829 Tehran massacre. Luna: Oh, I didn't know Griboyedov was involved in the Caucasus. That's a fascinating connection. Lucas: It is. And all of this happened against the backdrop of the Greek War of Independence and the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-29, so the Russians were juggling multiple fronts. For Armenia, the Treaty of Turkmenchay wasn't just a diplomatic document — it was the legal start of Russian Armenia, which eventually led to the chance of self-rule after the Russian Revolution in 1917. Luna: I can see why you wanted to cover this. It's a pivot point that doesn't get nearly as much attention as the 20th century events. Lucas: Exactly. And you know, if you've been following along with our journey through Armenian history, episode by episode, you realize how these threads connect. That's something I really appreciate about our listeners — people who truly care about understanding the deeper story. Luna: Absolutely. It's why we do this show ad-free, so we can dive into these details without interruptions. Lucas: Right. And speaking of that, if you find value in these conversations, consider supporting the show at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That kind of support is what lets us keep digging into topics like this, without any ads. It really does make a difference. Luna: Yeah, every bit helps. And now, back to the treaty — what happened right after it was signed? How did the Armenian population react? Lucas: Well, the Armenian Apostolic Church was deeply involved. The Catholicos at Etchmiadzin, Yeprem I, actually presented Paskevich with a gold medal and a cross made from the metal of captured Persian cannons. They saw the Russians as liberators from Muslim rule, even if that liberation came with its own complications. Lucas: Over the next decades, the Russian administration modernized the region, built roads, introduced Russian legal codes, and encouraged agriculture. The Armenian merchant class in Tiflis and Yerevan began to flourish, and the cultural revival of the 19th century — the literary renaissance, the publication of newspapers — all found fertile ground here. Luna: So the treaty didn't just change borders; it changed the trajectory of Armenian identity itself. Lucas: Exactly. And it set the stage for the national awakening. By the time the tsarist empire fell in 1917, there was already a strong sense of Armenian nationhood in the region, which made the declaration of the First Republic in 1918 possible. Without the Treaty of Turkmenchay, the borders of that republic might have been very different, or it might not have existed at all. Luna: It's almost like the treaty is the hidden hinge that everything swung on. Lucas: It is. And yet it's so often overlooked in popular history. Today, the treaty is mostly remembered by specialists. But for Armenians, the mass migration it triggered is still part of family stories — many families can trace their move from Persian cities like Khoy or Salmas to Yerevan or Ashtarak back to that year. Lucas: There's also a darker side: the treaty left the Armenian population of what remained in Persia, like around Tabriz and Isfahan, smaller and more vulnerable. But it did create a core area that could nurture Armenian language and culture under the relative tolerance of the Russian Empire — at least compared to the Ottoman Empire. Luna: So would you say the treaty was ultimately a net positive for Armenians? Lucas: In the long run, I think so, though at great human cost: a difficult migration, the loss of property, and the uprooting of communities. But it gave Armenians a territorial base that survived into the Soviet period and beyond. Without it, the modern Republic of Armenia might not be where it is today. Lucas: And it's a reminder that history often turns on seemingly dry diplomatic documents. The Treaty of Turkmenchay is only about ten pages long, but it shaped a century of Caucasus history. Luna: I'll never think of the 1820s the same way again. Lucas: That's the goal. Next time we'll look at what happened in the decades after, when the Armenian question began to emerge on the international stage. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you in the next episode.