Russian involvement in the Caucasus and Transcaucasia also had an inevitable effect on Russian cultural life; as one Russian historian points out: "This conquest set the Russian creative spirit in motion, because of the glory and magnificence and the chivalrous spirit of its people. The two great Russian poets, Pushkin and Lermontov, took part in this victory [Tolstoy can also be added to these two names]. Russian literature and later even Russian music were influenced strongly by this region. The Oriental spirit in modern Russian music, for instance in the works of Rimsky-Korsakov (and especially in the works of Aram Khatchatourian) and Broline, can be said to have drawn their inspiration from this source." 51
The Policy of Tsarist Russia in Transcaucasia
At the same time, Tsarist Russia was quick to start its compulsory russification of the inhabitants in Transcaucasia.
During the Russian-Persian war from 1826 to 1827 and the Russian-Ottoman war from 1827 to 1828, when the Armenians stood side by the side with the Russians and fought the enemy, the Russians had promised the Armenian Catholicos, Nerses, the creation of a self-governing Armenian province within the Tsar's Empire. Initially it seemed that the Russians would fulfil their promise. The khanates in Yerevan and Nakhichevan were merged together to create one single province, Armenskaya Oblast, and its ruling was handed over to a temporary council of which Catholicos Nerses was a member. They even discussed maintaining a permanent Armenian force of 2,000 men.
These measures awakened great expectations in the heart of the Armenian world to such an extent that a rich Armenian, living in India, handed over all his assets to the disposal of this newly created province. It did not take long, however, before the real policy of the tsar, centralisation of everything and everyone, and the consequences of such a policy, were revealed. The self-ruling Armenian province became a mere province within the empire and Catholicos Nerses was exiled to Besarabi.
Then, in 1836, the majority of the Armenian schools were closed in line with a Russian order from the central government, and Armenian education was greatly reduced in the remaining educational institutions. 52 Subsequently, the Russian government began resolutely to meddle in the issues of the Armenian Church. For instance, in the selection of the Armenian Catholicos, the government in St Petersburg, instead of appointing the person with the majority of votes, chose to appoint the candidate in second place who was regarded as more suitable for their purposes. Loroboliev rightly criticizes this, commenting: "Just as if the Italian king, instead of appointing the cardinal with the majority of the votes in the Papal council, selected a different person as the new pope." 53
The Russian establishment meddled in the affairs of the Armenian Church more and more, and from 1890 onwards openly displayed its hostility to the institutions which, in the eyes of the government, were obstacles to the realisation of their plans. These plans centred around the gradual russification of all the inhabitants of the empire and their conversion to the Russian Orthodox faith. 54
Russian policy caused an increasing dissatisfaction among the Georgian people. But this dissatisfaction did not decrease the loyalty of the Armenians towards the Russians - the Armenian people did not wish to lose the Russian protection and once again be at the mercy of the Turks. Thus, like the Western Armenians, the Armenians only demanded a freer rule which would respect their mother tongue, culture, religion and national customs.
|