Mgr. Zinaida Shevchuk

Historical Overview of the South Caucasus Nahorno-Karabakh

• Mgr. Zinaida Shevchuk

Colchis - Caucasus

• Large mountainous zone,
• Small republics of the huge Soviet Union,
• Conflict countries from headline news.

Early history

• The advanced economy and favorable geographic and natural conditions of the area attracted the Byzantine, Persian, Mongol, Ottoman and Russian empires.

• Ancient countries of Caucasus: Armenia, Iberia, Colchis and Albania.

Culture

• The area was home to the well-developed bronze culture known as the Colchian culture.
• Golden braceletes, c 5-4 centuries BC.

Religion

• Azerbaijan - a nation with a Turkic and majority-Muslim population.

• The Armenian Apostolic Church

Georgia – Orthodox Christianity

Multinational environment

Languages

Languages

• The Georgian alphabet

• The Armenian alphabet

Historical Overview

• The Caucasus is the point where Russia, Iran and Turkey meet. For most of the 19th century, the three powers dueled for dominance of the region.
• Russia – main force which determined the development in the South Caucasus region for more than two centuries.

Russia’s interests

• Trade interests,
• Colonization intentions and
• Strategic considerations.
• Peter the Great - to transform Russia to a great European power.

Historical overview

• In 1801 the Georgian protectorate - Georgia’s annexation to Russia.
• Russian attempts to control over the region led to the conquest of a number of Khanates in 1806-1809 and ultimately to the first Russia-Persian war 1812-1813.
• The treaty of Gulistan 1813.
• The treaty of Turkmanchai in 1828.