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THE CAUCASUS & GLOBALIZATION
Nikolai JAVAKHISHVILI
D.Sc. (Hist.), Professor of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University; Chief Scientist-Researcher of Ivane Javakhishvili Institute of History and Ethnology;
Doctor honoris causa (in History) of the Latvian Academy of Sciences
(Tbilisi, Georgia).
GEORGIAN GENERALS IN THE ARMED FORCES OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE: EPISODES FROM THE HISTORY OF GEORGIAN-BALTIC RELATIONS (FROM THE 17TH C. TO THE EARLY 20TH C.)
Abstract
he author looks at the key aspects of the history of the military-political contacts between Georgian Generals in
the Armed Forces of the Russian Empire and the Baltic Region from the 17th century to the early 20th century.
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KEYWORDS: Georgian Generals, Armed Forces of the Russian Empire, Georgian-Baltic relations.
Introduction
Georgian-Baltic relations have a history of more than ten centuries; however, until recently they have not been a subject of monographic study.
Over the past five years, I have written a number of articles in Georgian1 and English,2 exploring the principal facts reflecting the millennium-long history of military and political, commercial, economic, and scientific-cultural relations of the Georgian and Baltic peoples. In 2011, Tbilisi University Press published my monograph Essays on the History of Georgian-Baltic Relations.3
Georgia and the Baltics are geographically distant from each other. From the anthropological and ethnolinguistic standpoint, Georgians differ considerably both from Estonians and their interrelated nations, Latvians and Lithuanians; however, these peoples have much in common ideologically. They resemble each other with respect to their aspiration for freedom and selfless patriotism.
Georgian-Baltic relations have always been relatively strong and, specifically, have at times been of an interstate nature and at other times not. Owing to historical misfortunes, at different times, some Georgians have acted in the territory of the Baltic states not as military or civil servants of Georgia, but rather of other states (mostly as those of the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and Germany). Some Baltic nationals have also visited Georgia at different times on similar missions. Irrespective of that, their activities must be studied in order to have a view of the epoch in question.
This paper explores the activities of the Georgian (or of Georgian decent) generals and officers (who later became generals) of the Russian army who either served in the Baltic countries beginning in the late 17th century until World War I, or were associated with the region.
The paper is divided into 11 sub-chapters.
1 See: "From the History of Georgian-Latvian Relations," in: Studies in Modern and Contemporary History, Collection of Scholarly Papers, Vol. V, Department of Modern and Recent History, Ivane Javakhishvili Institute of History and Ethnology, Tbilisi, 2009; "At the Beginning of Georgian-Baltic Relations (10th-11th centuries)," in: Studies in Modern and Contemporary History, Vol. VI, Tbilisi, 2009; "From the History of Military-Political Relations between Georgia and the Baltic Countries (late 15th Century)," in: Studies in Modern and Contemporary History", Vol. VI; "From the History of Trade and Economic Relations between Georgia and the Baltic Countries (the first third of the 17th century)," in: Studies in Modern and Contemporary History, Vol. VI; "Regions and Cities of the Baltic Area as seen by the Great Georgian Scholar of the 18th Century—Prince Vakhushti Bagrationi," in: Studies in Modern and Contemporary History, Vol. VI; "Georgian Footprint in the Baltic Area (from the end of the 17th century to the first half of the 19th century)," in: Studies in Modern and Contemporary History, Vol. VII, Tbilisi, 2010; "From the History of Georgian-Baltic Relations (from the beginning of the 19th century to the early 20th century)," in: Studies in Modern and Contemporary History, Vol. VIII, Tbilisi, 2010; "The Georgian-Baltic Relations in Emigration. Baltic Countries in the Sight of Georgian Emigrants (1921-1991)," in: Studies in Modern and Contemporary History, Vol. VIII; "Georgian Generals in the Baltics (from the end of the18th century until the 1920s)," in: Studies in Modern and Contemporary History, Vol. IX, Tbilisi, 2011; "From the History of Georgian-Lithuanian Relations," in: Collection of the Works, Center of History and Archeology of Gori Teaching University, Vol. II, Tbilisi, 2011; "Georgian-Baltic Relations During World War II," in: Proceedings, Collection of Scholarly Papers, Institute of Georgian History, Faculty of Humanities of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Vol. I, Tbilisi, 2011; "From the History of Georgian-Baltic Solidarity (the second half of the 20th century)," in: Studies in Modern and Contemporary History, Vol. X, Tbilisi, 2011; "Information about the Poland and Baltic Area Countries Preserved in the Georgian Historical Sources (18th century)," in: Georgian Source-Studies, Collection of Scholarly Papers, Department of Medieval History of Georgia and Source-Studies, Ivane Javakhishvili Institute of History and Ethnology, Vol. XIII-XIV, Tbilisi, 2011; "Georgian Coins of the 10th Century in the Baltics," Istoriani, Collection of Scholarly Papers, No. 8, Tbilisi, 2012 (all in Georgian with summaries in English).
2 See: N. Javakhishvili, "Little-Known Pages of the History of Georgian-Baltic Relations in the 10th-18th Centuries," The Caucasus & Globalization, Volume 4, Issue 3-4, 2010.
3 See: N. Javakhishvili, Essays from the History of Georgian-Baltic Relations, Tbilisi, 2011 (in Georgian).
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1. Prince Alexander A. Bagration-Imeretinskiy
In 1697-1698, Russian Czar Peter I (from 1721 Emperor of Russia) visited European countries to become acquainted with artillery and shipbuilding. This was known as the Great Embassy. It has been dealt with by the following scholars—N. Ustrialov,4 M. Bogoslovskiy,5 N. Pavlenko,6 J. Vateishvili,7 etc.
At the beginning of March 1697, the Great Embassy departed from Moscow. Prince Alexander (in Georgian—Alexandre) A. Bagration-Imeretinskiy (1674-1711) occupied a respectful position among the closest associates of Peter I. He was the son and heir of Archil II (1646-1713), King of Imereti and Kakheti, and, simultaneously, a Georgian cultural activist, writer, and leader of the new Georgian settlement in Moscow.
It should also be noted that the Bagrationi dynasty reigned in Georgia from the 9th century to the early 19th century.8
During the Great Embassy mission, Peter I was enrolled in the 2nd squad of volunteers and Alexander in the 3rd squad.9
N. Pavlenko noted: "Initially, the squad of volunteers numbered 30 people and was divided into three groups of ten led by foremen. Later, the squad was joined by five more people, among them Imeretian Prince Alexander and volunteers Alexander and Gavriil Menshikov, Alexander Kikin, and Fedosey Skliaev. Prince Alexander would later become a renowned associate of Peter the Great."10
On 2 March, 1687, the vanguard departed from Moscow, followed, a week later, by the core of the Embassy: more than 250 people, including a suite and subservients (doctors, cooks, servants, jesters). The Embassy was supplied with a squad of so-called volunteers of 35 people, made up of representatives from various strata of society associated with the court circles. It was headed by Commander Prince A.M. Cherkasskiy, whose subordinates included the king himself, participating in the Embassy incognito as one of the three "foremen"-volunteers, as "striker Peter Mikhailov," and two of the volunteers who were directly associated with the monarch. They were Alexander Bagrationi and Alexander Menshikov—perhaps the closest people to Peter I.
Participation in the Russian Great Embassy to Western Europe by Alexander Bagrationi and his suite consisting of three Georgians (his servants, their identity was not established) was an extraordinary event, perhaps even unprecedented in terms of not only the history of Russian-Georgian relations, but also the history of Georgia and the Georgian-Western European relations.
Alexander was an independent official member of the Russian Embassy to Western Europe, having been endowed with well-defined powers and duties as a high-ranking and active member of the Embassy.11
On 22 March, the Great Embassy arrived in Pskov. On 25 March, it crossed the Russian-Swedish border. On the border, it was welcomed and accompanied by representatives of Erik Dahlberg, Governor-General of Riga.
On 31 March, the Great Embassy arrived in Riga. When entering the town, the Embassy was granted luxurious coaches; among the greeters were 36 representatives of the Riga Brotherhood of
4 See: N. Ustrialov, Istoriia tsarstvovaniia Petra Velikogo, Vol. 1, St. Petersburg, 1856.
5 See: M.M. Bogoslovskiy, Petr I. Materialy dlia biografii, Vol. 2, Moscow, 1941, pp. 36-37.
6 See: N. Pavlenko, Petr Velikiy, Moscow, 1990, pp. 59-92.
7 See: D.L. Vateishvili, Gruzia i evropeiskie strany: Ocherki istorii vzaimootnoshenii XIII-XIX vv., in 3 vols., Vol. 2,
Pobratim Petra Velikogo: zhizn i deiatelnost Aleksandra Bagrationi, Moscow, 2003, pp. 150-204.
8 See: N. Sychev,Kniga dinastii, Moscow, 2006, pp. 611-622.
9 See: V. Tatishvili, Georgians in Moscow, Second edition, Tbilisi, 1959, p. 202 (in Georgian).
10 N. Pavlenko, op. cit., pp. 60, 69.
11 See: D.L. Vateishvili, op. cit., pp. 151-152.
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Blackheads in full dress. The ambassadors' entry into Riga was accompanied by the firing of cannons and playing of trumpets; the procession was escorted to the designated apartments for ambassadors by the infantry squads and burghers. Peter seemed to have been happy with the welcome, as is clear from his letter to A.A. Vinius on 1 April, 1697.12
Because of thin ice and the coming ice drift on the River Dvina, the Embassy had to stay in Riga for a week, leaving it on 8 April.
Peter was not very happy with the visit to Riga because the welcome was cold and unfriendly. The king's unpleasant impression was somehow smoothed by the hospitality extended to him in Mitau (present-day Jelgava)—the capital of the Duchy of Courland, where he arrived on 14 April. There they were welcomed by Duke of Courland Friedrich Casimir, who invited the honorable guests to his palace and extended them an excellent welcome. As it traveled around various towns of Courland, the Embassy was welcomed with honor. It stayed in Courland for a week.13
"Stateyny list" rendered the hospitality in Mitau as follows: "...during the stay of the great and plenipotentiary ambassadors in Mitau, great and plenipotentiary ambassadors were courted by the principal's bailiffs every day."
However, Mitau did not boast of any power, industry, artillery park, or educational institutions. The king paid a visit to the local pharmacy, where he was shown a salamander kept in alcohol. However, he purchased one thing in Mitau, of which he notified Prince Caesar: "I could not find anything here appropriate for your personality; I am only sending something to Your Majesty for taking vengeance on your enemies." "The thing" sent to Romodanovskiy was an ax, as can be seen from the reply of Prince Caesar to the king: the ax was tried out in practice; it was used to behead two crimi-nals.14
On 22 April, together with volunteers and 70 soldiers, Peter the Great headed for Libau (present-day Liepaja). The rest of the suite was left in Mitau.15
On 2 May, accompanied by his friend, Peter the Great sailed on St George to Koenigsberg and saw the Baltic Sea for the first time.16
Prince Alexander stayed in Europe until the end of 1699. The young man, dressed in Georgian national costume, attracted overwhelming attention.17 At various times, he lived in Prussia (Koenigs-berg), Holland (the Hague, Utrecht, Amsterdam), and Great Britain (London, Deptford, Woolwich), where he furthered his knowledge in martial arts. He was particularly keen on artillery.
On 19 May, 1700, A. Bagration-Imeretinskiy was appointed the first commander of the Russian artillery—General Feldzeugmeister.18
On 19 November, 1700, in the battle near Narva, the Russian army was severely defeated. The day after, together with other generals of the Russian army (Ya. Dolgorukiy, A. Golovin, I. Buturlin, A. Veide, I. Troubetskoy, and others), the Swedes imprisoned General Feldzeugmeister.
Peter the Great did his best to save his closest friend from imprisonment. The Swedes initially demanded 10 barrels of gold for the release of the Georgian prince and, later, the release of 60 Swedes imprisoned by Russians.19
The Russian king asked Alexander Bagrationi to share his opinion about the Swedish proposal. In his reply to Peter the Great on 6 September, 1710, the Georgian prince wrote: "The thought of any
12 See: N. Pavlenko, op. cit., p. 64.
13 See: D.L. Vateishvili, op. cit., p. 164.
14 See: N. Pavlenko, op. cit., p. 66.
15 See: M. Gonikishvilil, The Settlement and Activity of Bagrationis in Russia, Tbilisi, 1986, p. 19 (in Georgian).
16 See: D.L. Vateishvili, op. cit.
17 See: Sh. Megrelidze, Our Famous Military Ancestors, Tbilisi, 1979, p. 9 (in Georgian).
18 See: M.D. Khmyrov, "Glavnye nachalniki russkoi artillerii. Perviy general-feldtseigmeister tsarevich Aleksandr Archilovich Imeretinskiy," Artilleriisky zhurnal, No. 1, 1866, pp. 31-48.
19 See: M. Gonikishvilil, op. cit.
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damage to the state, not only because of me but even because of them who are a thousand times better than me, is furthest from my mind. We must be patient and sacrifice our lives for the king and state interests."20
The ten years he spent in prison had an indelible effect on his health. On 3 February, 1711, when he was on his way to Russia following his release, he died on Pitea. At the age of 37, he died in the arms of Georgian monk Pancrateus (in the worldly life—Bagrat Sologashvili).21 The prince's body was taken to Moscow and buried in the Don Monastery.22
Thus, from 31 March to 22 April, 1697, Prince Alexander Bagration-Imeretinskiy was in the territory of Livland and Courland. He was the first representative of the Bagrationi dynasty who visited the Baltic countries.23
2. Prince Afanasi L. Bagrationi and Prince George V. Bagrationi
Owing to the very complicated political situation in Kartli (central Georgia) by 1724, King Vakhtang VI (1675-1737), accompanied by a large (1,200 men) suite, fled to Russia.
The imperial government provided for the upkeep of the members of the Georgian royal suite,24 most of whom stayed in Russia and lived and worked there.
Among those who settled in Russia were representatives of the Kartlian branch of the Bagrationi dynasty—Prince Afanasi (in Georgian—Adarnase) L. Bagrationi (1707-1784) and Prince George (in Georgian—Giorgi) V. Bagrationi (1712-1786).
Afanasi was the younger brother of King Vakhtang VI and George was the younger son of the monarch.
Beginning in the 1720s, the princes, like the majority of the Georgian royal suite, took active part in Russia's military campaigns.
A. Bagrationi served in the Preobrazhenskiy and Ingermanland regiments. In 1755, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general, and, in 1771, to the rank of general-in-chief. In 1761, he was appointed a commandant of Moscow and, in 1764, a chief commandant. He was awarded the Order of St Andrew the First Called.
In 1755, Adarnase's nephew, George Bagrationi, was promoted to the rank of major-general, in 1766, to the rank of lieutenant-general, and, later, of general-in-chief. On his grave in the Don Monastery, there was an inscription: "General-in-Chief and knight of various orders, Prince George the Georgian."25
G. Bagrationi took part in the Russia-Sweden war (1741-1743); this is what the press of the time wrote about his return: "On October 4, Georgian Prince George returned to Saint-Petersburg after the fortuitous ending of the campaign in Finland. He was in the navy."26
N. Shpilevskiy said that G. Bagrationi, who was the major-general of the Russian imperial army, led the grenadier and musketeer landing from galleys.27
20 M.D. Khmyrov, op. cit., pp. 55-56.
21 See: D.L. Vateishvili, op. cit., pp. 516-517.
22 See: M. Gonikishvilil, op. cit., pp. 37-38.
23 See: N. Javakhishvili, Essays from the History of Georgian-Baltic Relations.
24 Russian State History Archive (in Saint-Petersburg), rec. gr. 796, inv. 8, f. 112, sheets 1-11.
25 N. Javakhishvili, Sankt-Peterburg — tsentr russko-gruzinskikh vzaimootnoshenii (1703-2003). Tbilisi, 2003, pp. 4950; M. Gogitidze, Voennaia elita Kavkaza: generaly i admiraly iz Gruzii, Vol. 1, Tbilisi, 2007, pp. 57-59.
26 Sankt-Peterburgskie vedomosti [Saint-Petersburg Gazette], Saint-Petersburg, No. 80, 1742.
27 See: N. Shpilevskiy, Opisanie voiny mezhdu Shvetsiei i Rossiei v Finliandii v 1741, 1742, 1743, Saint-Petersburg, 1859, p. 203.
THE CAUCASUS & GLOBALIZATION
In 1747-1748, Prince A. Bagrationi and Prince G. Bagrationi took part in the Rheine campaign. G. Bagrationi was assigned to organize the galley navy to provide for a landing of troops from Kronstadt to Mitau.28
Thus, in 1747-1748, Prince Afanasi Bagrationi and Prince George Bagrationi fought in the territory of Courland.29
3. The Warfare of the Regiment of Georgian Hussars in the Baltics
Following the death of Vakhtang VI, most Georgian emigrants, with no hope of returning to Georgia, were obliged to become citizens of the Russian Empire.
On 8 June, 1738, the Russian Cabinet of Ministers approved a draft law submitted by the Senate on the establishment of "the squadron of Georgian hussars."
In 1741, the said squadron was transformed into the Regiment of Georgian Hussars, enrolling up to 500 Georgians. Prominent poet David Guramishvili (1705-1792) was among them.
The Regiment of Georgian Hussars led by Colonel (later Lieutenant-General) Prince Elise (in Georgian—Edisher) P. Amilakhvari (died in 1767) took part in the Russia-Prussia war (1756-1762).
On 18 June, 1757, together with other units of the Russian armed forces, the Regiment of Georgian Hussars crossed the rivers Vil and Neman. Initially, they settled in the town of Kovna (Kaunas) and, later, in Schadow. Following that, they occupied Benzagol, Krokena, Rudsyuna, and Olita. On 25 June, they took Memel and, the day after, Gumbin. On 27 June, they took over the Prussians near Pichken Forest.30
Thus, in the seven year-long Russia-Prussia war (1756-1762), the Regiment of Georgian Hussars led by Prince Elise Amilakhvari and part of the Russian armed forces fought in the territory of Lithuania in June 1757.31
4. Prince Paul Tsitsianov/Tsitsishvili
In 1794, the Russian imperial army led by Alexander Suvorov campaigned in Poland. His army included Major-General (since 1793) Paul (in Georgian—Pavle) D. Tsitsianov (1754-1806), whose grandfather, Prince Paata Tsitsishvili, followed the suite of Vakhtang VI to Russia and settled there.
P. Tsitsianov became famous during a number of battles in that military campaign, particularly, during the capture of Vilna, for which he received a lot of awards. Specifically, he was awarded the Order of St George Third Class, a gold sword with diamonds and the inscription "For Courage," and a homestead in the Minsk province with 1,500 serfs.32
The document issued on 15 September, 1794 stated that P. Tsitsianov was awarded the Order of St George: "In honor of his diligent service and great courage, ensuring the capture of the fortifica-
28 See: M. Gorgidze, Gruziny vPeterburge: stranitsy letopisi kulturnykh sviazei, Tbilisi, 1976, pp. 85-86.
29 See: N. Javakhishvili, "Trace of Georgians in the Baltic Area (From the end of the 17th century to the first half of the 19th century," pp. 242-243.
30 See: S. Kubaneishvili, Davit Guramishvili in Georgian Hussar Regiment, Tbilisi, 1955, pp. 41-89 (in Georgian).
31 See: N. Javakhishvili, "Trace of Georgians in the Baltic Area (From the end of the 17th century to the first half of the 19th century," pp. 244-245.
32 See: Sh. Megrelidze, op. cit., pp. 15-16.
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tions and the city of Vilna, where, leading the troops, he defeated the enemy and participated in the victory."33
Immigrant writer Shalva Amirejibi (1886-1943) wrote: "During the wars against Poland, Tsit-sishvili, already a general, was awarded the Order of St George for the capture of the entrenchments of Vilna. Empress Catherine II the Great addressed him as 'My General.' When still young, he gained such an authority that, while near Warsaw, excellent Suvorov issued an order 'Fight like courageous Prince Tsitsianov!'"34
In 1801, P. Tsitsianov was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general and in 1804 to infantry general. In 1802, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian troops deployed in Georgia and, in 1804, of those deployed in the Caucasus.
5. Prince Peter I. Bagrationi
One of the most renowned commanders of the Russian imperial army, infantry general, recipient of numerous honorary awards, Peter (in Georgian—Petre) I. Bagrationi (1766-1812) was a direct descendant of King of Kartli Iese (reigning in 1714-1716 and 1724-1727).35 He gained fame by taking part in Russia's numerous military campaigns, including the military expeditions in 1799 in Italy and Switzerland.36
In April 1800, for his great contribution to the aforementioned campaign, Russian Emperor Paul I granted P. Bagrationi a rich village situated in Lithuania.37
The famous commander was an essential soldier. The principal area of his activities was the battlefield. Therefore, he was not attracted by the Emperor's award—homestead and serfs, which he did not even visit. He was fond of a wealthy and luxurious life, owing to which he constantly had to borrow money.
In 1802, P. Bagrationi chose six young serfs from his Lithuanian homestead and took them with him; then he sold the village to Russia's state treasury.38 When he sold his estates, he paid his debt back.39
It should be noted that, ten years later, the dying general, having been wounded in Borodino battle, granted freedom to his Lithuanian serfs.40
6. Prince Gregory Orbeliani
Prince Gregory (in Georgian—Grigol) Orbeliani (1804-1883) was an officer in the Russian army deployed in the Baltic countries; later, he became a well-known poet and public figure.
He was the great grandson of Erekle II. He took part in the Russo-Persian (1826-1828), Russo-Turkish (1828-1829), and Crimean (1853-1856) wars, as well as in the military campaign to take over the North Caucasus.
33 M. Gogitidze, op. cit., p. 258.
34 Sh. Amirejibi, "The Persons and Business," Kavkasioni (Paris), No. 4, 1930 (in Georgian).
35 See: Dvorianskie rody Rossiiskoi imperii, Vol. 3, Kniazya, ed. by S. Dumin, Moscow, 1996, pp. 50-52.
36 See: V. Fedorchenko, Imperatorskii dom. Vydaiushchiesia sanovniki: entsiklopediia biographii, in two vols, Vol. I, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, 2000, p. 91.
37 See: V. Gribanov, Bagration v Peterburge, Leningrad, 1979, p. 61.
38 See: V. Gribanov, op. cit., p. 72.
39 See: M. Gonikishvilil, op. cit., pp. 51-57.
40 See: N. Javakhishvili, "Trace of Georgians in the Baltic Area (From the end of the 17th century to the first half of the 19th century," pp. 245-256.
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In 1834-1837, G. Orbeliani served in the cities of the Livland province: Riga, Wenden (present-day Cesis), Valka, the city of Bausk of the Courland province, the cities in Vilna province: Vilna (Vilnius), Kovna (Kaunas), Birze, etc.
While in the Baltics, the poet composed a number of his wonderful poems.41 The letters sent by G. Orbeliani from the Baltics to Georgia contain noteworthy information about the way of life in the said region of that time.
On 22 May, 1834, in the letter sent from the town of Valka to Georgia, G. Orbeliani wrote to his brother Zakaria: "The head of the regiment received me well and is giving me as a military unit, a company. Officers of the regiment are good; most of them are local Germans. I visited wonderful Wenden Castle, belonging to Count Sievers. Wenden is a small beautiful town. The old, destroyed towers of the castle look down sternly at beautiful and tender new houses of the town... Every evening, I went up to one, totally surviving tower from which a nice landscape was visible... While in Wenden, I live in the house of Baron Storch... Local churches have a rooster upon them instead of a cross... Livland peasants wear bast shoes resembling ours... Today, I got acquainted with an aged respectful gentleman Baron Wrangel."42
Since 1828, General Karl Wrangel (1794-1874) was in charge of the regiment of Uhlans of Poland, and, since 1835—dragoons of the life guards.
In his letter sent from Vilna on 20 July, 1834, G. Orbeliani wrote to his brother: "Yesterday, we set up camp in Vilna where we will stay until September... Here, there is a theatre and a famous organ in the church."43
G. Orbeliani liked the Baltic countries since they reminded him his homeland. In his letter sent from Birze on 23 March, 1835, G. Orbeliani wrote to his relative Salome Orbeliani: "With its location, Livland is very much like Georgia... I visited the wonderful city of Riga where I was well received by my division and the head of the brigade...
"Riga is lovely to see on a summer evening when sunbeams shine gold on the river where ships and boats sail with singing people on board."44
The husband of aforementioned S. Orbeliani was a romanticist poet, Lieutenant-General Prince Alexandre G. Chavchavadze (1786-1846), the son of the ambassador of Georgian kings Erekle II and Georgi XII to Russia. He was born in St. Petersburg and was christened by Empress Catherine II the Great. In early 1813, A. Chavchavadze came to General Philip Paulucci (1779-1849) in Riga in order to participate in an international campaign of the Russian army.45
In his letters, G. Orbeliani frequently noted the beauty of the Baltic women. In his letter sent from Birze on 11 April, 1835, he wrote to Nino Andronikashvili: "I am in Vilna province, that is, in the country of Poles. I got acquainted with local aristocrats who are hospitable and well-to-do. Local women are well-bred, educated, and, meanwhile, they are bold in their behavior and courting... I visit them frequently and time passes happily while playing the piano, dancing and singing, promenade and other entertainments. Recently, I visited Riga."46
In a letter dated the same day, G. Orbeliani informed his brother that, beginning on 19 April, their regiment was starting the construction of the road from Riga to Mitau.47
41 See: G. Orbeliani, Complete Works in One Volume, With introduction and notices of A. Gatserelia and J. Chumburidze, Tbilisi, 1959, pp. 44-52 (in Georgian).
42 G. Orbeliani, Letters (1832-1850), Vol. I. With notices of A. Gatserelia and introduction of K. Gordeladze, Tbilisi, 1936, pp. 15-16 (in Georgian).
43 Ibid., pp. 17-18.
44 Ibid., pp. 24-25.
45 See: N. Javakhishvili, Gruzinypodrossiiskim flagom (gruzinskie voennye igosudarstvennye deiateli na sluzhbeRossii v 1703-1917), Tbilisi, 2003, p. 157.
46 G. Orbeliani, Letters (1832-1850), Vol. I, p. 26.
47 See: Ibid., p. 28.
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On 25 July, 1834, G. Orbeliani, while in Riga hospital, wrote to S. Orbeliani: "I live in Skro-ndebude, 17 versts from Riga... I am well... Whenever I find free time, I gallop to Riga to visit my acquaintances... Recently, one of our colonels—Weisinghoff organized a ball where he invited respectful natives of Riga. Among them, there was a very beautiful women, a daughter of General Driesen, commandant of Riga."48
In his letter sent from Kovna on 16 September, 1836, G. Orbeliani wrote to his brother Ilia Orbeliani: "This winter, I will be near Birze, Vilna Province, in Panevezys County... Field-Marshal Paskevich checked us on 14-15 September and acknowledged... The ceremonial march was excellent. The Emperor sent General-Adjutant Prince Lobanov-Rostovskiy to attend it... Whenever you decide to write, here is my address: first write my name, then 'to Mr. Lieutenant and Commander of the Naval Regiment in Riga'."49
G. Orbeliani's "Diary of 1836" is remarkable, telling stories of the time he spent in the Baltic countries.50 As is seen from the diary, the villages near the town of Panevezys reminded him of Georgia.51
In 1835, G. Orbeliani recorded a noteworthy story heard in a Riga hospital.52 G. Orbeliani was a friend of Eduard Holmblad, a Baltic baron of Swedish origin, manager of the Caucasus medical unit, who settled in Georgia. His grandson (daughter's son) was Zurab Aval-ishvili (1875-1944), an outstanding scholar and diplomat.53
After finishing his service in the Baltics, G. Orbeliani was very successful in the military sphere. Specifically, in 1835 he was promoted to the rank of major-general, in 1856 to lieutenantgeneral, in 1859 to general-adjutant, and in 1862 to infantry general. In 1871, he was awarded the Order of St Apostle Andrew the First Called.
Thus, G. Orbeliani served in the Baltic countries in 1834-1837. During his stay there, he composed many wonderful poems and kept a diary which, together with his letters sent to Georgia, contains noteworthy information about the Baltics of that time.54
7. Prince Vladimir lashvili
In 1863-1864, the military governor of Vilna was a Georgian prince by origin, Major-General Vladimir V. Iashvili (1815-1864).55 His father, Major-General Vladimir M. Iashvili (1764-1815), took direct part in the assassination of Russian Emperor Paul I on March 11, 1801.56
V. Iashvili graduated from artillery school (1834). He participated in the military operations in the Caucasus. In 1849, he was promoted to the rank of colonel and was appointed a commander of the life guards of the Hussar regiment. In 1858, he was promoted to the rank of major-general. He was a member of the suite of Emperor Alexander II.57
48 Ibid., pp. 32-33.
49 Ibid., pp. 41-42.
50 See: G. Orbeliani, Complete Works in One Volume, pp. 265-283.
51 See: Ibid., p. 267.
52 See: Ibid., pp. 293-295.
53 See: N. Javakhishvili, Essays from the History of Georgian-Baltic Relations.
54 See: N. Javakhishvili, "From the History of Georgian-Latvian Relations," pp. 12-13.
55 See: N. Javakhishvili, Gruziny pod rossiiskim flagom (gruzinskie voennye i gosudarstvennye deiateli na sluzhbeRossii v 1703-1917), p. 170.
56 See: Dvorianskie rody Rossiiskoi imperii, Vol. 3, pp. 281-283.
57 See: Russian State History Archive, rec. gr. 1343, inv. 46, f. 1014.
THE CAUCASUS & GLOBALIZATION
8. Prince Nikolay Bagration-Imeretinskiy
In 1863-1864, highly educated Prince Nikolay K. Bagrationi (1830-1894), grandson of King of Imereti David II (reigned in 1784-1789), served as the head of the Vilna District.
After graduating from the Corps of Pages, he served in the life guards of the Preobrazhenskiy Regiment. He graduated from the Academy of the General Staff (1862). He was a member of the emperor's suite (since 1872), leader of the nobility of Volin Province (1866-1869), and deputy Ataman of the Don Cossacks (1870-1874). In 1872, he was promoted to the rank of major-general and, in 1881 to lieutenant-general. In 1875-1881, he was included in the mission of the Russian Empire to Bern (Switzerland). He was engaged in literary activities.58
9. Prince Peter R. Bagrationi
A famous scholar, Lieutenant-General Peter (in Georgian—Petre) R. Bagrationi (1818-1876) served in the Baltics in 1868-1870. He was an immediate descendant of Iese, King of Kartli and, simultaneously, the nephew of aforementioned Petre I. Bagrationi.59
P. Bagrationi was close to the Russian imperial court. Specifically, at various times, he was an aide-de-camp (1845-1852) of Duke Maximilian Leichtenberg, a son-in-law of Emperor Nicholas I; Flügeladjutant of the emperor (since 1852); commandant of the imperial palace and head of the security (since 1854); and head of the emperor's personal suite (since 1857).
In 1862-1868, P. Bagrationi was the governor of Tver Province, and, in 1868-1870, an assistant for civil affairs of Potapov, governor-general of Vilna, and then the governor of the Vitebsk and Mogilev provinces.
On 22 September, 1870, P. Bagrationi was appointed general-governor of Livland, Estland, and Courland (that is, Ostsee), and moved to Riga where he worked until his death.
In addition to his state and military service, P. Bagrationi was a productive scholar. He wrote significant studies in physics and chemistry, earning recognition from the international scholarly community (particularly, Cyanide teaching which has been the industry standard method for recovering gold.—N.J.) and numerous honorary awards from various countries.60
He was decorated with the following awards of the Russian Empire: St Ana First Class (with a crown), St Stanislav First, Second, Third Class, St Vladimir First, Second, Third Class; besides, with the following European awards: Cross of Sweden's St Olaf's Chivalric Order (1849); Portugal's Military Order of Christ (1850); Neapolitan St Francis Order (1852); Bavarian Order of St Michael (1852); Hesse Order of St Philip the Magnanimous (1852), and Order of the Zähringer Lion (1852).61
P. Bagrationi was to work as general-governor at a very difficult time for the Baltic countries. At that time, Russia's czardom was actively fighting to eliminate the German influence in the area. The authorities implemented reforms aimed at establishing Russian influence in the region. Beginning in 1867, all office documentation at state institutions was to be compiled in Russian instead of German as before.
Naturally enough, P. Bagrationi, as a Russian statesman, pursued a policy dictated by the imperial authorities, but, meanwhile, he acted rather carefully and reasonably.62
58 See: Dvorianskie rody Rossiiskoi imperii, Vol. 3, p. 93.
59 See: Ibid., pp. 50-51.
60 See: V. Parkadze, Peter Bagrationi, Tbilisi, 1970 (in Georgian).
61 See: N. Javakhishvili, Gruzinypodrossiiskim flagom (gruzinskie voennye igosudarstvennye deiateli na sluzhbeRossii v 1703-1917), p. 19.
62 See: N. Javakhishvili, "From the History of Georgian-Latvian Relations," pp. 13-15.
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Academician Janis Stradins justly noted: "P. Bagrationi, as Governor-General, implemented the innovations outlined by the government, despite the opposition of the local German community. Being a supporter of the Russification of the Baltics, he, at the same time, was a rather flexible and cautious politician; first of all, he sought to moderate the passions, which reached their peak at the time of his accession to office. For the sake of this, he went on to make certain concessions to the Ostsee community in order to more aggressively realize the planned program."63
In accordance with the regulations of Riga Polytechnical College, its curator was considered a person holding the position of general-governor of the Baltics. It should also be noted that the college, founded in 1862, was the oldest polytechnic higher school in the Russian Empire, having played a special role in the training of highly-qualified scientific-technical professionals. The college significantly contributed to the development of various domains of science and engineering, chemistry, and mathematics.64
P. Bagrationi made an enormous contribution to Riga Polytechnical College, which was still was at the early stage of its development. Owing to his support, the significance of the college gradually increased.65
In 1879, the Polytechnical College moved to another facility, to which a second building was added earlier, in 1875-1877. The building housed a preparatory school, agricultural department, and "an experimental station."
Following P. Bagrationi's initiative, the college, which, as a private institution was based on the cities, aristocracy, merchants, and entrepreneurs of the Baltics, was allocated an annual budget allowance of 10,000 rubles, which helped to cover significant expenses.
Previously, graduates of the college were employed by private entrepreneurs, while state employers (for instance, in the construction of bridges, railways, etc.) did not regard them as diplomaed engineers.
Based on P. Bagrationi's order, since 1875, the status of the graduates of the engineering, machine-building, and architecture departments of Riga Polytechnical College became equal to that of the civil engineers of St. Petersburg Railway Institute. Since then, they were able to be employed in appropriate positions in the state sector throughout the Baltic Province. The governor-general greatly contributed to equipping the young institute with the relevant devices, collections, and books. Annually, he presented the institute with books on mathematics, engineering, and arts, as well as with rare minerals and scientific equipment.
P. Bagrationi was particularly mindful of the engineering and machine-building specialties being decisive for the economy of the Baltics. Local capitalists appreciated his merits.
In order to commemorate the fame of the governor-general who took care of the development of education, Rigan banker Geiman donated 4,000 rubles, establishing "a trustee scholarship" for excellent students of the Riga Polytechnical Institute. For many decades, this scholarship was granted mainly to students of the Faculty of Machine-building.
P. Bagrationi was a friend of the first director of Riga Polytechnical College, Professor of Physics Ernest Nauk (1819-1875), whose leadership had been truly a role model.
As J. Stradins states: "Endeavors of P. Bagration, as a curator of the Riga Polytechnical College, should be viewed as the first steps towards transforming the College into the Riga State Polytechnical Institute, with all the official rights of teachers and graduates. P. Bagration's endeavors deserve some positive assessment, although as Governor-General, he conducted a policy of autocracy in the Baltics. It is noteworthy that the merits of P. Bagration, as a trustee of the Riga Polytechnical Institute, have
63 J. Stradins, "P.R. Bagration v Pribaltike," in: Iz istorii estestvoznaniia i tekhniki Pribaltiki, Vol. 2 (8), Riga, 1970,
p. 246.
64 See: J. Stradins, "Sviaz rizhskikh uchenykh s nauchnymi tsentrami Rossii v kontse XIX — nachale XX vv.," in: Iz istorii tekhniki LatvSSR, Vol. 5, Riga, 1964, pp. 197-211.
65 See: V. Parkadze, op. cit., p. 16.
THE CAUCASUS & GLOBALIZATION
been acknowledged even by Baltic-German historiography, which, in general, assesses him with restraint."66
During his work in the Baltic countries, P. Bagrationi gained such authority that even the emperor no longer interfered in the domestic affairs of the province.67
On 17 January, 1876, while in St. Petersburg on business, P. Bagrationi died of asthma. He is buried in Novodevichy Convent of Voskresensk. On the day of his burial, mourning was declared at the Riga Polytechnical Institute.
On 25 January, 1876, that is, just a few days after the death of P. Bagrationi, the position he held was abolished.
Thus, the administrative center of the Baltics moved from Riga to St. Petersburg, which was the following stage of merging this region with Russia. This was when the so far clandestine intentions of the Russian imperialists were unveiled. While P. Bagrationi tried to adapt and integrate the Baltics into the Russian Empire gradually, by means of cautious steps,68 after his death, the process became more salient.
The press of the Russian Empire at that time published a lot of articles about the deceased general-governor. Among them were newspapers published both in Russian and in German, Latvian, and Estonian.
The newspaper Rizhskiy vestnik, published in Riga, wrote: "The abolition of the Governor-General's position could be predicted a long time ago. It has been known that Prince Bagration often said: 'I am the last one in this position.' The abolition of the Novorossiysk Governor-General's position, the abolition of governorship of the Kingdom of Poland, the separation of Mogilev and Vitebsk provinces from Vilna Province—all these were salient aspects of a maturely considered domestic policy seeking to smooth fragmentation of the state system and abolish exceptions, bringing them under general rules that weaken isolation, and distribute the rule of common laws... Now a new period will start for the Baltic enclave of Russia: a period of communication and normal fusion with the interests of Russia."69
The newspaper Illiustrirovannaia gazeta, published in St. Petersburg, stated: "The six year-long rule by Prince P. Bagrationi produced a diversely excellent period in Baltic history. In the late 1860s, the dominant classes in the Baltic provinces did not support reforms, either in terms of the state or the local population. The rather irritating debates in newspapers, supported by Germanophiles, were aimed against Russia. The office, held by Prince P. Bagrationi, was full of controversies.
"A ruler of the Baltics should, first of all, act as a reconciliator, to weaken the German impact, temper nationalistic aspirations, and solve highly significant state issues. All of this takes a certain amount of time, first of all.
"Prince P. Bagrationi's reasonable and balanced activities for six years appeared quite sufficient. During that time, nationalistic aspirations were tempered and much attention was paid both to the local life of the region and the resolution of state issues in general. Thus, during the time Prince Bagrationi was Governor-General, the foundation was laid for the implementation of both court and civil reforms: introduction of voluntary teaching of Russian in Revel and Mitau provinces, weakening of the German impact, and others, which was realized after the death of Bagrationi. Finally, Bagrationi's activities are significant with respect to the fact that the peoples ... turned toward Russia for friendship. Everything happened owing to the peaceful, reconciliatory system and policy successfully pursued by the deceased governor-general."70
The Baltic press listed P. Bagrationi's merits.
66 J. Stradins, "P.R. Bagration v Pribaltike," pp. 247-249.
67 See: S. Megrelidze, op. cit., p. 169.
68 See: Dvorianskie rody Rossiiskoi imperii, Vol. 3, p. 52.
69 Rizhsky vestnik, No. 27, 1876.
70 Illiustrirovannaia gazeta, Saint-Petersburg, 8 February, 1876.
THE CAUCASUS & GLOBALIZATION
The Latvian newspaper Baltijas Zemkopis hoped that, despite the death of the governor-general, the reforms initiated by him would be continued.71
The Estonian newspaper Perno Postimees, published by the famous Estonian public figure J.V. Jannsen, printed an obituary to P. Bagrationi, including a rather comprehensive description of his life. The newspaper stated that, despite his bad health, P. Bagrationi performed his duties with great responsibility and honesty.72
The death of P. Bagrationi was an irreplaceable loss for the Riga Polytechnical College, which was deprived of a rather influential patron. The governor of Livland, who was appointed the new trustee, did not enjoy the same influence in the imperial authorities as his predecessor, this having a detrimental effect on the resolution of critical problems at the college. Due to that, its transformation into the State Polytechnical Institute did not become possible for another 20 years—in 1896.73
10. Nobleman George Kazbegi
Nobleman George (in Georgian—Giorgi) N. Kazbegi/Chopikashvili (1840-1921) was an infantry general (since 1905) who served in the Baltics and was in charge of the 51st Infantry Regiment of Latvia.74
He graduated from the Academy of the General Staff (1870). He served as the chief-of-staff of Warsaw Castle (1891-1899), commandant of the Ivangorod Garrison, chief-of-staff of Warsaw's fortified district (1902-1905), Governor-General of Khabarovsk, and military commandant of Vladivostok (1905-1906). He was the chairperson of the Society for the Spread of Literacy among Georgians (1908-1921).75
11. Georgian Generals in the Baltic Countries during WWI (David Guntsadze, Alexander Mikeladze, and Alexander Zakariadze)
During World War I, many Georgian officers served in the Baltics. Three of them were promoted to the rank of general.
The 97th Regiment of Infantry of Livland deployed in the town of Dvinsk (Daugavpils), Vitebsk Province, was commanded by Colonel Nobleman David K. Guntsadze (1861-1922). In 1915-1917, he was in charge of the 53rd Infantry Division. In 1914, he was promoted to the rank of major-general and, in 1917, to the rank of lieutenant-general. Along with other awards, he was decorated with the Order of St George Fourth Class and the Honorary Sword.76
71 See: Baltijas Zemkopis, No. 4, 1876.
72 See: Perno Postimees, No. 6—7, 1876.
73 See: J. Stradins, "P.R. Bagration v Pribaltike," pp. 245-252.
74 See: R. Surmanidze, Lieutenant-General from the Generation of "Tergdaleulis" (New Information from the Biography of George Kazbegi), Batumi, 2006, p. 15 (in Georgian).
75 See: N. Javakhishvili, Gruziny pod rossiiskim flagom (gruzinskie voennye i gosudarstvennye deiateli na sluzhbe Rossii v 1703-1917), p. 109.
76 See: M. Gogitidze, op. cit., p. 110.
THE CAUCASUS & GLOBALIZATION
A participant in the Chinese campaign (1900-1901) and Russo-Japanese war (1904-1905), Major-General Prince Alexander (in Georgian—Alexandre) K. Mikeladze (1863-1919) was in charge of a cavalry brigade on the western front during World War I. For some time, he was a commandant of the city of Vilna.77
Since 1912, Alexander (in Georgian—Alexandre) K. Zakariadze (1884-1957) served in the 2nd rifle brigade of Lithuania and, in January of the same year, he was appointed chief-of-staff of the brigade.
A. Zakariadze graduated from the Academy of the General Staff (1912). He took part in the Russo-Japanese (1904-1905) war and World War I. In 1915, he was promoted to the rank of colonel. He was in charge of the 5th Zemgalskiy Unit of Latvia.
In September 1917, he was awarded St George Order Fourth Class Decorated with Laurel Leaves for his courage during the battles in the district of Rodenpois (present-day—Ropazi), Riga Region.
A. Zakariadze recollected: "I was chief-of-staff of the 2nd Latvian Division on the northern front in the vicinity of the city of Riga. I had already received an order to begin arrangement of the staff of the Latvian corps when, on 27 October, I was offered a move to the Georgian corps. I certainly agreed immediately."78
On 23 November of the same year, he returned to his homeland. He served in the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Georgia as deputy chief of the General Staff in the rank of general.
In 1921, A. Zakariadze emigrated and settled in Poland.79 He continued his military service in the army of that country, where he was promoted to the rank of brigade general (1923) and then division general (1927).
In September 1939, the command of the invading German army in Poland captured Division General of Poland Army Alexander Zakariadze and declared him "the last to defend Poland."80
Conclusion
Georgian-Baltic relations have a history of more than a millennium. These relations have always been relatively strong, at times of an interstate nature and at other times not.
Owing to historical misfortunes, at different times, some Georgians have acted in the territory of the Baltic states not as military or civil servants of Georgia, but of another state—the Russian Empire. Irrespective of that, their activities must be studied in order to have a view of the epoch in question.
77 See: Ibid., p. 193.
78 G. Sharadze, The History of the Georgian Emigrant Journalism, Vol. IV, Tbilisi, 2003, p. 197 (in Georgian).
79 See: N. Javakhishvili, Gruzinypodrossiiskim flagom (gruzinskie voennye igosudarstvennye deiateli na sluzhbeRossii v 1703-1917), p. 107.
80 N. Javakhishvili, Georgian Swordsmen under the Polish Banner (A Study of Polish-Georgian Military and Political Relations), Tbilisi, 1998, p. 23 (in Georgian and in English).
