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Treaty of Georgievsk signed 230 years ago - Eastern Georgia becomes a protectorate of Russia
July 24 (August 4). 1783 in Georgievsk (North Caucasus) was concluded a "friendship treaty" between Russia and the Georgian kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti (Eastern Georgia).
During the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774, King of Eastern Georgia (Kartli and Kakheti) Irakli II and king of West Georgia (Imereti) Solomon had take the Russian side against the Turks. Russia's victory over Turkey and the Russian-Turkish Treaty of Kucuk Kainarji concluded in 1774 significantly eased the position of Georgian lands subordinate to Turks - Imereti kingdom was exempted from paying tribute to the Sultan. However, the foreign-policy situation of Georgian kingdoms remained tense.
December 21, 1782 Kartli-Kakheti king Irakli II appealed to Catherine II to take Georgia under Russian protection. Catherine II, seeking to strengthen the position of Russia in the Caucasus, agreed.
The contract was concluded on July 24 (August 4) 1783, in the fortress of Georgievsk (North Caucasus). On behalf of Russia it was signed by General-in-chief, Prince Paul Potemkin, on behalf of Georgia – by Ivane Bagration princes and Garsevan Chavchavadze.
The document consisted of 13 basic and 4 separate articles. Georgian King Irakli II recognized the protection of Russia, and refused an independent foreign policy, pledged his troops to serve the Russian empress. Catherine II for her part vouched for the integrity of Irakli’s II lands. Georgia was provided with full internal autonomy. Articles 8, 9, 10 and 11 equaled the rights of Georgian privileged estates (nobility, clergy, and merchants) with Russian ones. Four separate articles of the treaty were quite important. Under them Russia agreed to defend Georgia in case of war and in case of peace negotiations to insist on the return to Kartli-Kakheti kingdom the possessions which had long belonged to it (but annexed by Turkey). The major political significance of the Georgievsk Treaty was that it established the protectorate of Russia in regard to Eastern Georgia, but also dramatically weakened the position of Iran and Turkey in the Caucasus, formally destroying their claim to this territory.
In 1801 the Eastern Georgia became a part of Russia.
Lit.: Авалов З. Присоединение Грузии к России. СПб., 1906; Алексидзе Л. Взаимоотношения Грузии с Россией в XVI— XVIII вв. // Тр. Тбилисского университета. 1963. № 94; Маркова О. Присоединение Грузии к России в 1801 г. // Историк-марксист. 1940. №3; Под стягом России: Сборник архивных документов. М., 1992; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://www.hist.msu.ru/ER/Etext/georgia.htm
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials: