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During the 1826-1828 Russo-Persian War Russian Army captured Yerevan
On October 1 (13) 1827 during the 1826-1828 Russo-Persian War the Russian Army under the General Ivan Fyodorovich Paskevich in course of a seven-day storm captured the capital city of eastern Armenia — Yerevan.
The Russo-Persian War of 1826-1828 was started by Persia which was anxious to return Eastern Transcaucasia, the territory inherited by Russia following the 1813 Treaty of Gulistan. Supported by a considerable financial aid of Britain, on July 31 (August 12) 1826 the Persian Army without the declaration of war all of a sudden invaded the territory of Russian southern regions from the side of Yerevan Khanate in Karabakh, occupied Yelizavetpol (former Ganja) and besieged Shusha.
On September 5 (17) 1826 the unit of V.G. Madatov liberated Yelizavetpol, and on September 13 (25) the Detached Caucasian Corps under I.F. Paskevich inflicted a heavy defeat on main forces of Persian Army and in late October thrust them away from the Aras River.
In May 1827 the Russian Army undertook an attack in Yerevan direction, seized Ejmiatsin (Echmiatsin), blocked Yerevan, and later captured Nakhchivan and Abasabad fortress. In beginning of August Abbas Mirza aiming to stop further offensive of Russians, invaded the Yerevan Khanate, on August 15 (27) laid a siege to Ejmiatsin, but suffered a defeat inflicted by A.I. Krasovsky by the Oshakan village on the Kasagh River, and retreated to Persia.
Chief forces under the command of Paskevich moved to Yerevan, on September 19 (October 1) seized the Sardarapad fortress, and on September 28 (October 10) again captured Yerevan. The fortress was located on a rocky shore of the Hrazdan River, and had double walls and a moat. After fortifying and bombardment of the fortress the Russian command suggested Persian to capitulate. “Persians witnessing how Russians, with a great courage repelling gun and cannon firing both at night and in the daylight, were moving towards the glacis … were seized by an inexplicable timidity: the garrison and residents asked Gassan-Khan to surrender the fortress”, but the khan hoping to wait behind the fortress walls until the arrival of the shah army turned down the suggestion of capitulation.
In the morning of October 1 (13) 1827 disorders broke out in Yerevan. The 18 000 Armenian city population vigorously demanded that Gassan surrendered the city. Citizens took up arms and occupied walls of the fortress. One of the participants of the fight writes: “On October 1 suddenly almost on the whole eastern wall, especially on its destroyed parts appeared a lot of people, some were waving with white kerchiefs, others with hats — all were screaming that the fortress was surrendering; however there was not a single soldier among them, even a Sarbaz. This unexpectedness surprised and undoubtedly made us glad. Some of staff and chief officers, who were then in trenches and in lodgement, having seen this, immediately approached the glacis and giving gestures asked people standing on the walls, to join us without fears. Persians understood, and readily one by one started to walk down in the moat, … in a few minutes there were already about four hundred people”. Soon the Persian garrison refused to fight and Russian troops entered Yerevan. Khan with his army laid down their arms in front of Russians by the main mosque.
After this victory the advanced Russian detachment under General G.Ye. Eristov, having crossed the Aras River entered southern Azerbaijan and seized its capital — Tabriz, where lately arrived Paskevich with main forces. Persia asked for peace, but it was due to the beginning of the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-1829 that the negotiations dragged on; however quick advance of Russian troops into Iran and occupation of Urmia and Ardabil forced shah to accept all conditions of the peace, concluded on February 10 (22) 1828 in the Turkmenchay village near Tabriz.
For the victory in the Russo-Persian War adjutant general Paskevich was awarded with the St. George Order of the 2nd class. Simultaneously he received a title of Count of Yerevan. In accordance with conditions of the Treaty of Turkmenchay, the Yerevan Khanate entered the Russian Empire, with Yerevan becoming the capital of the Armenian Oblast (from 1849 — Yerevan province (governorate).
Lit.: Два письма из Эривани // Московский Телеграф. № 19. 1828; Русско-персидская война 1826-1828 гг. [Электронный ресурс] // Архивы России. Б. д. URL: https://guides.rusarchives.ru/funds/15/russko-persidskaya-voyna-1826-1828-gg; Шульгин К. Взятие Эривани. (По рассказам старожилов) // Сборник материалов для описания местностей и племён Кавказа. Вып. 4. Тифлис. 1884; Шишкевич М. И. Покорение Кавказа // Персидские и кавказские войны История русской армии, 1812–1864 гг. СПб., 2003. С. 528; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://militera.lib.ru/h/sb_istoria_russkoy_armii/82.html; Эривань (совр. Ереван) [Электронный ресурс] // Пушкинский дом (ИРЛИ РАН). 2003-2013. URL: http://www.pushkinskijdom.ru/Default.aspx?tabid=7482.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:
Потто В. А. Денис Васильевич Давыдов на Эриванской границе. СПб., 1900;