When and why did Georgia become part of the Russian Empire?
The Treaty of Georgievsk, 1801 and the annexation of western Georgia.
Short answer
In 1783 the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti signed the Treaty of Georgievsk with Russia, seeking protection from Persia and the Ottoman Empire. In 1801 Russia abolished the kingdom and annexed eastern Georgia, and western Georgian lands joined the empire during the 19th century. Georgia remained part of the empire until 1918, when it declared independence.
Why
- In 1795 Persian forces sacked Tbilisi, and the help promised under the treaty did not come.
- The Kingdom of Imereti joined the empire in 1810, Guria, Mingrelia and Svaneti later, and Adjara in 1878.
- On 26 May 1918 the Democratic Republic of Georgia was proclaimed; it is now Independence Day.
Details
In 1921 Georgia became part of the Soviet Union, and on 9 April 1991 it restored its independence. Under the empire the Georgian Church lost its autocephaly, regaining it in 1917.
People also ask
- When did Georgia join the Russian Empire?
Sources
- Georgian National MuseumChecked at:
Historical dates follow commonly accepted historians' versions.
History of Georgia: from the empire to todayRelated questions
-
How big is Georgia, and which is larger: Georgia, Armenia or Azerbaijan?
Georgia covers about 69,700 square kilometres.
-
How old is Batumi?
A settlement has existed on Batumi's site since antiquity; the ancient Greeks called the harbour Bathys, meaning 'deep'.
-
Who were Queen Tamar, Shota Rustaveli and other heroes of Georgian history?
Queen Tamar ruled Georgia in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, the country's golden age, and the poet Shota Rustaveli lived at her court and wrote 'The Knight in the Panther's Skin'.
-
Where was Stalin born, and how is he viewed in Georgia?
Joseph Stalin, born Dzhugashvili, was born in 1878 in the town of Gori in Georgia.


