The Georgian Settlement in Baku
The Georgian Settlement in Baku was a hub of the Georgian culture, national identity and revolutionary movement in Azerbaijan during the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.
The importance of Baku in the Russin Empire grew after Baku was declared the center of the regional governorate (gubernia) in 1859. Georgians began to settle in large numbers in the "Kala" district and other parts of the city. During the construction of railway and oil pipelines, entrepreneurs like I. Amilakhvari, I. Dadiani, the Zubalashvili brothers, A. Khoshtaria, T. Jaqeli and others became very successful in Baku.
From the 1880s, Georgians began to join associations related to oil refining and other industries controlled by foreigners. Branches of commercial banks based in Tbilisi were also established in Baku. By the end of the 19th century, the Georgian settlement had grown significantly, and Georgians actively worked to promote their national culture and traditions. They organized annual charity events, raising funds for various causes.
In 1897, Georgian public figures and entrepreneurs, at the request of their compatriots in Baku, allocated funds to the Tbilisi Women's School Committee and Society for Spreading of Literacy among Georgians. Some of these funds were used to support Georgian students studying in Baku.
In 1904, oil magnate S. Zubalashvili donated 10,000 manat to the Society for the Spreading of Literacy among Georgians and funded the construction of a Public House in Tbilisi and a large church in Batumi. Part of the funds were sent to libraries, cooperatives, and other institutions in Georgian villages and towns.
From the 1890s, illegal activity expanded in Baku. At the initiative or the revolutionary groups of local Georgians, a printing house "Nina" and the newspaper “Brdzola” ("Struggle") was founded. Georgian revolutionaries such as A. Tsulukidze, V. Ketskhoveli, I. Ramishvili, N. Zhordania, A. Enukidze, I. Stalin, P. Jafaridze, F. Makharadze took part in the establishing of the Baku committee of the RSDLP (Russian Social Democratic Labor Party). Later, Georgians supported the Azerbaijani social-democratic organization "Humet" (Energy).
On May 3, 1898, a group of Georgians founded the Library Committee. The treasury was entrusted to I. Eliashvili, a representative of the Society for the Spreading of Literacy among Georgians in Baku. Over 200 books were sent from Tbilisi.
In May 1901, the "Georgian People's Reading Room" was inaugurated in Baku. In 1903, the "Society for Cooperation of Georgians in Baku and its Vicinity" was established, which assisted the unemployed and the sick; it created commercial enterprises, public cafeterias, and clubs.
The Georgians of Baku played an important role in the 1905–07 revolutionary movement. During this period, the number of Georgians in Baku exceeded 5,000. The number of Georgian students increased in Baku's educational institutions. The "Georgian Society in Baku" was founded, and its charter was approved on October 30, 1906.
On February 1, 1909, the Society for the Spreading of Literacy among Georgians opened its branch in Baku. The society (chaired by M. Taktakishvili) launched extensive activities, including opening schools, reading rooms, and other cultural and educational institutions. On October 4, 1909, the society successfully established the first Georgian school (headmaster M. Ramishvili). On May 2, 1910, a bookstore was opened in the school's building. In April 1911, I. Dadiani was elected the head of the Baku branch of the Society for the Spreading of Literacy among Georgians. He was able to build a new center for Georgian settlement.
The first Georgian performance (D. Eristavi's "Homeland") was staged in Baku in 1893 by local actors. In 1900, a theater troupe was formed. The Georgian singing troupe in Baku was very active, with concerts organized by K. Potskhverashvili and others. Every year, the Georgian community in Baku celebrated St. Nino's Day. In 1913, Georgians in Baku marked the 700th anniversary of the death of Queen Tamar. In Baku, K. Meshki opened the movie theater "Electrobiography."
On February 24, 1913, the "Georgian Literary and Artistic Club" was set up in Baku. Its members organized various activities. Following the newspaper "Brdzola" (the Struggle), many other periodicals were printed in Baku. The "Martsvali" newspaper and the journals "Tskaro," "Kalami," and others were published there. Georgians also collaborated with the Russian press.
The World War I had a significant impact on the activities of the Georgian settlement in Baku. In 1914, the Society for the Spreading of Literacy among Georgians established the "Committee for the Assistance of Georgians Affected by the War." This committee collected funds to assist the populations of Adjara and Shavsheti who had been affected by the war.
In April 1918, the "National Council of Georgians of Baku" was established. After the declaration of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, a Georgian diplomatic representation was set up in Azerbaijan (N. Kartsivadze, G. Khundadze, G. Alshibaia). G. Tskhakaia was elected as the representative of the local Georgians in the Parliament of the Azerbaijan Republic. After the arrival of foreign troops in Baku in 1918, the situation of the Georgian Settlement in Baku worsened. The "National Council of Georgians of Baku" (led by I. Agladze) moved to Tbilisi.
In 1921, the Georgian school in Baku was formally subordinated to the government of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, but in practice, the Georgian school, theater, and other cultural centers in Baku were led by a group of local Georgians. Later, these institutions were transferred to the Georgian SSR representation in Azerbaijan. The Georgian school in Baku existed until 1960.
F. Sikharulidze
