The Distribution and Cultural Life of Armenians in the Telavi Region of Kakheti in the 1920s

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present the distribution of Armenians in the Kakheti region of Georgia and its administrative districts of Telavi and the regional center of the same name. In the article, we touch upon the socio-political and economic situation of Armenians, we have touched upon the native language, Armenian historical and cultural monuments, and the activities of educational institutions. Analyzing the policy pursued by the Georgian authorities, especially during the Soviet period, we aimed to reveal what was the reason for the increase or decrease in the number of Armenians in the given region. During the research, we have made a historical overview, presenting the reasons for the immigration of Armenians to Kakheti. In the work, we present the number of Armenians in the settlements of the Telavi region or the so-called Telavskiy uezd in Soviet times, their historical and cultural monuments, and the status of schools. It is noteworthy that, unlike today's administrative-territorial division of Georgia, in Soviet Georgia, Kakheti had two provinces (uezds): Telavi and Sghnakhi. We must state that in the early years of Soviet rule, administrative-territorial divisions in the Kakheti region were implemented on an arbitrary basis, and some of the settlements we present in the article are located in the Sghnakhi (სილაზი), Gvareli (ლარელი) and Gurjaani (გურენარაარი) regions.