On the Situation in Persia, Attempts to Divide the Armenian Liberation Movement, and Persuade Them to Abandon Their Alignment with Russia August 28, 1724
To the Most Serene and Mighty Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia, Peter the Great, Father of the Fatherland, Most Gracious Sovereign, a report from the Armenian archbishop, Minas Vardapet. The points of my report are as follows:
- I have learned through letters that in our lands, the pagan enemies seek, through fear, gifts, and promises of peace, to deceive and divide the gathered Armenian forces—who have placed their hopes in Your Imperial Majesty—just as they once deceived the Melitene people.
- The envoys who have been sent, should they receive no immediate response from Your Imperial Majesty, will not dare to return, and, God knows, will despair, for great turmoil will arise among them.
- Those among us who desire Your Imperial Majesty’s honor shall face unbearable devastation from the pagan adversaries, who will seize their wives and children, taking them captive, while the survivors will suffer humiliation and ridicule. Likewise, our Church shall endure disgrace and eternal condemnation from these foes.
- Because they placed unwavering trust in the word and decree of Your Imperial Majesty, just as they do in the Holy Gospel of Christ, they remain steadfast to this day. They have committed themselves not only to worldly wisdom but also to serving with love for Christ, with unity and sincerity, both now and in the future.
- If the two peoples—the Melitenes and Armenians—were to serve Your Imperial Majesty faithfully, with the help of God, they could defeat all pagan adversaries, for they hold the keys to those lands and are accustomed to surviving its harsh conditions.
- Although Your Imperial Majesty’s troops are highly trained and formidable, they are unable to endure the extreme climatic hardships of those regions. Many urgent matters have been raised, and even more remain to be presented to Your Imperial Majesty.
- If Your Imperial Majesty sees fit to inquire into these confidential matters, all shall be revealed, though the necessary time has passed, and aid has not yet come. Many crucial matters and opportunities have slipped away, and no decree has been issued nor action taken.
- Should the pagan adversaries have already conceived secret plans, they would have prepared only minimally for their security. Yet, a sign has now emerged among us, revealing that they cannot be suppressed by any means. < … >
- This report is not for my sake, but for the Christian people of the Orthodox Greek faith.
- May it be decreed by Your Most Serene Imperial Majesty that those mentioned in this report be taken from Astrakhan before Your Majesty, so that their secret, which they promise to reveal, may be received, and the appropriate decree issued. May a decision be made by Your Most Serene Imperial Majesty regarding all matters within this report.
August 28, 1724 Note: Received in Moscow via postal service on September 4, 1724. Archive Reference: AVPR, f. 100, 1724, d. 2, l. 15-16. Published in the collection: G. A. Ezov, Relations of Peter the Great with the Armenian People, St. Petersburg, 1898, Document 243; Armenian-Russian Relations in the First Third of the 18th Century, Vol. II, Part II, Yerevan, 1967, Document No. 283.
Yuri Barsegov “Nagorno-Karabakh in International Law and Global Politics”
Artatsolum
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