Message from Gandzasar Catholicos Esayi to Peter I August 10, 1716

On March 14, 1717, the Armenian vardapet Minas appeared at the State Embassy Office and reported on behalf of the Armenian Patriarch Esayi. Under pressure from the Shah of Persia, he presented a letter written to the great sovereign in the Armenian script. Since there was no Armenian language translator at the Embassy Office, the translation was carried out based on the words of vardapet Minas and his interpreter, the Armenian Bogdan Khristoforov, into the Slavic language.

Upon translation, the letter stated:

At the beginning, written in red letters: To the great sovereign, Tsar Peter Alexeyevich. Below that, in red letters: <…>

The emissary, my brother, vardapet Minas, who arrived here by the decree of Your Majesty, a faithful member of our faith and my trusted confidant, appeared before me. He conveyed all the matters entrusted to him by Your Imperial Majesty, and we attentively listened to them with great joy and received them with a kind heart. When Your Majesty requires such matters and graciously engages with us, we, in turn, are ready to serve with a joyful heart in any way we can.

Should Your Majesty decide to embark upon military endeavors, kindly inform us in advance so that I, together with my faithful people, may prepare to serve according to our capabilities and Your Majesty’s requirements. If Your Majesty deems it appropriate to send an assurance letter with a trusted envoy, we would find solace in Your Majesty’s grace. This would enable me to dispatch my people to assist in the military efforts, escort Your troops, and guide them through the most advantageous passageways.

Furthermore, we have verbally instructed our brother, vardapet Minas, on numerous matters, which he is to convey to Your Majesty personally when you question him about them. He shall report on all that he has seen and heard from us.

This letter was written in Gandzasar on August 13, 1716.

I wish for a prompt response to this letter so that I may place my trust in Your Imperial Majesty.

Notation: This letter bears the patriarchal seal affixed with red ochre, inscribed with his name.

(The translated text initially stated “August 13”; however, it has been corrected to August 10 to align with the Armenian original, which is dated accordingly. See also G.A. Ezov’s note in the referenced work, p. 318.)

The letter was enclosed in a wrapper and sealed personally by the Patriarch’s seal in red wax.

The inscription on the wrapper read: To be presented in Saint Petersburg to the Great Emperor and Sovereign.

Source: **Central State Archive of Ancient Acts (TsGADA), Fund 100, 1716, file 3, folios 27–31. Translation by G.A. Ezov, cited work, document No. 206. Published in the collection: “Armenian-Russian Relations in the First Third of the 18th Century.” Volume II, Part I. Yerevan, 1964, Document No. 150._

Report of Vardapet Minas on the Results of His Journey to Persia on Behalf of Peter I and, in Particular, the Population of Armenians in Karabakh March 14, 1717

Upon submitting the letter, Vardapet Minas verbally reported:

After departing from Saint Petersburg and Moscow, he arrived in Persia and visited the Armenian Patriarch Asvatatur at the great monastery known as Etchmiadzin, which is located six days’ journey from Shemakha by swift travel. He reached there on July 15, 1716, and conveyed to the patriarch in full detail the matters entrusted to him by His Imperial Majesty’s decree, which were communicated through the State Under-Chancellor, Privy Councillor, Baron Peter Pavlovich Shafirov. <…>

After leaving Patriarch Asvatatur, he visited another Armenian Patriarch, Esayi, at the Gandzasar Monastery and conveyed the same matters to him. <…>

Vardapet Minas stated that the journey from Nizovaya Pier to the city of Shemakha takes four days by pack horses and eight days by camels. From Shemakha to Gandzasar Monastery, where Patriarch Esayi resides, it takes six days by pack horses via dry routes and, under favorable weather conditions, eight days by camels. The lands along this route are inhabited, fertile, and contain sizable villages, each comprising 50 to 100 households or more.

Under the jurisdiction of Patriarch Esayi, around Gandzasar Monastery, there are 900 villages. Some of these villages are large, with 100 to 200 households, some with 300 to 400, and even more. The journey from Gandzasar to Etchmiadzin Monastery, where the other patriarch resides, takes five days by pack horses. The number of villages under the second patriarch’s jurisdiction exceeds that of Esayi’s, though the exact figure is unknown.

The total Armenian population under the authority of these two patriarchs is estimated to be around 200,000, comprising merchants and peasants. Should war arise against the Persians, Minas believes that they would all align themselves with His Imperial Majesty’s side, as they suffer greatly under Persian rule. <…>

Notation: This translated report and note were sent to Saint Petersburg on March 19, 1717, to Secretary Petr Kurbatov for numerical transcription and subsequent forwarding to State Chancellor and Knight, Count Gavriil Ivanovich Golovkin, as well as to Under-Chancellor and Privy Councillor, Baron Peter Pavlovich Shafirov, by post.

This information was also reported to the State Chancellor and Under-Chancellor from Moscow on the same date by Secretaries Mikhail Shafirov and Mikhail Larionov.

Mikhail Shafirov, Larionov

Source: **Central State Archive of Ancient Acts (TsGADA), Fund 100, 1716, file 3, folios 21–26. Original document excerpt. G.A. Ezov, cited work, document No. 209. Published in the collection: “Armenian-Russian Relations in the First Third of the 18th Century.” Volume II, Part I. Yerevan, 1964, Document No. 154._

Report of Vardapet Minas on the Results of His Journey to Persia on Behalf of Peter I, and in Particular, the Armenian Population of Karabakh March 14, 1717

Upon submitting the letter, Vardapet Minas verbally reported:

After departing from Saint Petersburg and Moscow, he arrived in Persia and visited the Armenian Patriarch Asvatatur at the great monastery known as Etchmiadzin, located six days’ journey from Shemakha by swift travel. He reached there on July 15, 1716, and conveyed in full detail the matters entrusted to him by His Imperial Majesty’s decree, which had been communicated through the State Under-Chancellor, Privy Councillor, Baron Peter Pavlovich Shafirov. <…>

After leaving Patriarch Asvatatur, he visited another Armenian Patriarch, Esayi, at the Gandzasar Monastery and informed him about the same matters. <…>

Vardapet Minas reported that the journey from Nizovaya Pier to the city of Shemakha takes four days by pack horses and eight days by camels. From Shemakha to Gandzasar Monastery, where Patriarch Esayi resides, it takes six days by pack horses via dry routes and, under favorable weather conditions, eight days by camels. The lands along this route are inhabited, fertile, and contain sizable villages, each with 50 to 100 households or more.

Under the jurisdiction of Patriarch Esayi, around Gandzasar Monastery, there are 900 villages. Some of these villages are large, containing between 100 and 400 households, and even more. The journey from Gandzasar to Etchmiadzin Monastery, where the other patriarch resides, takes five days by pack horses. The number of villages under the second patriarch’s jurisdiction exceeds that of Esayi’s, though the exact figure is unknown.

The total Armenian population under the authority of these two patriarchs is estimated at around 200,000, consisting of merchants and peasants. Should war arise against the Persians, Minas believes that they would all align themselves with His Imperial Majesty’s side, as they suffer greatly under Persian rule. <…>

Notation: This translated report and note were sent to Saint Petersburg on March 19, 1717, to Secretary Petr Kurbatov for numerical transcription and subsequent forwarding to State Chancellor and Knight, Count Gavriil Ivanovich Golovkin, as well as to Under-Chancellor and Privy Councillor, Baron Peter Pavlovich Shafirov, by post.

This information was also reported to the State Chancellor and Under-Chancellor from Moscow on the same date by Secretaries Mikhail Shafirov and Mikhail Larionov.

Mikhail Shafirov, Larionov

Source: **Central State Archive of Ancient Acts (TsGADA), Fund 100, 1716, file 3, folios 21–26. Original document excerpt. G.A. Ezov, cited work, document No. 209. Published in the collection: “Armenian-Russian Relations in the First Third of the 18th Century.” Volume II, Part I. Yerevan, 1964, Document No. 154._

Letter from Chancellor Count G. Golovkin to Peter I on Measures to Prevent War with Turkey in Connection with the Persian Campaign

Moscow, December 11, 1722

Most Gracious Sovereign!

I most humbly report to Your Imperial Majesty that yesterday we received a dispatch from Resident Nepluyev dated November 4. I am sending one of these, a secret dispatch, for Your Majesty’s information, while the other, a more extensive report, I did not send, as its contents are the same—only elaborated in greater detail. The Ottoman Porte demands that Your Majesty withdraw all troops from Persian territories, and they are unwaveringly continuing military preparations. Knowing that Your Majesty is engaged in travel, I refrained from burdening you with reading the extensive dispatch.

Upon first receiving intelligence of these Turkish intentions, we immediately sent detailed instructions to Resident Nepluyev on how to dissuade the Porte from breaking relations. I previously reported this to Your Majesty and now send further instructions to the Resident on how to proceed in these matters.

I remain Your servant, Gavriil Golovkin

Source: **AVPR, Fund: Relations of Russia with Turkey, 1722, file 6, part II, folios 456–457. Original document. Published in the collection: “Armenian-Russian Relations in the First Third of the 18th Century.” Volume II, Part II. Yerevan, 1967, Document No. 261._

Letter from Catholicos Nerses, Armenians of Karabakh and Other Provinces, to Peter I Requesting Aid and Protection from Plunder and Violence by Persia

Early March 1723

A letter from Armenian Patriarch Nerses from the Monastery of the Three Martyrs, dated March 1723, received in Saint Petersburg on May 24 of the same year, reads as follows after translation:

Above all emperors, the most glorious emperor of Christendom and the great Tsar of all Russia, Peter Alexeyevich.

I, the humble Patriarch Nerses of the lands of Aghvank, Karabakh, and Shirvan, kneel to the ground in tears and entreat Your Majesty with the most heartfelt plea. Along with my people, we implore you—at present, we suffer as captives in the hands of the infidels, who relentlessly drive us out, plunder our homes, and kill us mercilessly. Many are taken captive, while others flee to the mountains, seeking refuge, living in dire conditions without food or water. Our only hope rests first in God and then in Your Majesty, for there is none other to whom we may turn.

Thus, we beseech Your Majesty to free us from this suffering and protect us, just as the great Prophet Moses delivered his people from Pharaoh’s tyranny. The Persian state has weakened, and as a result, attacks upon Christians have intensified from all four sides. The infidels seek to annihilate and eradicate us entirely, growing even more ferocious upon hearing of Your Majesty’s arrival in these lands.

Previously, the Georgian prince Vakhtang came to our aid with 50,000–60,000 troops, awaiting Your Majesty’s arrival. However, soon after, the Muslim-aligned Kakhetian ruler Mahmad Quli Khan instigated conflicts and launched attacks against Vakhtang and all of us, seeking to eradicate Christianity. We remain in anguish, hoping for Your Majesty’s arrival and deliverance from this suffering.

Some noble Armenians, alongside warriors numbering in the thousands, have taken refuge in the mountains, in a stronghold. Among them are distinguished leaders such as Esayi from the province of Partav, and Sergei from the province of Charapert, both of princely lineage. Additionally, Shiru Khan, Grigory, Sarukhan, and Avan serve as captains under the command of Prince Sergei*. These commanders hail from three provinces, and we humbly request Your Majesty to send separate decrees to them, instructing them to protect the Armenian people until Your Majesty’s arrival. May Your Majesty lead us from darkness into light, and when Your will is revealed, we shall submit wholly at Your feet.

Source: AVPR, Fund 100, 1723, file 1, folios 6–7. Copy. Translated from Armenian. Published in the collection: “Armenian-Russian Relations in the First Third of the 18th Century.” Volume II, Part II. Yerevan, 1967, Document No. 176.

(The correct reading should be “Partav.”) (*In the original document: “Sergeria.”)

Message from the Four Karabakh Meliks to Peter I Requesting Assistance in Their Struggle Against the Devastating Raids of the Lezgins

March 1723

A letter addressed to His Imperial Majesty from the distinguished Armenian official Isayi, received in Saint Petersburg on May 24 of the same year, states the following after translation:

To the ruler of the northern lands, the great emperor and sovereign, akin to Abgar and Tsar Constantine, Peter Alexeyevich.*

I, Isayi, the humble servant from the province of Parant and the village of Gyulistan, together with the people of Aghvan, bow with sorrowful hearts and tearful supplication at Your Majesty’s feet. We have long suffered attacks, grievances, and devastation at the hands of the infidels, but now we endure their cruelty at an unprecedented scale—particularly from the Lezgins and other local non-Christian peoples.

Lezgin raiders numbering 50,000 to 60,000 have repeatedly descended upon Ganja, Barda, and Duzag, ravaging the homes of Christian Aghvan inhabitants. Some were slaughtered, others captured—men and women, young and old—then taken to Dagestan. As these enemies crossed the Kura River, unable to transport all captives, they drowned many and mercilessly cut down others until the river flowed red like boiling blood. Upon crossing, they divided the stolen possessions and people among themselves, leaving the remaining inhabitants grieving in unbearable sorrow.

For eleven years, the Lezgins have devastated our province, while Persian non-Christians have inflicted even greater oppression, seizing our lands into their submission. Seeing this ruin, we—Isayi of Barda, Shirvan, and Sergei of Charapert—alongside the Armenian leader of Ganja, Osip, gathered with 12,000 warriors and resisted the Lezgins and other oppressors. By the fortune of Your Imperial Majesty and placing our trust in your mercy, we defeated and expelled many of these infidels.

Now, however, we stand leaderless, with hope resting only in God and Your Majesty’s imperial grace. The Tiflis Khan recently came to our aid, offering invaluable support. Thus, we humbly plead for Your Majesty to send separate decrees bearing seals to the four of us, as this would ensure greater trust from the local people. With such decrees, many could rally under our leadership, strengthening our forces, and enabling us to repel the enemy until Your Majesty arrives.

We further request Your Majesty’s response regarding your intentions and ask that you notify Vakhtang to bring his troops to Ganja. We will stand united with him against our foes until Your Majesty arrives. Moreover, Vakhtang himself now faces grave opposition from our mutual enemy—the ruthless and destructive Kakhetian ruler Mahmad Quli Khan.

Notation: This letter bears four ink seals inscribed with the names Isayi, Shirvan, Sergei, and Osip.

Translator’s Note: The translation was conducted at the Foreign College upon request by Armenian scholars Luka Ilyin and Piri Maksimov on May 25, 1723.

Source: AVPR, Fund 100, 1723, file 1, folios 10–11. Translated from Armenian. Published in the collection: “Armenian-Russian Relations in the First Third of the 18th Century.” Volume II, Part II. Yerevan, 1967, Document No. 178.

(*Correct reading should be “Abgar.”)

Yuri Barsegov “Nagorno-Karabakh in International Law and Global Politics”

Artatsolum

Read Also: Ancient and Medieval Sources on Artsakh (Karabakh) as Part of Armenia’s State Territory