{"id":35582,"date":"2025-12-14T13:54:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-14T09:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cue.edu.ge\/?post_type=articles&p=35582"},"modified":"2025-12-14T13:55:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-14T09:55:12","slug":"the-resettlement-of-the-azov-bulgarians-to-georgia","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/cue.edu.ge\/en\/articles\/the-resettlement-of-the-azov-bulgarians-to-georgia\/","title":{"rendered":"The Resettlement of the Azov Bulgarians to Georgia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Albert Varbansky<\/strong><\/p>\n

PhD Student, Plovdiv University, Bulgaria<\/p>\n

varbansky@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Abstract<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The history of Bulgarian colonies in the Russian Empire is marked by waves of migration, adaptation, and resilience. After the Crimean War (1853\u20131856), the Russian Empire lost southern Bessarabia\u2014home to around forty Bulgarian colonies\u2014to the Principality of Moldavia and Wallachia. The Bulgarian settlers, now living under new rule, were given three years to move deeper into Russian territory. However, events soon took a difficult turn.<\/p>\n

A key moment came in the autumn of 1860 with unrest in Bolgrad, followed by the revocation of the colonists\u2019 official status on December 29, 1819. These developments pushed the representatives of forty Bulgarian colonies to seek new lands. They chose the Azov region, recently vacated by the Nogai people, who had been resettled by the Russian authorities.<\/p>\n

Life in the Azov region proved challenging. The climate was harsher than Bessarabia\u2019s, and the first three years were marred by crop failures and widespread hardship. This led to discussions among the settlers about relocating again\u2014this time to the Kuban region, known for its milder climate. A delegation was sent to St. Petersburg to seek permission, but the government denied the request, fearing disorganized migration. Instead, the state offered financial aid to encourage the settlers to stay.<\/p>\n

In 1865, 64 Bulgarian families petitioned the Kuban authorities for permission to resettle. While the outcome remains unknown, there is some evidence of Bulgarians migrating to Georgia in the 1860s. According to historian Mamuka Komakhia, 62 families\u2014likely from the Katarzhino colony in Kherson province\u2014arrived on the Black Sea coast and settled near Sukhumi and in the town of Ochamchira. However, the colony of Vladimirovka did not last, and the fate of its settlers remains uncertain.<\/p>\n

Despite early struggles, the Bulgarian settlers in the Azov region adapted over time. The Russian government was keen to see the land cultivated, especially after the departure of the Nogais, and relied on the Bulgarian colonists to transform the region into an agricultural hub similar to Bessarabia. Ultimately, the settlers succeeded, and the Azov steppes became fertile and productive.<\/p>\n

This episode reflects the Russian Empire\u2019s broader colonial policy: providing support and opportunities to settler communities while maintaining control to advance imperial interests and development goals.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Keywords: <\/strong>Bulgarian migration; colonial settlement; historical demography; agricultural colonization;\u00a0\u00a0 imperial policies<\/p>\n

JEL: <\/strong>N93; J61; O18<\/p>\n

DOI: <\/strong>10.52244\/c2025.20<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Article<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

References<\/strong><\/p>\n

Derzhavin. N.S. About the Bulgarians and the Bulgarian resettlement to Russia. Berdyansk. Art. type. I.I. Gurevich. AR. M.A. Levius. 1912.<\/p>\n

Gerdov. K. From the Arctic, from the mother’s womb, from the worldly abyss. Novel. Essays. Sukhum. Abkhaz state publishing house. 2007. pp. 254-299.<\/p>\n

Grek. I. Forgotten pages of southern Bessarabia. (1856-1861). Collection of documents and materials. Chisinau. 2012.<\/p>\n

History of Steppe Ukraine. Volume 6.<\/p>\n

Kaloyanov. V. The Bulgarians in Tavria. 1860-1939. Softtrade Publishing House. Sofia 2005. Pages 24-27.<\/p>\n

Komakhia. M. Slavic population of Georgia. CA&C Press AB. Publishing house (Sweden).<\/p>\n

Milchevskaya. I. Descendants of Khan Asparukh. Bulgarian Saga. DRON. Literary and art magazine.<\/p>\n

Paskalov.L. Tavria stories. Primorsk. 2016.<\/p>\n

Savvov. I. Family History. (From the memoirs of Ivan Antonovich Savvov about his family’s resettlement to Georgia and life in the Donbass from 1932 to 1956). Drinovsky Collection. Volume 13, 2020.<\/p>\n

Taranov. V.V. From the memoirs of Gervalova V.F. Manuscript. 1993.<\/p>\n

Varbansky, A.I., N.I. Glavcheva’s account of life as Bulgarian settlers in Chakva. Interview, 2025.<\/p>\n

Zhabchik. S.V. Migration of Bulgarians to the Territory of Kuban and the Black Sea Region in the Late 18th and Early 20th Centuries. Year of Bulgaria in Russia. Problems of the History and Culture of Slavic Peoples. Proceedings of the International Scientific and Practical Conference. Center for Slavic Studies, Kuban State University. Krasnodar, 2009. pp. 29-37.<\/p>\n

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