Английская Википедия:Hovsep Arghutian (archbishop)
Hovsep ArghutianШаблон:Efn (Шаблон:Lang-hy;Шаблон:Efn 23 May 1743 – 9 March 1801), known in Russian as Iosif Argutinsky-Dolgorukov (Шаблон:Lang-ru), was an eighteenth-century Armenian archbishop who served as the religious leader of Armenians in the Russian Empire. He played a key role in the establishment of Armenian settlements in Russia, most notably that of Nakhichevan-on-Don. He co-founded the first Armenian press in Russia and directed its activities. He had a close personal relationship with Catherine the Great and Grigory Potemkin and advised them on Russia's policies in the Caucasus region. Arghutian was a committed Russophile and sought Russian support for the creation of an Armenian state. He personally participated in the Russian campaign against Persia in 1796. He was elected Catholicos of All Armenians (leader of the Armenian Church) in 1800, but died on his way to Ejmiatsin in 1801 and was never consecrated.
Biography
Early life and consecration
Hovsep Arghutian was born on 23 May 1743 in Sanahin in the region of Lori.Шаблон:Sfn He was a member of the Argutinsky-Dolgorukov noble family, which claimed descent from the medieval Georgian-Armenian Zakarid house.Шаблон:Sfn His father, Shiosh-Bek, held a position in the Georgian court; his mother's name was Ketevan.Шаблон:Sfn He had three brothers, Movses, Parsadan and Bezhan, and one sister, Mariam.Шаблон:Sfn He received his education at Sanahin Monastery and then at the seminary at Ejmiatsin, where he studied under Catholicos Simeon of Yerevan (Шаблон:Reign).Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn He was consecrated a bishop by Catholicos Simeon in 1769 and made primate of the Russian-Armenian diocese in 1773.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
Archbishop in Russia
Arghutian's appointment came at a time of increased Russian-Armenian interaction.Шаблон:Sfn Catherine the Great's victories over the Ottomans and interest in the South Caucasus again raised Armenian hopes of gaining autonomy through Russian assistance.Шаблон:Sfn Catholicos Simeon and his successor Ghukas (Шаблон:Reign) followed a cautious policy and remained loyal to Iranian rule.Шаблон:Sfn Arghutian, on the other hand, was a strong supporter of Russian expansion into the South Caucasus and believed that Armenians should adopt a pro-Russian orientation.Шаблон:Sfn He criticized the leaders of the Armenian Church for their cautious attitude towards Russia.Шаблон:Sfn Simeon and Ghukas both distanced themselves from Arghutian's pro-Russian activities to avoid provoking their Iranian overlords.Шаблон:Sfn Thus, Arghutian was able to act independently from the Catholicos in Ejmiatsin.Шаблон:Sfn Historian George Bournoutian describes Arghutian as “a major participant in swaying the Armenians toward a Russian orientation.”Шаблон:Sfn
In the aftermath of the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774, Catherine the Great enlisted Arghutian's help to oversee the migration of around 12,600 Crimean Armenians to Russia in 1778. In 1780, Arghutian helped found the town of Nakhichevan-on-Don (now part of Rostov-on-Don) and five nearby villages (Chaltyr, Bolshaya Sala, Sultan Sala, Topti, and Novita) to house the Armenian migrants.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn From 1780, Arghutian was also the spiritual leader of the Armenians of Crimea.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Arghutian cultivated close relationships with the Russian imperial family and aristocracy and hoped to use these relationships to bring about the liberation of Armenia.Шаблон:Sfn He was close to Catherine the GreatШаблон:Sfn and was a personal friend of her powerful favorite Grigory Potemkin and General Alexander Suvorov.Шаблон:Sfn He advised Catherine and Potemkin on Russia's policy in the South Caucasus.Шаблон:Sfn Arghutian also maintained correspondence with representatives of the Armenian settlements in Russia, Catholicos Ghukas, the Armenian communities of Georgia and India, various Russian statesmen, the Georgian kings Heraclius II and George XII, the meliks of Karabakh and many other figures.Шаблон:Sfn Copies of many of his letters have been preserved, which serve as important sources for the study of the period.Шаблон:Sfn
In 1780, Arghutian and the influential Russian-Armenian Ivan Lazarev met with Potemkin to discuss Russia's policies towards the Caucasus and Armenia.Шаблон:Sfn The signing of the Treaty of Georgievsk in 1783, by which the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti became a protectorate of Russia, encouraged Arghutian to increase his diplomatic efforts.Шаблон:Sfn The same year, Arghutian presented a proposal for a Russian-Armenian alliance to the Russian court which envisioned the creation of an Armenian state under Russian suzerainty.Шаблон:Sfn According to the proposal, the future Armenian kingdom would be protected by Russian troops paid for by the Armenians. Armenia would have a trade port on the Caspian Sea, and would be represented by an envoy in St. Petersburg. The proposal contained descriptions of an Armenian flag and coat of arms.Шаблон:Sfn Arghutian and Lazarev also presented a more radical alliance proposal drafted by the Indo-Armenian merchant Shahamir Shahamirian, although neither proposal appears to have resulted in anything.Шаблон:Sfn
Arghutian and Lazarev were disappointed after the Russo-Turkish War of 1787–1792 ended without the annexation of Armenia. They continued to appeal to Catherine to establish an Armenian kingdom, but the empress suggested nothing more than the immigration of Armenians to Russian and Georgian territory.Шаблон:Sfn In 1792, at Potemkin and Arghutian's initiative,Шаблон:Sfn the settlement of Grigoriopol (named after Saint Gregory the Illuminator) was founded and populated with Armenians from Moldavia and Bessarabia who had suffered during the latest Russo-Turkish war.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
At the invitation of Platon Zubov,Шаблон:Sfn Arghutian personally participated in the Russian expedition against Persia in 1796 and called on Armenians to aid the Russian army.Шаблон:Sfn He greatly assisted the campaign with his knowledge of the region and its languages.Шаблон:Sfn However, the expedition was cut short because of Catherine the Great's death in November 1796. Arghutian attempted to convince the new tsar Paul I, who was uninterested in the South Caucasus, to reconsider his policy.Шаблон:Sfn In 1799, Paul I presented Arghutian with a decree declaring that the Armenians were under the Tsar's protection.Шаблон:Sfn Arghutian participated in the composition of the emperor's 1799 proclamation which established uniform privileges for the Armenian communities of Grigoriopol, Crimea, Astrakhan, Kizlyar, and Mozdok.Шаблон:Sfn According to historian Pavel Chobanyan, Arghutian actively opposed Catholic influence upon Armenians while fostering an atmosphere of mutual tolerance between the Armenian and Russian churches.Шаблон:Sfn
Printing activities
Arghutian collaborated with the wealthy Indo-Armenian merchant Grigor Khaldarian to found the first Armenian printing house in Russia.Шаблон:Sfn Khaldarian moved his printing press from London to Saint Petersburg in 1781, most likely with Arghutian's help.Шаблон:Sfn Arghutian commissioned most, if not practically all, of the books published by Khaldarian's press.Шаблон:Sfn He bought the printing press from Khaldarian's widow in 1789 and moved it to Nakhichevan-on-Don and, later, to Astrakhan.Шаблон:Sfn Arghutian used his connections with wealthy merchants in the Armenian diaspora to gain financial support for his printing activities.Шаблон:Sfn Through Arghutian's efforts, more than forty books were published by the Russian-Armenian printing press.Шаблон:Sfn He also authored and printed several works on religious topics. The printing press remained active until Arghutian's death in 1801.Шаблон:Sfn
Election as catholicos and death
After the death of Catholicos Ghukas in 1799, Arghutian emerged as one of the five candidates for the position.Шаблон:Sfn He was elected Catholicos of Ejmiatsin in 1800 with the help of significant pressure from Russia.Шаблон:Sfn On 28 July 1800, Paul I recognized Arghutian as the Catholicos of All Armenians.Шаблон:Sfn However, Arghutian fell ill and died in Tiflis (Tbilisi) on 9 March 1801 while traveling to Ejmiatsin to take up his position and was never consecrated as catholicos.Шаблон:Sfn
Notes
References
Citations
Bibliography
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Further reading
- Английская Википедия
- Страницы с неработающими файловыми ссылками
- 1743 births
- 1801 deaths
- Armenian people from the Russian Empire
- 18th-century bishops
- Armenian bishops
- Armenian printers
- 18th-century Armenian writers
- Armenian nobility
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- Википедия
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