Because of the reason that I knew how enormous difficulties can follow many expats, migrants who fled their motherland without any preparation or other measures and came to the place turned into slum after the war, suffering from shortage of pecuniary aid I may not think in advance about troubles that can emerge when thousands of Christian families found shelter in our lands.

In spite of all persuasions such as migration of Christians during the invasion of Yerevan will cause no difficulty or trouble, and it will not have negative effect on Russia’s interests, oppositely it will affect Russia positively, it won’t create any additional expenses for the country I decided not to interfere this matter unless our troops will occupy Azerbaijan and Armenian communities will send their deputies to me.

Without demanding any condition or requirements the only thing that deputies who came to Deykargan wanted from us permission for settlement in the towns of Russia. I could not stay ignorant to their requests and considering that if the people who were defeated and  industrious and from same faith, will settle in the empty lands it will be extremely  beneficial for us, I concurred with providing them with the implementation of their wish. But except the plea about being free from tax and considerations for some period of time, I did not promise any pecuniary aid or assistance.

After signing “Turkmanchay” agreement and returning back to Tabriz, I got warning about how needy those immigrants are and the hardships that Christian immigrants can encounter when crossing the borders unless Russian government will do pecuniary assistance. And I also got information about incomes and benefits they attained in the field of agriculture in Iran and their unanimous decision of leaving real estates and some of their properties. After this I could not take revenge and let them rely on the government which creates difficulties for them by preventing them to move here.  What is more I could not stand negligible to the requests and Christians’ wishes about the help of material assistance. For that reason I mobilized industrious and respectful person among Armenians stab-officer Lazarev, lieutenant-colonel Argutinski and other officers to provide required assistance to immigrants.

I gave a task to establish special committee in former Yerevan where Armenian administration is located now, for implementation and aid to the place where immigrants dwell, and initially allocated 50 thousand roubles and ordered to lend the money to needy and needy people. Mr. Earl can be informed about details of this decree from the #340 report dated on March 3^rd. By the way I would like to state that Nerses eminence assigned bishop Stephan and arkhimandrit Nicolay to help us in this issue. I also ensured them with relevant tasks and orders and instructed heads of committees to provide them with required help. Albeit until now I could not get any information from those chairmen according to the information stated by Lazerev propaganda of mentioned clergymen had no impact on immigrants. Alongside with these, despite the fact that persians resist, expatriation of Christians from Azerbaijan to our lands is carried out successfully and at the moment 279 in Karabakh and 948 families are settled in Yerevan. The number of overall immigrants covers 5000 families, corresponding to Lazerev.

Reasons causing this situation include the following:

1. Management methods and tax payments of christians by compressing persians with different kind of injustice.

2. Thanks to the our troops located in Adzerbaijan and patronizing immigrants there which allow them to come till the borders not afraiding of any robbery or violance.

3. Money lended to the immigrants which is considered great courtesy. So, with the help this aid they were able to restore their cattle ranch and to purchase cattle, to improve their live conditions and

Finally,

1. loyalty and praiseworthy attempts of polkovnik Lazarev, lieutenant-colonel prince Argutinski and other officers in his servitude. In accordance with the information given by Lazarev, officers  Kabardin who demonstrated great braveness  and khazakh polkovnik  Shamshev lending their horses  to the immigrant families and walked on those hard passages on foot when immigrants were crossing mountains in snowy and windy weather. At the same time Lazerev convinces us that all costs spent on armenian immigrants from budjet will be reimbursed, as the faithfullness of armenians to russians is proven  for long time before and also industrious representatives of this nation proved themselves by working hard. In spite of achievements and benefits attained in the work of migration of christians, I can not consider the inevitability of hardships and expenses that is most likely to occur during the migration in the future. Because immigrants should be provided with food and sustenance, seeds not only for current but also for subsequent year untill the harvest. However, considering below mentioned grounds, I have great suspicion on the implementation of all these arrangements without any trouble.

2. The regions selected for settlement of immigrants are in a state of impoverishment and have shortage adequate bread supply.

3. All cases concerning the surplus of food and sustenance are assigned for provision of army and it is the main point I focused on.

4. War with Turkey obstructs us from ensuring bread supply from them and neighbouring administrative divisions ruled by pasha.

5. Persians also precludes us to attain bread supply from provinces which belong to them.

And especially due to these reasons I considered all arrangements depending on me for  not allowing christians to starve and I even entrusted polkovnik Lazarev not to move families who can not manage to take sustenance till the harvest- till 1st of July. Because I suppose residing of those families in Iran for their private food supply is more reasonable than starving here from poverty.

Generally, according to my estimations, assistance to those families requires substantial amount of money, i am not capable to pay more than allocated money. I feel responsible to inform you above mentioned data.

Source :

Central State Military-History archive  , Military Registration Archive, # 978  piece of work, pages 22-26

Development of Irevan after joining of Eastern Armenia to Russia ( compilation of documents, 1801-1917)  Author T.Akopan, Irevan, 1978,  page 210-211.