სერგეი ტუჩკოვის ცნობები საქართველოს შესახებ

Abstract

“The records” of Sergei Aleksievich Tuchkov is an important source for the history of Georgia and, generally, Caucasus of the 19th century. Despite of the fact that Tuchkov’s memories were published more than a century ago (Записки Сергея Алексеевича Тучкова. 1766-1808. под ред. и со вступит. ст. К. А. Военского. СПб. 1908), his notifications have not yet been fully studied in Georgian Historiography. Sergei Tuchkov was born in 1767 in Moscow in the family of wellknown engineer, general Aleksei Vasilievich Tuchkov. His mother was from very aristocratic family – the Narishkins. They had four sons: Nicholai, Sergei, Pavel and Aleksandr. Father of Sergei Tuchkov, as a military engineer, due to his job had to be frequently in many different regions of the Empire, therefore, the family was changing their places of residence. Nevertheless, Sergei received rather good education. In his youth he was keen on poetry, wrote poems. “The records” demonstrate his literary talent. Since 1788 Tuchkov is in military service. He took part in the fights against the Swedes and rebel Poles. Since 1802 General Tuchkov was sent in the Caucasus where he remained until late 1805. He performed the duties of the Civil Governor of Georgia. In 1834 he completed his military career with the rank of general-lieutant. He died in 1839 in Moscow. His “The records” cover rather big period (1766-1808), however, it should be noted that the Caucasian period of Tuchkov’s biography occupies a significant place. In early 1801 major-general Tuchkov was assigned to move to Georgia with the grenadier regiment. After receiving the order, he began the operation to pass the Caucasian mountains. After a difficult journey, passing Ananuri, Dusheti and Mtskheta, Tuchkov arrived in Tbilisi. In “The records” a separate subchapter is devoted to the charachteristics of General Ivan Lazarev. At the beginning of 1802 General Karl von Knorring returned to Tbilisi and brought Piotr Kovalenski, as governor of Georgia. On April 12 ceremony of oath of allegiance to the Emperor of Russia was held. The society of Tbilisi was divided according to the religion confessions. Royal family members, the nobility of Georgia and Orthodox population gathered in the cathedral of Sioni, General Knorring was with them. Armenian monophysites were in Armenian church and General Lazarev attended their oath of allegiance. “The records” of Tuchkov describe very interestingly history of exile of the royal family to Russia. He also describes General Lazarev’s death. In 1802 Ceneral Tuchkov was appointed as the civil governor of Georgia. Although he did not have to stay in this position for a long time, however, this period was hard. At the end of the 1802 plague epidemic broke out in Georgia. Tuchkov described in details all the measures he took during the plague. In 1804 Tuchkov participated in the campaign of Yerevan. At the same time, his relationship with Pavel Tsitsianov became complicated. After latter’s death, General Tuchkov left Georgia and went to St. Petersburg.