Migration processes in Georgia in the first half of the 20th Century

Abstract

The first half of the 20th century was distinguished by the unstable socio-economic development of Georgia and therefore, by the variety of directions of territorial movement. The Stolypin agrarian reforms carried out in the Russian Empire resulted in large-scale territorial displacements, which led to intense immigration processes in Georgia. Subsequently, during the First World War and the period of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, the migration vector was reversed. Against the background of the economic crisis and the sharp decline in the standard of living, as well as the situation where the formation of politically independent Georgian state was underway, the emigration processes became more intense. After the annexation of Georgia by Soviet Russia and Georgia`s inclusion in the USSR, the economic growth dramatically increased the demand for skilled workforce in Georgia. This caused intense waves of immigration from outside the Republic of Georgia. The immigration was fostered by the famine in Russia and Ukraine in the 1930s and the migration of the population from there to Georgia. Finally, in the first half of the 20th century, as a result of migration processes, the share of native Georgians in the entire population decreased to 61.4%.