Levon V. Batiev Traditional self-government vs. modernization of city governance (Nakhichevan-on-Don, mid-19th century)

Abstract

The preparation of the reform of urban governance in Russia was conducted with consideration of local characteristics and the opinions of local authorities. The metropolitan elite of Nakhichevan-on-Don, referring to the charter of Catherine II and the city charter created in 1795 by Archbishop I. Argutinsky, sought to preserve the ethnic organization of the city government. Instead of reforming it, it was proposed to restore the council of 24 guardians, which gradually «died out» by the middle of the 19th century, as an analog of the general Сity Council. Despite the promise of the central government to take into account the privileges granted in 1779, Nakhichevan was drawn into the general wave of the transformations of the «era of great reforms». The Council of 24 Guardians served merely as an interim structure facilitating the transition to the all-Russian model of city self-government. The modernization processes in local government overlapped with one another (police reform, the introduction of the institute of judicial investigators, abolition of magistrates and town halls, etc.), and correspondence regarding their implementation lasted quite a long time. Ultimately, the appeals of Nakhichevan residents to the authorities — from the Taganrog mayor to the emperor, having somewhat postponed the changes, still turned out to be futile.

Keywords:

Armenian self-government; Nakhichevan Magistrate; Board of 24 Trustees; Рreparation of reforms in Russia; Сity commission projects; General and Executive Dumas; Deputy Assembly; City Mayor

For сitation:

Levon V. Batiev. Traditional self-government vs. modernization of city governance (Nakhichevan-on-Don, mid-19th century) // The Historical Reporter. 2026. Vol. 58. P. DOI:

Levon V. Batiev

C.Sc. (Law), Associate Professor, Head of the Laboratory of Political Science and Law, Federal Research Centre The Southern Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Rostov-on-Don, Russian Federation.

e-mail: batiev@ssc-ras.ru

SPIN–code: 5033-0099

Author ID: 508681

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