Lieutenant General Ivan Popko on the State and Prospects of the Kars Region of Armenia in the Russian Empire (1878)

This article presents a detailed description and analysis of the report by the head of the Kars region, Lieutenant General Ivan Popko, on the state of the Kars region from 1878. A copy of this significant document and report is housed in Yerevan at the archives of the Lazarev at the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts (Matenadaran, folder 131, case 113, document 11–28). The primary document, designated as 11, is comprised of 17 chapters. Document 12, the Appendices to the Report on the State of Kars Region as of April 12, 1878, consists of 18 chapters and appendices (not including the map of the region with the delineation of district and regional boundaries). The Report provides a comprehensive account of the geographical boundaries of the Kars region, a detailed topographical outline, data on the region’s climate, and population demographics. It also offers insights into the economic activities, transportation networks, communication systems, postal and telegraph services, public education, religious and political beliefs of the population, as well as the regional tax and duty structures. In the context of historical analysis, it is crucial to acknowledge that the Report provides a comprehensive account of the internal structure of the region in terms of administrative and judicial relations during the era of Ottoman rule. Additionally, it elucidates the characteristics of governance in the Kurta ashires (societies). The Report is undoubtedly one of the most reliable primary sources on the history of the Kars region.