Nakhichevan-on-don

In 1779, to the east of the fortress, Armenians ( natives of the Crimean peninsula ) founded the city of Nor-Nakhichevan (the prefix "nor" means a new one). The famous Russian architect I.E. Starov took part in the development of the plan of the new city ^[1] . On August 9, 1797, the fortress and Nakhichevan became part of the Rostov district of the Novorossiysk province .

In 1838, the city ​​was renamed Nakhichevan-on-Don. The Rostov-Nakhichevan border ran along the modern Theater Avenue. Nakhichevan-on-Don also included Kamenka, part of the current Pervomaisky district and Surb Khach in Voroshilovsky. Currently, all these territories are part of the city of Rostov-on-Don.

All residents of the city were exempted from taxes and public service for 10 years. At the end of this period, Armenians received tax benefits, were exempted from recruitment, received the right to freedom of religion and the construction of their temples.

On the coat of arms of the city were depicted six golden bees and a golden hive. Bees indicate hard work, and the hive indicates finding a new homeland. According to one version, the number of bees means the number of Armenian settlements around the city, and the hive means Nakhchivan itself.

By the beginning of the 19th century, Nakhichevan-on-Don became a handicraft-industrial and commercial center. In the Armenian villages near the city, husbandry and cattle breeding developed. The city quickly began to be built up with houses, workshops, public buildings located on direct and wide streets. The first temple - Surb Astvatsatsin (Blessed Virgin Mary) - was built in 1780. In total, 6 Armenian churches were built in the city, and the Surb Khach (Holy Cross) monastery was built in the suburbs.

In addition to the city of Nor Nakhichevan itself, Catherine the Great was granted the Armenians adjacent territories: today it is Chaltyr, Crimea, Sultan-Sala, Bolshoi Sala, Nesvetai, Ekatirinovar (now Sambek). These settlements were administratively subordinate to Nakhichevan. At the moment, this is the territory of the Myasnikovsky district (in honor of Myasnikyan ) of the Rostov region, where the Nakhichevan or, as they are also called, Don Armenians compactly live.

Having visited Nakhichevan in the same year, the Russian scientist Nikolai Ozeretskovsky described the city as follows:

There were a theological seminary , female and male gymnasiums , craft and commercial schools. In 1900, a new building of the city theater was built. In total, in 1819 there were 9 charitable and educational institutions in the city. In Nakhichevan-on-Don, unlike neighboring Rostov-on-Don, large factories and plants were not built.

On November 26 ( December 9 ), 1917 ^[3] near Nakhichevan one of the first battles of the Civil War in Russia took place - Cossack units , Junkers-Don and Junkers-volunteers tried to drive out the Bolshevik supporters from Rostov-on-Don, who raised an uprising in Rostov and captured power in the city.

In 1928, Nakhichevan-on-Don was abolished in connection with the inclusion of Rostov-on-Don . It is currently part of the Proletarsky district of Rostov-on-Don . Nevertheless, the toponym "Nakhichevan" continues to be used informally by the residents of Rostov in relation to the corresponding part of the city.

House numbering differs from the rest of the city - rooms are increasing from the west. The house numbers are counted from Theater Square . Before the merger of Nakhichevan with Rostov, the counting of house numbers was carried out from the east of the destroyed cathedral in the name of St. Gregory the Illuminator (in the territory of modern Karl Marx Square).

To obtain the status of a city, according to the city plan of 1811 from the main street, 1st Soborna (modern Sovetskaya street), the settlement was divided in half, and the resulting streets, perpendicular to Don, were called lines in imitation of St. Petersburg ^[4] : even from the Don - even , to Don - odd. In modern Rostov-on-Don there are 45 such streets: after 19/20 to 37/38 the line is Yerevan Street, after 40 the even numbering ends, part of the 45th line runs parallel to Don, the last odd street is the 49th line.

In the part of Nakhichevan, the even side is the north with respect to the increase in numbers ^[5] .

Residents by 1896 32 174 (men 15 572 and women 16 602). The indigenous population is 14 618, the non-resident 17 556. The Armenian Gregorians 18 895, Orthodox 10 965, schismatics 510, Catholics 212, Protestants 145, Jews 634, Mohammedans 225, other confessions 588. Noblemen 168, clergy 146, honorary citizens and merchants 892 , philistines 22 470, military estate 1896, peasants 6435, other classes 167.

In the city there were: a public library, a city theater, an Armenian spiritual administration, an Armenian orphaned court, a Nakhichevan-Bessarabian Armenian theological seminary, a Gogol school for Armenian children, a society of dramatic art lovers, and a female Armenian society “Care”. Parish schools attached to 6 Armenian churches, the Armenian men's monastery and the Orthodox Church. Income in 1895 was 166,870 rubles, expenses - 142,465 rubles. Reserve capital by January 1, 1896 - 60 750 rubles., Special capital - 69 510 rubles. One of the first buildings built in the city was the building of the Armenian Magistrate , located on Freedom Square.

In 1783, a printing house was opened in the city. operated Hospital , 2 pharmacies; 2 Jewish prayer schools. Female gymnasium, urban 4-class school, private school of the 3rd category, yacht club.

Temples of the Armenian Apostolic Church

• The Church in the name of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary ( Surb-Astvatsatsin ) is one of the oldest temples in Nakhichevan-on-Don. The building was built of wood in 1780. In this church, stones were illuminated, which were later used to lay other temples in Nakhichevan. In the following decades, 2 more Assumption churches appeared here. At the Assumption Church, the Assumption School operated. In the 1930s, the church was destroyed, and a secondary school No. 26 appeared instead of a school. After the Great Patriotic War, the building was completed and a vocational school No. 12 was organized.

• The church in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker ( Surb Nikogos ) is a wooden church that was built in 1781-1783. In connection with the location of the church, Nikolskaya Street got its name. To the north of Nikolskaya Street, after a while, a new stone church of the Nikolskaya Church began to be built. The main elements of the building were created in a classic style. The completion of the domes were helmet-shaped, had eight faces. Gradually, the temple was destroyed. In 1935-1937, ruins remained from the temple, and over time they were gone. After World War II, a five-story house appeared on the site of the temple. His address: 1st line number 56.
• The church in the name of the Holy Martyr Theodore ( Surb-Toros Theodoros ) is a stone church built in the period from 1783 to 1786. By the name of the church, the street on which the building was located was named. The church was located between 35 and 37 Lines in the courtyard of houses No. 47 and 49, located on the 35th Line. The temple was completely destroyed in the fall of 1941 by an explosion. The bricks that remained from the building were used to create street barricades. In the place where the church used to be, garages and garbage containers were placed over time.

• The church in the name of St. George ( Surb Gevorg ) was built of stone in 1783-1787. The building was located next to the Rostov-Nakhichevan border, located near the current Theater Avenue. The temple was destroyed before the start of World War II.
• The church in the name of the Ascension of the Lord ( Surb-Ambartsum ) was built of stone in 1781-1783. The building was located between 34 and 36 lines along 2nd Voznesenskaya street. An Armenian theological school worked at the church. Services were held in the church until 1936, but over time, the building began to collapse. The beginning of the destruction of the church was the collapse of the roof during a severe storm. Then the church was closed for repairs, but was never repaired, and eventually disassembled.
• Cathedral in the name of Gregory the Great ( Surb-Lusavorich ). The territory of the first Surb-Lusavorich temple was located south of the territory of the modern Nakhichevan market. The cathedral was founded in 1783 and was consecrated in 1807. The building was built in a classical style with a predominance of Doric warrants in architecture. In the early 1930s, the cathedral was closed. The belfry was dismantled, and in the church building a children's technical station began to function. In 1942, during the occupation, services were resumed and conducted until the end of the 1950s. Then the cathedral was destroyed, and in the 1970s there was already the building of the Palace of Culture of the Red Aksai factory.
• Cemetery Church in the Name of John the Baptist ( Surb-Karapet ). The church was founded in 1875. On July 11, 1881, it was consecrated. The money for the construction of the temple was donated by Akulina Pogosovna Aladzhalova. There are several assumptions about who was the author of the temple project. It is assumed that this could be the architect V.V. Sazonov or an employee of the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg V. Gazirbekyan. The temple was made in the Armenian-Byzantine style. The church has survived to the present day and services are being held in it.
• Surb Khach Monastery (Holy Cross) . The monastery was founded by I. Argutinsky at a distance of 7 kilometers north of the city. Initially, in 1783 a wooden temple was built. The construction of the stone temple began in 1786 and ended in 1792. The temple was designed by I.E. Starov. In 1862, a low bell tower was built near the temple. ^[6] .

Temples of the Russian Orthodox Church

• Sofia Church. It was built in 1863 according to the project of architect V.V. Popova. The temple was created by a five-domed stone. The main building material was stone. In 1912, the church was consecrated after completion of construction. And in 1934 it was closed and began to be disassembled. From the temple for some time there were ruins, then they were blown up.
• Church in the name of the Holy Right Prince Alexander Nevsky. The church was built in honor of the 650th anniversary of the victory of Prince Alexander over the Swedes. The end of construction took place in 1886. Money for its construction was allocated by the merchant I.S. Shushpanov. The corner of Leo Tolstoy Square and 2nd Cathedral Street was chosen as the construction site. In 1900, near the temple, a stone building of the parish school was located. The temple was destroyed in 1937.
• Church in the name of the Holy Queen Alexandra . A landmark that has survived to our times. Located on Chentsova Street 3. The temple was built in 1904 according to the project of V.V. Popov. The dimensions of the church are 18x13. In the 1970s, the north side of the church was rebuilt ^[6] .

In this historical district of today's Rostov-on-Don, many famous people of the country were born - writers, artists, architects and actors: Marietta Shaginyan , Mikael Nalbandyan , Rafael Patkanyan , Martiros Saryan , as well as a number of religious and statesmen: Gevorg VI , Alexander Myasnikyan , Gevorg Vartanyan and others.

• Halpakhchyan O. Kh. Architecture of Nakhichevan-on-Don. - Er. : Hayastan, 1988 .-- 168 p.

• Nakhichevan-on-Don // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
• A brief history of Don Armenians. History of Nakhichevan
• Armenians on the Don
• Nakhichevan-on-Don 100 years ago: statistical information about the city in 1904 // Don temporary / Don State Public Library. Rostov-on-Don, 1993—2014