REPRESENTATION OF THE AFFAIRS OF THE PORT OF BATUMI IN ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTS (1896-1913)

Authors

  • Nino Gogitidze Ajara Archives  Administration Author
  • Mzia Surmanidze Ajara Archives  Administration Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52340/PUTK.2233-3541.2025.27.06

Keywords:

Batumi, port, representation, pipeline

Abstract

Batumi Seaport is a high-tech port equipped with modern container and ferry equipment. It is one of the oldest ports on the Black Sea coast, dating back to the Roman Empire, during the reign of Hadrian III. The location in a natural deep-water bay, the ability to receive large-tonnage ships and enter the port without a canal (which exempts the shipowner from additional fees), protection from the coast, and other factors gave the port of Batumi a geostrategic and natural advantage over other ports. The development of Batumi as a port city was largely determined by the need to transport oil from Baku. Until the 1980s, small light vessels entered the port of Batumi. After the conquest of Batumi by the Russian Empire (1878), the city developed. The infrastructure of the city and the port gradually improved. The construction and commissioning of the Baku-Batumi pipeline, one of the first in the world at that time, further accelerated the development of the port. The Batumi Port Affairs Office carried out important activities for the development of the port. The “Batumi Port Affairs Office” fund (fund I-17) of the Central State Archive of the Archives Administration of Ajara preserves many interesting documents about the activities of this structure for the development of the port. The aim of the article is to provide the reader with information about the activities of the Batumi Port Affairs Representation in 1896-1913 by introducing new archival documents into scientific circulation. The analysis of archival documents will allow us to take into account both the economic and social aspects of the activities of the Port Affairs Representation.

Author Biographies

  • Nino Gogitidze, Ajara Archives  Administration

    Nino Gogitidze – Senior Specialist of Service of Foreign, Public and Media Relations, Publication and Use of Documents of Archives Administration of Ajara;

    Email: n.gogitidze@archives-ajara.gov.ge

  • Mzia Surmanidze, Ajara Archives  Administration

    Mzia Surmanidze – Senior Specialist of Service of Foreign, Public and Media Relations, Publication and Use of Documents of Archives Administration of Ajara; 

    Email: m.surmanidze@archives-ajara.gov.ge

References

Gogolashvili 2014: Gogolashvili O. "Nikolos Lander". New and Recent History Issues №15. Tbilisi, 2014;

Nakashidze 2016: Nakashidze N. Measures to Improve the Management of Georgian Maritime Transport. Tbilisi, 2016;

Georgian 1977: Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, Tbilisi, 1977

Archival sources:

Central State Archives of Archives Administration of Ajara, fund E-17, description 1, case

1, paper 2, 13, 21, 45-46;

csaaaa, fund E-79, description 1, case 2, paper 1;

csaaaa, fund E-79, description 1, case 8, paper 2-3;

csaaaa, fund E-79, description 1, case 3, paper 6, 94, 95, 104, 138, 147;

csaaaa, fund E-79, description 1, case 4, paper 33-38, 20-32;

csaaaa, fund E-79, description 1, case 5, paper 2, 24;

csaaaa, fund E-79, description 1, case 7, paper 4, 22-33;

csaaaa, fund E-79, description 1, case 8, paper 62, 92, 308.

Georgian. Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia, vol. 2, Tbilisi, 1977.

Internet source:

Batumi Sea Port. (2025, October 6). In Wikipedia.

https://ka.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%83%91%E1%83%90%E1%83%97%E1%83%A3%E1%83%9B%E1%83%98%E1%83%A1_%E1%83%A1%E1%83%90%E1%83%96%E1%83%A6%E1%83%95%E1%83%90%E1%83%9D_%E1%83%9C%E1%83%90%E1%83%95%E1%83%A1%E1%83%90%E1%83%93%E1%83%92%E1%83%A3%E1%83%A0%E1%83%98

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Published

2025-10-20

Issue

No. 27 (2025): Archeion

Section

Articles

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