The Greek Community’s Contribution to Batum’s Political, Social and Economic Life, 1860s–1900s

Abstract

Many aspects relating to the Greek diaspora in the Russian Empire from the
eighteenth to the first quarter of the twentieth centuries have been researched in detail.
Nevertheless, some pieces in this mosaic are less well known. Batum is one of them.
Having first settled there in the 1850s, the Greeks of Batum are one of the largest and
oldest minorities in the city. As such, they witnessed its transformation from Ottoman
to Russian rule and from a small littoral village to a big, charming and cosmopolitan
port-city. Batum’s Greeks were actively involved in all spheres of city life, especially in
entrepreneurship and politics. This article focuses on the oil and oil-related business
activities in which the Greeks were especially successful. Some Greeks were prominent
in the town’s life, serving as councillors. The article reveals that the Greeks of Batum had
a high educational and cultural level and made a significant contribution to the city’s
development. At the same time, they kept their Greek identity, supporting both the Greek
church and schools in Batum.