The Role of Armenian Industrialists in the Development of Brick Production in the South of the Russian Empire

The development of territories, especially urban areas, is always associated with the construction of buildings made of reliable and durable materials. Buildings built several thousand years ago have survived to our time, and they can be used to estimate ancient civilizations. In the new settlements, buildings made of strong and durable materials created a center around which the city developed and sprawled. In the history of human development, ceramic bricks have become a universal building material. Thus, the organization of brick production served the rapid and successful development of the urban environment. In the South of Russia, the prosperity of urban settlements is also associated with the development of brick production. The features of the formation of brick production in the Armenian settlements of the South of Russia are covered. The settlement of the Don lands by Armenians took place at the end of the XVIII century, when thousands of Armenians were resettled from the Crimea to the Azov region by the Decree of Catherine II. In 1779, they founded the city of Nakhichevan, later united with Rostov-on-Don, and five villages that are currently located in the Myasnikovsky District of the Rostov Region. Arriving on practically unsettled lands, the settlers turned the Southern Don into a developed agricultural area, engaged in trade, and created small and large enterprises, due to the development of the brick industry, which is the engine for progress. Information on brick factories in the city of Nakhichevan is provided. The belonging of old bricks to various manufacturers can be judged by the stamps, photos of which are given in the article.

B.V. TALPA, Candidate of Sciences (Geology and Mineralogy) (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.),
A.E. OVSEPYAN, Candidate of Science (Geography) (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Southern federal university (40, Zorge Street, Rostov-on-Don, 344103, Russian Federation)

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