The Industrial Development of the Backward Region of Armenia

Abstract

In Tsarist Russia, Armenia was an underdeveloped region, supplying only raw materials and agricultural products. In 1913, 89·5 per cent of the population lived in villages and only 10·5 per cent was urban. The Armenian demand for industrial commodities was met mainly by import. There was virtually no industry. Large-scale industry was represented by two branches only — the copper and wine-cognac industries. The former was in the hands of French capitalists; cognac production was in the hands of Russian capitalists. The greater part of the output was produced by small domestic enterprises; these were responsible for 68·7 per cent of all output. Such industry as existed in Armenia was based on backward techniques, with hard manual labour predominating.