Garrison city Russian architecture in Sarıkamış

Together with the defeat of Ottoman Empire in the Ottoman-Russian War (the 93 War) in 1877-1878, Kars, Ardahan, Batum, Artvin, Eleşkirt sanjaks and Sarıkamış were left to Russia as war reparations in accordance with the Article 19 of the Treaty of San Stefano (Yeşilköy) signed on 3 March 1878. During the forty years of invasion following this treaty, rather than invading these places, the idea of permanent settling in these regions as a part of expansionist policy, which Russians conducted, was dominant in these Ottoman cities of Kars, Sarıkamış, Ardahan and Batum, which entered into the domination of Russians. Within this context, in order to leave permanent architectural works in the towns they captured, Russians, harmonising the Baltic architectural style of Northern Europe with their own architectural apprehension, created new city plans based on grid plan layout, completely different from Ottoman concept of city planning. In this dissertation, military buildings (encampment buildings, military lodging houses), architectural works allocated for rail-way services (bridges, headwalls, railway terminals, wagon technicians' buildings, workers' barracks and loggings) and civil architectural examples (houses, kiosks) in Sarıkamış, which was established as the garrison city, were analysed in terms of plan, architecture and façade design. In our analyses, though it is seen that some changes were applied to the structures in question, it is witnessed that these structures maintain their originality to a great extent and reflect the architectural features of the Russian period. It is understood that fireplace stoves are utilized as heating system in the buildings sustaining their functions within the military and civil architectural examples before 2016 and present day. On the façades of the buildings, Renaissance-style round arched windows, rectangular-frame windows reflecting Neo-classical style, triangular pediments, and floor mouldings which divide the façade from one end to the other, under-cornice mouldings, and entrance façades extending outward attract attention. Besides, that the entrance façades opening to the street are more spectacular than the other façades in the buildings in which grid plan scheme is used and built from cut stones is a reflection of the Neo-classical style. Apart from these, the roof styles (gable roof, semi-gable roof), generally preferred due to the harsh weather conditions and appearing in Russian architecture, stone floors, and wooden ceilings are other elements attracting attention in the buildings in Sarıkamış.