A few days after the occupation of the Iravan Khanate, on October 6, 1827, a new Russian administrative body known as the "Iravan Interim Administration" was established in the region by order of Paskevich. The local troops' commander, General Krasovski, was appointed head of the administration while the temporary commandant of the fortress, Lieutenant Colonel Bronevski, along with Archbishop Nerses Ashtaraketsi, were made members of the administration. The temporary administration's tasks included taking control of the country, establishing order, supplying the army with constant provisions, defending the fortresses of Iravan, Sardarabad, and Abbasabad, establishing communication with Georgia, developing cotton farming, increasing salt production, accounting for the properties, herds, and income of the Iravan Khan, and confiscating all of his movable and immovable property.

However, due to the unchecked powers that Krasovski granted Nerses, the Armenians were able to achieve their aims. A significant portion of the 4,500 chetverts of grain allocated for distribution to the war-torn population went to the Armenians, who were in the minority. Meanwhile, Muslims were deprived of state protection. Consequently, Paskevich wrote in a letter to the Chief of Staff on April 2, 1828: "I never imagined that Krasovski would act solely at Nerses' discretion, ignoring the instructions I provided, neglecting the administration of the newly captured province, failing to protect the Muslims, who make up four-fifths of the population, and not allocating the necessary resources." The discrimination against local Muslims led to growing dissatisfaction, prompting many to migrate to Iran and Türkiye. The concentration of dissatisfied Muslim populations on the other side of the border concerned Paskevich. As a result, he removed Nerses from his position in the temporary administration of Iravan. After signing the Treaty of Turkmenchay, he dismissed General Krasovski from his role as head of the Iravan temporary administration and exiled Archbishop Nerses, who continued his wrongdoings against Muslims, to Bessarabia.

On February 10, 1828, the Treaty of Turkmenchay was signed, resulting in the annexation of the Iravan and Nakhchivan khanates to Russia. On March 20, Emperor Nicholas I ratified this treaty, and the very next day, a decree was issued to establish the Armenian Province. The decree stated: "Based on the treaty signed with Iran, we hereby order the regions of Iravan and Nakhchivan, which have been annexed from Iran to Russia, to be named the Armenian Province and included in our title. The structure of this province and the regulations for its administration will be issued in due course by the Senate."   

Acknowledging the contributions of Armenians in the occupation of the Iravan khanate, the newly created administrative-territorial unit was given the name "Armenian Province." However, this designation effectively aimed to create a Christian buffer zone comprised of Armenians who had been relocated from Iran and Türkiye in the newly conquered territories. Once the Russian authorities achieved their objectives, the term "Armenian" was removed from the name of the province. Immediately following the occupation of the Iravan khanate, Russian rule was not fully implemented, and the administrative structure from the khanate period was retained for a time. 

The Armenian Province was divided into the regions of Iravan and Nakhchivan and the Ordubad district. The Iravan region included 15 mahals from the former Iravan Khanate, while the Nakhchivan region contained 5 mahals, and the Ordubad district also consisted of 5 mahals. Major General Aleksandr Chavchavadze, commander of the local troops, was appointed as the head of the provincial administration. This administration included two Russian military officers and representatives from the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities. (Chavchavadze's daughter, Nina, was the wife of the Russian playwright and diplomat Aleksandr Griboedov, who was murdered in Tehran in February 1829 - N. M.). 

On February 13, 1830, General-Major Vasili Bebutov (Behbudov), an Armenian from Tbilisi, was appointed as the head of the province. The Armenian historian Z. Grigoryan confirms the ban on Armenian participation in the governance of the province, noting that during Bebutov's tenure as provincial governor, the policy of Russification was further intensified. In both the administrative center and the districts, all military and civil positions were assigned to Russian officials.

On June 23, 1833, Tsar Nicholas I approved a new administrative structure for the "Armenian Province." The Iravan province was divided into four districts: Iravan, Sharur, Surmali, and Sardarabad. 

On April 10, 1840, a law was passed regarding the new administrative structure of the South Caucasus. According to this law, the "Armenian Province" was abolished, and the Iravan uezd was incorporated into the newly established Georgian-Imereti Governorate. The Pambak-Shorayel region was included in the Aleksandropol district. In 1844, the Caucasus Viceroyalty was created, and the law of December 14, 1846, confirmed the new administrative division of the Caucasus. The Iravan and Aleksandropol uezds were incorporated into the newly established Tiflis Governorate. With the Senate decree of June 9, 1849, the Iravan Governorate was formed, consisting of the districts of Iravan, Aleksandropol, Nakhchivan, Ordubad, and Novo-Bayazid.

In 1870, the new Sharur-Daralayaz district was created within the Iravan Governorate, and in 1875, the Surmali district was established. Until 1918, the Iravan Governorate comprised seven districts: Iravan, Aleksandropol, Nakhchivan, Novo-Bayazid, Surmali, Sharur-Daralayaz, and Echmiadzin.

During the period of Russian occupation, the coats of arms of the cities of Iravan and Gümri (Aleksandropol), as well as the coat of arms of the Iravan Governorate, were officially approved.

The coat of arms of the city of Iravan was approved on May 21, 1843. Its description stated that the shield was divided into two parts. In the upper golden field, Mount Ağri (Ararat), symbolizing Noah's Ark, was depicted at the summit. In the second golden field, a wavy blue belt symbolized the Black Sea. In the center of these fields, on a silver background, a cavalryman holding a spear was portrayed. The lower part of the shield was derived from the design of the coat of arms of the Georgian-Imereti Governorate.   

The coat of arms of the city of Gyumri was also approved on May 21, 1843. Its description indicated that the shield was divided into two parts. The upper golden field mirrored the depiction in Iravan’s coat of arms. In the lower green field, a silver-colored Christian cross and a staircase symbolized the prosperity of the Armenian population arriving from Türkiye. In the lower corner of the coat of arms, a crescent moon, considered a symbol of Islam, was depicted in a downward-facing position resembling a human figure, signifying the gradual decline of the Muslim population in the region.

The coat of arms of the Iravan Governorate was approved on July 5, 1878. The description stated that on a blue shield, there was a silver-colored rock topped with a golden Russian cross. The shield was adorned with an imperial crown, and the blue Andreyev ribbon (a ribbon from the Order of St. Andrew, the first order of the Russian Empire, established in honor of Saint Andrew the First-Called) was surrounded by golden oak leaves.

There was never an Armenian governor or even a vice-governor among those who governed the Iravan Governorate.

During the Tsarist Russian period, Turkic-origin toponyms in the territory of the Iravan Governorate were preserved unchanged. Only Iravan was replaced with Erivan (1828), Gyumri with Aleksandropol, and Kavar with Novo-Bayazid (1850). The toponyms listed on administrative-territorial and topographic maps printed during the Russian occupation demonstrate the historical belonging of the region to the Azerbaijani Turks.