Diary of Marie Bashkirtseff

Caucasus

Also known as: Caucasus

Places · Travel
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Research Status: Basic Last Updated: 2025-12-07 Diary Coverage: Book 00 (1884 preface)

Identity

The Caucasus is a mountain region between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea, at the border between Europe and Asia. In the 19th century, it was a frontier zone of the Russian Empire.

Historical Context

19th Century Caucasus:

  • Site of prolonged Russian military campaigns (Caucasian War, 1817-1864)
  • Conquest of mountainous regions and incorporation into Russian Empire
  • Military service in the Caucasus was common for Russian officers
  • Exotic frontier region with diverse ethnic groups and cultures
  • Known for dramatic mountain landscapes and fierce warrior peoples

Russian Military Presence:

  • Young officers often served their first campaigns there
  • Assignment to the Caucasus could be punishment (exile) or opportunity
  • Military outposts in wild, beautiful, dangerous territory
  • Officers encountered unfamiliar cultures and landscapes
  • Many returned with romantic stories and memories

Cultural Significance

The Caucasus became central to Russian Romantic literature:

  • Pushkin: Wrote "Prisoner of the Caucasus" (1822)
  • Lermontov: Called "poet of the Caucasus," exiled there, wrote extensively about it
  • Setting for exotic tales: Mountains, warriors, beautiful captives, honor codes
  • Symbol of freedom and natural wildness vs. civilized constraints
  • Like Byron's Orient for Western Europeans

Connection to Bashkirtseff Family

Marie states her maternal grandfather "Il a été au Caucase" (He was in the Caucasus). This reveals:

  • He served there as military officer
  • Part of his Byronic, Romantic profile
  • Shared experience with Pushkin and Lermontov's generation
  • The Caucasus service was almost obligatory for cultured officers
  • Would have given him stories and experiences marking him as man of action

The Caucasus service was characteristic of educated Russian officers of the 1820s-1840s, combining military duty with Romantic adventure.

Geographical Details

Location:

  • Mountain range between Black Sea (west) and Caspian Sea (east)
  • Includes modern-day Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, parts of southern Russia
  • Highest peak: Mount Elbrus (5,642 m)

In Russian Empire:

  • Gradually conquered 1817-1864
  • Georgia annexed 1801
  • Prolonged resistance by mountain peoples (especially Chechens, Circassians)
  • Strategic importance for access to Middle East and rivalry with Ottoman Empire

Related Entries

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