Abstract:
Foreign authors of the 19th century devoted a significant part
of their work to the bloodiest and longest-running Caucasian war
waged by the Russian Empire. Some of the authors of these books
fought on the Russian side, while others sided with the Caucasian
mountaineers. It is noteworthy that the foreigners in both positions
fought selflessly on the side of their choice. The works clearly express
their political views, subjective approach to issues of war or
peaceful coexistence. Foreign authors are often biased in their assessment
of events, analyzing issues in their preferred way of interpretation,
although their works remain as important primary sources
for the researching purposes of the Caucasian war.
The article discusses the works of two Russian supporters who
fought on their side, Prince Albrecht’s (1809-1872), brother of King
Wilhelm I of Prussia, work “In Caucasus. 1862” and the notes of painter
Theodor Horschelt about the Caucasus War, published in Munich
in 1880 – “Theodor Horschelt. His life and his works. Spain, Algeria,
Caucasus” (Horschelt 1880).
Extensive information is contained in the works of Prince Albrecht
of Prussia, where he devotes almost a hundred pages (Albrecht
1865: 339 – 457) to the stories of battles against the Caucasians.
He personally participated in a seven day military expedition (November 4-10, 1862) against the Adyghei. After the successful completion
of the battle by the Russians and the return of the detachment
to the former camp, the highly contented prince expressed his
praise to the Russian army orally and in a written form, concluding
with the following words: “Long live Russia and God, please protect
the king!” (Milyatin 1999: 416). The German prince in his work emphasizes
the friendly attitude of the kings of Russia and Prussia, Alexander
II and Wilhelm I.
As the purpose of Prince Albrecht’s visit is clearly understandable,
as vague as it stays the reason behind the selfless and relentless
fight of the painter Theodor Horschelt against the Caucasian
mountaineers in 1858-1862. The German artist described the ongoing
hostilities and details of battles in the Northern Caucasus in a
chronological order and very specifically (Kandelaki 2019: 68 – 88).
It is noteworthy that from September 10, 1862 onwards, for 21
days, Theodore Horschelt traveled to Baku and Yerevan with Prince
Albrecht of Prussia. Both German authors warmly mention each other
in their works. The Russian emperor awarded numerous awards to
both Germans for outstanding bravery in the Caucasus.
