The Caucasian War in the Russian Public Sphere (1801–1864)

Abstract

The article is devoted to determining the place and features of the representation of the Caucasian War in the Russian public sphere in the 19th century. The reasons for the peripheral nature of discussions about the Caucasian War are considered, among which the problems of communication routes with the far southern outskirts, the fascination of Russian society with European news, and the shortage of “Caucasian” news items in the Russian press are highlighted. The role of Russian romantic literature about the Caucasus is emphasized, which formed influential images of the region and its population. The article shows that the dynamics of public discussion of the Caucasian War and related issues of imperial policy in the southern outskirts directly depended on the changes in the governmental policy. Large-scale changes in the administration of the region, the appointment of popular public figures to responsible positions intensified public attention. The conclusion is drawn that various official actors used Russian public sphere as an informal space of political competition.

Keywords

• russian empire
• caucasian war
• public sphere