Özet:

In this paper, it is focused on the reflections of the wars in the Caucasus on art in Russian literature. The concept of “Caucasian captive”, which is an integral part of the Caucasus war theme, has been studied in the context of its historical and literary sources. The understanding of “Caucasian captive”, which expresses the historical destiny of Russia in the Eurasian geography as a whole, has been reviewed within the framework of its historical formation, symbolic and literary expressions in classical and contemporary Russian literature. One of the traditional themes that has an important place in Russian literature is the “Caucasian captive” theme. This theme has been handled by Russian authors and poets such as A. Pushkin, A. Griboyedov, M. Lermontov, A. Bestujev-Marlinsky, L. N. Tolstoy, V. Velichko, N. Tikhonov, V. Makanin and more in terms of its political, social and philosophical aspects. It can be said that the historical and literary significance of the Caucasian captive subject comes from the analysis of Russia's view of the Eurasian geography and the Russian relations with the Caucasus. The interest of Russian authors in Muslims and Turks living in the Caucasus is due to their being influenced by the characters, lifestyles, traditions and warriors of these peoples. The concept of “Caucasian captive”, which is at the center of our study, was introduced in 1815 by the French author Xavier de Mestr, who visited the Caucasus in 1810-1811. The author’s notes on the war, which he wrote in a romantic-emotional spirit, vivid observations, events and characters he describes are distinguished by realistic features and contain historical significance as well as literary values. Another French author, Frederica Freiggang, whose wife served in the Russian army, touches on the same subject in the novel “Letters on the Caucasus and Georgia” published one year after the novel “Ksavie de Mestrin”. However, it can be said that from the beginning of the 19th century, including the 21st century, this theme has been handled in a broad, versatile and highly poetic interpretation in the works of Russian authors. A deep and sincere interest in the character, morality and lifestyle of the Caucasians has found wide coverage in the artistic works, letters and memoirs of many Russian authors. Even the Russian authors who fought in the Caucasus remember the representatives of the Caucasian-Muslim peoples with sincere respect and affection in their works. Particular attention should be paid to the works devoted to this subject by classical Russian poets and authors such as A. Pushkin, M. Lermontov, A. Bestujev-Marlinsky, L. N. Tolstoy. Consequently, the subject of Caucasian captive in Russian literature attracts attention as an up-to-date scientific subject in terms of its literary, philosophical, aesthetic, historical-ideological aspects and Russian-Caucasian and Russian-Turkish relations. In this study, the above mentioned issues, the artistic description of the wars in the Caucasus in Russian literature, the issue of the Caucasian war, the historical and literary sources of the “Caucasian captive” content, which is an integral part of this theme, and the concept of “Caucasian captive” expressing the historical destiny of Russia in Eurasia and its symbolic meanings, artistic nature and historical evolution will be examined as a traditional image and content of classical and modern Russian literature.

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