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Primary sourceBook1820–1822

The Prisoner of the Caucasus

Alexander Pushkin · 1820–1822

A narrative poem written by Pushkin during his southern exile, set among the Circassian peoples of the Caucasus.

A poem Pushkin wrote during his southern exile, reflecting his experiences and Romantic influences of the time.

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Title page of the first edition of Pushkin's story 'Kavkazskiy plennik' (The Prisoner of the Caucasus), in Russian Cyrillic. Ornate decorative border, central title, 'Соч. А. Пушкина', an engraved lyre and emblem with masks, and the imprint 'Санктпетербургъ 1822'.
Title page of the first edition of Alexander Pushkin's The Prisoner of the Caucasus, St Petersburg, 1822.

About this source

What it is

"The Prisoner of the Caucasus" is a narrative poem written by Alexander Pushkin in 1820-21 and published in 1822, dedicated to his friend Nikolay Raevsky. It was inspired by Pushkin's time in Pyatigorsk during his exile to southern Russia, and tells of a disillusioned Russian officer captured by Circassian tribesmen and saved by a Circassian woman.

Why it matters

Written during Pushkin's political exile, the poem shaped Russian popular ideas about the Caucasus for generations and shows his engagement with Byronic Romanticism and Orientalist themes. Its mix of adventure, footnotes, and ethnographic detail gave it credibility and lasting cultural influence, referenced even in later Soviet popular culture.

Look closer

  • What does the dedication to Raevsky reveal about Pushkin's personal relationships during exile?
  • Why might Pushkin have used footnotes and ethnographic detail in a work of fiction?
  • What assumptions about the Caucasus and its peoples might this poem reflect, and what might it leave out?

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Title page of the first edition of Pushkin's novel 'The Captain's Daughter', printed in Russian with the title 'Капитанская дочка' at top, an epigraph 'Береги честь смолоду' with attribution 'Пословица', then 'Глава I. Сержант гвардии' and the opening paragraph beginning 'Отец мой, Андрей Петрович Гринев'.Book

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Oil portrait of a man with dark curly hair and sideburns, wearing a black high-collared coat and a red-and-green plaid shawl, arms crossed. A dark bronze statue of a figure holding a lyre stands at right. Initials and date appear bottom left.Painting

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