Primary sourceBook1872
The Prisoner of the Caucasus
Leo Tolstoy · 1872
An 1872 novella by Tolstoy for children, drawing on his own capture during the Caucasian War.
Written by Tolstoy, drawing directly on his own near-capture during his army service in the Caucasus.
About this source
What it is
A novella written by Leo Tolstoy in 1872 for his ABC Book, meant for rural children and written in simple language. It tells of two Russian soldiers held captive by mountaineers in the Caucasus.
Why it matters
The story was inspired by an incident Tolstoy himself experienced in June 1853 near Grozny, when he was pursued by militant Chechens while serving in the army. It became one of his best-known works in Russia and remained part of the school curriculum for generations, showing how his own military service shaped his fiction.
Look closer
- Why might Tolstoy write this tale in deliberately simple language?
- How does knowing Tolstoy's own brush with capture change how you read the story?
- What does the story suggest about Tolstoy's attitudes toward the people of the Caucasus?
This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Leo Tolstoy on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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