#tcherkess

[dandanjean]

Princesse Tcherkesse

Un sultan avait une fille qui, lorsqu’elle riait, faisait paraître le soleil dans toute sa splendeur ; lorsqu’au contraire elle pleurait, il tonnait très fort et pleuvait abondamment. Un jour, cette fille se mit à travailler au métier de tisserand. Il lui apparut un oiseau qui lui dit : « Que tu travailles ou que tu ne travailles pas, tu n’auras jamais pour mari qu’un mort. » La pauvre fille…

[almanach-international]

21 mai : le jour de deuil circassien, en mémoire d’un génocide perpétré par les Russes

La Circassie est une colonie russe située dans le nord du Caucase, une région que les Russes ont conquis après un siècle de guerre et de massacres. L’invasion russe a commencé en 1763 et ne s’est achevée qu’un siècle plus tard par un défilé de la victoire de l’armée du tsar le 21 mai 1864, à Krasnaya Polyana, non loin de Sotchi. Ce fut la guerre la plus longue que la Russie n’ait jamais menée.

La stratégie de l’Empire russe pour s’imposer dans le nord du Caucase était pleinement génocidaire. Elle consistait à massacrer systématiquement des civils afin de les terroriser ou de les pousser à l’exil. En un siècle, 1 500 000 Circassiens (soit 90% de la population totale !) ont été tués ou expulsés vers l'Empire ottoman, où vit aujourd’hui la majeure partie de la diaspora circasienne.

Ce qui reste des Circadiens demeurés sur leurs terres, les Russes les ont séparés en quatre sous-groupes : Kabardiens, Tcherkesses, Adyghéens et Chapsoughs, selon la logique diviser pour mieux régner. C’était aussi une manière de gommer l’identité circasienne qui n’a plus droit de cité en Russie. Moscou a ensuite créé sur ce qui était jadis la Circassie, quatre républiques “autonomes : les républiques d'Adyguée, de Kabardino-Balkarie et de Karachay-Tcherkessie, où les Circassiens constituent la majeure partie de la population, les descendant des quelques rescapés du génocide.

En 1990, quand l’emprise russe s’est provisoirement desserrée, un Jour de deuil circassien (Шъыгъо-шӏэжъ маф) a été institué en souvenir du jour où la Russie a proclamé sa victoire définitive sur la Circassie détruite et endeuillée. Chaque 21 mai, jour férié et chômé local, des rassemblements, des processions et dépôts de couronnes de fluets ont eu lieu dans les quatre républiques circadiennes (jusqu’en 2021), et surtout aujourd’hui, dans la diaspora, en Turquie, en Jordanie, en Syrie, États-Unis, Allemagne…

Depuis le début de l'année 2022, les autorités russes s'emploient systématiquement à annuler les événements commémoratifs et festifs circassiens. Sous des prétextes farfelus, ils ont interdit la célébration du jour du drapeau circassien, puis ont prohibé la procession devenue traditionnelle en l'honneur du jour de deuil du 21 mai.

En Russie, ce génocide a été soumis à un révisionnisme historique ancien, ce qui explique qu’en Occident on connaisse si mal ce drame du Nord Caucase, par rapport à celui des Arméniens au début du siècle suivant. Aujourd’hui, les responsables de l'État russe vont jusqu'à affirmer que le conflit "n'a jamais eu lieu" et que la Circassie "a volontairement rejoint la Russie au XVIe siècle".

Il n’est pas encore question en Russie de discours décolonial.   Au XXIe siècle, la question des colonies se règle encore par des massacres, les Tchétchènes en ont fait les frais (300 000 morts sous Poutine, soit 30% de ce peuple), aujourd’hui, c’est le tour de l’Ukraine…

Le 21 mai est la date de la bataille de Qbaada (аибашьра) considérée la dernière bataille de la guerre du Caucase, car aucune autre bataille significative, autre que des rébellions dispersées, n'a eu lieu par la suite. Elle s’est terminée le 21 mai du calendrier julien (soit le 2 juin du grégorien) mais les Circadiens ont retenu cette date pour exprimer leur deuil dans le calendrier actuel. La bataille a opposé l'armée circassienne de 20 000 hommes et femmes, composée de villageois et de milices locales ainsi que de cavaliers tribaux, à une armée russe de 100 000 hommes, composée de cavaliers cosaques et russes, d'infanterie et d'artillerie. Les forces russes avancèrent de quatre côtés. Les forces circassiennes ont tenté de briser la ligne, mais beaucoup ont été touchées par l'artillerie et l'infanterie russes avant de réussir à atteindre le front. Les combattants restants furent bientôt vaincus. L'armée russe a commencé à célébrer la victoire sur les cadavres et un défilé militaro-religieux a eu lieu, au cours duquel 100 guerriers circassiens ont été publiquement exécutés. L'armée russe a ensuite continué à attaquer et à incendier les villages circassiens, détruisant les champs pour empêcher le retour, abattant les arbres et chassant les gens vers la côte de la mer Noire. 

Un article de l'Almanach international des éditions BiblioMonde, 21 mai 2024

[khokhlofucker]

L'étendard du Groupement d'Escadrons Tcherkess comporte sur son avers, la liste des principaux combats victorieux de 1922 à 1927. Il s'agit des opérations suivantes : Hadjilar; Djebel Druze; Kalaat Djendal; Medjel Chems; Katana; Djebat el Khachab; Ghouta; Maaraba; Anti-Liban; Dreidje; Au revers, rédigé en langue Tcherkess, figure les inscriptions suivantes : "YAPEQHE TCERQUES" signifiant "Tcherkess, en avant" "TCERQUES CHIV PSINTCÉ SEVTINME YA QUP" signifiant "Groupement de Cavalerie Légère tcherkess"

-Les sept étoiles placées au dessus des inscriptions, rappellent les sept principales tribus Tcherkess. -Aux angles, se trouve brodé,l'insigne du Groupement Tcherkess.

L'étendard de soie verte exposé dans la salle des drapeaux du Musée de l'Armée, à Paris, date de 1930. Initialement, ce fut le fanion du Premier Escadron de Gardes Mobiles créé en 1922, qui avait rôle d'étendard. En 1926, fut réalisé un modèle "hybride" aux couleurs pontificales, remplacé en 1930 par l'exemplaire figurant au Musée de l'Armée. La cravate tricolore de l'étendard comporte sept croix de guerre TOE avec palme (six avec palmes pour citation à l'ordre de l'Armée, et une avec étoile d'argent, pour citation à l'ordre de la Division). En son centre figure une Croix de Lorraine, brodée, de couleur rouge. Une cravate noire brodée de l'insigne du Groupement tcherkess accompagne la précédente. La hampe symbolise un croissant. Les fanions des Escadrons Tcherkess sont rectangulaires, à l'exception du 18 escadron, qui lui est triangulaire. -Les inscriptions qui figurent sur les fanions sont sur l'avers, en français, et en arabe sur le revers. -La symbolique employée reprend le croissant et l'étoile. -Les fanions des 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19 escadrons, sont verts, couleur du prophète.

Le fanion du 14 escadron est noir, et celui du 16 escadron, blanc. -L'appellation du 12 escadron, inscrite au fanion, est "la foudre". Celle du 15 escadron est "l'invincible". Celle du 17 escadron est "l'éclair".

[whatdoesshedotothem]

Wednesday 10 [12] August 1840

6 ½

12

fine morning R19 ½° now at 7 50/.. – breakfast at 8 ¼ - A- and I out at 10 5/.. sauntered about Adam and the Cossack and one of the princes’ red (his livery red) footman with us à la Tcherkesse – the river (Tchekhouchia 4v. off) alluent de la Dojourni which falls into the Engour [Enguri] 2 lieues = 8v. off – (Dubois iii. 36) – then to the little bazaar – a widish street about 200 yards long – very picturesque A- sketched while I pepped into the shops – hunted out a plate like the one broken on Monday 1/2 ab. paid 45 paras –

wool short sherst, 5/. silver per pood

wax (vosk) 12/. ditto per ditto

cotton (boumaghi) 8/. ditto per ditto

silk (in the thread) sholko, 17/. ditto per ditto

looked at a gun 4/. silver and then at some of the princes old guns – gun (rōōgeĕ in Russ) the prince has one worth 1000/. silver that carries 1080 sagènes and is 3 archines long! – from the bazaar to the garden – pretty 8tagon galleried round house – the princes library a 1er. glazed all round and his French agent, Mr. Liétard arrived about a month ago, lives for the present in the damp rez de chaussée – mentioned the queer insect that bit A- and myself and stuck fast – it is clêtchĭ in Russian – bites sheep and hares – has shot the latter with their heads quite swollen and full of these insects – unless they fall off of themselves i.e. if one pulls them out they leave their heads in the place they have bit – then saw the new church finished in 1827, but the interior has yet to be painted good sized neat plain whitewashed in and out Georgian like church – a priest, and prayers every evening – the little old church in the little old barn style but good and picturesque remains close to the house the palace 300 yards old said the footman – it was about 12 when we all went to the princess – glad to see us – A- sickish went home till dinner to lie down but returned then seeming pretty well – It was Nachitshevan the princess said yesterday was swallowed up by the Earthquake and Ararat [?] in two – the shock much felt at Tiflis – Dadians’ son not sure of succeeding his father as prince regnant – Madame Latchinoff noticed by Madame G- said the rest must notice her but no better than she should be – Tolstoy admires her – her husband beats her – glad to be rid of her – and she tells all this to all the gents – Madame de Baku smokes and drinks vodki (brandy) – G- promises – forgets and does nothing – Mr. Rivoire the Ex French consul at Tiflis in disgrace at home for being too good friends with the Russian authorities and sending not enough information home – unjust – the present consul sent out by Soult almost against the poor mans’ will who had taken a year to consider of it – (baron de la Chapelle) – has no experience and no clever persons in his chancellerie at Tiflis to get political information – Rivoire clever – writes well – knows what is about said Mr. Liétard – Had thought to go to Anaklia from here and then Redut Kala and Guria – A- would like the Suanéthi [Svaneti] tour – had our privadnik (the prince)

Mr. Liétard the biting insect Clêtchi or clêchi.

David.......... in and princess D-, and I with the map before settled our route to Muri and back to Redut Kale and Guria to Koutaïs – impossible to thro’ Suannetti and back all the way on horseback – some dangers in going now to Suchum Kale – dinner about 2 – our Koutaïs M.D. again – says Dubois’s work is severely criticised in Germany – coffee – sat a little while with the princess gave her my address aux soins de Messrs. Hammersley, and my English address at Shibden and afterwards my card “Mrs. Lister Shibden hall” she came home with us at 4 – were to have been off then – but the mourave had got Thamar (the dark grey baggage mare) thought she belonged to one of the peasants, who all turn on to the green, and the mourave and any people authorized by the price take what horse and whenever they please! mentioned our Lailache man – pity I had not named it to the prince – I had forgot – astonished at our having peasants (serfs) in England – the princess sat with us till off – begs us to go, and see her mother in Cachétie – the princess takes no exercise tired with walking the about 200 yards to us – 2 months gone with [?] – very interesting person – the mare was brought back – off at 5 50/.. – our along the plain along little narrow lanes thro’ alder bushes for nearly ½ way then high brackens then wood, and lastly marshy ground and high Indian corn 3 umbrellas high = 8ft. – tired 2 or 3 places houses huts not good enough at last pulled down the poor mans’ wicker fence – rode thro’ his Indian corn (a path) and alighted village of Liia on the Engour [Enguri] but we not near the river at 10 10/.. – good sacle – 5 or 6 women – as many men slept outside and the children know not how many (6 or 8) moved to another tarti and the one next the door given to us – A- had kept up very badly – ill or out of sorts – lay down and fell asleep immediately – took nothing – I supped on the princess’ bread and my odorous Choni [Khoni] cheese and the Dadian good red wine and water and 2 salted cucumbers – very good and she had given me 6, and a large fresh cheese and 8 or 10 rolls or more and 2 bottles red wine for myself and 2 white for A- and 6 or 8 wax candles and fresh cucumbers and apples – lay down quite dressed at 12 – very fine day – latterly a little gentle rain or dew – the dews excessive here –

[the-deeds-to-shibden]

Wednesday 12 August 1840

[Anne misdated this entry as Wednesday 10 August]

[up at] 6 1/2

[to bed at] 12

fine morning Reaumur 19 1/2° now at 7 50/.. – breakfast at 8 1/4 – Ann and I out at 10 5/.. sauntered about Adam and the Cossack and one of the prince’s red (his livery red) footmen with us à la Tcherkess – the river (Tchekhouchia) 4 versts off affluent de la Djoumi which falls into the Engour 2 lieues = 8 versts off – (Dubois iii. 36) – then to the little bazaar – a widish street about 200 yards long very picturesque Ann sketched while I peeped into the shops – hunted out a plate like the one broken on Monday 1/2 abasse paid 45 paras –

wool short sherst, 5/. silver per pood

wax (vosk) 12/. ditto per ditto

cotton (boumaghi) 8/. ditto per ditto

silk (in the thread) sholko 17/. ditto per ditto

looked at a gun 4/. silver and then at some of the princes old guns – gun (rōōgĕe in Russian) the prince has one worth 1000/. silver that carries 1000 sagènes and is 3 archines long! – from the bazaar to the garden – picturesque octagon galleried round house – the princes library au premier glazed all round and his French agent, Mr. Liétard arrived about a month ago, lives for the present in the damp rez de chaussée – mentioned the queer insect that bit Ann and myself and stuck fast – it is clêtchĭ in Russian – bites sheep and hares   has shot the latter with their heads quite swollen and full of these insects – unless they fall off of themselves i.e. if one pulls them out they have their heads in the place they have bit – then saw the new church finished in 1827, but the interior has yet to be painted – good sized neat plain white washed in and out Georgian like church – a priest, and prayers every evening – the little old church in the little old barn style but good and picturesque remains close to the house the palace 300 years old said the footman – 

it was about 12 when we all went to the princess – glad to see us – very civil and kind – Ann sickish went home till dinner to lie down but returned then seeming pretty well – It was Nachitshivan the princess said yesterday was swallowed up by the earthquake and Ararat rent in two – the shock much felt at Tiflis – Dadian’s son not sure of succeeding his father as prince regnant – Madame Latchinoff noticed by Madame Golovin so the rest must notice her but no better than she should be – Tolstoy admires her – her husband beats her – glad to be rid of her – and she tells all this to all the gentlemen – Madame de Baku smokes and drinks vodki (brandy) – Golovin promises – forgets and does nothing – Mr. Rivoire the ex French consul at Tiflis in disgrace at home for being too god friends with the Russian authorities and sending not enough information home – unjust – the present consul sent out by Soult almost against the poor man’s will who had taken a year to consider of it – (baron de la Chapelle) – has no experience and no clever persons in his chancellerie at Tiflis to get political information – Rivoire clever – writes well – knows what he is about said Mr. Liétard – 

Had thought to go to Anaklia from here and then Redut Kale and Guria – Ann would like the Suanéthi tour – had our provadnik (the prince) David .  . .  .  . .  . in and princess Dadian and I with the map before settled our route to Muri and back to Redut Kale and Guria to Koutaïs – impossible to [go] thro’ Suannetti and back all the way on horseback – some danger in going now to Suchum Kale – dinner about 2 – our Koutaïs M.D. again – says Dubois’ work is severely criticized in Germany – coffee – sat a little while with the princess gave her my address aux soins de Messrs Hammersley, and my English address at Shibden and afterwards my card ‘Mrs. Lister Shibden hall’   she came come with us at 4 – were to have been off then – but the mourave had got Thamar (the dark grey baggage mare) thought she belonged to one of the peasants who all turn on to the green, and the mourave and any people authorized by the prince take what horse and whenever they please! mentioned our Lailache man – pity I had not named it to the prince – I had forgot – astonished at our having peasants (serfs) in England – the princess sat with us till off – begs us to go, and see her mother in Cachétie – the princess takes no exercise tired with walking the about 200 yards to us – 2 months gone with child – very interesting person – 

the mare was brought back – off at 5 50/.. – our [road] along the plain along little narrow lanes thro’ alder bushes for nearly 1/2 way then high brackens then wood, and lastly marshy ground and high Indian corn 3 umbrellas high = 8 feet – tried 2 or 3 places houses huts not good enough at last pulled down the poor mans wicker fence – rode thro’ his Indian corn (a path) and alighted at village of Liia on the Engour but we not near the river 10 10/.. – good sacle – 5 or 6 women – as many men slept outside and the children know not how many (6 or 8) moved to another tarti and the one next the door given to us – Ann had kept up very badly – ill or out of sorts – lay down and fell asleep immediately – took nothing – I supped on the princess’es /sic/ bread and my odorous Choni cheese and the Dadian good red wine and water and 2 salted cucumbers – very good – she had given me 6, and a large fresh cheese and 8 or 10 rolls or more and 2 bottles red wine for myself and 2 white for Ann and 6 or 8 wax candles and fresh cucumbers and apples – lay down quite dressed at 12 – very fine day – latterly a little gentle rain or dew – the dews excessive here –

 Anne’s marginal notes:

Mr. Liétard

the biting insect clêtchi or clêchi.

Liia village of

WYAS page:  SH:7/ML/E/24/0174

[little-witchys-garden]

Story of the Most Noble Self-Playing Harp

Part 1

In a certain country there lived a king named Filon, whose wife Chaltura had an only son, named Astrach, who from his earliest years had a strong desire to render himself famous by knightly deeds. When he arrived at mature age, Astrach began to think of marrying, and he asked his father in what kingdom lived the most beautiful of all Tsar’s or King’s daughters. The King replied: “If it is your wish to marry, my dearest son, my noble child, I will show you the portraits of the daughters of the Tsars and Kings of all lands.” So saying, he led Prince Astrach to a gallery, and showed him the pictures. After examining them all closely, Astrach fell passionately in love with the Tsarevna Osida, daughter of Afor, the Tsar of Egypt. Then he besought his father’s blessing, and asked leave to repair to the Court of the Egyptian Sultan, to sue for the hand of Osida. King Filon rejoiced at the thought of his son’s marrying, gave him his blessing, and dismissed him.

Then Prince Astrach went to seek a goodly steed in the royal stables, but could find none there to his mind. So he bade farewell to his father and mother, and started for his journey to Egypt alone on foot; and he wandered long, here and there, far and near, until at length he saw on the plain a palace of white marble, roofed with gold, which emitted beams of light, shining like the sun. Prince Astrach went up to the palace; and, on reaching it, he walked round the building, looking in at every window, to see if any persons were there; but he could discover no one. So he went into the courtyard, and wandered up and down for a long time; but there, too, he could see no living soul; then he entered the marble palace, and went from room to room, but all was silent and deserted. At length he came to an apartment, in which a table was spread for one person; and being very hungry, Prince Astrach sat down, and ate and drank his fill; after which he laid himself down on a bed and fell fast asleep.

As soon as he awoke, he wandered again through the palace until he came to a room, from the window of which he saw the most beautiful garden he had ever beheld, and it came into his mind to go for a walk in it. Then he went out of the palace and strolled about for a long time; and at length came to a stone wall, in which was an iron door, with a massive lock. As the Prince touched the lock he heard behind the door the neighing of a horse; and, wishing to remove the lock, he took up a huge stone in his arms and fell to hammering the door. At the first blow it burst open, and there behind it was a second iron door, with a lock like the first. This, too, he broke open, and found behind it ten other doors, through all of which he forced his way in like manner; and behind the last he beheld a noble charger, with a complete suit of armour. Then he went up and stroked the horse, which stood still as if rooted to the spot.

Prince Astrach forthwith proceeded to saddle his horse with a Tcherkess saddle, put a silken bridle into his mouth, and leading him out, mounted, and rode into the open fields. But as soon as he applied the spur, the horse grew restive, reared higher than the waving forests, plunged lower than the flying clouds; mountains and rivers he left behind; small streams he covered with his tail and broad rivers he crossed at a bound, until at length Prince Astrach so tired out the brave steed that he was covered with foam.

Then the horse spoke with a man’s voice the following words: “O Prince, thou my noble rider, it is now three-and-thirty years since I served the dead Yaroslav Yaroslavovich—that stout and powerful knight—and I have borne him in many a single combat and battle; yet never have I been so worn out as to-day; now I am ready to serve you faithfully till death.” Then Prince Astrach returned into the courtyard, put his brave steed into the stable, and gave him white corn and spring water; after which he went into the marble palace, ate and drank his fill, and then laid him down to sleep.

The following morning he rose early, saddled his good horse, and rode forth towards Egypt, to Tsar Afor, to sue for the hand of his daughter, the beautiful Tsarevna Osida. When he arrived at the court he announced himself as the son of King Filon, whereupon Tsar Afor received him with all honour, and enquired what purpose had brought him thither, to which Prince Astrach replied: “Great Tsar of all the lands of Egypt, I am not come to your Court to feast and banquet, but to ask for your lovely daughter to wife.”

“Brave Knight, Prince Astrach,” answered the Tsar, “I will gladly bestow my daughter on you; but one service you must render me. The unbelieving Tartar Tsar is drawing near, and threatens to lay waste my kingdom, to carry off my daughter, and slay me and my wife.” Prince Astrach replied: “My gracious lord, Tsar Afor, readily will I go forth to battle for the Faith with this unbelieving Tsar; and to protect your city from untimely destruction.” Whereat Tsar Afor was glad at heart, and ordered a great banquet to be prepared for the bold and fair Prince Astrach; so there was great feasting, and the betrothal took place with all solemnity.

The next day the Busurman army of three hundred thousand men arrived before the city, whereat Tsar Afor was greatly alarmed, and took counsel with Astrach. Then the Prince saddled his steed, went into the royal palace, and offered up his prayers, bowing himself to all four quarters of the globe. After this he took leave of Tsar Afor and his wife, and his betrothed Tsarevna, the beautiful Osida, and rode straight to the enemy’s camp; and when he spurred his charger, the steed bounded from the earth higher than the waving forests, and lower than the drifting clouds; mountains and valleys he left beneath his feet, small streams he covered with his tail, wide rivers he sprang across, and at length arrived at the enemy’s camp. Then Prince Astrach fell upon the Busurmen with fearful slaughter, and in a short time cut them to pieces; and wherever he waved his arm, a way was opened, and where he turned his horse there was a clear space for him; so he routed and destroyed the whole army, took the Busurman Tsar himself prisoner, and brought him to Tsar Afor, who threw him into prison.

Then there was great feasting and rejoicing, and the revels lasted for a whole fortnight. At the end of this time, Prince Astrach reminded Tsar Afor of his marriage contract with the Tsarevna Osida; and Tsar Afor ordered a great banquet to be made, and bade his daughter prepare for the wedding. When the Tsarevna heard this, she called Prince Astrach and said: “My beloved friend and bridegroom, you are in too great a haste to marry; only think how dull a wedding feast would be without any music, for my father has no players. Therefore, dear friend, ride off, I entreat you, through thrice nine lands, to the thirtieth kingdom, in the domain of the deathless Kashtshei, and win from him the Self-playing Harp; it plays all tunes so wonderfully that every one is bound to listen to it, and it is beyond price: this will enliven our wedding.”

Then Astrach, the King’s son, went to the royal stable and saddled his steed; and, after taking leave of Tsar Afor and his betrothed Princess, mounted his good horse and rode off to the kingdom of the deathless Kashtshei, in search of the Self-playing Harp. As he rode along he saw an old hut, standing in a garden facing a wood; and he called out with his knightly voice: “Hut, hut, turn about, with your back to the wood, and your front to me!” And instantly the hut turned itself round. Then Prince Astrach dismounted and entered the hut, and there was an old witch sitting on the floor spinning flax. And the witch screamed with a frightful voice: “Fu! fu! fu! never before has the sound of a Russian spirit been heard here; and now a Russian spirit comes to sight!” Then she asked Prince Astrach: “Wherefore, good youngling, Prince Astrach, art thou come hither—of thine own free will or not? Hither no bird flies, no wild beast wanders, no knight ever passes my hut. And how has God brought you here?”

But Prince Astrach replied: “You silly old wife, first give me food and drink, and then put your questions.” Thereupon the old witch instantly set food before Prince Astrach, whipped him into the bath-room, combed his locks, made ready his bed, and then fell again to questioning him. “Tell me, good youth, whither art thou travelling—to what far country? and dost thou go of thine own free will or no?”

And Prince Astrach answered: “Willingly as I go, yet I go twice as unwillingly through thrice nine lands into the thirtieth kingdom, the domain of the deathless Kashtshei, to fetch the Self-playing Harp.”

“Ho! ho! ho!” cried the old witch. “You’ll find it a hard task to gain the Harp; but say your prayers and lie down to rest; the morning is the time for such exploits, but the night for sleep.” So Astrach, the King’s son, laid himself down to sleep.

The next morning the witch awoke early, got up, and aroused Prince Astrach. “Bestir yourself, Prince Astrach, it is time for you to set out on your travels.” So Astrach arose and speedily dressed himself, pulled on his stockings and boots, washed, and said his prayers, bowing himself north, south, east, and west, and made ready to take leave of the witch. Then she said: “How! will you go away without asking an old woman like me how you can gain the Self-playing Harp?” And when he asked her she said: “Go your way, in God’s name, and when you come to the realm of the deathless Kashtshei, manage to arrive exactly at noon. Near his golden palace is a green garden, and in this garden you will see a fair Princess walking about. Leap over the wall and approach the maiden; she will rejoice to see you, for it is now six years since she was carried off from her father’s court by the deathless Kashtshei. Enquire of this maiden how you can obtain the Self-playing Harp, and she will direct you.”

Thereupon Prince Astrach mounted his good steed and rode far and fast, and came into the kingdom of the deathless Kashtshei. Then he repaired to the golden palace, and heard the sound of the Self-playing Harp: he stood still to listen, and was absorbed by its wonderful music. At last he came to himself, leaped over the wall into the green garden, and beheld there the Princess, who was at first sight terrified; but Prince Astrach went up to her, quieted her fears, and asked her how he could obtain the Self-playing Harp. Then the Tsarevna Darisa answered: “If you will take me with you from this place I will tell you how to obtain the Harp.” So Prince Astrach gave her his promise. Then she told him to wait in the garden, and meanwhile she herself went to the deathless Kashtshei and began to coax him with false and flattering words. “My most beloved friend and intimate, tell me, I pray you, will you never die?”

“Assuredly never,” replied Kashtshei.

“Then,” said the Princess, “where is your death? Is it here?”

“Certainly,” he replied; “it is in the broom under the threshold.”

Thereupon Tsarevna Darisa instantly seized the broom and threw it into the fire; but, although the besom burned, the deathless Kashtshei still remained alive. Then the Tsarevna said to him: “My beloved, you do not love me sincerely, for you have not told me truly where is your death; nevertheless, I am not angry, but love you with my whole heart.”

[anne-lister-adventures]

Friday, 10 April 1840

5 1/2

11 35/’’

Had got up at 4 1/4 and lighted the other candle but nobody stirring so lay down again not having slept much during the night – Breakfast at 6 – Reaumur 6º on the window seat by my bedhead at 6 – No Courier ready to be off with the empty carriages – Instead of 3 Traineaux 2 for the baggage, only one for all – Had all packed in the carriages as usual and let the Traineau go 1st for A-[Ann] and myself to get into as soon as the snow became troublesome to the Kibitka wheels – 

Government House the man not content with 1/2 S.[Silver] R.[Rouble] said we had had fire twice – only once allowed by Government – Gave him 3/50 then came the soldier who had made the fire and gave him -/35 – At the door 2 begging Cossacks – Had been sent for to go with us and now not wanted gave them -/70 between them glad to be off from this little place – Its greatest interest is the being en route to the Sources of the Terek – 

At 15 v.[versts] up the valley to the right as we entered last night – A little Ossatine (Ōssătēēn as pronounced) village on a little plateau not far from the source – Can ride 13 v.[versts] but must walk the other two – Must have an escort Russian and also of the natives of the village – The Terek passes just below Kobi, and our little river this morning (right) as we pursue the Defile to Kaishoor is the Bidara - 

Kobi.

Off from Kobi at 6 55/’’ with a non-commissioned officer and 17 men to help us over the mountains (one of the letters, I suppose that from Mr. Bachmetieff to the officer, had desired this) a very useful precaution as it turned out and 3 mounted Cossacks to take care of us – Our 2 Kibitkas and Traineau in which A-[Ann] and I seated ourselves before we had gone 1/2 verst and all our men formed a very picturesque group over the snowy mountains – 

In 3/4 hour we lost sight of Kobi, and stopt a moment for our officer to fill his bottle from a little spring almost in the little river Bidara at some depth in the ravine below us (right) – The water tasted chalybeate and acidulous – They said it was almost as good as Donskoi wine for intoxicating people – 3 glasses of it would be enough for that – 

In an hour, at 7 55/’’ we were at the difficulties, steep narrow pitches up hill that almost set fast the 5 horses to each Kibitka – At 8 5/’’ at the narrow road along precipitous mountain side – All deep snow here – Narrow defile – Immense pointed mountains – A peep at the Kasbek? for the first 10 minutes or 1/4 hour – Seemed as if at the top of the Col at 8 1/2, a little high undulating rising, circular plateau with a square dry wall stone Ossetine building 2 Sâcles 4 1/2 v.[verst] from Kobi said our officer who was with us in front or on the side or back of our Traineau – At 8 35/’’ our Kibitka almost down – In a hole as we mount again – At 8 3/4 the summit? – 

At 8 50/’’ pass with some difficulty 3 women in a Traineau and a Cossack, and 2 men (with them?) on horseback – At 9 pass the Cross (left) on a hill, at some distance where the old road used to go – Cross 7 1/2 v.[versts] from Kobi the 2 Sâcles 4 1/2 v.[versts] from K-[Kobi] – Soon after 9 pass 15 to 20 loaded horses most of them lying down to let us pass – Difficult to keep them on their legs off the narrow road the snow so deep on each side, and at 9 5/’’ very cold – Cold wind in our faces – 

At 9 20/’’ steep narrow descent with tremendous precipice close right – Worst part of road, and meet Traineaux and laden horses and Tcherkess – The lading large oblong bales packed in leather – Silk from Persia – The Courier (our officer said he did it on purpose!) pushed 2 bales down the steep glassy snow – One rolled tremendously down into the stream in the bottom and the other somehow stopt short of the water and might perhaps with great difficulty be recovered not much worse – Domna frightened and soon after left George and came to us – 

At 10 along the steep side of the great (round backed) mountain Goot (the double o as in boot) narrow road over deep ravine 300 or 400 ft.[feet] or more perpendicular beneath us, and the just risen little river Aragna like a silver thread winding along the bottom going, said our officer, to Tiflis we here saw the 2 little mountain descended streams down 2 deep ravines meet to form the Aragna and a little way below this junction an Ossatine village of Sâcles – Magnificent here at 8 v.[versts] from Kobi and at 10 5/’’ and a little sunshine – 

At 10 1/4 we are just over the Ossetine village (how finely picturesque!) nearly at the head of the great ravine into which the 2 little ones pour each their streamlet to form the Aragda – Meet an officer in little Traineau with a Cossack with him? 11 1/4 have already stopped 5 or 6 minutes something the matter with our Kibitka which had been all but over 2 or 3 times – We have been descended rapidly since 10 1/4 – Sunny and fine now at 11 1/4 – 

2 ft.[feet] or more deep of snow all along both sides our road now along the broad summit of the hill – If the men get off the road they sink above the knees in snow – Pick up dying bird on the snow – Bill like a finch – Feathered like the yellow-hammer – Leave it – 

Stopped again – Put our sacs de nuit and writing cases in our Traineau, leave the officer in charge of Domna who had just left us and the baggage, and take George, and leave the Kibitkas to themselves at 11 35/’’ but we had began some while ago the steep, rough, wet water-running down the ruts; descent upon Kaishaoor; and, having no snow, and such rough road, the Kibitkas kept up with us – 

At 12 (both sides road) a scattered Ossetine village, and several of these little villages on the hill side right – Long small square tapering Ancient Tower on hill (left) but nobody lives there now – Village near it and 2 or 3 more of these Ossetine villages on the sillonement midway the mount left – Now 12 20/’’ and the mountains in sharp-backed lines and like Spain – Square Tower and village left on conical hill at 12 1/2 and at 12 40/’’ at Kaishaoor a poor little place – A few huts Russian and Ossatine – But no appearance of any place where one could sleep – 

A talking drinking cidevant Polish Captain now a soldier and Maître de Poste here – Begged – And on my refusing to give him anything would not let them atteler – I threatened to complain – Paid in Silver and in spite of the Courier’s pother – Making as usual persisted in being right, and the man was obliged to take the Silver and let us be off in 1 5/’’ – These Poles as postilions and postmasters are terrible – The Courier did not have the wheels greased this morning! had them done at Kaishaoor – 

An old Tower here and several square dry stone wall Sâcles – Terrible road 4 versts on each side of Kaishoor – Steep, rough, wet descent to and from it – Towers and villages thickly strewed along the mountain sides – Particularly on our left – In a beautiful bay like valley (circular little valley) left ruined Tower and village of Sâcles very picturesque – But from here there is a change in the style of Sâcle – Instead of the dull wall square with a little lope hole for each chimney in the ground floor as at Kasbek, here the roofs flat and gravelled as there but a wide open (on wood posts) gallery at least on our side the house if not on 3 sides –

And the houses generally 2 stories high with 2 stories of open galleries – And from the time of getting to the bottom of the rough descent (the river Aragda deep in the ravine below us) the hills generally wooded on the right, and either under plough or wooded right – All the people busy ploughing – A pair of little oxen and one man to a plough – Wood almost up to the very summits of some of the high mountains along our Defile sharp lined and schistose wooded along the very top, and all down –

No firs – Chiefly beech – Merely saw 5 or 6 good firs apparently for ornament near a Sâcle – Wooded mountains – Towers villages or rather proprietaries Ossetine farmsteads one group of building as if one little colony of 3 or 4 families together – 

Long very steep descent at an awful perpendicular height (300 or 400 ft.[feet]) above the Avagda and alight at 2 35/’’ and walk to the bottom this part of the descent (not like that immediately near the Town) being tolerably dry, and clean, and walkable – A[Ann] crying and would not alight – Beautiful valley – And little valley left meets us with its little stream at the bottom – 

The valley – The little Russian what? village, fort, what? (3 good yellow houses like our Inn &c. at Koby and a good white house) and the few huts – The Ossetine villages on the mountain sides – The white rapidy river – The fine forms of the mountains – Beautiful scene – At the bottom and at a little street of two flat-roofed shops (about 1/2 m.[mile] from the Russian village) at 2 55/’’ – 

Sand rock bank along our steep descent (left) down the mountain side, and mountain of fine gravel and sand and debris shew bare long the river – Wood white thorn (or a species of Mespilus) hazel, barberry, wild dog rose bushes tall and luxuriant, and much Rhododendron Ponticum all along the bottom – Beech the principal forest wood – Some oak – 

Got into the carriage again at 3 – During this stage 5 wood bridges over the river or other streams its branches – And 3 or 4 wood drains in the road – And 4 beautiful glens (left) pouring their picturesque streamlets (but broadish boulder torrenty beds) into the Aragna – Hardly one glen right till near Pasanaoor and near there 2 little mountain misseaux tumbling in white lines down the hill side – The valley nowhere more than 1/4 mile broad? and now at 4 1/2 narrows beautifully to merely room for road and broad rapidy river – A beautiful narrow wooded Defile till it opens out a little into little circular basin at Pasanaoor at 4 50/’’ – 

Pasanauri (aka “Pasanoor”) in the 1870s.

No horses – But those we had would rest, and take us forward – No! Comfortable house stay all night – A-[Ann] and I out at 5 1/4 – She sketches – I saunter up the beech wooded mountain – Fine look down upon the valley with beautiful glen and stream from the East – The meet of the 2 streams, the narrow valley, the picturesque village our white wall-enclosed fort? and Inn the huts and Sacles – Beautiful – Worthy to be compared with our Pyrenees about Gèdre – 

Came in at 6 10/’’ – Tea about 6 1/2 – The Pass very fine today but the road disgracefully bad because it might easily rival the Simplon – The natural capabilities are much greater here than there – A good road is a great desideratum all the way from Ekaterinograd – But it is very fair from the village at the foot of the great descent at 3 p.m. – We passed under the Russian village the yellow houses – Fine day – Tis now 10 1/2 – I meant to have been in bed or on my mattress early –

6 55/’’ to 12 40/’’ Kobi to Kaishaoor                        (16 1/2)

1 3/4 to 4 50/’’ K-[Kaishaoor] to Pasanaoor             (19)

[in the margin of the page:]            Sources of the Terek

[in the margin of the page:]            Mineral Spring

[in the margin of the page:]            Bales of Silk

[in the margin of the page:]            Aragna river

[in the margin of the page:]            Change in the style of Sâcle from Ossetine to Lesgian?

[in the margin of the page:]            for the O-[Ossetine] are on the North side and the L-[Lesgian] on the South side the mountains

Page References: SH:7/ML/E/24/0079 and SH:7/ML/E/24/0080

[zerema01reg-blog]

#АдыгеяРоднаяМоя Существует легенда, что есть такие женщины, которые открывая шкаф знают, что наденут... :) ВИДЕОМОНТАЖ ИЗ ДОМАШНЕГО ВИДЕО И ФОТО #видеоклип #видеофильм #монтажвидео #слайдшоу #adigepsase #adyghe #tcherkess #cherkess #adygeya #adyge #adygei #adygey #cirkassian #адыгэбзе #адыгэгушы1э #maykop #adygea #adiga #адыгея #майкоп #tcherkesses #adygueen #adigecale #adygeya #мояадыгея #республикаадыгея #adigabza #adigebze #adig #01reg

[furiefrancaise]

•𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘇𝗼𝗳𝗳 (𝟏𝟗𝟎𝟔-𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟖)• **°**°**°**°**°**°**°**°**°**°**°**°**°**

Il est né le 9 mai 1906 à Yanovka en Russie dans une famille de l'aristocratie russe. Son père, général de Cavalerie, est tué au champ d'honneur devant Odessa. Orphelin de père et de mère, il est contraint à l'exil par la révolution de 1917.

Installé en Bretagne avec sa grand-mère, il y commence des études qu'il poursuit au collège Stanislas à Paris. En 1924 Nicolas Roumiantzoff entre à Saint-Cyr, en sort dans la promotion du Rif en 1926, comme sous-lieutenant à titre étranger.

Affecté au 1er Régiment Étranger de Cavalerie (1er REC). Il termine sa formation militaire à L’École d'Application de Saumur avant de servir en Tunisie (1927-1929) puis au Maroc (1929-1932).

Lieutenant en 1928, il est cité en 1932 comme "𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘦́𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘦 𝘭'𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘥𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘯 ". Il reçoit bientôt le commandement du 3e Escadron de Cavaliers Tcherkesses en Syrie (1932-1935).

Réaffecté au 1er REC en 1936 au Maroc puis en Tunisie, Nicolas Roumiantzoff obtient la nationalité française en juin 1939. Dirigé sur la métropole en avril 1940, il participe brillamment avec son escadron à cheval, le 97e Groupe de Reconnaissance divisionnaire (97e GRD), à la campagne de France.

Deux fois cité, il est blessé le 24 mai 1940 par un éclat de bombe et capturé après s'être battu sur la Somme et la Loire. Très rapidement, il s'évade.

Après l'armistice, en octobre 1940, il est affecté au 1er REC, à Fès au Maroc. Très vite, il cherche à reprendre le combat. Le 30 mars 1941, en permission à Rabat, il tente de gagner la France libre en passant par la zone espagnole. Arrêté, il est incarcéré à Tanger par les autorités espagnoles. Evadé à deux reprises, épuisé, il est repris, enfermé à la forteresse de Ceuta et condamné à mort.

Après sept mois d'incarcération, il s'évade de nouveau dans la voiture du commandant de la prison qu'il a pris en otage.

Avec l'aide la Résistance, Nicolas Roumiantzoff gagne Tanger puis Gibraltar et arrive en Grande-Bretagne en décembre 1941. Nommé capitaine, il est affecté à l'Etat-major du général de Gaulle à Londres. En février 1942, il débarque à Beyrouth avant de prendre le commandement en second du Groupe de Reconnaissance de Corps d'Armée (GRCA), futur 1er Régiment de Marche de Spahis Marocains (1er RMSM).

En août 1942, en Libye, il est blessé par un éclat d'obus avant de se distinguer, en novembre, au combat de l'Himeimat à El Alamein en commandant l'avant-garde de la colonne lancée à la poursuite de l'ennemi, faisant de nombreux prisonniers.

En mars 1943, il est nommé chef d'escadrons et s'illustre en Tunisie au combat de l'Oued Gragour où il bloque l'offensive de Rommel et le 8 avril 1943 devant Mezzouna où infligeant des pertes à l'adversaire, il parvient à occuper la localité.

Le 2 juin 1943, le "Roum", ainsi que le surnomment amicalement ses camarades de combat, "𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦́𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘶𝘳 𝘥'𝘶𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘭𝘦́𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦 ", se voit décerner la Croix de la Libération par le général de Gaulle. Arrivé à Tunis, après quelques jours de permission, il rejoint la 2e Division Blindée (2e DB) qui se constitue au Maroc en novembre 1943.

En juin 1944, il est promu au grade de lieutenant-colonel et débarque en Normandie le 1er août avec la 2e DB, intégrée à la 3e Armée américaine du général Patton. Chef d'un groupement léger, il s'empare d'Argentan le 13 août.

A Paris, le 25, il atteint le premier la Place de l'Etoile et le 26, il arrête, après des combats acharnés, une violente contre-attaque allemande dans la région du Bourget.

Nicolas Roumiantzoff poursuit le combat dans les Vosges et fait tomber successivement Contrexéville, Vittel et Darney, infligeant de lourdes pertes à l'ennemi. A cette occasion, il est décoré de la Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) pour "𝙝𝙚́𝙧𝙤𝙞̈𝙨𝙢𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙚".

Nommé, fin septembre 1944, chef d’État-major de la 10e DI, il prend la part la plus active, en janvier et février 1945, à la réduction de la poche de Colmar.

La paix revenue, il rejoint l'Indochine en 1948, en qualité de commandant du secteur de Quang-Tri. En janvier 1949, il est blessé une troisième fois par l'éclatement d'une mine près de Gia-Mon (Centre Annam) avant de prendre, en octobre 1949, le commandement du secteur est du Cambodge où il monte toute une série d'opérations qui portent des coups très durs à l'adversaire.

En 1950, Nicolas Roumiantzoff prend le commandement du 4e RCA basé à Gabès dans le Sud Tunisien. Trois ans plus tard, il est promu colonel et affecté de nouveau en Indochine où il commande le Groupement mobile n°3. Il reçoit alors trois nouvelles citations à l'ordre de l'Armée. En 1955, il commande le Groupement blindé n° 7 à Sarrebourg en Allemagne avant de prendre le commandement, en 1959, du secteur d'Aflou en Algérie ; il y dirige avec énergie les opérations du Djebel Mimouna et du Kef Mimouna.

Rentré en métropole, le colonel Roumiantzoff est affecté à l’État-major de la 8e Région militaire et prend, en 1961, le commandement de la subdivision de Chambéry. Titulaire de 22 citations (dont 11 à l'ordre de l'Armée) durant sa carrière militaire, il est promu au grade de général de brigade en janvier 1962, puis, sur sa demande, est mis à la retraite au mois de juillet de la même année.

Retiré à Paris, Nicolas Roumiantzoff est décédé à Paris, à l'Hôpital du Val-de-Grâce, le 15 avril 1988. Ses obsèques ont eu lieu à l'Eglise Saint-Louis-des-Invalides. Il a été inhumé à Saint-Pierre de Rivière dans l'Ariège.

[titou-nz]

Wadi Rum - Jordanie

Population

Démographie de la Jordanie

La population de Jordanie est estimée à 9,52 millions en novembre 2015. Environ 98 % de la population sont des Arabes. Avant l'occupation par Israël de la Cisjordanie et d'une moitié de Jérusalem, réunifiée en 1967, environ 70 % de celle-ci étaient Palestiniens. Actuellement, il y a 1 951 603 réfugiés Palestiniens dans le pays et plus de 2 millions de réfugiés syriens. Les Tcherkesses composent la grande partie des 2 % restants, mais les autres groupes ethniques minoritaires sont les Arméniens, les Tchétchènes, les Turkmènes, les Kurdes et les Bosniaques. Plus de 50 % de la population jordanienne vit à Amman, la capitale du pays.

Langues

L'anglais est parlé par la classe aisée, l'élite, l'armée, et les milieux du tourisme.

Religions

L'islam est la religion d'État. Selon les estimations officielles, 92 % des habitants sont sunnites et les chrétiens représentent 8 % de la population. Les chrétiens sont surtout grecs-orthodoxes ; cependant, on compte aussi des grecs-catholiques, des orthodoxes coptes, des orthodoxes arméniens, des syriens-orthodoxes et un petit nombre de protestants et de catholiques latins. Le pays abrite aussi en petit nombre des chiites, des druzes et des bahaïstes.

[aucoeurdeschevaux]

Le Kabardin, qui est élevé par les tcherkesses depuis ses origines, se distingue par la sûreté de son pied et sa capacité à supporter des charges que la plupart des autres considéreraient comme impossibles à transporter par un cheval.

[citationsdumonde]

L’objet du travail du général Huntziger, commandant supérieur des troupes du Levant (3e bureau numéro 237/3) porte sur les bases suivantes:

-Le territoire libanais est tenu par une garnison territoriale assurant sa sécurité intérieure et la surveillance de ses frontières. Cette garnison est constituée par l’armée libanaise, l’infanterie tenant les villes et les postes fortifiés des frontières, la cavalerie servant de réserve locale;

-Une réserve générale (troupes françaises et unités alaouites) est en mesure d’agir vite en force sur un point quelconque des actuels territoires sous mandat;

-Remise à la disposition de la métropole, en 1937, des deux bataillons de renforts et ultérieurement de deux autres bataillons dont un nord-africain;

-Les changements apportés à l’organisation des troupes françaises ne doivent pas se traduire par une augmentation des frais d’entretien.

COMPTE TENU DE CES DONNEES, IL EST ENVISAGE L’ORGANISATION D’ENSEMBLE SUIVANTE POUR LE LIBAN:

-des garnisons territoriales constituées de troupes libanaises réparties entre Beyrouth et Tripoli et des postes-frontières fortifiés échelonnés du Liban-Sud à la trouée d’Homs (Khiam, Esskays, Rachaya, Majdel-Anjar, Ras-Baalbeck);

-la réserve générale française est articulée en trois groupements mixtes d’infanterie, de cavalerie avec des moyens mécaniques et de transports susceptibles d’agir vite et isolément. Ces groupements devaient être stationnés respectivement autour de Beyrouth, de Tripoli et dans la Békaa et représenter une force de 5 bataillons d’infanterie, 1 bataillon de chars, 1 régiment de cavalerie, 1 groupe d’automitrailleuses, 1 groupement de 3 escadrons tcherkesses, 1 régiment d’artillerie, 1 bataillon du génie et 2 compagnies de transport auto.

Il est prévu que la motorisation sera poussée et que le matériel (chars et automitrailleuses) sera entièrement renouvelé et moderne.

[khokhlofucker]

Les tcherkess se distinguent des autres cavaliers du Levant, par leur magnifique tenue de parade. Cet uniforme est proche de l'habillement traditionnel caucasien. Il se compose d'une blouse à col droit, "kaptal fetsa", noire l'hiver, et blanche l'été. Sur cet effet, vient le "tsé", une tunique sans col, ouverte en "v" sur la poitrine ( appelée "tcherkesska" par les cosaques ). Elle est garnie de fausses cartouches (de 7 à 9), appelée "gazyrs", réalisées en bois, en os ou ivoire, en argent, se glissant dans des fourreaux de tissu cousus en biais sur la poitrine, et pouvant être reliés par des chaînettes. Sur les épaules, est porté un capuchon blanc, nommé "bachlick" ou "bachlyk", formé de deux pans de tissu rejetés en arrière, et reliés par un cordon noué autour du cou. Cet équipement sert de protection au cou et à la tête, lors des intempéries. La coiffure est le "kalpack", un bonnet cylindrique d'astrakan, noir, avec un fond en drap bleu clair, orné de deux galons en croix, en or pour les officiers et jonquille pour la troupe. La culotte est du modèle "jodpur" et les bottes de cavalerie sont noires. -Tenue de campagne "hiver" : Vareuse et culotte de cheval en drap kaki. Bottes noires et manteau kaki ou "abaï" de laine. ( appelée aussi "aba" ) -Tenue de campagne "été" : Vareuse et culotte en toile kaki clair virant sur le blanc. Les Tcherkess possèdent un équipement de type saharien en cuir rouge de confection réglementaire ou locale, se présentant sous la forme de colliers de cartouchières avec ou sans porte-baïonnette, croisé sur la poitrine.

[whatdoesshedotothem]

Sunday 10 May 1840

8 ¾

1 40/..

finish morning R10 ¼° at 10 a.m. about before breakfast at 10 ¼ to 11 – then had Mr. Besoc and then Captain Tolstoy who staid after Mr. B- and till after 1 – I had just turned all my things out of my bag and began packing before they came – all the rest of the day packing and putting away my papers etc. (to be left behind) in the top of my Moscow portmanteau and put my own dresses and A-‘s in the portmanteau to be left behind – about 8 went down to see about the kibitka packing – tis now 9 and we have not dined or had tea – Madame Latchinoff sent the translation of her voyage to Erivan by 10 this morning (before breakfast) – It seems, after all, that Mr. T- (not captain – only Lieutenant as yet) [likes] better reading than that of light travels etc. etc. his favourite work Mignards’ French revolution 4vols. 8vo. and likes Hume and Gibbon and Robertson – the black sea said B. and T. very stormy from 1 September to 1 May – short hay-cocky waves – government bought 5 steamers in London – one of 130 horse power lost – could not contend against the storm – but from 1 May to 1 September 4 months of summer the sea stormless (storms have been known in May) and beautiful – one goes from Kertch [Kerč’] to Yalta and thence to Odessa but regular post road by land – vessels have been 3 months instead of 30 hours (or 2 or 3 days with wind) from Constantinople to Odessa – B- himself was a month and all but lost – 1 ½ day from Constantinople to Trebizond – the Tcherkess pirates [?] to [?] vessels – fine day – felt queer from not having walked out for several days – Read Madame L-s’ little work after dinner – Sense well enough – French bad –

[reseau-actu]

Le président russe nomme désormais lui-même le chef de ces troupes mises au service de sa politique.

De notre correspondant à Moscou

En août 2018, lorsque Vladimir Poutine se rend près de Graz au mariage de Karin Kneissl, la ministre autrichienne des Affaires étrangères, ils sont là. Toque tcherkesse sur la tête, dague à la ceinture, cartouchières sur la poitrine, les cosaques de Kouban ont animé la noce, avec leurs chœurs et leurs danses, sous le regard réjoui du maître du Kremlin. Quelle belle affiche à ses yeux que ces guerriers, pour incarner l’esprit patriotique russe!

À lire aussi : Comment la Russie est redevenue une «puissance mondiale»

Cela fait longtemps que le pouvoir compte sur ces groupes militarisés aux traditions hautes en couleur qui traversent à bride abattue l’histoire de la Russie depuis le XVe siècle. Des «hommes libres» - telle est l’étymologie du mot cosaque -, issus à l’origine de populations slavisées fuyant le servage dans le sud de la Russie et de l’Ukraine. Épris d’indépendance, certes, mais ne dédaignant pas à l’occasion d’être à la solde du pouvoir impérial qui n’a eu de cesse de les contrôler et de les utiliser.

Dénoncés comme « contre-révolutionnaires » par les bolcheviks après 1917 et persécutés, ils n’ont amorcé leur lente renaissance qu’à partir de l’effondrement de l’URSS, en 1991.

Tour à tour sentinelles des steppes face à l’ennemi tatar, gendarmes des marches de l’empire, corps d’élite de l’armée des tsars et gardiens des valeurs de l’orthodoxie, les cosaques ont toujours été prompts aux coups de main - et aux coups de fouet. Jusqu’à se commettre dans les pires exactions, comme lors des pogroms de 1905 dans le sud du pays. Dénoncés comme «contre-révolutionnaires» par les bolcheviks après 1917 et persécutés, ils n’ont amorcé leur lente renaissance qu’à partir de l’effondrement de l’URSS, en 1991.

Depuis l’annexion de la Crimée, où on les a vus se déployer en 2014, les cosaques sont de plus en plus étroitement associés au projet de nation forte voulue par Vladimir Poutine. «Avant la crise en Ukraine, on ne les prenait pas vraiment au sérieux», relève Alexeï Makarkine, directeur adjoint d’un think-tank moscovite. «Mais ensuite, le regard officiel a changé. On a commencé à les voir comme une force de réserve dans la lutte contre un éventuel ennemi, intérieur ou extérieur», poursuit ce spécialiste. Il rappelle que certains d’entre eux ont été actifs, non seulement en Crimée, mais aussi dans le Donbass (jadis fief des cosaques du Don et des cosaques dits zaporogues).

À lire aussi : Cosaques: le retour des «gardiens de l’Ukraine»

Une nouvelle étape dans cette longue saga vient d’être franchie, le 4 novembre dernier. Par un décret présidentiel (oukase), le chef du Kremlin a créé une «Société cosaque de toute la Russie». Cette entité inédite vise officiellement à coordonner l’activité des onze troupes cosaques (voïskos) historiques, réparties sur le territoire, et qui chacune veillent jalousement sur leurs particularités: cosaques du Don, de l’Oural, de Terek, de Kouban, d’Orenbourg, d’Astrakhan, de Sibérie, de Transbaïkalie, de l’Amour, de Semiretchensk, et d’Oussouri.

L’oukase prévoit surtout la nomination, par le président lui-même, d’un ataman placé à la tête de cette «Société cosaque» pour un mandat de six ans. Une décision rompant avec l’usage voulant que les cosaques élisent eux-mêmes leurs chefs. Il est vrai que, durant deux siècles, à partir de 1718, les cosaques ont été commandés par des atamans nommés à Saint-Pétersbourg, alors siège du pouvoir tsariste. En 1775, après les révoltes paysannes qui dévastent le pays, Catherine II intègre les troupes cosaques dans les armées impériales. Les chevaliers des steppes s’y taillent une solide réputation, notamment grâce à leur fameuse «division sauvage», redoutée pour la violence de ses charges.

Le potentiel des cosaques n’est pas encore pleinement utilisé par l’État. Ils seront un bouclier robuste pour la Russie

Nicolaï Doluda

L’oukase du 4 novembre confirme la reconnaissance des cosaques par le pouvoir. Une onction officielle leur avait déjà été accordée, en novembre 2018, lors d’une grande conférence dans la basilique du Christ-Sauveur à Moscou, en présence du patriarche orthodoxe Kirill. Le Kremlin resserre son contrôle sur la communauté cosaque (kosatchestvo) et s’assure de son renfort, en cas de besoin. «Le potentiel des cosaques n’est pas encore pleinement utilisé par l’État. Ils seront un bouclier robuste pour la Russie», a promis l’ataman Nicolaï Doluda, 67 ans, choisi pour diriger la «Société des cosaques de Russie».

«Avec la coordination des troupes cosaques, nos principales tâches seront l’éducation patriotique des jeunes et la préservation de la mémoire et des traditions cosaques», a encore expliqué Nicolaï Doluda, jusqu’alors le chef militaire des cosaques de Kouban. Devant la presse, le 6 novembre, l’ataman, en grand uniforme, a indiqué qu’il veillera aussi à resserrer les liens avec les cosaques dits «non enregistrés», c’est-à-dire hors des structures officielles mais regroupés dans une nébuleuse de quelque 300 associations.

Car la galaxie cosaque recouvre déjà une multitude d’institutions: sociétés d’entraide, jardins d’enfants, écoles de cadets (plus de 1000 classes où étudient quelque 40.000 élèves), et une université à Moscou. En 2016, celle-ci a mis en place une chaire de cyberdéfense dont le but explicite est de lutter contre «la propagande extrémiste et les valeurs non traditionnelles»….

Le flou prévaut sur les effectifs. Les cosaques étaient, semble-t-il, plus de 4 millions à la veille de la révolution de 1917. Le «général» Nicolaï Doluda a cité pour sa part le chiffre de 1,5 million, début novembre. Les troupes militarisées regrouperaient 700.000 personnes. Certains experts affirment qu’environ 7 millions de personnes en Russie se considèrent comme cosaques… De fait, tout Russe de croyance orthodoxe, quelles que soient ses origines ethniques, peut adhérer à cette communauté qui compte des représentants dans les pays de l’ex-URSS mais aussi en Europe occidentale et notamment en France.

La participation des cosaques à des missions «sécuritaires» n’est pas nouvelle. Dans les années 1990, des «volontaires cosaques» s’étaient battus aux côtés des séparatistes prorusses en Transnistrie, en Abkhazie, en Ossétie du Sud et contre les rebelles en Tchétchénie.

Trois contrats à Moscou

Depuis 2005, une loi fédérale offre une base légale à leur service au sein de l’armée et de la police. Ils participent officiellement à la protection de l’ordre public et des frontières, mais aussi à celle de l’environnement (notamment contre les incendies) et à la lutte antiterroriste. Dans la région du Don, les cosaques assurent le maintien de l’ordre. En 2014, à Sotchi, pendant les Jeux olympiques, on les a vus intervenir, leur fameux fouet à la main (et des gaz lacrymogènes), contre une manifestation du groupe punk féminin Pussy Riot.

Début mai 2018, ils étaient présents lors du rassemblement organisé place Pouchkine, à Moscou par l’opposant Alexeï Navalny, le jour de l’investiture de Vladimir Poutine pour son quatrième mandat. Mais ils ont ensuite démenti avoir exercé la moindre violence… En revanche, la mairie de Moscou a confirmé avoir formé, cette même année, une centaine de cosaques aux techniques du maintien de l’ordre et de la sécurisation d’événements publics. Selon des médias russes, les cosaques auraient bénéficié entre 2016 et 2018 de trois contrats pour assurer l’ordre à Moscou, ainsi que des financements pour divers «projets culturels». Leur savoir-faire n’aurait pourtant pas été jugé pleinement satisfaisant, selon l’expert Alexeï Makarkine: «Dans la capitale, les gens n’ont pas vraiment peur d’eux. Ils les voient comme des personnages en costume participant à une reconstitution historique…»

[anne-lister-adventures]

Wednesday, 8 April 1840

5 50/’’

11 3/4

Incurred a cross last night thinking of Pi-Mariana Fine but dull morning Reaumur 11 1/4º on my window near my bed at 7 a.m. breakfast over at 8 1/4 – Paid George - A soldier brought in yesterday afternoon égorgé terribly cut and maimed – Went to the woods for firewood his horse returned without him about 5 p.m. and he was found soon afterwards and brought home to his wife and children – The soldiers here chiefly from the Government of Tchernikoff – 

Off at 8 3/4 so thick we could hardly see the mountains close by – In 1/2 hour arrive at wood - The wood and about the place where the soldier was murdered yesterday and come near to the broad bouldery bedded Terek – Not much water no difficulty in fording hereabouts – 

At 9 40/’’ at and pass thro’ the little village of Redante on the hill right – Here Persian petticoat like trousers and Circassian and Persian costume 1st time and enter the defile – Défilé de Terek – High calcaire compacte wooded rock close above us right, and river perpendicular below left, and broad bed and a stripe of wood and yellow sedge grass take up all the breadth of the defile – Closed on the other side by thickly wooded high mountain – Very picturesque willows and sedge between the streams of the river here and there – Defile 1/2 mile wide? up and down road along the ft.[foot] and side of the mountain and now and then in the bottom – 

Traditional Circassian clothes. (Image Source)

Tcherkess (Costume Perse) at work squaring stone (perhaps for the new bridge at Vladicavkas – To have all stone piliers and cost 60,000) and in the little streams finest water cresses I ever saw – Strata dip from S.[South] to N.[North] a few Pinus Sylvestris looking like shrubs sprinkled on the perpendicular faces of the rock –

All the rest beech and oak – Many fine hazels close to the road and some white thorn and much barbeny[barberry] – The rock (right) high and very fine, and the loud murmuring Terek very interesting – Too thick to see far before us – By and by river within deep sand rock banks – White cottage like building (a little farm or fort?) on little hill above us right and enter the narrow gorge at a sharpish angle at 10 20/’’this brêche in the mountains (our pass) very fine for some distance before we came up to it –

And at 10 20/’’ 11 or 12 of the little square huts mills on the streams – Just room here (on entering this narrow part) for broad bed of river (divided into little streams) and our 6 or 7 yards broad road – And now and then a little margin of wood on the other side the river – 

At 10 40/’’ 6 or 7 poor little huts and 5 minutes after walled up remains of old road cut out of the rock a little to our right – We in the bottom below – And soon afterwards pass lime kiln – And soldiers burning the lime – Hazel, barberry, white thorn and Kisil, as small wood by the road side – A little sun and clearer now at 10 55/’’ – Some of the hill-mountain tops clear – 

At 11 1/4 on 2 hills on the other side the river (left) 2 white buildings farms or fortress over a little gorge winding to the left, and one stone building a fort? close above us right – Merely little dots of snow here and there on the mountains – 11 3/4 at Tower above us right and slaty rock dipping perpendicularly – 

At 11 52/’’ on rock-hill in the middle of the gorge picturesque fort of Lars a tall square tapering Tower and little old castle-like building – That we pass under right and thro’ little street of low poor little cottages and at 11 55/’’ stop at the goodish white Station House (left) at Lars – A porticoed doorway and 2 windows on each side, one story high – 

Very picturesque little white village at the foot of the partly bare bouldery and partly wooded mountains – Not much more than room for village and river – A-[Ann] got out and sketched – I wrote so far of today till now 1 10/’’ and then went to A-[Ann] sketching the old ruined fortress from just before our entrance into the little town consisting a street of about 9 little white washed cottages – Huts on a side, and the Station House about the middle of the street side next the river – A good barrack at the other end of the Town 1 story high 7 windows on one side 6 on the other side the door – The defile very fine from here – Very narrow and the rocks high – Just room for street and river – The old fortress very picturesque – The rock a black schistose shale with an appearance of containing organic remains – Large cylinders as in trunks of trees – They had waited for us – 

Off at 1 40/’’ – At 1 55/’’ little cascade (right) the 1st and only one we have seen in the mountains so far not much water – But height considerable and the little fall pretty – At 2 22/’’ 1st of the 3 bridges over the river between Lars and Dariel – Narrow bouldery rocky foaming Terek – The stream 4 or 5 yards broad? not more tho’ the bridge five or six times as long – A small hut at the other end of the bridge and a soldier on guard – Fine narrow naked rock pass – The defile strewed with big and less boulders and masses of fallen rock – Passed one enormous mass (larger than the famous one in the Val d’Heas aux Pyrenees) about 10 minutes ago – (About 2 10/’’) – Granite soon not long after Lars – 

2d.[2nd] bridge said Mr. B-[Bachmetieff] about 1/2 verst from 1st stopt about 100 yards from it for 5 or 6 minutes at 5 28/’’ – 2 wheels of the servants Kibitka so broken obliged to tie them up as well as one could – The road here close upon the precipice of the rapidy river, and here, on the other side close upon the stream, the arch Mr. B-[Bachmetieff] spoke of as being so interesting – I understood from him it was an arch belonging to the old road – It is simply a piece of natural rock from under which the water has wash the stratum of indurated sand at top white and darkish and bituminous looking at bottom – This stratum 5 or 6 feet thick is seen here between the immense mass of superincumbent rock and the rock beneath lying like what my colliers would call seat-earth – 

“The Pass of Derial on the River Terek, north of the Caucasus range” by Sir Robert Porter, 1817. © British Library, used here under fair use rules.

3d.[3rd] bridge at 2 50/’’ and at the far end of this as of the 2d.[2nd] little hut and sentinel as at the first – The mist cleared off a little here, so as to shew the singular conformation of the rock in tall pointed cones, and at 2 53/’’ about 200 yards from the 3d.[3rd] bridge Dariel on right bank of river –   

Stop here to shew podarojna and to pay 4 Silver Rubles in addition for having 12 horses instead of 6 – The man said his salary was very small – It was very triste being there without his wife and children and begged me to give him something – Paid 15/- + one S.[Silver] R.[Rouble] = 18/50 ∴[therefore] he 4 1/2 Ruble assignats for himself which seemed to satisfy him tolerably – Dariel is merely a good barrack consisting of 3 or 4 white buildings round a little oblong court, capable I should think of containing 500 or 600 or more? a chevre de frieze gate running on a little solid wheel –

This plan common here for heavy gates or gate-doors – The old ruins B-[Bachmetieff] spoke of are small remains of old fort or castle on high conical rock projecting forwards into the defile, at a little beyond the properest barrack-fort on the opposite or left bank of the river – B-[Bachmetieff] said Pliny mentioned there being a fort here – Antique Porte Caspienne – Dariel (pronounced Dār-yŏl) is in the very neck, narrowest part, of the pass – 

Off from Dariel 7 v.[versts] from Lars at 3 13/’’ – Soon afterwards pass a Teleaga and 4 horses and the Post in Teleaga with 4 horses – The latter had been detained 4 days in consequence of the snow and the Teleaga not being able to pass the mountain at the summit, but the bags were forwarded Mr. B-[Bachmetieff] told me – 

At 3 1/2 gneiss or schistose rock with perpendicular stripes (veins) about a foot broad some legs of black schist – Granite boulders by and by and the mountain sides covered with gravel and debris so as to look like conglomerate mountains – Enormous boulders and masses of tumble down rock, black, green, irony, granity, and calcareous? – Spots and streaks of snow on the mountains now at 4 p.m. – At 4 20/’’ just room for road and river – A shingly small bouldery versant left, and on the right the rock broken into perpendicular ragged conical sharp pointed summits a stunted style of the sketch on the last p.[page] – Then the defile widens a little but the whole bottom a rough bouldery torrent-bed – How the river must be swollen at times to roll over all this breadth 200 or 300 yards+? 

“Darial Gorge” by Rufin Sudkovsky.

At 5, left at a little distance on high ground but almost enveloped in mist (damp drizzling small rain frozen into small hail) an old cracked leaning tapering square Tower of rough stone and mortar like the old fort at Lars and old ruins at Dariel, the sides gathered up so as almost to meet and cover the over in a sort of rounded pyramid top – A sort of chimney on one side – This queer Tower must be ancient – Then descend on the little stone walled tapering square towered old fortress like fort and village of Kasbek – Enter the modern white washed barrack fort and soon comfortably lodged in the Government Inn – 2 rooms for us all – A-[Ann] and I have never been packed in such little room but we do very well – Paid for our horses -/14 per horse per verst 41 1/2 v.[versts] – And gave our 3 Cossacks a Silver Rubel this time – Never so liberal before – 

The Mareschal employed for Government (a soldier of course) engages to find 3 good new wheels for 14 S.[Silver] R.[Rubles] = 49/- to be ready by 12 tomorrow – The wife of the soldier who has care of the Inn and strangers, is a Pole, just returned from 1 1/2 year captivity hard worked among the Tcherkess – 600 v.[versts] from here – Near the Caspian – At Anadan or some such name – Her husband petitioned the General of the District who came this way, and the made one of the Princes Soumis answerable for finding her – 100 S.[Silver] R.[Roubles] paid for her ransom – Taken at the entrance of the narrow part of the Defile (vide p.[page] 146) going to Vladicavkas – An officer with her (unarmed) – He killed and the driver wounded – Only 2 Tcherkess – Another woman with her who could speak a few words of their language said she was the slave of our little Pole ∴[therefore] they let her go home with her infant that she had with her – Our poor little Pole was stripped and made to travel (ride) 5 nights with nothing but her shift on – 2d.[2nd] week in Carême 2 years ago and colder than now – the people live in very sorry huts – Immense fine forests, immense trees, near where she was – She refused to change to be Mahometan – Several more Russian prisoners there – The wife of a Cossack Captain still there has changed her religion – When the troops go, the prisoners are driven away into the woods, and the people say they are Soumis – The troops return and the prisoners remain unfound – 

The whole of the Pass today from the narrow part especially very fine – From Dariel it is a chaos sublimely wild and desolate – The Terek is about like the Gave below St. Sauveur? One fried trout lukewarm for breakfast this morning and much better quite cold at tea between 7 and 8 this evening – Had our little Pole for 10 minutes or more just before tea – George interpreted – Domna stood by sighing in deep interest at the terrible tale – 

Darial (or, as Anne calls it, Dariel) ravine. (Image Source)

Fine day but never clear and damp and drizzling frozen small hail and foggy for some time before our arrival this evening – Had just written so far now at 10 p.m. –

8 3/4 to 11 55/’’ Vladicavkas to Lars

1 40/’’ to 5 10/’’ L-[Lars] to Kasbek

 [symbols in the margin of the page:]         X

[in the margin of the page:]             Defile du Terek

[in the margin of the page:]             Narrow part of Defile

[in the margin of the page:]            Bridges over the Terek

[in the margin of the page:]            Natural arch in stratum of indurated sand

[in the margin of the page:]            Dariel

[in the margin of the page:]            Ruins of old fort

[in the margin of the page:]            Tapering square Tower

[in the margin of the page:]            Kasbeck

[in the margin of the page:]            our hostess taken by the Tcherkess

[in the margin of the page:]            Observation on the Pass

Page References: SH:7/ML/E/24/0076 and SH:7/ML/E/24/0077