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A Case for the Navy Officers’ Impact into the Black Sea East Littoral Studying in the Caucasus War Times
Purpose. The paper focuses on the Russian Navy officers’ impact into the intellectual exploration of the Caucasus bank of the Black Sea whilst the times of a military conflict with the Highlanders.
Tools of assessment (Methods): Based on the critical analysis of Russian offices papers kept in the vaults of Russian National Archive of Navy (RGA VMF) we have performed some reconstruction of the history of setting up and performing the seaside survey expeditions together with studying their participants’ characters and the results gained by them.
Results. The Author comes to the conclusion that in the Caucasus War conditions the surveying of the Black Sea East littoral required a high extent of bravery together with a lot of professionalism. As a result of the works of V.I. Polyansky, I.A. Arcas, N.M. Kumani and the brothers Manganari Russian Naval authorities gained quite a satisfactory map of the East littoral of the Black Sea which was in use up to 1870-th within the Russian seafarers. The investigational activity of the Naval officers was focused on the region cartography clarifying together with extending the data base in topography and to some extent – the ethnography of the
newly acquired, partly unexplored lands of the Empire.
Discussion. Although the data in Russian Navy officers’ descriptions were fragmental and far to be solid, they extended the total knowledge base about the Caucasus Black Sea littoral. Thus they gave the Empire more opportunity to run the acquisition of newly gained chunk of lands in economical, political and military aspects.
Tools of assessment (Methods): Based on the critical analysis of Russian offices papers kept in the vaults of Russian National Archive of Navy (RGA VMF) we have performed some reconstruction of the history of setting up and performing the seaside survey expeditions together with studying their participants’ characters and the results gained by them.
Results. The Author comes to the conclusion that in the Caucasus War conditions the surveying of the Black Sea East littoral required a high extent of bravery together with a lot of professionalism. As a result of the works of V.I. Polyansky, I.A. Arcas, N.M. Kumani and the brothers Manganari Russian Naval authorities gained quite a satisfactory map of the East littoral of the Black Sea which was in use up to 1870-th within the Russian seafarers. The investigational activity of the Naval officers was focused on the region cartography clarifying together with extending the data base in topography and to some extent – the ethnography of the
newly acquired, partly unexplored lands of the Empire.
Discussion. Although the data in Russian Navy officers’ descriptions were fragmental and far to be solid, they extended the total knowledge base about the Caucasus Black Sea littoral. Thus they gave the Empire more opportunity to run the acquisition of newly gained chunk of lands in economical, political and military aspects.
Caucasus studies, Black Sea East Littoral, Caucasus War, Navy officers, V.I. Polyansky, I.A. Arcas, N.M. Kumani, E.P. Manganari, M.P. Manganari