Black Sea region and right flank of the Caucasus line within framework of administrative and political activity of E. A. Golovin in the Caucasus (1838-1842)

In the article an attempt is made to characterise the military, administrative and political activity of General E.A. Golovin in the Black Sea Region and at the Right Flank of the Caucasus Line during the period of his administration of the region in 1838-1842. In the North-Western Caucasus E.A. Golovin had to solve several important issues one of which was fight against mountain dwellers’ raids against the Black Sea Border Line and Caucasus Line. The Black Sea Cossack Host was strengthened. They defeated the Circassians’ attacks more successfully, which is confirmed with the battle on January 23, 1842. On that day the Black Sea Cossacks under the command of lieutenant colonel Yaroshenko battered the group of mountain dwellers consisting of several thousands of people which was trying to attack the Vasyurinskiy Kuren Settlement. In the years of his administration of the Caucasus E.A. Golovin paid a lot of attention to improving the defensive capacity of villages of the Black Sea and Caucasus Line Cossack Hosts and provided for the Cossacks’ wealth. At the same time he had to coordinate the offensive actions from Kuban which the general did not support. However, within the framework of the existing bureaucratic system of military administration all he could do was play at the established rules and obey the ambitious borders chiefs. Peaceful initiatives had few chances under such circumstances. The author comes to the conclusion that E.A. Golovin assisted improvement of defence of the Russian borders, supported the flexible approach to solution of the Circassian issue, but peaceful initiatives had few chances owing to the existing military bureaucratic institutions and political framework.