The black sea coastline in the Russian-mountaineers relationship in the period of «The Caucasian war»: pictorial story

The article analyzes the battle scenes reflecting the process of integration of the Black Sea coastal area of Kuban and Russia in the period of the Caucasian War. Participation of the young artist Ivan Aivazovsky in troop landings on the coast in 1838 gave a great impact to the development of marine battle painting. In the paintings "The Capture of Turkish boat by Russian sailors and the release of Caucasian women prisoners and "Night. Smugglers” Aivazovsky vividly depicted certain aspects of the mountaineers’ criminal fishery: the detention of a Turkish vessel with slaves by Russian corvettes of the Abkhaz expedition created after 1829 and the night scene of smuggling on the seashore. The author of the paintings is accurate in presenting historical details (landscapes, images of Turkish and Russian ships, appearance of traders). The painting by Kozlov "The Feat of Soldier Arkhip Osipov in March 23, 1840" is based on the events described in different interpretations by the participants of the defense of the Mihaylovsky fortress: Miroslavsky, later by interpreters Philipson and Fedorov. Analyzing these versions, the author comes to the conclusion that the plot of the painting is based on Philipson’s version, which in its turn is based on the testimonies of soldiers - participants of the battle. Such works of art had a great significance and ideological importance in the formation of the heroic image of Russian soldiers and their faithful serving the Tsar and Fatherland.