History of the formation and development of book culture among officers of the separate Caucasus corps in the first half of the 19th century

Abstract

This scientific article is dedicated to a comprehensive study of the processes of formation and evolution of the book culture of the officer corps of the Separate Caucasus Corps during the period from the beginning to the middle of the 19th century. The work is based on an interdisciplinary approach, combining the methodological tools of historical science and cultural studies. The main objective of the research is to identify and comprehensively analyze the key factors that determined the specifics of the book culture of the officer community in the Caucasus within the specified chronological framework. Particular attention is paid to studying the influence of literature on the formation of worldview attitudes, value orientations, and behavioral patterns of representatives of the officer corps. The scientific novelty of the work is determined by a comprehensive approach to the study of the book culture of the officer corps as a socio-cultural phenomenon. For the first time, books and reading are considered not only as integral elements of the spiritual life of the military elite in the Caucasus, but also as significant factors in the professional socialization and self-identification of the officer corps. Based on a wide range of sources, including archival materials and memoirs, the author reconstructs a unique cultural space in which literature played a key role in shaping the intellectual baggage and value orientations of the military elite. The research established that the book culture of the officers of the Separate Caucasus Corps was characterized by a dynamic and heterogeneous nature of development. The reading circle of servicemen included both professional literature on military affairs and fiction, historical, and ethnographic works. The dominance of one or another group of publications was determined by both general trends in the development of the book business in Russia and regional specifics and professional needs of the officer community in the Caucasus. It is concluded that the book was not only the most important source of information and a tool for professional growth for the officers of the corps, but also a key element in organizing their leisure, a means of familiarizing themselves with the achievements of domestic and world culture. Reading largely contributed to expanding the cultural horizons of the officer corps, stimulated their creative and intellectual activity, and contributed to the consolidation of the professional community. Thus, book culture became an integral part of the unique subculture of the officers of the Separate Caucasus Corps, formed under the influence of all-Russian and regional factors of cultural development.

References

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Publication history

• Received: February 16, 2025.
• Published: March 26, 2025.

Keywords

• Кавказская война
• Отдельный Кавказский корпус
• книжная культура офицерства
• российская культура на Кавказе
• мировоззренческие установки офицеров
• ценностные ориентиры офицеров
• субкультура офицеров Отдельного Кавказского корпуса
• Caucasian War
• Separate Caucasus Corps
• book culture of the officer corps
• Russian culture in the Caucasus
• worldview attitudes of officers
• value orientations of officers
• subculture of the officers of the Separate Caucasus Corps

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