The Caucasus in the Accounts of British Travelers in the Second Half of the 19th Century

It is well known that in the second half of the nineteenth century the Caucasus, as part of the Russian Empire, was transformed into an important administrative-political and strategic center, where both the internal governance concerns of the empire and the interests of external powers intersected. For Great Britain, the Caucasus was viewed not merely as an emerging geopolitical zone, but as a space situated at the crossroads of imperial interests. In this context, particular attention is drawn to the perception of the Caucasus and Tiflis in particular - in the accounts of British travelers, which constitute an important source for the formation of knowledge about the region. The present study aims to analyze British travel narratives in order to reveal how the Caucasus and Tiflis were represented as political, social, and cultural spaces. 

The research is based on British archival materials, including travelers’ diaries, reports, and publications, and seeks to reassess established perceptions of the region.