Book Presentation by Historian Vitaly Shtybin: "Islam, Traditions, and Parliamentarism. Popular Leaders in the North-West Caucasus in 1820-1865"

We invite you to the presentation of a new book about the forgotten leaders of the Western Caucasus!

When discussing the Caucasian War, the focus is often on the Eastern Caucasus – Shamil, the campaigns of Ermolov, and the images of Caucasian officers in Russian literature. However, the Western Caucasus also experienced equally significant and tragic events: the struggle for independence, complex diplomatic maneuvers by great powers, connections with the Ottoman Empire, and the involvement of European mercenaries in the Circassian resistance.

In the new book "Islam, Traditions, and Parliamentarism," historian and anthropologist Vitaly Shtybin tells the story of three key figures of the Western Caucasus – Sefer-bey Zane, Muhammad-Amin, and the Berzekov family. Their fates, disagreements, and struggles had a decisive influence on the outcome of the Caucasian War. This is the first work in a long time dedicated to this topic! Details will be revealed at the presentation!