SECTION 9

Caucasus formations
in World War I

The exhibition finishes with an exposition dedicated to the participation of Caucasian units in World War I. The most famous unit of this period is the Caucasian Native Cavalry Division, also known as the "Savage Division". It consisted of six regiments with the involvement of volunteers: Kabardian, 2nd Dagestan, Tatar, Chechen, Circassian, and Ingush regiments; there also was a detachment of sailors from the Baltic Fleet, equipped with machine guns and demolition equipment. The division was multinational: in addition to representatives of the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia, there were Cossacks, Russian soldiers and officers, and even representatives of the French aristocracy, and its head was the Tsar's brother, Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia.

This section of the exhibition is dedicated to the events on the Caucasian frontline. The themes of the hall are illustrated by photographs, samples of uniforms and rare weapons, some of which belonged to participants in the battles of World War I from the "Savage Division" and units of the Caucasian frontline.
A Caucasian sword with scabbard complete with a shoulder strap
Georgia, Tiflis. Master Jajanidze. 1915. The blade of the Russian production
Cossack whip with a whistle on the end of the handle
The beginning of XX century.From the collection of N. N. Tverdokhlebov
The qama prize (?) dagger of the Cossack from 1st Caucasian General field Marshal Prince Potemkin-Tauride regiment of the Kuban Cossack army N. Podymov
1916. From the collection of Y. V. Makarov
Qama dagger with scabbard
Dagestan. The beginning of the XX century. From the collection of Y. V. Makarov
The Viceroy of His Imperial Majesty, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, on the Caucasian front
1916. The State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF)
Asian saber with scabbard
Tiflis. 1893. It belonged to an officer of the 186th aslanduz infantry regiment and was used during the World War I. From the collection of V. R. Mangutov
Other exhibition sections