Author: VK
After some regions of the Caucasus had joined the Russian Empire in the 1800-1810s, the necessity appeared to integrate new residents and effectively involve them in settling tasks important for the whole state. It should be noted that the Russian authorities succeeded in this sphere, managing to respect the ethnic, cultural, and social identities of the Caucasus people.
Writer, historian and scholar Rudolf Ivanov said that "in the most difficult time for the Russian crown Hussein Khan of Nakhchivan was the most loyal general of the emperor. His name is written in gold in the annals of fame in Russia. For outstanding service to the Fatherland Hussein Khan is honoured by the Russian Orthodox Church. That is why the Russian Orthodox Church calls Hussein Khan one of the greatest generals of the Imperial Army and asks the head of the Russian state to perpetuate the memory of Hussein Khan. There is virtually no other general of non-Christian religion, which is so honoured by the ROC. The initiative was announced at a meeting of the Cathedral of the World Russian People's Council in Yekaterinburg. In an address to the President of the Russian Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church was, in particular, it was said: "We believe that Hussein Khan of Nakhichevan deserves to have his name immortalized on a map of Russia. One of the new streets in Moscow and St. Petersburg could get the name of this great son of the Azerbaijani people and subject of historical Russia. "
The role and contribution of Hussein Khan of Nakhchivan in Russian history are still not assessed on merit. There are very dark unexplored facts of history, in particular, it is unclear why, in 1917, General Kornilov, being a commander, appointed Hussein Khan, who was influential adjutant general and commander of the Emperor's Guards Corps in St. Petersburg, at the disposal of the Petrograd Military District. It would seem that this is an apparent demotion of the famous general Hussein Khan. However, the fact is that Kornilov was already aware of the impending Bolshevik uprising. He first gave a warning to the Provisional Government that the Petrograd Commune should not be armed, as it posed a direct threat to the Russian state. But then the warning was ignored by Kerensky, who flirted with the Bolsheviks and did not understand that such carelessness would result in tragedy. "
Rudolf Ivanov believes that "Kornilov sent Hussein Khan to Petrograd in order to use his strength and expertise in the critical moment, when the Bolshevik coup would start. Kornilov certainly took into account the factor that the imperial family and the command were fully confident of Hussein Khan. That is why in the dangerous situation for suppressing the Bolshevik Revolution Husein Khan of Nakhchivan should lead the troops.
Kornilov revolt failed largely because the head of the Provisional Government Alexander Kerensky, fearful and jealous of Kornilov, first discredited and then eliminated his, whereas before there was a tacit agreement between the Provisional Government and Kornilov on joint action to neutralize the Bolsheviks. Moreover, the Bolsheviks were already aware of the troops under the guidance of Kornilov. Therefore, the attempt of Kornilov was crushed in the bud, and Hussein Khan, a year later, in May 1918, was arrested on petty and unproven charges of counterrevolutionary activities. The Bolsheviks wanted to neutralize him, as part of the troops, especially the Tatar (Azerbaijani) Regiment of the Wild Division (Caucasian Native Mounted Division), blindly obeyed to Hussein Khan.
The further fate and the death of Hussein and Khan are shrouded in mystery. After the murder of Uritsky on August 30 and the wounding of Lenin the Bolsheviks declared the "red terror", and all who were in the House of Detention were held hostage. Hussein Khan, together with Grand Dukes, should be shot dead in the case "if the Right Socialist-Revolutionaries and the Whites kill even one of the Soviet workers."
The Grand Dukes Paul Alexandrovich, Nikolai Mikhailovich, Georgy and Dmitry Konstantinovich were shot dead in the fortress on January 29, 1919. It is assumed that at the same time Hussein Khan was also shot dead. However, the documentary evidence of this has not yet been found, and the place of burial of general has not been established yet.
Some documents and some information about the execution of the Grand Dukes were finally found. But, unfortunately, nothing was found in the archives about Hussein Khan. According to the archives, Hussein Khan is not listed in the lists of executed. However, it is possible that the information about the death of Hussein Khan is still in the archives, and until now it has not been found. There is a widespread belief that Hussein Khan survived and emigrated. " But Rudolf Ivanov emphasized that people like Hussein Khan did not emigrate, and if it were true, historians would have found documents supporting this hypothesis long ago.
During the war years the composition of Wild Division changed four times. By the summer of 1916 in the division there were almost no riders who started the war. In mid-July, the Ingush regiment of the Wild Division was ordered to conduct reconnaissance in the rear of the Austrians, and suddenly confronted with the so-called "Iron Division" of the Kaiser. Russian commanders had no idea that the Germans urgently transferred from France choicest troops in order to help the defeated Austrians. Iron Division terrified the British and French troops. And now it turned against the Ingush regiment: 3000 German bayonets, machine guns and heavy artillery against 500 Caucasian cavalry soldiers. Without waiting for orders, the Ingush rushed to a frontal attack. A German soldier, a participant in the battle, later recalled: "A horse horde which appearance was truly terrible approached. Shaved riders having beards painted with henna or ocher rapidly approached our trenches. Each of them had a saber. Each team was headed by a mullah in green or scarlet robe. At full tilt they praised the Prophet Muhammad, in the hands of the mullahs was the Koran, and every mullah had a rifle over his shoulder". Half an hour later the pride of the Kaiser's army ceased to exist.
Writer Oleg Opryshko notes that the Wild Division was the first formation in the Russian history, which included lots of ethnic groups, in fact - all the peoples of the North and South Caucasus. It was a military unit, and there were no similar units before, which demonstrated that people could be together, fight for their Fatherland, frontline brotherhood without dividing not by nationality and not by belonging to a religion. Unfortunately, the experience of this division was eventually forgotten and consigned to oblivion, like the memory of the division itself.
In March 1918, the Caucasian Native Cavalry Division ceased to exist. Along with it a unique front-line fraternity also ceased to exist. Chechens, Ingush, Kabardian, Balkar, Circassians, Dagestanis, Karachays, Ossetians, Abkhazians and Azerbaijanis fought together and did not know hatred. Now they leaved the regiments and went to their villages.
Less than a year later the former riders of the Wildlife Division will meet again as enemies in the Civil War. The real war of the Caucasian peoples, the war of all against all, a war that would be provoked by Bolsheviks, and in its terrible fire a few hundred thousand people would die. The wounds of the war are felt even today, but the memory of the Wild Division about the best representatives of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus fighting and winning together lives today.
In preparing the article we used films by NTV "Caucasians in Russian wars" and "Horsemen of the Emperor" from the series of documentaries on the history of national units from the North Caucasus in Tsarist, Soviet and modern Russian Army and the role of the representatives of the Caucasian peoples in the protection of the country, as well as the interview of Rudolf Ivanov to historical and analytical portal of the Center of History of the Caucasus at the Institute for Public Policy Research "Azer-Globe".
