ON THE CORRESPONDENCE OF MIKHAIL CZAJKOWSKI AND ADAM CZARTORYSKI WITH IMAM SHAMIL AND HIS NAIBS

The article presents the results of the studies on the contacts of representatives of the Polish Independence camp led by Adam Czartoryski and Imam Shamil and his naibs. Based on the material, stored in the Library of Princes Czartoryski in Krakow, it can be assumed that the most active contacts occurred in the 1840’s. At the same time in Istanbul, as an agent of A. Czartoryski, Mikhail Czajkowski, the author of all letters sent by representatives of the Polish emigration to Shamil and his naibs, were staying. The correspondence is confirmed by the documents of the Library. Another important source is the memoirs of M. Czajkowski, supplementing the information of correspondence. From them it can be said that, most likely, the first letter was sent by the agent of Adam Czartoryski to imam in 1844, and the obligation to deliver it was taken by Ludwik Zverkovski. The next envoy with letters from M. Czajkowsky to Shamil was Kazimiezh Gordon. He was sent to the Caucasus in 1846, but most likely the documents did not reach Shamil, as the Pole was killed. There was also a letter from M. Czajkowski addressed to Suleiman-Effendi, who was a naib in Circassia in 1845-1846. The author of the article was unable to find the letters sent by Shamil or his entourage to the Polish leaders of independence during that period. Information about this correspondence is reported in the memoirs of M. Czajkowski. There is also no evidence of direct mutual contacts between the parties in the period of the late 1840’s and the end of the 1850’s. A treaty concluded between Teofil Lapinsky and Muhammad-Amin dates back only to 1859 and is kept in the Library of Princes Czartoryski in Krakow. The only letter that we managed to find, the author of which is a person connected with the movement of Imam Shamil, also dates from the same year