One French Source about Georgia

Abstract

The present work is about one of the famous foreign travelers who visited Georgia in the XIX century, a French diplomat, orientalist, travel writer, archaeologist, philanthropist, and literary critic, Vicomte Marie-Eugène-Melchior de Vogüé (1848–1910). He wrote and published several books and works based on his travels, impressions, and encounters. One of Marie-Eugène-Melchior de Vogüé’s most important works for us is "Through the Caucasus". It is one of the parts of the book called "The Tsar and his People: or, Social Life in Russia," which was published in 1891 in New York. Our interest in this book was mainly evoked by the fact that it contains a lot of interesting information about Georgian history, culture, traditions, and the social life of the population in the second half of the XIX century. It is noteworthy that during his six-week stay in the Caucasus, Marie-Eugene Melchior de Vogue visited many cities and regions of Georgia, during the description of which the author often uses both epithets and critical assessments. Conclusively, it will not be an exaggeration if we say that Marie-Eugène-Melchior de Vogüé’s above-mentioned work, despite certain inaccuracies, should be very significant and very interesting material for researchers studying the events taking place in Georgia during that period.