Caucasian days
Encyclopedia
Caucasian days-a novel of French
writer of Azeri
origin Banin, published in Paris
, in 1945. The novel “Caucasian days” describes the history of Azerbaijan
in 10-20th years of the 20th century, its national culture, mores and customs. The plot in French presents autobiographical facts, in which it had been written.
millionaires, facts and epoch’s color, atmosphere of her childhood, customs and mores, national holidays and traditions. The novel describes young heroin’s relations with surrounding her world, frame of mind and opinions of contemporaries and their attitudes to events of crucial period.
By description of her house, Apsheron
cottage with its households the attention of writer proceeded to the events, which had influence on her destiny and of her dears’ life. It is- the Red Army
’s arrival to Baku, establishment of the Soviet government
: and further tragedies of the family were happened against that background. Particularly Banin tells that under her grandfather’s will she and her three elder sisters had become millionaires. But after a few days, with Bolshevik
s’ advent, they lost their riches in no time and they had to leave their country in case of necessity.
Banin describes atmosphere in their house, her grandmother from father’s side, German
governess Fräulein Anna, her father Mirza Asadullayev to the smallest details.
Banin describes celebration of different holidays as Novruz bayram
and also the end of Ramadan month
, how guests had got together in their house, their moods up to their clothes in every detail. Besides that it is possible to see interesting description of Ashura
, which she describes in the novel in this way:
Banin also mentions the events between Armenia
ns and Azerbaijanis, senseless victims of both nations.
The collapse of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
and other dramatic events were also described in the novel.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
writer of Azeri
Azerbaijani people
The Azerbaijanis are a Turkic-speaking people living mainly in northwestern Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as in the neighbourhood states, Georgia, Russia and formerly Armenia. Commonly referred to as Azeris or Azerbaijani Turks , they also live in a wider area from the Caucasus to...
origin Banin, published in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, in 1945. The novel “Caucasian days” describes the history of Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
in 10-20th years of the 20th century, its national culture, mores and customs. The plot in French presents autobiographical facts, in which it had been written.
Plot
Descriptions recreate Banin’s biography, history of famous houses BakuBaku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
millionaires, facts and epoch’s color, atmosphere of her childhood, customs and mores, national holidays and traditions. The novel describes young heroin’s relations with surrounding her world, frame of mind and opinions of contemporaries and their attitudes to events of crucial period.
By description of her house, Apsheron
Absheron
The Absheron peninsula, is a region in Azerbaijan. It is host to Baku, the biggest and the most populous city of the country, and also the Baku metropolitan area, with its satellite cities Sumgayit and Khyrdalan....
cottage with its households the attention of writer proceeded to the events, which had influence on her destiny and of her dears’ life. It is- the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
’s arrival to Baku, establishment of the Soviet government
Government of the Soviet Union
The Council of Ministers of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was the de jure government comprising the highest executive and administrative body of the Soviet Union from 1946 until 1991....
: and further tragedies of the family were happened against that background. Particularly Banin tells that under her grandfather’s will she and her three elder sisters had become millionaires. But after a few days, with Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
s’ advent, they lost their riches in no time and they had to leave their country in case of necessity.
Banin describes atmosphere in their house, her grandmother from father’s side, German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
governess Fräulein Anna, her father Mirza Asadullayev to the smallest details.
Banin describes celebration of different holidays as Novruz bayram
Nowruz
Nowrūz is the name of the Iranian New Year in Iranian calendars and the corresponding traditional celebrations. Nowruz is also widely referred to as the Persian New Year....
and also the end of Ramadan month
Ramadan (calendar month)
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and the month in which the Quran was revealed.Ramadan is the holiest of months in the Islamic calendar, and fasting in this month is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The month is spent by Muslims fasting during the daylight hours from dawn to...
, how guests had got together in their house, their moods up to their clothes in every detail. Besides that it is possible to see interesting description of Ashura
Day of Ashura
The Day of Ashura is on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar and marks the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram.It is commemorated by Shia Muslims as a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad at the Battle of Karbala on 10...
, which she describes in the novel in this way:
I liked other religious tradition-annual commemoration of tragic Kerbela Karbala Karbala is a city in Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorate, and has an estimated population of 572,300 people .... events, where Hussein, the son of Ali Ali ' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam... and all members his family had cruelly been killed, in 680 680 Year 680 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 680 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* The Bulgars subjugate the country of... . It was the source of Shiism’s propagation, which was opposite to Sunnism Sunni Islam Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites.... and my grandmother never missed the opportunity to celebrate it at home. |
Banin also mentions the events between Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
ns and Azerbaijanis, senseless victims of both nations.
The collapse of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was the first successful attempt to establish a democratic and secular republic in the Muslim world . The ADR was founded on May 28, 1918 after the collapse of the Russian Empire that began with the Russian Revolution of 1917 by Azerbaijani National Council in...
and other dramatic events were also described in the novel.