Imperial Russia Alikhanov Kautmas - Dagestani Hero

[Chuck In Oregon]

I don't own a lot of blades. Some, maybe a dozen or so, but I have turned down far more than I ever bought. However, when I was offered this one I knew it was going home with me, no matter the price. I'll tell you the story as best I know it.

Kautmas Alikhanov was a young Dagestani-Russian patriot who rushed to the front in 1914 as a junior officer with his group of Dagestani Irregular Cavalry. He served until the end of the war, then went back home. When the Civil War broke out he sided with the Whites. When that collapsed he became a -- well, it depends on your point of view -- a brigand, a patriot or a terrorist. Certainly, a passionate hater of all things Soviet. He and his remaining band of loyal Dagestani Irregular Cavalry -- by now he was a general -- continued to fight the Reds in the mountains wherever they could catch them to their advantage. That, of course, irritated the Reds no end.

The Cheka relentlessly pursued Kautmas in the Caucasus until, one day in 1924 (as I recall), they surrounded him and his men and called for their surrender or death, promising that all would be spared if they surrendered. Kautmas made the mistake of accepting their terms and he surrendered his band to the Chekists. After they laid down their weapons the Chekists took them prisoner and immediately executed Kautmas. The Chekist commander took Kautmas' shaska -- Caucasus sword -- as a souvenir of the event.

That Cheka commander, who name I have shamefully lost but will try to get, was killed in the Great Patriotic War during a German bombing raid in the Caucasus. By then the Chekist officer was an important NKVD official. That was the attack that nearly killed Beria and blew the leg off of a Soviet admiral. The shaska remained in the Cheka commander's family from the time he brought it home until I bought it in 2004.

The first image is the shaska in its scabbard. The second image is the 1914 gold presentation attachment. It reads: Kornet Kautmas Alikhanov from the Officers of the Dagestani Cavalry 1914 g.

The images that follow are merely detail views. I will add one comment at the end.

Edited November 21, 2006 by Chuck In Oregon

[Chuck In Oregon]

Here it is out of its scabbard along with the first detailed image.

[Chuck In Oregon]

A couple more images of the same side.

[Chuck In Oregon]

The other side ...

[Chuck In Oregon]

... And the final image of the tip on the other side.

A final note. Georgian customs officials, then the Ministry of Culture, initially blocked me from taking this shaska home with me. Their position was that it was a national treasure and thus export was prohibited. Well, I try to do things legally and I wound up leaving it in the care of a good friend in Tbilisi. He initiated an appeal of the decision so that I might at least have a chance to get it home.

The Ministry of Culture finally concluded that yes, their experts were right, it was a national treasure attributable to a legendary hero. However, it was a Dagestani national treasure not a Georgian one, and thus they decided that they had no authority to ban its export. That's how I finally got to bring it home.

You can read a little bit about the Dagestani participation in WW I in an article about Hussein Khan Nakhichevanski in Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussein_Khan_Nakhichevanski .

Chuck

[GeorgeCL]

Another Great Historical Piece Chuck

I really like the silver neillo fittings.

THanks for posting it!

George

[Chuck In Oregon]

Another Great Historical Piece Chuck

I really like the silver neillo fittings.

THanks for posting it!

George

* * * * *

Hello George

You're more than welcome. I'm glad there's a receptive audience for some of the things I enjoy. I'd sure like to see some more people posting here, though. That doesn't include you, of course. I really like your Imperial items, especially the early aviation and the medical. As I have said before, I'm here to learn and share and I need other people to post so that I can learn from their items and stories. I love pieces with history so much more than simply hardware alone. I wish I had a lot more, but I don't.

Anyway, I think this is one of the most interesting things I ever came across.

Tell you what. Tomorrow I'll post another small group whose history -- as opposed to its nominal intrinsic value -- should really interest you.

Chuck

[GeorgeCL]

Hi Chuck

I too had hopes others would post items,

I wish I knew more history of the items I have.

Most items I find are just bits and pieces.

Maybe its just me, but sometimes I'll find a neat piece at a Garage sale and the sellers know it was grandpas, but know nothing else except it was his..

I usually try to at lease get his name and keep it with this item..

I have been tring to get my aviation items pictured and write up what I know of the Pilot..

I'll get that posted soon..

Thanks

George