Imperial Expansion
Reign of Alexander I
Two very different territories added to the empire: Finland and Georgia. What do these additions tell us about Russia’s imperial expansion?
Alexander is bringing in contiguous territories, and both of these have established civilizations, with languages, literature, history, Christianity, and “traditions.” The Caucasus mountains, which separate Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan from mainland Russia (and Ukraine) were filled with tribes who fought the encroachment of the tsarist military. This is where Lermontov was fighting.
Do these paintings fit best in this category, or are they “War” or “Culture”? Or, simply all three? It’s important, though, to be able to distinguish the “Zakavkaz’e” – Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan from the Caucasus mountain range and peoples.