Cossacks

The main character of the story "Cossacks" Dmitry Olenin, tired of city life, goes to serve in the Caucasus. Stopping for the night in the stanitsa of the Greben Cossacks, he embraces the new life, the unfamiliar way of life, and the customs of the local residents with enthusiasm. He earns the trust of the local elder Yerosha and falls in love with the fiancée of the brave Cossack Lukashka - Maryana, but his subsequent clash with harsh reality makes Olenin feel his difference and alienation from the Cossack breed…

Leo Tolstoy served in the Caucasus for three years and often referred to this period and his own impressions in his works. The collection also includes his stories and tales dedicated to army everyday life: "Raids", "Logging", "Discharged", "The Captive of the Caucasus", and "After the Ball".