Book
Full Steam Ahead for Central Asia
Translator: Snezhana Atanova
Compilator: Snezhana Atanova
Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Москва, 2019, 176 p.
Even a century later the history of the colonial possessions of the Russian Empire evokes contradictory interpretations. Information about the events of the past epochs is necessary for understanding the historical processes occurring in Russia and Central Asia. Preserved memories and testimonies of contemporaries allow to observe the events through their eyes. This helps in restoring a multidimensional historical picture. Despite certain subjectivism, these narratives are important for seeing an objective picture of what is happening in the second half of XIX century in Russian Turkestan. With few exceptions, accounts of Western travelers are practically unexplored. The traveler’s notes of Napoleon Ney, a French military and writer is an interesting source of knowledge on the history of the Russian Empire and its peripheral territories. Mostly controversial observations about Central Asia present a multifaceted picture of the region. The author’s inaccuracies do not deprive this work of academic value, which, in addition to the secondary essay of events, contains original material regarding the development of the railway network in the Russian Empire and the construction of the Trans-Caspian railway. The description of ceremonial events, observations regarding local residents and Russian officials, reflections on the progressive role of Russia in the region, on the rivalry between Russia and England, and on the Russian-French relations deserve interest. The observations of the French traveler analyze the colonization policy in the recently annexed Russian possessions and draw parallels with the French colonization in Africa. Napoleon Ney’s account provides new insights, food for thought, and encourage the study of the work of other European travelers: Henri Moser, Frederick Barnaby, Guillaume Capus, Gabriel Bonvalo, Eugene Skyler, Robert J. Kennedy, Charles Marvin. These works are still waiting for their translation into Russian. At the same time, an extensive layer of information is contained in the notes of the participants of the military campaign on the annexation of Central Asia to the Russian Empire: N.I. Grodekov, N. P. Ignatiev, P. M. Lessar, A. N. Kuropatkin, N.P. Lomakin, M. Alikhanov-Avar, V.V. Vereshchagin, MD D. Skobelev. The above European travelers and the Russian military are mentioned in the travelogue of Napoleon Ney. More than hundred years have passed since the publication of " En Asie Centrale "à la vapeur", which was previously used only by foreign researchers. The translation into Russian allows the essay of the French traveler to be included in the circulation of Russian-speaking academic circles, and therefore it can be analyzed in conjunction with other sources in Russian in Central Asia of the XIX century. Napoleon Ney devotes eleven chapters to Central Asia. This publication presents these chapters, with the addition of two concluding ones. The proposed work preserves the stylistic features of Napoleon Ney’s essay. When transmitting geographical names, not only French transcriptions were taken into account, but also the representation of these names in Russian sources of the end of the XIX century. The links marked as a “Note” provide explanations on individual terms, information regarding the main characters and clarification of certain inaccuracies in the narrative. Photographs from the “Turkestan Album” (1865 - 1872) and S. M. Prokudin-Gorsky were used as illustrations.
Content
РУССКАЯ ВЕРСИЯ: «На всех парах» в Центральную Азию