THE ROLE OF THE POLISH POLITICAL ELITE IN UPDATING THE IDEA OF THE «CAUCASIAN HOUSE» IN THE ENVIRONMENT OF NATIONAL IMMIGRATION IN THE 1920s

Abstract

The article examines the historical context of forming the strategy to building a unified Caucasian state in the context of national emigration and defines the role of the Polish state in this process in the 1920s. The problem of participation of Polish diplomatic and military representatives in the process is actualized by the revival of the idea of the "Caucasian House" and the problems of integration of the states of the South Caucasus. Both at present and in the 1920s the "Polish factor" played a significant role in shaping the ideological background of the process of integrating the Caucasian peoples in a single political space. Pursuing its own geostrategic goals, the Polish leadership actively promoted the plan to create a "belt" of states around the Soviet Russia that were dependent on Poland and supported the idea of forming federative associations. The idea was widely enjoyed by emigrant circles, including representatives of Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and the mountain peoples of the North Caucasus. The author stresses the key role of the Polish mediators in the establishment of the Caucasus Independence Committee that was based not on the party but on the national principle precisely under their pressure, which allowed this association to have the status of a common Caucasian one. In addition, thanks to the diligence of Polish diplomats R. Knoll, T. Govurko and T. Shetzel, it became possible to found the magazine Prometheus, which became not only the official publication of the Committee, but also launched such a social and political movement as "Prometheism".