The Caucasus, one of the oldest and richest centers of human civilization, distinguished by its unique geographical location, where various religions, languages, ethnicities and civilizations coexisted, has attracted the attention of superpowers since ancient times. In the early ages of history, Eastern and later Western states have always shown interest in the Caucasus, located at the intersection of West and East, North and South. From the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, the Anglo-Russian diplomatic conflict for the region took on a sharp character, and this conflict resulted in the temporary historical victory of Tsarist Russia. The peoples of the Caucasus have always resisted and continue to resist the anti-Caucasus policy of Tsarist Russia, Soviet Russia, and the current Russian Federation. B. Napoleon wrote that "You can conquer the whole world with a bayonet, but you can't sit on it too long."
Keywords: Caucasian peoples, empire, antiquity, East Indies, Decembrists, actors.