"The movement of the highlanders of Dagestan and Chechnya in the first half of the 19th century is characterized in Soviet and Russian historiography as an anti-feudal and anti-colonialist struggle of the peoples of the North Caucasus against the anti-people policy of the tsarist government. In this regard, many representatives of different peoples of the North Caucasus, as well as soldiers of Slavic nationality, including Poles, fought on the side of the Imamate. The Poles fled to the highlanders in the hope of acquiring personal freedom, especially since service in the Russian army was long and the conditions were difficult. Considering the participation of a fairly large number of representatives of Polish and other nationalities on the side of the Imamate, the liberation struggle of the peoples of the North-East Caucasus also takes on an international character. However, on the Caucasian front, the Poles found themselves on both sides. The article mainly talks about those Poles who fought on the side of Imam Shamil. Archival documents testify to the role of the Poles in the army of the Imamate, their activities as guides in the raids of the highlanders, informants about the free life in Imamate of Shamil, about their relations with the North Caucasian peoples during the Caucasian War. In addition, it should be taken into account that shortly before the start of the main battles in the Caucasus, many Poles were exiled here for participating in uprisings against tsarism. Among the Poles who fought together with the highlanders, Prugansky, Kovalevsky, Yakutsky, Mireevsky, Berkovsky, Chishevsky especially distinguished themselves..."
