851
ANNALES · Ser. hist. sociol. · 27 · 2017 · 4
original scientifi c article                  DOI 10.19233/ASHS.2017.60
received: 2017-04-17
THE LIST OF CAPTIVES FROM THE TURKISH VESSEL BELIFTE AS A SOURCE 
OF INFORMATION ON THE SLAVE TRADE IN THE NORTH-WESTERN 
CAUCASUS IN THE EARLY 19TH CENTURY
Aleksandr A. CHERKASOV
International Network Center for Fundamental and Applied Research
East European History Society
Gorkogo str. 89a, offi ce 4, 354000 Sochi, Russian Federation
e-mail: sochi003@rambler.ru
Vladimir G. IVANTSOV
Sochi state university
Sovetskaya str. 26a, Krasnodar Krai, 354000 Sochi, Russian Federation
e-mail: v-ivancov@rambler.ru
Michal SMIGEL
Matej Bel University
Tajovského str. 40, 97401 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
e-mail: michal.smigel@umb.sk
Violetta S. MOLCHANOVA
International Network Center for Fundamental and Applied Research
Gorkogo str. 89a, offi ce 4, 354000 Sochi, Russian Federation
e-mail: v.molchanova_1991@list.ru
 
ABSTRACT
The paper analyzes a unique information source on the slave trade in the Caucasus in the early 19th century – a 
list of slaves transported from Gelenzhan Kale (modern name Gelendzhik) to Istanbul. The list was compiled after 
the Turkish vessel was seized by the Russian military corvette “Krym”, a unit in the Black Sea Fleet. The list of names 
was uncovered in the State Archives of the Krasnodar Krai (GAKK), Krasnodar, Russia, and is introduced as a subject 
for scientifi c research for the fi rst time. The paper also used the documents of the Central State Historical Archives of 
Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia. The methodological basis of the paper is formed by principles of historicism and objectivity, 
customary for this kind of research, as well as analytical, probabilistic, statistical and comparative methods.  At the 
end, the authors note that the slave trade was the most profi table business in the North-West Caucasus, and prisoners 
captured in Russia accounted for about 20% of Circassian exports in the early 19th century. 
Keywords: corvette “Krym,” slave ship, North-Western Caucasus, Abazins, Circassians, slaves, captives, Russian 
Empire, Ottoman Empire
LA LISTA DEI PRIGIONIERI DELL’IMBARCAZIONE TURCA BELIFTE COME FONTE DI 
INFORMAZIONI SULLA TRATTA DI SCHIAVI NEL CAUCASO NORD-OCCIDENTALE 
AGLI INIZI DELL’OTTOCENTO
SINTESI
Il contributo analizza una fonte di informazioni unica relativa alla tratta di schiavi nel Caucaso nei primi dell’Ot-
tocento: una lista di prigionieri trasportati da Gelenžan Kale (oggigiorno Gelendžik) a Istanbul. La lista dei nomi, 
compilata dopo il sequestro della nave negriera turca da parte della corvetta militare russa “Krym”, un’unità della 
852
ANNALES · Ser. hist. sociol. · 27 · 2017 · 4
Aleksandr A. CHERKASOV et al.: THE LIST OF CAPTIVES FROM THE TURKISH VESSEL BELIFTE AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON ..., 851–864
Flotta del Mar Nero, fu scoperta negli archivi dello Stato del territorio di Krasnodar (GAKK), Russia, e prima d’ora 
non è mai stata proposta come oggetto di ricerca scientifi ca. Il contributo si avvale anche di documenti dell’Archi-
vio storico centrale dello Stato di Tbilisi, Georgia. La metodologia del contributo si basa su principi di storicismo 
e oggettività, com’è consuetudine in questo tipo di ricerca, nonché su metodi analitici, probabilistici, statistici e 
comparativi. In conclusione, gli autori constatano che la tratta di schiavi fu l’attività economica più redditizia nel 
Caucaso nord-occidentale e i prigionieri catturati in Russia rappresentavano circa il 20 per cento delle esportazioni 
circasse agli inizi del XIX secolo.
Parole chiave: corvetta “Krym”, nave negriera, Caucaso nord-occidentale, Abazi, Circassi, schiavi, prigionieri, 
impero Russo, impero Ottomano
INTRODUCTION
In early July 1810, a Russian 18-gun corvette “Krym” 
from the Black Sea Fleet seized a Turkish ship “Belifte”, 
with human slaves on board, not far from Gelendzhik 
Bay. The Turkish vessel proceeded from Gelenzhan Kale 
to Istanbul. Our attention to the vessel is drawn by the 
fact that it was seized in the period of the classical slave 
trade, i.e., before the Black Sea coast of the North-West-
ern Caucasus was integrated into the Russian Empire 
and the export slave trade was carried on only illegally. 
An important reminder is that the period, when “Belifte” 
was taken, saw the Russo-Turkish war of 1806–1812 
under way. The corvette “Krym” was assigned to cruise 
the Caucasian coast in June and July and took part in the 
bomb attack of the fortifi cations of the Turkish fortress 
Gelenzhan Kale. After the seizure of the Turkish ship, a 
prize crew was landed on its board, which brought the 
vessel to Feodosia, and people on board were sent for 
quarantine clearance. After the quarantine, all those on 
board were interviewed and, based on the fi ndings, a list 
was drawn up, which allowed us to have a glance of the 
slave ship in the early 19th century. 
The compiled list is the most complete historical 
source, from the discovered and introduced into scientifi c 
circulation, about the character of the cargo on the slave 
ship from Circassia during the fi rst half of the XIX century. 
Thus, the authors set the goal of analyzing the national, 
age and gender composition of sold slaves. In addition, 
the authors set a goal to trace the time of the russian cap-
tives in slavery until the sale to the Ottoman empire.
The Russian and foreign historiography only covered 
the subject of the slave trade in the North-Western 
Caucasus episodically. The subject was only glossed 
over in the context of the historical and geographical 
description of the region (Bronevskii, 1823), as well as 
the legal status of slaves in the Caucasus (Inozemtseva, 
2010, 19–26). Even less attention was directed to the 
issue of the seizure of slave ships by the Black Sea Fleet’s 
warships. According to some reports, merchant ships 
with human commodities left the coast of the North-
Western Caucasus about once a week. Patrol ships of 
the Black Sea Fleet seized about 20 ships with smuggled 
“goods,” which proceeded from the north-west coast of 
the Caucasus. For example, one of such merchant ships 
was captured by a schooner of the Black Sea Fleet in 
November 1841. There were 148 people on board the 
ship, including highlanders: Male – 28 people, female 
– 17, girls – 48, male children – 5, female children – 32 
(Berzhe, 1883, 524). This statistics did not take into ac-
count the ships seized during the Russo-Turkish wars.
Slaves were a main piece of merchandise in Circassia 
(Peisonel, 1927, 27). This was also the case in Abkhazia. 
In total, Circassia alone exported up to 4,000 slaves 
every year (Tsagareishvili, 1953, 127). This fi gure seems 
to be quite convincing.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The materials used include documents stored at the 
State Archives of the Krasnodar Krai, Krasnodar, Russia, 
and the Central State Historical Archives of Georgia, 
Tbilisi, Georgia. One of the most valuable documents 
is the list of names of the prisoners captured in 1810 by 
the Russian corvette “Krym” on board the Turkish ship 
“Belifte” (GAKK, F. 249, Op. 1, D. 605, L. 2-4оb).1 The 
list of names consists of 6 pages and has an attachment 
in the form of a cover letter addressed to Major General 
1  Ob. = negotiable sheet
853
ANNALES · Ser. hist. sociol. · 27 · 2017 · 4
Aleksandr A. CHERKASOV et al.: THE LIST OF CAPTIVES FROM THE TURKISH VESSEL BELIFTE AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON ..., 851–864
My Kind Sir, Fyodor Yakovlevich!
Corvette Krym took Turkish bejefte in the sea and brought her to Feodosia. It was packed with Abazin men and 
women bought in Abaza and several Russian subjects, who were carried to Constantinople. I requested Feodosia 
Commandant G. Geints that the Russians were let go wherever they belong; Abazin men and women were sent to 
you, to the Taman region, to exchange them in Ekaterinodar for our prisoners held by Circassians. Your Excellency, I 
would like to request you beforehand that upon notifi cation from G. Heinz, you order to accept them and escorted 
to Ekaterinodar.
For your information, I am also enclosing a Copy of the list of those who exactly was taken on bejefte, which was 
delivered to me.
In addition, I have the honor to add my true respect to you.
My Kind Sir, Your 
Excellency [signature].
No.1005
16 June 1810
Odessa
To His Exc. F. Ya. Bursak.
Image 1: The explanatory note to the list of persons captured on a slave ship (GAKK, F. 249, Op. 1, D. 605, L. 1)
The List of Names
of the captive people bought from the Circassian and other Turks both to sailors and passengers on a Turkish ship 
Belifte under the leadership of Skipper, Turk Khalil Ibragim, who was a  Captain to these people on that ship that 
proceeded from Galenzhan Kale to Constantinople and was made captive by the Russian military Corvette Krym. The 
List was drafted in the Feodosian Port Quarantine Offi ce. 
Day 11 of July, 1810 
Image 2:  List of persons, captured on a slave ship (GAKK, F. 249, Op. 1, D. 605, L. 2-4оb)
No. Age
M
al
e
Fe
m
al
e
M
al
e
Fe
m
al
e
1
Captain Khalil Ibragim Russian subjects 
bought by him in Abkhazia Black Sea sailor
2 Nikif Ivanov 25
2 of them are from the Tatar Kuren
Black Sea Cossack captured by Circassians.
3 Ivan Petrov Levenets 26 3 and 4 are from the Yekaterinodar Intlievsky 
Kuren captured by Circassians in the month 
of May this year 1810.4 Danilo Antonov Pulago 25
5 Ivan Petrov Gritsko 20
5 is a Kherson petty bourgeois who traveled 
from the Taman to Ekaterinodar in 1808 and 
was captured by Circassians.
6 Nikola Kosta Bondarev 25
6 and 7 do not remember their relatives
7 Underage Ivan Ivanov 8
Abazin women
1 Fat’ma 40
Her sons
8 Smail 11
854
ANNALES · Ser. hist. sociol. · 27 · 2017 · 4
Aleksandr A. CHERKASOV et al.: THE LIST OF CAPTIVES FROM THE TURKISH VESSEL BELIFTE AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON ..., 851–864
9 Aslangirey 7
10 Mustafa 7
2 Fatma 12
From 
Gelenzhan 
Kale
3 Ayshe 20
4 Khava 20
5 Ayshe 9
6 Gomeshav 7
7 Khanife 6
8 Galo 5
9 Goshepalo 3
11
Sailors
Haji Mustafa Ali
Abazin women bought by him in Abazia
10 Seyme 9
11 Gal’ 8
12 Suleiman Khalil
Abazin woman bought by him in Abazia
12 Khanife 30
13 Elkenji Megmet Khalil’s
14
Sergey Ivanov from Little Russia bought 
him in Abasia
20
Captured by Circassians this year near the 
Egorovskaya Fortress.
15 Megmet Osman’s
Abazin woman bought by him
13 Fat’ma 11 From Gelenzhan Kale
16 Sekt Ibram Gassan
17 Megmet Agmet
18 Agmet Magmet
19 Ibragim Khali
20 Greek Tanas Jani
Turk passengers
21 Kostandolu Megmet Mustafa
14
Russian subject, Little Russian Aleksandra 
Petrova, also known as Ksalum,
23
Vedmedovsky Kuren, Kurak village, captured 
by Circassians in 1806.
bought by him in Abazia
15 Aishe 8 From Gelenzhan Kale
16 Dudu also known as Dzupez 18
22 Stambazu Ismail Ibragim’s
Abazin woman
17 Rakhme 23
From Gelenzhan Kale
18 Circassian woman Govshepak 50
23 Circassian man Gassan
24 Sekt Magmet Usein’s
19
Little Russian Praskovia Ivanovna also 
known as Aishe
9
Black Sea Governorate, Kanabrodskoye 
village, captured by Circassians in 1809.
Abazin women
855
ANNALES · Ser. hist. sociol. · 27 · 2017 · 4
Aleksandr A. CHERKASOV et al.: THE LIST OF CAPTIVES FROM THE TURKISH VESSEL BELIFTE AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON ..., 851–864
20 Khateche 24
From 
Gelenzhan 
Kale
21 Goshemav 12
22 Gadzhipesh 9
23 Donsano 8
24 Malek 5
25 Gadzhikosh 10
25 Circassian man Abram
26 Trapezanly deze Megmer Gosuf’s 10
Abazin women
26 Khanife 25
From 
Gelenzhan 
Kale
27 Fat’ma 18
28 Malek 22
29 Khat’zhe 18
30 Sheffe 10
Circassians
27 Aslanbek 10
28 Kara Omer 8
29 Gassan 6
30 Nogai 4
31 Worker Gassan Osman 25
32 Osman Agmed's
33
Russian subjects 
Little Russian Stepan Shalbraenko also 
known as Yusuf
Born in the town of Summy, Black Sea 
Governorate, captured in 1809.
31 Woman Stefana Dadonova 40 Captured with her son in the Black Sea 
Governorate, Steblevskaya Sloboda, in 
January this year.34 Her son Vasily 3
35 Boys Ivan also known as Khshan 8
36 Sidor also known as Smail 4
Do not remember
their families.
Abazin woman
32 Aishe 22
33 Dalezhadon 15
34 Fat’ma 16
35 Khatiche 22
37 Her son Murat 1
36 Zelege 10
37 Khanife 8
38 Circassian man Gassan 11
39 Khamledyu Keyn's
38 Abazin woman Gashash 25
40 Anapa resident Veluseyn’s
39 Abazin woman Bezirgan 19
40 Balek also known as Assuae 12
41 Fat’ma 13
41 Circassian man Mustafa Agmet 21
42 Abazin man Shomav 30
856
ANNALES · Ser. hist. sociol. · 27 · 2017 · 4
Aleksandr A. CHERKASOV et al.: THE LIST OF CAPTIVES FROM THE TURKISH VESSEL BELIFTE AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON ..., 851–864
F.Ya. Bursak, the Appointed Ataman of the Black Sea 
Cossack Army. In addition, an important source is the 
documents that examine the prices of slaves in the terri-
tory of Cherkessia and Abkhazia (TsGIAG, F. 545, Op. 1, 
D. 86, L. 139–140). 
The scientifi c works of pre-revolutionary and con-
temporary authors are of great importance in the work. 
Embarking on the main part of our work, we felt it 
necessary to give here the full text of the cover letter 
(Image 1) and the list of names (Image 2) in the author’s 
version of spelling.
Before providing our analysis of the above informa-
tion, it is important to consider the discrepancies in the 
documents. For example, the cover letter specifi es the 
Turkish ship as “bejefte” while the list as “Belifte.” 
The methodological base of the paper is formed by 
principles of historicism and objectivity, customary for 
this kind of research, as well as analytical, probabilistic, 
statistical and comparative methods. The historical 
method enabled a picture of important phenomena and 
processes related to the slave trade that was carried on 
in the North-Western Caucasus in the early 19th century, 
and the analysis was based on diverse facts obtained 
during the study of the sources. The method of objectiv-
ity prevented us from jumping to radical judgments in 
the examination of the slave trade history. 
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The list of names, general information
The list includes 83 people: 42 males and 41 females. 
The crew consisted of 10 people (the skipper and 9 sail-
ors). By ethnicity, the crew had 9 Turks and 1 Greek. There 
were 6 Turkish merchants and 1 merchant from Anapa 
among the passengers. The rest people on board, i.e. 66 
people, were slaves made captive in Russia or bought in 
Abazia and Circassia and sold to Gelenzhan Kale.
Of the 66 slaves, 15 were Russian subjects, 41 
Abazins (bought in Abazia) and 10 Circassians. 25 males 
and 41 females. In total, 36 people did not reach the age 
of 16, i.e. 54.5%. The age of slaves varied from 1 to 50 
years. The average age was 14.9 years. The average age 
for male slaves amounted to 13.8 years and for females 
16.6 years. The Polish emissary Theophil Lapinskii 
wrote in the late 1850s: 
The greatest demand is for children aged between 
6 and 12 and young people, capable of military 
service, who are bought by Turks to enlist them in 
the army instead of themselves. Adults, especially 
beautiful young women, are also of great interest; 
however, they are considered to be wrong goods 
because these girls are not able to get accustomed to 
their new life in Turkey and languish there... Elderly 
people are very rarely sold (Łapiński, 1995, 105). 
This account by T. Lapinskii, therefore, exactly corre-
sponds to the description of the slaves on board the ship.
It is important to note that there were only 3 women 
with children: one with a one-year-old child, the second 
one with a 3-year-old child and the third one with three 
children (1 – 11 years old and 2 – 7 years old each). In 
other words, 31 children were sold into slavery without 
parents. A salient fact is that of the three mothers with 
children: one was a Russian subject captured by Cir-
cassians. The other two belonged to the Abazin tribe 
and were sold into slavery without their husbands. For 
example, Polish emissary Theophil Lapinskii noted: 
“One by one sale is not customary in the country – they 
always sell the whole family. Individual sales can be 
found only in Turkey” (Łapiński, 1995, 104–105). As an 
explanation, it was normal for the owner in Circassia to 
buy a wife to his serf. This, in turn, provided a formal 
basis, where necessary, to completely or partially sell 
members of a serf family. This explains the presence of a 
large number of children on slave ships.    
The list indicates that “human” commodities were 
bought not only by merchants but by the crew members as 
well. Half the crew (5 people, including the skipper) car-
ried their own “goods” to the Ottoman Empire. The crew’s 
share amounted to 23 slaves (18 slaves belonged to the 
skipper and 5 slaves to 4 sailors), that is 34.8% of all slaves.
As for the Turkish merchants, the slave distribution 
was the following: Turkish merchants owned 38 slaves 
and the Anapa resident – 5 slaves. Slaves were equally 
distributed among merchants (See Table 2).
Slaves from Russian subjects
Characterizing slaves from among the Russian sub-
jects, it is essential to note that all of them were made 
captive by Circassians. 
Table 1: Age of captives
Age
No. of years
Total
1–10 11–20 21–30 31–40 41–50
No. of people 28 19 16 2 1 66
% 42.4 28.8 24.3 3 1.5 100.0
857
ANNALES · Ser. hist. sociol. · 27 · 2017 · 4
Aleksandr A. CHERKASOV et al.: THE LIST OF CAPTIVES FROM THE TURKISH VESSEL BELIFTE AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON ..., 851–864
Table 2: Distribution of slaves between slave traders
slave traders
Slaves
Total %
Russians Abazins Circassians
Khalil Ibragim (skipper) 6 12 - 18 27,27
Haji Mustafa Ali (sailor) - 2 - 2 3,03
Suleiman Khalil (sailor) - 1 - 1 1,52
Elkenji Megmet Khalil (sailor) 1 - - 1 1,52
Megmet Osman (sailor) - 1 - 1 1,52
Kostandolu Megmet Mustafa 
(trader)
1 2 - 3 4,55
Stambazu Ismail Ibragim 
(trader)
- 1 2 3 4,55
Sekt Magmet Usein (trader) 1 6 1 8 12,12
Trapezanly deze Megmer 
Gosufa (trader)
- 5 5 10 15,15
Osman Agmed (trader) 5 7 1 13 19,7
Khamledyu Keyn (trader) - 1 - 1 1,52
Anapa resident Veluseyn - 4 1 5 7,58
Total 14 42 10 66 100
Table 3: Slaves from Russian subjects
No.
Captives
Date of capture Notes
Name, age Gender Social estate
1
Nikola Kosta Bondarev, 
25
M - ~ 1790 Does not remember his family. 
2 Aleksandra Petrova, 23 F - 1806
Little Russian. Captured by Circassians near 
the Vedmedovsky Kuren, Kurak village, in 
1806.
3 Aishe, 8 F - 1806
Little Russian. Captured by Circassians near 
the Vedmedovsky Kuren, Kurak village, in 
1806. Does not remember his family
4 Ivan Petrov Gritsko, 20 M
petty 
bourgeois
1808
From Chersonese. Captured by Circassians 
during his travel from the Taman to 
Ekaterinodar.
5 Praskovia Ivanovna, 17 F - 1809
Little Russian. Black Sea Governorate, 
Kanabrodskoye village. Captured by 
Circassians.
6 Stepan Shalbraenko, 20 M - 1809
Little Russian. Born in the town of Summ, 
Black Sea Governorate. Captured by 
Circassians. 
7 Stefana Dadonova, 40 F - January 1810.
Captured with her son in the Black Sea 
Governorate, Steblevskaya Sloboda.
8
Vasily, 3 (Stefana 
Dadonova's son)
M - January 1810.
Captured with his mother in the Black Sea 
Governorate, Steblevskaya Sloboda.
9 Ivan Petrov Levenets, 26 M - May 1810.
Yekaterinodar Intlievsky Kuren captured by 
Circassians
858
ANNALES · Ser. hist. sociol. · 27 · 2017 · 4
Aleksandr A. CHERKASOV et al.: THE LIST OF CAPTIVES FROM THE TURKISH VESSEL BELIFTE AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON ..., 851–864
The data in Table 3 suggests the time spent by the 
Russian subjects in the slavery. Of 15 Russian subjects, 
5 people do not remember their families, three of them 
were boys and one was a girl, aged between 4 and 8, 
and the fourth one was a 25-year-old man. The last ex-
ample allows an assumption that Nikola Kosta (Konstan-
tinovich – Auth.) Bondarev was made captive as a little 
child, and the event happened about 1790. This case 
demonstrates that the practice of taking Russian subjects 
prisoner and holding them captive existed already in the 
early 1790s. Nikola Bondarev spent in slavery for about 
20 years until he was sold to Turkey.
Aleksandra Petrova, captured at the age of 19, and 
a girl captured at the age of 4, were held in slavery for 
4 years before being sold to Turkey. Kherson petty bour-
geois Ivan Gritsko spent 2 years in slavery until his sale 
to Turkey. One year in slavery was spent by Praskovia 
Ivanovna, captured by Circassians at the age of 16, and 
Stepan Shalbraenko, captured at the age of 19.
Five other captives – Stefana Dadonova with his son 
Vasily, Ivan Levenets, Danilo Pulago and Sergey Ivanov 
were made prisoner by Circassians in 1810 and held 
in slavery less than six months until they were sold to 
Turkey. 
Hence, of eleven prisoners for whom there are in-
dications of dates of their capture, 6 were in slavery for 
the period of 1 to 20 years, and 5 were captured in the 
same year they were sold to Turkey. This circumstance 
may suggest that at least 40% of captives were taken 
prisoner to be sold to Turkey as soon as possible. In 
addition, Russian prisoners accounted for 22.7% of the 
total number of captives sold into slavery. 
Slaves from Abazins
A feature characterizing the slave trade from among 
the Abazin population shows that the “human” com-
modities were almost exclusively women. For example, 
of 41 Abazin slaves, 36 were women, four boys were 
children of the sold Abazin women and only one was 
a 30-year-old Abazin man. Most Abazin slaves were 
children and adolescents up to 16 years of age – 58.5%. 
10
Danilo Antonov Pulago, 
25
M - May 1810.
Yekaterinodar Intlievsky Kuren captured by 
Circassians
11 Sergey Ivanov, 20 M - 1810
Little Russian. Captured by Circassians near 
the Egorovskaya Fortress.
12 Ivan, 8 M - - Does not remember his family
13 Sidor, 4 M - - Does not remember his family.
14 Nikif Ivanov, 25 M Cossack -
Black Sea Cossack, Tatar Kuren, captured 
by Circassians
15 Ivan Ivanov, 8 M - - Does not remember his family.
Table 4: Slaves from Abazins, bought in Abazia
No.
Captives
Notes
Name Age Gender
1 Murat (son of Khatiche) 1 M From Gelenzhan Kale.
2 Goshepalo 3 F
3 Malek 5 F
4 Galo 5 F
5 Khanife 6 F
6 Gomeshav 7 F
7 Mustafa (son of Fat’ma No. 41) 7 M
8 Aslangirey (son of Fat’ma No. 41) 7 M
9 Khanife 8 F
859
ANNALES · Ser. hist. sociol. · 27 · 2017 · 4
Aleksandr A. CHERKASOV et al.: THE LIST OF CAPTIVES FROM THE TURKISH VESSEL BELIFTE AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON ..., 851–864
In the end, the large-scale practice of selling women 
from Abkhazia led to the fact that Russian ethnographic 
expeditions of the late 19th century found that the best 
Abkhazian female genotype in Abkhazia was sold to 
Turkey and men were acknowledged as more beautiful 
among Abkhazians (Narody Rossii, 1879, 368).
Slaves from Circassians
As distinct from the Abazin slaves, there were 9 
males and only 1 female among the 10 Circassians. 
Most Circassian slaves were children and adolescents 
up to 16 years of age – 70 %. All of them were sold into 
slavery without parents.
10 Gal’ 8 F
11 Donsano 8 F
12 Gadzhipesh 9 F
13 Aishe 9 F
14 Seyme 9 F
15 Sheffe 10 F
16 Zelege 10 F
17 Gadzhikosh 10 F
18 Smail (son of Fat’ma No. 41) 11 M
19 Fat’ma 11 F
20 Goshemav 12 F
21 Fatma 12 F
22 Balek 12 F
23 Fat’ma 13 F
24 Dalezhadon 15 F
25 Fat’ma 16 F
26 Fat’ma 18 F
27 Dudu 18 F
28 Khat’zhe 18 F
29 Bezirgan 19 F
30 Aishe 20 F
31 Khava 20 F
32 Melek 22 F
33 Aishe 22 F
34 Khatiche (she has a son No. 1) 22 F
35 Rakhme 23 F
36 Khateche 24 F
37 Khanife 25 F
38 Gashash 25 F
39 Khanife 30 F
40 Shomav 30 M
41 Fat’ma 40 F
860
ANNALES · Ser. hist. sociol. · 27 · 2017 · 4
Aleksandr A. CHERKASOV et al.: THE LIST OF CAPTIVES FROM THE TURKISH VESSEL BELIFTE AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON ..., 851–864
Estimated cost of slaves
Another important aspect that should be mentioned 
here refers to the estimated cost of the “human” com-
modities.
The lowest adat 2 sale and purchase prices were re-
corded at the Pshitli of the Psekupsky3 and Urupsky4 dis-
tricts: for underage children of both sexes aged between 
1 and 15, each year of life was priced at 10 rubles; ages 
between 15 and 45 priced at 200 rubles per person, at 
the age from 45 to 65, the price wend down from 200 
rubles to 10 rubles for each year. Abazins and Nogais 
and residents of the Zelenchuksky district in general5 
(except for Kabardians) had somewhat higher prices. 
For example, while they had similar prices for underage 
children, peasants over 15 and up to 45 years old were 
valued at 300 rubles, and starting from the age of 45 to 
70, the price of 300 rubles decreased by 10 rubles an-
nually6 (TsGIAG, F. 545, Op. 1, D. 86, L. 139–139оb.).
The price was even higher in Karachay: the price of an 
adult male was 300 rubles; women cost 250 rubles and 
young women 300 rubles; children were sold not by age 
but by measurement: for example, a 4 karysh7 child cost 
200 rubles, a 5 karysh child – 250 rubles and 6 karysh – 
300 rubles. The price reduction was determined by the 
old age, susceptibility to disease and decrepitude of the 
peasant but a certain age, from which decrepitude began, 
was not established by custom (TsGIAG, F. 545, Op. 1, 
D. 86, L. 139оb.–140). In Abkhazia, karysh referred to 
a hand measure and it was used to measure children for 
sale or for tax purposes (Cherkasov et al., 2016, 58).
Slave prices were slightly higher in the Black Sea 
area than those in the interior regions of Circassia and 
Abkhazia. To calculate the total value of the “human” 
commodities, the basis should be the lowest prices for 
slaves in internal Circassia, in particular those stated by 
runaway Kabardians and Pshitli of the Psekupsky and 
Urupsky districts.
Slaves were valued in the Ottoman Empire based 
on such qualities as strength, beauty and slim body in 
the following order of priority: Circassian, Mingrelian, 
Georgian, Abkhazian (Bronevskii, 1823: 311). Egypt, in 
turn, which bought part of the slaves from Turkey, the 
decreased value for slaves ranked in a different man-
ner: Circassians, Abkhazians, Mingrelians, Georgians, 
Russians, Poles, Hungarians, etc. (Blaramberg, 2010, 
360). It should be noted that the slave trade was a good 
investment in the Black Sea region since the 14–15th 
century, when the coast was home to Genoese colonies 
(Khvalkov, 2017, 89–110).
Table 5: Slaves from Circassians
No.
Captives
Notes
Name Age Gender
1 Nogai 4 M From Gelenzhan Kale.
2 Gassan 6 M
3 Kara Omer 8 M
4 Gassan 9 M
5 Abram 10 M
6 Aslanbek 10 M
7 Gassan 11 M
8 Mustafa Agmet 21 M
9 Gassan Osman (worker) 25 M
10 Govshepak 50 F
2 Adat as observed by the Caucasian communities refers to a customary practice.
3 Part of the modern Republic of Adygea.
4 Part of the modern Karachay-Cirkassian Republic.
5 Part of the modern Karachay-Cirkassian Republic.
6 These prices are set from the words of both owners and serfs.
7 Karysh is equivalent to almost 5 vershoks. Highlanders defi ned the term karysh as the largest distance between the tips of the thumb and 
little fi nger of the male hand. One vershok = 4.45 cm.
861
ANNALES · Ser. hist. sociol. · 27 · 2017 · 4
Aleksandr A. CHERKASOV et al.: THE LIST OF CAPTIVES FROM THE TURKISH VESSEL BELIFTE AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON ..., 851–864
Hence, according to Table 6, the minimum value 
of 66 slaves amounted to 8,920 rubles in the domestic 
market of Circassia. To form a better understanding of 
this amount, it is necessary to clarify that a cow cost 3–4 
rubles at the time. In other words, the equivalent of the 
“human” commodities on board the Turkish ship “Be-
lifte” was more than 2.5 thousand cows. It is clear that 
it was simply impossible for other types of production 
in Circassia to compete with such prices for “human” 
commodities. 
It is common knowledge that demand generates 
supply. Humans were the most profi table commodities 
in the Caucasus. In aristocratic societies, for example, in 
Abkhazia, princes took people in tax. The total number 
of slaves taken as taxes could reach 1% of the population 
annually (Cherkasov et al., 2017, 70). Almost a similar 
situation was in place in aristocratic Circassia until 1785, 
i.e. until the civil war instigated by the uprising of shikh 
Mansur. In a later period, when the majority of Circassian 
tribes achieved independence form the aristocracy (the so 
called democratic tribes), slaves were received in internal 
and external raids. No centralized collection of people 
taxes was effective as it was the case in Abkhazia. Con-
cerning the Circassian decentralization, it resulted in a 
dramatic increase in manhunters. This business attracted 
free residents and nobles alike in Circassia.
An interesting fact is that a large batch of Abazins 
bought in Abkhazia turned up in Gelenzhan Kale at 
one time. It is necessary to explain that the Abkhazian 
border lay about 300 kilometers away from Gelendzhik 
along the coast, which offers evidence of an extensive 
slave trade network available on the coast of the North-
Western Caucasus.
CONCLUSION
A glimpse of the slave ship allowed us to draw the 
following conclusions:
1. The major part of the “human” commodities ex-
ported from the North-West Caucasus in the early 
19th century included children and adolescents 
of the Abazin and Circassian tribes. 
2. A signifi cant component in the “export” was 
captives taken prisoner in Russia. According to 
available data, more than 40% of Russian cap-
Table 6: Minimum value of the “human” commodities
Age of captives, in years No. of people Price per person, in rubles Total value, in rubles
1 1 10 10
2 - 20 -
3 2 30 60
4 2 40 80
5 2 50 100
6 2 60 120
7 3 70 210
8 7 80 560
9 4 90 360
10 5 100 500
11 3 110 330
12 3 120 360
13 1 130 130
14 - 140 -
From 15 to 44 years old 30 200 6000
From 45 to 75 years old 1 (50 years old) 100 100
Total 66 8920
862
ANNALES · Ser. hist. sociol. · 27 · 2017 · 4
Aleksandr A. CHERKASOV et al.: THE LIST OF CAPTIVES FROM THE TURKISH VESSEL BELIFTE AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON ..., 851–864
tives did not stay in Circassia for long and were 
quickly sold to Turkey. In other words, it was 
about taking people captive to sell them to the 
Ottoman Empire only for fi nancial benefi t. The 
sale of prisoners captured in Russia accounted for 
over 20% of all people shipped to the Ottoman 
Empire at that time.
3. Slaves were the key export commodity trans-
ported from the North-Western Caucasus at the 
time under review. No other type of production 
could even compare with the slave trade by the 
level of profi tability.  
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This study was prepared within the framework of 
the laboratory of world civilizations of International 
Network Center for Fundamental and Applied Research. 
The theme is “Small nations in the extreme conditions 
of war and peace (historical and comparative study)”.
863
ANNALES · Ser. hist. sociol. · 27 · 2017 · 4
Aleksandr A. CHERKASOV et al.: THE LIST OF CAPTIVES FROM THE TURKISH VESSEL BELIFTE AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON ..., 851–864
SEZNAM UJETNIKOV NA TURŠKEM PLOVILU BELIFTE KOT VIR PODATKOV O 
TRGOVINI S SUŽNJI NA SEVEROZAHODNEM KAVKAZU V ZAČETKU 19. STOLETJA
Aleksandr A. CHERKASOV
Mednarodni center za temeljne in aplikativne raziskave
Vzhodnoevropsko zgodovinsko društvo
Gorkogo str. 89a, offi ce 4, 354000 Sochi, Rusija
e-mail: sochi003@rambler.ru
Vladimir G. IVANTSOV
Državna univerza v Sočiju
Sovetskaya Str. 26a, Krasnodar Krai, 354000 Sochi, Rusija
e-mail: v-ivancov@rambler.ru
Michal SMIGEL
Univerza Matej Bel
Tajovského str. 40, 97401 Banská Bystrica, Slovaška 
e-mail: michal.smigel@umb.sk
Violetta S. MOLCHANOVA
Mednarodni center za temeljne in aplikativne raziskave
Gorkogo str. 89a, offi ce 4, 354000 Sochi, Rusija 
e-mail: v.molchanova_1991@list.ru
 
POVZETEK
V prispevku je kot edinstveni vir informacij o trgovini s sužnji na Kavkazu v začetku 19. stoletja analiziran seznam 
sužnjev, ki so bili prepeljani iz pristanišča Gelenzhan Kale (danes poznano kot Gelendzhik) v Istanbul. Seznam je 
bil sestavljen zatem, ko je turško plovilo prevzela ruska vojaška korveta “Krym”, sestavni del fl ote iz Črnega morja.
Seznam imen je bil odkrit v državnem arhivu Krasnodarske pokrajine (GAKK) v Krasnodarju (Rusija) in je prvič 
uporabljen v znanstveni raziskavi. V prispevku so bili uporabljeni tudi dokumenti iz zgodovinskega arhiva Gruzije 
v Tbilisiju. Metodološko je članek zasnovan na podlagi historiografskega načela objektivnosti z uporabo analitične, 
verjetnostne, statistične in primerjalne metode. Tovrstna metoda je omogočila pregled pomembnih pojavov in proce-
sov povezanih s trgovino s sužnji, ki je potekala na severozahodnem Kavkazu v začetku 19. stoletja. Analiza temelji 
na različnih ugotovitvah, do katerih smo prišli med preučevanjem vira. 
Tekom raziskave smo prišli do naslednjih zaključkov: 
1. Večina oseb, ki so bile v začetku 19. stoletja kot sužnji odpeljane iz severozahodnega Kavkaza, so bili otroci 
in mladostniki, pripadniki ljudstev Abazinov in Čerkezov.
2. Pomemben delež »izvoza« so predstavljali ujetniki, ki so bili zajeti v Rusiji. Na podlagi razpoložljivih podatkov 
sklepamo, da več kot 40 % ruskih ujetnikov ni dolgo ostalo v Čerkeziji, saj so bili hitro prodani v Turčijo. Z 
drugimi besedami, ujetnike so prijeli, da bi jih lahko nato prodali v Otomansko cesarstvo ter se s tem fi nančno 
okoristili. Prodaja ujetnikov, ki so bili zajeti v Rusiji, je tedaj predstavljala več kot 20 % vseh  tistih, ki so 
potovali v Otomansko cesarstvo.
3. Sužnji so bili v obravnavanem obdobju ključni izvozni »artikli«, ki so potovali iz severozahodnega Kavkaza. 
Po stopnji dobičkonosnosti se s to trgovino ni mogel primerjati noben drug produkt. 
Ključne besede: korveta »Krym«, suženjska ladja, severozahodni Kavkaz, Abazini, Čerkezi, sužnji, ujetniki, Ruski 
imperij, Otomanski imperij
864
ANNALES · Ser. hist. sociol. · 27 · 2017 · 4
Aleksandr A. CHERKASOV et al.: THE LIST OF CAPTIVES FROM THE TURKISH VESSEL BELIFTE AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON ..., 851–864
SOURCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
GAKK – State Archives of Krasnodar Region (GAKK), 
F. 249, Op. 1, D. 605, L. 1-4оb.
TsGIAG – Central State Historical Archives of Geor-
gia (TsGIAG), F. 545, Op. 1, D. 86, L. 139–140.
Berzhe, A. P. (ed.) (1883): Acts of the Caucasus 
Archeographical Commission. In thirteen volumes (Vol. 
9). Tifl is, Georgia, Tipografi ya Glavnogo Upravleniya 
Namestnika Kavkazskogo.
Blaramberg, I. F. (2010): Historical, topographical, 
statistical, ethnographic and military description of 
Caucasus. Moscow, Izdatel’stvo Nadyrshin.
Bronevskii, S. (1823): The latest geographic and 
historical news about the Caucasus. V. 2 ch. Ch. 1. 
Moscow, Tipografi ya S. Selivanovskogo.
Cherkasov, A. A., Ivantsov, V. G., Shmigel, M. & V. S. 
Molchanova (2016): Demographic characteristics of the 
Aristocratic Abkhazia in 1800–1860 years. Bylye Gody, 
39, 1, 53–66. 
Cherkasov, A. A., Ivantsov, V. G., Smigel, M. & V. S. 
Molchanova (2017): The Losses of the Russian Army 
during the Caucasian War (1801–1864): Historical and 
Statistical Research. Bylye Gody, 43, 1, 68–85.
Inozemtseva, E. (2010): On the social and legal 
status of slaves in the North Caucasus. Iran and the 
Caucasus, 14, 1, 19–26.
Khvalkov, I. A. (2017): Slave trade in the Black Sea 
area, 14th–15th centuries. Historia Social, 87, 89–110.
Łapiński, T. (1995): The mountaineers of the Cauca-
sus and their struggle of liberation from the Russians. 
Nalchik, Russia, El-Fa.
Narody Rossii (1879): Peoples of Russia. Vyp. IV. 
SPb. Tipografi ya tovarishchestva «Obshchestvennaya 
pol’za».
Peisonel’, M. (1927): The study of trade on the Cir-
cassian-Abkhazian coast of the Black Sea in 1750–1762. 
Krasnodar, Izdanie Obshchestva izucheniya Adygeiskoi 
avtonomnoi oblasti.
Tsagareishvili, S. V. (ed.) (1953): Shamil – a protege 
of the Sultan Turkey and the english colonialists. Col-
lection of documentary materials. Tbilisi, Gosizdat 
Gruzinskoi SSR.