Caucasian days (Azerbaijani: Qafqaz günləri)-a novel of French writer of Azeri origin Banin, published in Paris, in 1945.[1][2][3] The novel “Caucasian days” describes the history of Azerbaijan in 10-20th years of the 20th century, its national culture, mores and customs. The plot in French presents autobiographical facts, in which it had been written.
Descriptions recreate Banin’s biography, history of famous houses Baku millionaires, facts and epoch’s color, atmosphere of her childhood,[4] customs and mores, national holidays and traditions. The novel describes young heroin’s relations with surrounding her world, frame of mind and opinions of contemporaries and their attitudes to events of crucial period.
By description of her house, Apsheron cottage with its households the attention of writer proceeded to the events, which had influence on her destiny and of her dears’ life. It is- the Red Army’s arrival to Baku, establishment of the Soviet government: and further tragedies of the family were happened against that background. Particularly Banin tells that under her grandfather’s will she and her three elder sisters had become millionaires. But after a few days, with Bolsheviks’ advent, they lost their riches in no time and they had to leave their country in case of necessity.
Banin describes atmosphere in their house, her grandmother from father’s side, German governess Fräulein Anna, her father Mirza Asadullayev to the smallest details.[5]
Banin describes celebration of different holidays as Novruz bayram and also the end of Ramadan month, how guests had got together in their house, their moods up to their clothes in every detail. Besides that it is possible to see interesting description of Ashura, which she describes in the novel in this way:
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I liked other religious tradition-annual commemoration of tragic Kerbela events, where Hussein, the son of Ali and all members his family had cruelly been killed, in 680. It was the source of Shiism’s propagation, which was opposite to Sunnism and my grandmother never missed the opportunity to celebrate it at home. |
Banin also mentions the events between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, senseless victims of both nations.
The collapse of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and other dramatic events were also described in the novel.