Krindach, F.: A Russian Cavalryman in Abyssinia: from Djibouti to Harar

Title

Russkii kavalerist v Abissinii: iz Dzhibuti v Kharar, Sankt-Peterburg 1898

A Russian Cavalryman in Abyssinia: from Djibouti to Harar

Keywords

Summary

The book is divided into four chapters and includes photographic illustrations by G.V. Bobin, along with an author’s introduction. In the introductory note, the author clarifies that this book focuses solely on Bulatovich’s 1896 trip to Ethiopia from a sporting perspective, without mentioning the reasons behind Bulatovich’s mission to Harar or the role assigned to him. The author then recounts the journey, which involved a sanitary detachment sent by the Russian Red Cross Society to the theatre of military operations in Ethiopia. In April 1896, they arrived in Djibouti, the final point of the sea route, from where the caravans were to proceed further inland. Due to the impending rainy season, Aleksander Bulatovich was sent ahead with a team to Harar. In chapters two and three, the author describes the journey to Harar and the various challenges encountered, including language barriers, unpreparedness for camel travel, and the sudden changes in climate. He also details the local flora and fauna, as well as the villages encountered along the way. Moreover, he provides a detailed inventory of the luggage carried by the camels, including the weight of each item. Chapter four sums up the journey’s key aspects, praising Bulatovich’s ability to overcome the difficulties of this remote land and noting his success in earning the respect of the local people. The text concludes with a table summarising the route and the average speed of travel, as well as a map of the journey.

Bio

In the summer of 1896, Lieutenant Fedor Krindach joined a military-medical mission to Ethiopia, headed by Major-General N. Shvedov. He is also the author of Essay on the Industry and Trade of Abyssinia (1899).

Sources

M. Rait, Russkie ekspeditsii v Efiopii v seredine XIX-nachale XX vv. i ikh etnograficheskie materialy, “Afrikanskii etnograficheskii sbornik”, 1956, 1, p. 242;

G. Tsypkin, Russkie mediki v Efiopii. U istokov otnoshenii dvukh stran, “Novaia i noveishaia istoriia”, 2017, 4, p. 109-116.

M.E.

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