The paper examines the combat operations of the Sochi detachment of the Russian army on the territory of the Sukhumi military department during the Russian-Turkish war of 1877−1878. The attention was paid to the activities of the Mahajirs on the Turkish side, as well as the relationship between Russian troops and the local population on the territory of the Sukhumi military department. The authors used the materials of periodicals. It is particularly necessary to note the newspaper "Kubanskie

more »

... lastnye vedomosti" on the pages of which a significant amount of information from the front was published, as well as the newspaper "Russkiy Mir". The official chronicle was published in the main journal of the naval department "Morskoi sbornik", as well as published collections of documents. Methodologically, the authors applied the principle of historicism, which made it possible to analyze the pre-revolutionary sources and historiography, which reflected the theme of the Russian-Turkish war on the Caucasian theater of military operations in 1877−1878. Besides this, the descriptive method was widely used, which made it possible to revive the picture of hostilities and endow it with numerous details without which the picture of hostilities would be incomplete. The problem-chronological and historical-comparative methods were also used. The authors came to the conclusion that it is necessary to consider the hostilities of the Sochi detachment in the Sukhum military department in conjunction with the operational situation in Abkhazia and take into account the historical aspects that influenced the relationship between the local population and the Russian administration. Ultimately, due to the changing in the operational and tactical situation on the main theater of war, the secondary Caucasian theater of military operations was curtailed by Turkey, which led to a decrease in anti-russian sentiments among the peoples of the North Caucasus, as well as a gradual restoration of socioeconomic development on the Black Sea coast of the North Caucasus.