The Prisoner of the Caucasus (story)

"The Prisoner of the Caucasus" (Кавказский пленник), also translated to "A Prisoner in the Caucausus", is an 1872 novella written by Leo Tolstoy. The story is based on a real incident in his life while he was serving in the Russian military. It is about two soldiers kidnapped by their rivals for ransom who were in custody for some time. They tried to escape twice, were caught the first time, but succeeded the second. The novella was acclaimed for its view of humanity in the face of conflict. Along with his story God Sees the Truth, But Waits Tolstoy personally considered this work to be his greatest artistic achievement.

Prisoner of the Mountains, a 1996 Russian film, was based on the novella.