The great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) was in the Caucasus war in 1851. The events of those days made a strong impression on the twenty-three-year-old writer. In his letters and diaries, he repeatedly mentioned the story of Hadji Murad, an associate of the Russian ally Imam Shamil, who died the following year while attempting to flee to the mountains. The idea of a story about him came to Tolstoy in 1896, when he saw on the road a crumpled thistle blossom, reminding him of the brave highlander.