“Our Four-Legged Friends”: Encounters between the Cavalry Maiden Nadezhda Durova and Horses

Nadezhda Durova is one the best-known females in the cavalry, who, moreover, published memoirs of her military career. In this memoir, the “cavalry maiden” describes her early bonding with her father’s stallion, Alcides, whom she tamed, as well as her experiences of other horses in the military context. This study discusses a selection of episodes presenting a nuanced picture of Durova’s relations
with various equines, to argue that, while her love of horses, and Alcides particularly, was characterized by strong emotions, it was anything but sentimental. It is concluded that, in her dealings with horses, Durova showed both affection for them and pragmatism.