The reforms of 1861 enacted by Alexander II provoked different reactions across the vast geography of the Russian Empire. This project examines the Caucasus in the Russian imperial imagination after the Great Reforms. Aleksandr Mikhailovich Dondukov-Korsakov (1820-1893) was appointed as the governorgeneral of the Caucasus and the commander of the Caucasus corps between 1882- 1890. On the one hand this period was significant because it was a litmus test for the pro-reformist emperor, Alexander the Liberator, in the Caucasus but on the other hand Dondukov-Korsakov, although he wished for the powers and the independence of the viceroys, was not of the same mind as his predecessors had introduced the Great Reforms into the Caucasus. Most of the reforms, he contended, were introduced into the Caucasus without enough preparation. During the first year of his appointment to the Caucasus, Dondukov-Korsakov raised some concerns which remained points of contention throughout his rule. In his reports to the emperor, Dondukov-Korsakov repeatedly warned that ministerial interference had led to dangerous and embarrassing consequences for the local administration. Dondukov-Korsakov argued that the ministers were overburdened with responsibilities and could not effectively deal with the Caucasus, which was “too remote from the capital.” This was true but being too remote from the imperial centre was a good reason that did let Russian military commanders, serving in the Caucasus, legitimize their violent actions. Not only Muslim Tatars, Chechens, Dagestanis or Circassians but also Armenians, Georgians and all religious sectarians were not totally loyal subjects to the Russian Empire, according to Dondukov-Korsakov.