Adygea National Museum Opens ‘Countess Aïsse’ Costume Exhibition
MAYKOP — The National Museum of the Republic of Adygea has opened an exhibition drawn from a collection of 348 items associated with the feature film Countess Aïsse, which tells the story of a Circassian girl taken to France in the late seventeenth century.
Entitled New Museum Acquisitions: The Costume Collection from Countess Aïsse, the exhibition presents a collection donated to the museum in March 2026, according to an SA correspondent.
The film is based on the novel of the same name by the late Circassian writer Iskhak Mashbash. Opening the exhibition, museum director Fatima Dzhigunova paid tribute to his contribution to both the book and its screen adaptation.
‘Sadly, Iskhak Shumafovich is no longer with us, but his legacy remains, and its importance is difficult to overstate,’ she said. ‘His work had many facets. He not only wrote this novel but also did a great deal to bring it to the screen. Through this, the story of Countess Aïsse has become part of the cultural heritage of our republic and the wider Circassian world.’
Alongside the costumes and the story of the film’s production, the exhibition explores the life of its central character and aspects of Circassian history.
Mashbash’s novel draws on historical events to recount the extraordinary life of Ayshet, the daughter of a Circassian nobleman who was abducted and taken to a slave market in Istanbul. The French ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Count Charles de Ferriol, purchased the young girl and brought her to France.
There, at around four years old, she entered the Ferriol household, where she was raised. She was baptised and given the name Charlotte-Élisabeth Aïsse.
Aïsse later became known for her literary talent. Her Letters to Madame Calandrini are regarded as a notable work of classical French prose, offering insights into high society during the Regency. They are admired for their elegant style, sincerity, candour and firm moral convictions.
Countess Aïsse was the first Russian film to portray her story. A joint production by the Orel and Rakurs film companies, it was filmed in the mountains of Adygea, St Petersburg and Gatchina, with additional scenes shot in Turkey and France.
The film’s general producer was philanthropist and former President of Adygea Khazret Sovmen, while Marina Sasina wrote the screenplay. Svetlana Mamresheva, an actress from Kabardino-Balkaria associated with the Gogol Centre theatre, played the lead role.
Diana Yakhutl, from Adygea, portrayed Ayshet as a child. Her grandparents were played by Zaurbiy Zekhov and Mariet Udzhukhu, actors at the I. S. Tsey National Theatre and Honoured Artists of the Russian Federation.
Zekhov attended the opening and spoke about the memories the costumes brought back.
‘Every exhibit here takes you back to what we experienced at the time. Making a film is demanding but fascinating work,’ he said. Pointing to one of the costumes, he added: ‘I remember the scene in the apple orchard. I was wearing this very costume. It makes me very happy to see these costumes here today.’
Designed by the artist Tamara Seferyan and made in the Dear Masters workshops in St Petersburg, the costumes evoke the settings and characters of the film. The displays include Ayshet: Childhood in Adygea, Ayshet: A European Childhood, Count Charles de Ferriol: Constantinople and Chevalier Blaise-Marie d’Aydie: Knight of the Order of Malta.
Exhibition curator Marieta Kudai, head of the museum’s Department of Modern and Contemporary History, highlighted the attention paid to historical detail.
‘Every detail has been carefully considered, and there are so many: embroidery, lace, beadwork, beautiful and costly fabrics,’ she said. ‘There are many costumes, each intricate and full of colour. Every exhibit offers something to surprise and delight.’
The exhibition will run until the end of the year. Visitors will also be able to view it during the museum’s open day on 5 October, marking Republic Day.