Per auto door den Kaukasus naar Perzië De Aarde en haar Volken, 1907

A young adventurer and his eclectic friends set out in 1905 to follow a route few had ever taken by car. From the wide, dusty street of Batsji‑Seraï they plunge into the rugged Caucasus, where rain and snow turn mountain passes into moving obstacles. The journey is as much a meditation on the fleeting value of life as it is a quest for new horizons, each vista urging them onward.

Accompanying them are two vivacious women whose enthusiasm fuels the party through sleepless nights, meager meals and the stark contrast between desert heat and icy peaks. Their convoy of early automobiles—sturdy Mercedes models and an open carriage—traverses Bessarabia, the Crimean coast, and the untamed valleys of the Caucasus, confronting rough roads and unfamiliar customs. The early leg of the expedition offers a vivid portrait of a world on the brink of modernity, where the thrill of discovery is matched only by the challenges of an uncharted road.