The authors investigate the problem of reflecting the Caucasian local wars of the turn of the XX and XXI centuries in the essays by E. Goryukhina included in the books “The teachers journey to the Caucasus” and “Don’t divide us, Lord, don’t divide us”. The purpose of the study is to analyze the author’s disclosure of the peculiarities of interethnic relations during military conflicts in the Caucasus and to identify the value meanings of the lessons of the events that took place. As a methodological basis, a literary analysis of the content and form of the texts studied, a comparative analysis of documentary-historical and essay literature is chosen. The genre originality of E. Goryukhina’s essays is substantiated, the author's position on the raised problem and the position of the peoples involved in the military conflict are identified, the alienness of war to the genuine interests of the people is shown, the mental features of the concept of “Caucasian man” are revealed, the influence of war on the specifics of historically formed national relations between the peoples of the Caucasus, the Caucasus and Russia is discovered. Conclusions are drawn about the high importance of E. Goryukhina’s essays for understanding the humanistic psychology of the Caucasian peoples and establishing mutual understanding between peoples, for overcoming stereotypes. The complexity and depth of historically formed relations between ethnic groups requiring consideration and careful preservation are disclosed.