Watch FMovies. 1829. Tired of being secretly watched by the chief of police Benckendorff, Pushkin leaves imperial St. Petersburg and heads to the Caucasus to join the army. He stops in Tiflis, waiting for permission to enter the war zone. Pushkin gets invited to the house of one of the Georgian princes. The poet is surrounded by honor and attention. Here Pushkin becomes acquainted with the wonderful Georgian songs and poems of Shota Rustaveli.