Arsele

Arsel (АРСЭЛЬ) is a memoir-like autobiographical chronicle by journalist A. V. Krutikov, recounting his experiences in the Caucasus during the 1980s and his growing encounter with the region’s spiritual traditions. The narrative brings together journalists, yogis, clairvoyants, and Muslim mystics—particularly Sufi practitioners—and follows the author’s unusual encounters with a legendary stone known as the Gift of Orion and, ultimately, with Arsel, a mysterious hermit and dervish who becomes his friend, mentor, and guide.

Blending memoir, travel narrative, spiritual reflection, and accounts of seemingly inexplicable events, the book explores the author’s search for spiritual knowledge within the distinctive cultural and religious landscape of the Caucasus. Much of the story centres on Arsel and the Sufi community with which the author becomes involved, giving the work an unusual perspective on Soviet-era spiritual life in the North Caucasus. Published in Russian by WV Weltall Verlag in 2004, Arsel is a fascinating document of personal experience, mysticism, and spiritual exploration.