The article aims to examine the process of establishing a dialogue between the Caucasian Mountain Jews and the representatives of the Russian imperial authorities during the late 19th to early 20th centuries. Within this study, the Mountain Jews actively participate and even take initiative in fos-tering this dialogue. The primary sources utilized include petitions from the Mountain Jews, com-munity reports, and official correspondence among officials. The author reveals that throughout the dialogue spanning from the latter half of the 19th century to the revolution of 1917, the Mountain Jews consistently find themselves in the position of explaining their identity and potential place among the indigenous peoples of the Caucasus within the legal framework of the Russian Empire. The perseverance and repeated appeals of the Mountain Jews to various authorities not only shed light on their quest for a revision of their legal status, but also enable them to assert themselves on an imperial scale