Epigraphic Monuments of Chechnya (on the Example of Tombstones of the Middle of the 19th – the First Third of the 20th Century)

Abstract

The article considers thirteen memorial gravestone stele-churts as epigraphic sources of Chechnya. The author's task is to introduce these sources into scientific circulation with the subsequent introduction of the revealed information into secondary historical research. The list of works devoted to epigraphic monuments of the Chechen Republic is considered; the weakness of the existing base on the topic under study and the need for a wider study of the surviving objects and their epitaphs are noted. The evolution of the burial culture is briefly noted, which is also expressed by the change of accompanying the deceased with objects of weapons, worship and everyday life to their display on the funeral tombstone. The role of cruciform tombstone in early Muslim single burials is noted according to those monuments that have survived to the 20–21th centuries. Translations of the epitaphs of the considered tombstone are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. The results of the work show that Chechen churts (tombstones) are often used not only to depict texts of epitaphs dedicated to the buried, but also to reflect their genealogical tree, social status and memorable events. At this stage of the study, we can only talk about preliminary conclusions, which, however, allow us to conditionally divide the Chechen stelae-churts (in terms of functionality) into tombstones, border, memorial and cult ones. The review also reflects the need for a careful attitude to the cruciform tombstone of Chechnya, which do not always (and not necessarily) indicate the religious affiliation of the buried, although they may reflect the likely continuity and transitional "dual faith" during the period of Islamization of the region.