Ingush in the Social and Political Life of the European Emigration in the 1920–1940

Abstract

The aim of this study is to describe the main directions of the social and political activities of the highlanders of the North Caucasus in the European emigration in the 1920-1940s using the example of one of the famous Ingush leader - Murzaly Kuriev. The study of the peculiarities of the political life of North Caucasian emigrants is an important and actual part in the field of foreign Caucasian studies. It can to understand like the modern political trends as the social paradigms. The article was prepared on the basis of archival materials collected in France and Russia. In this article is study life of Kuriev in detail. He lived 35 years before the revolution 1917 very good. Kuriev made an excellent military career in the Russian Empire, haved family and son. He lost all this during the evacuation together the Russian troops in 1920. In 1921 he went to Paris. He had money, created a new family. He took an active part in the social and political life among the North Caucasian emigration. By the 1940s. Kuriev hadn’t money, did not work, he lived in poverty. He decided to work in german’s office (1942-1944). As a result he was accused of working for the Germans. However, the North Caucasian emigrants helped him, and he escaped punishment. Nevertheless, in 1947 he left for a residence in Germany, where he died in 1952. The author comes to the conclusion that in emigration Kuriyev only partially realized himself. Obviously, he had more abilities for a military career than for social and political activities. In emigration, firstly, Kuriev changed his monarchical views on the Russian Empire and on the place of Ingushetia in the Russian Empire to create an independent state in the North Caucasus, and secondly, he disappointed with many leaders of the North Caucasian emigration. Both characteristics of social and political life in the 1920-1940 were typical for many leaders of the highlanders of the North Caucasus in emigration.