Caucasus Research Articles

Unraveling the Nagorno-Karabakh Conundrum: Deciphering Russia’s Southern Caucasus Strategy

Following the Nagorno-Karabakh War, a ceasefire agreement was signed by Azerbaijan and Armenia. However, the path towards a comprehensive peace accord still needs to be solved with some challenges. The unresolved status of Nagorno-Karabakh and the fate of its Armenian inhabitants remain critical points of contention. Additionally, the difficulties of Armenian Prime Minister Nicol Pashinyan in executing provisions related to the proposed transportation corridors outlined in the Ceasefire Pact add another layer of discord. External actors further complicated this situation. Armenia’s domestic opposition and Iran’s strategic ambitions within the region played significant roles. Conversely, Russia has taken a central role in overseeing peace negotiations and advancing its interests in the Southern Caucasus. This article delves into the entrenched disputes between Azerbaijan and Armenia and examines the potential trajectory of their relations. Moreover, it provides insights into Russia’s intricate agenda, which shapes the evolving dynamics of the Southern Caucasus region. In essence, this study analyzes the intricate web of challenges, interests, and influences that intersect in this geopolitical landscape, shedding light on the intricate interplay between internal and external factors.

РЕЗУЛЬТАТИВНОСТЬ НАУЧНЫХ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ ПО ОТРАСЛЕВЫМ ПРИОРИТЕТАМ

The article presents the results of the institution’s research work obtained in 2023. Research is focused on solving problems: accelerated creation of new varieties of horticultural crops based on the mobilization of bioresource collections using molecular genetic methods and digital technologies; ensuring environmental and economic sustainability and optimal productivity of perennial agrocenoses, as well as the quality and safety of preserved plant agricultural raw materials based on biologization and digitalization of technological processes. An analysis of the effectiveness of scientific and technical activities is given according to the criteria of research, publishing, publiсation, inventive activity, innovative, educational and financial and economic activities of a scientific institution. As a result of R&D, 115 completed developments of fundamental importance have received, forming the methodological and methodical basis for the creation of scientific and technical products of a priority applied level. Fundamentally new developments in applied research in the fields of knowledge relevant to the scientific institution were 81 developments that provide improvement in the quantitative and qualitative indicators of biocenotic and production processes in fruit and vineyards, technological processes during storage and processing of agricultural products. The gene pool is preserved – 7,253 samples of fruit, berry, nut crops and grapes, replenished with 127 varieties; clones were selected and 7 donors were identified and 53 sources for creating new varieties that combine high potential productivity, winter hardiness, drought resistance, sustainability to the most harmful diseases and pests. The State Register of Breeding Achievements approved for use in 2023 in the North Caucasus (6) region includes 3 varieties of apple trees, one grape variety, one clonal rootstock of small stone fruit crops, a rose variety bred by the scientific institution. Output products are registered in the USAIS electronic accounting database in the form of intellectual property for 99 completed developments. Regulatory documentation has been developed in the form of organizational standards, technological instructions and technical conditions for 37 completed developments.

Синтез европейских и национальных традиций в поэзии Дины Мамчуевой

The article examines the creative work of the famous Karachay-Balkarian poetess Dina Mamchuyeva, whose innovation has not been sufficiently studied, despite the fact that she has made a great contribution to the development of national poetic structures and has long occupied a place on the literary Olympus of the North Caucasus region. D. Mamchuyeva’s innovation manifested itself both in the subject matter of her poems and in poetics, primarily in introducing a new genre into Karachay-Balkarian poetry, i.e., the sonnet genre in its original form, as well as in giving new features to the classic Karachay-Balkarian versification. The research aims to identify the features of D. Mamchuyeva’s versification, their conditionality by new cultural circumstances – the widespread publication of Russian translations of Shakespeare’s works and works by other poets who adhered to the classical sonnet, which has helped many authors to hone their skills. The scientific novelty of the research is seen in the fact that the article is the first to shed light on the complex of poetic techniques used by D. Mamchuyeva in verse organization, her preference to the sonnet genre and at the same time commitment to the Karachay-Balkarian system of versification, which reflects the specificity of her creative work. The research findings showed the relevance of the topic, revealed the richness and originality of the author’s poetic skill. The chosen research perspective demonstrated its importance for understanding D. Mamchuyeva’s creative searches in the field of versification and its significance for understanding the formal and semantic structures of the author’s poetics, as well as the need for further study of the author’s innovations in national literature, primarily in poetry.

Preliminary investigations of parasite contamination of water sources in Armenia

The intestinal protozoan parasites, Cryptosporidium and Giardia, are known to have a global distribution, infecting and causing disease in a range of hosts, including people, livestock, pets, and wildlife. However, data from some regions is very sparse. In Armenia, in the Caucasus region of West Asia, only scanty data are available, with just a few surveys on Cryptosporidium infections in livestock, and no available data on human infections or environmental contamination. As part of implementation of water analysis methods for these parasites in Armenia, 24 raw water samples and two sediment samples were analysed for these parasites using a range of approaches, including modified Ziehl-Neelsen, Lugol stain, immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT), qPCR and, on sediment samples, immunomagnetic separation and IFAT. Results suggest substantial contamination of raw water sources and indicate the need for further targeted studies using appropriate methods and collecting data on host infections in catchment areas.

For the Classification of Anomalous Geophysical Fields that Existed Prior to an Earthquake

The consolidated paper presents work carried out in the sphere of earthquake problems. On the base of theoretical and experimental studies, it is shown earthquake prediction possibility. There are discussed earthquake indicators and triggering exogenous factors in the example of the Caucasus region. Because the earthquake preparation process causes anomalous changes with complex characteristics in various geophysical fields, it is given scientifically proven suggestions for the classification of these fields as earthquake precursors, indicators, and triggering factors. It offers a short-term plan for future work in the earthquake prediction direction.

New data on Dysdera Latreille, 1804 and Harpactea Bristowe, 1939 (Araneae: Dysderidae) of the Caucasus, with new species and records.

In this paper, we provide new taxonomic and faunistic data on the dysderid spider genera Dysdera Latreille, 1804 and Harpactea Bristowe, 1939 based on material collected in the Caucasus region. We identified a total of seventeen species, of which D. atabekia sp. n. (; Goychay and Ismayilli districts, Azerbaijan), H. abasgiana sp. n. (; Republic of Abkhazia, Georgia), and H. dunini sp. n. (; Zagatala district, Azerbaijan) are described as new to science and their distributions are mapped. Furthermore, three new records are provided: D. daghestanica Dunin, 1991 from Krasnodar Krai, D. concinna L. Koch, 1878 from Iran, and D. mazini Dunin, 1991 from Azerbaijan. By examining the type series of Harpactea caucasia (Kulczyski, 1895), we found that at least a part of Dunins records of this species refer to H. abasgiana sp. n., and his figures of this species in fact refer to an undescribed species. Brief notes are provided on the northernmost distribution limits of Dysderidae.

Compilation of a Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog and Relocations in the Caucasus Region

Abstract Instrumental seismic monitoring has a long history in the Caucasus and started in 1899 when the first seismograph was installed in Tbilisi, Georgia. Much of the analog paper records from this time period are preserved in the Tbilisi archives because Georgia served as the regional data center. In the 1990s, due to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the political turmoil in the region, the analog networks and the communication between the newly formed national networks deteriorated. In Georgia, for the next 13 yr, the seismic network coverage was poor until the 2002 Tbilisi earthquake. Following this earthquake, the first permanent digital seismic station in Georgia was established in Tbilisi in 2003. The digital era progressively improved the ability to collect and archive data and today more than a hundred broadband seismic stations (including temporary arrays) are operating in the southern Caucasus. Until recently, the region lacked a coordinated effort to catalog all analog and digital era data collected by different countries into a single repository. As a result of collaboration between Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the Ilia State University, and the Republican Seismic Survey Center of Azerbaijan, a comprehensive earthquake catalog was compiled for the Caucasus and neighboring areas as part of a broader probabilistic seismic hazard assessment project. This project digitized Soviet-era paper bulletins, compiled a unified earthquake catalog from regional bulletins, developed 1D reference velocity model, and used it to relocate the events. The final catalog contains 16,963 events with magnitudes 3.7 and above, bringing together all the available data sets in the Caucasus region from 1900 to 2015, significantly improving locations, and generating the most complete earthquake catalog in the region, temporally and geographically.

Հայ-թաթարական բախումներն ու Բաքվի հայության ինքնապաշտպանության կազմակերպումը ըստ «Դրօշակ» պարբերականի / ARMENIAN-TATAR CLASHES AND THE ORGANIZATION OF SELF-DEFENSE OF BAKU ARMENIANS ACCORDING TO «DROSHAK» PUBLICATION

This article is intended to examine in a new light the deep causes of the ArmenianTatar conflicts of 1905, the circumstances and complications of organizing self-defense of the Armenians, according to the newspaper ‘’Droshak’’. The task of the article is to provide an expert analysis of the true causes of the Armenian-Tatar conflict of 1905, the efforts made by its main organizing force - the Tsarist authorities, as well as the brilliant self-defense organized by Dashnaktsutyun, based on the abundant information of "Droshak" publication and comparing it with the works of other authors. The work is outlined on the basis of a comprehensive study of the facts, using the principles of historical analysis. As a result of this study, it can be stated that the Armenian-Tatar clashes provoked by the Tsarist government in 1905-1906 had both political and economic motives and farsighted goals, but due to proper self-defense and decisive offensive actions organized by Dashnaktsutyun, these clashes stopped throughout the Caucasus. It is an undeniable fact that the Tsarist government, by fomenting interethnic conflicts in the Caucasus region, aimed to keep them away from the revolutionary movements pursuing the empire, and to extract from these clashes as many economic and political benefits as possible․ However, the Armenian people managed to emerge victorious in these clashes, as the organization of resistance was taken over by Dashnaktsutyun, which, with the opening of the "Caucasian Front" in 1904, also took over the Self-Defense Cause of Eastern Armenians․

Формы взаимодействия народного песенного творчества и инструментальной музыки (на примере традиционного сольно-группового пения кавказских народов)

The article examines the interconnection of the vocal-choral and instrumental music in the traditional solo-and-group performance among the different peoples throughout the Caucasus (the Adyghians, Abkhazians, Osetians, Balkars and Karachays). The present problem range has not yet become a topic of special academic comprehension. In this connection,the aim of the article is to draw the attention of specialists towards studying it and defining the role of the instrumental strata within the standard texture of broadly disseminated song performance in the Caucasus region. The traditional regional type of texture of song composition includes two main strata: the solo declamatory presentment of the tune and the choral (i.e., ensemble) accompaniment existing in dialogic interaction with each other. Frequently, we can find a third stratum, as well — the instrumental, as a rule, existing in performance on a traditional bowed string instrument. As living folk music practice confirms, its participation in the solo-and-group singing is not a mandatory factor. The place and the role of the instrumental stratum in the examined folk musical material is determined in this article. The author highlights the main functions of all the textural strata, the parity of the first two lines of the song texture and the forms of their interaction, in which the traditional standard and self-sufficient structure of characteristic polyphonic singing of the peoples of the Northern Caucasus is reflected.

About regional cosmic monitoring of snow cover in the south-eastern region of the greater Caucasus

About regional cosmic monitoring of snow cover in the south-eastern region of the greater Caucasus

НЕКОТОРЫЕ АСПЕКТЫ НАУЧНОГО ОСМЫСЛЕНИЯ ПЯТИДНЕВНОЙ ВОЙНЫ 2008 Г. (НА ПРИМЕРЕ РОССИЙСКОЙ И ГРУЗИНСКОЙ ИСТОРИОГРАФИИ)

The article analyzes the reflection of the 2008 Five Day War in Russian and Georgian historiography. The relevance of studying the event and its scientific comprehension is determined, first of all, by the geopolitical importance of the Caucasus region, which for a long time remains one of the key areas of Russia’s interests. At the same time, many issues of Georgian-Ossetian relations that resulted in the Five Day War and many aspects of the war itself remain open and debatable. The author states that some of them are being actively reconsidered, while others, on the contrary, for various reasons fall out of the researchers’ field of vision. In general, in the author’s opinion, there are no works in the scientific literature that would systematize, summarize and analyze, firstly, the whole layer of issues and contradictions of the Georgian-Ossetian crisis, and secondly – their interpretations existing in modern historiography. In particular, the role played by the Russian Federation as a mediator in the conflicts on the territory of Georgia in general and in particular in the Georgian-Ossetian confrontation remains a controversial issue in the context of the whole complex of unresolved Georgian-Ossetian contradictions. Analysis of the scientific literature on the Five Day War shows that modern historiography of the conflict is characterized by a high polarization of opinions: there are “pro-Georgian” and “pro-Russian” points of view (the South Ossetian historiography is adjacent to the latter in terms of content). The analysis of the main ideas that make up these points of view is the semantic center of this paper.

Genesis of Azerbaijan-Artsakh Conflict

The purpose of the article, based on domestic and foreign sources, is to show when, for what reason and under what circumstances the Azerbaijani Artsakh conflict arose. In order to achieve the set goal, the following problems were put forward: when was the state called Azerbaijan created, when and under what circumstances did the Azerbaijani-Artsakh conflict arise, what was the status of Artsakh at the time of the conflict arise? The article is written through a comparison and comparative study of the original sources related to the issue, as well as an examination analysis of the scientific works related to it. As a result of the joint examination of facts and documents related to the issue, as well as historical and political literature, we came to the conclusion that the Azerbaijani-Artsakh conflict arose in 1918, when the Ottoman Turkish government created a fake "state" called the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus region through the invasion of Transcaucasia by the Turkish army. 103 years ago, Soviet Azerbaijan recognized Nagorno Karabagh as part of Soviet Armenia. Besides that, 103 years ago, Soviet Azerbaijan recognized the right of the Armenians of Artsakh to self-determination. Despite that, by an illegal decision of the Caucasus Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Soviet Russia a political body of a third country of July 5, 1921 the territory of Artsakh was forcibly included into Soviet Azerbaijan, without taking into account the will of the people of Artsakh.

Navigating Geopolitical Alliances: Understanding Azerbaijan’s Relationship with Israel over Iran

This article examines the complex relationships between Iran, Azerbaijan, and Israel and attempts to provide an explanation for Azerbaijan’s greater inclination toward Israel than Iran. It analyzes Iran’s view of the relationship between Israel and Azerbaijan in the larger South Caucasus context, taking into account historical background, present events, and future predictions. Using a wide range of geopolitical analyses and sources, the study aims to understand the manifold variables that impact Iran’s attitude toward Azerbaijan’s alignment with Israel. From a theoretical perspective, the article explores the strategic features of this triangular connection by means of a neorealist paradigm. It applies game theory in order to assess the many strategic alternatives accessible to Iran, Azerbaijan, and Israel, emphasizing the reasons for Azerbaijan’s inclination towards Israel. The study improves our knowledge of the complicated dynamics underlying Azerbaijan’s preference for Israel over Iran, as well as the broader ramifications for the South Caucasus region, by analyzing the interactions between the variables at play. It seeks to highlight the historical, geopolitical, and strategic factors that contribute to Azerbaijan’s alignment with Israel over Iran, as well as the effect of this alignment on the geopolitical dynamics of the South Caucasus region.

Дыгъужь Къурмэн и Iуэху еплъыкIэр и тхыгъэхэм къызэрыхэщыр

The article deals with the problem of creative individuality on the material of creativity of Circassian poet and writer Kurman Bakhsiyatovich Duguzhev (1941-1984). The issues of creative individuality and national originality are relevant in all periods of functioning of the literary process, this is especially true for young-descriptive literatures. Many authors have commented on the work of K. Duguzhev, but they are journalists, artists, poets, etc., but few professional literary critics have analyzed his works academically, so this article fills this gap to a certain extent. The introductory part characterizes the concept of creative individuality, notes the degree of its development, and emphasizes its role in the formation of young-written literatures of the North Caucasus region. The facts of K. Duguzhev’s biography that influenced the development of his creative individuality and the national uniqueness of his poetry and prose are presented using comparative-typological and chronico-historical methods. The most famous works of K. Duguzhev’s multifaceted creativity are subjected to aesthetic analysis. Special attention is paid to the theme of homeland in the civil lyrics. The questions of the writer’s skill occupy a significant place in the article. The article aims to investigate the problem posed, which is important for the Adyghe literary process. Its results can help the authors of literature textbooks, postgraduates, students, other literary scholars and critics to expand their knowledge about the works of the famous writer, whose works should enter more widely into the practice of schools and universities where Adyghe literature is studied.

Scenarios of Future Security Development in the South Caucasus Region

Scenarios of Future Security Development in the South Caucasus Region

ИЗМЕНЕНИЕ ОСНОВНЫХ КЛИМАТИЧЕСКИХ ПОКАЗАТЕЛЕЙ В ПРЕДГОРНОЙ ЗОНЕ СЕВЕРНОГО КАВКАЗА ЗА ПЕРИОД 1961–2022 гг.9

The object of the study is the North Caucasus region, rich in varied natural landscapes and characterized by climatic diversity. The study aims to analyze changes in the temperature and precipitation regimes in the foothill zone of the region. According to the data of 6 weather stations: Buynaksk, Vladikavkaz, Kislovodsk, Nalchik, Stavropol, and Cherkessk, we carried out an analysis of the temperature regime for the period 1961–2022, which showed that the average annual temperatures in the foothill zone of the North Caucasus in this period were positive and fluctuated from 8.3°С at the Kislovodsk weather station to 10.6°С at the Buynaksk weather station. At the beginning of the 21st century (2001–2022), the average annual air temperature increased and amounted to 9.2°С at the Kislovodsk weather station and 11.6°С at the Buynaksk weather station, which is statistically significantly higher than in the period 1961–2000, when the average annual temperature was 7.8°C and 10.0°C, respectively. Average annual temperature anomalies were calculated for the entire observation period. The largest deviation from the norm was recorded in 2010, due to the high anomaly in summer (+3.7°C). To assess the trend in the temperature regime changes, linear trends were constructed for the entire period of 1961–2022 and two sub-periods. The analysis showed that in the period 1961–2022, exclusively positive trends were observed, while in the sub-periods, negative trends in temperature change were also evident, where March was especially prominent, with negative values of the linear trend at all the stations in the foothill zone at the beginning of the present century. An analysis of seasonal and annual precipitation for the period 1961–2022 showed that, on average, in the foothill zone of the North Caucasus region, the long-term annual precipitation amounted to 637 mm. The calculation of linear trends in annual precipitation totals showed that the change in the precipitation regime was not uniform, there were both positive and negative trends, mostly statistically insignificant.

Дефицит кадрового обеспечения сельскохозяйственной сферы юга России 1920-1930 гг

The article is devoted to the analysis of the need for staffing of agricultural workers that developed during the period of collectivization in the south of Russia. The territorial framework of the problem under consideration covers the macro-region of the North Caucasus Region within the Rostov Region and Krasnodar Territory. Analysis of documentation and statistical data revealed a number of specialties that collective farms were particularly in need of. The following qualified personnel were required: agricultural technicians, machine operators and tractor drivers, accountants and accountants, as well as farm managers. At the same time, the training and education of these specialists had to take place under the strict supervision of the party. Training and retraining of personnel required not only professional qualities, but also political literacy. The authorities decided to eliminate the shortage of personnel in two ways. In the article, the author analyzes these ways and through the analysis and introduction into circulation of new archival and statistical materials identifies the most successful. In the course of the study, methods of analysis, comparison and chronology were applied. The author states that by the end of collectivization, literally in 4 years, the problem of labor shortage was not as acute as before. The most effective way to solve the problem of shortage of qualified personnel was the way of training and retraining of agricultural workers. The sources of the article were previously unpublished materials of the State Archive of the Rostov Region and the Centers of Documentation of the Modern History of the Rostov Region and the Krasnodar Territory.

К истории спортивного комплекса «Динамо» в краевом центре Северо-Кавказского края

Introduction. There is a gap in the scientific literature in the description of the history of the city of Pyatigorsk, which was the center of the North Caucasus Region (NCR) in 1934 – May 1937. Based on the prospect of expanding the city towards the Lermontov junction area, the first secretary of the regional committee of the CPSU(b), who recently headed the state security agencies of the NCR, together with his former subordinates, facilitated the construction of a large sports complex “Dynamo”. However, information about this object, which did not exist after the end of the Great Patriotic War, is missing in the local history literature. Materials and methods. The study is based on the analysis of materials from the collections of the Pyatigorsk Museum of Local Lore, the State Archive of the Stavropol Krai, primarily regional periodicals of the period under review (newspapers “Severo-Kavkazskiy Bolshevik”, “Ordzhonikidzevskaya Pravda”, etc.). The study uses a systematic integrated approach, specific historical and comparative historical methods. Analysis. The analysis showed that Yefim Evdokimov, even after his appointment as the first secretary of the regional committee of the CPSU(b), continued to remain the unspoken head of the “North Caucasian team” of OGPU–NKVD workers who were in leadership positions in the Center, in different regions of the country, and naturally in the North Caucasus Region. The Dynamo Sports Complex named after E. G. Evdokimov was directly supervised by the regional security authorities, who ensured the construction of the facility in the shortest possible time. Results. According to the results of the study, it can be concluded that the transfer of the regional center to Voroshilovsk (Stavropol) did not allow the implementation of the construction project of the Belaya Romashka district, of which the Dynamo stadium could become an integral part. This area, as noted above, remained an urban suburb until the end of the 1950s. Due to the fact that the region and the city were led by Soviet and Party leaders (Evdokimov, Pivovarov, etc.), repressed in the second half of the 1930s, the Dynamo sports complex in Pyatigorsk ceased to exist, and the name of its founder was forgotten.

Biodiversity Survey of Hydrogen Sulfide Thermal Springs in Dagestan Using 16S Metabarcoding

The Greater Caucasus region is rich in thermal hydrogen sulfide springs, but their microbiological composition is poorly studied. In this study, using high-throughput profiling of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene, we analyzed the microbial communities of such springs in the Republic of Dagestan, assessed their biodiversity, and investigated correlations between abiotic factors and microbial community composition. Results show that the alpha diversity of microbial communities is negatively correlated with temperature and pH, with community composition being significantly influenced by the presence of hydrocarbons, redox potential, and dissolved organic matter content. The springs near the village of Kayakent were distinguished by unique physicochemical parameters, and their microbial communities were characterized by high taxonomic novelty, dominated by uncultivated representatives of the families Arcobacteraceae and Hydrogenophilaceae.

E-KARABAKH AND BEYOND: REVEALING THE DIGITAL LANDSCAPES IN AZERBAIJAN'S LIBERATED TERRITORIES

Following the second Karabakh War in 2020, Azerbaijan liberated its territories from 30 years of long-brewing Armenian occupation, which today are considered the potential economic and geopolitical landscapes for not only the socio- economic development of the country but to involve foreign investments and projects to these recovered areas. The Karabakh War of 2020 caused a change in the balance of power and status quo in the South Caucasus region as Azerbaijan in recent times started the rehabilitation and reconstruction processes, the placement of IDPs, involvement of investments, launch of tender projects, etc. to provide the socio-economic development of Karabakh region as a future E-Karabakh. The core objective of the paper is to ensure scientific insights and recommendations for the transition of the conventional Karabakh region to the digitalized so-called E-Karabakh region to enhance the economic development of the region. The authors' focus primarily delves into aspects including the advancement of a green economy and green growth policy, agriculture, and fostering a clean ecological environment in Karabakh. The article also analyzes the enhancement of ICT-based infrastructure, the integration of high digital technologies, and the potential emergence of Karabakh as a prominent hub for technology and innovation in the South Caucasus region. The paper aims to fill a gap in the existing literature by presenting valuable insights for government officials, decision-makers, and experts in this field, seeking to be a substantial scientific paper, offering policy-based information to aid in making informed and rational decisions.