Peoples Of The Caucasus Research Articles

Кавказ в событиях Отечественной войны 1812 года

The article examines the influence of the Caucasian region on the events of the Patriotic War of 1812. Attention is paid to the Moscow fire of September 1812. It destroyed most of the city, and key buildings were damaged – the Kremlin, Moscow University and other important structures. Among the surviving buildings are the house of Count F. V. Rostopchin and the Pozdnyakov Thea-ter. Thanks to the bodyguard (mameluke) Rustam Rosa and other Armenians who remained in the second capital during the occupation period managed to preserve one of the most important places for the peoples of the Caucasus – Armenian Lane. Among the generals who took an active part in the hostilities were representatives of the peoples of the Caucasus. The most famous of them is P. I. Bagration. Besides Bagration, about a dozen generals of Georgian origin took part in the war, as well as the Adygs, Azerbaijanis and other peoples of the Caucasus. The article tells about the ad-venturer Roman Medox and his creating a mounted detachment from the highlanders of the Cau-casus. The central provinces of the Russian Empire sent a considerable number of Polish prisoners to the Caucasus in 1813.

ABOUT THE SAME AND DIFFERENT CUSTOMS AND BELIEFS IN THE LIFE OF GEORGIAN AZERBAIJANIS AND SOME TURKIC-SPEAKING PEOPLES LIVING IN THE CAUCASUS

Introduction. The study is devoted to the same and different customs and beliefs in the life of Georgian Azerbaijanis and some Turkic-speaking peoples living in the Caucasus. It is to investigate the closeness and similarity in traditions of Georgian Azerbaijanis and Turkicspeaking peoples living in the Caucasus, the sameness and difference in family life, as well as their relationship to beliefs. Materials of ethnographic literature were used in writing the article. At the same time, the method of comparative analysis, which is given special attention in the science of ethnography-ethnology, was used. The main focus of the article is on the similarities and differences in the family life of Georgian Azerbaijanis, Dagestan Turks and Kumyks, Nogai Turks, Karachay-Balkars, and Ajar Turks, their unity of faith, as well as similar treatment methods in the field of folk medicine. The comparative analysis of the materials shows that, despite the small differences, there were quite similar and identical aspects in the life of Georgian Azerbaijanis and other Turkic-speaking peoples of the Caucasus, and they are still going on. This shows that the same and related Turkic tribes are at the root of those peoples.

Populations of the Caucasus as an object for studying the process of adaptation to conditions of high-altitude hypoxia

The work examines the main mechanisms responsible for the process of acclimatization of the population of high mountain regions to the conditions of hypobaric hypoxia. The purpose of this review is to describe the pathways of genetic, epigenetic and physiological control in the adaptation of indigenous populations of highlands to reduced barometric pressure and oxygen tension in the environment. It has been shown that populations living in different high-mountain regions demonstrate different ways of adaptation in response to a decrease in the partial pressure of oxygen in the inspired air. The changes that occur in the body in response to stressful conditions are extremely diverse. These include changes in the respiratory, cardiovascular, hematological systems and cellular adaptation. In this review, we examine genomic variations leading to evolutionary adaptation to life at high altitudes, gene expression, pathophysiological and metabolic features, and long-term adaptation in various high-altitude populations. We also consider the peoples of the Caucasus as one of the most promising populations for further study of complex adaptation mechanisms.

­Soviet ‘Easterns/Osterns’ of the 1920s: Adventure Films on the Caucasian Frontier of Russia

The article elucidates the issue of representation in Soviet cinema of historical events that transpired during the formation of the Caucasian frontier and the interactions that emerged between the indigenous population and the tsarist troops. The term “Eastern” is analogous to the term “Western” which refers to films about the exploration of the Wild West. This is a useful way of conceptualizing Soviet silent films created on Caucasian material from the 19th–early 20th centuries. This article aims to examine feature films from the 1920s that depict Russia’s advance into the Caucasus. It seeks to identify similarities and differences between these films and the first Soviet “Easterns/Osterns” and “Westerns,” as well as to analyze the influence of ideological attitudes in historical science on the interpretation and depiction of events that took place on the Caucasian frontier. The visual sources utilized in this study include the silent films ‘Abrek Zaur’ (1926), ‘The Law of the Mountains’ (1927), and ‘Zelimkhan’ (1929). Additionally, published materials from the 1920s, including periodicals such as newspapers and magazines, were consulted. The study yielded insights into the stylistic similarities between classic Westerns and the first Soviet Easterns, including the portrayal of protagonists, the use of action and stunts, and the incorporation of jumps. The content of the films is correlated with real historical events, but they reflect the Bolshevik paradigm of history in the study of ethnosocial conflicts in the Caucasus. In films about highlanders, masculine culture is a dominant feature due to gender attitudes and the national cultural identity of the peoples of the Caucasus. Films about mountaineers were instrumental in shaping perceptions of the Caucasus during the early decades of the twentieth century. They illustrate the attributes of traditional culture, daily life, customs of mountain village inhabitants, the characteristics of the landscape, and architectural features. In general, films of an adventurous nature created on Caucasian material are of interest to those with an affinity for classic cinema, particularly the earliest Soviet Eastern films, as well as to researchers seeking to gain insight into significant historical and cultural information. This article is intended for those engaged in the study of the history of Soviet cinema.

The number and composition of the serving people of the city of Turki in 1660-1670.

For a long time, Turki was the only Russian city in the North Caucasus, so without the military men who defended it, it simply could not exist. The study of the number and composition of these people, as well as the causes and consequences of their changes, is the main task of the study. The chronological framework of the work is 1660-1670. It was a very difficult period in the history of the city, when it experienced economic difficulties, famine, sea level rise, which forced the city to be moved to a new location, and the hostile actions of some neighbors. At the same time, the serving people of the Tersk city took an active part in military operations not only in the Caucasus, but also far beyond its borders – near Azov, in the Crimea, near Chigirin. Studying the background of these events is another goal of the study. The research is based on the study and analysis of documents. Some of them have been published, others are kept in archives and are being introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. The article contains many new facts about the size and composition of the Tersk garrison, about the factors of their change. It is concluded that increasing the number of Russian military personnel was one of the most important tasks of the state. To do this, residents of other cities were transferred to the city for permanent or temporary service – Streltsy, Cossacks, soldiers, exiles who were enrolled in Streltsy. However, the disadvantage, the delay in the "bread salary", which all the people who served in the city received, led to their mass escapes and understaffing of the garrison. Representatives of the peoples of the Caucasus who served in the city – Princes Murza, Uzdeni, Okochans, Novokreschens – partially made up for the lack of military forces. Another opportunity to maintain the city's combat capability was military cooperation and mutual assistance with the peoples of the Caucasus and neighboring regions, for example, with the Kumyks.

Features of the Legal Status of Women in the Traditional Society of the Peoples of the Caucasus of the 18th and 19th Centuries

Features of the Legal Status of Women in the Traditional Society of the Peoples of the Caucasus of the 18th and 19th Centuries

Koban culture genome-wide and archeological data open the bridge between Bronze and Iron Ages in the North Caucasus.

The North Caucasus played a key role during the ancient colonization of Eurasia and the formation of its cultural and genetic ancestry. Previous archeogenetic studies described a relative genetic and cultural continuity of ancient Caucasus societies, since the Eneolithic period. The Koban culture, which formed in the Late Bronze Age on the North Caucasian highlands, is considered as a cultural "bridge" between the ancient and modern autochthonous peoples of the Caucasus. Here, we discuss the place of this archeological culture and its representatives in the genetic orbit of Caucasian cultures using genome-wide SNP data from five individuals of the Koban culture and one individual of the early Alanic culture as well as previously published genomic data of ancient and modern North Caucasus individuals. Ancient DNA analysis shows that an ancient individual from Klin-Yar III, who was previously described as male, was in fact a female. Additional studies on well-preserved ancient human specimens are necessary to determine the level of local mobility and kinship between individuals in ancient societies of North Caucasus. Further studies with a larger sample size will allow us gain a deeper understanding of this topic.

Balkan and Carpathian Links of the Mythology of the Peoples of the Caucasus

Balkan and Carpathian Links of the Mythology of the Peoples of the Caucasus

To the formation of ethnic image in the media: an attempt at periodization

The article studies the process of modeling of ethnic image in the Russian media space. The media texts of the "Argumenty i Fakty" portal were used as empirics. The aim is to create a periodization for studying the processes of media communication in the formation of national image. The article reveals linguistic and stylistic peculiarities of the content and specificity of emotional and evaluative elements of the format of AiF journalistic materials about representatives of Caucasian ethnic groups, and states the presence of destructive stereotypes in media texts. The relevance of the material is explained by the negative consequences of interethnic confrontations, including those caused by conflictogenic texts in the media of the late twentieth century. The methodology of historical-semantic and cognitive-metaphorical analysis was applied, which revealed the linguistic structures at the basis of the formation of the audience's attitude towards the Caucasian peoples. After the collapse of the USSR, journalists used the construction "us and them", indirectly formed a negative reputation of national minorities, created barriers to their integration into the Russian identity, thus increasing socio-psychological tension in society, increasing social distance, influencing the processes of discrimination and isolation of the peoples of the Caucasus. In the modern global practice of convergence, "subject-to-subject" processes of mass communications, the influential potential of broadcast content has increased manifold. State control over the editorial policy of mass media should be strengthened, and personal responsibility of professional journalists for their work should be actualized. It is also necessary to support media education initiatives to increase the media literacy of the media audience. The results of the study can be used to rethink strategies for creating and promoting ethnic content.

ИСТОРИОГРАФИЯ ПРОБЛЕМЫ ГЕНДЕРА И ВЛАСТНЫХ ОТНОШЕНИЙ У КАБАРДИНЦЕВ И БАЛКАРЦЕВ В XIX – НАЧАЛЕ XX ВЕКА В ОТЕЧЕСТВЕННОМ КАВКАЗОВЕДЕНИИ

This article analyses the evolution of studying gender power relations and subordination in na-tional Caucasian studies. Gender inequality in the North Caucasus has always been of great inter-est to Russian scientists, as it was necessary to obtain the most complete information about the region’s specifics, without which its harmonious inclusion in the overall Russian legal, economic, and socio-cultural context was impossible. During the pre-revolutionary period, the knowledge gained was used to build colonial policies. A new impetus for the study of this issue by national Caucasian studies was received in the Soviet period, which was associated with the course taken towards the construction of a fundamentally new Soviet society, painting pre-revolutionary life mainly in grey tones. After the collapse of the USSR, the new Russian government aimed to build a new Russian society based on humanity and liberalism, as well as to review Soviet historiog-raphy. Caucasian studies began to more widely utilise foreign methodological achievements and explore previously unexplored aspects of the topic to obtain an objective view of the gender asymmetry among the peoples of the Caucasus. Contemporary researchers observe not only the negative but also the positive features of pre-revolutionary life, and efforts are made to investigate the key characteristics of the phenomenon under study.

Кавказская компонента в динамике численности населения Европейского Севера и Республики Коми

The work deals with the history of the formation of the multinational population of the Komi Republic and, specifically, the appearance of representatives of the peoples of the Caucasus on the territory of the republic. Based on the data from the National Archives of the Komi Republic and the results of Russian population censuses of 1897–2021, statistical material on the role of individual ethnic groups in the formation of the population during voluntary and forced migrations is provided. The main attention is paid to representatives of the Caucasian peoples. It is noted that the peoples of the Caucasus took an indirect part in the development and settling of the Komi Republic.

Prerequisites for the Emergence of Museum Business in North Ossetia

The article analyzes the conditions in which one of the most important public initiatives of the intelligentsia of Ossetia of the late XIX – early XX centuries is the idea of creating a Terek regional museum. The aim of the work was to study the influence of the state policy of the Russian Empire of the second half of the XIX – early XX centuries on the development of the cultural and intellectual space of North Ossetia, as well as the mechanism of interaction between power and the progressive part of society in North Ossetia, which influenced the emergence of a museum affair in Ossetia. Based on the analysis of the activities of educational and charitable societies of the late XIX – early XX centuries in the conditions of an increased number of educational institutions, increasing the level of literacy of the population, developing the economy and the process of urbanization, and, as a result, the emergence of the intelligentsia in Ossetia and the origin of a scientific interest in the history of the peoples of the Caucasus , the author comes to the conclusion about the conceptual, fundamental rethinking of values in the public consciousness, which was manifested by the idea of creating a Terek regional museum.

ETYMOLOGICAL PARALLELS: Mtskheta - mashita/masqita - dimasq

The following article presents the etymologies of Mtskheta, Damascus (dimaâq), and the historic Syrian settlement of Maskhita (masÕ×tÁ < maâq×tÁ). The conducted analysis established a connection between them. In particular, the name of the Georgian capital Mtskheta (as well as Samtskhe) is etymologically associated with Meskheti, which probably originates from the ancient tribe of Mushks/Mosokhs of Asia Minor (cf. Biblical Meshekh). The question of the kinship of the Georgians and the peoples of the Caucasus in general with the ancient peoples of Western Asia was studied by a number of scholars (Iv. Javakhishvili, S. Janashia, N. Berdzenishvili, G. Tsereteli, K. Tsereteli, G. Melikishvili, and others). To study this problem linguistic data are noteworthy, especially the proper and geographical names of the Old East, domestic, agricultural, and lexical units of other contents. The name of the historic village Maskhita (masÕ×tÁ) near the Syrian port city of Latakia is written in Arabic using â×n and qÁf (maâq×tÁ – مشقيتا). Such written tradition reflects old, historical circumstances. The settlement must have been founded by the ancient Assyrians, hence its name is of non-Arabic origin and it, in our opinion, must be related to the tribe of Mushks. In oral speech, the substitution of ‘Mashqita’ (maâq×tÁ) with ‘Maskhita’ (masÕ×tÁ) should be explained by the influence of spoken Arabic. In ancient times, namely, in the second millennium BC, Mushks were living in the well-watered lands of Upper Mesopotamia. Their migrations have been studied. Ivane Javakhishvili considered the ancestors of the Kartvelian tribes of Mushks and Tobals as the emigrants from Asia Minor in the pre-ancient period. It should be mentioned that the Mushks from Mesopotamia created a kingdom in Cappadocia. Their capital was named ‘Masakha’, which is associated with their patriarch, ‘Mosokh’ (Josephus Flavius). The tribal name ‘Mushk’ (muâk) is, in our opinion, also found in the name of the ancient city Damascus (in Arabic – dimaâq). In Aramaic, we have dammaâq, in ancient Hebrew dammeâeq. darmeâeq is recorded in the inscriptions of Qumran. The first member in dÁr meâeq – dÁr means dwelling, and the second member – meâeq, in our opinion, means the tribe of Mushks. Thus, dimaâq (دمشق) can be translated as the abode of Mushks. The presented etymology of Damascus is proposed for the first time based on a comparative analysis of the scientific literature

Reports of the 11th century Andalusian Geographer on the Peoples of Caucasus

This paper, for the first time in Russian historiography, provides information on the 6th-10th centuries history of Dagestan on the basis of translation, commentary and comparative analysis of excerpts in relation to the history of Caucasian peoples from AbūʿUbayd al-Bakrī’s (d.1094) Kitāb al-masālik wa-al-mamālik (A Book of Routes and Countries). This work presents a brief description of different polities: indicating trade routes, distances between towns etc. sort of the administrative directory. Kitāb al-masālik wa-al-mamālik is considered as one of the important sources on south-western and north-western Africa history, particularly, during the period of the Almoravids’ reign (1040-1147). As for the information about the Caucasus given by al-Bakri so it’s largely not original. The paper discusses the main aspects of al-Bakrī’s life and scholarly activities who was an expert in Islamic history and Arabic geography. He particularly outlines the history of different Caucasian polities like Derbent; describes the Caspian sea; gives detailed list of routes and distance between polities etc. Moreover, I compared some reports on Dagestan from Muruj az-zahab and Kitab at-tanbih by al-Mas‘udi and al-Bakrī’s work in order to find out whether the origin of the material is the same.

Qabq in the Geographical work and Maps in Abu Muhammad al-Idrisi’s <i>Nuzhat al-mushtaq fi ikhtiraq al-afaq</i>

The article gives new information on the history of peoples of the Caucasus on the basis of translation, commentary and comparative analysis of excerpts from the 12th c. Arabic geographical work Nuzhat al-mushtaq fi ikhtiraq al-afaq (The Delight of Him Who Desires to Journey through the Climates) by Abu Muhammad al-Idrisi, as well as based on early sources by some Muslim authors related to the history of Qabq. For the first time in Russian historiography, it compares textual fragments from Nuzhat al-mushtaq with its maps of the given region in order to determine the degree of coherence between them, and it also delineates the differences between al-Idrisi’s maps in the Paris, St. Petersburg and Oxford manuscripts on Qabq.

Особенности коммуникации горских евреев Кавказа с региональной и центральной властью Российской империи в конце XIX – начале ХХ вв.

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

BELIEFS OF THE PEOPLES OF THE CAUCASUS AND THE HISTORICAL ANCESTORS OF THE CHUVASH

The relevance of the publication is explained by the need to strengthen research on the ethnic history of the Chuvash people. The study of traditional beliefs is closely connected with the history of the ethnos. In other words, there is always a need to take into account the chronology, region and dynamics of the material under study. That is why the researcher cannot do without comparative passages with the sources of historical neighbors. Moreover, the analysis should be conducted in a unified bundle of “time–space”. Although there are studies in this direction, they are clearly not sufficient to make the arguments put forward more convincing.
 
 The purpose of the study is to identify and show the identity of the main components contained in the traditional rituals and beliefs of the peoples of the Caucasus and the historical ancestors of the Chuvash.
 
 The scientific novelty of the article lies in the primacy of formulating the topic under study.
 
 Materials and methods. The research methodology is based on the comparative historical approach. For this purpose, the materials of the traditional (= folk) beliefs of the peoples under study are used. The topic under discussion is studied taking into account new sources and the most notable publications that appeared in the XVIII–XXI centuries.
 
 Results. The analysis of materials and research on the topic under study is carried out in two sections – “The peoples of the Southern Caucasus” and “Proper Caucasian storylines”. The recorded and preserved traces of parallels between the historical ancestors of the Chuvash and the peoples of the Caucasus are analyzed. For example, the coincidence between the Armenian name of the deity Torg/Tork/Turk and the Chuvash Tor/Tur, the Elam-Assyrian spirit Lamassu/Lamastu and the Chuvash Alpasta, the Ararat deity Kuera and the Chuvash Kӑvar. The work also explores the ritual traditions of the Caucasian and Chuvash peoples that completely coincide in content.
 
 Conclusions. Similarities, parallels and even direct coincidences of traditional Chuvash beliefs with Transcaucasian and Caucasian storylines indicate that the historical ancestors of the Chuvash inhabited the territory within the limits of the Anterior Asia – the North Caucasus.
 
 The author sees the practical significance of the research in understanding the histories of the peoples of the Caucasus and the Volga region.

Гарнизон города Терки в середине XVII в.

The article aims to investigate the dynamics of the number and composition of the garrison of the town of Terki in the middle of the XVII century. The main sources are three estimated lists of military forces of Russian towns in 1632, 1651 and 1663. They are supplemented by data from other documents – tsarist letters, voivodes’ des-patches, and petitions. The result of the work is more complete and more accurate than previously available data on the dynamics of the number, social and ethnic composition of the Terek garrison. They can influence the study of social processes, military and political events and inter-ethnic relations. The study allows to con-clude about the rather large number and complex composition of the Terek military men, among whom were not only Streltsy or boyar children, but also Cossacks (white and free – Terek and Greben) and representatives of the peoples of the Caucasus: Uzdeni, Okochan and Newly Baptized. From 1632 to 1651 the number of the garrison of the town of Terki increased, but from 1651 to 1663 it slightly decreased.

Origins of East Caucasus Gene Pool: Contributions of Autochthonous Bronze Age Populations and Migrations from West Asia Estimated from Y-Chromosome Data.

The gene pool of the East Caucasus, encompassing modern-day Azerbaijan and Dagestan populations, was studied alongside adjacent populations using 83 Y-chromosome SNP markers. The analysis of genetic distances among 18 populations (N = 2216) representing Nakh-Dagestani, Altaic, and Indo-European language families revealed the presence of three components (Steppe, Iranian, and Dagestani) that emerged in different historical periods. The Steppe component occurs only in Karanogais, indicating a recent medieval migration of Turkic-speaking nomads from the Eurasian steppe. The Iranian component is observed in Azerbaijanis, Dagestani Tabasarans, and all Iranian-speaking peoples of the Caucasus. The Dagestani component predominates in Dagestani-speaking populations, except for Tabasarans, and in Turkic-speaking Kumyks. Each component is associated with distinct Y-chromosome haplogroup complexes: the Steppe includes C-M217, N-LLY22g, R1b-M73, and R1a-M198; the Iranian includes J2-M172(×M67, M12) and R1b-M269; the Dagestani includes J1-Y3495 lineages. We propose J1-Y3495 haplogroup's most common lineage originated in an autochthonous ancestral population in central Dagestan and splits up ~6 kya into J1-ZS3114 (Dargins, Laks, Lezgi-speaking populations) and J1-CTS1460 (Avar-Andi-Tsez linguistic group). Based on the archeological finds and DNA data, the analysis of J1-Y3495 phylogeography suggests the growth of the population in the territory of modern-day Dagestan that started in the Bronze Age, its further dispersal, and the microevolution of the diverged population.

The Persian Campaign of Peter I on the pages of the Vedomosti newspaper

The first printed newspaper Vedomosti, founded by Peter the Great, is an important source for studying the history of Russian-Ottoman and Russian-Iranian relations in the ϐirst quarter of the 18th century. A lot of attention in the Vedomosti was paid to the international situation of the Ottoman Empire and Russian-Turkish relations. In general, the newspaper characterizes the Ottoman state as an enemy of Russia and all Christian peoples. Under the constant attention of the Vedomosti were the most important changes in the government of Sultan Ahmed III (1703–1730), in the foreign policy priorities of Turkey, as well as domestic political issues the situation of its Christian subjects. The newspaper’s materials provide information about international relations on the eve and during the Persian campaign of Peter I of 1722– 1723, as well as about the representation of newly acquired possessions in the Eastern Caucasus. The Vedomosti newspaper was the ϐirst periodical that introduced the Russian society to the peoples of the Caucasus, the geography of the region and the military-political situation in the Western Caspian region.