Transcaucasian Region Research Articles

Evaluation of the Epidemic Situation of Anthrax in Armenia Over the Last Decade.

Anthrax is a World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)-listed disease that must be reported upon confirmation based on the Terrestrial Animal Health Code. Anthrax poses a serious health issue for unvaccinated livestock, is a threat to humans through interaction with contaminated livestock and animal products and is endemic in many areas throughout the world, including the Transcaucasian Region. Despite several control and eradication efforts that have been implemented by the government of the Republic of Armenia (RA), sporadic cases of anthrax are still reported. We sought to understand the epidemic situation of anthrax in RA during the last 10 years (2012-2023) based on analysis of outbreaks and reported cases in cattle and humans. We collected and evaluated officially reported data from human and animal cases, such as time, location, animal species, disease intensity and spread radius. The data and various parameters were mapped using ArcGIS to prepare a viable risk assessment. Based on the officially available data and reports, there have been 80 human cases and 55 animal cases of anthrax confirmed in RA from 2012 to 2023. We also identified the presence of anthrax spores in soil and environmental samples near animal burial sites in RA in 2015-2017 through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. Upon comparing the human and animal cases by frequency and intensity, the human cases are directly proportional to the animal husbandry practices performed in RA. The detection of the anthrax pathogen at the burial sites highlights the continued threat in these areas. Thus, it is imperative to secure and monitor any areas that have been used for anthrax burial and limit the movement of animals in these areas. In the future, legislation should be updated to prioritise incineration of anthrax-infected carcasses instead of burial to limit further exposure to animals and humans.

The Question Of The Supply Of Weapons And AmmunitionTo The Republic Of Armenia In 1918-1920

In 1917-1918, the unpredictable course of events led to the re-establishment of the Armenian statehood, which forced the creation of its own armed forces as a guarantee of its existence, which made the young republic dependent on almost all powers in terms of arms acquisition, in particular after the October 1917 Russian coup. From the Entente countries, Britain and France, which became major actors in the Transcaucasian region and were guided by their hidden deep interests, the assistance to the Republic of Armenia was conditional, partial, inadequate and in many cases outdated. Allied military-political representations in Transcaucasia and Armenia gradually replaced the initially cautious approach with outspoken pro-Muslim practices, and the interests of Britain and other countries became more in tune with Azerbaijan and Georgia. Armenia appeared in the role of a beggar for help, including the delivery of weapons and ammunition, which was incomplete, low-quality, accidental, completely outdated.

Comparative Analysis of the Pre- and Post-soviet Caucasian Press at the Example of Georgian Newspapers: “Sakartvelo” (Georgia) (1918) and “Kviris Palitra” (2022)

In the present reality, the stability of the Caucasus region is essential for the correct and democratic development of the post-Soviet area countries. The press reflects the reality of what is happening, therefore, studying its quality and content always gives an opportunity to draw the adequate conclusion.Goal of the research is to determine to what extent the Caucasian (in particular, Georgian) press missed the path of its natural development due to appearing in the Soviet reality. What was the pre-Soviet and post-Soviet Georgian press like?The research was conducted on the basis of a comparative analysis of the content of the National Democratic Party newspaper “Sakartvelo” (Georgia) (1918) and the modern free public-political newspaper “Kviris Palitra” (2022).Before the forced unification of the Transcaucasian region into the Soviet Union, the local press was developing democratically. There were party newspapers, government and opposition publications. In modern reality, in the post-Soviet space, in the conditions of freedom of the press, newspapers show the tendency of total tabloidization. Irrelevant, unverified and biased information is often published.As a result of the research, it was determined that the pre-Soviet press was of high quality and developed democratically, and the Soviet experience had such a negative impact that in the post-Soviet reality, the Transcaucasian press did not have three decades to return to its natural development path.

An updated list of mosquito species in Armenia and Transcaucasian region responsible for Dirofilaria transmission: A review.

Canine dirofilariasis is a world-wide distributed mosquito-borne helminthiasis that has a potential zoonotic impact. This disease is a serious problem in Southern Caucasus region, including Armenia. Average extensity of Dirofilaria infection in canids in Armenia is 26.9%. At present, 77 mosquito species (Diptera: Culicidae) are presumed to have a role in the transmission of dirofilariasis. 80 species of Culicidae family mosquitoes are registered in Southern Caucasus Region, and 31 of them are described in Armenia. The following species of Culicidae can serve as vectors of Dirofilaria spp. in Armenia: Aedes vexans, Ae. caspius, Ae. albopictus, Ae. geniculatus, Culex pipiens, Cx. theileri, Cx. modestus, Anopheles maculipennis s.s., An. claviger, An. hyrcanus, An. superpictus, Coquillettidia richardi, Culiseta annulata and Uranotaenia unguiculta. We see a risk of transmission in active foci of dirofilariasis, as well as for human infection in Armenia. Comprehensive research should be conducted on detection of microfilariae in the target mosquito species and in target localities.

Analysis of C9orf72 repeat expansions in Georgian patients with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects the upper and lower motor neurons. Several genetic risk factors have been identified in the past decade with a hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene being the most significant. However, the presence of C9orf72 repeat expansion has not been examined in the Transcaucasian region, therefore we aimed to analyse its frequency in Georgian patients with ALS. We included 64 self-reported Georgian patients with ALS from different parts of the country, fulfilling the Gold Coast criteria. To investigate the presence of an expanded GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat in the non-coding region of the C9orf72 gene, we performed Repeat-Primed PCR (RP-PCR). In total, 62 sporadic and two familial ALS cases were identified. Patients were aged 26 to 84 years with a mean age of 58.3 years at disease onset. Bulbar onset was observed in 21.88%, upper limb onset in 34.38%, and lower limb onset in 43.75% of the patients. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) fulfilling the Strong criteria was diagnosed in seven patients (10.94%). C9orf72 repeat expansion was detected in only one case using RP-PCR; the patient had a family history of dementia. Our results indicate that C9orf72 hexanucleotide expansion does not belong to the major genetic risk factor of ALS in Georgian patients. Further genetic studies in a bigger study population are needed to reveal the genetic causes of ALS in the Transcaucasian population.

Акцизная политика царского правительства в Закавказском крае во второй половине XIX – начале XX в.

The article is devoted to the study of the excise policy of Russia in the Transcaucasian region, the degree of its impact on the economic development of the region under study. The purpose of the study is to consider the amount of excise revenues contributed to the Russian treasury from vari-ous industries of the Transcaucasian Region and to determine the degree of its impact on the eco-nomic development of the region under study. Based on the study, generalization and review of archival materials and pre–revolutionary sources, an attempt is made to identify the features of the excise policy of the tsarist government in the second half of the XIX – early XX century in the studied region. The tasks related to introducing excise duty in the oil, tobacco, drinking and other industries are disclosed, analyzed and summarized. It is concluded that the excise policy was of great importance not only for replenishing the Russian treasury, it also had a significant impact on the development of various industries in the region under study.

Восстановление внешнего облика мужчины из шемахинского могильника периода раннего средневековья

Introduction. Until now, no work has been carried out to reconstruct the external appearance of the ancient population of Transcaucasia. In order to fill this gap, this study of the skull of a man from an early medieval catacomb burial in the Shamakhi region of Azerbaijan was undertaken. Craniometric and odontometric measurements determined the sex, racial type, age at death, revealed pathologies of the dentition and various traumatic injuries. The purpose of the work was to obtain primary information about the appearance of people who lived in the first centuries of our era on the territory of Azerbaijan and thereby attract scientific attention to this problem. Materials and methods. The skull, found in 1949 by the expedition of R.M. Kasimova with the participation of G.F. Debets, underwent an anthropological study according to classical programs to determine age, gender and race. Lifetime appearance restoration in the form of a graphic portrait in isometric projection was carried out according to the method of M.M. Gerasimov and E.V. Veselovskaya using Adobe Photoshop CC 2020 graphics editor. Results. A table of individual measurements of the skull is presented, lifetime dimensions of the head are calculated, and a verbal description of the appearance is given. In racial terms, the subject can be attributed to the Caspian subtype of the Indo-Mediterranean race, the most characteristic modern representatives of which are Azerbaijanis, which also illustrates the reconstructed graphic appearance. Discussion. The metric data of the skull were compared with similar characteristics of the closest male samples, which included a total of over 1300 skulls from the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Southwestern Europe. Based on the results of applying the corresponding discriminant analysis equations, it was found that the studied skull in the racial format belongs to the Caspian anthropological type. Conclusion. As a result of the reconstruction of the appearance of the skull of a man from the early medieval burial ground in the Shamakhi region of Azerbaijan, paleoanthropological material unique for the Transcaucasian region was obtained for the first time. Previous archaeogenetic studies confirmed its belonging to the local population of Transcaucasia.

ՔՐԻՍՏԱՓՈՐ ՄԻՔԱՅԵԼՅԱՆԻ ԱՌԱՋԻՆ ԹՌՈՒՑԻԿԸ 1885 թ. փետրվարին հայկական դպրոցների փակման կապակցությամբ

In 1828-1829, after the annexation of other territories of the Transcaucasian region of Eastern Armenia to Russia, in the course of realization of the colonial and strengthening policy pursued by the tsarist government, a certain place was given to the field of education. The main goal was to increase the role of the Russian language in the region, and then from childhood to instill in the pupils a sense of submission and loyalty to the Russian throne and to prepare persons with certain professional qualifications to contribute to the economic development of the backward region.

Contributions to the Heteroptera (Hemiptera) fauna of Anatolia with new records for Turkey

Heteroptera species collected from numerous localities in Anatolia, particularly Eastern Anatolia, between 1998 and 2021 are presented. 124 species in 97 genera belonging to following 20 families are recorded: Miridae (32), Nabidae (2), Anthocoridae (1), Tingidae (1), Reduviidae (7), Pentatomidae (33), Scutelleridae (9), Acanthosomatidae (1), Cydnidae (1), Coreidae (6), Rhopalidae (4), Alydidae (3), Stenocephalidae (2), Rhyparochromidae (12), Lygaeidae (3), Geocoridae (3), Artheneidae (1), Heterogasteridae (1), Oxycarenidae (1) and Pyrrhocoridae (1). Among them, Xanthochilus omissus (Horváth, 1911) (Rhyparochromidae) and Ceratocranum caucasicum Jakovlev, 1879 (Scutelleridae) are new for the Heteroptera fauna of Turkey. Furthermore, Dryophilocoris (Dryophilocoris) flavoquadrimaculatus (De Geer, 1773), Odontoplatys suturalis (Jakovlev, 1883) (Miridae) and Engistus salinus Jakovlev, 1874 (Geocoridae) that had been recorded from Turkey only once, are recorded from new localities. Additionally, most of the recorded species are new for the provinces that they are collected from, and following ten species are recorded from the Eastern Anatolian region for the first time: Cyllecoris histrionius (Linnaeus, 1767), Eurycolpus aureolus Seidenstücker, 1961, Odontoplatys suturalis (Jakovlev, 1883), Polymerus (Poeciloscytus) brevicornis (Reuter, 1879) (Miridae), Jalla dumosa (Linnaeus, 1758), Leprosoma tuberculatum Jakovlev, 1874, Picromerus conformis (Herrich-Schäffer, 1841) (Pentatomidae), Megalonotus emarginatus (Rey, 1888), Peritrechus nubilus (Fallén, 1807) (Rhyparochromidae) and Horvathiolus syriacus (Reuter, 1885) (Lygaeidae). Finally, the Heteroptera fauna of Transcaucasian region is briefly analyzed. It is revealed that among 1113 species known from this region, 255 species have not yet been recorded from Turkey and most of these species remain to be discovered from Eastern Anatolian region of Turkey, reflecting the need for future field researches in this region.

Islamic finance in the post-Soviet Central Asia and Transcaucasia: the evidence from Kyrgyzstan

PurposeOver the past decades, Islamic finance has expanded its presence to many countries including Muslim-majority post-Soviet Central Asian and Transcaucasian region. Undoubtedly, this expansion has aroused keen interest among the representatives of a range of areas such as science, politics and business. The purpose of this paper is to describe the scope, the key players and the main investment strategies of the Islamic finance market based on the evidence obtained from Kyrgyzstan.Design/methodology/approachThe main empirical corpus was formed from Bureau van Dijk’s databases (Zephyr and Orbis) and includes approximately 80 deals involving Shariah-compliant investments in Kyrgyzstan from 1991 to 2020. The initial corpus was then significantly expanded by means of content analysis of open media sources. Being still insufficient for deeper generalization, these data were further complemented by the analysis of an array of corporate information (press releases, presentations and financial reports) related to the identified deals. To ensure the credibility of the conclusions to be made on the nature of Islamic finance in Kyrgyzstan, the desk analysis was also complemented with field research using qualitative method of in-depth expert interviews.FindingsThis paper has shown that despite the yet modest market volumes represented by Islamic bank, Islamic windows, Islamic leasing company and microfinance companies, Islamic finance in Kyrgyz Republic has further growth prospects, which are associated with the arrival of large foreign Islamic banks that bring innovative financial products, the issuance of Islamic securities (sukuk) and launch of Islamic insurance (takaful). Being more open and consistent in the development of Islamic finance industry, the authorities of Kyrgyzstan understand the need for the initial development of the market by their own forces.Originality/valueThis paper is original and up-to-date, as it contains new and significant information. Suggesting a new approach to studying Islamic finance in post-Soviet area, this paper identifies the most active Islamic investors in Kyrgyzstan, classifies them, reveals their investment strategies and assesses the financial performance of Islamic investors as well as the total volume of Shariah-compliant capital in Kyrgyzstan. The findings of this paper can contribute to shaping policies toward Islamic finance in the post-Soviet region and, therefore, may be beneficial to the development of Islamic finance industry.

Yelizavetpol Province in the System of Territorial Administration of the Russian Empire in the South Caucasus (Nineteenth Century)

The article analyzes the place and role of Yelizavetpol province in the administrative-territorial changes carried out by the tsarist regime in the region after the Russian occupation of the South Caucasus.
 Currently, very complex geopolitical processes are taking place in the South Caucasus region. The main reasons for the processes taking place in this region, which is one of the most conflict zones in the world, are directly related to the situation in the region in the XIX century, after the conquest of the South Caucasus by the Russian Empire. From this point of view, it is important to study the administrative and political changes carried out by the tsarism in the South Caucasus at that time. The historical roots of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which lasted for 30 years and eventually resulted in the restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, go back to the colonial policy pursued by tsarism in the region at that time. The historical Karabakh region of Azerbaijan was administratively part of the Yelizavetpol (Ganja) province. In this regard, the changes that have taken place in the province have had a significant impact on the future of the region as a whole.
 After the occupation of the South Caucasus in the early 19th century, tsarism carried out a series of changes in the territorial structure and administrative management of the region in order to take over the region and incorporate it into a single Russian administrative-territorial and economic system. In order to strengthen administrative-police control in the South Caucasus, including Azerbaijan, the tsarist government implemented several reforms in the 60s and 70s of the 12th century, among which administrative-territorial reforms played an important role. The decree of December 9, 1867 "On changing the governance of the Caucasus and Transcaucasian region", approved by Alexander I, formed the legal basis for these reforms. By this decree, a new province was established in the administrative system of the South Caucasus − Yelizavetpol province.

VOLUME STRUCTURE OF UKRAINIAN WOODEN CHURCH’S LOG-TOWERS: WORLD ANALOGIES AND AUTHENTIC

The article conducts a comparative study between volume-structures of world’s wooden religious buildings’ roofing and different types of Ukrainian wooden church’s log-towers’ volume-structures. As the examples for this comparative study are analyzed the volume structures of Eastern and Western territories of the world including vertically developed roofing of beam-pillar, rafter and log-timber construction as well. The main topics of the investigation are different structures of pagodas and Buddhist temples, vertically developed rafter roofing of Scandinavian and Eastern European Christian churches as well as numerous vertical log-structures of Eastern European and Caucasus churches. All named above examples are consequently compared with determined five basic types of Ukrainian wooden church’s log-towers volume structures (as lateral trapeze or cylindrical elevated roofing, pyramidal roofing, so-called “zalom” tiered roofing, octagon-on-square roofing and “zalom” and octagon-on-square composite roofing). As a result, none of the considered world examples shows complete analogies to the whole spectrum of volume structures of Ukrainian wooden churches’ roofing. In particular, log-towers with so-called “zalom” type tiered volume structure are unique. Analogies to the most archaic volume and constructive types of log roofing of the Ukrainian wooden church (lateral trapeze or cylindrical elevated roofing, pyramidal and octagon-on-square roofing) are present in the wooden sacral architecture of neighboring territories: Carpathian region, Transcaucasian region and Russia. This conclusion proves the long-standing entire history of sacral wooden architecture formation of this region from one hand and independence of further development of the phenomenon of the Ukrainian wooden church from the other.

Дополнения к «Грибоедовской энциклопедии»

The “Griboyedov Encyclopedia” reflects the facts of Griboyedov’s life and work, describes the places he visited, reveals the events in which he took part, reconstructs the everyday, political and historical background of his activities. However, the most important thing for understanding the personality of Griboyedov, like any other historical person, is his connections with the people around him, the analysis of which helps to more fully reveal the meaning of his activities. This publication mainly selects persons from Griboyedov’s Persian entourage, since his participation in Persian affairs, which ended with his tragic death, continues to be an extremely topical issue both in Griboyedov studies proper and in the political history of Persia, Armenia and the entire Transcaucasian region as a whole. This publication presents dictionary entries, the content of which has changed significantly due to newly revealed facts. These are figures of the Persian side (Allayar Khan, Jafar Khan, Riza-Kuli Khan Kochansky, Ehsan Khan) and Russia (M. Z. Argutinsky- Dolgorukov, V. Ya. Vatsenko, P. G. Kakhovsky, I. A. Maltsov, Sultan of the Crimea-Giray). In addition, there are articles about European cultural figures (Voltaire, M. Malinovsky, J. Field).

International Law in the Buffer

Abstract Territorial disputes historically have been commonplace in the Transcaucasian region. Nagorno-Karabakh is a region legally recognised as a part of Azerbaijan, but has historically been disputed by Armenia and Azerbaijan. It was an autonomous region during Soviet times, but fell within the administrative boundaries of the then Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh has operated de facto independently since 1992, when it declared independence. Azerbaijanis from regions bordering Nagorno-Karabakh were displaced from their homes in the 1990s. This created what some refer to a security buffer, but which constitute occupied territory. Azerbaijan seeks the return of all territories. For Karabakh Armenians any dispute settlement that would leave Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan is untenable, given security threats. The conflict is coloured by history, past injustices, and ideologies around identity. Despite decades of mediation attempts by the osce and others, the territory remains fervently disputed. Border skirmishes have been frequent since the 1990s. However, since September 2020 serious escalations in hostilities and violence in region risk a broader regional conflict and drawing in Turkey, Russia and Iran. The paper provides a historical exposition of factors underpinning the dispute, which are critical to understanding its context and ultimate resolution. It examines the claim to self-determination by the people of Nagorno-Karabakh from the perspective of international law. It addresses the interplay between conflicting norms of territorial integrity and self-determination. The paper reflects on questions of statehood, and on the emerging concept of remedial secession in cases of egregious human rights violations and where internal self-determination is denied, and their possible relevance to the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.

Iranian Foreign Policy in the South Caucasus: Identity and National Interests

Any foreign policy decision of a country is formed on the basis of certain principles and norms that constitute the identity and determine the role of this country. In case with Iran, although the norms that form the identity of the Islamic Republic are diverse and each of them can determine the role of the country outside its geographical borders, none of these norms totally dominates Iran’s foreign policy. Iran is a country located within (or neighboring to) several strategic regions, and in each of these regions it demonstrates different foreign policy strategy based on different norms. For example, Iran’s foreign policy in Transcaucasia is determined by principles and norms which, in some cases, are similar to the principles and norms of Iran’s foreign policy in Western Asia and, in other cases, are different from them. These divergent patterns of behavior can be accounted for by two concepts: identity and national interests. The article aims at clarifying the role of identity in determining Iran’s national interests in Transcaucasia and studies Iran’s foreign policy in the region within the mentioned framework. At the same time, the article seeks to examine the challenges associated with the principles and norms determining foreign policy, as well as identify the shortcomings of Iran’s foreign policy in the Transcaucasian region.

Проникновение товарно-капиталистических отношений в сельское хозяйство Закавказского края на рубеже XIX–XX вв.

Проникновение товарно-капиталистических отношений в сельское хозяйство Закавказского края на рубеже XIX–XX вв.

Дагестаноязычные народы и историческая география Восточного Закавказья в Средние века

Дагестаноязычные народы и историческая география Восточного Закавказья в Средние века

The Caucasian Toad, Bufo verrucosissimus (Pallas, 1814) in the Levant: evidence from mitochondrial DNA

We present the first molecular analysis of the Bufo bufo (Linnaeus, 1758) complex population in the Levant. This complex contains four species distributed through the Western Palearctic. Based on the analysis of the widely used mitochondrial marker 16S rRNA, populations from the Levant belong to B. verrucosissimus (Pallas, 1814) and have a close affiliation to populations from the Transcaucasian region rather than southern Turkey. Such identified relationships may imply past rapid colonisation from north to south and support the need for further research.

Nonlinear dynamics of crustal blocks and faults and earthquake occurrences in the Transcaucasian region

The Caucasus is a part of ongoing collision of the Arabian and Eurasian plates, where moderate to strong earthquakes caused significant losses of lives and livelihood in the past. To better understand seismic hazard in the region, we develop a model of block-and-fault dynamics for Transcaucasia, the largest part of the Caucasus to the south of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, to simulate regional earthquakes. The model structure is developed by employing the results of the morphostructural analysis to delineate crustal blocks and the geodetic observations on crustal movements in the region. The model incorporates a nonlinear rate-dependent slip of the faults separating the blocks. A set of numerical experiments has been performed to address the following questions: (i) where strong earthquakes occur and what their reoccurrence time is; (ii) how rigid crustal blocks react to the Arabian plate push and to movements of the ductile part of the crust in Transcaucasia; and (iii) whether the fault slip rates and the block displacements in the model correlate with observed GPS-velocities. The model results confirm that the contemporary crustal dynamics and seismicity pattern in Transcaucasia are determined by the north-northeastern motion of the Arabian plate relative to Eurasia and by the movement of the ductile crust underlying the rigid crustal blocks. Variations in the rheological properties of the fault zones and/or of the ductile crust influence the pattern of seismicity. The number and maximum magnitude of synthetic earthquakes change with the variations in the movements of the crustal blocks and in the rheological properties of the lower crust and the fault zones. The model results can be used in comprehensive seismic hazard assessment of the Caucasus region based on instrumentally observed, historical and synthetic seismicity.

Eastern Anatolian apples with a unique population structure are genetically different from Anatolian apples

The origin of the apple is known to be the Transcaucasian region. Eastern Anatolia, which is located on the migration routes from Asia to Europe, has a rich and an uncharacterized apple germplasm and the characterization of apple genetic sources from this region is important for both evolutionary studies and apple breeding. In this study, 94 M. domestica accessions originated from seven diverse regions within Eastern Anatolia were studied using 16 SSR (simple sequence repeat) loci. SSR markers we used produced high allele numbers in all loci and CH02d11 (PI: 0.059) with 18 alleles was the most informative locus. In addition, 14 identical accession groups were identified. Most likely due to self-incompatibility, relatively high levels of heterozygosity (Ho: 0.696) was found for Eastern Anatolia apples. Structure Harvester analyses of East Anatolian apple accessions showed that although each group seems to be somewhat distinct, some levels of admixture with other populations might also exist. Due to a significant gene flow between all pairs of seven apple populations, a limited (low) differentiation was found between the populations. Comparisons using 16 common SSR loci revealed that Eastern Anatolia accessions were genetically different from Anatolian accessions. In addition, based on FCA, and Nei’s genetic distance analyses, Eastern Anatolian apples were found to be genetically different from the commercial apple cultivars Golden Delicious and Florina. Our results suggesting that Eastern Anatolia apple populations have a unique structure will be useful for future genetic and evolutionary studies on apples.