No 4 (2023)
- Year: 2023
- Published: 31.12.2023
- Articles: 37
- URL: https://medbiosci.ru/2542-212X/issue/view/19205
Full Issue
Археология и древняя история
Features of the pottery production of the Meshoko shelter
Abstract
The article describes the findings of a petrographic research of the Meshoko shelter’s ceramics. A total of 32 fragments were studied, 22 fragments – from the 5th (Chalcolithic) layer, 10 fragments – from the upper part of the 6th layer (layer 6a). Based on the analysis, 4 groups of ceramics were identified. Group 1 consists of fragments with admixture of limestone, group 2 – with admixture of limestone and intrusive rocks, group 3 – with admixture of limestone and metamorphic rocks, group 4 – with admixture of intrusive rocks. The types of clays were also determined, among which lean clays of smectite and smectite-chlorite composition predominate. Based on the types of clays, firing options and admixture within the groups, subgroups were identified. Ceramics of all the selected groups are found in both the 5th and 6th layers, but their subgroups completely distinguish. This ceramics also differ in the duration of firing and the nature of surface treatment. The results of the ceramics study of the Meshoko shelter’s 5th and 6th strata were also compared with the results of the Meshoko settlement’s ceramics analysis. The ceramics of its lower layer turned out to differ completely from the ceramics of the shelter. But the upper part of the settlement deposits with a shelter is united by the presence of ceramics with an admixture of limestone. However, there are also differences in the temperature and duration of firing, the nature of surface treatment. The data obtained indicate a significant diversity of ceramic traditions in the Chalcolithic of the Belaya River basin, which may also indicate a complex composition of the population.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):15-28
15-28
Medieval and Modern history
Daryal fortress: reasons for construction and role in ensuring security in the Transcaucasus
Abstract
The article explains and investigates the causes for the construction of Daryal fortifications, as well as their function in the system of international political ties in the Caucasus region over time. The Daryal fortress, located in the Daryal Gorge of the Central Caucasus, was of great importance for ensuring political, economic and military security in the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia. The political forces exercising control over it received a considerable number of advantages necessary to carry out their domestic and foreign policies. Maintaining the fortress, the garrison serving in it, as well as the road passing through the Daryal Gorge required large financial expenditures. Despite this, the construction of fortresses in the Daryal Gorge and other locations of the Central Caucasus was extremely useful in defending the rich and commercially developed republics of Transcaucasia against incursions by nomadic tribes from the north. The defense system as a link between Europe and Asia has existed and functioned for many centuries, which confirms its importance in ensuring security and creating positive dynamics in the development of the North Caucasus and Transcaucasian regions.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):29-39
29-39
Internal political crisis in the Kabarda in 1589: background, historical context, implications
Abstract
Details of the internal politics of the fiefs of Circassia, especially in the period of the late Middle Ages and early modern times, belong to the block of least studied problems. Some chapter of the internal political struggle of the most influential princely houses of Kabarda in the second half of the XVI century had a foreign policy dimension, since their outcome was influenced in their own interests by neighboring of the great powers who were trying to use the resources of the peoples of the North Caucasus in their own interests. They are mirrored in archival documents, particularly from the Muscovite kingdom, providing tools for a more complete understanding of the historical process. One of these subjects is the internal political crisis of 1589 associated with the election of Pshchyshkhue, the Grand Duke of Kabarda, after the death of Kanbulat Idarov. Active military-political intervention in this process by the Russian state set the trends in the dynamics of Kabardian-Russian relations for the next half century and marked the beginning of the transformation of the institution of supreme political power in Kabarda.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):40-54
40-54
Political-behavioral models of the russian-turkish frontier actors in the Eastern Caucasus in the first third of the 18th century
Abstract
The article discusses the process of formation of political-behavioral models of the actors of the Russian-Turkish frontier, formed after the Persian campaign of Peter I in 1722-1723. The frontier theory is used as a basic concept, which allows us to consider the problem not only from the standpoint of the great powers but also from the point of view of mountain communities. The behavioral patterns of the Dagestan governing elites, who were involved in complex Russian-Turkish ties in the first third of the 18th century, are investigated using archival resources, some of which are being presented into science for the first time, and historiographic sources. The authors explain why Dagestan’s rulers formed pro-Russian or pro-Turkish alliances and follow the history of their foreign policy views. It is demonstrated that the behavioral models of the frontier participants were influenced by the drive for personal gain, as well as the desire to improve their own position among other owners.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):55-64
55-64
The Mountain verbal courts of the Kuban and Tersk oblasts (1871–1918): the main directions and prospects of comparative historical research
Abstract
The article considers the main directions and prospects of comparative historical research of the activities of the mountain verbal courts of the Kuban and Tersk regions in 1871-1917.It is noted that the specifics of their activities were determined to a certain extent by the peculiarities of their territorial jurisdiction.In this regard, the extraterritorial principle of their activities is characterized, when their territorial jurisdiction coincided with the ethnic territory of a particular people and sometimes went beyond the boundaries of the political and legal entity within which they were created and functioned.It has been established that the main directions of comparative historical research of their activities may be related to the study of the features of their territorial organization and the identification of local features of functioning, analysis of the range of disputes and conflicts under consideration (murders, injuries, theft, property and inheritance disputes) and other issues they resolve (related to the establishment of guardianship and guardianship, religion) and etc. Attention is drawn to the interaction of the mountain verbal courts with government institutions, institutions of self-government and people's justice (mediation/mediation courts).It is concluded that a comparative historical study of the activities of these institutions will significantly expand the understanding of them as an important mechanism for the incorporation of the indigenous peoples of the Kuban and Tersk regions into the political and legal space of Russia.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):65-74
65-74
Zolsky uprise 1913 as a crisisis of trust in practices of society-state interaction in Nalchik district
Abstract
The subject of trust in public-state interactions and local self-government is examined using the example of agrarian protests on Zolsky pastures grasslands in Nalchik district in June 1913. The new pastureland usage laws, authorized in 1912 and applied in the spring of 1913, sparked mass protests among residents of many Kabardian rural societies. Based on archival sources and materials of periodicals,The major strategies for achieving “trust” in the adoption and approval of public pastureland use laws are outlined. Ritual and rhetorical forms of official and informal interaction between the crown authorities and representatives of the Kabardian society, which allowed to restore trust in the regional authorities, are considered. The grounds for the protracted suspension of the Congress of Entrusted from making decisions on the control of pastureland usage are determined, and are related to the fear of repeated expressions of protest feelings. The conclusion is substantiated that the complete overcoming of ideological consequences of the pasture crisis of 1913 became possible only in March 1917, when the congress of entrusted, freed from the supervision of the crown administration, abolished the rules of 1912, which caused unrest on the Zolsky pastures.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):75-87
75-87
Recent history
On the question of the activities of the government of the Mountain republic (may 1919 – мay 1919)
Abstract
The article discusses the genesis, presence, and formation of requirements for the deposition of one of the several state entities on the territory of the former Russian Empire’s Caucasian viceroyalty – the Mountain Republic. The emphasis is on the fact that the liberal mountain leaders did not set out to secede from Russia; they were quite loyal to the Provisional Government, and it was only the Bolshevik seizure of power in the country and in the North Caucasus that pushed them to the decision to establish an independent state. The Ottoman and German empires allegedly supported their decision to establish their own state, but the mountain liberals lacked the wherewithal to establish a full-fledged state. The emphasis is on the fact that the decision to fire A.-M. Chermoyev’s cabinet was made under British pressure, and that the resignation of P. Kotsev and appointment of M. Khalilov could have been prompted by the White Guards.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):88-98
88-98
Mountainous republic and A. Denikin: factors of the inefficacy of the anti-bolshevik alliance
Abstract
The article explores the problems of interaction between the government of the Mountainous Republic and the Volunteer Army in the late 1918-1919. It identifies the factors that hindered the consolidation of these actors in the revolutionary period in the North Caucasus region. It is noted that despite the common tasks associated with the fight against the Bolsheviks, the Mountainous Republic and A. Denikin were divided by insurmountable contradictions: after the Bolsheviks came to power, the mountainous figures embarked on building an independent state, while the White administration fought to preserve the integrity of the space of the collapsed Russian Empire. Furthermore, the article emphasizes that the vulnerable position of the Mountainous Republic, lacking a combat-ready army, broad social base among the indigenous population, and political authority at the time under consideration, did not allow the White authorities to consider the mountain democratic political elite as a force whose alliance would have a significant impact on the outcome of the struggle against Bolshevism in the region.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):99-108
99-108
Power and society in conditions of military-political and economic crisis: the Kuban-Black Sea region in the early 1920s.
Abstract
The Bolsheviks’ relationship with the rural population of the Kuban-Black Sea region was marked by the active use of war communist methods from the moment Soviet power was restored and before the actual implementation of the main provisions of food and land policy in the structure of the NEP. Repression against the rural population, as well as forced food confiscation, ultimately led to a rise in military-political confrontation between the government and society. The interval between an official military-communist policy and the practical implementation of the NEP in the region lasted up to a year and a half, ending in 1923. The challenges of the transition phase, as well as the construction of a model of the connection between the RCP (b) and the region’s populace, were largely explained by the region’s peculiarities, which blended class, class, and interethnic tensions. As a result, the Bolsheviks agreed to a compromise in the following round of reforms, which began in 1924 as part of the “Facing the Countryside” course, abandoning coercive tactics in domestic affairs.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):109-123
109-123
“Top-down” desecularization of islam in Kabardino-Balkaria: 1940s – beginning of the XXI century
Abstract
The study is about Kabardino-Balkaria’s state policy toward Islam from the Great Patriotic War until the beginning of the twenty-first century. Desecularization “from above” is used as the main conceptual approach of the study. This approach is viewed as a state-controlled, rather than a grassroots movement led, rebirth of religion from private to public space. It is noted that the growing Islamic mobilization, being also under the influence of external political technologies, required the Soviet and Russian state to create a “top-down” desecularization strategy in order to avoid the emergence of autonomous centers of violence and separatism. Ultimately, despite changes in the political regime since the middle of the 20th century not only had the state kept religious processes within certain limits, sometimes using authoritarian methods, but also integrated existing potential into a productive political agenda, be it ensuring internal security and stability or foreign policy strategies.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):124-140
124-140
Interregional cooperation of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic with the subjects of the Russian Federation in the 90s of the XX century
Abstract
Large-scale processes of transformation of statehood and socio-economic structure that took place in post-Soviet Russia in the last decade of the 20th century affected the system of federative relations and, as a result, interregional ties. The latter, in the liberalization of the entire system of social relations of the Russian state, began to acquire a more horizontal character, and the role of the federal center was to determine the framework conditions and coordinate interregional relations. Fundamental documents that fixed (in chronological order) the reform of the federal structure of the Russian Federation were the Federation Treaty of 31.03.1992: “The Treaty on the Delimitation of the Subjects of Jurisdiction and Powers between the Federal Bodies of State Power of the Russian Federation and the Authorities of the Sovereign Republics within the Russian Federation” (together with the “Protocol to the Federation Treaty”), the Constitution of the Russian Federation, adopted by the National Council of the Russian Federation. The Problem of Development of Interregional Relations within the Russian Federation The Concept of the State National Policy of the Russian Federation. was relevant not only for the last decade of the last century, with its new economic and political realities compared to the Soviet period, but also for the current and future stages of development, which inevitably set new challenges and trends in relations between the federal center and the regions, as well as between the regions of a large country, each of which has its own specifics, starting with territorial and natural and climatic parameters, ending with resource (in the broad sense of the word) and economic and industrial potential. In the period under review, the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (Kabardino-Balkarian Republic), associated with the leadership of the first post-Soviet head (President of the Republic) V.M. Kokov, pursued a rather active policy of establishing direct interregional ties with the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, representing both the South of Russia and much more remote regions.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):141-165
141-165
Preservation of historical memory in rostov-on-don's toponymic space: an example of the assign-ment of honorary names to schools
Abstract
Researchers consider issues related to the study of historical memory in a broad context, because the perception and display of its individual plots can be studied from various angles, both material in the form of, for example, a memorial space, and public and state practices, such as holding festive events. Research into toponymic space entails direct touch with the sphere of historical memory. With this phrasing of the topic, the toponymy of Rostov-on-Don appears to be a very interesting route for thinking about specific practices of conserving historical memory, such as naming schools after historical figures. Being a part of the general toponymic space of the city, they are a vivid marker of how the practices of implementing toponymic policy and preserving historical memory interact at the present stage. The authors of this article believe that studying toponymic space entails direct work on the study of the key subjects of historical memory, which are fixed in public space, by designating not just streets or squares, but also individual institutions. Based on the analysis of the complex of honorary names of Rostov-on-Don schools, the time of their appearance, as well as the semantic load, it seems natural to draw conclusions about the most significant and relevant subjects of historical memory preserved in the 1990s-2020s on the map of the capital of the South and the gates of the North Caucasus.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):166-174
166-174
Ethnology, anthropology and ethnography
Amulets and charms of the peoples of the Northwestern Caucasus in the Russian Museum of Eth-nography collection
Abstract
The article examines objects from the Russian Ethnographic Museum’s collection, the primary purposes of which are protective. The collection of things with defensive or protective properties dates back to the first museum excursions to the Caucasus and is still going on today. Researchers frequently turn to the study of magical activities that are a vital component of traditional societies’ lives. The study discovered that amulets and amulets identical to each other existed in the North-Western Caucasus, regardless of the prevalent religion of the region’s peoples. Items from the REM collection, which represent all forms of amulets and amulets that existed here, are the primary source of work. The article also depends on the works of predecessors devoted to the spiritual culture of the peoples of the Northwestern Caucasus, as well as field materials gathered by the author throughout many years of anthropological expeditions to the region under investigation. The author concludes that: 1) when creating amulets, the religious affiliation of the peoples of the North-Western Caucasus is of secondary importance; 2) despite belonging to world religions - Islam or Christianity - people use individual objects to protect themselves and the space around them from harmful effects; and 3) any object that has been given sacred significance can be used as a protective object. The study’s findings demonstrate the Caucasus as a place where peoples have constantly interacted, resulting in reciprocal enrichment of civilizations.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):175-191
175-191
“I am so sorry that I took out human souls”: the concepts of soul and the afterlife among the Transcaucasian Yazidis in modern times
Abstract
Kurdistan, centered between Asia Minor, Transcaucasia, and Iran, has frequently served as a focal point of rebellion to central governments and the main religions associated with them. As a result, despite its geographic isolation and strict ethnic boundaries, the emergence and development of Yezidism should be observed through the lens of the Middle East, which requires paying close attention to its possible connections to other confessions in the region, whose creed and religious practice share several elements with Yezidism.The belief in afterlife and immortality of the soul occupies a prominent place in most religious doctrines. This article examines the Transcaucasian Yezidis’ ideas about the afterlife, setting them in these regional and historical contexts. The investigation follows the concept of “brotherhood in afterlife”, which plays an important role in Yezidi socio-spiritual hierarchy, since it is the brother or sister in the afterlife of each Yezidi who will, after death, intercede for him/her before God and guide his soul through the Salat bridge, allowing him to enter paradise. Of particular interest is the belief in reincarnation existing in the Yezidi environment, metaphorically referred to as “changing the shirt”, in which the soul after death may move into a body with a higher rank as a reward for righteous behavior.The Yezidis' eschatological concepts and rites were recorded and analyzed in valuable little-known field studies conducted by anthropologists and ethnographers, as well as in forgotten Soviet films. These documents serve as the primary sources of study in the paper.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):192-213
192-213
National-cultural self-determination of ethnic communities of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic as a component of Russian civil identity
Abstract
The study investigates the phenomena of national-cultural self-determination of Kabardino-Balkarian Republic ethnic communities in the framework of Russian civic identity. The main directions of scientific research devoted to national-cultural self-determination and its relationship with civil identity are examined, as well as how the wide diversity of the ethnic composition of the country’s population or its individual region necessarily places the task of maintaining stability in the sphere of interethnic relations on the shoulders of the leadership. The Kabardino-Balkarian Republic’s legal backing and control of national relations, as well as the operation of national cultural centers, are discussed. Particular emphasis is placed on the activities of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic’s Ministry of National Affairs and public projects aimed at achieving civil, interethnic, and interfaith harmony in the region.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):214-223
214-223
Историография, источниковедение, методы исторического исследования
The history of the archaeological study of the fortified settlement of Gundelen-2
Abstract
The article is about the history of the archaeological examination of the Gundelen-2 site. The monument is situated on a high rocky ledge on the right bank of the Gundelen river, a tributary of the Baksan river, between the settlements of Zayukovo and Kendelen. The fortified hamlet is situated in an important and strategically beneficial location, from which the entire adjacent river valley and the entrance to the Baksan canyon are easily seen. The town is located on a rocky ledge that runs north-south and is made of sandstone rocks, with steep cliffs on three sides: the southern, eastern, and western. On the northern side, where there is no natural protection, the settlement is protected by a number of fortifications - two ditches and a pair of ramparts. The size of the settlement in the widest place reaches 70 meters, and in length 220 m. The Gundelen-2 settlement is part of an archaeological monument complex that includes the Zayukovo-3 burial site and the Gundelen-2 rock catacomb burial ground (Fig. 1). The complex has been known since the 30s. XX century and has been visited numerous times by researchers over the subsequent decades, but serious study of the monuments did not begin until the 10s. XXI century.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):224-236
224-236
Theoretical and methodological foundations for the research of office documentation on problems of Caucasian studies
Abstract
The article examines the theoretical and methodological foundations of the study of office evidence through the analysis of sources on the history of the North Caucasus. The author defined the concept, types and methods of studying office documentation, carried out a historiographical review of the main studies devoted to the development of a theoretical basis for the study of this type of sources. She paid special attention to the study of the experience accumulated in Caucasian studies in the study of office materials of Russian administration in the North Caucasus at the end of the 18th – 19th centuries. In particular, the author analyzed the works of A.Kh. Abazov, E.G. Muratova, T.A. Kolosovskaya, Z.Zh. Glasheva, D.M. Alkhasova and others, in which they, thanks to the use of methods of classification, generalization, functional and interdisciplinary analysis, etc. carried out external and internal criticism of office documentation. The author concluded that a comprehensive source analysis of office materials using special historical and interdisciplinary methods and approaches is required.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):237-260
237-260
Historiography of the problem of gender and power relations among kabardians and balkars in the XIX – early XX century in the Russian Caucasian studies
Abstract
This article analyses the evolution of studying gender power relations and subordination in national Caucasian studies. Gender inequality in the North Caucasus has always been of great interest 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 historiography. 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.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):261-276
261-276
The Saber of Imam Tashu-Khaji from Sayasan: to the question of the authenticity of one exhibitor
Abstract
The authors of the essay endeavored to research facts from the military history of the Caucasian War that are related with Tashu-Hadji Sayasanovsky, a campaigner for the third Imam Shamil and a notable leader of the movement for gazavat and Sharia in Chechnya and Dagestan. The study’s major plot is associated with the examination of the legitimacy of the bladed weapon, the owners of which claim it to be a trophy saber of Imam Tashu-Hadji. Despite the local context of this historical event, the circumstances associated with the person of Tashu-Hadji naturally increase the collection value of the saber. Summarizing the information about the military campaigns in which Tashu-Hadji took part, the authors expressed their opinion about the most likely circumstances when the saber could actually fall into the hands of the Russian military. The paper pays special emphasis on the examination and analysis of the exhibit owners’ arguments. The authors conclude that, despite the verisimilar and plausible arguments, there are numerous inconsistencies and contradictions in the information about the saber of Imam Tashu-Hadji, which is stated by its owners. Thus, the authenticity of the attribution of this collection item is called into question. The article’s materials were published historical evidence, presented by memoirs of Caucasus conquest participants, official correspondence of Russian military officials, works of military historians contemporaneous with the events, and Arabic-language works of Caucasian Muslim authors.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):277-290
277-290
History of mountain Jews of the North Caucasus region 1920s – 1930s: current issues in historiography and sources
Abstract
The article analyzes historiographical and source research problems associated with the study of the past of Mountain Jews of the North Caucasus region. The achievements of recent Russian historiography related to scientists’ various degrees of attention to one or more local Mountain Jewish groups are evaluated. The scientific issues presented in the essay are also linked to key events in the lives of Mountain Jews, most notably the resettlement programs implemented by the Soviet government during this time period. They resulted in a shift in the spatial distribution of Mountain Jews on North Caucasus area in the 1920s and early 1930s. It is known that the Mountain Jews of the 1920s and 1930s were researched more fragmentarily than the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as since the 1940s - second half of the twentieth century. The prospects for renewing the source base on the research issue are highlighted, including the entrance of new sources into scientific circulation, such as clerical sources from various Soviet, party, and other bodies.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):291-307
291-307
“...These events have their representatives of supporters in almost all villages of the region.” Doc-uments and materials about the Baksan events of 1928 in Kabardino-Balkaria
Abstract
The article is devoted to the study of the historical causes and prerequisites of the tragic events that occurred in the Baksan district of the Kabardino-Balkarian Autonomous Region in June 1928 and went down in history as the “Baksan events”. This was the first, open and large-scale protest of a part of the Kabardian peasantry against the policies of the Soviet government in the economic, social and cultural-ideological spheres.The Soviet model of modernization of all aspects of life and activity of Kabardino-Balkarian society meant a break with the traditional ideas of the peoples of Kabardino-Balkaria, which objectively led to the accumulation of conflict potential in relations between various subjects of the political process. As a result, in the late 1920s. There is an open armed confrontation, during which many people died and were injured.The causes and prerequisites, course and character, driving forces, results and consequences of the Baksan events of 1928 have still not received proper in-depth and unbiased research on regional historiography. Published documents and materials should contribute to a deep and objective study of all aspects of the history of the Baksan events, which is of great scientific importance.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):308-325
308-325
The Pre-War USSR and the National Question: Adygea in an Essay by the American Journalist J. Kunitz (1931)
Abstract
This article analyzes an essay by the American writer J. Kunitz, who traveled across the Republic of Adygea in the early 1930s as part of a group of foreign writers to the southern parts of the USSR. The main theme of the essay of the foreign journalist was the consideration of the methods and ways of solving the national question in the Soviet Union using the example of the Adyghe population. At the same time, the essay examines the process of a radical restructuring of the national republic, both in terms of production and economics, and as part of a change in the very social structure of traditional Caucasian society. Kjunitz documents the transformation of fundamental social institutions in Adygea, such as the role of the family and women, religion, and education, in comparison to pre-revolutionary eras. The American author expresses his feelings openly, passionately praising the changes he sees before his eyes as modernization and a true “cultural revolution” in the life of the Adyghe people.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):326-338
326-338
Dzhegonas mountain jews history and culture in the modern digital archives / datebases (source study aspect)
Abstract
During two decades, the Databases of digitized historical documents had come into sight, specifically WWI and WWII periods (www.gwar.mil.ru; www.obd-memorial.ru; www.podvignaroda.ru; www.pamyat-naroda.ru). It’s bringing a new momentum in the historical and ethnological studies by updating the focus on individual biographies, family stories and their network, genealogies and onomastics. The author is showcasing the potential of Databases for heuristic search on the local Mountain Jews group in Dzhegonas village, Kuban region. It is noted that there is an interaction process between the researcher and the platform, in which the platform, after providing options for the required data, can change the vector and focus of scientific search, thereby changing the object and subject of research, among other things. It is concluded that the advent of such Internet platforms of digitized documents and Databases affects the complex of sources in history and ethnology on the one hand, and influences research processes on the other.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):339-351
339-351
Literature of the peoples of the Russian Federation (literature of the peoples of the North Caucasus)
Creative reception of biblical myths in the B. CHipchikov’s russian-language prose
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to look at the theosophical issues that are significant in modern realities considering examples of adaptation and qualitative reconstruction of religious plots, biblical mythologies, fragments from the scriptures in the works of the Russian-speaking author B. Chipchikov. This project seeks to identify antecedent religious inserts, quotations, and reminiscences in the works of the Balkarian prose writer. The research focuses on the semantics of biblical allusions, intertextual discourse, forms of figurative reflection on the world through mythotheologems. In the course of the analysis, the hidden meanings of the literary text, the ideological content of stories and short stories in the aspect of the sacred meanings inherent in them are revealed, the philosophical and symbolic images are deciphered from the point of view of their semiotic status, the subtext rolled up in them is read. The primary goal of the research is to determine the specifics of the writer’s individual perspective, as well as to define the ideological and creative foundations of his works. We attempted to describe the author’s anthropology’s humanistic essence, which consists in the proclamation of notions such as personal self-improvement, the value of human existence, the necessity of spiritual vision, intuitive feeling, rethinking the divine design, and many other related themes. The author’s intentionality and receptive aesthetics enable us to model a conditional picture of the world, artistically embodied in all of its contextual expressions.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):352-372
352-372
Moral dilemmas and ethical conflicts in russian literature of the 20TH century and in the prose of F. Iskander
Abstract
This article is an exploration of moral dilemmas and ethical conflicts in Russian literature of the 20th century and their influence on shaping public consciousness and dialogue on moral issues. The article actively engages in a deep analysis and discussion of various moral aspects present in Russian literature of the 20th century. Key themes such as freedom, justice, identity, collectivism, and individuality take center stage. The article examines these ethical questions through the prism of well-known literary works of that time, including those by B. Pasternak, M. Bulgakov, Y. Zamyatin, and the Abkhazian writer F. Iskander. Particular emphasis is placed on how these moral issues materialize in the characters and stories of literary works. The analysis explores the meanings, dilemmas, and conflicts presented by authors through their characters. This approach adds depth to the article, enriching the discussion of moral issues not only in the abstract but also in literary works. The study methodology is founded on an examination of the socio-cultural backdrop, the impact of historical events on social and moral standards, and a thorough examination of genres and major works. The novelty of the study lies in a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of moral dilemmas and ethical conflicts presented in Russian literature of the 20th century. The article’s findings can be valuable in literary studies, philosophy, ethics, education, social sciences, and cultural studies. They can be used to debate and examine moral concerns, the impact of literature on public opinion, and to spark public debate and shape public consciousness. The article underscores the importance of Russian literature of the 20th century in exploring moral dilemmas and ethical conflicts, as well as its role in shaping public consciousness and dialogue on moral issues.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):373-384
373-384
«From the darkness of ages»: the evolutionary status of the epic
Abstract
The article “From the Darkness of Ages”: the evolutionary status of the epic” is an attempt at a comprehensive analysis of I. Bazorkin’s novel from the point of view of its ethnic authenticity and belonging to newly written literature. The work’s relevance - the writing of the Ingush prose writer has not been sufficiently studied to this day, and the fact of his obvious exclusivity in terms of professional development in comparison to the general context of “accelerated” literature has only been mentioned in the relevant works. The authors persuasively analyze specific aspects of the writer’s narrative style, demonstrating that I. Bazorkin exhibits traditional literary system features in the components of idiostyle – apperceptivee, constructive-plot, genre, ideological, and conceptual. The study notes and demonstrates I. Bazorkin’s attraction to storytelling with alternating “focality” (“cognitive transfer”). Interesting observations regarding the mutual aesthetic integration of folklore and ethnographic elements of the work. The ideological mobility and freedom of the writer in the sphere of moral and ethical standards of perception and evaluation are noted. All of these innovative characteristics of newly written language are explained by the writer’s education, the details of his creation in infancy, which, of course, has it causes. I. Bazorkin’s novel has all the features of newly written prose and in this sense clearly fits into the context of the national literature of the Ingush people, however, the text of the work, both in narrative terms and in architectonics, is a phenomenon more characteristic of developed literary systems with long tradition.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):385-397
385-397
Abaza love and landscape lyrics of the 1950s.
Abstract
. Based on the analysis of approximately 30 literary texts, the paper clearly indicates the genesis and evolution of love-landscape themes during one of the early stages of the construction of national literature. The topic is of philological significance since it exposes the roots of the later developed layer of Abaza lyrics, which is represented by the names M. Chikatuev, M. Tlyabicheva, and K. Mkhtse.The primary research methodologies were descriptive, noting the distinguishing aspects of poetry works based on observations and interpretative, revealing the artistic content of texts and their meanings. Not only P. Tsekov, K. Dzhegutanov, B. Thaitsukhov, J. Laguchev, M. Chikatuev, who later became popular poets, but also I. Tabulov, M. Fizikov, Sh. Fizikov, P. Dzugov, B. Kenzhev, A. Tambiev, Z. Mamatova, who are little known today but participated in the literary process of their time, are studied.Throughout the study, it is proven that a distinguishing feature of 1950s love and landscape songs is their saturation with social and industrial causes, from which liberation is intended by the end of the decade. Sh. Fizikova’s poetry “The Path Tells” has lyricization of the love topic, B. Thaitsukhov’s poem “The Girl’s Song” contains psychologization of the lyrical subject, and M. Fizikov’s poem “Sing Along and You” contains an alternation of love themes and landscape sketches.The initial landscape poems have a detached declaration of nature’s indications, a lack of vocabulary, and inappropriate repetitions, which are eventually replaced by the authors’ ability to adapt what they saw into poetic imagery, developing them in a logical sequence. And plastic is evident in the best works of K. Dzhegutanov, M. Chikatuev, and B. Thaitsukhov, a harmonic synthesis of form and content, filling the artistic text with expressive linguistic means.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):398-421
398-421
Фольклористика
The mother image in the cycle of legends about the Eshanoko brother
Abstract
This paper is devoted to finding the characteristics of the mother’s image in the stories of the Eshanoko Brothers Cycle. Female characters are among the most common in Adyg folklore and other peoples’ oral folk art. In this regard, a number of scientists have frequently turned their attention to them. Particular importance was given in the works to the images of heroines from Adyg folklore’s epic genres, particularly fairy tales and ancient heroic epics (Sataney-guasha, Adiyukh, Usarezh, etc.). Some female characters of historical-heroic songs and legends (Goshegag, Guashemakho, daughter-in-law of the Zhansokhovs, etc.) are also defined using the descriptive-analytical method. What has previously been explored opens the door to a more in-depth examination of the origins and artistic originality of these and other historical folklore characters. One of them is the image of the mother of the brothers Eshanoko, who plays a significant role in the cycle. This determines the relevance of this study. The main goal of the work is to give as complete a description as possible of not only the description of the heroine’s appearance, but to establish the origin, evolution and typology of this image using the method of comparative typological analysis. Based on existing plot catalogs, in particular the index by Antti Aarne and Stif Thompson, the types of plots associated with this character are noted.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):422-435
422-435
Wonderful objects in Karachay-Balkarian magical fairy-tales and Nart tales
Abstract
The article presents the results of a comparative analysis of wonderful objects, found in the texts of magical and magical-heroic fairy-tales and the Nart epos of the Karachais and Balkarians. The main purpose of the work is to identify, systematize and describe the basic body of objective realities, that have supernatural properties, to determine the specifics of their implementation in the works of the designated segments of Karachay-Balkarian folklore. Using a continuous sample strategy, the texts of magical and magical-heroic fairy-tales and Nart tales featuring references to wonderfulobjective realities were identified. This study also employed descriptive, axiological, structural, and comparative analysis methodologies. It has been established that the spectrum of wonderful objects in magical fairy-tales is significantly broader, and the hero’s contribution to triumph is more significant, than in Nart tales. The main methods of acquiring objective realities with supernatural qualities in the heroic epos are acquisition through force or cunning, abduction; in fairy-tale texts, cases of donation and inheritance are not uncommon. It is concluded, that the disclosure of the functional capabilities of certain wonderful objects, the features of their implementation depend on the basic settings of the work, in which they are used: in the Nart epos these processes are subordinated to heroic pathos, and in fairy-tales – a focus on embodying the idea of the obligatory victory of good over evil. The presented research in the future will contribute to a further, more in-depth study of the poetics of Karachay-Balkarian magical fairy-tales and the Nart epos, the creation of more complete classification schemes of wonderful objects, and the collected information can serve as a basis for conducting comparative research with folklore material of other peoples.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):436-451
436-451
Some problems of scientific and analytical translation of epic texts
Abstract
Translation remains the most important means of communicating the phenomena of verbal art to a foreign language audience. Therefore, for different tasks of recording the features of a literary text, there are different types of transferring the content of the original into the language of another medium. The article discusses some of the most typical difficulties that arise when turning to the type of translation called scientific-analytical. Recognizing the actual uniqueness of all the features of the source, attention is drawn to what ways to overcome the language barrier can be used in working on poetic texts when the source and translation languages belong to such different structural types as Adyghe, belonging to the group of Ibero-Caucasian languages and Russian - one of the Indo-European ones. Without denying the important role of the individual skill of the translator, the author comes to the conclusion that it is necessary to search for the organic unity of the translated text and accompanying comments with a glossary. The study's focus is solely on poetry texts.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):452-460
452-460
Myth and the younger epic: problems of diffusion (based on the materials of legend and song about Lezherokopsh)
Abstract
The article examines the patterns of use of mythological motifs in the cycle of the younger, historical-heroic epic. It is established by analyzing the song and legend about Prince Lezheroko (Lezherokopsh) that elements of mythological concepts have a subordinate place in the younger epic, but they can play a major part in the plot’s development. Their use is related to how stable the beliefs associated with existing beliefs are in the collective consciousness. Thus, we may not be talking about a consciously accepted artistic invention, but about ideas existing in traditional society. In the specific case of the cycle about Lezheroko, the fantastic characters genies and the hero’s participation in the conflict between them are recognized as a reality that has a direct connection with reality. The same is the nature of the use of elements of mysticism in some other cycles. This preserves the established generic feature of the younger epic - the perception of the events and personalities described as having a real factual basis in reality. This circumstance does not reduce the level of aesthetic significance of the elements of mythology in the lyrics of songs and legends of the younger epic, but introduces its diversity into the artistic system of the genre.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):461-469
461-469
Historical-cultural and moral-ethical significance of karachay-balkarian historical-heroic songs
Abstract
The article examines the historical-heroic songs of Karachais and Balkarians, which are closely connected at their core both with socio-historical events and with the glorification of the feat of a specific person (batyr, zhigit). They capture ethical-aesthetic ideas about heroism, show the national character and ideals of the people, and define historical, cultural, and moral significance. The compositional and conceptual component of historical-heroic songs emphasizes particular aspects such as the struggle, heroic acts, the death or victory of a hero, and the realistic portrayal of specific historical events, real heroic figures, and geographical locations. Analysis, conducted on the material of songs «Achemezni dzhyry» («Song about Achemez») and «Atabiyni dzhyry» («Atabiy’s Song»), showed, that one of the central concepts of the moral and ethical code of the Karachay-Balkarian people is namys, syj, which means «honor». It did not depend on class or financial well-being, but was determined by the personal qualities of each individual person. Loss of honor was considered a fate worse than death.The study showed that in the historical-heroic songs of Karachais and Balkarians a significant layer of encoded information about their linguistic and ethnic picture of the world has been preserved.The research methods, used in the work, were axiological, descriptive and linguistic.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):470-480
470-480
Проблемы современного общества и экономики
Activities of the International Circassian association to support the interethnic peace in the modern period
Abstract
It has been revealed that the propaganda of the maintenance of interethnic peace at the international, federal and regional levels is a priority in the activities of the ICA in the modern period. In this activity of the ICA, the most effective and widespread were those conducted in 2014-2023 scientific and practical conferences, round tables, etc., the purpose of which is to promote: harmonization of interethnic relations, development of international and interregional cooperation using public diplomacy methods, strengthening ties with foreign compatriots, forming a favorable public opinion about Russia abroad, interaction between government bodies, public, religious and educational organizations. The active work of the ICA in the maintenance of interethnic peace was highly appreciated at the federal level. President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin, in his address to the participants of the XIII ICA Congress, noted special recognition of the association’s efforts to maintain peace and harmony in the North Caucasus, constructive dialogue with government agencies and civil society institutions.The peacekeeping position of the ICA on the political situation in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine, which escalated in March 2014, was to support Russia’s policy aimed at its peaceful settlement. After the start of the special operation of the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine (February 2022), the position of the ICA is to support this measure, criticize the founders and participants of the “Free Circassia” movement, created in Warsaw in 2022, as well as calls for the Circassian people – unite and resist the provocations of anti-Russian forces.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):481-496
481-496
Essays, notes, reviews
Socio-economic characteristics of the Balkar society in the second half of the 19th – early 20th centuries (based on family lists of 1886 and 1905)
Abstract
The essay focuses on the demographic and socioeconomic structure of Balkarian rural societies during the epoch of Russian capitalist modernization in the late XIXth and early XXth centuries. The evidence from the 1886 Household Census was used to compile the database. The information was processed with the use of various methods of statistical and correlation analysis. This made it possible to present a cross-section of the Balkar society of that period, its demographic structure, economic differentiation, and social stratification. Systematic comparison of the data from the 1886 Census with that from the governmental inspection of 1905 was indispensable for the measuring of the social change the local ethno-social community had underwent in twenty years time span. All the influences of the modernizing environment notwithstanding, Balkarian society retained its traditional characteristics. None meaningful changes in socio-economic structure leading toward “agrarian capitalism” are discernible. So, the Balkarian highlander’s society remained at the onset of the XXth century, relatively isolated from the modernizing environment of the greater Russian society. The methods applied and findings achieved in this research bear an essential novelty in relation to interpretations prevalent in literature on the topic.The article partially contains the conclusions of the author’s dissertation research [Муратова (Muratova) 2006] and has been prepared for publishing in order to make them public and increase readership.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):497-510
497-510
Review of the monograph by L.B. Khavzhokova «Evolution of the system of adyghe verse». – Nalchik: publishing house «Print Center», 2022. – 372 p.
Abstract
This article presents and analyzes the content of the monograph by L. B. Khavzhokova «Evolution of the system of Adyghe versification», published in Nalchik in 2022. Reviewers consistently characterize all five chapters of the book, which discuss issues related to the genesis of Adyghe verse (from folklore to literary), its rhythm (stress, intonation, inversion, graphics), metric (iamb, trochee, dactyl, amphibrachium, anapest, logaed, free verse), rhyme and stanza. The fruitfulness of the author’s use of the comparative method in analyzing the poetic texts of Kabardian, Adyghe and Circassian poets with the identification of common and special features is noted. Processing of statistical data allowed the author to draw a conclusion about the harmonious synthesis of the models of European verse with the original Adyghe laws of versification. This author is recommended to use the analytical capabilities of modern digital technologies in further developments of problems of national versification.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):511-520
511-520
Review of the monograph "Molev E.A., Moleva N.V. Bosporan city of Kitey: monograph. Part III. – Nizhny Novgorod: Nizhny Novgorod state university publishing house, 2022. – 453 p.: with ill., table."
Abstract
The review analyzes the monograph by Evgeny Alexandrovich Molev and Natalia Vladimirovna Moleva "The Bosporan city of Kitei: Monograph. Part III", dedicated to the results of excavations in the field seasons 2005-2012 and 2016-2017. The preparation and publication of the fundamental work were the result of many years of research into the ancient city of Kitei. At the time of publication of the monograph, one of the authors of the work, Yevgeny Alexandrovich Molev, passed away. But the debt of memory and respect for the famous Russian archaeologist and antiquarian prompted his colleagues and associates, led by Alexander Valentinovich Makhlayuk, to complete the work and publish it.Evgeny Alexandrovich was a great friend of Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after H.M. Berbekov. After the collapse of the USSR, the eminent Russian scientist made every effort to restore comprehensive ties between Lobachevsky Nizhny Novgorod State University and Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after H.M. Berbekov. This was reflected in the participation of colleagues in international and all-Russian conferences, the opposition of candidate and doctoral dissertations, in performances as a leading organization, the preparation of reviews of dissertations, monographs and textbooks.For 15 years he was the chairman of the State Attestation Commission in the field of History. His high competence and professionalism made it possible to objectively assess the quality of the training of graduate historians, to be on top of the requirements for modern specialists. Evgeny Alexandrovich published his articles in the electronic journal "Kavkazologiya" when he took his first steps.Therefore, we could not remain indifferent to the appearance of the latest monograph by E.A. Molev. The topic studied in the monograph is certainly relevant. For kavkazologists, it is interesting because it provides a new layer of knowledge about the interaction in the ancient era of the Greek cities of Bosporus and the Sinds and Meots, which is fully correlated with the identical studies of R.J. Betrozov in the Northwestern Caucasus.The structure of the work is clear and well-founded. The scientific content of the sections is relevant to existing academic standards. The publication deserves the highest appreciation and attention of the historical and archaeological community.
Caucasology. 2023;(4):521-531
521-531
532-534