scholarly journals The “Dance with Daggers” as an Ethno-Marker of Adyghe Culture

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-55
Author(s):  
Alla N. Sokolova ◽  

This article reviews the history, semantic scope and meaning of the “dance with daggers”, which has survived today as a solo male stage number. The dance is becoming a very important part of academic dance concerts in the North Caucasus, and at the same time dancers with daggers are invited to traditional weddings and corporate parties. Сamechas (kъамэчIас) are identified as military sports and exercises, while also being a modern dance concert number with the same name. The military sport, circus and dance characteristics of this action are revealed in the article. It is proved that the dance is based on the demonstration of military merits, such as the ability to handle sharp knives freely and easily, to throw them at a target, to overcome any obstacles through high jumps, to keep a visible space in sight, to control the body gracefully and to conquer physical pain. In the history of the development of the dance, a multilayered literary text is formed that has mythological and ethno-informational codes. The meaning of using twelve daggers and a papakha (sheepskin hat), symbolizing intellect/reason and equal to any Caucasian man’s head is revealed. The movements on toes allowing one to “rise”, to be close to the gods and to conform to the contours of the mountain landscape, are comparable to the fine graceful movements of mountain animals using any stone or mound as support. Jumping, whirling, lunging, and manipulating with a large number of daggers are considered as signs that reveal deep ethnic values. The choreographic and musical component of the dance is analyzed as well as tricks that are included in the plot of the dance, allowing the performer to demonstrate traditional hand positions, certain steps, jump height, spin speed. The Western Adyghes have formed a stable musical composition for the “dance with daggers”, which consists of three tunes: “Dzherakai Zafak”, “Kabardinka” and an Ossetian melody arranged by the famous Adyghe accordionist Kim Tletseruk. “Gathering” music also symbolically represents the “dance with daggers” as a product and artistic practice of the entire Caucasus.

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-84
Author(s):  
Shakhban M. Khapizov ◽  
Hayk E. Hakobyan

The paper analyses the content of some of the parts of the work of the Armenian author of the 19th century bishop Vardan Odznetsi, kept in Matenadaran – the Institute of Ancient Manuscripts of Armenia. The full text of the work has not yet been published. The text is unique, as it is one of the last sources, written in the style of the Armenian historical literature of the Middle Ages. In his work, Vardan Odznetsi tells in detail about the court of the Georgian king Heraclius II (1720–1798). It also provides information about the Talysh Khan Mustafa and the Avar Nutsal Ummah Khan, known in historiography under the distorted name of Omar Khan. Thus, the chronicle of Odznetsi covers the history of not only Transcaucasia, but also the North Caucasus. In addition, the author describes in sufficient detail the events of the Crimean War (1853–1856). The information, provided by Vardan Odznetsi, is quite important in the context of studies devoted to the anti-Ottoman and anti-Iranian wars of the peoples of the Caucasus. In his work, a special attention is drawn to the scrupulous description of the invasion of Tbilisi in the summer of 1795 by the Iranian shah Aga-Muhammad Khan Kajar. With deep regret he tells about the destruction of the city, believing that this is the fault of the Georgian king, who showed political shortsightedness. In the 1790s Avar nutsal Ummah Khan (1761-1801) started to play an important role in the military-political events taking place in the South Caucasus, which is also mentioned in the work under review. He describes the relations of Umma Khan and his son-in-law Ibrahim-khan of Karabakh, their joint military campaigns on adjacent lands. At the same time, the work under study is an important source describing the transition of the kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti, and subsequently the entire Caucasus, under the protection of the Russian Empire. A study of this manuscript will serve as a more detailed source-study of the history of the Caucasus of the 18th – 19th centuries.


2021 ◽  
pp. 95-117
Author(s):  
Maxim E. Shalak ◽  

This article is devoted to the analysis of the historical work of the famous Ottoman scholar Muhammad Nidai Kaisuni-zade, well known as Remmal Khodja, his work “Tarih-i Sahib Giray Khan”, which was written in the middle of the XVI century. This source, is dedicated to the history of the reign of Khan Sahib Giray (1532–1551), it will be studied here for the purpose of revealing information on the historical geography of the Crimean Khanate and adjacent territories. The beginning of this analysis was published in № 2, 2018 of this journal. In his chronicle Remmal Khodja describes nine military campaigns of Sahib Giray. He describes in details the routes of movement of the Tatar troops, gives the places of crossings and location sites of the troops. Very valuable are the characteristics given by the court historian to the opponents of the khan and descriptions of the terrain on which the fighting was conducted. From the above I mentioned information, it may seem, that Remmal Khodja described the events as if he was its direct witness. In all the military campaigns of Sahib Giray, described by Remmal Khodja, can be traced four directions of those campaigns. To the west – to Moldavia, to the north – to Russia and Lithuania, to the east – to the Astrakhan Khanate, and south-east – to the Caucasus. Of all the directions, the North Caucasus region is described in more detailed way in the source, since Sahib Giray made four campaigns to this territory. The revealed information gives us the chance to clarify the boundaries of the Crimean Khanate, the lands that were in its vassal dependence, the location of sites and fortresses, as well as the areas of residence of some North Caucasian tribes. The only publication of “Tarih-i Sahib Giray Khan” was implemented in 1973 by O. Gökbilgin. The scientist published a Chronicle in the modern Turkish transcription, providing it with a French translation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (12-1) ◽  
pp. 150-167
Author(s):  
Alexey Grishchenko

The article tells about the life path and research work of the Don agricultural historian P.G. Chernopitsky. The stages of scientific creativity are determined, the main scientific works in the context of the era are considered, its position on the debatable problems of the Don and North Caucasus history, in particular, on the essence and stages of decossackization is determined. The contribution of P. G. Chernopitsky to the study of the socio -economic history of the Soviet pre -collective farm village, collectivization, the famine of 1932-1933 in the North Caucasus, the history of the Don Cossacks in the Soviet period is demonstrated. Relations with colleagues at Rostov State University are highlighted.


Author(s):  
Valenina Mordvinceva ◽  
Sabine Reinhold

This chapter surveys the Iron Age in the region extending from the western Black Sea to the North Caucasus. As in many parts of Europe, this was the first period in which written sources named peoples, places, and historical events. The Black Sea saw Greek colonization from the seventh century BC and its northern shore later became the homeland of the important Bosporan kingdom. For a long time, researchers sought to identify tribes named by authors such as Herodotus by archaeological means, but this ethno-deterministic perspective has come under critique. Publication of important new data from across the region now permits us to draw a more coherent picture of successive cultures and of interactions between different parts of this vast area, shedding new light both on local histories and on the role ‘The East’ played in the history of Iron Age Europe.


Author(s):  
Д.К. АСРАТЯН

Письма патриарха Константинопольского Николая Мистика архиепископу Аланскому Петру – основной документальный источник по истории христианства на Северном Кавказе в X в. Изучение «Аланского досье» патриарха Николая сохраняет актуальность в связи с ростом интереса к духовной истории народов Кавказа, находившихся на стыке цивилизаций, религий и культур и сформировавших под их влиянием собственные самобытные национально-культурные традиции. Основным методом исследования стало сопоставление лексических и семантических средств, используемых апостолом Павлом и патриархом Николаем в двух различных, но соотносимых исторических и религиозных контекстах. Цель исследования – выявление жанровых и литературных связей писем патриарха с книгами Нового Завета. Научная новизна заключается в обосновании лингвистических, семантических и богословских параллелей между письмами Николая и посланиями апостола Павла, особенно пастырскими (1-2 Тим и Тит). Хотя сравниваемые тексты хронологически разделены почти тысячелетием, отмечается типологическое сходство исторических контекстов, в которых они были написаны (духовный наставник – ученик в епископском сане – молодая христианская община из «варваров», нуждающихся в просвещении). В интерпретации Николая миссия – это именно тяжкий труд, но совершаемый по прямому повелению Бога и ради награды свыше, и в этом смысле патриарх вполне укоренен в новозаветной традиции. Как показали результаты исследования, риторическая и богословская насыщенность писем Николая Мистика не снижает их историческую ценность, однако для корректной интерпретации необходимо учитывать их литературный характер. Letters of Nicholas Mysticus, Patriarch of Constantinople, to Peter, Archbishop of Alania, remain the chief documentary source for the history of Christianity in the North Caucasus in the 10th century. The study of the "Alan Dossier" of Patriarch Nicholas remains relevant due to the growing interest in the spiritual history of the peoples of the Caucasus, who lived at the crossroads of civilizations, religions and cultures and formed their own distinctive national and cultural traditions under such diverse influence. The main research method was the comparison of lexical and semantic means used by the Apostle Paul and Patriarch Nicholas in two different, but correlated historical and religious contexts. The purpose of the study is to identify genre and literary connections between the letters of the Patriarch and the books of the New Testament. Scientific novelty lies in the substantiation of the linguistic, semantic and theological parallels between the letters of Nicholas and the letters of the Apostle Paul, especially the pastoral ones (1-2 Tim and Titus). Although the compared texts are chronologically separated by almost a millennium, there is a typological similarity in the historical contexts in which they were written (a spiritual mentor - a bishop student - a newly formed Christian community of “barbarians” in need of education). In the interpretation of Nicholas, mission is a hard work, but it is done at the direct command of the God and is rewarded from above, and in this sense, the Patriarch is completely rooted in the New Testament tradition. As the results of the study have shown, the rhetorical and theological richness of the letters of Nikolas the Mysticus does not diminish their historical value, yet for correct interpretation it is necessary to take into account their literary character.


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Egor Kotenov ◽  
Vladimir Dubyansky ◽  
Anna Volynkina ◽  
Alexander Zaitsev ◽  
Alexandr Kulichenko ◽  
...  

Kavkaz-forum ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 82-90
Author(s):  
Ф.С. Киреев

В статье анализируются причины строительства Владикавказской железной дороги и механизм сооружения этой важной железнодорожной артерии. Актуальность темы анализа истории развития железнодорожной сети Северо-Кавказского региона определяется необходимостью подробного изучения проблем ее социально-экономического развития. Строительство Ростово-Владикавказской железной дороги также является примером государственно-частного сотрудничества, которое хорошо себя оправдало. Дорога была построена полностью за счет средств акционеров, среди которых были как крупные промышленники, так и простые обыватели. Находясь в частной собственности, Владикавказская железная дорога хорошо функционировала и развивалась. При этом государство получило важную транспортную артерию, имевшую большое экономическое и военно-стратегическое значение. Немаловажным было и то, что за счет Владикавказской железной дороги был построен ряд социальных объектов – больницы, учебные заведения. В статье также показана заинтересованность общественности Владикавказа и региона в целом в строительстве железной дороги. Различные варианты прокладки пути, строительства станций широко обсуждались как специалистами, так и простыми горожанами. В итоге был выбран наиболее оптимальный путь и месторасположения станции Владикавказ. В свое время, благодаря открытию Владикавказской железной дороги, был дан заметный импульс дальнейшему развитию торговли и промышленности на Северном Кавказе. Последующее расширение транспортных артерий уже в наши дни может существенно оживить экономику Кавказа и России в целом, а также внести свой вклад в деле развития туризма в регионе. В связи с этим и необходимо анализировать историю строительства Владикавказской железной дороги и перенимать лучший опыт прошлого. The article analyzes the reasons for constructing Vladikavkaz railway and the mechanism of constructing this important railway artery. The topic relevance of studying the history of the railway network in the North Caucasus is determined by the necessity for further problem research of its socio-economic development. In its time Vladikavkaz railway had a huge impact on the development of trade and industry in the North Caucasus. The construction of the Rostov-Vladikavkaz railway is also an example of public-private cooperation, which has paid off well. The road was built entirely at the expense of shareholders, among whom were both large industrialists and ordinary people. Being privately owned, the Vladikavkaz railway functioned and developedwell. At the same time, the state acquired an important transport artery of great economic and military-strategic importance. It was also important that a number of social facilities were built at the expense of the Vladikavkaz railway - hospitals, educational institutions. The article also shows the interest of the public in Vladikavkaz and the region as a whole in the construction of the railway. Various options for laying the track, building stations were widely discussed by both specialists and ordinary citizens. As a result, the most optimal route and location of the Vladikavkaz station were chosen. Further expansion of transport arteries today can significantly revive the economy of the Caucasus and Russia as a whole, as well as contribute to the development of tourism in the region. In this regard, it is necessary to analyze the history of constructing Vladikavkaz railway and adopt the best experience of the past.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Н.Ф. Бугай

В статье на основе исследований российских ученых, архивных документов, воспоминаний рассматривается слабо изученная в отечественной историографии проблема участия представителей этнических меньшинств в битвах за Кавказ и Крым в ходе Великой Отечественной войны. В качестве примера автором избраны этнические общности курдов и корейцев. Использованы историко-генетический, историко-биографический и системно-исторический методы. Изучены меры советского командования по формированию национальных воинских подразделений; реконструированы биографии героев войны – корейцев и курдов, участвовавших в освобождении Юга России и получивших боевые награды; прослежена их послевоенная судьба; рассмотрены репрессивные действия советского правительства по отношению к военнослужащим некоторых национальностей. Автор заключает, что представители разных народов СССР, столкнувшись с врагом, проявили стремление к единству и добровольное желание выступить на защиту государства, которое они избрали своей Родиной. The aim of the article is to reconstruct the biographies of participants in the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945), who belonged to ethnic minorities and fought for the liberation of the Caucasus and Crimea from Nazi invaders. As an example, the author selected ethnic communities of Kurds and Koreans. The study was conducted on the basis of research by Russian scholars, archival documents, and memoirs of direct participants in the events. The historical-genetic, historical-biographical and system-historical methods were used. The measures of the Soviet command for the formation of national military units were studied, the biographies of war heroes, Koreans and Kurds who participated in the liberation of the South of Russia and received military awards (including the title Hero of the Soviet Union) were reconstructed. The author describes in detail the military clashes during which these fighters showed military prowess, presents their photographs, and traces their further military path, post-war fate and forms of their memory perpetuation. Quotations from the war veterans’ front-line letters and their relatives’ memoirs are given. The repressive actions of the Soviet government towards the military personnel of certain nationalities, who after the demobilization received the status of “special settlers” and lost their military tickets and award sheets, are also considered. The author emphasizes that the fight against the enemy was a test of strength for the unity of the peoples living in the Caucasus and Crimea. Examples of civic solidarity in the fight against the enemy shown by ethnic minorities in the early days of the war (mass enrollment in volunteers, holding civil rallies) are given. It is noted that representatives of local ethnic communities became the basis of 12 military units that were at the forefront of the defenders of the Caucasus. The paradoxical nature of the situation in which USSR citizens were repressed for various (often far-fetched) reasons is stated; however, during the war they still heroically fought against Nazism with arms in their hands. The author connects the repressions against members of the ethnic minorities with the ethnosocial policy pursued by the Soviet state, as well as the spread of desertion and draft evasion in the North Caucasus and Crimea. It is concluded that representatives of ethnic minorities living in the USSR, faced with the enemy, showed a desire for unity and a voluntary desire to defend the state, which they chose as their homeland.


Kavkazologiya ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 219-288
Author(s):  
M.A. KHAKUASHEVA ◽  
◽  
L.B. KHAVZHOKOVA ◽  

The article examines some of the issues of the formation and evolution of the genre of the story in Circassian literature. The relevance of the study is due, on the one hand, to the insufficient development of the stated topic, on the other hand, to the need to identify trends in the development of national prose, starting from the problems of its genesis. In the center of research attention is the ideological and thematic orientation of the Circassian story mainly of the initial stage of evolution, i.e. Soviet era. In particular, the author examines the stories of S. Temirov, I. Amirokov, M. Adamokov, H. Gashokov and others, who laid the foundations of the genre in Circassian literature. During the indicated period, the Circassian tale was the first attempt to comprehend the problems of collective farms, youth brigades, the Soviet attitude to work, the range of urgent problems of young people, their aspirations, the formation of the criteria of Soviet morality. It also reflects various aspects of the Great Patriotic War, mainly as a war for independence. The research uses the method of artistic analysis. The results obtained can be used in compiling special courses on Adyghe (Kabardino-Circassian) prose, writing the history of the literature of the peoples of the North Caucasus.


Istoriya ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (10 (108)) ◽  
pp. 0
Author(s):  
Arailym Mussagaliyeva

The article is devoted to the history of the special settlers of the North Caucasus, including their placement and living arrangements in the of Central and Northern Kazakhstan, including on of the Karaganda region. The main attention in the article is paid to a special contingent, labor settlers from the Kuban in 1932—1933. Their history in modern science has not yet been studied. The article uses archival documents of the central, regional and local archives of Kazakhstan, including the Archive of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the State Archive of the Karaganda Region, the State Archive of the Akmola Region, the State Archive of the Social and Political History of the Turkestan Region, the State Archive of the city of Temirtau, the State Archive of the Osakarovsky District of the Karaganda Region, the State archive of the Shortandy district of the Akmola region. Published documents in collections of documents from Russia and Kazakhstan were analyzed.


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