Magas ( Russian : Мага́с ) is the capital town of Ingushetia , Russia . It was founded in 1995 and replaced Nazran as the capital of the republic in 2002. Due to this distinction, Magas is the smallest capital of a federal subject in Russia . In 2019, it had a population of 8,771 inhabitants, up from 5,841 in 2010 and 272 in 2002.
109-474: The Republic of Ingushetia came into existence in 1992, having been split from the Chechen–Ingush ASSR . Nazran, the largest of three towns of the new republic, was made a temporary capital. In 1995, President Ruslan Aushev founded Magas just a few kilometers south of Nazran , naming it after the medieval city of Maghas . The new town was supposed to serve purely for administrative needs. Magas/Maghas
218-674: A Salafist jihadist group through its strict adherence to the Sunni Hanbali obedience to the literal interpretation of the Quran and the Sunnah . The Chechen government has been outspoken in its support for the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , where a Chechen military force, the Kadyrovtsy , which is under Kadyrov's personal command, has played a leading role, notably in the Siege of Mariupol . Meanwhile,
327-635: A famine . As a result, many of the Ukrainians settled in Chechen-Ingush ASSR permanently and survived the famine. Although over 50,000 Chechens and over 12,000 Ingush were fighting against Nazi Germany on the front line (including Heroes of the USSR : Abukhadzhi Idrisov , Khanpasha Nuradilov , Movlid Visaitov ), and although Nazi German troops advanced as far as the Ossetian ASSR city of Ordzhonikidze and
436-691: A satellite phone he was using. The widespread demoralisation of the Russian forces in the area and a successful offensive to re-take Grozny by Chechen rebel forces led by Aslan Maskhadov prompted Russian President Boris Yeltsin to declare a ceasefire in 1996, and sign a peace treaty a year later that saw a withdrawal of Russian forces. After the war, parliamentary and presidential elections took place in January 1997 in Chechnya and brought to power new President Aslan Maskhadov, chief of staff and prime minister in
545-744: A state of emergency . Tensions led to open clashes between the Chechen National Guard and Islamist militants, such as the July 1998 confrontation in Gudermes. The War of Dagestan began on 7 August 1999, during which the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade (IIPB) began an unsuccessful incursion into the neighboring Russian republic of Dagestan in favor of the Shura of Dagestan which sought independence from Russia. In September,
654-519: A Chechen Naqshbandi ( Sufi ) sheikh—with wavering military support from other North Caucasian tribes. Mansur hoped to establish a Transcaucasus Islamic state under sharia law. He was unable to fully achieve this because in the course of the war he was betrayed by the Ottomans , handed over to Russians, and executed in 1794. Following the forced ceding of the current territories of Dagestan, most of Azerbaijan , and Georgia by Persia to Russia, following
763-511: A different approach at the end of the 1860s. They offered Chechens and Ingush to leave the Caucasus for the Ottoman Empire (see Muhajir (Caucasus) ). It is estimated that about 80% of Chechens and Ingush left the Caucasus during the deportation. It weakened the resistance which went from open warfare to insurgent warfare. One of the notable Chechen resistance fighters at the end of the 19th century
872-529: A former rebel commander, naib Saib-Dulla Gekhinski (Saadulla Ospanov) of Chechnya to attack and destroy Ingush settlements near the Assa and Fortanga rivers: Dattikh, Meredzhi, Aseri, Shagot-Koch and others. After their defeats in combat, the remaining Ingush clans resorted mostly to underground resistance. The Russians built the fortress Vladikavkaz ("ruler of the Caucasus") on the place of Ingush village of Zaur. Russian General Aleksey Petrovich Yermolov wrote in
981-593: A high life expectancy , one of the highest in Russia. But the pattern of life expectancy is unusual, and in according to numerous statistics, Chechnya stands out from the overall picture. In 2020, Chechnya had the deepest fall in life expectancy, but in 2021 it had the biggest rise. Chechnya has the highest excess of life expectancy in rural areas over cities. (In the territory of modern Chechnya) Practically all Chechen and Ingush people were deported to Central Asia in 1944. They were, however, allowed to return to
1090-635: A hundred inhabitants at the beginning, increased in early 2010s. Magas Airport serves the town and the nearby city of Nazran , which is home to the nearest train station. Ingushetia Ingushetia or Ingushetiya , officially the Republic of Ingushetia , is a republic of Russia located in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe . The republic is part of the North Caucasian Federal District , and shares land borders with
1199-498: A letter to the Tsar of Russia , "It would be a grave mistake for Russia to alienate such a militaristic nation as the Ingush." He suggested the separation of the Ingush and Chechens in order for Russia to win the war in the Caucasus. In another letter from General Ermolov to Lanski (dated 12 January 1827) on the impossibility of forceful Christianization of the Ingush, Yermolov wrote: "This nation,
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#17328518843991308-408: A major campaign against hostage-takers, and on 25 October 1998, Shadid Bargishev, Chechnya's top anti-kidnapping official, was killed in a remote-controlled car bombing. Bargishev's colleagues then insisted they would not be intimidated by the attack and would go ahead with their offensive. Political violence and religious extremism, blamed on " Wahhabism ", was rife. In 1998, Grozny authorities declared
1417-471: A part of Russia. Russian federal control was restored in the Second Chechen War of 1999–2009, with Chechen politics being dominated by the former Ichkerian Mufti Akhmad Kadyrov , and later his son Ramzan Kadyrov . The republic covers an area of 17,300 square kilometres (6,700 square miles), with a population of over 1.5 million residents as of 2021 . It is home to the indigenous Chechens , part of
1526-464: A poor human rights record, widespread use of torture , and a growing cult of personality . Allegations of anti-gay purges in Chechnya were initially reported on 1 April 2017. In April 2009, Russia ended its counter-terrorism operation and pulled out the bulk of its army. The insurgency in the North Caucasus continued even after this date. The Caucasus Emirate had fully adopted the tenets of
1635-466: A possible reference to the city's location in rough terrain. Magas is located in the western area of Ingushetia, at the borders with Prigorodny Raion of North Ossetia-Alania . It is surrounded by Nazranovsky Raion , and the nearest settlements are Ekazhevo , the city of Nazran , and Ali-Yurt . The town is also 30 km from the North Ossetian-Alanian capital city, Vladikavkaz . Magas
1744-406: A rebellion against Russia. He conquered Dagestan , Chechnya , and then attacked Ingushetia hoping to convert the Ingush people to Islam, thus gaining strategic allies. However, the Ingush defeated Imam Shamil's forces. They successfully repulsed two more attempts in 1858. Nevertheless, locked in warfare with two strong opponents and their allies, Ingush forces were eventually devastated. According to
1853-425: A school in the town of Beslan , North Ossetia , demanding recognition of the independence of Chechnya and a Russian withdrawal. 1,100 people (including 777 children) were taken hostage. The attack lasted three days, resulting in the deaths of over 331 people, including 186 children. After the 2004 school siege, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced sweeping security and political reforms, sealing borders in
1962-526: A series of apartment bombs that killed around 300 people in several Russian cities, including Moscow, were blamed on the Chechen separatists. Some journalists contested the official explanation, instead blaming the Russian Secret Service for blowing up the buildings to initiate a new military campaign against Chechnya. In response to the bombings, a prolonged air campaign of retaliatory strikes against
2071-572: A substantial number of Chechen separatists have allied themselves to the Ukrainian cause and are fighting a mutual Russian enemy in the Donbas . Situated in the eastern part of the North Caucasus in Eastern Europe , Chechnya is surrounded on nearly all sides by Russian Federal territory. In the west, it borders North Ossetia and Ingushetia , in the north, Stavropol Krai , in the east, Dagestan, and to
2180-662: A vehicle exploded on 24 March 2008. An upsurge in violence in these months targeted local police officers and security forces. In January 2008, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation launched a " counter-terrorism " operation in Ingushetia after receiving information that insurgents had been preparing a series of attacks. Early in August 2008, the war between Georgia and South Ossetia broke out, in which
2289-428: Is Ingushiya ( Ингушия ). 10,000–8000 BC 6000–4000 BC 4000–3000 BC 20 BC 900–1200 AD 1239 AD 1300–1400 AD 1558 AD 1562 AD In the 18th century the Ingush were mostly pagan and Christian , with a Muslim minority. Beginning in 1588 some Chechen societies joined Russia ( Shikh Okotsky [ ru ] ; Albir-Murza Batayev [ ru ] ). Russian historians claim that
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#17328518843992398-580: Is 28 miles from the frontline for parts of 1942–1943. It replaced Nazran as capital of the Republic in 2002. The name is given in Persian as Magas or Makas . The name Magas is a homonym of the Persian word magas , meaning "fly", and the medieval writers al-Mas'udi and Juvayni made plays on words about the city's name. The Chinese transcription Muzashan uses the characters for wood ( mu , 木) and mountain ( shan , 山), which John Latham-Sprinkle interprets as
2507-602: Is considered the homeland for Terek Cossacks . The Russification policies towards Chechens continued after 1956, with Russian language proficiency required in many aspects of life to provide Chechens better opportunities for advancement in the Soviet system. On 26 November 1990, the Supreme Council of Chechen-Ingush ASSR adopted the "Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Chechen-Ingush Republic". This declaration
2616-436: Is divided into 15 districts and three cities of republican significance. According to the 2021 Census , the population of the republic is 1,510,824, up from 1,268,989 in the 2010 Census . As of the 2021 Census, Chechens at 1,456,792 make up 96.4% of the republic's population. Other groups include Russians (18,225, or 1.2%), Kumyks (12,184, or 0.8%) and a host of other small groups, each accounting for less than 0.5% of
2725-482: Is the capital of the republic. Within the framework of administrative divisions , it is incorporated as the town of republic significance of Magas —an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts . As a municipal division , the town of republic significance of Magas is incorporated as Magas Urban Okrug . Magas has a humid continental climate ( Köppen climate classification : Dfb ) with warm summers and cold winters. Magas' population, with
2834-576: The Battle of the Terek River (see Tokhtamysh–Timur war ). The Chechen tribes built fortresses, castles, and defensive walls, protecting the mountains from the invaders (see Vainakh tower architecture ). Part of the lowland tribes were occupied by Mongols. However, during the mid-14th century a strong Chechen Princedom called Simsim emerged under Khour II , a Chechen king that led the Chechen politics and wars. He
2943-554: The Chechen Republic , is a republic of Russia . It is situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe , between the Caspian Sea and Black Sea . The republic forms a part of the North Caucasian Federal District , and shares land borders with Georgia to its south; with the Russian republics of Dagestan , Ingushetia , and North Ossetia–Alania to its east, north, and west; and with Stavropol Krai to its northwest. After
3052-777: The European Parliament recognized the deportation of Chechens and Ingush as an act of genocide . The territory of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was divided between Stavropol Krai (where Grozny Okrug was formed), the Dagestan ASSR , the North Ossetian ASSR , and the Georgian SSR . The Chechens and Ingush were allowed to return to their land after 1956 during de-Stalinisation under Nikita Khrushchev when
3161-535: The Nakh peoples , and of primarily Muslim faith. Grozny is the capital and largest city. According to Leonti Mroveli , the 11th-century Georgian chronicler, the word Caucasian is derived from the Nakh ancestor Kavkas . According to George Anchabadze of Ilia State University : The Vainakhs are the ancient natives of the Caucasus . It is noteworthy, that according to the genealogical table drawn up by Leonti Mroveli,
3270-659: The Northern Caucasus in 1957 by Nikita Khrushchev . See Deportation of the Chechens and Ingush . Sunni Islam is the predominant religion in Chechnya, practiced by 95% of those polled in Grozny in 2010. Most of the population is Sunni and follows either the Shafi'i or the Hanafi schools of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence ). The Shafi'i school of jurisprudence has a long tradition among
3379-709: The Ossetian–Ingush conflict in October–November 1992, when another ethnic cleansing of the Ingush population started. Over 60,000 Ingush civilians were forced from their homes in the Prigorodny District of North Ossetia. As a result of the conflict, pro-Russian general Ruslan Aushev , a decorated war hero from the War in Afghanistan, was appointed by the Russian government as the first president of Ingushetia to stop
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3488-476: The Russian Federation subsequently became involved. After the outbreak of the war, there were virtually no more attacks or abductions of Ingush civilians by "unknown" forces. Most of the Russian forces were transferred to North and South Ossetia 31 August 2008 Magomed Yevloyev , the head of Ingush opposition and the owner of the website ingushetiya.ru , was killed by Russian security forces Shortly before
3597-612: The Russo-Persian War of 1722–1723 . Russian forces succeeded in taking much of the Caucasian territories from Iran for several years. As the Russians took control of the Caspian corridor and moved into Persian-ruled Dagestan , Peter's forces ran into mountain tribes. Peter sent a cavalry force to subdue them, but the Chechens routed them. In 1732, after Russia had already ceded back most of
3706-481: The Russo-Persian War of 1804–1813 and its resultant Treaty of Gulistan , Russia significantly widened its foothold in the Caucasus at the expense of Persia. Another successful Caucasus war against Persia several years later, starting in 1826 and ending in 1828 with the Treaty of Turkmenchay , and a successful war against Ottoman Turkey in 1828 and 1829, enabled Russia to use a much larger portion of its army in subduing
3815-646: The Soviet Union to form the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria , the Ingush chose to secede from the Chechen-Ingush Republic. This was confirmed with the referendum and in 1992 the Ingush joined the newly created Russian Federation to try to resolve the conflict with Ossetia peacefully, also in the hope that the Russians would return their land as a token of their loyalty. However, ethnic tensions in North Ossetia which were orchestrated by Ossetian nationalists (per Helsinki Human Right Watch), led to an outbreak of violence in
3924-682: The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Checheno-Ingush ASSR split into two parts: the Republic of Ingushetia and the Chechen Republic. The latter proclaimed the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria , which declared independence, while the former sided with Russia. Following the First Chechen War of 1994–1996 with Russia, Chechnya gained de facto independence as the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, although de jure it remained
4033-704: The British War Office , Germans tried to establish the military base in Ingushetia: ...the German Command with the object of securing the presence of German regiments within Ingush territory. The Ingushi declare that all attempts of any foreign armed force to enter into the Terek region will be regarded by the Ingushi as an attack upon themselves, and the Ingushi will oppose all their forces to such attempts. The capital of
4142-420: The Caucasus region and revealing plans to give the central government more power. He also vowed to take tougher action against domestic terrorism, including preemptive strikes against Chechen separatists. In 2005 and 2006, separatist leaders Aslan Maskhadov and Shamil Basayev were killed. Since 2007, Chechnya has been governed by Ramzan Kadyrov . Kadyrov's rule has been characterized by high-level corruption,
4251-530: The Caucasus to Persia, now led by Nader Shah , following the Treaty of Resht , Russian troops clashed again with Chechens in a village called Chechen-aul along the Argun River . The Russians were defeated again and withdrew, but this battle is responsible for the apocryphal story about how the Nokchi came to be known as "Chechens" – the people ostensibly named for the place the battle had taken place. The name "Chechen"
4360-651: The Caucasus." On 21 December 1917 Ingushetia, Chechnya , and Dagestan declared independence from Russia and formed a single state called the "United Mountain Dwellers of the North Caucasus" (also known as Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus ), which was recognized by Central Powers (Germany, Austro-Hungary and Turkey), Georgia, and Azerbaijan (which declared their independence from Russia in 1918) as an independent state. For example, Anna Zelkina writes that in May 1918
4469-532: The Chechen coalition government, for a five-year term. Maskhadov sought to maintain Chechen sovereignty while pressing the Russian government to help rebuild the republic, whose formal economy and infrastructure were virtually destroyed. Russia continued to send money for the rehabilitation of the republic; it also provided pensions and funds for schools and hospitals. Nearly half a million people (40% of Chechnya's prewar population) had been internally displaced and lived in refugee camps or overcrowded villages. There
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4578-628: The Chechen-Ingush ASSR city of Malgobek after capturing half of the Caucasus in less than a month, Chechens and Ingush were falsely accused as Nazi supporters and entire nations were deported during Operation Lentil to the Kazakh SSR (later Kazakhstan ) in 1944 near the end of World War II where over 60% of Chechen and Ingush populations perished. American historian Norman Naimark writes: Troops assembled villagers and townspeople, loaded them onto trucks – many deportees remembered that they were Studebakers, fresh from Lend-Lease deliveries over
4687-460: The Chechen-Ingush ASSR was restored but with both the boundaries and ethnic composition of the territory significantly changed. There were many (predominantly Russian) migrants from other parts of the Soviet Union , who often settled in the abandoned family homes of Chechens and Ingushes. The republic lost its Prigorodny District which transferred to North Ossetian ASSR but gained predominantly Russian Naursky District and Shelkovskoy District that
4796-687: The Cossacks as oppressors, and the Cossack lands were still theirs, the Ingush mercilessly took revenge on them. The relationship was created completely irreconcilable; further cohabitation was unthinkable. It was necessary either to exterminate the Ingush completely, or to evict the Cossacks from the former Ingush lands, returning those to their former owners. The Soviets confiscated the remaining Ingush properties by collectivization and dekulakization and unified Chechnya and Ingushetia into Chechen-Ingush ASSR. During World War II Ingush youth were drafted into
4905-556: The German forces. Many of the materials were later proven to be fabricated. Even distinguished Red Army officers who fought bravely against Germans (e.g. the commander of 255th Separate Chechen-Ingush regiment Movlid Visaitov , the first to contact American forces at Elbe river) were deported. There is a theory that the real reason why Chechens and Ingush were deported was the desire of Russia to attack Turkey, an anti-communist country, as Chechens and Ingush could impede such plans. In 2004,
5014-740: The Ichkerian regime and a ground offensive that began in October 1999 marked the beginning of the Second Chechen War. Much better organized and planned than the First Chechen War, the Russian armed forces took control of most regions. The Russian forces used brutal force, killing 60 Chechen civilians during a mop-up operation in Aldy, Chechnya on 5 February 2000. After the re-capture of Grozny in February 2000,
5123-531: The Ichkerian regime fell apart. Chechen separatists continued to fight Russian troops and conduct terror attacks. In October 2002, 40–50 Chechen rebels seized a Moscow theater and took about 900 civilians hostage. The crisis ended with 117 hostages and up to 50 rebels dead, mostly due to an unknown aerosol pumped into the building by Russian special forces to incapacitate the people inside. In response to these attacks, Russia tightened its grip on Chechnya and expanded its anti-terrorist operations throughout
5232-506: The Ingush volunteered to become a part of Russia. This assertion is mostly based on the document signed on 13 June 1810 by General-Major Delpotso and representatives of two Ingush clans; most other clans resisted the Russian conquest. In 1811, at the Tsar's request, Moritz von Engelhardt , a Russian envoy of German origin visited the mountainous region of Ingushetia and tried to induce the Ingush people to join Russia, promising many benefits offered by
5341-404: The Iranian border – and delivered them at previously designated railheads. ...Those who could not be moved were shot. ...[A] few fighters aside, the entire Chechen and Ingush nations, 496,460 people, were deported from their homeland. The deportees were gathered on the railroad stations and during the second phase transferred to the cattle railroad carts. Up to 30% of the population perished during
5450-443: The Iranian border – and delivered them at previously designated railheads. ... Those who could not be moved were shot. ... [A] few fighters aside, the entire Chechen and Ingush nations, 496,460 people, were deported from their homeland. The deportation was justified by the materials prepared by NKVD officer Bogdan Kobulov accusing Chechens and Ingush in a mass conspiracy preparing rebellion and providing assistance to
5559-407: The North Caucasus. They were only stopped at two Chechen-Ingush cities: Malgobek and Ordzhonikidze (a.k.a. "Vladikavkaz") by heroic resistance of natives of Chechen-Ingush ASSR. On 23 February 1944, Ingush and Chechens were falsely accused of collaborating with the Nazis , and the entire Ingush and Chechen populations were deported to Kazakhstan , Uzbekistan , and Siberia in Operation Lentil , on
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#17328518843995668-409: The Northern Caucasus ) which was recognized by major world powers. The capital of the new state was moved to Temir-Khan-Shura (Dagestan). Tapa Tchermoeff , a prominent Chechen statesman, was elected the first prime minister of the state. The second prime minister elected was Vassan-Girey Dzhabagiev, an Ingush statesman, who also was the author of the constitution of the republic in 1917, and in 1920 he
5777-400: The Ossetians. The Ingush were forced to buy their homes back from the Ossetians and Russians. These hardships and injustices led to a peaceful Ingush protest in Grozny on 16 January 1973, which was crushed by Soviet troops In 1989, the Ingush were officially rehabilitated along with other peoples that had been subjected to repressions. In 1991, when the Chechens declared independence from
5886-406: The People's Assembly of Ingushetia (later the title President was renamed Head ). This move was endorsed by major Russian political parties and by the Ingush opposition. Under the current rule of Yevkurov, Ingushetia seems much calmer, showing some semblance of the Russian government. Attacks on policemen have fallen by 40% and abductions by 80%. According to professor Johanna Nichols , in all
5995-438: The Russian Federation if Chechnya were granted that right. Finally, it argued that Chechnya was a major hub in the oil infrastructure of Russia and hence its secession would hurt the country's economy and energy access. During the Chechen Revolution , the Soviet Chechen leader Doku Zavgayev was overthrown and Dzhokhar Dudayev seized power. On 1 November 1991, Dudaev's Chechnya issued a unilateral declaration of independence. In
6104-457: The Russian army. In August 1942 Nazi German forces captured half of the North Caucasus within thirty-three days moving from Rostov-On-Don to Mozdok 560 km or almost 17 km per day (see Battle of the Caucasus ). From Mozdok to Malgobek same thirty three days, 20 km the German forces moved roughly 600 meters per day and were stopped only at Ordzhonikidze (modern-day Vladikavkaz ) and Malgobek which were mostly populated by Ingush before
6213-493: The Russian name of the Ingush, which in turn is derived from the ancient Ingush village Angusht , and from the Georgian suffix - éti . The name in Ingush is Ghalghaaichie ( Гӏалгӏайче , /ʁalʁaitʃe/). In the 1920–1930s there was not yet a unifying name for the Ingush Autonomous Oblast . Although the oblast was officially called Ingushetia , some scientists like Nikolai Yakovlev [ ru ] and Leonid Semyonov [ ru ] insisted that its correct name
6322-468: The Russian officer Fedor Tornau, who fought with the aid of Ossetian allies against the Ingush, the Ingush had no more than six hundred warriors. However, the Russian conquest in Ingushetia was extremely difficult and the Russian forces began to rely more upon methods of colonization: extermination of the local population and resettlement of the area with Cossack and Ossetian loyalists. The colonization of Ingush land by Russians and Ossetians began in
6431-410: The Soviet regime, they support it but don't let the spread of it in their province. At the same time, they tried to strike up relations with Turkey and sought the assistance from the Turks from Elisavetpol, and Germany – from Tiflis. In August, when the Cossacks and Ossetians captured Vladikavkaz, the Ingush intervened and saved the Soviet Board of Commissioners of Terek, but sacked the city and captured
6540-446: The Soviet state. The Caucasian war for independence continued and the government went into exile. Cossack General Andrei Shkuro in his book writes: Ingushetia was the most unanimous and entirely Bolshevik. Ever since the conquest of the Caucasus, the brave and freedom-loving Ingush, who were desperately defending their independence, were partly exterminated and partly driven into barren mountains. The Terek Cossacks were settled on
6649-403: The Transcaucasia which it considered useful in its wars against Persia and Turkey, the Russian Empire began conquering the Northern Caucasus mountains. The Russian Empire used Christianity to justify its conquests, allowing Islam to spread widely because it positioned itself as the religion of liberation from tsardom, which viewed Nakh tribes as "bandits". The rebellion was led by Mansur Ushurma ,
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#17328518843996758-615: The Tsar. The representative of the Ingush people rejected the proposal with the reply: "Above my hat I see only sky". This encounter was later used by Goethe in his 1815 poem, "Freisinn" ('free spirit'). On 29 June 1832, the Russian Baron Rozen reported in letter No.42 to count Chernishev that "on the 23rd of this month I exterminated eight Ghalghaj (Ingush) villages. On the 24th I exterminated nine more villages near Targim." By 12 November 1836 (letter no.560), he claimed that highlanders of Dzheirkah, Kist, and Ghalghaj had been at least temporarily subdued. In 1829 Imam Shamil began
6867-413: The USSR in the south through Turkey. Muslim Chechens and Ingush could become a threat to the expansion. In February 1944 near the end of World War II, Russian Army and NKVD units flooded the Chechen-Ingush ASSR. The maneuvers were disguised as military exercises of the southern district. During World War II, in 1942 German forces entered the North Caucasus . For three weeks Germans captured over half of
6976-436: The ambush, which has been blamed on local Muslim separatists, said two soldiers were killed and at least seven injured. Reports from Ingush opposition sources suggested as many as forty to fifty Russian soldiers were killed. On 30 October 2008, Zyazikov was dismissed from his office (he himself claimed he resigned voluntarily). On the next day, Yunus-Bek Yevkurov was nominated by Dmitry Medvedev and approved as President by
7085-442: The appearance of the wheel (3000 BC), horseback riding, metal works (copper, gold, silver, iron), dishes, armor, daggers, knives and arrow tips in the region. The artifacts were found near Nasare-Cort , Muzhichi , Ja-E-Bortz (alternatively known as Surkha-khi ), Abbey-Gove (also known as Nazran or Nasare). In the 14th and 15th centuries, there was frequent warfare between the Chechens, Tamerlane and Tokhtamysh , culminating in
7194-404: The borders of Chechnya from invasions of Kabardinians and Avars during the Battle of Khachara . The Chechens converted over the next few centuries to Sunni Islam , as Islam was associated with resistance to Russian encroachment. Peter the Great first sought to increase Russia's political influence in the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea at the expense of Safavid Persia when he launched
7303-450: The country of Georgia to its south; and borders the Russian republics of North Ossetia–Alania to its west and north and Chechnya to its east and northeast. Its capital is the town of Magas , while the largest city is Nazran . At 3,600 square km, in terms of area, the republic is the smallest of Russia's non-city federal subjects. It was established on 4 June 1992, after the Checheno-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
7412-399: The emigration of Ingush and Chechens to Turkey and the Middle East by claiming that " Muslims need to live under Muslim rulers". His apparent motivation was to depopulate the area for the settlement of Ossetians and Cossacks . Some Ingush became exiled to deserted territories in the Middle East where many of them died. The remainder were Culturally assimilated by Russification . It
7521-414: The ensuing decade, the territory was locked in an ongoing struggle between various factions, usually fighting unconventionally. The First Chechen War, during which Russian forces attempted to regain control over Chechnya, took place from 1994 to 1996. Despite overwhelming numerical superiority in troops, weaponry, and air support , the Russian forces were unable to establish effective permanent control over
7630-406: The fertile lands that had belonged to them, and Cossacks founded their villages on the wedge that had cut into Ingushetia. Deprived of the opportunity to earn their bread in an honest way, the Ingush lived by robbery and raids on the Cossack lands. Even in peacetime, the Terek Cossacks bordering Ingush did not go to the field without rifles. Not a day went by without shooting and bloodshed. Considering
7739-422: The first Russian involvement in the Caucasus. In 1558, Temryuk of Kabarda sent his emissaries to Moscow requesting help from Ivan the Terrible against the Vainakh tribes. Ivan the Terrible married Temryuk's daughter Maria Temryukovna . An alliance was formed to gain the ground in the central Caucasus for the expanding Tsardom of Russia against stubborn Vainakh defenders. In 1667 Mehk-Da Aldaman Gheza defended
7848-680: The first country to recognize independence was Turkey: The First Congress of the North Caucasus formed a Provisional Government of the North Caucasian Free State (SeveroKavkazskoye Svobodnoye Gosudarstvo) and in May 1918 declared the establishment of the North Caucasian Republic. The only country to recognize it was Turkey. Later Germany and others followed the recognition. According to P. Kosok: Azerbaidzhan and Armenia (May 28, 1918). All three states then concluded independent treaties with Turkey, which similarly acknowledged
7957-569: The genocide of 23 February 1944. The fighting for the Malgobek was so intense that the small town was captured and recaptured four times until the Germans finally retreated. According to the Soviet military newspaper Red Star, after receiving the news about German brutality toward civilians in Kabardino-Balkaria , Ingush people declared Jihad (Gazavat) against Germans. Stalin planned the expansion of
8066-540: The independence of the Northern Caucasus and concluded a treaty of friendship with it on June 8, 1918. An exchange of diplomatic notes then took place between the head of the German Extraordinary Delegation, General von Lossov, and the North Caucasian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bammat, resulting in the de facto recognition by Germany of the independence of the Northern Caucasus. According to
8175-500: The introduction of agriculture , irrigation , and the domestication of animals in the region. Settlements near Ali-Yurt and Magas , discovered in modern times, revealed tools made out of stone: stone axes, polished stones, stone knives, stones with holes drilled in them, clay dishes etc. Settlements made out of clay bricks were discovered in the plains. In the mountains there were settlements made from stone and surrounded by walls; some of them dated back to 8000 BC. This period also saw
8284-468: The journey or in the first year of the exile. The Prague Watchdog claims that "in the early years of their exile about half of the Chechens and Ingush died from hunger, cold and disease". The deportation was classified by the European Parliament in 2004 as genocide . After the deportation Ingush resistance against the Soviets began again. Those who escaped the deportation, including shepherds who were high in
8393-422: The least numerous, most welded, and strongly martial organization. They were, in essence, the supreme arbiter of the North Caucasus. The moral of the appearance was defined long ago in Russian text-books of geography, "the chief occupation – animal husbandry and robbery ..." The last one of the two reached special art in the society. Political aspirations came from the same trend. The Ingush are mercenaries of
8502-675: The legendary forefather of the Vainakhs was "Kavkas", hence the name Kavkasians, one of the ethnicons met in the ancient Georgian written sources, signifying the ancestors of the Chechens and Ingush . As appears from the above, the Vainakhs, at least by name, are presented as the most "Caucasian" people of all the Caucasians (Caucasus – Kavkas – Kavkasians) in the Georgian historical tradition. American linguist Johanna Nichols "has used language to connect
8611-405: The main invasion routes in a contemplated attack on Turkey.) After 13 years of exile, the Ingush were allowed to return to Chechen-Ingushetia (but not to Ordzhonikidze a.k.a. " Vladikavkaz " or the Prigorodny District ). Most of Ingushetia's territory had been settled by Ossetians and part of the region had been transferred to North Ossetia . The returning Ingush faced considerable animosity from
8720-524: The mid-19th century. The Russian General Evdokimov and Ossetian colonel Kundukhov in 'Opis no. 436' "gladly reported" that "the result of colonization of Ingush land was successful". Renamed Ingush villages and towns: Following Imam Shamil's repeated losses by the end of the Caucasian War, the Russians and Chechens unified their forces. Former Chechen rebels and their men joined the Russian ranks. On 3 November 1858, General Evdokimov ordered (order N1896)
8829-787: The modern people of the Caucasus region to the ancient farmers of the Fertile Crescent " and her research suggests that "farmers of the region were proto-Nakh-Daghestanians". Nichols stated: "The Nakh–Dagestanian languages are the closest thing we have to a direct continuation of the cultural and linguistic community that gave rise to Western civilisation ." Traces of human settlement dating back to 40,000 BC were found near Lake Kezanoi . Cave paintings, artifacts, and other archaeological evidence indicate continuous habitation for some 8,000 years. People living in these settlements used tools, fire, and clothing made of animal skins. The Caucasian Epipaleolithic and early Caucasian Neolithic era saw
8938-483: The most courageous and militaristic among all the highlanders, cannot be allowed to be alienated ..." The last organized rebellion (the so-called "Nazran insurrection") in Ingushetia occurred in 1858 when 5,000 Ingush launched an attack against Russian forces, but lost to the latter's superior number. The rebellion signaled the end of the First Russo-Caucasian War. In the same year, the Tsar encouraged
9047-404: The mountainous area due to numerous successful full-scale battles and insurgency raids. The Budyonnovsk hospital hostage crisis in 1995 shocked the Russian public. In April 1996, the first democratically elected president of Chechnya, Dzhokhar Dudayev , was killed by Russian forces using a booby trap bomb and a missile fired from a warplane after he was located by triangulating the position of
9156-558: The mountains during the deportations, formed rebel groups which constantly attacked Russian forces in Ingushetia. Major rebel groups were led by Akhmed Khuchbarov , the Tsitskiev brothers, and an Ingush female sniper, Laisat Baisarova . The last one of the male Ingush rebels was killed in 1977 by the KGB officers, while Baisarova was never captured or killed. American professor Johanna Nichols, who specializes in Chechen and Ingush philology, provided
9265-466: The natives of the North Caucasus . The resistance of the Nakh tribes never ended and was a fertile ground for a new Muslim- Avar commander, Imam Shamil , who fought against the Russians from 1834 to 1859 (see Murid War ). In 1859, Shamil was captured by Russians at aul Gunib. Shamil left Baysangur of Benoa , a Chechen with one arm, one eye, and one leg, in charge of command at Gunib. Baysangur broke through
9374-476: The new state was moved to Temir-Khan-Shura ( Dagestan ). The first prime minister of the state was elected Tapa Chermoyev , a Chechen prominent statesman; the second prime minister was Ingush statesman Vassan-Girey Dzhabagiev who also was the author of the Constitution of the land in 1917. In 1920 he was reelected for a third term. In 1921 Russians attacked and occupied the country and forcefully merged it with
9483-479: The number of Russian security forces was tripled. For example, according to a Russian news agency a murder of an ethnic-Russian school teacher in Ingushetia was committed by two ethnic- Russian and ethnic-Ossetian soldiers; Issa Merzhoev the Ingush Police detective who solved the crime was shot at and killed by "unknown" assailants shortly after he had identified the murderer. At least four people were injured when
9592-517: The orders of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin , while the majority of their men were fighting on the front. The initial phase of the deportation was carried out on American-supplied Studebaker trucks specifically modified with three submachine gun-nest compartments above the deported to prevent escapes. American historian Norman Naimark writes: Troops assembled villagers and townspeople, loaded them onto trucks – many deportees remembered that they were Studebakers, fresh from Lend-Lease deliveries over
9701-712: The recognition of Chechnya as a separate nation. This movement was opposed by Boris Yeltsin 's Russian Federation , which argued that Chechnya had not been an independent entity within the Soviet Union—as the Baltic, Central Asian, and other Caucasian states such as Georgia had—but was part of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and hence did not have a right under the Soviet constitution to secede. It also argued that other republics of Russia , such as Tatarstan , would consider seceding from
9810-559: The recorded history and reconstructable prehistory , the Ingush people have never undertaken battle except in defense. In the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC Pharnavaz , his son Saurmag the Iberian kings, and the relatives of Ingush people per Leonti Mroveli , received military assistance from Ingush people in defense of Iberia against the Kartli occupation. Chechnya Chechnya , officially
9919-507: The region. Russia installed a pro-Russian Chechen regime. In 2003, a referendum was held on a constitution that reintegrated Chechnya within Russia but provided limited autonomy. According to the Chechen government, the referendum passed with 95.5% of the votes and almost 80% turnout. The Economist was skeptical of the results, arguing that "few outside the Kremlin regard the referendum as fair". In September 2004, separatist rebels occupied
10028-495: The republic has been destabilized by corruption , a number of high-profile crimes (including kidnapping and murder of civilians by government security forces), anti-government protests, attacks on soldiers and officers, Russian military excesses and a deteriorating human rights situation. In spite of this, Ingushetia has the highest life expectancy in all of Russia at 80.52, beating out second-place Dagestan by almost 4 years. The name Ingushetia ( Ингушетия ) derives from
10137-516: The siege and continued to fight Russia for another two years until he was captured and killed by Russians. The Russian tsar hoped that by sparing the life of Shamil, the resistance in the North Caucasus would stop, but it did not. Russia began to use a colonization tactic by destroying Nakh settlements and building Cossack defense lines in the lowlands. The Cossacks suffered defeat after defeat and were constantly attacked by mountaineers, who were robbing them of food and weaponry. The tsarists' regime used
10246-404: The south, Georgia . Its capital is Grozny. Chechnya is well known for being mountainous, but it is in fact split between the more flat areas north of the Terek, and the highlands south of the Terek. Rivers: Despite a relatively small territory, Chechnya is characterized by a variety of climate conditions. The average temperature in Grozny is 11.2 °C (52.2 °F). The Chechen Republic
10355-515: The spread of the conflict. Partial stability returned under his rule. In 1994, when the First Chechen War started, the number of refugees in Ingushetia from both conflicts doubled. According to the UN , for every citizen of Ingushetia, one refugee arrived from Ossetia or Chechnya. This influx was very problematic for the economy, which collapsed after Aushev's success. The second Russo-Chechen war which started in 1999 brought more refugees (at some point there
10464-517: The state bank and mint. They robbed all the neighbors: the Cossacks and Ossetians in the name of "correcting historical errors" for a shortage of land, the Bolsheviks – in return for their services, Vladikavkaz citizens – for their helplessness, and the Kabardins – just out of habit. They were hated by everyone, and they did their "craft" in unison, well organized, in a big way, becoming the richest tribe in
10573-493: The theory behind the deportation: In 1944 the nationalities themselves were abolished and their lands resettled when the Chechen and Ingush, together with the Karachay-Balkar, Crimean Tatars, and other nationalities were deported en masse to Kazakhstan and Siberia, losing at least one-quarter and perhaps half of their population in transit. (The reason, never clarified, seems to have been Stalin's wish to clear all Muslims from
10682-761: The total population. The birth rate was 25.41 in 2004. (25.7 in Achkhoi Martan, 19.8 in Groznyy, 17.5 in Kurchaloi, 28.3 in Urus Martan and 11.1 in Vedeno ). The languages used in the Republic are Chechen and Russian . Chechen belongs to the Vaynakh or North-central Caucasian language family, which also includes Ingush and Batsb . Some scholars place it in a wider North Caucasian languages . Despite its difficult past, Chechnya has
10791-544: The twentieth century. The war between Nakh tribes and Russia resurfaced during the times of the Russian Revolution , which saw the Nakh struggle against Anton Denikin and later against the Soviet Union . On 21 December 1917, Ingushetia , Chechnya, and Dagestan declared independence from Russia and formed a single state: "United Mountain Dwellers of the North Caucasus" (also known as the Mountainous Republic of
10900-415: The unrecognised opposition group People's Parliament of Ingushetia Mekhk-Kkhel called for the recognition of the Russian semi-autonomous republic's independence, opposition activist Magomed Khazbiyev proclaimed, "We must ask Europe or America to separate us from Russia." On 18 October 2008, a Russian military convoy came under grenade attack and machine gun fire near Nazran. Official Russian reports of
11009-403: Was a Chechen abrek Zelimkhan Gushmazukaev and his comrade-in-arms Ingush abrek Sulom-Beck Sagopshinski. Together they built up small units which constantly harassed Russian military convoys, government mints, and government post-service, mainly in Ingushetia and Chechnya. Ingush aul Kek was completely burned when the Ingush refused to hand over Zelimkhan. Zelimkhan was killed at the beginning of
11118-465: Was an economic downturn. Two Russian brigades were permanently stationed in Chechnya. In light of the devastated economic structure, kidnapping emerged as the principal source of income countrywide, procuring over US$ 200 million during the three-year independence of the chaotic fledgling state, although victims were rarely killed. In 1998, 176 people were kidnapped, 90 of whom were released, according to official accounts. President Maskhadov started
11227-504: Was estimated that eighty per cent of the Ingush had left Ingushetia for the Middle East by 1865. After the Russian Revolution of 1917 , the Soviets promised the Ingush that the villages and towns annexed during the colonization would be returned to the Ingush. Ingushetia became a major battleground between the old archenemies: general Denikin , and Ingush resistance fighters. In his memoirs, general Denikin wrote "Ingush people are
11336-451: Was however already used from as early as 1692. Under intermittent Persian rule since 1555, in 1783 the eastern Georgians of Kartl-Kakheti led by Erekle II and Russia signed the Treaty of Georgievsk . According to this treaty, Kartl-Kakheti received protection from Russia, and Georgia abjured any dependence on Iran . In order to increase its influence in the Caucasus and to secure communications with Kartli and other Christian regions of
11445-626: Was in charge of an army of Chechens against the rogue warlord Mamai and defeated him in the Battle of Tatar-tup in 1362. The kingdom of Simsim was almost destroyed during the Timurid invasion of the Caucasus, when Khour II allied himself with the Golden Horde Khan Tokhtamysh in the Battle of the Terek River. Timur sought to punish the highlanders for their allegiance to Tokhtamysh and as a consequence invaded Simsim in 1395. The 16th century saw
11554-501: Was one refugee for every Ingush citizen: 240,000 from Chechnya plus 60,000 from North Ossetia at the peak in 2000) and misery to Ingushetia. In 2001, Aushev was forced to leave his presidency and was succeeded by Murat Zyazikov , a former KGB general. The situation worsened under his rule. Many young Ingush men were abducted by Russian and Ossetian death squads . according to Human rights watchdogs Memorial and Mashr. The number of rebel attacks in Ingushetia rose, especially after
11663-567: Was part of the reorganisation of the Soviet Union. This new treaty was to be signed 22 August 1991, which would have transformed 15 republic states into more than 80. The 19–21 August 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt led to the abandonment of this reorganisation. With the impending dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, an independence movement, the Chechen National Congress , was formed, led by ex- Soviet Air Force general and new Chechen President Dzhokhar Dudayev . It campaigned for
11772-506: Was re-elected for the third term. In 1921 the Russians attacked and occupied the country and forcibly absorbed it into the Soviet state. The Caucasian war for independence restarted, and the government went into exile. During Soviet rule, Chechnya and Ingushetia were combined to form the Checheno-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic . In the 1930s, Chechnya was flooded with many Ukrainians fleeing
11881-485: Was split in two. The republic is home to the indigenous Ingush , a people of Nakh ancestry. As of the 2021 Census , its population was estimated to be 509,541. Largely due to the insurgency in the North Caucasus , Ingushetia remains one of the poorest and most unstable regions of Russia. Although the violence has died down in recent years, the insurgency in neighboring Chechnya had occasionally spilled into Ingushetia. According to Human Rights Watch in 2008,
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