ИЗВЕСТИЯ СОИГСИ

Discovery of the Zelenchuk inscription is one of the most important events in the study of the history of the Alans. It has special importance for establishing their linguistic identity and the continuity of the language of the modern Ossetians with the language of the medieval Alans. Known images of the Zelenchuk epitaph enable to define some archaeological analogues. But the very story of the discovery of the inscription needs further investigation. This is prompted by the finding of the epitaph picture, performed by Hieromonk Seraphim, which for a long time had been kept unknown from the researchers. On the other hand, there are some problems with the confirmation of the time and the conditions of the inscription’s fixation, made by D.M. Strukov. The author's analysis of the avalable information allows to make some preliminary conclusions on the number of immediate inscription fixations and the time of such fixations. However, some ambiguity about the conditions of the finding of inscription and tracing it still persists and requires further studies. The comparative analysis of the images of Zelenchuk inscription allows to draw some conclusions. The reproduction by V.F. Miller resulted from the preliminary scientific analysis of the inscription. Some of its features coincide with one of Strukov’s drawings. Therefore, it may be presumed, that the final stage of Strukov’s work had already been influenced by the artist's familiarity with the scientific study of the inscription. We adhere to the conclusion of the modern scientists about not always high level of the artist's drawings. However, these drawings are the only basis for modern studies.

Keywords: Zelenchuk inscription, epigraphy, sources, fixation, archaeological data, Alans, Ossetians.

The article analyzes the known historical data on spreading of Islam among the Chechens in the XVI-XIX centuries. The authors discovered the new epigraphic monuments – the epitaphs of the Islam missionaries and their descendants in East Chechnya. These materials allow dating the beginning of the spread of Islam in the region by the XVIth century. Firstly the population of the historic area of Nohchimohk bordering with the Avar regions of Dagestan was involved into the process of Islamization. Then, in the XVIIth c., Islam spread in Central Chechnya, situated at the foothills and mountainous part of the Argun gorge. At least – at the turn of the XVIII-XIXth centuries – Islam spread in the western mountains of Chechnya (Akka, Nashkha, Orstkhoy) bordering with Ingushetia. Using the written sources of the XIXth – early XXth centuries helped to clarify that the process of the spread of Islam in Chechnya actively proceeded in the XVII-XVIII centuries and ended only by the 1820s. Besides the problem of Islamization of the Chechen people, the article considers the history of the Chechen people’s relationships with Kabardians and Avars. The materials introduced by the authors in the scientific using, show that in the XVI-XVII c. Kabardians widely settled not only in the flat part of present-day Chechnya, but also in the foothill part – Nohchimohk. Moreover, they for a long time retained their ethnic identity, which was manifested in existence of Adygs anthroponymy. Written Arabic-language records attracted by the authors show a significant contribution of Avar nutsaldom to the process of Islamization of mountain Chechnya.

Keywords: Chechnya, Nokhchimohk, Kabarda, Avaria, Islam, Bersan, Terman Ol, epigraphy.

The article discusses the questions on the North Caucasian civilization, its formation and development. It is common knowledge, that the languages in the Caucusian region have writing traditions, which are rather young. Unfortunately, today the factor of absence of writing is a key criteria for labeling the traditional cultures of small peoples as “primitive”, and scientists fail to consider, that within the space of such culture its basic functions are carried out by social and cultural communication. The eminent scholar and philosopher H. Tkhagapsoev thinks that, long-term interaction of unwritten cultures with written and traditional cultures facilitates the formation of compensatory, i.e. communicative, mechanisms. The existence of integrity of heterogeneous elements in the Caucasian cultures and cultural traditions constitutes the key of Caucasian civilization essence, the fact that for the first time was highlighted by the outstanding orientalist V.I. Abaev. There are varied opinions on the definition of the North Caucasian civilization. Part of the scientists recognize its existence, while others believe that the existence of Caucasian civilization is only a methodological problem, and, for the third part, the Caucasus region is only the contact zone of civilizations and cultures. Comprehension of civilization as subethnic or interethnic construction, a format which allows ethnic groups with similar cultural traits to find forms of their community and its own historic route, gives reason to believe that mechanisms of cultural continuity and transferring of historical experience, typical for the concrete ethnic group, are essential in forming and development of the concrete local civilization. In this case, the concept of "cultural essence of the historical process" incorporates evolutions – social and man's inner world, his ways of manifestation –, the socio-cultural communication, logics of interaction, behavioral stereotypes. The article offers to base the approach to the problems of the Caucasian civilization on such presumptions. Difference of the North Caucasian civilization from the others lies in the specificity of the communicative culture, uniqueness of the ecosphere and geostrategic position of the region. Moreover, as a civilization it became united through dialogue and cultural interaction.

Keywords: Caucasian, North Caucasian, civilization, lecton, succession.

The article discusses the activities of the Russian Orthodox mission as the mechanism of formation of Russian statehood and Russian national identity in Ossetia. The specific factors of influence of the Orthodox Church on the socio-political and cultural processes are identified, namely building of temples, the development of parish life, the foundation of schools and literacy dissemination, the formation of the Ossetian clerical intelligentsia and implementation of educational projects. The results of nonspecific (social) functions of Orthodoxy are revealed, which in the conditions of post-reform modernization actively affected the Ossetian society in several interrelated directions and promoted Ossetia’s integration into the national socio-political, religious and socio-cultural processes.

Keywords: Orthodox mission, non-specific features of Russian statehood, Russian national identity.

The article contains the analysis of the material of economic character published in nonofficial part of the “Terskie vedomosti” (The Terek news) newspaper in the 60-70s of the XIX century. Information potential of the official edition of Terskiy region, the importance of newspaper’s materials for the research of joint activity and cooperation efforts of the authorities and society to modernize the North-Caucasian region and form its civil society are revealed. Regional peculiarities of the economic modernization which were reflected in the newspaper materials are defined. Several types of publications: articles, statistics, archive and reference material, notices, local news, agroclimatic monitoring, contained information on the state of the main spheres of post-reform regional economy (industry, agriculture, commerce, transport, finance). Abundance of material of economic-enlightening character on the ways of improving the agricultural situation, popularization of new market forms of labor enable to speak about an interested attitude of the society to the problems of economic modernization and understanding the ways of their solution. Post-reform changes made “Terskie vedomosti”, conveyor of operative economic information, part of a new capitalist economic system. Subject and thematic analysis allow to overcome the underestimating the newspaper in the Soviet period, both as a historical source and as a factor of economic modernization in the region, when the newspaper was comprehended as a reactionary governmental edition.

Keywords: periodical press, Terskie vedomosti, North-Caucasian intelligentsia, economic development, economic culture, labor ethics.

Over the years, the author has been systematically recreating one of the most important chapters in the history of Russian social science – history of the Russian Academic Caucasian studies, which has been successfully developing over the past two centuries. The author’s interest can be confirmed by the series of the published works devoted to the most prominent scientists of the XIX-XX centuries – A. Shegren, B. Miller, A. Dirr, N. Trubetskoy, L. Lopatinskii and others who have made significant contributions to the study of history, ethnography, traditional culture and folklore of the Caucasian peoples. The present paper is pioneering the reconstruction of the history of foundation of the Moscow Archaeological Society branch in 1901 in Tiflis, which played an invaluable role not only in the study of Caucasian monuments, but also in saving them from imminent extinction and from being exported from Russia. In the article for the first time with sufficient detail of the President of the Imperial Moscow Archaeological Society Countess P.S. Uvarova is discussed, highlighting her role in founding the Department of Caucasus MAS, preparing a clear "Programme" of its work, which throughout the whole period of activity of the society she adjusted and supplemented, as well as implementing this very "Programme". Throughout the 20 years of the work of the Caucasian Branch P.S.Uvarova regularly maintained it both financially and through administrative decisions. Unfortunately, the frames of the article do not allow furthering describe the Countess’ own contribution to the study of the Caucasus, which she successfully engaged in all her life and which was the topic of her brilliant research, as this deserves a special study.

Keywords: history of the Russian, Caucasian Branch of the Imperial Moscow Archaeological Society, Countess P.S. Uvarova’s heritage in Caucasian studies.

The article considers the military-medical units stationed in North Ossetia during the Great Patriotic War from August 1942 to January 1943: health support companies and battalions/ They were part of the staff of military detachments (regiment, brigade, division) and were supposed to deliver healthcare within the first 6–12 hours after wounding; movable medical treatment facilities, receiving the wounded and providing medical surgical assistance before transporting them to stationary hospitals, and also to evacuation receiving posts, which evacuated the wounded to rear hospitals. Since the military-medical units are in the first place considered in the article as memorial objects of the Great Patriotic War, the short reference about them is presented according to item-by-item location of these units, taking into consideration the modern administrative-territorial division of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. The exception is made for those medical units, evacuation hospitals and moveable medical treatment facilities operating in Ordzhonikidze (now Vladikavkaz), which are treated separately. In particular cases, the common beds of honor are considered in the article, but only those located on the territory of military-medical units. The term “Common beds of honor” is regarded in the present article as a proper name commemorating the unknown soldiers resting in them. The results of the proposed work can be used by the republic departmental structures and local government as part of their job in recording and protection of memorial objects; in educational process in the secondary and high schools; while arranging historical and cultural routes, guidebooks and maps.

Keywords: memorial objects of the Great Patriotic War, evacuation hospitals, evacuation recipients, nonfixed medical treatment facilities, health support companies and battalions, the beds of honor.

The article considers the problem of provision with footwear and clothing for Soviet small city dwellers in the conditions of acute shortage of goods in the post-war years by the example of Ordzhonikidze. The city of Ordzhonikidze did not belong to the industrial centers, which enjoyed the privileges in distribution of consumer goods, so the volume and the range of allotted goods were limited and did not meet the requirements of city dwellers. With the low level of the family income it was quite difficult for an average city resident to buy ready-to-wear clothes because of their high price. The city authorities focused on using the internal resources. At the enterprises of the local industry and in producers' cooperations the production of consumer goods annually increased. But the unsatisfactory quality of raw materials, work on old equipment and with old technologies by low-skilled workers didn't provide due quality of final products. Therefore, such goods were not in demand. By the middle of the 1950th the production of fabrics considerably increased. It promoted the development of tradition of needlework. Women sewed themselves or asked for help the "outworkers" and the neighbors, who were able to sew. Partly, the deficit in clothes and foot-wear was relieved by shipping them from the regions, which were supplied according to higher standards. One more channel was speculation. The less the light industry coped with providing the citizens with quality products, the bigger scope it gained. Trade workers, enterprising people were involved in this process. Such expressions "to get on protection", "to buy on acquaintance" were familiarized in the lexicon of the Soviet everyday life. Over the years the suspense of problems of providing people with quality goods, clothes and foot-wear became a source of critical moods in the society, the cause of growing discontent and disbelief in political slogans of the imminent "bright future".

Keywords: post-war urban everyday life, consumer goods, clothing, shoes, level of material security, deficit, city of Ordzhonikidze.

The article contains characteristics of some types and causes of women’s deviant behavior in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania. The analysis of female crime over the period 2000 to 2015 is made on the basis of official statistic data. Studying and analyzing the state of criminality in women's environment the author came to the conclusion that crime, and female crime specifically, is closely connected to the overall situation of female crime in Russia, and has a number of adverse trends for growth and transformation. The study of the state of crime in a particular region – the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania Republic provides an opportunity to identify its regional characteristics. One of the new phenomena of crisis period is the criminalization of women. The turning points of historical development are accompanied by worsening of internal contradictions and challenges, which during the periods of stability exist in a latent form. These problems include various forms of deviant behavior. Female crime is a complex social phenomenon. The women, as well as other members of the society, are exposed to the negative impact of today's reality, thus becoming more criminalized. The growth of female crime rate is due to the fact that changes in social, economic and political spheres of the country intensified social tensions and contradictions. Due to the modernization processes in the society, the understanding and the regulation of the social status of women had been transformed, which undoubtedly affected female crime rate.

Keywords: social adaptation, social status, spiritual life, the conditions of the crisis, the transformation of the views, Ossetian woman, female crime, regional characteristics, North Ossetia.

The problem of transmitting similes and comparative constructions in artistic translation is discussed in the present article. The main stylistic devices that translators make use for transmiting figurative means of the language are established on the basis of comparative analysis of bilingual texts (Ossetian → Russian, Russian → Ossetian). The study determined that calking, replacement, omission, description are the major translation transformations in the transmission of comparative images. Literal translation of figurative structures enables the translator to retain their artistic and aesthetic function. Substituting in translation the images juxtaposed in the original text ensures reproducing the receiving function on another figurative basis, but this way they lose the uniqueness of the author’s unit. The author examines also the cases of explicating the original units as a method for preserving the meaningful components of the authentic text. In the author’s opinion, the omission without compensating the comparisons is not quite justifiable, as it changes the construction of translation unit, as well as the figurative structure of the whole literary text.

Keywords: translation transformation, pragmatics, translation unit, comparative construction, denotat, national specifics.

The present article analyzes the problem of semantic relations of motifs, archetypal characters of the Narts’ Epic and aphoristic genres of the Ossetian folklore. It is a folklore-ethnographic study pioneering the prioritizing of this aspect and presuming the national specificity of works of folklore of the Ossetians. It seems significant that aphoristic units that conform to a given topic are largely drawn from unpublished sources, preserved in the personal archive of the famous researcher of the Ossetians folklore K.Ts. Gutiev. The study of the peculiarities of such genre interaction, characterized by direct inclusion in the texts of sustainable aphoristic genres of steady epic motifs and the archetypal values, revealed that the “Nartiada” plays the role of a semantic universe unifying all oral-poetic folklore of the Ossetians. The analysis of various genres of oral poetic culture of the Ossetians: kadags, ritual prayers, ritual singing, proverbs and sayings as well as certain hymns of Avesta enabled to account for the sacral semantics of Tsykurayy færdyg (Wish-fulfilling Beads) and Arvaydæn (Heavenly Sky Mirror), magic items, with water and solar symbols. The kinship of these concepts, significant for the folklore-ethnographic tradition of the Ossetians, was established through etymological consideration of the question and data from various ethnographic sources. The study is also carried out in the framework of religious mythological views of the Ossetians, and their marked effect on the formation of different genres of folklore, particularly the most archaic works of folk art: good wishes and the ritual prayers, which is the source for recreating the mythological beliefs of the ancient world order of the Ossetians.

Keywords: Ossetian “Nartiada”, aphoristic genres, Tsykurayy færdyg (Wish-fulfilling Beads), Arvaydæn (Heavenly Sky Mirror), arfætæ (good wishes), ritual praying, myth-making.

The Russian Empire’s policy of settlement of the North Caucasus’ steppe regions was one of the main factors not only of national and social, but religious diversity of the region. The religious factor played quite a significant role in the policy of resettlement. Focusing on the faith of settlers, the Russian government promoted not only the dissemination of the Orthodoxy in the region, but also the appearance of the sectarians here. The attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church to the sectarians was contradictory. One of the main tasks of the Vladikavkaz Eparchy, formed in 1885, was the missionary work among sectarians. Forming a position of diocesan anti-sectarian missioner (Rural Dean) corresponded to “anti-sect” activity, the latter became especially active at the beginning of the XX c. But this activity did not lead to any appreciable results. The growth of sectarian communities was accounted for not only by geographical and political reasons, but also by their ability to adapt to the peculiarities of the North Caucasian region. Nowadays realities in the Republic of Dagestan clearly demonstrate not only the absence of global results in the Russian Orthodox Church’ missionary activity in the region, but prove the need for historical analysis of the polyconfessional competitive space formation. Having passed a hard historical path, 26 Protestant organizations function at present in Dagestan: Adventists of the 7th day, Evangelical Baptists, referred to the Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, the Council of Churches of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, Christians of Evangelical Faith (Pentecostals), and Jehovah’s Witnesses. The following documents and materials, extracted from the funds of the Central State Archive of the Republic of Dagestan (CSA RD), show the specifics of the processes in this sphere at the beginning of the XX с.

Keywords: Russian Empire, the North Caucasus, Dagestan region, Russian immigrants, the sectarians, the Russian Orthodox church, an Orthodox priest.

Published documents and periodical press materials fix drunkenness and arak-brewing as one of the most widespread forms of social deviations during the period of NEP (New Economic Policy) in Vladikavkaz. Data of the sources showed that drunkenness spread not only among the city workers, but also among representatives of the economic and Soviet administrative apparatus, contributing to the official crimes’ growth. Published papers and periodical materials allow to analyse the actions undertaken by state authorities in their fight against illegal arrack-brewing. The present article investigates the materials of the Republic North Ossetia-Alania Central State Archive including organizational and administrative documentation of government authorities and public associations. The archival materials are reproduced in full scope. Archeographical processing of documents and materials was held in accordance with current regulations of historical sources publication. Source texts were submitted to the modern orthography preserving the original style and language features. The words and parts of words omitted in the documents were restored by the authors according to the implications of the context and are given in square brackets. The authors supplied the documents with corresponding titles.

Keywords: Vladikavkaz, NEP (New Economic Policy), daily life, social deviation, documents and materials.

OUR AUTHORS

Alieva Alla Ivanovna – doctor of philological sciences, head researcher, A. M. Gorkiy Institute of World Literature of RAS, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Aylarova Svetlana Akhsarbekovna – doctor of historical sciences, associate professor, head of the history department, V. I. Abaev North-Ossetian Institute for Humanitarian and Social Studies of the Vladikavkaz Scientific Center of RAS; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Aytberov Timirlan Magomedovich – candidate of historical sciences, senior researcher, Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography of the Dagestan Scientific Center of RAS; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Besolova Elena Butusovna – doctor of philological sciences, leading researcher, V. I. Abaev North-Ossetian Institute for Humanitarian and Social Studies of the Vladikavkaz Scientific Center of RAS; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Buzarova Ilona Valerievna – aspirant, V. I. Abaev North-Ossetian Institute for Humanitarian and Social Studies of the Vladikavkaz Scientific Center of RAS; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dzadzieva Elizaveta Alexandrovna – senior researcher, Institute of History and Archaeology of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dzagurova Natalia Khadzhumarovna – candidate of historical sciences, senior researcher, V. I. Abaev North-Ossetian Institute for Humanitarian and Social Studies of VSC of RAS; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dzaparova Elizaveta Borisovna – candidate of philological sciences, senior researcher, V. I. Abaev North-Ossetian Institute for Humanitarian and Social Studies of VSC of RAS; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dzottsoeva Zalina Ermakovna – candidate of historical sciences, senior lecturer, K. L. Khetagurov North Ossetian State University; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Kanukova Zalina Vladimirovna – doctor of historical sciences, professor, director of the V. I. Abaev North-Ossetian Institute for Humanitarian and Social Studies of VSC of the Vladikavkaz Scientific Center of RAS; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Khadikova Alina Khazmetovna – candidate of historical sciences, senior researcher, V. I. Abaev North-Ossetian Institute for Humanitarian and Social Studies of the Vladikavkaz Scientific Center of RAS; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Khalidova Olga Borisovna – candidate of historical sciences, researcher, Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography of the Dagestan Scientific Center of RAS; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Khapizov Shakhban Magomedovich – aspirant, Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography of the Dagestan Scientific Center of RAS; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Kusaeva Zalina Konstantinovna – candidate of philological sciences, senior researcher, V. I. Abaev North-Ossetian Institute for Humanitarian and Social Studies of VSC of RAS; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Sinanov Boris Andreevich – candidate of historical sciences, researcher, V. I. Abaev North-Ossetian Institute for Humanitarian and Social Studies of the Vladikavkaz Scientific Center of RAS; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Tsarikaev Alan Tahiroviсh – candidate of historical sciences, associate professor, K. L. Khetagurov North Ossetian State University; Tsarikaev.A.  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Tsorieva Inga Totrazovna – doctor of historical sciences, associate professor, senior researcher, V. I. Abaev North-Ossetian Institute for Humanitarian and Social Studies of the Vladikavkaz Scientific Center of RAS; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Tuallagov Alan Akhsarovich – doctor of historical sciences, head of the archaeology department, V. I. Abaev North-Ossetian Institute for Humanitarian and Social Studies of of the Vladikavkaz Scientific Center of RAS; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it