ИЗВЕСТИЯ СОИГСИ

A special place in the scientific study of the materials of Ossetian Nart sagas belongs to the problem of reflecting certain historical realities in them. Sometimes this may be limited to separate names. Such names can, in their turn, have limited occurrence in the epic. Two sagas may illustrate this thesis, where a character, referred to as the ruler of Skhuali or Skhuali-wajyg, is represented. Both sagas were recorded in South Ossetia. According to the opinion of the researchers, the name of the epic character may be associated with the name of historical Khorezm. Thus, the character is performing his deeds under the name «Khorezmian», which corresponds to the word-formation patterns in Ossetian. This may be a sign, that epic heroes in their wanderings reached the lands north of the Caspian Sea. Such assumption would, in the opinion of other researchers, may be substantiated by the data of medieval Russian sources, as well as by some Turkish relics found in the sagas. There are grounds for such approach. According to the opinion of the author of the article, it provides some opportunities for its further development by attracting data from other written sources. Byzantine sources enable us to compare the nickname of the character of the Ossetian Nart’ sagas with the placenames of the settlement of the early middle ages. This settlement could be located in the northern part of the Caspian Sea, possibly in the region of the Volga Delta. Historically, it should be associated with the period of the existence of the Khazar Khaganate and its Turkic population.

Keywords: Nart Epos, sagas, history, narrative sources, Khazars, Alans, North Caucasus.

The opinion about royal descent of Urdur, the Alanian military leader of the X century, has been dominating in literature since the XIX century. Despite the fact that all information about him can be found only in not quite reliable Georgian sources, the high regal title of Urdur is not usually disputed by the researchers and is accepted a priori, without proper scientific analysis. Meanwhile, a careful review of available information and correlating it with known historical events, unfolding in the Caucasus during the reviewed period, reveals significant distortion caused by pronounced ideological orientation of the sources, which these repeatedly revised historical chronicles, having a character of state-ideological bias of the ruling Kartli’s dynasty, represent. Initially incorrect information on the royal attribution of Urdur has led to a number of erroneous interpretations, including attempts to determine his place while reconstructing the ruling house of the medieval Alanian state. The analysis of the information contained in the sources, leads to the conclusion that Urdur was the leader of quite an ordinary military campaign, and as one of the borderline rulers undertook an unsuccessful campaign-balts to neighboring Kakheti. Most likely, his social position in the feudal hierarchy of the Alanian state was not higher than the position of Bagatar, another Alanian ruler of the IX century, who in the Georgian sources has the princely title of Mtavar.

Keywords: Alan kingdom, political status, state ideology, Georgian sources, titles, social attribution.

The article is devoted to the social life in the towns of the Dagestan region in the second half of the XIX – the beginning of the XX century. Such issues as the development of libraries, theatrical movement, museums, etc. are considered. Events that took place in Petrovsk, Temir-Khan-Shura, Derbent are discussed. It is noted that town libraries mainly existed in educational establishments and eventually were available to teachers and pupils, i.e. a minor part of the population. First reading halls and libraries for public began to be opened at the end of the XIX century. There were theater groups, amateur concerts were organized, classic works of Western European literature and Oriental dramaturgy were staged, religious performances in the cities were held. In the reviewed period well-known actors were touring the towns of the region. At the beginning of the XX century movies came into Dagestan life, and Russian and foreign movies were demonstrated. Among the events that diversify towns’ life of the Dagestan region there were a variety of activities: public lectures on various subjects (literature, art, science), organized holidays, excursions for students, exhibitions of animal husbandry and agriculture in Temir-Khan-Shura. The main purpose of the latter was to expand knowledge of the population in correct and rational feeding of animals, care of them, the development among the population desire to further raise the animal husbandry. All these and other events that were held in Petrovsk, Temir-Khan-Shura, Derbent contributed to familiarizing the urban population to cultural life, education of citizens and residents of neighboring villages.

Keywords: Dagestan district, social life, library, theater, museum, cinema, excursions, agricultural exhibition.

The article analyzes such issues of the governmental policy of the late XIX – early XX century in social sphere, as organization of health and sanitation services, which are considered for Ossetia. The state health service was actively supported by various public charity organizations, among which the Red Cross Society was the main. Studying history of medicine organization, including selfless rescue and care for the wounded, in its importance and relevance stands on a par with examining other aspects of the military actions. A problem of cooperation of law enforcement agencies and medical institutions and organizations deserves particular attention. The Russian health care system and the Red Cross Society during its pre-revolutionary history operated on the basis of universal values, providing selfless assistance to victims regardless of nationality and citizenship. Principles of humanity and mercy, assistance to victims of war were the basis of their activities.

Keywords: State, society, health, Red Cross, social policy, North Ossetia, Russia, World War I.

Over the comparatively short period, since the beginning of 1860 to 1917, the Russian autocracy changed direction and principles of its policy in the North Caucasus several times. Identification and analysis of the prerequisites, reasons and factors that have had a significant influence on such fluctuation of the government policy in the region, are one of the priority themes in the study of the political history of the Caucasus in the Russian Empire in the late XIX – early XX century. The article analyzes the main directions of the administrative and political activities of the government in the North Caucasus. The author analyzes the political course of the Caucasian administration and relationships between the Caucasian vice-regent and local authorities in the Terek area.

Keywords: Caucasian vice-regency, Terek area, I.I. Vorontsov-Dashkov, City Council, G.V. Baev, reforms, government.

The article considered the I.T. Sobiev’s activities in Ossetian studies. His fruitful collaboration with the outstanding Russian scientist V.F. Miller in the field of Ossetian linguistics, ethnography and folklore studies is traced. In compiling by the latter of the Оssetic-Russian-German dictionary Sobiev was a consultant for the Digor dialect of the Ossetian language and collector of the Digorian words. Sobiev’s active participation in the mid 1920s in finalizing, expanding and preparing for edition of the Miller’s Ossetic-Russian-German dictionary is noted. Sobiev is also known as a collector of monuments of the Digor folklore. The three historical songs, presented by Sobiev, were included in the compilation published by Miller. The article focuses attention on Sobiev’s activity as a member-employee of the Ethnographic Department of the Natural sciences, Anthropology and Ethnography Imperial Society at the Moscow University. The essays by Sobiev on ethnography and folklore of Ossetians, published in the periodical press, are considered. His essay “In Digor Gorge” (1901), and his unpublished manuscript “Digor Gorge” devoted to historical-ethnographic description of mountainous Digoria are analyzed. The value of Sobiev’s memoirs on Miller’s compilation of the Ossetic-Russian-German dictionary and the «Digorian tales» compilation is highlighted. Together with the Sobiev’s memories about Miller his letters to the scientist are widely used in the article. His memories have become one of the important sources about Miller’s last scientific visit to Ossetia in the summer of 1901, the fact that was questioned by the researchers. The article’s hero’s biography key milestones are precised and fleshed out. Special attention is paid to the social work of Sobiev as an active participant in the South-Ossetian publishing society and in the Ossetian newspaper “Nog Tsard” (“Our Life”). So, Sobiev’s many-sided activity in collecting and studying the monuments of the Ossetian traditional culture, folklore and language is shown on the extensive data.

Keywords: I.T. Sobiev, V.F. Miller, Ossetian studies, Digor Gorge, ethnography, folklore, religious beliefs, family rituals.

This article examines the activity of the representatives of the Ossetian people – participants of the great Patriotic war, who were awarded the title hero of the Soviet Union for personal and collective heroic deeds. This problem is rather substantially covered in journalistic literature, however, it requires a comprehensive scientific analysis. Ethnicity of the Ossetians, heroes of the Soviet Union, was determined on the basis of the records in premium sheets. The author analyzed information about each of the person enlisted as a Hero of the Soviet Union and presented this information in a systematic way. Biographical information is provided, including: surname, name, patronymic, most accurate data about the date and place of birth, time of beginning service in the Red Army and the beginning of the participation in the battles of the great Patriotic war, military position and military rank at the time of submission to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Special attention is given to a brief description of the military feat, the basic information contained in the award sheet. The number of Ossetians – Heroes of the Soviet Union, participants of the great Patriotic war, is being certained. The conducted research allowed to clarify, and in some cases to provide new data about the life of Ossetians, who received the title hero of the Soviet Union.

Keywords: Ossetians, Ossetia, Hero of the Soviet Union, World War II, Great Patriotic War, feat.

The article is devoted to a not sufficiently studeied scientific problem of the relationships between the State and believers in the postwar years. On the basis of the sources revealed for scientific investigation the religious life of the population of North Ossetia during “late Stalinism” is reconstructed. The main changes in the religious life of the region under the influence of changes in the religious policy of the state are analyzed; questions of adaptation to the new course by the clergy as well as worshippers are explored; the characteristics of the church and society relations in the North Ossetian ASSR are revealed. An attention is paid to the activities of the Commissioners for Religious Affairs. The direction of the religious policy of the postwar years, its influence and impact on the internal church and spiritual life is studied. Application of microhistorical approach allowed studying the influence of religion on daily life of the North Ossetia’s post-war society.

Keywords: confessional policy, parish, commissioner, control, adaptation, everyday life.

Iranian languages exhibit a phenomenon, not attested in European and some other languages, the so-called Complex Predicates. Complex Predicates are found not only in Iranian (in particular – Ossetic), but also in other languages, not related to Iranian by origin or typologically. In other words, complex predicates as a typological phenomenon realize a universal property of human language. The paper identifies two main problems: to define the universal character of Complex Predicates as a typologically persistent phenomenon and to establish the characteristic properties of the Complex Predicates in Ossetic. The Ossetic Complex Predicates demonstrate a range of characteristic properties that define them as a grammatical whole. These properties are: the common prefix on the whole construction; the common stress; the fixed position of negation; the fixed word order inside the construction; the constraint on the branching of the elements inside the construction.

Keywords: complex predicates, typology, Iranian languages, lexicon, morphology.

The article purpose is to give the structural and semantic analysis of handicraft lexicon of Ossetic. Special attention is paid to the industry terminology related with processing and making of leather and furs, and manufacturing different kind of items and products of these materials. Degree of significance of the series of words that relates to the leather and furriery handicrafts is set here, the terminologization methods and processes of handicraft lexis are also determined, and its place in the total vocabulary of the Ossetic is identified and proved. The linguistic and cultural characteristics of words groups are denotes here, it can facilitate the identification and explanation of how are made the individualizing and identifying features of handicraft term, which is a keeper and a broadcaster of the national culture. The ranking of lexical and semantical subgroups was made in view of the following criteria: work steps of Ossetian leather and furrier crafts, applied tools and instruments, kinds and types of maketh hides. The lexicon and terminology of tagged crafts unifying in one group "Leather and Furriery Terminology of Ossetic" is due to the fact that they are rather closely linked, and anyway, intertwined with each other. The study of handicraft lexis and terminology in the interdisciplinary aspect will help to make a more profound analysis; will reveal its functions and features in ethnocultural context.

Keywords: Ossetic, special lexis, handicraft terminology, semantics, ethnographism, leatherworking.

The purpose of this article is to create a comprehensive idea of poetic thought dynamics in Ossetia starting with the origins and up to the “thaw period” and the subsequent “stagnant years” (from the mid XIXth century to the first half of the 80th of the XXth century). The sources and factors of the genesis of the poetry in the native language are considered in diachronic aspect, the paradigmal stages of its development are outlined, the mechanisms of continuity and high-quality enrichment are surveyed in general; the short characteristics of the most significant authors and their contribution to the process of ideological and style searches are given; the leading tendencies and problem and thematic constants of literary and esthetic space are viewed. Artistic practice in the literary process is studied in direct relation to the specifics of author's attitude (ideological priorities, philosophical basis of creativity, ethic and esthetic preferences etc.). The article contains the data which can be used as a reference for compiling poetic anthologies, for carrying out the problem and theoretical researches analyzing the Ossetian poetry from different angles, and for writing corresponding sections of History of the Ossetian literature.

Keywords: Ossetian poetry, dynamics of genesis, problem and thematic preferences, creative identity, style range, prospects.

In this article we have tried to highlight the work of Russian and foreign scientists, composers, travelers: M.A. Musorgsky, S.P. Taneev, D.R. Rogal-Levitsky, A.N. Dyachkov-Tarasov, M.P. Gayday, P. Ostryakov, G.F. Chursin, V. Prёle et al. in the collection, publication and study of Karachai-Balkar musical culture. Thanks to them, since the middle of the XIX century valuable materials on folk songs, dances, instrumental tunes, which founded the study of song and musical culture of Karachay and Balkars, were collected and characterized.

Keywords: Karachay, Balkars, folklore, songs, dances, folk singers, collection and publication.

The article tells about the initial stages of the history of one of the first natural and historical museums in the North Caucasus – the Terek regional museum, created in Vladikavkaz due to the efforts of the Terek regional statistic committee at the end of the XIX century. The museum played an outstanding role in preserving and popularizing the monuments of the history and culture of the Terek area’s peoples, and can be compared with such educational institutions as libraries, popular reading halls, etc. The published materials, representing official documents of the Terek regional statistic committee (journal decisions and annual reports on the state and activities of the committee), allow to reconsider the accepted date of the museum creation (April 8, 1897, when the museum was opened for visitors), and connect it with the memorable sitting of the general meeting of the Terek regional statistic committee, which took place on March 13, 1893. The decision on creation of the museum meant for preservation of monuments of the history and culture of the Terek area’s peoples was passed at this very meeting, and the special commission for the museum organization was formed as well. The documents fully enough represent the activities to organize the museum, acquaint with its financial and organizational issues, and show a role of higher officials and urban society representatives in turning the museum into an educational institution.

Keywords: historical and cultural heritage, Terek regional museum, Terek regional statistic committee.

The artistic interpretation and display of the heroic Nart epos as one of the precious treasures and greatest achievements of the Ossetian people was in the focus of many national representatives of the creative intelligentsia (writers N. Dzhusoity, M. Bukaty, G. Pliyev, composers I. Gabaraev, L. Efimova, artists A. Canan, A. Hohi, U. Kanukov, E. Booth, etc.). A special role in the creative exploration of the rich world of the epic Nart tales belongs to the artist Makharbek Tuganov. He was one of the first who applied visual interpretation of the texts of the national epic. His illustrations to the Nart legends are recognized as an outstanding phenomenon of the national culture and rightly belong to the Treasury of Narts’ studies. Power of artistic expression, the depth of philosophical understanding of folklore material make his works on a par with the best works of Russian and Soviet artists who worked in this area. The reviewed source is the Russian translation of the article by M. Tuganov, which was first published in the journal "Max Doug" in the Ossetian language in 1949 and was a response to a prose collection of "The Ossetian Narts’ Sagas" (1948), published with illustrations of the artist. The document carries information about the main stages of the formation of M.Tuganova as an illustrator of the epos, about the little-known facts of the biography, which had an important influence on the shaping of his artistic vision, of the artist's creative method. The source is also of interest as it gives an idea on the peculiarity of the historical era, about the government's attitude to traditional culture, the use of the wealth of folklore in the achievement of socially significant purposes and the involvement of the intellectuals. The document is a typescript 10 pages long and is published unabridged.

Keywords: Maharbek Tuganov, artistic, oral literature, Nart epos, legends, visual interpretation of text, illustrations.

The article is a review on the monograph “Ethnic images and traditional behavioral models of Ossetians” written by A.Kh. Khadikova. It is particularly noted that ethnic images and cultural patterns are considered by the author as the most important aspects of social and spiritual experience of Ossetians and ethno-cultural heritage as a whole. The work is performed on the basis of analysis of extensive ethnographic material and with the assistance of historical-retrospective approach. The system reconstruction of people’s value sphere, moral and ethical attitudes which embodied in the ethnic images and specific behavioral programs, is presented on the background of general historical and ethnographical description of the ethnos, its social genesis and ethnic history. It is important that a holistic picture of behavioral standards and moral beliefs of Ossetians is researched in close connection with those values that form the basis of mentality of Ossetians. Moral values of national ethics, as well as their ethno-cultural realization – the stereotypes of communication and behavior are scientifically analyzed. It is noted in conclusion that a scientific analysis of the creative essence of the Ossetians ethnic culture, the principles of the high social organization of the ethnic group will pass unnoticed neither by the scientific community of Ossetia, nor by those who care about their own ethnic heritage.

Keywords: ethnic images, behavioral models, traditions, stereotypes of communication, basic values, mentality, Ossetians, ethnic and cultural heritage.