History and Historians in the Context of the Time

8-15

Authors: Hope O. Blejh, Ludmila M. Ramonova

This article features new little-known materials. Through the example of some of the more prominent representatives of the Russian scientific and creative intelligentsia, the author analyzes certain awareness-raising views on cultural building in the region. The author reveals in a survey/abstract form that interest in the Caucasus had been exhibited by the entire frontline Russian intelligentsia in the persons of its best representatives: A.S. Pushkin, M.Yu. Lermontov, A.S. Griboyedov, L.N. Tolstoy, A.P. Belyayev, A.A. Bestuzhev-Marlinsky, I.G. Burtsov, N.N. Muraviev, P.A. Mukhanov, V.D. Sukhorukov, V.S. Tolstoy, and many others. It has been proven that the ideas of compassion for common people were the basis for the creative work of the Russian general public and were shared by Caucasian thinkers (Adil-Girey, G. Dzasokhov, Kazen-Bek, Khan-Girey, and many others) as well, whose works were published in Russian and Caucasian periodicals. This facilitated the boosting of the national self-consciousness of the mountaineer ethnoses and bolstering mutual friendship between them and great Russian people.

24-30

Authors: Ruslan A. Khachidogov

Based on little-studied materials, the article provides a brief history of building the geopolitical space across the North Caucasus. The author establishes that North Caucasus Krai has had a unique geographical and political significance for countless centuries. Its territories stretched between two seas – the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea, which was of great strategic significance: it is here that Europe and Asia locked into each other, with various trade, political, and cultural relations established through them. It has been proven that the ancient region had from the very beginning been formed as a polyethnic one, inhabited by as many as 120 different nationalities. Today there are now 10 autochthonous peoples living in the area, which speak languages belonging to three language families: Caucasian, Indo-European, and Turkic. By the time the North Caucasus was made part of Russia, quite independent language communities had already been formed in the region, which occupied territories that have remained almost unchanged to this day.

39-50

Authors: Nugzar K. Ter-Oganov

This article examines the historical landmarks of the development of Qajar Iran in the 19th century. Following a number of defeats at the hands of the Russian Empire in the first third of the 19th century, Iran’s leadership started to give serious thought to modernizing its army. The author also touches upon the concept of nationalism in Iran and describes its distinctive characteristics.