Kabardino Balkaria religion. Balkars (Malkars) are a mountain people who have preserved their traditions

More than half of the population of the KBR is Muslim.

The fact is that until now the question of the origins of the penetration of Islam into Balkaria remains little explored. In Russian historiography, surprisingly, the versions developed in the Soviet period, according to which Islam penetrates into the Balkar-Karachai environment very late (almost at the end of the 18th century), and this process itself is rather negative for the national culture, are surprisingly tenacious and are not actually revised. than positive. According to ethnographers, the Islamization of the social elite of the Balkars began even before the 17th century, from the second half of the 18th century. Islamic preachers appear in Balkaria, mainly from Dagestan. However, back in the 19th century. Balkar beliefs were a complex synthesis of Christianity, Islam and pre-Christian traditions.

Pre-Islamic remnants can indeed be found in the folk culture of the Balkars, but there are hardly more of them than among the Tatars, Turks and even Arabs, whose early Islamization no one doubts. In the 18th century, indeed, there was a strengthening of the position of Islam in Karachay and Balkaria. The influx of murids and preachers from Dagestan was directly related to the formation of the resistance of the mountain peoples to Russian expansion, primarily with the form of ghazavat - a holy war in which this resistance was carried out. However, the strengthening of the position of Islam and the change in its political role is not at all the initial penetration of Islam into the Karachay-Balkarian environment. But one cannot assume that a whole nation, for no reason at all, will suddenly accept an incomprehensible, new faith. Between these points of reference lie whole centuries of gradual familiarization of the Karachay-Balkar people to the Muslim religion and Islamic civilization.

At the moment, the boundary of the historical beginning is moving further and further into the 15th, 13th, 10th, and finally, even into the 8th - 9th centuries. As soon as the "History of the Khazars" recalled that in 737 a hundred and twenty thousandth army of Arabs led by Mervan invaded the lands inhabited by the Bulgarians, Savirs, Alans and Khazars (Khazar Khaganate), discussions and reflections developed in the circles of the people's intelligentsia about how it affected the religious orientation of the ancestors of the Karachay-Balkars. Were they not among the first Europeans who received the message of Allah from the original source - the Arab Caliphate. An even more fertile ground for thinking about the advance of Islam in the 8th century to the Caucasus was provided by the latest developments of Georgian and Abkhaz historians, who drew attention to the rivalry between Byzantium and the Arab Caliphate in the struggle for the Eastern Black Sea region, and revealed the significance of the Battle of Anakopia (736). It was obvious that with the religious zeal that was inherent in the era of the early Middle Ages, any war went on under the banner of the struggle for the triumph of one or another faith, from which it follows that if the Arabs visited those places where the ancestors of modern highlanders lived in the 8th century, then the precepts of the Prophet came here at the same time.

One thing is certain - the only way for Islamic missionaries to penetrate the territory of present-day Balkaria was the eastern one, from the side of Dagestan, where Islam came back in the 7th century. Further, historical science is already dealing with the realities of the 14th century - with a mausoleum in the vicinity of Ust-Dzheguta, which, apparently, was part of a large ensemble of a Muslim cemetery.

There are also many legends about the adoption of Islam in Kabardino-Balkaria. One of them, according to which, after the defeat of the Alanian kingdom by Tamerlane and the formation of the state of Karachay, the Karachays did not adhere to a single religion. Just like in Alanya, they had cults of different religions. And when Muslim preachers came to them and told them about Islam, the elders gathered on Teryo - the Supreme Council and decided: This religion is familiar to us, in no way contradicts our mountain ethics - adeb, mountain honor - namys and our national traditions. It calls for the worship of the One God, and we consider the arguments of this religion about monotheism to be true and declare that we accept Islam publicly voluntarily, without any coercion.

It should be noted that it was very difficult to maintain religious beliefs during the difficult period of deportations of the Karachay-Balkar people. To pass the road of hell and survive during the forced eviction, which lasted from 1943 to 1957, his faith helped the people. The Karachays and Balkars returned to their homeland with the Muslim faith, not only not destroyed, but revived and strengthened during the difficult years of exile.

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The activities of religious organizations, as well as the interaction with them of state authorities of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and local self-government bodies of municipalities, are carried out in accordance with the Federal Law of September 26, 1997 No. July 25, 2002 No. 114-FZ "On counteracting extremist activity", the republican target programs "Interaction with religious organizations in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and their state support" for 2013-2015 and "Prevention of terrorism and extremism in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic" for 2011 - 2015.

The implementation of measures aimed at improving the efficiency of interaction between state authorities of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and religious organizations on the issues of spiritual and moral education of the population, maintaining interfaith harmony and dialogue is carried out within the framework of the republican target program "Interaction with religious organizations in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and their state support” for 2011-2012 and is carried out in two directions:

development and implementation of a set of measures aimed at disseminating the ideas of spiritual unity and patriotism, improving the culture of interfaith communication ;

strengthening of interfaith harmony, interaction with religious organizations, their involvement in peacekeeping processes, education of tolerance.

As of January 1, 2013, 176 religious organizations were registered in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, including 125 Muslim, 21 Orthodox, 1 Jewish, 3 Roman Catholic, 26 Protestant. There are 147 mosques, 20 Orthodox churches, 1 monastery, 4 chapels, 1 synagogue, 27 Protestant and 3 Roman Catholic prayer houses in the republic. Religious services and rituals are conducted by 137 Muslim, 23 Orthodox, 2 Roman Catholic, about 30 Protestant ministers, 1 rabbi. The religious picture in the republic is mainly determined by Islam and Orthodoxy. The communities of these confessions make up more than 80 percent of the total number of religious associations, and the number of followers is 90 percent of the total number of believers.

The confessional space in the republic as a whole is of a constructive nature: religious organizations operate within the framework of the stated statutory goals and objectives, in accordance with the current legislation. To date, there are no interfaith conflicts and contradictions in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. Relations between traditional confessions are built in the mode of dialogue and cooperation in the spiritual, moral and patriotic education of the population.

In 2012, as part of the implementation of measures aimed at strengthening interfaith harmony and interaction with religious organizations, the Ministry implemented in this direction more than 100 events with a total coverage of about 14,000 people.

In order to revive the folk Slavic traditions, as well as to popularize the cultural values ​​of the peoples living in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, together with the deanery of the Orthodox churches of the KBR, on February 13, 2012, the celebration of the Broad Maslenitsa was held in the State Concert Hall of Nalchik. The concert program was attended by the department of culture of the Pyatigorsk and Circassian Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, national cultural centers of the KBR, students of educational institutions and boarding schools of the republic.

Together with the administration of the Chegemsky municipal district of the KBR from November 26 to 30 in the village. Nartan implemented the republican project "Kunachestvo", aimed at preventing interethnic conflicts and reviving the mechanisms for establishing and maintaining good neighborliness in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. The project involved 12 families representing the Chegemsky, Maysky, Chereksky, Urvansky, Tersky, Zolsky and Leskensky municipal districts, as well as the Prokhladny urban district. Earlier, in April 2012, within the framework of this project, a "Camp of Kunaks" was organized and held. For four days, future kunaks from the Chechen Republic, the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, the Republic of Ingushetia, North Ossetia-Alania and the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, living in the Mayak sanatorium in Nalchik, got to know each other. From July 16 to July 20, 2012, the interregional stage of the youth project "Kunachestvo" was implemented, during which the children - project participants lived in each other's families, got acquainted with the traditions, way of life, cultural values ​​of neighboring peoples. The purpose of this event is the prevention of interethnic conflicts among the youth of the North Caucasus.

In June 2012, together with the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the KBR, an interethnic camp "Consent" was organized and held under the motto "Interethnic dialogue is the key to the prosperity of our peoples!". Within a month, about 100 boys and girls aged 12 to 15 from different urban districts and municipal districts of the republic, including representatives of national cultural centers, lived in the camp. According to a specially designed program for camp participants, training seminars were organized and held on communication, tolerance, interaction with the media, negotiation, round tables, meetings with public and religious figures, contests, disputes, sports competitions, as well as excursions to the sights of Kabardino -Balkaria. The purpose of organizing the camp is to ensure peace and harmony in society, to establish dialogue and mutual understanding between different cultures and peoples, as well as to strengthen and develop interethnic relations between peoples living in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic.

As part of the implementation of the republican target program "Interaction with religious organizations in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and their state support" for 2011-2012, a competition of socially significant projects was held among republican socially oriented non-profit organizations that are not state (municipal) institutions, aimed at preventing asocial manifestations among the youth of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. As a result of the competition, a subsidy in the amount of 5,200 thousand rubles was provided by the DUM KBR for the implementation of the project "Spiritual and Moral Improvement of Youth" in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. In the project's boundaries October 10, 2012 Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the KBR the International scientific-practical seminar "Moscow Theological Declaration as a tool for overcoming extreme positions among Muslim youth" was held. The seminar was attended by teachers and students of secular and Islamic educational institutions of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, imams, state and municipal employees working in the field of state-confessional relations, representatives of public organizations, as well as spiritual administrations of Muslims of the subjects of the North Caucasus Federal District. organized international theological conference "Muslims and national culture in a secular society" with the participation of Islamic scholars from the Republic of Turkey, the Republic of Azerbaijan, heads of spiritual departments of Muslims of the North Caucasus Federal District, representatives of secular and Islamic higher educational institutions, public organizations and the clergy of the republic (11/15/2012 ., Nalchik).

Since August 2012, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the KBR has carried out 30 visits to mosques in the municipalities of the republic in order to conduct explanatory talks. Also, 32 educational meetings were held with students of educational institutions, dedicated to the problems of preventing asocial manifestations among young people. 6 titles of religious information and educational brochures were issued with a circulation of 700 copies each.

In order to assist the residents of the republic in performing the Hajj in 2012, by order of the Head of the KBRA.B. Kanokova dated July 25, 2012 No. 68-RG An organizing committee was formed to assist pilgrims. It traditionally included heads of executive authorities of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, territorial bodies of federal executive authorities, representatives of the republic's legislative authorities, and the chairman of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of the KBR. In August-September 2012, 2 meetings of the organizing committee were held, as a result of which assistance was provided in sending 452 pilgrims from the KBR to the Hajj.

During 2012, there were no conflicts on interreligious grounds in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. The religious situation remained relatively stable, however, despite the measures taken, the conflict within the Muslim community, between believers of the older and younger generations, still exists in a latent form.

As part of counteracting the spread of radicalism and in order to reduce the level of the terrorist threat, religious organizations representing the main confessions significantly increased the work of an educational nature among the population of the republic.

During the year, for explanatory conversations, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the KBR organized about 200 trips to general educational institutions of the republic, about 20 visits to general regime colonies, more than 60 meetings with believers and Friday sermons were held in mosques in settlements of the republic.

The Deanery of the Orthodox Churches of the KBR continued to support the least protected sections of society, prevent the manifestation of negative addictions and radical attitudes, work is underway to rehabilitate drug addicts, as well as support people in places of detention, instilling labor skills in them, restoring lost social ties. Targeted assistance to acutely needy categories of citizens, support for children in orphanages and rehabilitation centers, provided by the deanery of the Orthodox churches of the KBR, also contributed to the maintenance of interethnic and interfaith harmony in society.

The activities of the Jewish community of the republic continued. A number of significant events should be identified in the reporting period: the reconstruction of the only synagogue operating in Nalchik was completed, on the territory of which a mikvah was built for ritual ceremonies; in March, May and September 2012, solemn ceremonies were held to introduce three new Torah Scrolls. A positive development in the life of believing Jews was the election in January 2012 of the Chief Rabbi of the North Caucasian Federal District, Rabbi of the Mountain Jewish community of the city of Nalchik, L.M. Shabaeva.

There was no particular increase in activity on the part of Roman Catholic and Protestant religious organizations in the reporting year.

In order to combine efforts and constructive interaction of state authorities of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic with religious associations, cooperation in matters of compliance with religious legislation, ensuring inter-confessional and intra-confessional harmony, religious and humanitarian education, spiritual, moral and patriotic education, counteracting the spread of asocial manifestations in society, commissions for interaction with religious organizations under local administrations have been created and are functioning in municipal districts and city districts.

The state authorities of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and local self-government bodies, observing the principle of non-intervention, maintain constant constructive relations with religious associations, cooperate with them in matters of compliance with the law on freedom of speech, freedom of religion, ensuring inter-confessional and intra-confessional harmony, religious and humanitarian education, the use of their opportunities in the spiritual and moral education of the population, countering religious extremism, provide financial, material and other assistance in the construction and restoration of religious buildings and objects that are monuments of history and culture, the provision of tax and other benefits.

The development of state-confessional relations and religious policy in the republic as a whole require further improvement, including in the field of education. In the development of religious education and enlightenment of the followers of Islam, great hopes are placed on clerics and theologians. At present, a number of institutions of religious vocational education are functioning in the republic.

The university has a personnel base, a curriculum consisting of 23 religious and 12 secular disciplines that meets the requirements of federal state educational standards. Students from other republics of the North Caucasus also receive education within the walls of the university.

On March 15, 2011, the construction of the Religious and Educational Center began in the city of Nalchik, which will include the Cathedral Mosque, a new modern university complex with all the necessary infrastructure, from a hostel for students to conference rooms and libraries. The construction completion date is 2013.

In all educational institutions of the republic, in class hours, optional courses, work is being done to familiarize students with the history of world religions, together with religious organizations of the republic, cultural, educational and other events are held, educational projects are being implemented aimed at spiritual, moral, civil law and patriotic education of students. Optional classes are conducted by teachers of social disciplines.

Familiarization of students with the history of world religions is carried out according to the following textbooks: "Fundamentals of Religious Studies" by V.P. Pavlovsky, 2006; "History of Religions", A.O. Chuboryan, 2006; "Man and Society", L.N. Bogolyubov, 2003; "History of World Religions", N.K. Kulakov, 2005; "History of Religions", A. Men, 2006

At the same time, it should be emphasized that state-confessional relations and, in general, religious policy in the republic need further improvement. The population is not sufficiently aware of the historically established religious culture of the peoples living in the republic, the traditions of Islam among the Kabardians and Balkars, the current state of religions, even if there is information on this topic in the media.

The confessional space in the republic as a whole has developed a constructive one, religious organizations operate within the framework of the stated statutory goals and objectives, in accordance with the current legislation. To date, there are no interfaith conflicts and contradictions in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. Relations between traditional confessions are built in the mode of dialogue and cooperation in the spiritual, moral and patriotic education of the population.

The implementation of state measures has a positive effect on the improvement and stabilization of the religious situation, the creation and maintenance of favorable conditions for the positive, non-conflict development of state-confessional relations in the republic.

yu Balkars in Kyrgyzstan, Balkars
Total: Up to 900 thousand (2015, estimate)
Russia, Russia:
112,924 (Census 2010)

• • Kabardino-Balkaria Kabardino-Balkaria:
    108,577 (Census 2010)
  • Stavropol Territory Stavropol Territory:
    883 (Census 2010)
  • Moscow Moscow:
    666 (Census 2010)
  • Karachay-Cherkessia Karachay-Cherkessia:
    418 (Census 2010)

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan:
5,000 (Census 2009)
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan:
1,512 (Census 1999)
Turkey Turkey:
40,000 (2010, estimate)
USA USA:
3,542 (Census 2010)

Ukraine Ukraine:
2100 (2010)

Balkarians(Karach-Balk. Alanla) - a Turkic-speaking people living in the central part of the North Caucasus, inhabiting its mountainous and foothill (Balkaria) regions in the upper reaches of the rivers Baksan, Chegem, Khaznidon, Cherek-Balkar (Malkars), Cherek-Bezengievsky (Bezengi, holamtsy).

Karachay-Balkarians and Nogais in the territories of the KChR and KBR

They belong to the Caucasian anthropological type of a large Caucasian race. They speak the Karachay-Balkarian language of the Turkic family. Dialect differences are minor.

• 1 Population
• 2 Ethnogenesis
• 3 Geography of settlement
• 4 History
• 5 Traditional activities
• 6 Dwellings and settlements
• 7 Traditional clothing
• 8 Traditional food
• 9 Family and traditions
• 10 Religion
• 11 Some Famous Balkars
• 12 Photo gallery
• 13 Notes
• 14 Literature
• 15 Links

population

Share by district for 2010 census:

The number in Russia is 112.9 thousand people (2010), of which 108.6 in Kabardino-Balkaria, which is 12.7% of the population of the republic.

A certain number of Balkars live in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan (4-5 thousand people, 2008, estimate), where they ended up as a result of Stalin's deportation.

They also live in Turkey, Syria, Egypt, European countries and America, where they are the descendants of the Muhajirs who left the North Caucasus in the 19th century, and are inseparable from the Karachais.

The total number is about 150 thousand people. (2010, estimate).

Ethnogenesis

The Balkars were formed from a mixture of indigenous North Caucasian tribes and Alans

Presumably, the name of the people (ethnonym) "Balkarians" comes from the Russian version of the name "Malkars" (inhabitants of the Malkar gorge). The Russians met the first Balkars there.

After the Mongol invasion (13th century), the ancestors of the Balkars were driven back to the mountain gorges of the Central Caucasus, where they then formed 5 large "societies" (Balkar (Malkar), Kholam, Bezengi, Chegem and Urusbiev). The cities were destroyed by the Mongols and were practically beyond repair. In the middle of the 18th century, the Balkars survived the invasion of the plague with great human losses. Due to the high population density, the disease spread rapidly and destroyed 2/3 of the population restored after the Mongol invasion. In the 2nd half of the 19th century. part of the Balkars again moved to the foothill areas.

Settlement geography

The Balkars are one of the most mountainous peoples of the Caucasus. They occupy the gorges and foothills of the Central Caucasus along the valleys of the rivers Malka, Baksan, Chegem, Cherek and their tributaries. The territory of Balkaria is rich in mountain ranges, forests, fertile valleys and alpine meadows.

Story

Elbrus is the highest peak of the Caucasus, Russia and Europe; his stylized image is present on the national flag of the Balkar people. Caucasus in the middle of the XI century. Caucasus in 1213

The Balkar people formed on the territory of the Central Caucasus as a result of a long historical development of three fundamental ethnic components:

a) the descendants of the most ancient autochthonous-Caucasian population of the Copper-Stone, Bronze and Early Iron Ages of the 4th-1st millennium BC. e. (especially the tribes of the Koban culture of the XII-IV centuries BC);

b) Alans-Ases (II-I centuries BC - XIII century AD);

c) Bulgars (I millennium AD) and Cumans-Kipchaks and/or Cumans (XI-XIV).

The mixed nature of the ethnogenesis of the Balkars is manifested in the variety of ethnic names traditionally associated with them and in the features of their material and spiritual culture. The first mention of the ethnonym "Balkar" is contained in the author of the 4th century. Mar Abas Katina in connection with the events of an older period (his information is preserved in the “History of Armenia” by Movses Khorenatsi, V century), as well as in the Latin “Anonymous Chronograph” of 354, the chronicle of Z. Ritor (VI century), “ Armenian Geography” by A. Shirakatsi (7th century). In Russian documents, the earliest references to the Balkars date back to 1629. Georgian sources of the XIV-XVIII centuries. The Balkars are known under the name "Basians". The Ossetians called them Ases (æsson, asiag), the Svans called them “sauars” or “highlanders”, the Kabardians called them “kushkhe” (highlanders). Among the Balkars and Karachais, the ethnonym "Alan" is also preserved as an everyday address to each other.

Since ancient times, the Balkars have had versatile economic, political and cultural ties with their neighbors, especially with the Kabardians, Ossetians-Digorians, Svans, Georgians-Rachins, and others, who maintain kinship, atalic and Kunaic relations with them. Not later than the beginning of the 17th century. relations with Russia began to be established. 1628-1629 representatives of the Russian Tsardom were interested in the possibility of developing silver ores in Balkaria. On the way to Georgia and back, the Moscow ambassadors Yelchin and Zakharyev were warmly welcomed and traded in the Baksan Gorge (1639-1640), and Tolochanov with Ievlev (1651) and Zhidovin with Poroshin (1655) - in Chereksky. In 1736, the Kizlyar nobleman Tuzov visited the inhabitants of Upper Chegem with a Cossack from the Don and described some features of their life and beliefs. On the other hand, the Balkar uzden ("nobleman") Kaspulat stayed in 1643 in the Russian city of Terki. And in 1657, Taubiy (“mountain prince”) Aidabolov, together with the embassy of the Kakhetian king Teimuraz I and representatives of other mountain communities of the Central Caucasus, went to Moscow, where he was received in the Faceted Chamber, generously endowed with sables by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and stayed for about a year.

The Balkars officially became part of Russia in 1827, when a delegation from all their societies filed a petition in Stavropol for acceptance into Russian citizenship on the condition that they retain their estate structure, ancient customs, the Sharia court, and the Muslim religion. This act, which was one of the most abrupt turning points in the historical development of the Balkars, significantly expanded and enriched their relationship with the outside world. They began to give their amanats to Russian fortresses, served in the tsarist army, participated in the Russian-Turkish (1877-1878), Russian-Japanese (1904-1905) and World War I (1914-1920) wars, in the revolutionary movements of 1905-1907 and 1917

A certain scientific interest in the geography, history and culture of Balkaria noticeably revived at the end of the 18th-19th centuries. (Guldenshtedt, Reineggs, Pallas, Potocki, Klaproth). But such an interest in it from European, Russian, and other researchers and travelers increased incomparably more actively in the 30s. XIX - 10s XX centuries, that is, after the entry of Balkaria into Russia (Bosse, Shakhovskoy, Blaramberg, Firkovich, the Naryshkin brothers, Karaulov, Prele, Teptsov, Baranov, Dolbezhev, Zichy, Vyrubov, composer Taneyev, geographer Dinnik, anthropologist Chekhovich, etc.) . After the reforms of 1867, new bridges and wheel roads were built in the mountains; for the first time in the Elbrus region, Taubiy I. Urusbiev built a special house for visitors; foreign and Russian representatives of science and culture, tourists and climbers often visited him (Miller and Kovalevsky, Taneyev, Murr, Tukker, Anisimov, Tulchinsky, Pastukhov, Abikh, etc.). In 1860, an elementary Gorskaya school was opened in Nalchik, which was transformed in 1909 into a general education real school, where Balkars studied together with Russians, Kabardians, and others. Later, elementary schools were opened in the Balkar villages of Kashkhatau and Chegem (1902), Urusbievo and Khasaut ( 1913). Some Balkars from the privileged classes were educated in educational institutions in Vladikavkaz, Tbilisi, Stavropol, Moscow, and St. Petersburg. All this contributed to the fact that in the second half of the XIX - early XX centuries. among the Balkars, a national intelligentsia began to form, which carried out significant cultural and educational work (publicist-historian M. Abaev and lawyer B. Shakhanov, connoisseurs and collectors of folklore M., I., N. and S. Urusbiev, violinist S. Abaev, doctors A Shakhanov and I. Abaev, teachers F. Shakmanova, Y. Dzhaboev and E. Chechenov, public figure I. Balkarukov, poet - the founder of Balkar literature K. Mechiev).

Balkar princes Zhankhots and Aidabols

The Balkars developed forms of feudalism, quite developed for high mountain conditions, with deep social and property differentiation and a multi-stage class hierarchy. At the same time, certain patriarchal-clan remnants were also steadily preserved. The highest social stratum is the taubii ("mountain princes"). These included: the Abaevs, Aidabolovs, Zhankhotovs, Shakhanovs and Misakovs - in the Malkar society, the Barazbievs, Kuchukovs, Balkarukovs and Kelemetovs - in the Chegemsky, the Shakmanovs - in the Kholamsky, the Syuyunchevs - in the Bezengievsky, the Urusbievs - in the Baksansky. Those born from an unequal marriage with taubia were called "chanka". The next privileged step was occupied by the uzdens (“nobles”), that is, the owners - the feudal lords, who were in a certain tributary, military service and other dependence on the Taubi. Below were the karakishi (“black people”) - the taxable Taubi, officially released as a result of the reforms of 1867. Next came the Azats - “freedmen”, who were considered personally free, but actually became dependent on representatives of the upper classes due to the use of their lands. Even lower were the chagars - "serfs", who enjoyed some rights and land allotments. The last step was occupied by the Cossacks or kasags (“rootless”, “homeless”) and karaauashi (“black-headed”) - absolutely powerless yard serfs and serfs who were in the position of slaves.

Relationships between different classes were strictly regulated and, as a rule, in the interests of higher social groups. If the Taubi arranged weddings, funerals, etc., then the Uzdens, Karakish, and others were forced to bear certain expenses, present gifts, provide services and honors.

In matters of blood feud, theft and other conflict situations, the guilty taubii, in comparison with the rest, were punished incomparably milder or were not held accountable at all - the right of feudal immunity worked. Marriages, as a rule, were closed class. With all that, many court cases, disputes and conflicts between communities with neighboring peoples, issues of war and peace, etc. were resolved at the people's forums - Tera, in which different classes participated. In special cases, they also performed legislative functions. each village or society had its own Tera, headed by a taubiy - oliy. If necessary, forums of several or even all Balkar societies could be convened, which were headed by the most influential taubi - the "supreme oliy". On certain controversial issues, Tera Balkaria was also sometimes approached from Karachay, Ossetia, and others.

A radical change in the life of the Balkars occurred as a result of the revolution of 1917. Their history since that period has many dramatic pages, but there have also been very significant achievements. After the February Revolution, the Nalchik Executive Committee, which supported the Provisional Government of Russia, included Taubi I. Urusbiev, B. Shakhanov, T. Shakmanov. On the other hand, many leaders who fought in the Civil War for Soviet power emerged from among the Balkars (M. Eneev, S.-Kh. Kalabekov, Yu. Nastuev, A. Gemuev, Kh. Asanov, K. Ulbashev, and others). At the II Congress of the Peoples of the North Caucasus (Pyatigorsk, 1918), which proclaimed the establishment of Soviet power in the region and the formation of the Terek People's Republic, the delegates of Kabarda and Balkaria acted as a single faction. 1922 the Kabardino-Balkarian Autonomous Region (KBAO) was created; in 1936 it was transformed into an autonomous republic (KBASSR). Territories with a numerical predominance of the Balkars were separated into separate districts - Chereksky, Chegemsky, Kholam-Bezengievsky, Elbrussky. The number of villages with a modern street layout, with new-type houses and household plots, with shops, clubs and schools, grew; in some of them electricity and radio appeared. Since 1940, the Tyrnyauz tungsten-molybdenum plant began to work in the Baksan Gorge.

The foundations of the centuries-old way of life of the Balkars began to change dramatically as a result of the collectivization of agriculture, which, due to the specifics of the mountainous conditions, was completed only in 1937. Criminal excesses in collectivization caused stubborn resistance from the peasants (performance in the Chegem Gorge in 1930).

From the beginning of the 20s. radical measures were taken to eliminate illiteracy and spread a new culture. Books and a newspaper began to appear in the Balkar language. 20-30s in Nalchik, the number of cultural, educational, educational and scientific institutions increased unusually quickly, where many Balkars were educated. They also studied in Moscow, Leningrad, Rostov-on-Don and others.

In the 30s. the work of the poet K. Mechiev continued, new names of poets and writers appeared (S. Shakhmurzaev, K. Kuliev, K. Otarov, O. Etezov, Kh. Katsiev, etc.). In 1934, the Writers' Union of Kabardino-Balkaria was created, in 1940 - the Balkarian Drama Theater.

Very significant achievements in the socio-economic and cultural development of the Balkars were irreparably damaged by mass repressions in the late 1920s and 1930s. in relation to the peasantry (especially in connection with collectivization), party and Soviet workers (Kh. Zokaev, K. Ulbashev, K. Chechenov), writers (A. Ulbashev, Kh. Temmoev, S. Otarov), and many other years of the war the Balkars were subjected to unprecedented terror.

In 1942, units of the NKVD, under the pretext of fighting banditry, shot hundreds of civilians in the Cherek Gorge - the elderly, women, children, burned several villages (Sautu, Glashevo, etc.).

On March 8, 1944, on a false accusation of complicity with the Nazi troops, the entire Balkar people were completely forcibly resettled (deported) from their places of permanent residence to Central Asia and Kazakhstan. In place of the Balkars, as well as other deported peoples, they were settled scattered for quick assimilation among the local population. Meanwhile, thousands of Balkars (more than 16,000 out of a total of 42,500, that is, more than 1/3 of the people) fought on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War as part of the 115 Kabardino-Balkarian cavalry division, partisan detachments of the KBASSR, Belarus and Ukraine, in the ranks of the anti-fascist resistance of Europe. Almost all of them were awarded orders and medals, although after the genocide of the Balkar people in 1944 they were clearly limited in receiving officer ranks and awards. On the basis of Decrees of the supreme authorities of the USSR of 1956, 1957. and other documents of repression against the Balkars were recognized as erroneous and illegal. On March 28, 1957, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a Resolution on the restoration of the statehood of the Balkars and the return of the former name of the republic - Kabardino-Balkaria, and the Balkars were allowed to return to their former place of residence. The issue of deportation is central in the recent history of the Balkar people. The legal and historical aspects of this phenomenon are carefully studied from a scientific point of view.

Traditional activities

The leading branch of the traditional economy is pasture cattle breeding (sheep, as well as cattle, goats, horses, and pigs until the end of the 18th century). They were also engaged in mountain terraced plow farming (barley, wheat, oats, and from the end of the 19th century, potatoes and garden crops). Home trades and crafts - dressing of felts, cloaks, cloths, leather and wood processing, salt production, sulfur and lead mining, gunpowder and bullets manufacturing. Beekeeping and hunting were of great importance. post-reform period, the dairy industry began to develop.

Dwellings and settlements

Land tightness, constant readiness to defend one's territory, deep social differences and contradictions in Balkaria were clearly reflected in the features of the layout and topography of settlements, defensive and burial structures.

In the most populous society of Malkar, as well as Holam and Bezengi, the villages were often located on the slopes of the mountains, very crowded and terraced, had narrow passages instead of streets. Chegem and Baksan, their layout was more free.

Water pipes from ceramic pipes and gutters were brought to villages and irrigated areas from afar (sometimes for 10-12 km), in places using support pillars (Malkar, Kholam, Chegem).

In many villages and other places convenient for protecting gorges, defensive residential complexes and towers were built (castles of the Dzhaboevs, Kurnoyatsky, Zilgiysky, towers of the Balkarukovs, Abaevs, Malkar, Amirkhan, Baksanuk, Ak-kala, etc.).

In the same place, near the burial places of ordinary community members in ordinary earth graves and stone boxes, monumental ground-based crypts-mausoleums (keshene) were built for the nobility from well-worked stones.

A certain physical and military training of young people was carried out, including in special camps of the Taubi (“Basiat-kosh”).

traditional clothing

Traditional clothing of the North Caucasian type. For men - undershirt, pants, sheepskin shirts, beshmet, chekmen, belted with a narrow belt belt, on which weapons hung; fur coats, cloaks, papakhas, hoods, felt hats, leather, felt, morocco shoes, leggings.

Women wore tunic shirts, wide trousers, a caftan, a long swinging dress, a belt, sheepskin coats, shawls, scarves, scarves, hats, and various jewelry. The festive dress was decorated with galloon, gold or silver embroidery, braid, and patterned braid.

traditional food

The basis of nutrition is meat, dairy and vegetable. Traditional dishes are boiled and fried meat, dried sausage made from raw meat and fat (kyyma), “sausage” made from fat, liver and rice (sokhta), fermented milk (airan), kefir (gypy ayran), yogurt (zhuhurt ayran), different types of cheese. Of the flour dishes, unleavened cakes (gyrzhyn) and pies (khychyn) with various fillings, fried or baked, soups with meat broth (shorpa) are popular, among the delicacies there are various versions of halva. Drinks: dairy - kefir and ayran, festive - bose and beer (cheese), everyday - tea from the Caucasian rhododendron.

Family and traditions

The family is predominantly small, marriages are exogamous. Restrictions must be respected. family life is characterized by patriarchal traditions, various prohibitions - avoidance. Ancient customs were widespread: blood feud, twinning, kunachestvo, atalychestvo, hospitality, etc.

In folk life, great importance is attached to etiquette. Characterized by calendar and other holidays, paramilitary sports games. Folklore is diverse - the Nart epic, ritual, labor, heroic and other songs, good wishes, and so on.

Religion

The process of Islamization of the Balkars began in the 17th century, but as early as the 19th century. their beliefs were a complex synthesis of Christianity, Islam and pre-Christian traditions (faith in Teyri). Faith in magic, sacred trees, stones, patron deities was preserved. Currently, most Balkars are classified as Sunni Muslims, but there are also people who profess traditional beliefs.

Some famous Balkars

• Abaev, Sultanbek Aslanbekovich (1845-1888) - an outstanding violinist, the first Balkar professional musician, educator, public figure.
• Akkaev, Khadzhimurat Magomedovich - Russian weightlifter, silver medalist of the 2004 Summer Olympics, bronze medalist of the 2008 Summer Olympics, World Champion 2011.
• Baysultanov, Alim Yusufovich (1919-1943) - pilot of naval aviation, Hero of the Soviet Union.
• Zalikhanov, Mikhail Chokkaevich - Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Hero of Socialist Labor, Deputy of the State Duma of the fifth convocation, Chairman of the Supreme Ecological Council of the Russian Parliament, Head of the Center for Sustainable Development, Scientific Director of the Alpine Geophysical Institute, President of the Mountaineering and Mountain Tourism Federation of Kabardino-Balkaria.
• Kuliev Kaysyn Shuvaevich (1917-1985) - the great Balkar poet, laureate of the Lenin and State Prizes of the USSR and the RSFSR. Member of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
• Mechiev, Kazim Bekkievich (1859-1945) - patriarch of Balkar poetry, philosopher and humanist.
• Ulbashev, Mutai Ismailovich (1923-2005) - choreographer, choreographer, Honored Artist of the KBR, People's Artist of the Russian Federation, People's Artist of the Chechen-Ingush Republic, former head of the Kabardinka and Balkaria ensemble.
• Ummaev, Mukhazhir Magometgerievich (1922-1948) - military commander, one of the first liberators of Odessa, Hero of the Soviet Union.
• Eneev, Magomed Alievich (1897-1928) - a Balkarian communist, an active participant in the construction of Soviet power in the North Caucasus.
• Eneev, Timur Magometovich - Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Soviet and Russian scientist, author of fundamental works in the field of theoretical and applied astronautics and cosmogony. Winner of the Lenin and Demidov Prizes.

Photo gallery

• Balkar women in national costumes (early 20th century)
• Balkars from the privileged class, Chegem society (XIX century)
• Balkarka from the privileged class, Malkar society (XIX century)
• Balkar family. Ismail Urusbiev with his wife and daughters (XIX century)
• Elders of the Urusbiev family, Baksan Society (late 19th century)
• Enlightener A. Shakhanov, Major General of Medicine (XIX century)
• Alim Baysultanov (1919-1943), Hero of the Soviet Union.

Notes

1. 1 2 3 4 5 Final results of the 2010 All-Russian Population Census
2. Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan on statistics. Census 2009. (National composition of the population.rar)
3. According to the 1989 census, there were 2,967 Balkars in Kazakhstan (All-Union population census of 1989. National composition of the population in the republics of the USSR // Demoscope Weekly)
4. Demographic Trends, Nation Formation and Interethnic Relations in Kyrgyzstan
5. According to the 1989 census, there were 2,131 Balkars in Kyrgyzstan (All-Union population census of 1989. National composition of the population in the republics of the USSR // Demoscope Weekly)
6. The figure is given for Karachays and Balkars together.
7. Kipkeeva Z. B. "Karachay-Balkar Diaspora in Turkey"
8. Borlakova F.A. Karachay-Balkar diaspora in the USA // Scientific problems of humanitarian research. - 2008. - No. 15. - S. 9-15.
9. "Somatologically, Karachays and Balkars belong to the Caucasian race of the North Caucasian populations"

Performed by a student of the I5M group

Nebelova.A.V.

The Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria is a constituent entity of the Russian Federation and is part of the Southern Federal District. The flag of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic is a panel consisting of 3 equal horizontal stripes: blue-blue, white and green. In the center of the cloth is a circle divided into blue and green fields, in the middle is a white image of Elbrus. Elbrus is the highest peak of the Caucasus, Russia and Europe, a symbol of the Balkars. His stylistic image is present on the national flag.

The coat of arms of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic is an image of a golden (yellow) eagle in a scarlet (red) field of the shield; the eye of an eagle is azure (blue, cyan). On the chest of the eagle there is a small crossed shield, at the top is an image of a silver (white) mountain with two peaks in an azure (blue, light blue) field, below is a golden (yellow) shamrock with oblong leaves in a green field.

The capital of Kabardino-Balkaria is Nalchik. The city got its name from the mountain river Nalchik, which flows through its territory. Nalchik in translation from the Kabardian and Balkar languages ​​means a horseshoe, since geographically the city is located in a semicircle of mountains resembling a horseshoe. The horseshoe became the emblem of the city. It borders on the Stavropol Territory in the north, North Ossetia and Georgia in the south, Karachay-Cherkessia in the west.

Language: The official languages ​​of Kabardino-Balkaria are Kabardian (Kabardino-Circassian), Balkar (Karachay-Balkarian) and Russian. The Kabardino-Circassian language belongs to the Abkhaz-Adyghe group of Caucasian languages. One of the official languages ​​of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia.

RELIGION: By religion, Kabardians and Balkars are Sunni Muslims. In Kabardino-Balkaria, the main confessions are Muslim and Christian (Orthodox and Protestant). The oldest form of religion, both among the Kabardians and the Balkars, was paganism, with its indispensable attributes - polytheism, veneration of "sacred places", the cult of natural elements, belief in the afterlife, the cult of ancestors, etc. In the 10th century. Christianity, which came from Byzantium, is spreading here, but Christianity is largely combined with old, pagan ideas. Islam began to penetrate the territory of Kabardino-Balkaria by the 14th century. This is evidenced by the ruins of the Nizhne-Dzhulatskaya brick mosque of the XIII-XIV centuries. with the remains of a minaret and a burial crypt under the floor, the significant size of which allows us to consider it a cathedral. In the XVIII century. Islam became the dominant religion of the Kabardians. The widespread dissemination of Islam in Balkaria occurred later, in the 17th-18th centuries. Islam is layered on the remnants of paganism and Christianity. From the first half of the 19th century Islam becomes the main religion of the Balkars and Kabardians.

Balkarians and Karachays are very close in their appearance to mountainous Ossetians and northern Georgians. This circumstance should be taken into account, since the Turkic language of the Balkars and Karachays gave grounds to many researchers to consider them direct descendants of the Mongols who came to the Caucasus from the East. An analysis of the anthropological features of the Balkars and Karachays, carried out by the expedition of the Institute of Experimental Morphology of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, studies by V.P. Alekseev and other authors showed that there are no Mongoloid elements among the representatives of the Karachay and Balkar peoples.

Architectural and archaeological monuments

On the territory of Kabardino-Balkaria, the remains of wicker dwellings and ceramics dating back to the Neolithic and Early Bronze Ages (Nalchik mounds), metal ornaments belonging to the circle of the Koban culture and the culture of the Scythian-Sarmatians were found. Many burial mounds, cemeteries, crypts of different times have been preserved (under-kurgan tomb near the city of Nalchik, 3rd millennium BC). Among the latter: the settlement of Lower Dzhulat, which existed from the beginning of AD. e. by 14th c. inclusive (the remains of a large mosque, the beginning of the 14th century, etc.), the early medieval settlement of Lygyt (near the village of Verkhniy Chegem) with a complex of defensive structures of the late Middle Ages. In the highlands, the ruins of late medieval fortress complexes have been preserved, erected in impregnable places (on slopes, ledges, mountain tops), severe and laconic in architecture: the Totur-Kala fortress and the Dzhaboevs' castle on the right bank of the river. Cherek, the fortresses of Bolat-Kala, Malkar-Kala in the Cherek gorge, the castle on Mount Kurnoyat-Bashi, the 3-tier complex of Zylgi (the so-called Borziev castle) in the Balkar gorge, etc. The fortified towers are majestic: the tower of Abay near the former village of Kunnyum , attributed to the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th centuries; tower of the Balkarukovs in the village. Upper Chegem, (dated to the second half of the 17th century, Ak-Kala tower (17-18th centuries).

Ground stone crypts-mausoleums of the 14th-19th centuries are widespread: rectangular in plan with a high gable roof, round and multifaceted with a cone-shaped roof. The triumphal gates in the village of Ekaterinogradskaya belong to 1785 (restored in 1847 and 1962). As well as crypts (keshen) in Upper Chegem

Traditional clothing:

Traditional clothing of the North Caucasian type. For men - undershirt, pants, sheepskin shirts, beshmet, chekmen, belted with a narrow belt belt, on which weapons hung; fur coats, cloaks, papakhas, hoods, felt hats, leather, felt, morocco shoes, leggings. Women wore tunic shirts, wide trousers, a caftan, a long swinging dress, a belt, sheepskin coats, shawls, scarves, scarves, hats, and various jewelry. The festive dress was decorated with galloon, gold or silver embroidery, braid, and patterned braid.

Traditional food:

The basis of nutrition is meat, dairy and vegetable. Traditional dishes are boiled and fried meat, dried sausage made from raw meat and fat (jörme), fermented milk (airan), kefir (gypy ayran), yogurt (dzhuўurt ayran), various types of cheese. Of the flour dishes, unleavened cakes (gyrdzhyn) and pies (khychyn) with various fillings, fried or baked, soups on meat broth (shorpa) are popular, among the delicacies there are various versions of halva. Drinks: dairy - kefir and ayran, festive - buza and beer (cheese), everyday - tea from the Caucasian rhododendron.

Festive occasions: and the performance of various rituals, were distinguished by large feasts, for which various foods and drinks were prepared. Kabardians and Balkars solemnly celebrated the birth of a child, especially a boy, the successor of the family. These festivities were organized by his grandparents or uncles and aunts. They informed all relatives about the day of the holiday. The family began to prepare a national drink - buza (makhsyma, boza), fried lakumas, slaughtered chickens, sheep, etc. Prepared national halva (khelyue). There was no fixed date for these celebrations. It could be arranged in the first days after the birth of a child, or timed to coincide with the ceremony of tying a child into a cradle. Relatives brought to the holiday: a basket of lacum, live and slaughtered chickens, brought a live ram.

The most important part of this holiday was a sacrifice in honor of God. A person who was trusted to slaughter a ram or a bull said special words: so that God would make the boy strong, strong, prolong his life, etc. On the day of such a holiday, a competition was arranged. A pole with a crossbar was dug in the yard. A round smoked cheese was hung on the crossbar. On a well-oiled leather rope, the competitors had to get to the cheese and bite off a piece. The winner was waiting for a prize.

Kabardins and Balkars taught their children how to cook. Girls from an early age were taught to help their mother clean the room, wash and tidy the kitchen utensils, help in cooking, cook it themselves. The obligatory code for educating girls included knowledge of all national dishes, methods of their preparation, and the order in which they were served on the table. A girl was judged not only by her appearance, but also by her upbringing, her ability to do needlework, and cook delicious food. Boys were also taught how to cook.

Kabardians and Balkars have always been distinguished by moderation in food. It was considered completely unacceptable and indecent to say that you were hungry. Greed for food was considered a serious human vice. The custom required - to leave part of the food, although he himself did not eat. The custom also did not allow to be picky in food, to choose or ask for one dish, to refuse another. The food was prepared by the eldest woman of the family or one of the daughters-in-law. She divided it among family members. Usually food was prepared with a certain margin, because guests could arrive unexpectedly. At the same time, even a well-fed person did not have the right, without violating custom, to refuse food. Being hospitable, the Kabardians and Balkars unfriendly perceived the guest's refusal to eat. It might offend them. On the other hand, they looked at the person who ate their bread and salt as their own, dear, close person and provided him with all kinds of help. In the past, the food of Kabardins and Balkars was characterized by its seasonality. In summer, they ate mainly dairy and vegetable, and in autumn and winter - meat.

Traditional dances: The ancient dances of the Balkars and Karachais are of a syncretic nature, where the dance is closely connected with song, music, drama, prayer, props. The Karachay-Balkar dances reflected the work of a person, the way of life of the people, the animal and plant world, character, customs, history, which are transmitted by body movement in a figurative and imitative form. In the rituals, the dance carries a multifunctional specificity. Ritual dances did not remain the same as they originated in ancient times. Each era left its mark. They have transformed. At the same time, some elements fell out, enriched with new content. This is clearly evidenced by the dance options. In all rituals, dance occupies a dominant position among other genres of action. In dances, their performer tries to express with body movements archery at the object of hunting, the habits of wild animals, wounded game, gathering wild fruits and herbs, plowing, sowing, weeding, harvesting, threshing, sifting grain, shearing sheep, processing wool, sewing, etc. etc. All this is transmitted in the choreography conditionally, in a figurative-imitative form.

Ritual dances of Karachays and Balkars were an integral part of traditional holidays that go back to ancient times and are associated with the life of the people. The dance in the rite was, as it were, its skeleton, framework, the functions of the dance occupy the most important place here, that is, they are the spokesman for the main idea of ​​the rite. If you remove the dance from the action, it will look unfinished. In the rituals, the dance carries a multifunctional specificity. For example, in "Hardar" the dance is dedicated to plowing, "Apsaty" and "Ashtotur" - to hunting, "Kurek biche" - to making rain, "Eliya" - to the actions of the god of war, "Bairim" - to the birth of a child, "Bashil" - to the ceremony of marriage, "Khychauman" is dedicated to those who died in the war, "Aymush" is a dance of cattle breeders, etc.

Applied Arts:

In Kabardino-Balkaria, woodcarving (furniture, dishes, chests, etc.), stone carving, embroidery with gold threads in combination with cord and galloon in large patterns (vegetative and horn-shaped motifs, rhombuses, circles, shamrocks) were developed. and sleeves of formal women's clothing. Grain, filigree, engraving, sometimes colored stones adorned metal products (earrings, rings, buckles, clasps, details of horse attire). By embossing, appliqué and embroidery, patterns were applied to leather goods (pouches, purses, cases). The Balkarians made felt carpets with a geometric tumbled pattern or with a pattern of large horn-shaped figures, solar signs, made using the technique of applique and mosaic (pieces of felt of different colors are sewn together). Among the Kabardians, weaving mats with a geometric pattern is common.

Musical instruments: Kabardians have long used original musical instruments. Of the wind instruments, bjami was widespread - a kind of flute made of reed or (later) from a gun barrel. Until now, there is a violin with hair strings and a bow in the shape of a bow. The violin was mainly a solo instrument, and was also used to accompany singing and dancing. Only men played them. The role of a percussion instrument was performed by a wooden mallet made of several planks tied together. Under the influence of other Caucasian peoples, such musical instruments as the zurna, tambourine and harmonica were introduced into the life of the Kabardians. Like all the peoples of the North Caucasus, the harmonica has become a female instrument here.

The history of the Kabardians and Balkars is closely connected with Christianity and Islam. The Christian religion left a deep mark in the culture of these two peoples, however, by the 19th century. Islam supplanted Christianity. The interweaving of powerful religious traditions at different stages of history gave rise to its own characteristics associated with the simultaneous veneration of pagan, Christian and Muslim deities, while the last two religious systems, as a rule, were mythologized and acquired certain features of pagan cults. The presence of Christian and Muslim monuments in one tract and the performance of pagan rites here for many residents of mountainous Balkaria and especially Kabarda remains a normal phenomenon.

Until now, in the gorges of Kabarda, one can see pine trees hung with multi-colored ribbons - a sign of reverence by the locals for sacred nature. In the syncretic consciousness of the Kabardians, the worship of the “trinity” is preserved: the great god Tkha, the god of the soul Psatkhe, the god of the sky Uashkho. Kabardian legends associate the name of the god Tkha with Elbrus (Ueshkhe-mahue - the mountain of happiness). After the penetration of Islam into Kabarda, Elbrus began to be considered the habitat of Padishah Jin, the king of spirits and the ruler of birds, who has a wonderful gift for predicting the future. Before each New Year, many Kabardians consider it their duty to perform a kind of "hajj" - to go to worship the Padishah Jin. But since it is impossible to reach the peaks of Elbrus, pilgrims usually head to the Tatar-tup (Tatar hill) tract on the western bank of the Terek, where images of the Virgin and John the Baptist were once discovered. The amazing vitality of ancient folk beliefs is evidenced, for example, by the existence of such an obrvda as "Khantseguashche" - the calling of rain (during a drought, a shovel dressed in a woman's dress is carried around the village, in every house they douse it with water and give it something). The syncretic consciousness of the Kabardian people is well reflected in the popular saying: “It is better to respect all the gods than to offer prayers to one and not remember the others. The rest will be offended."

An important role in the life of the Kabardians is played by the Adyghe code of morality and honor "Adyge-Khabze", which is mainly of pagan origin. In many cases, this code is considered more important than Muslim customs and Sharia. In this system of ethical norms, an important place is occupied by the traditions of honoring the elders (“the power of the elder is equal to the power of God”), the cult of ancestors, military prowess (“it is also difficult to make a mullah from an Adyghe warrior, as from a Turkish mullah a warrior”), honoring a guest, the cult of the family , as well as rituals associated with food (“food is more important than the Koran”). In the villages, ancient folk customs were preserved throughout the years of Soviet power and have noticeably intensified in recent years. The only rite in which the Muslim tradition is more strong is the funeral (although this rite is to a certain extent supplemented by pre-Muslim customs). The modern researcher of the Adyghe culture Barazbi Bgazhnokov notes that the Adyghe ethics draws religious consciousness into its sphere of influence and subjugates it. This phenomenon is relevant for all periods of the historical development of the Circassians-Circassians (Kabardians - Pyatigorsk Circassians). Adyghe-Khabze has such a great social and everyday role in Kabarda and other Adyghe regions that Adyghe was declared a creation of God. According to Bgazhnokov, “in the minds of the bulk of the Circassian population, this is a way of being in the world, bestowed on the people by Muslim Allah or pagan-Christian Tkha, just as the Creator himself descends sacred scriptures to the peoples. Therefore, it is believed that a person who does not observe the commandments of Adyghe incurs the wrath of God himself. Judgments such as: “When our souls leave the body and appear before Allah, he will ask reproachfully: “I gave you adiqage so that you live in accordance with its laws, why did you neglect my gift?” ”Thus, Adyghe ethics is comparable with an unshakable national religion that loyally and tolerantly perceives world religions - Islam and Christianity. (Bgazhnokov B.Kh. Adyghe ethics. Nalchik, 1999. P. 84).

Kabardians, like most Caucasian peoples, have gone through several periods of Christianization and Islamization. The process of penetration of Christianity into the environment of the Adyghe peoples began in the 4th century and intensified in the 6th century, when the Circassians submitted to the Byzantine Empire. The Circassians officially adopted Christianity in the 6th century. under the Byzantine emperor Justinian I through the Greek trading posts on the Mediterranean coast. In the XIII-XIV centuries. As a result of the Mongol-Tatar invasion, the territory of modern Kabardino-Balkaria was devastated. At the end of the XIV century. under the leadership of Prince Inal, whom legend considers the ancestor of all Kabardian princes, the Kabardians began to settle in the Kuban and the Terek. In the XIII-XV centuries. Catholic missionaries appeared in the North Caucasus.

In the middle of the XVI century. The Kabardian prince Temryuk Idarov entered into a military alliance with the Russian state. In 1561 Ivan the Terrible married Temryuk's daughter Goshen, who

shelter baptism with the name Mary. Subsequently, Christian preachers remained among the Kabardians until the 18th century.

The formation of Islam was carried out in stages. The city of Derbent (Southern Dagestan) is considered to be the region of the most ancient penetration of Islam into the North Caucasus. The Arabs made attempts to capture Derbent as early as the 7th century, but then they could not gain a foothold in the "country of mountains". At the same time, they managed to exert some influence on the religious beliefs of the locals, who were the first in the North Caucasus to convert to Islam. In the future, Islam penetrated to the Circassians from the Golden Horde through the Lower Volga region.

XIII - first half of the XVI century. - the penetration of Islam into the North-Western Caucasus, including Kabarda. After the capture of the Black Sea coast of Georgia and Abkhazia by Turkey in the middle of the 15th century. and the entire Crimea in 1475, Turkish pashas and Crimean khans led campaigns against the peoples of the North Caucasus under the banner of Islam. In the XVI century. part of the Kabardian princes converted to Sunni Islam. From Kabarda, Islam (Sunnism of the Hanafi persuasion) penetrated into Balkaria, where it finally established itself by the middle of the 18th century. However, pagan beliefs were still very strong among the people; their connection with the Muslim tradition was traced in many rituals. Kabardians resisted the introduction of Muslim law - Sharia, while maintaining adherence to local customs - adat.

In 1711, Peter I gave a letter to the Kabardian people about their acceptance into Russian citizenship. Since the 18th century began active settlement of the North Caucasus by immigrants from Russia.

At present, Kabardians occupy mainly the lowland part of the territory of Kabardino-Balkaria, while Balkars live in its mountainous part.

Christianity appeared on the territory of Balkaria in the mountain gorges of the Elbrus region in the 6th century. It is believed that not only the Alans-Ases, but also the ancestors of modern Balkars, the Turkic-speaking Bulgarians, who became the main population of Balkaria, became its carriers. It spread primarily from Byzantium and from the side of the Taman Peninsula, but Balkaria's ties with the Christian states - Georgia, Armenia and Abkhazia - were also of great importance. Until the invasion of Tamerlane in the XIV century. The Alanian diocese in the North Caucasus was of great missionary importance. Islam began to penetrate Balkaria from the 16th century, but until the middle of the 18th century, Christianity was strong among the Balkars, which had a significant impact on the language and customs of the people. Despite Islam spreading more vigorously in the 18th-19th centuries, even in Christian villages remained in Balkaria at the beginning of the 20th century. The nobility mostly accepted Islam, while ordinary peasants remained Christians or pagans. In the 19th century, the Orthodox Church tried to organize its mission among the Balkars, which did not bring much success. Islam has become

the official religion in Balkaria (see: Babaev S.K. On the issues of the history of the language and religion of the Balkar and Karachay peoples. Nalchik, 2000. P. 147-190). Balkar Islam was not distinguished by orthodoxy - many Muslim institutions were violated, for example, pork was eaten, Islamic rites were mixed with folk traditions associated with mountain etiquette - tauadet. Tauadet was based on pagan elements similar to Kabardian paganism (as well as tauadet in many ways resembles Adyge-Khabze).

In 1921, by a decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, the Kabardino-Balkarian Autonomous Region was formed as part of the RSFSR. In the Soviet period, Kabardino-Balkaria, like the entire North Caucasus, became an arena for the struggle against "religious remnants", "kulak-mullah elements" and "anti-Soviet underground", as a result of which in the 30s. almost all mosques were destroyed here, and the clergy were subjected to repression. In 1944, the Balkar population, accused by Stalin of collaborating with the Nazis, was completely deported to Siberia and Central Asia, where they stayed until the beginning of the Khrushchev “thaw”, and the republic was renamed the Kabardian ASSR. The deportation of the Balkars had a strong influence on popular religiosity. The difficult conditions of deportation, living away from their homeland forced the Balkars to rally around Islam, the main faith of the people at that time. Christianity and paganism were practically lost and forgotten.