There were many difficult periods in the history of Ingushetia. It experienced unification into various territorial units and their disintegration, was abolished and revived again, until it became a national-state entity with its own constitution and capital as part of the Russian Federation. The path to the recognition of statehood and the formation of the republic was a long one.
Millennium BC
The history of Ingushetia is associated with the founding of the Circumpontian metallurgical province in the 4th millennium BC. The people who created it began to develop the mining and metallurgical industry, but at the same time they were forced to build stone fortresses that prevent the conquest of the population by nomads.
At the same time, two material cultures emerged - Maikop and Kuro-Arak. The first was the genetic predecessor of the North Caucasian, and then the Koban culture, which is associated with the early period of the history of Ingushetia, which falls on the 1st millennium BC.
Koban culture flourished on the territory of the modern republic. Its name comes from the village of Koban, in which many archaeological sites were found, exploring which scientists found out that the Kobans, who were the ancestors of the modern Ingush people, lived both in the mountains and on the plane. In addition, we managed to find out that the ancient culture did not succumb to outside influence and retained its originality. The Kobans created an association of tribes, it lasted until the 2nd century BC, until it was defeated by Antiochus III the Great.
Ancestors of the Ingush - Alans
At the beginning of our era, the population of the North Caucasus began to be called Alans. These distant ancestors of the Ingush from the 4th to 7th centuries participated in campaigns against Western Europe and the Iranian-Byzantine wars, and then became politically dependent on the Khazar Khaganate and were forced to become military allies of the Khazars.
The Alans managed to create their own state, the capital of which was determined in the "city of the sun" Magas, only by the 10th century. But already in the first half of the 13th century, the Mongol conquests led to its defeat and inclusion in the Golden Horde. However, the inhabitants of the former Alanian state continued to fight against the invaders, they retained their language and culture, defended the mountainous part of modern Ingushetia. The enemy, in the form of Tamerlane's army, was able to invade the foothills only at the end of the 14th century.
The Ingush began to settle in the plains in the 15th century, but already in 1562, due to campaigns against them by the Kabardian prince Temryuk, they were forced to return to the mountainsunder fear of extermination. There began to take shape administrative territorial societies called shahars, which united several villages. Their life was regulated by a pre-state system based on democracy. However, rural governments were often transferred from one aul to another, and besides, internal migration processes took place. This led to the fact that the borders, population and names of the Shahars were constantly changing. There were about 7 in total.
Citizenship of the Russian Empire
In the 18th century, the population again began to return to the plains from the tight mountains with stony soils. Ingushetia became part of the Russian Empire in March 1770. In 1784, the Vladikavkaz fortress was founded to connect the Caucasus and Georgia, and in 1810, the Nazran fortress was founded, where the famous act of oath of six Ingush families was signed.
The treaty granted influential Ingush clans the right to use vast lands. For this, they had to help the empire by providing equipped fighters and supplying the authorities with information. At the same time, the resettlement of the Ingush was limited. Violation of these obligations was tantamount to high treason.
The consequence of the agreement was the completion of the migration of peoples in the XIX century and the participation of Ingushetia in wars on the side of Russia. The Ingush took part in the Caucasian War, during which the North Caucasian Imamat was annexed to the Russian Empire.
Education of the Terek region
However, the peaceful existence was broken in 1858, when there was an uprising by the military authoritiesCaucasus. Their demand was the creation of large settlements instead of small farms in which the Ingush people lived. The uprising was suppressed, after 2 years the rebels were eliminated, and the eastern part of the North Caucasus turned into the Terek region, which, in addition to the Ingush district, included Chechen, Ichkeria and Nagorny.
However, the territorial changes did not end there. Already in 1865, part of the Ingush population was forcibly resettled in Turkey. From 3 to 5 thousand Ingush were cut off from their homeland and could not return. But those who remained were not in the best position, as many people died from cold, hunger and disease.
In 1871, it was decided to unite the Ingush district with the Ossetian. The new territorial unit was named Vladikavkaz Okrug. In 1888, the territory of Ingushetia was subordinated to the Sunzha Cossack department, until the population achieved separation into the Nazran district. In fact, a new independent district in the Terek region appeared in 1905, but it was legalized only by 1909. By 1917, Ingushetia became part of the independent Mountain Republic, but the association quickly ceased to exist when its government announced its own dissolution due to the occupation of Dagestan.
After the Revolution of 1917
During the Civil War, Ingushetia supported the Bolsheviks, who promised to solve the national question. When in 1919 the territory was occupied by the Armed Forces of the South of Russia, led by General Denikin, who opposed the Soviet regime, the Ingush died in thousands,fighting for Soviet power. A year later, the general's troops lost control of the territory and were forced to retreat to Novorossiysk.
The newly established Soviet power disbanded the Terek region and gave the Chechen and Ingush districts the status of independent territorial entities. But already in November 1920, they became part of the Gorskaya Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, liquidated in 1924.
Ingushetia as part of autonomous territorial units
As part of the USSR, Ingushetia acquired the form of an autonomous region with its administrative center in Vladikavkaz. For 10 years it existed in this form, but then new changes took place. In 1934, the Ingush Autonomous Region merged with the Chechen one. The Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Okrug thus created lasted until the adoption of the Stalinist constitution in December 1936, after which it was transformed into the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.
But the Great Patriotic War again made adjustments. Despite the fact that the territory of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was not occupied by the enemy, in 1944 the population was accused of collaborating with Germany in its interests. This entailed the deportation of Chechens and Ingush to Kazakhstan and Central Asia and the abolition of the territorial unit.
Restoration with the expansion of borders occurred at the beginning of 1957, however, the republic lost the Prigorodny district, in which the majority of the population were Ingush. This gave rise to a rally in 1973, but it was quickly dispersed and the demands were notsatisfied.
Territorial conflict
The repeated claim for the return of the Prigorodny District resulted in the armed Ossetian-Ingush conflict of 1992. It began with a series of murders of Ingush in the disputed Prigorodny District and escalated after a 13-year-old girl was run over by an Ossetian APC. The Russian commission was going to revise the borders and give Ingushetia what they wanted, but Ossetia strongly opposed it, and the bloody incidents continued. Now two Ingush were shot dead, and the Ossetian militia that arrived at the scene was blocked. As a result, a shootout began, 4 more Ingush and 2 policemen were killed.
In response to this, traffic was blocked in some areas, pickets were set up. Volunteer detachments were created, the purpose of which was to protect their own lives and the safety of relatives. Self-defense units used weapons, including firearms. The demands of the authorities to lift the blockade were ignored. Fighting began between Ossetian and Ingush armed groups, accompanied by murders, hostage-taking, rape, robbery and arson. As a result of the conflict, more than 600 people died and 13 out of 15 Ingush settlements were destroyed.
Clashes were stopped thanks to federal troops. The created Emergency Committee was engaged in the evacuation of the civilian population. The borders remained as they were, but most of the Ingush lost their homes and were forced to leave North Ossetia as refugees. Ossetian-Ingush conflict1992 still has consequences in the form of a political confrontation on both sides. Ossetians oppose the return of refugees.
Restoration of statehood
The territorial conflict came at the time of the division of the Chechen-Ingush Republic. This event received legal force in January 1993, but in practice it began earlier, after the declaration of independence of Chechnya. The citizens of Ingushetia voted for reunification with the Russian Federation, and the Congress of People's Deputies approved the formation of the Ingush Republic. Thus, both Ingushetia and Chechnya restored their statehood.
First President - Aushev
The Republic of Ingushetia was headed by an officer of the Soviet Army Ruslan Aushev. During his duties as head of the Provisional Administration, he set himself the goal of achieving the return of refugees to the Prigorodny district, but he did not succeed. He resigned, but was nominated for the presidency, and then elected head of Ingushetia.
In his post, he signed an agreement with the President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Dzhokhar Dudayev, according to which part of the Sunzha region was transferred to Ingushetia. But 3 years later, Dudayev died, and there is still a dispute between Ingushetia and Chechnya over the ownership of the Sunzha region.
Under Aushev, the unfavorable economic situation in the republic changed. Before his arrival in the history of Ingushetia, the founding of higher educational institutions and the stable operation of large industrial enterprises were not noted. In 1994, the development of enterprises was promotedabolition of taxes and the provision of large benefits.
However, after Aushev's re-election as president in 1998, his government became less favorable. His proposal to resubordinate law enforcement agencies and internal territorial entities to the authorities of Ingushetia did not receive support. The Plural Marriage Law was quickly repealed due to its conflict with the Family Code. In 2001, he had to oppose the new unification of Chechnya and Ingushetia.
Ingushetia under the presidency of Zyazikov
Aushev resigned as President in 2002, after which Murat Zyazikov was elected head of state. He used sources of funding for the construction and reconstruction of residential buildings, as well as industrial and utility infrastructure. Under him, the average per capita money income was increased due to the growth of wages and pension payments, the gross regional product of the republics and the state budget grew.
However, at the same time, the number of crimes in Ingushetia increased, the situation became more and more aggravated due to numerous kidnappings, murders and terrorism. In 2008, the murder of the owner of an opposition website, Magomed Evloev, took place, which predetermined the resignation of the President. Relatives and friends of the deceased directly blamed Zyazikov for what had happened and demanded that he be removed from government. Some protesters wanted Aushev's return. In general, the supporters of the oppositionist put forward an ultimatum demanding removal. Otherwise they promisedappeal to the world community with a request that Ingushetia withdraw from Russia. In 2008, Zyazikov was dismissed.
Under the leadership of Yevkurov
The next president was Yunus-bek Yevkurov. He abandoned the costly inauguration ceremony for the budget, and instead met with citizens for a conversation, during which he tried to persuade them to cooperate and normalize the situation with common forces. The opposition, under whose pressure Zyazikov was removed, supported the new president. However, even after the new head of Ingushetia came to power, the situation continued to deteriorate.
In 2009, the former vice-president of the republic was killed, and then an attempt was made on the president himself. The bailiff's car was then shot at, killing two adults and injuring a child. In the same year, a terrorist act was committed in Nazran, which brought new victims: 20 killed and 140 wounded.
Yunus-bek Yevkurov retired early in 2013, but continued to act as president, and then was re-elected. He still leads the republic. In general, his work is assessed positively, the situation is stabilizing, the economy, culture and sports are developing.
Current situation
Today, Ingushetia is a subject of the Russian Federation and is part of the North Caucasus Federal District and economic region. The capital of the republic was founded in Magas.
OnThe borders of Ingushetia are North Ossetia, Chechnya, Georgia. The official website of the republic also marks the border with Kabardino-Balkaria, but legally this is incorrect. The claims of Ingushetia are explained by the fact that between it and the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic there is a narrow strip of land occupied by a village in which the Ingush mainly live. Nevertheless, this isthmus belongs to North Ossetia, with which Ingushetia has another dispute over the ownership of the Prigorodny district.
And there are also disagreements with the Chechen Republic. They concern the Sunzha and Malgobek districts. In some media, Chechnya is classified as the Dzheirakhsky district, which borders on Georgia. In fact, it belongs to Ingushetia.
