Russia 4: North Caucasus – Ingushetia July 1 – 4, 2013

Posted by Sarah on July 20, 2013

Memorial Towers symbolizing 13 years of suffering in exile

Combat towers, Erzi

Ingushetia

Ingushetia one of Russia’s poorest and most restive regions, has an intriguing history. Ingush adopted Islam in 1847.Ingush are traditionally a classless society based on a clan system and unwritten law. Indigenous Ingush, a people of Vainakh ancestry, are the ancient natives of the Caucasus and Ingush Caucasians anthropologic type is considered the most Caucasian among Caucasians. Approximately 350 clans live in the republic today.

Colonization of Ingush land by Russians and Ossetians began in the middle of the 19^th century and was met by resistance. At the end of the First Russo-Caucasian War, Russian Tsar offered help to deport Ingush and Chechens to Turkey and the Middle East on the pretext that “Muslims need to live under Muslim rulers”. The real reason might be to liberate the land for the Ossetians and Cossaks. It was estimated that 80% of the Ingush left for the Middle East in 1865. Inguysh warriors known for their bravery had served the Tsarist army. After the October Revolution, the Soviet promised the Ingush that the villages and towns annexed during the colonization would be returned to them. But the Soviets broke their promise and had the land and properties collectivized and unified Chechnya and Ingushetia into one autonomous republic. During WWII, many Ingush youth was drafted to the Russian army.

On Stalin’s order on February 23, 1944, the Ingush together with Chechens were deported to Central Asia and Siberia. It is estimated about one third of the 500,000 exiled died during the hazardous journey or of cold and hunger during exile. In 1957, Ingush were allowed to return (but not to the Prigorodny District). Most of their land had been settled by Ossetians and part of the land had been transferred to North Ossetia. The returnees faced animosity from the Ossetians, hardship and injustice. A peaceful protest in Grozny in January 1973 was crushed by the Soviet troops marking the beginning of armed conflicts and insurgency in the area. In 1991, Chechens declared independence from the Soviet Union to form the Republic of IIchkeria while the Ingush chose to secede from the Chechen-Ingush Republic.

The Ingush tried to find a peaceful solution with the newly created Russian Federation in the hope that the Russians would return their land as a token of their loyalty. The Republic of Ingushetia was established on June 4, 1992. But the republic has been confronted with both internal and external problems ever since. Ethnic tensions in North Ossetia orchestrated by Ossetian ultra- nationalists led to the outbreak of the Ossetian-Ingush conflict in October 1992. Thousands of Ingush civilians were taken hostage by Russian and Ossetian forces and over 60,000 Ingush people were forced to leave their home in the Prigorodny District. The First Chechen War (1994-96) brought thousands of refugees to Ingushetia. Ongoing military conflict in Chechnya has occasionally spilled into Ingushetia. The republic has also been destablised by civil disorders, corruption, high-profile crimes, insurgency and terrorist activities and poor economy.

Unemployment is said to be over 50%. The government under President Yevkurov who has taken office since October 2008 is trying hard to return life to normalcy and develop tourism.

July 1 Monday: Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia – Ingushetia

The distance between Vladikavkaz and Magas, capital of Ingushetia is only 30km. We were met by our guide and many Ingush young men, three minibuses and a police escort at the border. As the first large tour group from Asia, we had VIP treatment! We were given two excellent English guide books on Nazran and the mountains. This shows the government’s keenness to promote tourism.

We lost no time and started our city tour after a quick lunch. We were taken to see the President’s Office, the Legislature and main ministries. An imposing Tower of Harmony and a new shopping complex opposite the President’s Office are under construction. The broad avenue was empty and the temperature was over 36°C. I thought I was back in the desert!

President’s Office

Government building

Our second stop was the Memorial of Memory and Glory in Nazran, the largest city of the republic. The ensemble includes several combat tower complex enmeshed in barbed wire, chains and iron fetters symbolizing 13 years spent in exile. This complex including a museum devoting to the history and tragedy was inaugurated in 1997. Two other main monuments include a memorial to the legendary Caucasian Native Mounted Division and Lieutenant Umatgirey Barkhanoyev, the last defender of Brest Fortress. There is remarkable tomb stones garden at the back of the tower complex. I still do not know the significance and meaning of this monument.

Entrance to Ingueshetia Mountains at border

Around 5pm, we set off for the Armkhi Health and Leisure Complex (1250m) located in the mountain. To get there, we had to cross the border and drive for an hour in North Ossetia before entering the Dzheyrakh Gorge planked by magnificent mountains within Ingushetia territory. How absurd!

The whole journey took almost two hours. Our rooms are basic but comfortable. But I enjoy my stay here most because my balcony looks over the expansive Tsei-Loam Mountain and Stolovaya Mountain opposite the hotel. There is no noise except the sound of silence and nature i.e. the wind and raindrops!

July 2 Tuesday: Excursion

We spent the whole day in the open-air museum – the region is dotted with stone combat, watch and dwelling towers as well as burial vaults/crypts. Some 120 combat towers can still be found in relatively good conditions with a height ranging from 20m to 35m. The highest one is the 6-storey 30-m Tsurovs’ combat Tower in the village of Dzheyrakh.

As it rained heavily the night before, the air was fresh and crisp. I woke up and saw the Stolovaya Mountain veiled in mist and later cloud. We set off at 9am with our Lahan, an Ingush who is knowledgeable and nice. He does not speak English and Olga and others translated for us.

New Olgeti Village

We got off near Olgeti which was damaged by serious flooding in 2002. The then President Putin ordered modern cottages be built in three months for the victims. We walked 2km to the tower settlement Erzi, one of the largest medieval tower settlements of castle types. It is said that during the Genghis Khan conquest, the Ingush people were forced to retreat to the mountains to hide from the invaders. They used rocks to build towers which serve as natural fortresses. Towers had been built wherever it was convenient to put up defenses and to cultivate land. Each micro town was populated by approximately 50 people. The Erzi settlement includes nine turrets and 22 living towers.As we had an hour’s free time, I had an enjoyable hike and had amazing views of blue sky and mountains possibly a hundred kilometres away! Others staying at Erzi thought I had gone astray and shouted to tell me to return!

Erzi Settlement

The second stop was the Lyazhginsky Falls situated in a deep forest gorge about 1.5km from the main road. Before we set off, Peter, our group leader was interviewed by a local TV channel. The reporter also interviewed Stephen and Mimi. I enjoyed the 30-minute walk to the fall which comprises three cascades reaching a height of 15m. The path is slippery but tranquil and beautiful.

Picnic time

We returned to the hotel for a late lunch. At 3:30pm we set off again for the Furtogsky Falls. There is not much water and I am not impressed. But the rock formation and the gorge near and above the fall are remarkable.

Weeping waterfall

The last stop was the old Furtoug Village where we visited a memorial museum house of revolutionary and the People’s Commissar of Terek Soviet Republic Ghapur Akhriev (1890-1920). We were met by Aslam who was related to G Akhriev. He said that his ancestor established the village and was the first person from this region to graduate from St Petersburg University in 1894. Many members of his family were distinguished figures in the history of Ingushetia.

Bust of Ghapur Akhriev

Furtoug Village with ruins and a museum

Ghapur Akhriev House-Museum

Before dinner, Olga and we took the chairlift near the hotel for a panoramic view of the mountains. I could see the sacred sanctuary Myat-Loam on Stolovaya Mountain where locals come to celebrate on the day of summer solstice. It’s Miss Kwok’s birthday and we had a piece of honey cake after dinner.

Young athletics in training camp

We gathered in the dining hall to watch the 9pm news and yelled with joy when seeing our group appearing on TV. The report on our trip lasted for some three minutes and the filming crew and reporters did a good job. Interviews of Peter, Stephen and Mimi came out very well projecting our positive views on Ingushetia and the trip.

July 3 Wednesday: Excursion

Our day started off fabulously with clear sky. We made a quick stop at a 4-storey missionary tower built in 14^th century when Georgian missionary came to spread gospel in the region.

Missionary Tower (14th C)

hen we spent some 40 minutes at a pass at 2100m with captivating views of the Dzheyrakh Gorge and the mountain ranges afar. But unfortunately, we could not see the snow-cladded cone of Mt Kazbek (5033m) as it was cloudy. We all got crazy over the alpine wildflowers and spent more than half an hour taking endless photos of the mountains and wildflowers.

We had the third photo at the Tower “town” Egikal, one of the largest medieval tower complexes in the Republic. As there would be a guided tour after lunch, we only took a few shots.

Around 11am, we arrived at the Tkhaba-Yerdy Church (8^th century) one of Russia’s oldest and most mysterious monuments. It was erected on a place of an ancient pagan temple. Symbols of Christian religion from Armenia and elements of the local history and pre-Christian ideas of the Ingush are intertwined here. There are four parts in the church which is decorated with ornamental patterns of complicated plaiting, stylized vegetable motifs, relief portrayals of people and animals. It has been a pilgrimage site too.

The next stop is the Tower complex Vovnushki, a monument of the XII-XVIII centuries’ architecture. To get there, we had to take a four-wheeled drive in order to cross several rivers. The short drive was bumpy and I fell down. Fortunately, I did not hurt myself as I had training during my trip in Kamchatka last year! The complex is a unique architectural monument, located on two high crests of shale rocks in canyon of the river Guloy-Khi. There were once two separate castles connected by a suspension bridge. The tower stood majestically 70m above the river. Olga told us that one of the towers was a watch tower while the other a customs tower as lots of goods passed through here as part of the Silk Road. It was raining heavily and my photos hardly do justice to the magnificent scenery, setting, and structures!

We turned back to see the Tower complex Targrim located on the right bank of River Assa. It has four combat towers and over 20 semi-combat and dwelling towers with a Crypt Necropolis i.e. “City of Dead” nearby.

Memorial commemorating the death of 43 Ingush who were killed on this spot in 1944

Tower Complex Tagrim

Instead of returning to the hotel for lunch, we had a picnic lunch in the wood. Unfortunately, the weather spoilt everything. It was raining heavily and the beautiful long table laid by the chef was ruined: the salad, bread, biscuits and chicken were all soaked with rainwater when we got there. We held our umbrella in one hand and eat food with the other! Despite the rain, we had nice chicken soup, delicious chicken and lamb shashlyk (a form of shish kebab). It was cold and we had to board our minibus in a rush. What an unforgettable picnic in the rain in the Caucasus!

Chef cooking in the rain

Olga at the table

Our trip to the Tower “town” Egikal had to be cancelled owing to heavy rain. We arrived at the hotel at 4:45pm. By then, the rain was over with blue sky with sunshine again. But it was too far to drive back. What a pity! I also saw rainbow from the balcony. We had local honey cake again as it was Su-su’s birthday!

July 4 Thursday: Ingushetia – Grozny, Chechnya (85km)

I was sad to leave the mountains where I can easily spend a week with a local guide exploring the hidden gems on foot. Our minibuses crossed North Ossetia before reaching Nazran where we visited the Museum of Fine Arts opened in 1993. The government has done a good job: though the museum is small, the layout is good and the exhibits are interesting. We were finally on the road to Chechnya!