Is it true that Dagestan. Dangerous Dagestan

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• Makhachkala residents outraged by the pandemonium in the police during the quarantine

  Residents of Makhachkala, detained for violating the self-isolation regime, were taken to police departments for an explanatory conversation. The police drew up protocols and demanded explanatory notes, gathering dozens of people in cramped quarters, residents of the city said.

• Pandemic has updated the tradition of mutual aid in the North Caucasus

  Residents of Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria and North Ossetia have lost interest in current political and land conflicts amid the spread of the coronavirus. The threat of an epidemic has brought to life the mechanisms of self-organization of the Caucasian society, people are actively helping each other to fight a common problem, stated scientists and activists interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot".

• 1 Muslims of southern Russia held Friday prayers at home

  Residents of Kabardino-Balkaria, Adygea, Ingushetia and Chechnya held Friday prayers at home today in connection with the ban on visiting mosques. The believers in Dagestan did the same, where the muftiat limited himself to a recommendation to refrain from collective prayer. Orthodox churches in Kabardino-Balkaria continue to work, but parishioners remain at home, a representative of the Pyatigorsk diocese said.

• 1 Volunteers came to the aid of isolated residents of a house in Makhachkala

  Residents of the Makhachkala high-rise building, who were banned from leaving their homes due to a neighbor infected with a coronavirus, used a volunteer organization to deliver food and medicine. Such volunteers work throughout Dagestan, the Ministry of Health of the republic noted.

• 16 residents of Dagestan await a positive test for coronavirus

  Preliminary tests for COVID-19 per day gave a positive result in six more hospitalized, the condition of three elderly patients in intensive care remains grave, the Ministry of Health of Dagestan said today.

• Police threatened with fines for violating quarantine in Makhachkala high-rise building

  Security officials do not constantly monitor compliance with the quarantine regime in an apartment building in Makhachkala, limiting themselves to daily rounds. However, people whose neighbor at the entrance is hospitalized with coronavirus face a fine for violating quarantine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs warned.

• 1 Security officials reported on the prevented terrorist attack in the Stavropol Territory

  One of the ISIS supporters who planned the attack was killed, the second was detained, the FSB reported. The special operation took place in an apartment building located in Neftekumsk, said the head of the region.

• 1 70 people in Dagestan transferred to quarantine per day

  There were no new confirmed cases of coronavirus in Dagestan per day, but another 70 people were sent to quarantine mode.

• Volunteers organized assistance to the elderly in Dagestan

  Volunteers delivered food, medicine and other necessary goods according to 169 applications received from elderly residents of Dagestan and social services to the hotline after the announcement of a self-isolation regime due to the threat of the spread of coronavirus.

• 1 Nogai activists called Elmira Kenzhibulatova "victim of the situation"

  The daughters of Elmira Kenzhibulatova, a resident of the Tarumovsky district of Dagestan, who was arrested after returning home from Syria, were examined by doctors and psychologists. Elmira's father, as well as Nogai activists familiar with the family, deny the woman's involvement in the militants.

• Makhachkala drivers complained about mass detentions

  Drivers reported mass arrests in Makhachkala for violating the self-isolation regime. The security forces set up posts at the entrances to the settlements of Dagestan.

• The Ministry of Health of Dagestan reported on complications in infected with coronavirus

  Three patients with coronavirus are in serious condition, including three children among 25 infected, the Ministry of Health of Dagestan said today.

• The number of people infected with coronavirus in Dagestan reaches 25

  10 new cases of coronavirus infection have been confirmed in Dagestan, 900 people are in quarantine, Rospotrebnadzor reported.

• Fight of Nurmagomedov with Ferguson canceled

  The duel of the Dagestan mixed martial arts fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov with the American Tony Ferguson was canceled amid a pandemic.

• Residents of one entrance of the Makhachkala high-rise building are quarantined

  The test for coronavirus of a resident of Makhachkala turned out to be positive, all her neighbors at the entrance were ordered to self-isolate by employees of the republican Rospotrebnadzor.

• 1 Entrepreneurs in Dagestan voluntarily refused to work during self-isolation

  The head of Dagestan signed a decree on measures to support business in connection with the spread of the coronavirus. Residents of the republic who are engaged in the provision of services interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent said that they did not count on the authorities' help, but after the announcement of the self-isolation regime they refused to work.

• Analysts questioned the scale of IS * recruitment in Kalmyk colony

  Islamic jamaats are being formed in Russian colonies, whose representatives demonstratively propagandize the ideas of terrorist groups without being their members, said analysts interviewed by the Caucasian Knot. At the same time, in their opinion, information about a terrorist network in the Kalmyk colony is similar to a PR action by security officials.

• 1 The head of the Kizlyar region spoke about the restrictions in Yasnaya Polyana

  In the village of Yasnaya Polyana, from where a local resident was hospitalized with suspected coronavirus, there is a self-isolation regime, entry and exit from the village was not prohibited, the acting head of the Kizlyar district said.

• Ministry of Health of Dagestan reports 15 people infected with coronavirus

  The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Dagestan increased by two and reached 15, initial testing was positive in 14 more patients.

• Mufti of Dagestan urged believers not to visit mosques

  Believers in Dagestan need to stop attending mosques due to the threat of the spread of coronavirus infection, the republic's mufti said today. Instagram users have approved this initiative.

• Instagram users criticized Dagestan authorities for weak quarantine control

  Dagestani Instagram users were outraged by cases of violation of the self-isolation regime. Commentators criticized the authorities, who, in their opinion, have little control over compliance with quarantine measures.

• Dagestani journalists questioned the possibility of introducing quarantine in the format of Moscow

  The introduction of quarantine measures in Makhachkala, similar to those in Moscow, is impossible, since the residents of the republic are not ready for them either financially or emotionally, Dagestani journalists told the "Caucasian Knot".

• Resident of Dagestan village hospitalized with suspected coronavirus

  A resident of Yasnaya Polyana was taken to a hospital in Makhachkala with suspected coronavirus after returning from Nalchik. He had complained of a high temperature the week before, his aunt said. In the village, according to local residents, there are restrictions on entry and exit.

Photo by Grigory Sysoev / RIA Novosti

It is not the first time that attempts have been made to restore order in one of the most corrupt regions of Russia - the Republic of Dagestan, but so far it has not been possible to do so. With the arrival of Vladimir Vasiliev to the leadership of the region, they tackled this matter tough. Four key members of the government have already been arrested. Will the mopping-up be carried out to the end, or there is nothing more to fear for corrupt Dagestani officials?

Detention, arrest and urgent evacuation to Moscow of the top officials of the Dagestan government - even the most daring analysts clearly did not anticipate such a turn. Although those who knew the new leader of the republic well Vladimir Vasiliev, immediately understood that this appointment would have the most unexpected and brutal consequences. In any case, in circles close to the Russian political leadership, the new interim has long acquired a reputation as an "iron fist in a kid's glove." Apparently, it was this ability to combine diplomatic talents with extreme toughness that became one of the main reasons for his appointment as head of one of the most "problematic" Russian regions. Moscow understood perfectly well that the role of the wedding Colonel-General Vladimir Vasiliev would not be suitable in any case.

Bows to the center and local clans

Attempts to take control of the situation in Dagestan have been made by the federal center on several occasions. True, boasting of obvious successes until now has been very problematic. Back in 2009, an appointee from Moscow was appointed to one of the key positions in the power structures of Dagestan. However, he did not succeed in taking up the duties of the head of the tax department. Its just very convincingly asked do not. So convincing that the Varangian was immediately recalled back to the capital.

For some time, a relative moratorium on active actions was observed in relations between the federal center and the power elites of Dagestan. This was largely due to the figure of the former head of the republic. Ramazana Abdulatipov a. The federal government fought back the prescribed number of bows, but real life at the same time took place according to its own, centuries-old rules, the basis of which were practically legalized national quota: distribution of posts and budgetary resources strictly between representatives of different national clans. Apparently, the level of discontent of the local population plus the alarmingly growing corruption component in the end forced Moscow to violate the existing status quo and start taking active actions.

I'm going to look

To the Acting Prime Minister of the Government of Dagestan Abdusamad Hamidov They "came" in the best traditions of this kind of special operations - at five o'clock in the morning. At the same time, they were held with the Acting Deputy Prime Ministers Shamil Isaev and Rayudin Yusufov (the latter combines the post of Deputy Prime Minister with the post of Minister of Economy and Territorial Development of the Republic). Operational and investigative measures were carried out by officers of the FSB of the Russian Federation of Dagestan with the force support of the special forces of the FSB of the Russian Federation. In general, everything is grown-up, with a clear expectation of the maximum effect of publicity. Although it is hardly possible to call the “high-profile” arrests and searches a complete surprise. A week before that, Musaev. Some other well-known representatives of the republic's political establishment also received the corresponding "black marks". The impression was that the authorities were making it clear: “One, two, three, four, five - I'm going to look. Who has not hidden, blame yourself! ". As it turned out, such a clear signal was not heard in the Dagestan ruling elite. And as it turned out, it was completely in vain. Subsequent events have shown that the consequences of this kind of deafness can be the most sad.

Boarding queue

According to some competent comrades, a number of major regional officials should collect their belongings. For example, they say that to talk with the Minister of Construction, Architecture and Housing and Communal Services of Dagestan Ibrahim Kazibekov for a long time they want not only in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the republic, but also in federal departments.

There are other obvious candidates for the active development of power structures. Among others, sources name such key figures of today's Dagestan elite as the “gray eminence” of the regional government Yusuf Rayudin... The names of the former deputy chairman of the government of the republic are also heard. Ramazana Aliyeva and the heads of the Accounts Chamber Bilala Jakhbarova suspected of corruption. It is possible that the security forces will come to the ex-Minister of Health of Dagestan Tanke Ibragimov- he is criticized for the improper maintenance of hospitals and clinics, for the lack of medicines and the low level of knowledge of medical personnel.

Support on the ground

On the ground, Vladimir Vasiliev's actions are generally approved, and his decisiveness will determine how much this support of ordinary citizens can become a support for further transformations.

People in uniform have already descended on a visit to the heads of two cities - Derbent and Kizlyar... In addition, the head of the Khasavyurt district Dzhambulat Salavov and the head of the Babayurtovsky district Eldar Karagishiev It was given to understand that soon they will have to talk very seriously with representatives of the Investigative Committee and the FSB. Apparently, the complaints of people living in these areas were finally heard by the republican authorities. And this, of course, cannot but inspire hope.

The degree of public outrage in these areas went off scale and threatened with unpredictable consequences. In the Khasavyurt district, the authorities practically uncontrollably disposed of thousands of hectares of land, machinery, and the work of quarries. It got to the point that land transactions were formalized retroactively and signed by the long-deceased former head of the district, Alkhamatov. Receiving a salary based on a non-existent staffing table has become common practice. Schools, medical institutions, kindergartens, which have long ceased to exist, worked hard on paper and received budget money. Almost the entire power structure was involved in the corruption scheme - from the head of the district to the heads of rural settlements.

And this is only a small fraction of the corrupt "arts" that the new Dagestan government will have to deal with. Most likely, the next persons involved in high-profile corruption cases will be the heads of the Buinaksk and Agul districts. Law enforcement agencies also have a lot of interesting questions for them. Especially for the latter. Just before the federal sweeps, the head of the Agul region Yuri Ismailov while hunting, he accidentally wounded his subordinate. He died in hospital from his injuries. They say in the republic that this is not the first murder of a person in Ismailov's life. Back in the early 90s, he and his fellow villagers were bandits in the city of Derbent, where he killed a man. However, this did not prevent him from becoming a deputy of the district assembly a little later, and later - to head the district.

There are not so few people with a similar background among the heads of districts. And the people are waiting for the authorities to cleanse Dagestan of them. However, according to information from sources close to the regional authorities, in the near future almost all regional administrations are expecting a tough check. And its results are unlikely to allow the majority of today's owners to sit in their commanding chairs.

Carrot and stick

Today it is obvious that it was decided to break the clan system in Dagestan in the most decisive way. Moscow hopes that such a demonstration of force will be received properly, and the region will finally understand that Vladimir Vasiliev is by no means a decorative figure, but a full-fledged representative of the federal center, endowed with all the relevant powers.
What's next? Question . Of course, if the direction of the main blow of Vladimir Vasiliev and his administrative team does not change, this will become a real political revolution for the republic's ruling elites.
However, one cannot ignore: Dagestan - super difficult region with its own specific orders in each locality. It is impossible to achieve anything here with the help of one dashing general attack. Only a combination of confidence in one's own strength with remarkable diplomatic abilities can give real support to the population and hope for real changes.

Carrots and sticks can certainly be effective, but going too far is also extremely dangerous. Time will tell whether the federal center, Vladimir Vasiliev and his closest associates have enough determination for this ... I would like to hope that the people of Dagestan will not be deceived in their expectations once again.

By the way, there are good reasons to believe that Dagestan is only in the unfolding attack on corruption. The Republic of Crimea and some other Russian regions are already awaiting their turn ...

I visited here recently in Dagestan ... yeah, I did not expect to see this, of course I was not in the whole republic, but this is exactly the republic, if anyone has forgotten, anyway, I repeat, I did not expect this, there are moments that confirmed my knowledge about republic and strengthened relations with the people who live there ... before Dagestan, I managed to travel to and several times to and, moreover, I went there by car ... directly from Moscow, got into the car and to the Caucasus ...

Even after visiting two republics of the Caucasus, I really wanted to go to Dagestan ... because I wonder ... how people live there, what their customs are, maybe they still cut their heads and eat people ...

2.

all the more so because they write a lot of horrible things about the republics of the Caucasus, so it’s interesting for me to see everything with my own eyes ... do you know how many republics there are in the Caucasus? There are seven of them, many do not even know that there are seven of them ... by the way, Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories are also geographically located in the Caucasus ...

3.

First impressions began to take shape already at the Airport ... from Moscow, three very colorful guys registered with us on the plane, they are straight Dagestanis ... not to be confused with anyone, hairstyles like from the eighties, beards, makasin, everything is right .. one called his friends all the time and spoke with a characteristic accent ...
- Brother, today I am only sending in about this ne know ne who, I secretly lach, you ne gavary ne kamu ...
having received assurances that the brother would not say anything to anyone, he immediately dialed another number and the dialogue was repeated))))
While we were landing, the whole of Dagestan probably already knew that he was arriving))) it was cool, but the fact that they did not dance Lezginka right at the airport and whistled to all the girls in the wake, as it is wild, because everyone knows that every Dagestani is obliged to do it)))

4.

I also encountered savagery when I flew to Makhachkala ... the meeting party was presented in the form of a local girl of pleasant appearance ... she was dressed, to put it mildly, not according to Sharia law ... she was standing and talking peacefully with some guy ... well I think he'll probably fix her brains or, in extreme cases, will whip her out ... but for some reason this did not happen ... we approached, they said goodbye peacefully and that's all ... I probably knew each other ...

5.

From the airport we went on an armored bus, in Derbent we checked into a hotel without windows, we got hungry from the road and naturally went to eat ... They were taken to the office forever and beheaded ... if you read everything without paying attention to the crossed out words, then this is what the bulk of people in the central part of Russia expect from the post, it is ingrained in their minds that Dagestan is scary ... but how on in fact, no one knows the situation ... the same thing was said to me about Ingushetia and about Chechnya, they say, go to the mountainous regions, there they will cut you into shreds ...

6.

I was in the mountainous regions of both Chechnya and Ingushetia and was alive, but to be honest, I was not in the mountainous regions of Dagestan, we only reached the Sulak canyon, and in the mountains, if anything, we drove through many villages, stopped at a store and a cafe and no one was on us I didn't look askance ... but I think it will turn out to take a ride on other routes ...

7.

But let's see why Dagestan is still dangerous?

8.

The first danger is locals, any person showed us the way with pleasure, was interested in where we were from, what our impressions were, and then the second danger creeps in, hospitality... everyone strove to invite us to their house, talk, drink tea, eat barbecue, and this is the third danger ... food, everything that we ate there is so tasty that we want to eat and eat without stopping, local meat dishes are just great, but it’s not worth eating in dry water, especially since local juices and soda are breathtaking, and here, along with soft drinks, the fourth danger crept imperceptibly ... binge, cognac is just awful, the wine is very tasty, and champagne is so simple a plague ... and it's worth a lot of work to give up something ...)

9.

Of course, I can safely say that while in Dagestan, I did not suffer at all ... but my liver does not agree with this ...)))

10.

But I still didn’t tell why I went there at all, except for the fact that I’m interested) and I’ll write about this in the next post about Dagestan and the ancient city of Derbent ...

Do not switch, it will be interesting ... :)

The federal center is conducting a unique operation in the most difficult Caucasian republic - Dagestan, trying to break the political system that has functioned in the region for decades. Demonstrative cleansing and arrests are of great importance not only for the republic, but for the whole of Russia. Why is Moscow just now tackling this problem and what result does it want to achieve in the end?

The operation to purge the authorities in Dagestan is unique. Therefore, almost no one was surprised even by the exaggeration made by one of the news agencies, which reported that the personnel at the traffic police posts had been completely replaced.

"Instead of them, consolidated groups of police and Rosgvardia, sent from other regions of Russia, are on duty," his source told the agency - but it is clear that replacing all the employees of the road patrol service in the three-million-strong republic would require thousands of troops, which in reality did not exist. so the same agency soon issued a rebuttal. But the Kremlin took on putting things in order in the three-million-strong republic more than seriously, and this in itself testifies to the onset of a new stage in the life of the country.

Yes, the whole country - not just one Caucasian republic.

Why? Because only a very strong and self-confident government can start solving the “Dagestan problem”. But hasn't “Putin's vertical” been like this all these years? Not really.

In the first half of the 2000s, Putin was restoring control over the country, which was almost destroyed to the ground in the 90s. The president sometimes manually, through plenipotentiaries, returned the powers and levers of government to the federal center.

In the second half of the 2000s, the vertical of power was already largely functioning, but both the personnel problem and contradictions within the elite remained. Both between the levels of power and between oligarchic structures, between the state apparatus and the oligarchy. It is no coincidence that back in 2011, Putin said that "we have everything on a living thread."

After returning to the Kremlin, Putin strengthened and cleansed the bureaucracy. Arrests of governors, mayors, deputies have become a mass phenomenon, and the elimination of corruption schemes and models has become systemic. The Caucasian republics remained the most difficult in terms of cleansing. The most difficult situation remained in Dagestan, and it was difficult even to start solving it. Because the Kremlin simply had no one to rely on - the very structure of power in this republic was so specific that it was not clear how to start shaking up and cleaning it so as to preserve at least minimal control over the territory.

In addition, the corruption situation in Dagestan was viewed as a lesser evil against the background of possible problems with the interethnic situation. The most complicated interethnic relations within the most multinational republic in Russia served as a kind of insurance, a lightning rod from the excessive attention of the center - “we have a special situation here, we need to take into account the balance of all nationalities, otherwise someone will feel unhappy”.

Under the cover of this, as well as the corrupt patrons of the capital, the Dagestan clans ruled the republic as they pleased. Relying on their relatives and fellow countrymen, feeding from the budget and making sure that the "share" of the other clan does not grow beyond measure, and its expansion is not blatantly impudent. So they lived - realizing, however, that it would not end well.

Not only because Moscow inevitably, sooner or later, had to call officials to order, but also because the situation in the republic itself has degraded in all directions. After the elimination of the terrorist underground in Chechnya, it was Dagestan that became the main "hot spot" in the North Caucasus. Moreover, both purely criminal or separatist-minded characters and young believers who protested against the injustice of the local way of life, who fell under the spell of “pure Islam”, went underground, “into the forest”. Such Dagestan was no longer just turning into a black hole, but also into a point dangerous for the whole of Russia.

Putin made his first attack on Dagestan in 2013, when Ramazan Abdulatipov, a former federal minister and deputy who left Dagestan many decades ago, was elected to lead the republic. But even this respected public figure failed to build a local elite.

True, it was under him that the process of "liquidation" of the shadow rulers of the republic began. The mayor of Makhachkala, Said Amirov, the "strongest man" of Dagestan in the entire post-Soviet period, was arrested. The head of the pension fund department, Murtazaliev, a former fighter and informal leader of one of the Avar clans, fled abroad. Some honest and non-clan officials began to move up, but on the whole, the entire system of national quotas remained intact. And corruption was reproduced with it. It was impossible just to "take" any ministry from, for example, the Kumyks - it was necessary to give them another ministry or an important object "for feeding" as compensation.

In order to maintain the "balance of interests" of even the four main peoples of Dagestan (Avars, Dargins, Kumyks and Lezgins), it is already necessary to forget about any professionalism - and there are also Laks and Azerbaijanis, Tats and Tabasarans ... Even local Russians - whose share, however, decreased for post-Soviet times almost tripled, up to 3.5 percent.

And in October 2017, Putin appoints to Dagestan Vladimir Vasilyev, the vice-speaker of the State Duma, a former employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Security Council, and his longtime associate. Although Vasiliev is Kazakh by his father (that is, he has Muslim roots, which is important for a republic with the largest number of Muslims in Russia), he is definitely a “Varangian” for Dagestan.

It was important for local elites to understand how the new government would be formed. By what principle? The local elites could not believe what was purely professional. Until recently - until this week the acting was arrested. Prime Minister Hamidov, two of his deputies and a former minister. The blow was inflicted not on the Dargins, Avars and others, whom these officials represent, but on the entire clan model. The new prime minister is a native of Tatarstan who has nothing to do with Dagestan.

With this gesture, Moscow says - that's it, we are no longer afraid of "breaking the fragile peace." Those who are worthy, who know how to work, who do not steal, will be in charge.

And no "interethnic balance" will scare us - because, naturally, local cadres will also be nominated, without them it is impossible to manage the most complex subject of the federation. But “Varangians” will be thrown on the security forces, on the government of the republic, in order to build an honest management system, to conduct a professional selection of personnel.

Will the situation explode? No. The Dagestanis themselves, ordinary, normal residents, are most tired of the state of their republic. The potentially richest constituent entity of the federation lives in the "gray", and that and in the "black" zone - this applies to both the economy and social relations.

Making Dagestan an all-Russian health resort and granary is not at all a fantastic idea. Tens of kilometers of Caspian beaches in Russia, where every kilometer of warm sea counts, can become our inner Turkey. Harvests of vegetables and fruits, which can be harvested under the local sun, can make rich not only the local "elite", accustomed to cutting everything and everyone.

For all this to work, the main thing must be done - to bring Dagestan out of the shadows. To return it to the Russian legislative space, to transfer its management into the hands of honest and hardworking representatives of all Dagestan peoples, to break the “proportional system”.

Let this system remain only in Lebanon, which was the basis for its construction in Dagestan. There, by the way, she works not for the development of the country, but for preventing the resumption of the civil war of all against all. And here, in Russia, we need to think about the development of Dagestan, and not about the conservation of an outrageous and explosive situation.

Republic within the Russian Federation. Formed in 1921 G. The name has been known since the XVII v. and means "Mountain country" (Turk, dag "mountain", camp "country, land") ... However, this name is valid only in history. sense: after the inclusion of the Nogai steppes and Kizlyar plains in the republic, mountainous territories account for only 56% of its entire area.

Geographical names of the world: Toponymic dictionary. - M: AST... Pospelov E.M. 2001.

Dagestan

(translated as "country of mountains"), the republic on North. Caucasus(Russia). Pl. 50.3 thousand km², the capital is Makhachkala ; other large cities; Derbent , Khasavyurt , Kaspiysk , Buinaksk , Kizlyar , Kizilyurt. From the VII century. the territory of D. was part of the Khazar Kaganate; at the beginning of the 8th century. captured by the Arabs, in the XI century. - Seljuk Turks, in the XVI-XVIII centuries. as part of Persia. In the period from 1776 to 1813. the territory of D. was annexed to Russia. The autonomy of Denmark was proclaimed in November 1920, and in January 1921 - Dagestan ASSR as part of the Russian Federation. Since 1991 The Republic of Dagestan .
North. h. D. is on Caspian lowland. , along which numerous irrigation canals are laid ( Nogai steppe , deltas Terek and Sulaka); south h. (56%) are mountains Bol. Caucasus(Bazarduzu town, 4466 m). A number of reservoirs have been built on mountain rivers. (Chirkeyskoye and others). The climate is continental; to the sowing. plains - steppes and semi-deserts (reed thickets in swampy deltas), in the mountains there is a pronounced vertical zonation - from steppes and shrubs in the foothills to deciduous and coniferous forests (cover about 10% of the territory) on the slopes, to alpine meadows in the highlands. Dagestan reserve .
Population 2584 thousand people. (2002), density 51.4 people. for 1 km²; urban 41.5%. The peoples of Denmark make up 80.6% of the population, including Avars (27.5%), Dargins (15.6%), Kumyks (12.9%), Lezgins (11.3%), Laks (5 , 1%), Tabasaran (4.3%), Nogais (1.6%), Rutuls (0.8%), Aguls (0.8%) and Tsakhurs (0.3%). Russians (9.2%), Azerbaijanis (4.2%), Chechens (3.2%) and Mountain Jews (Tats) live in cities and towns along the Caspian coast. The language of communication is Russian, training is conducted in native and Russian; literary languages ​​- Avar, Dargin, Lak, Lezghin, Kumyk; nat. theaters - Avar in Buinaksk, Kumyk, Avar and Lak in Makhachkala, Lak in Kumukh, Lezghin in Derbent, Dargin in Izberbash. All the peoples of Denmark profess Islam; Wahhabism is widespread, condemned by Muslim hierarchs D.
Extraction of oil and gas, quartz sands. Machine, prib-nie and e-tech., Chemical., Building., Stack., Light, wine-making, food. prom-st. Wheat, rice (in the Terek delta) and grapes are grown on the plain. Garden, vegetables, transhumant pasture sheep, beekeeping both on the plain and in the mountains. D. has long been famous for carpet weaving, art. fisheries: Kubachi - jewelry, daggers and sabers, Gotsatl - copper chasing; production of ceramics, jugs. A number of resorts; there are beautiful sandy beaches on the coast of the Caspian Sea. The main port and airport are in Makhachkala; main transport axes: w. the village of Grozny - Khasavyurt - Makhachkala - Derbent - Baku and Astrakhan - Kizlyar - Karlanyurt - Makhachkala. Numerous mosques, fortress ruins, mausoleums have been preserved; picturesque terraced mountain auls. Here is the genus. and lived imam Shamil, poets S. Stalsky, R. Gamzatov, Z. Gadzhiev; composers S. Agababov and M. Kazhlaev.

Dictionary of modern place names. - Yekaterinburg: U-Factoria. Under the general editorship of Acad. V. M. Kotlyakova. 2006 .

Dagestan is a republic within the Russian Federation (cm. Russia), located in the southeastern part of the North Caucasus, along the coast of the Caspian Sea. Dagestan covers an area of ​​50.3 thousand square meters. km, its population is 2,166 thousand people, 40% of the population lives in cities (2001). The national composition is dominated by Avars (27.9%), Dargins (16.1%), Kumyks (12.9%), Lezgins (12.2%), Russians (7.3%), Laks (5%). In total, representatives of 102 nationalities live in Dagestan. The republic consists of 39 districts, 10 cities, 14 urban-type settlements. The capital is Makhachkala, large cities: Derbent, Buinaksk, Khasavyurt, Kaspiysk, Kizlyar. The Dagestan ASSR as part of the RSFSR was formed on January 20, 1921, since 1991 it has been called the Republic of Dagestan; is part of the Southern Federal District.
The leading branches of the Dagestan industry are mechanical engineering and metalworking (separators, thermal, electrical and technical equipment, instruments, machine tools, excavators; ship repair); fruit and vegetable canning, fish, winemaking), chemical (phosphorus salts, fiberglass, varnishes, paints), light (woolen, knitted, shoe) industries are also developed. The production of building materials has been established. Economic growth is fueled by oil and gas production. The region's agriculture includes plant growing, the main crops of which are cereals (wheat, corn, barley, rice), industrial crops - sunflower. Climatic conditions favor the development of fruit growing, vegetable growing and viticulture. The main branch of animal husbandry is sheep breeding.

Natural conditions
On Russian territory, Dagestan is bordered by the Stavropol Territory, Kalmykia and Chechnya. The border with Georgia and Azerbaijan runs in the south and south-west of the republic. The southernmost point of Russia (41 ° 10 N) is located on the border with Azerbaijan. In the east, Dagestan is washed by the waters of the Caspian Sea. In the northern part of the republic there is the Tersko-Kumskaya lowland (28 m below sea level), in the southern - the foothills and mountains of the Greater Caucasus (Gunib plateau); the highest point is Mount Bazarduzu with a height of 4466 m. Mountains occupy 44% of the territory of the republic. The very word "Dagestan" in translation from the Turkic means a mountainous country. The main rivers of Dagestan are Terek and Sulak. The republic has deposits of minerals: oil, combustible gas, quartz sands, oil shale, coal, iron ore, mineral springs.
The climate of Dagestan is moderate continental, arid. In the mountainous part, it changes with altitude: the temperature drops, the humidity rises. In the southern, coastal part, the climate is transitional from temperate to subtropical. The average January temperature is from +1 ° С in the lowlands to -11 ° С in the mountains, the average July temperature is up to +24 ° С. Annual precipitation is 200-800 mm. Dagestan is distinguished by a variety of plant and climatic zones: subtropical forests, deserts and semi-deserts, alpine tundra and glaciers. There are over a hundred small lakes on the territory of the republic (mainly in the lower reaches of the Terek and Sulak). At an altitude of 500-600 m to 1500-1600 m, there are forests of oak, hornbeam, beech, as well as birch and pine. On the plateau of mountainous Dagestan and on the northern slopes of the ridges, mountain steppes and meadow-steppes extend, turning into subalpine and alpine meadows. Forests and shrubs occupy 9% of the territory of Dagestan. In the animal kingdom, there are typical representatives of the Asian steppes and European fauna: the Dagestan tur, the Caucasian snowcock, the Radde hamster, the North Caucasian weasel. Red deer, roe deer, jungle cat, wild boar have survived in the floodplain forests and in the Terek and Sulak valleys. From birds - Caucasian pheasant, hazel grouse, Caucasian black grouse, ducks, geese, swans, herons. Numerous lakes are rich in fish (carp, bream, pike perch, catfish, pike, trout). Sturgeon, herring, bream, pike perch, roach live in the Caspian Sea. On the territory of the republic there are the Dagestan reserve, the resorts of Kayakent, Manas, Talgi.

History
The oldest monuments of the Stone Age, found on the territory of Dagestan, belong to the Acheulean era. At the end of the 1st millennium BC, the territory of Dagestan was part of Caucasian Albania, then the Sassanid state. From the 5th century AD, independent state formations were formed on the territory of Dagestan: Derbent, Lakz, Tabasaran, Serir, Zirikhgeran (Kubachi), Kaitag, Gumik. In the 6th century, Dagestan survived the invasion of the Huns. In the 7th century, in the steppes of the North-Eastern Caucasus, the Khazar state (Khazar Kaganate) was formed, which included the northern lowland Dagestan. In 664, the invasions of the Arabs began and the spread of Islam among the highlanders of Dagestan. In the 11-12 centuries, a number of independent states formed on the territory of Dagestan (Derbent Emirate, Avar Khanate, Kazikumukh Shamkhalstvo, Kaitag Utsmiystvo). During this period, Islam in Dagestan became the dominant religion.
At the beginning of the 13th century, Dagestan was conquered by the Mongol-Tatars. In the 14th century, the Tatar troops of Uzbek, Tokhtamysh and Timur invaded the country. Iran began its expansion into Dagestan in the 15th century. Since the 16th century, Dagestan entered the zone of interests of Russia. In 1722, the troops of Peter I invaded the coastal Dagestan and annexed it to Russia. However, according to the Ganja Treaty (1735), Russia, interested in an alliance with Iran against Turkey, ceded these territories to him. Dagestan again became part of Russia under the Treaty of Gulistan (1813), which ended the Russian-Iranian war of 1804-1813.
The highlanders of Dagest actively resisted the Russian expansion into the Caucasus. The peoples of Dagestan, Chechnya, Circassia took part in the Caucasian War of 1817-1864. The founder of the movement for independence was imam Gazi-Magomed. His work was continued by Imam Shamil, an Avar by nationality. Shamil for 25 years led the struggle of the mountaineers against Russia. In the mountains of Chechnya and Dagestan, he created an imamate state. After Shamil surrendered to an honorable captivity (1859), the war of the mountaineers against the Russians began to fade.
In 1860, the Dagestan region of the Russian Empire was formed. Since the middle of the 19th century, especially after the construction of the Vladikavkaz railway in the 1890s, industry has been actively developing in Dagestan. By the beginning of the 20th century, there were about 70 industrial enterprises in the region. In 1918-1920, the territory of Dagestan became the arena for the battles of the Civil War. On January 20, 1921, the Dagestan Autonomous Republic was formed as part of the RSFSR. In May 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the republic adopted a new name - the Republic of Dagestan. In August 1999, gangs of terrorists under the command of Sh. Basayev and Khattab invaded Dagestan, proclaiming their goal to create a unified Muslim state in the North Caucasus, but were driven back to Chechnya. These events marked the beginning of the Second Chechen War.

sights
On the territory of Dagestan there are unique natural monuments: the world's largest free-standing dune Sary-Kum; the only subtropical liana forest in Russia in the Samur delta; Sulak canyon, which is greater in depth than the Colorado canyon; Kugsky "Aeolian city", which is a mountain remains in the form of towers, pillars and arches; Karadakh gorge, called the "Gate of Miracles"; the largest mountain lake in the North Caucasus, Kezenoyam, abounding in trout; Aimakinskoe gorge, inhabited in ancient times; many large (up to 100 meters high) and small waterfalls.
Dagestan has preserved many monuments of history and culture. The most famous are the defensive system of Derbent with the Naryn-Kala fortress (4th century), the alpine village-fortress of Kala-Koreish (9th century), the Juma mosque in the village of Kumukh (13th century). The republic is famous for its decorative and applied products. There are such centers of applied arts as Kubachi (jewelry decorated with niello, engraving, enamel), Gotsatl (copper embossing, jewelry), Balkhar (painted ceramics), Untsukul (wooden items with silver incrustation, bone inlay, mother-of-pearl) ...
The most common type of handicraft is carpet weaving. The secrets of carpet weaving skills are passed down from generation to generation. Dagestan carpets can be found in museums in New York, Paris, Montreal, Milan, Tokyo. There are 18 museums on the territory of the republic, including the State Joint Historical and Architectural Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts. Constitution Day is a national holiday of the peoples of Dagestan, celebrated on July 26.
"Ots bai" (a holiday for harnessing bulls) - the beginning of spring plowing among the Avars and other mountain peoples of Dagestan - is held in late February or early March. The exact day is set depending on the weather, so in different areas it passes at different times. The holiday includes the ritual of harnessing the bulls, refreshments and competitions. In Kubachi, every year on the fortieth day of spring, counting from the equinox, a colorful holiday of holy water is held with dances and songs.
The city of Buinaksk is located in the basin of the Shura-Ozen River, 46 kilometers from Makhachkala, with which it is connected by highways and railways. Population - 55.9 thousand people (2001). Buinaksk is called the gateway to the mountains; it is through it that roads to many mountain regions pass. At the end of the 16th century, the conqueror Tamerlane set up camp at this place. Subsequently, the aul Temir-Khan-Shura arose here, which in 1866 received the status of a city and until 1921 was the capital of Dagestan. In 1921 the city was renamed Buinaksk in honor of the revolutionary Ullubiy Buinakskiy.
The city of Kizlyar is located in the northern part of Dagestan, on the left bank of the Stary Terek River, 130 kilometers from Makhachkala. Population - 46.1 thousand people (2001). The first mention of Kizlyar dates back to the beginning of the 17th century. It received the status of a city in 1735. Kizlyar is an ancient center of the wine industry in Russia. The Kizlyar Brandy Factory and the winery are located here. There are many historical monuments in the city, including those associated with the name of P.I.Bagration - the hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, a native of the city of Kizlyar.
The Dagestan Reserve is located 18-20 km north-west of Makhachkala in Dagestan, includes the Kizlyar Bay (18485 hectares) on the Caspian Sea coast and the Sarykum dune (576 hectares) on the left bank of the Shura-Ozen River. The reserve was founded in 1987, its area is 19061 hectares (18900 hectares are occupied by the water area). The Kizlyar Bay has a shallow depth (on average 1-2 m), its shores are heavily indented by estuaries, it is almost completely covered with dense thickets of reeds; the Kuma River flows into its northern part. Dune Sarykum is the largest dune in Russia (252 m). The fauna of the reserve is rich: about 30 species of vertebrates, 90 species of birds and 30 species of fish. The reeds are inhabited by wild boar, jungle cat, muskrat, raccoon dog. The protected area is a wintering place for migratory birds. Rare species include flamingos, pelican, spoonbill, ibex, sultan hen, red-breasted goose, cormorant, Egyptian heron, little bustard, and bustard.

Resorts
There are four resort zones on the coast of the Caspian Sea: Makhachkala, Manas, Kayakent and Samur seaside. The Talgi resort is located in the foothill zone of the Talgin valley, at the eastern foot of the Kurort-Bash mountain, surrounded by treeless slopes of mountain ranges. It is famous for its highly concentrated sulphide springs, the water temperature in which is about +37 ° С. The building for medical procedures is equipped with an aerosolarium, medical and diagnostic rooms and a laboratory.
On the territory of the Kayakent resort (Kayakent seaside) there is a small thermal lake Dipsus, which contains reserves of peat therapeutic mud, the temperature of which is from +35 ° С to +42 ° С. The climatic resort of Manas is located 20 km from the town of Izerbash. Gunib is a mountain climatic resort, one of the most beautiful places in Dagestan, located at an altitude of 1500 m above sea level, almost in the center of Nagorny Dagestan, southwest of Buinaksk. Mount Gunib rises above the mountainous terrain, and in the upper part of its edge it is steep, below the slopes become more gentle. The top of the mountain forms a longitudinal hollow, along which a river flows, which overflows with several waterfalls in Koisu. There are meadows and groves in the valley. In addition to mineral waters and mud, the local climatic conditions have an unusually healing effect: mild subalpine climate, clean air, abundance of sun, absence of winds, picturesque landscape.
Akhty is a balneological resort located at an altitude of about 1000 meters above sea level, on the left bank of the Akhtychay River. For medicinal purposes, mineral waters from five hot salt-alkaline springs and two sulfur-alkaline springs are used here. The climate is characterized by moderately hot summers, warm and dry autumns, low humidity and no strong winds. In addition to treatment, tourists can see the sights of the ancient village of Akhty. The name Akhty appeared in the 10th century, before that the village often changed its name. Akhty is the birthplace of the first theater in Dagestan - the Lezgin Theater (in 1906 - a circle, in 1935 - a theater).

Handicrafts

The products of Kubachin are famous all over the world. (cm.