: 22 006 (2010)

• Neftekumsky district: 12,267 (trans. 2002)
• Mineralovodsky district 2,929 (per. 2002)
• Stepnovsky district 1,567 (trans. 2002)
• Neftekumsk: 648 (trans. 2002)

Ukraine: 385 (2001 census)

Nogais(self-name - kick, plural - nogaylar listen)) are a Turkic-speaking people in the North Caucasus and the Volga region. They speak Nogai, which belongs to the Kipchak group (Kypchak-Nogai subgroup) of Turkic languages. The literary language was created on the basis of the Karanogai dialect and the Nogai dialect. The writing is related to the ancient Turkic, Uighur-Naiman scripts; from the 18th century Until 1928, the Nogai alphabet was based on Arabic script, from 1928-1938. - in Latin script. Since 1938, the Cyrillic alphabet has been used.

The number in the Russian Federation is 103.7 thousand people. ().

Political history

In the middle of the 16th century, Gazi (son of Urak, great-grandson of Musa) took part of the Nogais who wandered in the Volga region to the North Caucasus, where there were traditional old nomadic Mangyts, founding Small Nogai.

The Nogai Horde between the Volga and Emba fell into decline as a result of the expansion of the Moscow state in the Volga region and wars with neighbors, of which the most destructive was the war with the Kalmyks. The descendants of the Nogais who did not move to Malye Nogai disappeared among the Bashkirs, Kazakhs and Tatars.

Anthropology

Anthropologically, the Nogais belong to the South Siberian small race, transitional between the large Mongoloid and Caucasoid races

Settlement

Currently, the Nogais live mainly in the North Caucasus and Southern Russia - in Dagestan (Nogaisky, Tarumovsky, Kizlyarsky and Babayurtsky districts), in the Stavropol Territory (Neftekumsky district), Karachay-Cherkessia (Nogaisky district), Chechnya (northern Shelkovsky district) and Astrakhan region. From the name of the people comes the name Nogai Steppe - an area of ​​compact settlement of Nogais on the territory of Dagestan, the Stavropol Territory and the Chechen Republic.

Over the past decades, large Nogai diasporas have formed in other regions of Russia - Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug.

Language

In the cultural heritage of the Nogais, the main place is occupied by musical and poetic art. There is a rich heroic epic (including the poem “Edige”)

Religion

Nogai girls in national costumes. Beginning of the 20th century.

Cloth

Housing

Story

The Nogais are one of the few peoples of modern Russia that have centuries-old traditions of statehood in the past. Tribes from state associations of the Great Steppe of the 7th century took part in the long process of Nogai ethnogenesis. BC e. - XIII century n. e. (Sakas, Sarmatians, Huns, Usuns, Kanglys, Keneges, Ases, Kipchaks, Uighurs, Argyns, Kytai, Naimans, Kereits, Kungrats, Mangyts, etc.).

The final formation of the Nogai community with the supra-tribal name Nogai (Nogaily) occurred in the 14th century as part of the Ulus of Jochi (Golden Horde). In the subsequent period, the Nogais ended up in different states formed after the collapse of the Golden Horde - Astrakhan, Kazan, Kazakh, Crimean, Siberian Khanates and the Nogai Horde.

Nogai ambassadors first arrived in Moscow in 1489. For the Nogai embassy, ​​the Nogai courtyard was allocated beyond the Moscow River not far from the Kremlin in a meadow opposite the Simonov Monastery. A place was also allocated in Kazan for the Nogai embassy, ​​called the “Mangyt place”. The Nogai Horde received tribute from the Kazan Tatars, Bashkirs, and some Siberian tribes, and played a political and trade-intermediary role in the affairs of neighboring states. In the 1st half of the 16th century. The Nogai Horde could field more than 300 thousand warriors. The military organization allowed the Nogai Horde to successfully defend its borders, help the warriors and neighboring khanates, and the Russian state. In turn, the Nogai Horde received military and economic assistance from Moscow. In 1549, an embassy from the Turkish Sultan Suleiman arrived in the Nogai Horde. The main caravan road connecting Eastern Europe with Central Asia passed through its capital, the city of Saraichik. In the first half of the 16th century. Moscow moved towards further rapprochement with the Nogai Horde. Trade exchange has increased. The Nogais supplied horses, sheep, livestock products, and in return received cloth, ready-made clothing, fabrics, iron, lead, copper, tin, walrus ivory, and writing paper. The Nogais, fulfilling the agreement, carried out cordon service in the south of Russia. In the Livonian War, on the side of the Russian troops, Nogai cavalry regiments under the command of the Murzas - Takhtar, Temir, Bukhat, Bebezyak, Urazly and others acted. Looking ahead, we recall that in the Patriotic War of 1812, in the army of General Platov there was a Nogai cavalry regiment that reached Paris, about what A. Pavlov wrote.

Crimean period XVII-XVIII centuries.

After the fall of the Golden Horde, the Nogais wandered in the lower Volga region, but the movement of Kalmyks from the east in the 17th century led to the migration of the Nogais to the North Caucasian borders of the Crimean Khanate).

As part of Russia since the 18th century.

The Nogais scattered in scattered groups throughout the Trans-Kuban region near Anapa and throughout the North Caucasus up to the Caspian steppes and the lower reaches of the Volga. About 700 thousand Nogais went to the Ottoman Empire.

By 1812, the entire Northern Black Sea region finally became part of Russia. The remnants of the Nogai hordes were settled in the north of the Tauride province (modern Kherson region) and in the Kuban, and were forcibly transferred to a sedentary lifestyle.

Nogaevists

Notes

1. Official website of the 2010 All-Russian Population Census. Information materials on the final results of the 2010 All-Russian Population Census
2. All-Russian Population Census 2010. National composition of the population of the Russian Federation 2010
3. All-Russian population census 2010. National composition of Russian regions
4. Ethnic composition of the population of Dagestan. 2002
5. Ethnic composition of the population of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic. 2002
6. Ethnic composition of the population of Chechnya. 2002
7. All-Ukrainian Population Census 2001. Russian version. Results. Nationality and native language.
8. Minahan James One Europe, Many Nations: A Historical Dictionary of European National Groups. - Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000. - P. 493–494. - ISBN 978-0313309847
9. Peoples of the world. Historical and ethnographic reference book. Ch. ed. Yu.V. Bromley. Moscow "Soviet Encyclopedia" 1988. Article "Nogais", author N.G. Volkova, p. 335.
10. KavkazWeb: 94% of respondents are in favor of creating the Nogai district in Karachay-Cherkessia - referendum results
11. Nogai district was officially created in Karachay-Cherkessia
12. Nogai district was created in Karachay-Cherkessia
13. The Nogai district was created in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic
14. Esperanto news: Conference on the future of the Nogai people
15. Traditional clothing and uniform of Terek, Kuban Cossacks
16. Nogais
17. Nogais
18. Russian military and diplomats on the status of Crimea during the reign of Shagin-Girey
19. Vadim GEGEL. Exploring the Wild West in Ukrainian
20. V. B. Vinogradov. Middle Kuban. Countrymen and neighbors. NOGAI

see also

Links

• IslamNGY - Blog of the group "Nogais in Islam". Islamic analysis of the history of the Nogais, the call of Nogai preachers, articles, poems, books, videos and audio about Islam and the Nogais.
• Nogaitsy.ru - Information site dedicated to the Nogais. History, Information, Forum, Chat, Video, Music, Radio, E-books, Poems, and much more related to the Nogais.

• V. B. Vinogradov. Middle Kuban. Countrymen and neighbors. Nogais
• Vladimir Gutakov. Russian path to the south (myths and reality). Part two
• K. N. Kazalieva. Interethnic relations of the Nogais in southern Russia

Literature

• Yarlykapov, Akhmet A. Islam among the steppe Nogais. M., Inst. ethnology and anthropology, 2008.
• Nogais // Peoples of Russia. Atlas of cultures and religions. - M.: Design. Information. Cartography, 2010. - 320 p. - ISBN 978-5-287-00718-8
• Peoples of Russia: pictorial album, St. Petersburg, printing house of the Public Benefit Partnership, December 3, 1877, Art. 374

Kazan historian about the great past of a small people

The historian of medieval Tatar states and columnist for Realnoe Vremya Bulat Rakhimzyanov continues a series of columns on the history of the Nogais, the ancestors of modern Nogais, and their ancestor - the Nogai Horde. Today he talks about Moscow-Nogai relations, considering the aspect of military confrontation and ambassadorial ties between the Muscovite kingdom and the Nogai Horde. During the preparation, materials from two books by the famous Nogai historian Vadim Trepavlov were used - “The History of the Nogai Horde” and “The Unauthorized Horde”.

Nogai sakmas

Despite the important role of diplomatic and trade aspects of interstate interaction in Eastern Europe, military rivalry was also an important part of it. Nogai detachments often invaded the Russian outskirts, and in alliance with the Crimeans, they sometimes broke through into the interior regions of the country. Muscovites called the routes of invasion of the Tatars and Nogais into Rus' by the Turkic word sakma. It means the trace on the ground left after the passage of the cavalry, and in a broad sense, the route of the nomads’ campaign. The invasion routes of the steppe people passed mainly along the hills and dry watersheds of rivers; Tatars and Nogais tried to avoid crossing rivers and wetlands and avoided dense forests.

The Nogai road, or Nogai Way, starting at Perevoloka (Tsaritsyn crossing over the Volga) east of the Don, went through the upper reaches of its left tributary Bityug. This path was considered the permanent and shortest route for Nogai raids. In Russia at the end of the 17th century it was believed that it was with this sakma that “Batu also went to war against Rus'.” Further to the north, the single Nogai Highway branched into several roads leading to the places of Mordovian, Ryazan, and Shatsk.

To protect the southeastern border, the government had to constantly keep tens (up to 60) thousand warriors here (data from V.V. Trepavlov). Although defense against the Nogais required much less force than the fight against Crimean raids, during the second half of the 16th-17th centuries a powerful system of fortifications arose there from the Ryazan fortified towns and the Zakamsk defensive line.

Starting from the middle of the 16th century, “transports” (places where Nogais crossed from one bank of the river to the other) gradually began to be equipped with Russian outposts and fortresses. In 1557 Laishev was founded on the right bank of the Kama, around 1571 - Tetyushev on the right bank of the Volga, below Kazan, in 1586 - Samara, in 1589 - Tsaritsyn, in 1590 - Saratov.

Map from historicaldis.ru

The establishment of Moscow control over the crossings reduced the intensity of the raids, but did not completely eliminate their threat. The Nogai were transported to the Crimean side under the guise of peaceful cattle breeders with the help of Russian carriers, and then, instead of grazing sheep and horses, they went to rob Russian “Ukrainians”. From the 1570s, the Nogais increasingly united in anti-Russian military campaigns with the Crimeans and increasingly moved along the Crimean sakmas, especially along the Kalmiussky Way, closest to the Nogai Road. After the migration of the bulk of the Nogai to the western side of the Volga, the raids became, as a rule, joint, and in the reports of the southern governors, “Crimean and Nagai people” turn into a dual concept.

Embassy connections

Russian ambassadors and messengers headed “to Nagai,” as a rule, in the spring to find biys and mirzas in summer pastures close to Russia. In the winter, it was “the ambassador’s languid walk,” and “it was impossible for them to go to Nagai.” The frequency of Russian missions depended on the nature of current relations with the Horde, but even in times of friendship and alliance, no more than one embassy was usually sent to the supreme bey per year. More often, ambassadors traveled only in emergency situations - during negotiations on coalitions or with requests to send cavalry to help the tsarist army.

In addition to direct negotiations by the sovereign's envoys, they also brought letters addressed to the Mangyt nobility to the nomadic headquarters. The embassy order compiled them in Russian, but the most important documents were sometimes duplicated by order translators into Turkic. This was dictated by the undesirability of discrepancies and was welcomed by the Nogai side.

“And whatever you send us,” wrote Biy Ismail to Ivan Vasilyevich in 1557, “and you ordered everything in your letter ... to be described in Tatar writing. You can’t really do it that way—no matter what you send to us, it doesn’t reach me.” The Nogais themselves composed their messages in Turkic. The Russian government did not experience such difficulties, since it maintained a staff of translators in its capital.

Obviously, since the times of the Golden Horde, a certain procedure has developed for the reception and accommodation of Moscow visitors in steppe yurts: “They have a tradition from time immemorial: who come from the sovereign from Moscow, ambassadors, and those ambassadors ... were stationed ... at the imildeshevs, at the janitors,” i.e. in tents provided by the court servants of the biy or mirza. The embassy was provided with “food” and a special person to escort them to the audience. In the Ambassadorial Order, an order was drawn up, which stipulated the reaction to possible “dishonorable” ceremonies for the ambassador and, accordingly, for the sovereign - not to give ministers gifts in excess of what was required (despite extortion); not to pay a “staff duty”: before entering the biy’s tent, the guards sometimes threw a staff (“batog”), and you had to pay to step over it. In accordance with the orders, the Russians refused to give money, and the payment happened to be taken by force, notes V.V. Trepavlov.

Front chronicle “On sending a messenger from Ismail.” Photo wikipedia.org

The audience (cornysh, cornyush) in the 16th century took place in the main headquarters of the biys, “and they sat in tents.” Only Biy Urus, during the break in relations with Russia in the 1580s, decided to behave differently with representatives of the Orthodox monarch and listened to letters while sitting on horseback, “and this never happened before.” In such cases, the ambassadors were supposed not to begin negotiations at all. In the 17th century, the protocol was simplified due to the weakening of the Nogai Horde and the establishment of the vassalage of the biy from the Moscow Tsar. The head of the Nogai could accommodate the ambassadors personally as guests, and now listened to the royal letters while standing, bare-headed.

In Moscow, treasurers were in charge of receiving visiting foreigners. Their involvement in contacts with the Steppe was reasonable, since one of the main issues in relations with the Nogai and Bakhchisarai was commemorations (material payments). The department of treasurers - the Kremlin Treasury Court - also hosted the reception of ambassadors in the event of the sovereign's absence in the city. For everyday communication with arriving nomads, as well as for servicing Russian embassies sent beyond the Volga, in the 16th century, as a rule, Tatar servicemen were used. This choice was natural: the Tatar population occupied an intermediate position in Russia’s contacts with the Muslim world, most of it was familiar with the languages ​​and customs of the eastern peoples; the Tatars also had a common religion with them. In addition, the Tatar language was traditional in Rus'’s relations with the East.

Upon entering the Russian borders, the Nogai ambassadors and usually the merchants accompanying them moved towards Moscow together with clerks sent to meet them from the capital, or with companions allocated by the Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, and later Kazan governors. Along the way, they were entitled to “food” from the local population, with the exception of monastic peasants; payment for food was made immediately.

Upon arrival in Moscow, the ambassadors and their retinue were settled in a special Nogai courtyard, the first mention of which was recorded in 1535 (data from V.V. Trepavlov). Its exact location is unknown. The herds brought for sale were placed not far from the ambassadors' residence.

At the same time, the Nogai courtyard was not the only place where visitors from the Steppe stayed. When the Nogai courtyard was already occupied by one Nogai delegation, others were settled near Krasnoye Selo, or at the Simonov Monastery, or in the Astrakhan courtyard. Occasionally other points appear, and all of them, like those listed above, including the Nogai courtyard, were located in Zamoskvorechye. The abundance of topographical names in embassy documents is explained primarily by the enormous size of the Nogai embassies, as well as the many thousands of their “sale horses.” Apparently, the Nogai court could not accommodate such a mass of people, and even with herds.

The visiting Nogai, hardy and unpretentious, never expressed any complaints about their settlement in Moscow, just as they calmly accepted the presence of Russian spies assigned to them. But they did not miss the opportunity to reproach the fastidious royal envoys with this, receiving them at their place: “Our ambassadors to the sovereign in Moscow and in which cities do not stand by their own will, but stand where the sovereign orders, and even ... they have bailiffs and guards living with them.” . Only once was there dissatisfaction with the insufficient maintenance of ambassadors in the Russian capital - “2 dengi per day”, while in Astrakhan (then still Tatar) they supposedly receive “an ox feed per day, like horse feed.”

When the Nogai courtyard was already occupied by one Nogai delegation, others were settled near Krasnoye Selo, or at the Simonov Monastery, or in the Astrakhan courtyard. Photo idis-moscow.ru

An audience with the Grand Duke or Tsar was scheduled some time after the posting of the ambassadors. The Nogai side insisted on reducing this period, because delay dealt a blow to the prestige of the Horde, “and we receive unkindness from our friends and from our enemies,” explained Biy Ismail. The Moscow monarch listened to speeches from the ambassadors, which usually corresponded to the content of the letters presented there and then, and if he was in favor of the recipient, he “carried” with the ambassadors, that is, he performed an oriental greeting ritual that combined a hug and a handshake. When ambassadors were “vacated” before leaving for their homeland, a farewell reception was arranged for them with the presentation of return messages. It often happened that on behalf of their patrons, their representatives entered into shert agreements with the tsar and then took with them “letters of oath” so that the biy and the Mirzas would confirm the shart-name before the Russian envoy.

To be continued

Bulat Rakhimzyanov

Reference

Bulat Raimovich Rakhimzyanov- historian, senior researcher at the Institute of History. Sh. Marjani of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan, candidate of historical sciences.

• Graduated from the Faculty of History (1998) and graduate school (2001) from Kazan State University. IN AND. Ulyanov-Lenin.
• Author of about 60 scientific publications, including two monographs.
• Conducted scientific research at Harvard University (USA) in the 2006-2007 academic year.
• Participant in many scientific and educational events, including international scientific conferences, schools, doctoral seminars. He has given presentations at Harvard University, St. Petersburg State University, the Higher School of Social Sciences (EHESS, Paris), the Johannes Guttenberg University in Mainz, and the Higher School of Economics (Moscow).
• Author of the monograph “Moscow and the Tatar world: cooperation and confrontation in the era of change, XV-XVI centuries.” (Eurasia Publishing House, St. Petersburg).
• Area of ​​research interests: medieval history of Russia (especially the eastern policy of the Muscovite state), imperial history of Russia (especially national and religious aspects), ethnic history of Russian Tatars, Tatar identity, history and memory.

The Nogais are scattered across different parts of the country and represent a minority in each federal subject. Keeping in small enclaves distant from each other, the Nogais ceased to form a single ethnocultural massif. And since each enclave had its own history over the past two hundred years, mental differences between the Nogais became noticeable.

Fate decreed that the Astrakhan Nogais were recorded and almost became Tatars, the Kuban Nogais living in the mountains absorbed mountain culture, and the Dagestan Nogais, on the contrary, retained their originality to a greater extent. Most of the Chechen Nogais were forced to leave their homeland due to two destructive wars, and the Stavropol Nogais found themselves part of a region that did not provide them with either territorial or cultural autonomy, or even the opportunity to study their native language in schools. Of course, there are also unifying factors: Nogai identity, language, past - but is this enough to maintain unity? What turned out to be stronger: the history that divided the Nogais, or human efforts in the fight against injustice? Are the Nogais a living people or fragments of an already dead people dissolving into other cultures?

There are many scattered and divided peoples in the world: history favors some peoples, while others, on the contrary, are crushed. The history of the Nogais over the past two centuries is the story of the almost complete destruction of the people.

In the second half of the 18th century, most of the Nogais lived in the Crimean Khanate, which included, in addition to the peninsula itself, also the territories of modern southern Ukraine, parts of the Rostov region, Krasnodar and Stavropol territories. The Nogais were the main ethnic group of the country, led a nomadic lifestyle and formed the basis of the Crimean cavalry. Another, significantly smaller part of the Nogais lived in the Russian Empire on the territory of the modern Astrakhan region and Dagestan.

The tragedy that occurred affected only the Crimean Nogais and did not affect the rest. It all started with the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774, as a result of which the Crimean Khanate ceased to be a vassal of the Ottoman Empire and became a vassal of Russia. Although the latter won, the Nogais retained vast steppe nomadic territories, which means that Russia received a disloyal, freedom-loving and warlike population on its southern borders. Something had to be done about this, and the empire decided to settle a less problematic population on the new lands - Christians, mainly Cossacks, and, accordingly, expel the Nogais. They were offered to move across the Ural River (modern western Kazakhstan), but the Nogais refused and decided to fight - this led to catastrophic consequences.

There were several reasons for the huge losses of the Nogais. Firstly, they were inferior to the Russians in military terms - bows and sabers versus cannons and rifles. Secondly, the Nogais had nowhere to retreat, which means they faced a simple choice: victory or death. Thirdly, they were deceived by Suvorov. He offered peace and arranged a feast at which the Nogais got drunk, and he himself ordered the horses' hooves to be wrapped in felt, and at night his soldiers silently attacked the Nogais. Some believe that this is where the expression came from: a bullet is a fool, a bayonet is a good fellow. Fourthly, the Nogais rarely surrendered, therefore, when surrounded by Russians or Kalmyks, they themselves killed their women and children, and then entered into the last battle. In total, as a result of the war, post-war unrest and uprising, 300 thousand Nogais died, and the population of the steppe was halved. The survivors were not allowed to remain on their land. Therefore, the last day of the uprising (October 1, 1783) is considered the day of genocide of the Nogai people, and Suvorov is considered a national enemy. The survivors were divided: some went to the Ottoman Empire (modern Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey), others went beyond the Kuban River, along which the Russian border then passed, others accepted Russian citizenship and began to roam within the modern Stavropol Territory. But the suffering of the Nogais did not end there.

The territory of Stavropol is predominantly fertile black soil, and the Russian authorities did not want nomadic cattle breeding to take place on these lands. Therefore, they were given to the Cossacks, and most of the Nogais were resettled to the territory of southern Ukraine, but soon they were forbidden to roam there either. This time they didn’t kick me out, but simply transferred me to a sedentary lifestyle. Before the Crimean War of 1853-1856 (that is, for about 50 years), the Nogais lived more or less quietly on these lands, there was even a city of Nogaisk (modern Primorsk not far from Berdyansk). But after the war, the Nogais were accused of aiding the enemy and were eventually expelled to the Ottoman Empire. The reasons for the eviction of the Nogais are unclear. Some kind of collaboration on their part did take place, but, firstly, then many were dissatisfied with the war - for example, Russian peasants revolted en masse against the increased oppression. Secondly, the Nogais fought with dignity on the side of Russia, because breaking the oath was considered inappropriate in their military culture. Perhaps the empire that lost the war decided to assert itself at the expense of the Nogais. Be that as it may, southern Ukraine was completely cleared of the indigenous population.

Trans-Kuban Nogais were less fortunate. After the liquidation of the Crimean Khanate and before the Treaty of Adrianople in 1829, Transkuban region (the southern part of the modern Krasnodar region) was formally part of the Ottoman Empire, but in fact it was independent: the Turks controlled only the fortresses of the Black Sea coast (Anapa, Sudzhuk-Kale, Poti and others). Most of the Trans-Kuban region (from the coast to the Laba River) was inhabited by Circassian tribes, and the Nogais lived between the Kuban and Laba rivers. This was the last fragment of the Crimean Khanate, outliving the Khanate itself by almost half a century. Also, some of the Nogais who survived the Russian defeat settled on the Circassian lands: Nogai villages were all over the left bank of the Kuban and near Anapa - to protect the fortress. Thus, the life of the Nogais became closely connected with the life of the Circassians: their villages were located next to each other, both peoples suffered equally from Cossack raids and together carried out raids on Cossack lands. The result of the Russian-Turkish War of 1828-1829 was that the Trans-Kuban region went to Russia, but the local residents did not consider themselves subjects of the Ottoman Empire, did not pay tribute to it, and were very surprised that their territories were transferred to another state. The Congress of Circassian Tribes decided not to accept Russian citizenship. Thus began (continued) the war in the Western Caucasus. Since Circassia was not an integral state, but a union of tribes and therefore did not have a single army, but many different armies and detachments, the war in the Western Caucasus became partisan. Russia, in turn, carried out punitive expeditions into enemy territory: it destroyed villages, burned crops and took away livestock. No one then separated the Circassian auls from the Nogais: both were called predators and were mercilessly destroyed - the Nogais shared the suffering of the Circassians. Due to massive resistance and guerrilla tactics, this war lasted for decades (until 1864) and became a disaster for the Circassians, Abazas and Nogais. According to the Russian historian Potto, 400 thousand highlanders died in the war, and another 500 thousand were expelled to the Ottoman Empire (of which 50 thousand were Nogais). For the Circassians, the date of the end of the Caucasian War (May 21, 1864) is the day of genocide. The survivors were not allowed to remain on their land, but were given the choice of moving to the Kuban plains or sailing to the Ottoman Empire. Most chose the latter, but not all made it to the Turkish coast: the ships were small and overcrowded, so they sank in the event of the slightest storm. As a result, the Western Caucasus was practically cleared of the indigenous population: the Circassians survived only in a few villages near Sochi and in the Republic of Adygea, and the Nogais in the Nogai region of Karachay-Cherkessia.

This whole long story is told for a reason. Both peoples - Nogai and Circassian - experienced a national tragedy. Both peoples have a specific commemoration date (October 1 and May 21). Yes, historically the Nogai tragedy stretched over a longer period of time, and October 1, 1783 does not formally include the subsequent events of the Crimean and Caucasian wars. But this is formal. In fact, both nations have dates on which it is imperative to remember the past. They remember, but they do it in different ways. On May 21, Circassians with national flags in national clothes take to the streets and hold mourning events and processions. You shouldn’t think that this day is politicized, it’s just that for the Circassians in their modern history, the most significant, turning point event was a tragedy, and a real national day is possible only on the basis of a significant event. Circassians use the day of the tragedy not just to remember the past, but to consolidate society - therefore, funeral processions take place all over the world, and the fragmented Circassian society gains unity.

On October 1, Nogais do not organize any events - usually the victims of the tragedy are commemorated at home. Someone will make a post on the Internet, someone will gather in a small campaign, someone will go to the mosque (they read prayers there and can give out alms), but to go out into the street in national clothes with national flags for a funeral procession, this does not happen . Of course, the question is not about going out into the street and shouting about something, but about the fact that a divided people does not have a national day - the one that would unite all Nogais.

I asked the Nogais why there is no such day, and whether they want it to appear.

"What for? Judge for yourself. Unity occurs, for example, at conferences, at round tables, when some international festivals take place. Why do we need to go outside? There are so many peoples, and if everyone sticks out themselves like that, it won’t lead to good,” says Rosa, a history teacher from Astrakhan.

“In Astrakhan they don’t pay much attention to this, but they know that this date exists and can read prayers. It’s not customary for the Nogais to wash dirty linen in public,” says Linara.

“On October 1st, young people look at something on the Internet, discuss it, but I myself do nothing,” says singer Magorbi Seitov from Karachay-Cherkessia.

It may seem that Nogais generally avoid mass events, but this is not so. For example, on May 9, Nogais go out into the streets and celebrate the holiday together with the whole country. There is also no need to talk about fear of the authorities - in the Caucasian republics, no one bothers the Circassians to organize funeral processions. Although people still have some concerns. “It turns out nationalistically: a great commander - and suddenly he did such things,” says Magomed Naimanov from Cherkessk.

Some Nogais did not think about the importance of the national day. Others believe that it is needed, but there are no initiatives among the Nogais aimed at its implementation.

“For the Circassians, this developed within the framework of a movement, but we don’t have a movement,” says Eldar Idrisov, leader of the Astrakhan Nogai Birlik society.

“The day of mourning will not be a unifying factor for the Nogais, because we do not have such a unifying force - the Circassians have three republics and the top officials of the republics participate in congresses,” says writer Murat Avezov.

You can hide behind the fact that Nogais do not like to remember bad things; or fear that someone may not like the people’s right to historical memory; or talk about the inappropriateness of street events. But the whole point is the lack of a unifying force - the initiative of ordinary people and the will of political leaders.

The introduction of a national day was discussed in the 90s - then there was a whole galaxy of cult personalities led by Srazhdin Batyrov, an artist and choreographer who revived Nogai dances and created the national ensemble “Ailanai”, which became one of the mouthpieces of the Nogai revival. Narbike Mutallapova, former head of the cultural department of the Nogai region of Dagestan, says: “Srazhdin wanted to declare October 1 a day of Nogai mourning, but did not have time. But no more attempts were made: some died, others fell ill, and others went into power. Now young people are organizing events, but I don’t see any fire to burn for the people. The next generation must give birth to such people, because we are getting old and many have already left. I really hope that a change will come.”

For Circassians, the memory of tragic events is not limited to funeral processions. The Circassian society calls those events genocide and seeks its recognition at the international level - this is how the Georgian parliament in 2011 recognized the Caucasian War as an act of genocide of the Circassians.

According to ethnologist Akhmet Yarlykapov, the Nogais have no desire to recognize the genocide. Akhmet himself does not really agree with the term “genocide” in relation to those events, he thought about what it would be better to call it, and said: “Recognize it with anything.” Also, according to him, it is important not only to acknowledge the fact, but also to truthfully describe the events. This is also the problem: the Nogai world is too small, it simply does not have so many historians to study this issue. And the Nogai mentality seems to be against this - the reluctance to remember the difficult past cannot be avoided. The world is not interested in the Nogais.

Attitudes towards the Suvorov events vary depending on the region of residence of the Nogais. Thus, among the Astrakhan Nogais, who were not affected by ethnic cleansing and deportation, the attitude towards Suvorov is relatively neutral. Some did not accuse him of anything, because it was a “sovereign decision”, and he was a “bonded man” and simply “followed orders.” Accordingly, “history” and “some circumstances” were to blame. In Astrakhan, I did not hear the term “genocide” from anyone, and I had the feeling that the local Nogais chose to forget the past of their people. The historian Victorin generally stated that the Nogais themselves were to blame for everything: they first accepted Russian citizenship, and then refused to move beyond the Urals; instead they attacked Suvorov, and then got it from him. Nothing new: Russians, of course, are noble, and their enemies, of course, are treacherous. But the Russian historian Victorin is one thing, and the Nogais themselves are another matter.

In Karachay-Cherkessia, on the contrary, I was surprised that people so easily use the term “genocide” - as if it were something generally accepted. This was done by administration workers, rural residents, a waitress in a cafe, and creative people. Thus, designer Asiyat Eslemesova, at the very beginning of the meeting, spoke about “unrecognized genocide,” and the grandmother, with whom we spent the night, reproached Suvorov: “And if they order you to shoot your own mother, will they do the same?”

“Genocide, I think, because the war was conducted incorrectly. This is no longer a war, this is the destruction of the population,” says Magomed Naimanov.

The newspaper “Nogai Davysy” in Cherkessk said that no one prohibits holding mass events, but they must be held if the genocide is recognized, and Russia does not recognize the genocide of the Nogais. Other peoples of the republic are holding mass events, because the Circassian genocide is recognized at the regional level (the republics of Adygea, Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia), and the Karachay (deportation of 1943) is recognized at the country level.

The Dagestani Nogais are more likely to be in solidarity with the Kuban, although the Suvorov events did not affect them either. But, firstly, in Dagestan there are many descendants of the Kuban Nogais who fled there during the Caucasian War. Secondly, Dagestan is the center of modern Nogai culture and social life, and it simply cannot distance itself from Nogai history.

When asked what unites the Nogais besides language, the answer was often “history.” Therefore, modern Nogais often look to the Nogai Horde and their great rulers Edige and Nogai as symbols of pride and identity. They are like Lincoln for Americans or Garibaldi for Italians. True, the Nogai khans were around too long ago. What relation they have to modern history and culture is a big question. At the same time, more recent history, albeit tragic, is in no way aimed at consolidating Nogai society.

Despite the fact that the Nogai tragedy is associated with the Russian Empire, the Nogais do not hold a grudge against the Russians. Perhaps this is a rare coincidence, but I have not met a single person who felt even irritation towards the Russians, not to mention hatred. Many were sincerely surprised by my question about negative feelings towards Russians and did not understand why they should exist.

“We have no hatred for Russia. We have the same attitude towards what is happening in the country as the Tambov man,” says Isa Kapaev.

The Soviet era did not affect the attitude of the Nogais towards Russians, although then the Nogais suffered quite a bit (as did other peoples). The Nogais were not spared Stalin's repressions, when the Nogai intelligentsia was expelled and the flower of the nation was destroyed. Then, in 1957, the division of the Nogai steppe took place, as a result of which the people were torn into three parts - Dagestan, Stavropol Territory and Chechnya. As a result, the Nogais not only did not receive their own republic or autonomy, unlike most other peoples of the country, but found themselves a minority everywhere.

“In the entire history of Soviet power in Karachay-Cherkessia, only one historian, Ramazan Kereytov, received reservations for graduate school; all the rest were applicants. After the Soviet Union collapsed, if you want, go to graduate school, if you want, go to doctoral studies, if you want, write 15 papers,” recalls Aminat Kurmanseitova.

“In Soviet times, the Nogais were treated with disdain due to the fact that people came from villages and knew Russian very poorly. Now everyone is fine with the Russian language. Aggression in society was common in the 90s, but now it is less common. There have been many interethnic marriages, spanning several generations, so everyone is accustomed to eating kainara and Easter with Easter cakes,” says Linara from Astrakhan.

The events of recent years also do not lead to embitterment of the Nogais, despite the growing Islamophobia in the country and the frequent attitude towards Asians as second-class citizens. Nogais note Russian chauvinism in Moscow or the Cossack regions of the country, but treat it with restraint, like old people treating troubled teenagers.

“At school, when some kind of conflict starts, Russian children call Nogai children korsaks - this is an offensive nickname for the Kazakhs. But on the part of the Nogai children there is some kind of confusion, and they do not say any nicknames of an offensive nature towards the Russians - it simply does not exist. Apparently, this comes from colonial times, and great-power chauvinism is still in the blood. Plus, now the TV amplifies everything,” Amir from the Astrakhan region shares his observations.

Some Nogais noted the positive contribution of modern Russia to the development of the Nogai world. “Today’s Russia is not to blame for what was done to the Nogais. Today's Russia has allowed us to get acquainted with all archival and museum materials - everything turned out to be accessible. Before this, people lived in darkness for many years. Some people trumpeted about it, some even laid down their heads. And to this day there is a war, if not with Russia, then with its rulers. Personally, I have no resentment towards Russians, there is bitterness, but there is no resentment – ​​how many years ago was that,” says Narbike.

“Those who remained in Russia retained the language, territory, and the name “Nogais.” Those who went to Turkey are written as Turks. In Kazakhstan, Nogais are not called Nogais, there they are Kazakhs. Only in Russia we have survived precisely as Nogais, and this must also be recognized,” says Ismail Cherkesov.

Over the past two hundred years, the life of the Nogais has become closely connected with the life of Russians. And we are not just talking about mixed marriages, economic interaction and neighborly living. “Despite the fact that the Nogai statehood was broken precisely by Russia and the Nogais suffered a lot of evil from it, we remained patriots at all times. We are in fact patriots, because before us so many generations of Nogais fought in Russian wars. Why were Nogais attracted to Lithuania or Poland? Because we were the support of the throne, we constantly served the authorities. This is our way of life,” continues Ismail.

“The Russians and I fought at weddings, but we also acted together and defended our interests. I was a Soviet man, they didn’t call me Nogai, they called me Russian. Where are you going? I don’t have another homeland, they don’t choose it, whether she’s a mother or a stepmother. There are simply more beloved and less beloved children,” says Murat Avezov.

History has firmly tied the Nogais to Russia, so much so that they began to feel like an integral part of it. Once upon a time, the Nogais were forced to accept Russian citizenship. Today they cannot imagine themselves outside of Russian identity. That's why they don't go to Turkey or Kazakhstan. Therefore, they remain patriots of Russia, no matter how foreign it may be to them. And in this, Edige’s descendants are surprisingly united. Are we observing that the Nogai world has ceased to separate “us” from “strangers” and has entered a dying state? Or is this a way of survival for a small people, when the remaining forces are aimed at creation, and wasting time on the negative is an unaffordable luxury? Only time knows the truth.

Nogai writer Murat Avezov

In Karachay-Cherkessia, in the village of Erken-Khalk, there is the “Museum of History and Culture of the Nogai People”. This is an old two-story building with four sections, each of which is dedicated to a specific period in the history of the Nogais, from the Middle Ages to Soviet times. The head of the museum, Svetlana Ramazanova, gave us a personal tour and shared interesting thoughts and her experiences about the Nogai people.

“I don’t sleep well because my tongue is missing. After all, if there is no language, then there will be no culture, and if there is no culture, then the people will disappear. Any nation disappears - this is inevitable, and nothing can be done about it: the big swallows the small.

Why are the Nogais dying out? A few reasons:
1) Interethnic marriages;
2) Nogais speak Russian (especially in the North) or Papa’s language, although they continue to consider themselves Nogais;
3) This is a natural process of development of society, it is inevitable;
4) What kind of development can there be when you are small and stewing in your own juice.”

I agree with two of Svetlana’s theses, and I will try to refute two. Although even these refutations are unlikely to change the general conclusion.

Svetlana Ramazanova in the museum

Refutation No. 1.
The danger of interethnic marriages applies to a greater extent to Astrakhan, the North and large cities, in general, to places where Nogais do not live compactly. Due to the more secular and urbanized lifestyle, marriages between Russians and Nogais are more common there. Children in these marriages usually choose their own religion, unless of course there was a clear agreement between the parents, and the choice more often falls on Christianity - the religion of the majority. The Nogai language is also forgotten faster in a big city than in the Caucasus. As a result, children in such families find themselves under greater influence of Russian culture and lose touch with the Nogai world.

If children from Russian-Nogai marriages grow up in a Nogai village, then everything is not so simple. “Our people live together, there are no conflicts, even on a personal basis, because everyone got married. I have two students in my class, a boy and a girl, their fathers are Russian and their mothers are Nogais. The girl considers herself Russian, but at Nogai holidays she reads poetry in Nogai better than anyone else, and her pronunciation is very good. But the boy doesn’t show himself in any way at these holidays; he’s probably more Russian. And so, the mentality is normal, like everyone else,” says Gulnisa, a teacher in the village of Dzhanai, Astrakhan region.

In the Caucasus everything is different. Aminat Kurmanseitova says: “After all, this is the East, in the East nationality is determined by the father. Nationality based on the mother can only exist if the mother divorced her husband and lived with her child. In this case, she can not only change her nationality, but also change her last name. In the East, even a non-Muslim's ancestry goes through the paternal line. Therefore, 99% of the population born from a Circassian is recorded as a Circassian, from a Karachai - as a Karachai, from a Nogai - as a Nogai, from a Russian - as a Russian. If a Nogai woman marries a Russian, she has a Russian child; if she marries a Circassian, she has a Circassian child. Conversations about the mother giving her last name and rewriting it as her nationality are not considered at all. This is not even discussed, and the surname is always the father’s.”

This rule is observed among all eastern peoples, with rare exceptions. Therefore, in the same Astrakhan region, if the father is Nogai and the mother is Kazakh, then the child will be Nogai, and vice versa. The loss of national identity in such marriages is not terrible, unlike marriages with Russians.

“The Circassians say that we are beautiful because we mixed with them. There is some truth in this: the Nogais have Circassian clans, and the Circassians have Nogais. My great-grandmothers are Karachays, and this is not bad, it improves the blood. The Chechens and Karachais had a surge: they accepted everyone into their ranks and greatly renewed their blood in the 19th century. Among the Karachais, 70-80% of the population are newcomers: Abazas, Georgians, Nogais, Circassians. Therefore, they have strong potential, many cultural figures, educators, and writers. But we don’t mix en masse: 10-15% of families are acceptable, even necessary, which is why we have good development. There is nothing wrong with this, mixing is the path to the best. The blood always needs to be renewed, otherwise degradation will occur,” says Kerim from Cherkessk.

Interethnic marriages in themselves do not threaten the Nogais, but they become a problem for the diaspora. It turns out that to get rid of the problem, you just need to stop mass migration. Stop! Migration! Hmm... is Svetlana so wrong in her thesis?

Agreement No. 1.
The disappearance of small languages ​​is truly an inevitability that unites all Nogais of the country. It’s just that this process goes faster in cities, slower in villages, but in the end everyone will come to a common denominator. It’s like with the Internet: yesterday it was only in the city, but today it is everywhere. Much has been said about the reasons for the disappearance of the language. The measures taken to preserve it will be described in a separate story. The philosophical question I asked the Nogais was: “If the language disappears, what will happen to the people: will it survive or will it also disappear?”

People's opinions were divided, and they were divided approximately equally.

“Colombians are one people. They are Spanish-speaking, but if you look inside ethnically, most of them are local Indians, some are descendants of the Spaniards. There are also many Arabs - the traders in the ports were Arabs. And so they all together became the Colombian people. This is clearly expressed in Marquez; he showed a new community, a new state. This situation will probably happen to us too. Although, because of religion, it will be more difficult to become a united people,” says writer Isa Kapaev.

Magomed Naimanov has a different opinion: “The Nogai people as a people will survive. In statistics. But he will not know his language. Without language, a people can easily be a people. For example, Belarus, where 95% do not know the Belarusian language, nevertheless, the Belarusian people exist.” Moreover, Belarus is not alone in this: the Irish also did not become English, although they all speak English.

At first glance, convincing evidence of resistance to assimilation is that children who do not know Nogai still consider themselves Nogai. But it's not that simple. “If a person does not know his language, does not speak his native language, then he is already an inferior Nogai, it is difficult to call him a 100% Nogai,” Ismail Cherkesov is convinced.

I think Ismail hit the nail on the head. What makes the Nogais more Nogais: their self-name or the opportunity to read Edige’s epic in their native language?

“We don’t speak our native language well, but when you read poems in Nogai, listen to old songs, hear wishes - you just feel melancholy! But we don't live by it. There is a lot of information coming out, but my family is somewhere deep inside. Children have even less of this - that’s why nations are leaving,” notes Svetlana Ramazanova.

Refutation No. 2.

Many Nogais take a philosophical look at the loss of language and assimilation that is happening before their eyes, because they are confident in the inevitability of the disappearance of the ethnic group. Their confidence is based on the theory of ethnogenesis and passionarity of Lev Gumilyov - during the expedition I heard this surname so many times that I got the impression that it had become a mantra for the Nogais. According to Gumilyov, each ethnic group goes through a life cycle from birth to death, and the Nogais today are precisely at the stage of dying. You can write a lot about the fact that this theory, despite its simplicity and seemingly logical nature, has not found support either among domestic or foreign scientists, causes a lot of controversy and is far-fetched at many points, but this is how a person works that he must -to believe. Svetlana Ramazanova did not say anything new about Gumilyov, she was simply another (5 or 6 in a row) interlocutor in a short period of time, talking about the inevitability of the disappearance of the Nogais.

I allow myself to disagree with both Gumilyov and the Nogais. After all, the “natural process of social development” is equally suitable both for explaining any patterns and for justifying mistakes and inaction. There are peoples older than the Nogais who are currently experiencing a stage of development. For example, the Mongols, who in 1990 got rid of ideology and set a course for building democratic institutions of society and developing modern Buddhist culture. Of course, one can argue that Mongolia is a separate state, and the Nogais are part of a large country, but this only confirms the role of the historical path and the unity of the people in the development of society and refutes the abstract stage of the dying of the ethnic group.

One of the keys to preserving culture is the presence of autonomy, which contributes to the consolidation of society. This does not guarantee the development of the ethnic group (the same Finno-Ugric peoples of Russia, who have their own republics, are rapidly assimilating and choosing Russian identity), but it gives a chance for development. Whether people will use it or not is another question. There are still signs of life in Nogai society: in addition to their own culture, which is manifested even among young people (all these dances, weddings, tamgas) and historical memory, among the Nogais there are many enterprising people who are trying to do something for the people. But only in conditions of autonomy can an initiative bear major fruit, otherwise it will not be heard or will be crushed.

Consent No. 2.

The Nogais find themselves small and scattered, and their society is heavily influenced by four more powerful cultures, each of which weakens the Nogai world.

Russian. The Nogais consider themselves part of Russia, live in a Russian-speaking environment and are strongly influenced by Russian culture. Despite the gradual loss of their native language, the Nogais do not believe that they are in danger of assimilation in Russia; on the contrary, barriers to it are Nogai appearance and religion, and the majority of Nogais live in conditions of a certain cultural autonomy. The threat from the Russian world is more pronounced in the Stavropol Territory and in the North - there the loss of the native language and the loss of culture are stronger. In addition, Russian chauvinism is growing in some regions: in the Stavropol region, for example, the Nogais are considered a diaspora, not an indigenous people, and are perceived unfriendly, which is, in principle, typical for the Cossack regions of the country in relation to the Muslim population (Nogais, Circassians, Meskhetian Turks).

“When they say that the Nogais will become Russian, I have a hard time believing it. One day I went to Orenburg to the archives. What turns of phrase are there: “dear sir” and so on! How beautifully everything is written - I’m telling you, I was brought up in Russian culture and for myself I don’t consider this a grief. I read it and it’s a balm for the soul. My wife scolds me and says that I am turning into a scoop. I have several identities: local – Karagash-Nogai, Astrakhan Nogai; the other is from Astrakhan; the next identity is Nogai, a representative of the Nogai people; and the next one is Russian, there is this identity, I don’t throw it away,” says historian Ramil Ishmukhambetov.

Kazakh. The long-awaited independence from the Russian and Soviet empires led to the national rise of the Kazakhs and the development of their culture, but an independent cultural policy inevitably gives rise to disputes with neighboring peoples. The confrontation with the Nogais occurred due to the proximity of languages, similar culture, the overwhelming numerical superiority of the Kazakhs and the fact that the Nogai Horde was almost entirely located on the territory of modern Kazakhstan. Therefore, who should be considered the nomadic poets of the 15-16 centuries - Nogais or Kazakhs? (the poets themselves in their works addressed the Nogais, and not the Kazakhs, but history knows examples when peoples changed their self-name). Are the Nogais a separate people or a subethnic group of Kazakhs? (most Nogais consider themselves to be a separate, albeit related, people - after all, there is a difference in language and in wedding and funeral rites). For the Kazakhs, victory in these disputes means receiving the Nogai inheritance. For the Nogais - that they are an equal people, albeit small in number. It is important to note that disputes take place exclusively on the Internet, so for some it is almost a matter of life, for others it is an abstract, inflated thing that has no relation to reality.

“There is no disdain on the part of the Kazakhs towards the Nogais, although there are disputes on the Internet. I adore Kazakhstan, we are too close, but I would not want to become part of the Kazakh nation. In 1992, we came to Kazakhstan for a symposium, and the singer Kumratova performed epic works in which the Nogais were mentioned. There were many scientists and various figures there, and they say about Kumratova: “She’s ours, she’s Kazakh.” Then they ask who we are. We answer that we are Nogais, and they say: “You are also Kazakhs, we are one tree.” I tell them: “Yes, but don’t forget that we are the roots, and you are the branches and leaves,” recalls Narbike.

“Many young Nogais sing Kazakh songs. When something familiar changes to something related but foreign, I don’t like it,” says Murat Avezov.

“Some say that bringing Kazakh songs to Nogai weddings is wrong, but then give Nogai songs. Because Kazakh songs are suitable in terms of mentality and melody. We have few good composers, so we have to remake Kazakh and Kyrgyz songs. On the one hand, there are no songs because there are no performers. On the other hand, the performers do not appear because there is no broadcast system, no rotation, and this comes down to the fact that there is no autonomy,” says Ismail Cherkesov.

The problem is that the Nogai world is too small to reproduce its own culture, while Kazakhstan offers modern songs and films, literature and science, lullabies and national clothing. If a Nogai does not want to become completely Russified, but tries to preserve elements of the steppe mentality and nomadic culture, then he is simply forced to look towards Kazakhstan.

Tatar. The influence of the Tatars on the Nogais is felt only in the Astrakhan region, where the transitional Tatar-Nogai group (Yurts) lives and where the Nogais were previously recorded as Tatars. The Tatars are the second ethnic group in Russia after the Russians and, like the Kazakhs, are experiencing a national and cultural rise. Tatar organizations are numerous and have money to organize educational and cultural events. Therefore, it is not surprising that, seeing a powerful Tatar movement and a weak Nogai movement, many choose the Tatar identity.

“Our old people sing Tatar songs. My uncle calls himself a Tatar, knowing that he is not a Tatar. I love the Tatar language, it is my second language after Nogai. I can sing something in Tatar, my grandmother is Tatar. But by self-determination I am a Nogai. The Tatars and Kazakhs are most dangerous for us precisely because of their excessive rapprochement. If the feeling of “friend or foe” is lost, then we will disappear,” says historian Ramil Ishmukhambetov (pictured).

North Caucasian (mountain). Historically, the nomadic Nogai world and the mountain world belonged to different cultures, although they overlapped. This was especially typical for the Western Caucasus: the Crimean Khanate and Circassia depended on each other. Therefore, the Circassian coat and papakha are elements of clothing for both the Nogais and many mountain peoples. Therefore, in both cultures there was a practice of atalychestvo (when mountain children grew up in Nogai families, and vice versa) and kunakstvo (such close friendship between people that they actually became relatives). But after the Suvorov events and the mass expulsion, the Nogais survived only in a few villages adjacent to the mountain peoples, so the Nogai culture was partially subordinated to the mountain culture and began to develop along with it. Living alongside the highlanders gradually erased cultural differences, but at the same time contributed to resistance to Soviet culture: as a result, the Kuban Nogais retained horses and dog fighting, like other peoples of Karachay-Cherkessia. However, identity, Nogai tea, women's national costume - all this is not a thing of the past; and the Nogai language has not gone away, despite its proximity to the larger and very similar Karachay language. Therefore, at present, the Kuban Nogais are both Nogais and highlanders, no matter how strange it may sound.

Another thing is the Nogai steppe. She lived authentically for a long time and preserved her nomadic culture until the advent of Soviet power. The communists first led the Nogais to a sedentary lifestyle, and then divided the steppe, giving its two parts to Chechnya and Dagestan - so the local Nogais gradually came under the influence of mountain culture. Therefore, Sufism spread among them. Therefore, some people make the Dagestan accent “le”. That’s why all Nogais dance Lezginka.

At the same time, many Dagestani Nogais emphasize that they are not mountaineers. At a meeting of a youth organization in Terekli-Mekteb, the following phrase was heard: “We imitate the mountaineers a little, but we are not the mountaineers.” And this was what Murat Avezov said: “Look at me, what a Dagestani I am. They just took me and sent me to Dagestan - forcibly the groom, forcibly the bride.”

Regarding the Lezginka, opinions are divided: some have a bad attitude towards it and even believe that it needs to be fought, while others consider it as part of modern Nogai culture. “Some people say that this is not our dance and should not be danced. Well, then replace it with other dances, traditional Nogai ones. Now we have Lezginka as a given. In many ways, this is even a Nogai dance, because some elements are purely Nogai. But the mountaineers dance it with jumping, raising their hands - this is not ours,” says Murza, a member of the Revival youth organization.

“I lived in Moscow for 12 years, I had all sorts of friends: Russians, Armenians, Georgians. But for some reason there were no Dagestanis. Here’s a paradox: it’s not because I have a bad attitude towards them, it’s just that our mentality is different. And we get along with the Russians very easily, right away.”

Also, the Dagestan Nogais were influenced by Caucasian Sufism - a mixture of Islam and mountain customs. Sufism became especially popular in Dagestan, Chechnya and Ingushetia, so “East Caucasian Islam” differs from “ordinary” Islam characteristic of the Volga region and Western Caucasus. Historically, the Nogais abandoned Sufism back in the 18th century, but in modern Dagestan Sufism has become so widespread that if you are against Sufism, then you are almost a Wahhabi. As a result, some “ordinary” Nogai imams were forced to leave the republic, Sufi imams appeared in Nogai mosques, and Sufism began to gain popularity among the Dagestani Nogais. This led to contradictions between Nogai believers. In general, Sufis are more conservative, and this is striking: in Astrakhan, Nogai women dress in a European style, in Karachay-Cherkessia they wear headscarves (and not all of them), in Dagestan a woman without a headscarf is rare, moreover, many leave Only the face and hands are exposed.

Is it necessary to counteract more powerful cultures or is it already useless? Everyone decides for themselves. Some Nogais say that the main thing is to be a Muslim, and nationality does not matter. This choice is reasonable in conditions of close interaction between the Caucasian peoples. Others believe that Kazakhs and Nogais are one people. In the context of globalization, this is also a good formula for conservation. Still others leave for large cities and marry Russians, which means a separation from the Nogai world, if not for those who left, then certainly for their children. But this is also an inevitability of modern society. However, there is a fourth option - Narbike voiced it best:

“Today, give me the opportunity to choose another nation, even the greatest, I would not be able to. For me, the Nogais are my great people. I always tell aspiring singers: forget the past, live in the present, make your own story. And you praise Edige, the words in the songs are pathetic. The Nogai was speechless, scattered, living in the dark, under pressure. But if we survived then, we cannot disappear now. Although this struggle should be every day. Everyone must remember the components of a people: language, history, culture. If this disappears, then the people will disappear.”

The fragmentation of the Nogais led to the fact that in Soviet times there was minimal communication between regions, and communication with the foreign diaspora did not occur at all. For example, many in Astrakhan did not even know that the Nogais lived somewhere else. In the late 80s, it became possible to create national organizations and free movement around the country - and Nogais from different regions began to gradually interact with each other.

First of all, cultural events and all-Nogai congresses began to be held on a variety of topics: thus, it turned out to be possible not only for the appearance of the Nogai ensemble “Ailanay” in Dagestan, but also for its tours to other regions of the country. Then educational and sporting events were added to them. Despite the limited access to administrative resources, the interaction of the Nogais turned out to be possible thanks to the “initiative from below.” And although all these conferences and congresses meant little to the common man, the Nogai intelligentsia began to represent the interests of the entire people, and not its individual parts.

“When Nogais from other regions came to us for the first time, they went to the cultural center and were amazed that Nogais still live somewhere in Russia and speak their language. They showed a performance, performed dances, told proverbs and sayings. As I remember now, they begin to tell the proverb, and our audience continues - it was so pleasant,” Gulnisa, a teacher from the Astrakhan region, shares her memories.

“But all this is on a voluntary basis. That is, our guys come together, cooperate, and collect money. Often they send us on a shift, hire some kind of car and we go out,” says Aminat Kurmanseitova.

However, regional boundaries were erased for ordinary people as well. There were several reasons. The first, oddly enough, was the difficult economic situation and the subsequent migration to the North: the communities that emerged included all Nogais, regardless of regional affiliation. Likewise, Astrakhan became a place of learning for Nogai youth from all over the country.

The second reason is the Chechen war, because of which 10 thousand Nogais left their native villages. “Many “Chechens” left for Astrakhan, found work, and are engaged in business. Nogais living among other nationalities are more resilient. We are a mononation here, infantile, calm, only the youth have been doing something lately. In Chechnya, life itself taught the Nogais to survive. Entire families moved here because the village there was bombed - there was a tip that militants were hiding there,” says Narbike from Dagestan.

And the third reason is the Internet, which not only strengthened communication, but united the Nogais. His role is especially important for this people, because in Russia there is no TV channel in the Nogai language and a general Nogai newspaper (although there are still two regional ones). Proof of the power of the Internet was the increased number of marriages between Nogais from different regions of the country, which previously happened extremely rarely.

For a long time, the connection between Russian Nogais and the foreign diaspora was completely lost. The Nogais who found themselves in Turkey, due to the similarity of languages ​​and the policies of the authorities, gradually adopted a Turkish identity, and now they can be spoken of more as Turks of Nogai origin. However, from 100 to 300 thousand people in Turkey and another 100 thousand in Europe still consider themselves Nogais. Now they come to Russia for cultural events, “international” marriages have appeared, and even football took place between Nogais from different countries. Once a Nogai came from Austria - he began to look for his family and ended up in the Astrakhan region. There was also such a case: a “Turkish” family found direct relatives in Dagestan, despite a 150-year gap in communication.

“Our goal is to awaken the population in Crimea, the yurt Nogais. And our task is to conduct educational work in Turkey so that they register as Nogais,” says Kerim from Cherkessk.

However, interstate interaction is complicated by the fact that there is no organization that would unite Nogais from all over the world and represent them in the international arena, such as the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people or the International Circassian Association.

Despite the international level, the Nogai movement often rests on human enthusiasm alone, and therefore suffers from a lack of money. “Now, if you register a public organization, you need a specific postal address, premises, a lease agreement, and video materials must be provided monthly. But we do not have the opportunity for this. We have nowhere to hide, so we seem to be in an unofficial position,” says Magomed Naimanov from Cherkessk.

“There is no center in Astrakhan where you can buy a national costume. Therefore, like some kind of interethnic competition at school, everyone goes around looking for costumes, they don’t know where or from whom to find them,” says Linara. “If any holidays pass, we fold. There is no specific fee, everything is as possible - this is how we hold concerts and all events.”

Recently, young people have begun to show greater initiative. “There is a revival, people are interested in books, music, poetry, this did not exist before. A month ago, KVN was held here for the first time in history, then it was held in Karachaevsk. If not for this, I would be depressed,” says Murza from Terekli-Mekteb. In addition to cultural events, youth organizations contributed to the emergence of mobile applications for learning the Nogai language, and translated some cartoons into Nogai, for example, “The Lion King.”

The Dagestan youth organization “Vozrozhdenie” is developing sports among the Nogais, trying to transfer dombra from traditional culture to modern culture, held a KVN, and wants to launch its own newspaper. It is not known whether everything will work out for them, but the very fact that many young people in the village do not sit still is surprising. There is no alcohol or discos in this environment; instead - sports, sushi bar, Sony PlayStation. “I kick, you kick – we help each other.” By the way, children aged about 16, whom we managed to talk to in a local cafe, also said that alcohol is no longer fashionable (although they drank energy drinks instead). Of course, this way of life is not typical for all Nogais, but this is increasingly becoming the rule rather than the exception.

Their ancestors were Turkic-Mongolian tribes that were part of the population of the ulus of the Golden Horde temnik Nogai. At the very end of the 13th century, this ulus separated from the Golden Horde into an independent state, occupying a vast territory from the Irtysh to the Danube. Residents of the ulus of the powerful Temnik began to call themselves “people of the Nogai ulus.”

Nogai defeats Tokhta on the banks of the Don

In the 15th century, the Nogai Horde split into the Greater and Lesser Hordes. Around the same time, the ethnonym “Nogai” appeared in Russian documents.

For centuries, the Nogais were the striking force of the Crimean horde and the main opponents of the Zaporozhye Cossacks. However, the struggle of the Russian state against the nomads would certainly have ended in victory much earlier if the Nogais had not had the support of the powerful Ottoman Empire.

In 1783, after the successful end of the next Russian-Turkish war, Catherine II issued a manifesto abolishing the statehood of the Black Sea hordes, and they themselves were ordered to move to the Trans-Urals. This caused unrest among the Nogais, and the legendary commander Suvorov was sent to suppress them. On October 1, 1783, Russian troops attacked the main camp of the nomads. According to an eyewitness account, “the Nogais slaughtered themselves with anger and died in droves. In a helpless rage, they themselves destroyed their jewelry, killed their children, slaughtered women so that they would not be captured.” However, for those Nogais who did not take part in the uprising, a grandiose feast was organized, at which 100 bulls, 800 sheep were eaten and 500 buckets of vodka were drunk. Suvorov conquered some Nogai princes solely by the power of his personality’s charm, and even became sworn brothers with one of them.

By 1812, the entire Northern Black Sea region finally became part of Russia. Everyone was allowed to move to Turkey. The remnants of the Nogai hordes were transferred to a sedentary lifestyle.

The Nogais who remained in Russia were not mistaken in their choice. Pushkin’s contemporary, Russian officer, writer and educator of the Nogai people Sultan Kazy-Girey wrote with conviction: “Russia has become my second fatherland, and only from the benefit of Russia can the good of my native land flow.”

Indeed, the Nogais survived as a people only in Russia. Their total number today is about 90 thousand people.

The Nogais carefully preserve their national traditions. They are based on one common quality, which the Nogais call “ademshilik,” which translated means “humanity.”

In the education of Nogai men, military training was of paramount importance. The main articles of military ethics were considered to be the following: you cannot attack an enemy who is sleeping, tied up, or unarmed; You cannot kill someone asking for mercy; a weak opponent must be given the right to fire the first shot or strike; The hero himself must get out of a difficult situation (captivity, imprisonment, etc.).

But, along with military valor, education was also highly valued. An old Nogai proverb says: “Men have two arts: one is to shoot and knock down the enemy, the other is to open and read a book.”

In conversation, Nogais adhere to a certain etiquette. Younger people never call older ones by name. It is considered completely unacceptable to speak with a grin, arrogantly, speak and look intently into the eyes of your interlocutor or look at the details of his clothing. It is not allowed to talk with your arms crossed or akimbo. If two people are talking about something of their own and at this time a third person approaches them, then after shaking hands he should ask permission to join them.

Women's speech is replete with various kinds of good wishes. But only women use curses in their speech.

If a man wants to say something that violates public decency, then he must first utter the etiquette phrase: “I’m very ashamed, but I’ll say it.”

When we have nothing to do, we play cities, and the Nogais play songs. Here is a household sketch by 19th century researcher Moshkov: “10 couples were sitting around a hut. The first guy on the right should sing to his girlfriend some song that suits her in the best way. Then he gets up from his seat, lifting the girl with one hand and supporting her with the other, and makes a full turn with her in place and releases her. At this time the second one begins. So everything until the first, and he again. If one of the guys fails to sing a song, then he must nominate another in his place. And so on all night.”

I wonder how many will be able to win a song competition against a Nogai?

Recently, the Nogais have been remembered mainly in connection with the land issue in Dagestan. What kind of people are they and what is happening to the ethnic group now was told to NatAccent by the deputy director of the Astrakhan branch of RANEPA, Ph.D. Eldar Idrisov.

Origin of the Nogais

The formation of the Nogais as an ethnic group took place in the space of the Eurasian steppes from the Irtysh to the Danube. Among their ancestors are medieval nomadic Turkic and Mongol-speaking tribes who came during the period of Batu's invasion.

Researchers have different opinions about the original place of residence. Some consider the “homeland” of the Nogais to be the Temnik ulus of Nogai in the area of ​​the Dnieper and Dniester rivers at the end of the 13th century. Others are the Embo-Ural interfluve, in which in 1391 Beklyaribek Edige (beklyaribek is an administrative position in the Golden Horde, similar in functionality to the modern prime minister - editor's note) founded the Mangyt yurt. The epic "Edige" is dedicated to the deeds of Beklyaribek - the founder of the dynasty of rulers of the Nogai Horde.

History of the Nogais

Stories about the origin of an ethnos are often superimposed on non-scientific ideas and folk mythology, which often interpret past events from a position favorable to a particular period of time. It is customary to emphasize the antiquity of the people and argue about their past unshakable power. The history of the Nogais in this regard is rich in speculation. It so happened that after the collapse of the Nogai Horde, nomadic groups became part of the Kazakhs, Middle Volga Tatars, Bashkirs, Turkmen and Karakalpaks. Thus, the cultural heritage of the medieval Nogais was “scattered” among all these peoples. It is not surprising that now each of them strives to give history their own interpretation, including it in their ethnopolitical construction.

This is how the concept of a “divided people” of Nogais and Kazakhs, and the view of scientists from Tatarstan on the Nogais as part of the Tatar nation, appeared. To this we must add the modern division into ethno-territorial groups of the Nogais: representatives of the people live in several historical and cultural zones in the North Caucasus and the Lower Volga region.

The Nogai Horde, which finally emerged as an independent nomadic state at the beginning of the 15th century, became the last large independent association of nomads on the territory of Russia and existed until the beginning of the 17th century. The development of the state was determined by the laws of self-organization of large nomadic associations: a wing management structure was formed, the past Golden Horde heritage in the form of “Yasa” and the norms of the Islamic religion were used.

In 1489, diplomatic relations were established with the Principality of Moscow, and broad dynastic and socio-economic ties developed with the Turkic states of the Black Sea region, the Volga region and Central Asia.

In the middle of the 16th century, an internal cataclysm occurred in the Nogai Horde, which coincided with the widespread advance of the Moscow state in the territory of the North Caucasus and the Volga-Ural region. In the conditions of civil strife, in connection with the murder of Biy Yusuf, the system of traditional nomadism collapsed, and plague spread in the steppe. The primary collapse of the Nogai Horde began, which continued until the beginning of the 17th century. The scattered uluses, which had departed from the power of the supreme biy, were no longer able to resist the movement of Kalmyks from Northern China in the direction of the Lower Volga region.

The process of the Nogai nomadic groups joining the Russian Empire was not simple. Finding themselves at the intersection of the geopolitical interests of Russia and Turkey, the Nogais fell under not only political, but also military influence from both sides. And in 1783, in the battle of Kermenchuk, troops under the command of Alexander Suvorov dealt a significant blow to the Black Sea Nogais.

In Soviet times, during the period of the “indigenization” policy, the Nogais were unable to form an ethno-territorial entity.

In 1957, by decree of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR, the territory of their traditional residence in the North Caucasus was divided between three subjects: the Stavropol Territory, the Dagestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic and the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.

In the early 1990s, the Nogai social movement Birlik tried to challenge this decision, but to no avail.

Attempt at consolidation

In Russia, Nogais, in addition to their main place of residence - Dagestan - live in the Stavropol Territory, Karachay-Cherkessia, and Chechnya. Since the 1990s. a fairly significant number of representatives of the people migrate to the north, to the cities of the Ural Federal District.

The first attempts to create a common Nogai ethnocultural movement were made in pre-revolutionary times. At the end of the 19th century, a whole galaxy of Nogai cultural figures appeared in Astrakhan. One of the most notable was a student of the Tatar scientist Shagabutdin Mardzhani, a collector of Nogai folklore and a prominent religious figure Abdrakhman Umerov. Umerov adopted and adapted his teacher’s ideas on nation-building for the Nogai ethnic group. Abjrakhman Umerov’s main work is “The History of the Astrakhan Nogais,” the scientist dedicated almost his entire life to writing it. Alas, the manuscript was lost during Soviet times.

Followers and associates of Umerov are Abdul-Khamid Dzhanibekov, Basyr Abdullin, Bulat Saliev, Nadzhip Gasri (Mavlemberdiev) and others. Some of them continued their activities in the North Caucasus after the revolution. Thus, Abdul-Khamid Dzhanibekov became one of the developers of the norms of the modern literary Nogai language, participated in the translation of the alphabet from Arabic to Latin and from Latin to Cyrillic.

Perestroika and the self-awareness of the people

During the period of perestroika, there was a surge in Nogai self-awareness in the Astrakhan region. Historically, several groups of Nogais formed here - Yurtites, Karagash, Kundrovtsy And utara. In Soviet times, they were all classified as... Tatars, and in general the idea of ​​including the Astrakhan Nogais into the Tatar ethnic group prevailed. However, Leonid Arslanov, Victor Victorin and other scientists conducted linguistic and ethnographic studies in the 1970s, which proved the preservation of the Nogai features of language and culture among the above groups.

The democratization of society and a joint attempt to solve environmental problems that arose in connection with the work of the Astrakhan Gazprom divisions near the villages of the Nogai-Karagashis gave rise to an independent ethnocultural movement of the Astrakhan Nogais. The Karagash and Kundrovtsy, who preserved the Nogai identity to the greatest extent, were especially actively involved in this process.

As a result, from the All-Union Census of 1989 to the last All-Russian Census of 2010, the number of Nogais in the Astrakhan region doubled - to 8 thousand people.

Number of Nogais

In total, according to official data from the 2010 census, 106,000 Nogais live in Russia. Groups of Nogais live in Romania, where they ended up as a result of a large migration at the end of the 15th century, the formation of the Belogorod Horde and subsequent migration. Another large group lives in Turkey. Its formation took place during the period of “Muhajirism” - resettlement during the Caucasian War.

In Kazakhstan, in the border areas with Russia, in the Atyrau and Ural regions, as well as in the Saratov and Volgograd regions of Russia, there lives a large group of “Nugai-Cossacks”, formed during the period of Nogai migration in the late 18th - early 19th centuries. Now they are considered a separate clan within the Kazakhs, but they remember their Nogai roots.

An integral part of the Crimean Tatars is the subethnic branch of the “Nogai”, which was formed from people from the Nogai Horde. In the process of ethnocultural development, as well as as a result of deportation in the mid-20th century, internal integration processes intensified, as a result of which the Nogais, along with the Tatas and Yaylybolins, practically merged with the local Turks as part of the “Krymly” community.

Today, approximately 300,000 people in the world are carriers of the Nogai ethnic identity.

New time

Since the late 1980s, Russia has developed the practice of holding interregional events. The central general Nogai event was the celebration in 1990 of the 600th anniversary of the epic Edige in the regional center of the Nogai region of the Republic of Dagestan. Terekli-Mekteb. The first large scientific conference “Historical and geographical aspects of the development of the Nogai Horde” was also held there.

Since 1991, Dzhanibekov readings have been held in the Astrakhan region, dedicated to the activities of the Nogai educator, ethnographer and folklorist Abdul-Khamid Sharshenbievich Dzhanibekov. And in 2018, a monument to him will be unveiled in Astrakhan near the house where he was born.

In 2004, the First International Festival "Nogai El" was held in Makhachkala, bringing together Nogais from all over the world. In 2006, the International Conference “Current situation and prospects for the development of the Nogai people in the 21st century” took place in St. Petersburg. Every two years since 2014, the International Scientific and Practical Conference "Nogais: 21st century. From origins to the future. History. Culture. Language" began to be held.

In 2013, the Federal National-Cultural Autonomy of the Nogais of the Russian Federation “Nogai El” (“Nogai People”) was registered. Its founders were regional branches of Dagestan, Stavropol Territory and Karachay-Cherkessia. On the one hand, the form of national-cultural autonomy is well suited for coordinating the all-Nogai ethnocultural movement, on the other hand, the leadership of Nogai El has not yet formed a development program that would take into account the ethnic and cultural interests of all territorial groups of Nogais.

Word to the youth

Several independent Nogai ethnocultural organizations operate in the regions. Youth organizations stand apart: student associations - the "Union of Nogai Youth" in Moscow and Urengoy, and in Astrakhan - the Youth Center of Nogai Culture "Edige".

An interesting interregional youth project was the freestyle wrestling competition “Steppe Bogatyrs”. The location of the tournament changes every year. Having started in Dagestan, since 2007 it has been held in all subjects of the North Caucasian Federal District and Southern Federal District where the Nogais live. In 2018, the competition will be held for the second time in the Chechen Republic.

The problem of preserving their native language is relevant for the Nogais. It is especially acute in Dagestan. The Nogai intelligentsia sees prospects in new methods and technologies, and the development of a system of additional education. The “online” language learning school “Ethnoschool” has proven itself well.

Territorial features

Today, each of the regions where the Nogais live has its own “specialization.” In Dagestan, in the Nogai region, there are the Nogai State Folklore and Ethnographic Ensemble “Ailanai”, the Nogai State Orchestra of Folk Instruments and the Nogai State Drama Theater.

In the Karachay-Cherkess Republic in 2007, the municipal formation “Nogai District” appeared. But in general, Karachay-Cherkessia is the center of Nogai research activities. It is here that the Nogai branch of the Institute for Humanitarian Research of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic operates .

The Astrakhan region is a recognized center of education and successful youth projects.

Due to regional socio-political processes, Nogai ethnicity is often politicized, and from time to time there is even talk of territorial autonomy.

In Russia and in the world

Nogais actively contact each other not only within Russia, but also with foreign diasporas. In addition to Turkey and Romania, representatives of this people today live very compactly in Germany, the Netherlands and Norway. Ethnic groups formed on a Kipchak basis in Hungary are increasingly gravitating towards the Nogais.

Arslanbek Sultanbekov, a musician from Karachay-Cherkessia, made a great contribution to the consolidation of Nogais around the world. His composition “Dombra” gained international popularity, and the song “Nogai El” became the unofficial anthem of the Nogai people.