A CORNER OF THE MOTHERLAND
Vladimir T. Chshiev
The historical settlement of Dallagkau in the Kurtatinsky gorge of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (Medieval architectural structures and archaeological sites)
Abstract. The article examines the monuments of the historical settlement of Dallagkau. The earliest human settlement in the village of Dallagkau, according to the data available today, took place in the IV–VI centuries A.D., as evidenced by the archaeological materials of the settlement and burial ground in the area of Fardygdon, excavated by Countess P.S. Uvarova at the end of the XIX century. The second chronological period of the existence of historical architectural stone structures in the village of Dallagkau dates from the pre-Mongol era, probably from the end of the XII century, maybe from the XIII century, before the XIX century: this is a burial ground in the Tauzit area, a number of materials from the Fardygdon burial ground identified by P.S. Uvarova, residential and combat towers, above-ground and semi-underground crypts, tsyrty - memorial obelisks.
Keywords: the historical settlement of Dallagkau, Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, North Caucasus, towers, crypts, archaeological sites
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.86.63.001
HISTORY
Alexander N. Polyakov
Evidence of the manuscript "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" in the context of disputes about the authenticity of the poem
Abstract. The story of the discovery and the first edition of "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" is of great interest to researchers. Attention to this issue is largely related to the problem of the authenticity of the poem. The purpose of the article is to establish whether there is reliable evidence of the existence of the Chronograph collection, which, according to the first publishers, contained "The Tale". The subject of the study is a collection of reports about specialists who saw a handwritten collection with the poem. As a result of the study, the author came to the conclusion that no one had seen the collection with "The Tale of Igor's Campaign", with the exception of A.I. Musin-Pushkin, whose testimony is not credible. References to the existence of witnesses who allegedly saw the manuscript are not reliable. There are no traces of the collection's existence. Catherine's copy of "The Tale" was made from an XVIII-century list. The first edition is also based on a text similar to Catherine's.
Keywords: Musin-Pushkin, Malinovsky, Chronograph, "The Tale of Igor's Campaign", samovidtsy
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.13.68.001
Alan A. Tuallagov
Sarmatian-Ossetian parallels (II)
Abstract. The scene depicted on the phalerae from the Sarmatian burial site of Krivaya Luka IX, comparable to the scene on the buckle from Nizhnie Serogozy, correlates with the Ossetian Nart epic tale of the coming battle of heroes at the end of the world's existence. It is reasonable to assume that the myth of such a cosmic battle developed from the astral concepts of the Iranian-speaking ancestors of the Ossetians. Variability in these concepts is observed, which is also reflected in the Ossetian epic.
Keywords: phalerae, semantics of images, Sarmatians, Ossetians
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.82.36.001
Dmitrij A. Dementyev
Informational and psychological aspects of the first stage of the Russo-Persian War of 1826–1828
Abstract. The article analyzes the use of information and psychological warfare by the Russian Empire, Iran, and Great Britain during the Russo-Persian War of 1826–1828. The author focuses on the Persian use of religious propaganda to organize anti-Russian uprisings in the Caucasus and the British use of the Iranian elite to counter Russia's advance in the Caspian-Black Sea region.
Keywords: information and psychological warfare, Abbas-Mirza, A.P. Yermolov, V.G. Madatov, Alexander Bagrationi, proclamation, outrageous letters, subversive activities
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.10.61.001
Larisa K. Gostieva
Missionary and educational activities and the tragic fate of priest Joseph Georgievich Batagov (1875–?)
Abstract. Drawing on archival and literary sources, this article explores the life, missionary, and educational work of Iosif Georgievich Batagov, the dean and rector of the Assumption Cathedral in Mozdok. His contribution to the development of national culture and education is assessed. The investigation file of the priest, who was unlawfully sentenced to death by firing squad by the Troika of the NKVD Directorate for the Ordzhonikidze Territory (from 1943, Stavropol Territory), is analyzed. New materials on the priest's fate are examined, necessitating confirmation and establishing the truth.
Keywords: Priest Iosif Georgievich Batagov, Orthodoxy, Assumption Cathedral in Mozdok, missionary and educational work, parish school, miraculous icon of the Mozdok (Iveron) Mother of God, repression
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.20.61.001
Zhanna D. Tarkhanova
On the problem of non-recognition of the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic by Armenia based on the materials of the periodical press (1992)
Abstract. The article analyzes the internal and foreign policy processes in Armenia during the acute phase of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 1992, which led to the non-recognition by official Yerevan of the state independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (hereinafter, the NKR). The purpose of the study is a comparative analysis of historical events in Armenia and the NKR during the period under review: the internal political contradictions between Armenian President L. Ter-Petrosyan and the parliamentary opposition led by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation "Dashnaktsutyun" party (hereinafter, ARFD). The scientific novelty of the research is expressed in a new approach to the study of the position of Armenia, which refused to recognize the sovereignty of the Republic of Artsakh in 1992. The policy of the Armenian president at that time seems debatable because the political line he chose did not contribute to the final settlement of the conflict and, decades later, led to its unfreezing and the resumption of full-scale hostilities in 2020, which led to the loss of part of the territories controlled by the NKR and, subsequently, to the final transfer of the territory under the control of Azerbaijan and the abolition of the self-proclaimed NKR in September 2023. The problem is investigated based on the materials of the state and independent print media of Armenia and the NKR, published in 1992. The memoirs and interviews of L. Ter-Petrosyan are also used as sources of literature on the problem under study.
Keywords: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Dashnaktsutyun, ethnopolitical conflicts, South Caucasus
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.22.85.001
Irina L. Babich
Unknown pages of Sufyan Beppaev's political biography
Abstract. The aim of this article is to study the little-known period in the political biography of S.U. Beppaev (1937–2022). He was a Soviet lieutenant general. In 1993, he was dismissed from military service and from that time was introduced to the National Council of the Balkar People as chairman. The purpose of this article is to make a comparative analysis of two periods of the Balkar national movement: 1991–June 1993 and July 1993–1996. This study is based on new unpublished material stored in the author’s archive, received from S.U. Beppaev in 1997. The course of events from 1991 to June 1993 led the Balkar national movement headed by the chairman of the NSBN, Chabdarov, to a dead end, so a change of power became inevitable. S.U. Beppaev certainly continued the key trends of the Balkars' struggle for their rights, but in many ways changed the emphasis of his activities. Firstly, he refused to demand the proclamation of the Republic of Balkaria; secondly, he focused on political demands, but also raised economic issues of the Balkars' development within the framework of Kabardino-Balkaria; thirdly, it was S.U. Beppaev who had to endure a period of serious provocative actions on the part of the republican authorities, who at that time intensified their struggle against the leaders of the NSBN. Nevertheless, he, like Chabdarov, came to the need to remember the main tool of the Balkar people's struggle - the demand for the creation of an independent Republic of Balkaria. It took Chabdarov one year to do this, Beppaev almost four. After this, the authorities went on the offensive and were already able to deal a crushing blow to the NSBN.
Keywords: balkars, politics, Chabdarov, Beppaev, 1991-1993, 1993-1996, the state of Balkaria, rehabilitation of the Balkar people
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.58.28.001
Roman A. Shchedrov
The activities of the United States and western countries in the Afghan direction (2001-2021): causes, objectives and achieved results
Abstract. This article examines the key areas of integrated activity among the United States, NATO, the UN, and the European Union from the introduction of allied troops into Afghanistan and the simultaneous overthrow of the Taliban regime in 2001 until the complete withdrawal of foreign troops from the country on August 31, 2021. The article is relevant given that the Taliban movement seized power in the country for the second time in August 2021, and current developments in the situation have a significant impact on the security situation in Central Asia. The scientific significance lies in the fact that the material studied can be used to predict how Western countries will build their policies toward the Taliban government, and whether they will contribute to Afghanistan's development or turn it into a lair for terrorists and a source of threats to Central Asian countries. The findings demonstrate the results of Western countries' activities in Afghanistan, the most important of which are: 1) the stated goals of Operation Enduring Freedom were achieved; 2) the activities of the International Security Assistance Force failed to produce a stable government supported by the population, or Afghan security forces capable of independently and effectively confronting the armed opposition; 3) the NATO mission "Resolute Support" and Operation "Freedom's Sentinel" ended in failure, resulting in the fall of the republican regime, the emergence and expansion of the terrorist group ISIS, and the continued presence of Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.
Keywords: Al Qaeda, Taliban, Operation Enduring Freedom, International Security Assistance Force, Resolute Support Mission, Operation Freedom's Sentinel, United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, The European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.30.91.001
Albert K. Dudayti
Formation and Evolution of the Architecture Countering the Ideology of Terrorism and Extremism in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (1991–2025): Levels, Actors, Instruments
Abstract. The article examines the formation and evolution of a multi-level architecture for countering the ideology of terrorism and extremism in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania during the post-Soviet period (1991–2025). The study aims to identify the levels of governance, key actors, and instruments of prevention and counteraction, as well as to trace the institutional logic behind changes in the regional model. Using a historical-institutional approach, the paper analyzes coordination mechanisms, interagency cooperation, and the involvement of civil society and educational institutions in the preventive framework. It is shown that the sustainability of this architecture is determined by the coherence of competence, continuity of organizational solutions, and the development of preventive practices. The article concludes by outlining key directions for strengthening the regional counteraction system under current conditions.
Keywords: North Ossetia-Alania, terrorism, extremism, ideology, prevention
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.84.11.001
Valery D. Dzidzoev
Results of the Bologna educational system (based on N. Vert's research "History of the Soviet State. 1900–1991")
Abstract. The article examines the problem of modern historiography of the Great Patriotic War and the falsification of historical and political studies in the Russian Federation. It shows the negative results of the double standards of liberal European thinking in the field of history, which are caused by the falsification of historical narratives and versions of Russian history.
Keywords: The Great Patriotic War, World War II, Moscow, Kiev, Odessa, the USSR, the RSFSR, Ukraine, Poland, Nazi Germany, Stalin, Khrushchev, Yeltsin, Gorbachev, Gagarin, Kennedy, N. Vert, Z. Prilepin, the Ukrainian People's Army, the Bologna System, the Bologna Process, the Battle of Moscow, Operation Bagration, the Battle of the Caucasus, the History Textbook, the Warsaw Uprising, the Red Army, the Home Army, and the People's Army
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.55.67.001
OUR GUESTS
Elnur L. Hasanov
Significance of the Slavic written sources in study of heritage of the Southern Caucasus (based on the materials of Ganja city)
Abstract. The main aim of the scientific paper is the investigation of archival materials and their great importance in the study of the historical past, as well as the architectural heritage of Azerbaijan in the late Middle Ages. The archives of the former Russian Empire, in particular, contain rich information about this period. One of such archives is the Russian State Military History Archive. The documents of this archive are important historical sources in the study of the material culture of Azerbaijan during this period. For the first time, various written documents such as archival sources for the late Middle Ages have been investigated as important sources in the study of the historical, cultural, and architectural heritage of Ganja city. Information about fortress walls, palaces, caravanserais, baths, houses, bridges, and other buildings of Azerbaijani cities is preserved in the archive. There are many documents in the archive about the history of the Ganja Khanate. The official military documents of the former Russian Empire contain detailed historical information about the economy, culture, demography, and political history of the city of Ganja and the Khanate. The materials in the funds of different archives, together with other sources of the researched period, allow one to illuminate objectively the history and cultural heritage of the Ganja Khanate and this ancient city.
Keywords: Slavic sources, Caucasus, history, Ganja, archive, written sources, city
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.93.60.001
Anatoly V. Loginov
Genesis and Semantics of the State Symbols of the Republic of Abkhazia: Historical, Legal and Heraldic Analyses
Abstract. This article examines the genesis and semantics of the state symbols of the Republic of Abkhazia in the context of the historical right to independent statehood. On the basis of an analysis of the normative legal acts of the Republic of Abkhazia, as well as medieval cartographic sources of the XIV–XV centuries, the study explores the historical continuity of the flag and the coat of arms as elements of public-law identity. Particular attention is paid to the colour structure and heraldic elements of the flag and to the symbolism of the State Coat of Arms, including the religious context and motifs of the Nart Epic, which are interpreted as reflections of archetypal conceptions of public authority and the protection of the state and society. The article concludes that the contemporary state symbolism of the Republic of Abkhazia represents the result of a centuries-old heraldic and politico-cultural tradition of the Abkhaz people, allowing it to be regarded as one of the elements substantiating the historical right of the people of Abkhazia to state independence and sovereignty.
Keywords: state symbols, Republic of Abkhazia, state flag, state coat of arms, historical right to self-determination, Nart Epic
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.61.37.001
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Victor M. Gazeev, Alexander Y. Dokuchaev
Collectible minerals and ornamental stones of mineral deposits of the Greater Caucasus
Abstract. Based on the study of geological reports, scientific publications, and the authors' own reconnaissance route studies, information on various types of mineral deposits of the Greater Caucasus is provided. Minerals that make up ore objects of deposits are listed. Collectible ore and non-metallic minerals, native elements, and ornamental stones found on the territory of operating and mothballed mining and processing plants are characterized. The collected information about minerals and the places of their finds may interest collectors and stone lovers.
Keywords: Barite, rock crystal, scheelite, chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite, vermilion, realgar, auripigment, antimonite, native arsenic
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.46.18.001
Mukhtar Yu. Bekkiev, Mikhail D. Dokukin, Ruslan Kh. Kalov
Glacier detachments in 2025
Abstract. Based on the analysis of satellite images taken at different times, data on the detachments of the Birch (Switzerland) and Dehdal (Tajikistan) glaciers in 2025 are presented. Rock collapses occurred before and during the detachment of the Birch Glacier in May 2025. The affected area by fragments of ice and rocks was 2.6 km2, and the ejection range was about 5 km with an average inclination angle of 21.6°. The Dehdal Glacier collapsed in September and October 2025 with an ejection range of 5.7-5.8 km and average inclination angles of 9-10°. After the detachments, the Dehdal Glacier moved over distances of 1.6-1.3 km. The previous surges and detachments of the Dehdal Glacier had occurred in 1974.
Keywords: satellite image, glacier detachment, ejection range, affected area
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.35.53.001
Eleonora A. Agoeva, Lyudmila S. Lamashvili, Seda S. Khashirova, Pyotr P. Snetkov, Andemirkan A. Agoev
Wastewater treatment from steroid hormones: overview of methods
Abstract. Steroid hormones are micro-pollutants that pollute water sources worldwide and have significant effects on human health and the environment, even at very low concentrations. The purpose of the article is to review methods for wastewater treatment from substances that destroy the endocrine system: estrone – E1, 17β-estradiol – E2, estriol – E3, 17α-ethinyl estradiol – EE2. In the review, special attention was paid to the efficiency of wastewater treatment processes from an economic and environmental point of view. Based on a review of the literature data, it was concluded that the efficiency of existing wastewater treatment plants is insufficient to get rid of pharmaceuticals and hormones, which entails the need to introduce advanced technologies and integrate them into hybrid systems. There is a need to introduce completely new standardized methods for the determination of hormonal substances in various environmental objects and by various methods, including semi-quantitative (TLC plates) and quantitative (HPLC, etc.). Educational work with the population aimed at responsible management of pharmaceutical preparations and hormonal waste is also necessary.
Keywords: wastewater, hormones, purification methods
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.11.72.001
SCIENCE PEOPLE
Lolaeva D.T.
The life time of the philosopher. Totraz Petrovich Lolaev
LITERARY CRITICISM
Khugaev I.S.
About Akhsarbek Galazov's "letters to his grandson"
Svatopluk Čech (Pukis V.S.)
Upomínky z Východu: Obrázky z pouti po Kavkaze a z cesty zpáteční
SCIENTIFIC LIFE
Review of VSC print publications
POST-SCRIPTUM
Khugaev I.S.
A collection of masterpieces. (Idle passages)