INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC LIFE
Vladimir T. Chshiev Results of the international scientific conference "XXXIV Krupnov Readings" (Vladikavkaz, April 20-24, 2026)
Abstract. . The article discusses the materials of the International Scientific Conference "XXXIV Krupnov Readings. Archaeological Research in the North Caucasus in the 19th–Early 21st Centuries: Traditions and Innovations" held in Vladikavkaz from April 20 to 24, 2026.
Keywords: Archaeology of the Caucasus, International Scientific Conference, Krupnov Readings, abstracts of peports
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.98.18.001
HISTORY
Alexander N. Polyakov
Reminiscences of "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" in old Russian literature and the problem of the poem's authen-ticity
Abstract. The reminiscences of "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" in Old Russian literature have always attracted the attention of researchers. This is largely due to the issue of the poem's authenticity. The purpose of this article is to determine whether there is reliable information about the reminiscences of "The Tale" in the Old Russian literary works of the 13th–17th centuries. The focus of the study is on passages resembling those of "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" in well-known literary works of the Old Russian era. The results of the study showed that most of the Old Russian literary monuments that are associated with the text of The Tale of Igor's Campaign are actually unrelated to it. The monuments from the 13th and 14th centuries do not share any textual similarities with The Tale of Igor's Campaign. The later works are actually related to Zadonshchina or The Tale of the Battle of Mamai. The relationship between these works ("Zadonshchina" and "The Tale of the Battle of Mamai”) and the "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" as well as the additions in the Pskov "Apostle" and "The Story of Ahikar” is controversial.
Keywords: "The Tale of Igor's Campaign", reminiscences, Old Russian literature, problem of authenticity
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.58.53.002
Dmitry A. Dementyev
Religious - propaganda foundations of military and state-building in Shamil’s Imamate
Abstract. . The article is devoted to the analysis of the formation and development of the military theocratic state of Shamil– the Imamate of Dagestan and Chechnya. The author paid special attention to the use of the provisions of the Islamic faith as elements of propaganda intended to mobilize the highlanders for a "holy war" with the Russian Empire. In addition, the publication examines the specifics of Caucasian Muridism, its transformation from a religious and mystical association of believers into a military-political organization.
Keywords: Imam Shamil, propaganda, informational and psychological influence, tariqa, muridism, Sharia, proclamation, murshids, free communities.
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.32.33.001
Roman A. Shchedrov
Afghan jihad (2001-2021): the taliban’s path to power
Abstract. This article examines the formation of the organizational structure of the Taliban Movement (2001-2021), the specifics of the Afghan jihad, the development of Taliban relations with regional countries, the Movement's sources of funding, the propaganda and cultural activities of the mujahideen and their opponents, the history of the establishment of the Taliban Political Office in Qatar, the negotiation process between the Taliban and the United States, and their return to power.
The relevance of this article, which aims to study the Afghan jihad during the existence of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2001-2021), lies in the fact that the Taliban Movement, opposing the republican government and the military contingent of Western countries, seized power in the country for the second time in August 2021. The current developments in this situation have a significant impact on the regional and international situation, creating problems in the security, economic, and humanitarian spheres. The scientific significance lies in the fact that the studied material can be used to predict the consequences of a possible foreign occupation of Afghanistan, which has been dubbed the "graveyard of empires."
The findings demonstrate the results of the Afghan jihad, the most important of which are: 1) the signing of the Doha Agreement, which marked the end of the occupation of Afghanistan by foreign troops, predetermined the rapid collapse of the "puppet" republican regime; 2) the lack of motivation and competent military leadership among Afghan military personnel, as well as the effective propaganda and recruitment activities of the mujahideen, explain the rapid collapse of the republic in August 2021; 3) The success of the Taliban was largely influenced by such factors as significant support from the population, the timely transformation of the organizational structure of the Movement and its combat operations depending on the situation on the battlefield, the types of weapons and military equipment of the enemy, as well as the level of self-sacrifice demonstrated by Afghans during the holy war to liberate their country from foreign occupation.
Keywords: jihad, Taliban Movement, mujahideen, Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Mullah Mohammad Omar, commission, occupation, suicide attacks, cultural and information war; political office
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.85.72.001
Valery D. Dzidzoev
The borders of South Ossetia in the 17th-19th centuries
Abstract. The article is devoted to the problems of South Ossetia in the 17th-19th centuries, its borders, and the permanent residence of the Ossetians. This issue has always been the subject of debate between Georgian and Ossetian researchers, but since the late 1980s, due to various reasons, it has become highly relevant, and the Georgian media constantly raises this issue, distorting obvious facts and archival documents. The author cites not only the opinions of prominent Russian experts, but also the well-known scientists of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, who visited not only Ossetia but also Georgia and the Caucasus in general in the 18th and 19th centuries. The author refers to their travel notes, highlighting the contributions of J.A. Güldenstädt, L. von Steder, J. Reineggs, and others. These authors convincingly demonstrated the compact settlement of the South Ossetians, who have been living in the same territory for centuries, including in the Republic of South Ossetia.
Keywords: Caucasus, Ossetia, Georgia, South Ossetia, Georgian SSR, Abkhazia, scientists, travelers, border, Ossetian District, Yanovsky, Vakhtang VI, Russian Empire, Alans-Ossetians, Alanian State, Bolshaya Liakhva, Malaya Liakhva, Ksanskoye Society, St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, Heraclius II, Mamison Pass, monastery, Ossetian District
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.60.55.001
Lyudmila A. Gritsay
1980s: between loyalty to power and opposition
Abstract. The article analyzes the phenomenon of the inclusion of children of the repressed in the Soviet cultural elite of the 1960s and 1980s, which makes it possible to identify complex models of individual adaptation, hidden opposition and open disagreement with the authorities, formed under the influence of family trauma, memory transmission and the peculiarities of the Soviet cultural environment. The research is based on biographical, anthropological, and cultural-historical approaches that consider personal destiny as a significant source of historical knowledge.
Keywords: children of repressed, Soviet cultural elite, cultural memory, Soviet power, loyalty, hidden opposition, biographical approach, every day life.
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.99.28.001
HISTORY OF SCIENCE
Alexander Y. Dokuchae, Victor M. Gazeev
Anatoly Georgievich Gurbanov: Some pages of his life and scientific and organizational museum activities
Abstract. Anatoly Georgievich Gurbanov was a world-class scientist who has made significant contributions to the fields of mineralogy, petrography, ore deposit geology, applied geography, geophysics, geochemistry of rocks and the environment, climatology, seismology, and geoecology. He was the driving force behind numerous successful projects that have addressed issues at both the national and industrial levels. His research interests span from the depths of the Earth to its exploration from space. Less well-known is his work in the field of museum studies, to which he devoted considerable time and effort. The article examines A.G. Gurbanov's practical contribution to the preservation and systematization of the collections of the IGEM Petrographic Museum, which originated from the Mineral Cabinet of the Kunstkamera.
Keywords: Anatoly Georgievich Gurbanov, Petrographic Museum of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Ore-Petrographic Museum of the IGEM RAS, systematic petrographic collection, scientific objectives of museums
DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.98.56.001