The past two weeks in the North Caucasus were marked by preparations for the general elections scheduled for 18–20 September. No major drone attacks were reported in the region. Here are the main developments of the past two weeks.
Adyghea
Prominent Circassian writer and poet Ishak Mashbash passed away at the age of 96. The funeral ceremony took place at the Nalmes Concert Hall and was attended by local authorities, artists, and members of the public. Mashbash played a prominent role in the development of Circassian literature. He authored numerous novels and poems, and translated a number of masterpieces of classical literature into Circassian, including works by Lermontov, Pushkin, Yesenin and Mayakovsky. He was also the first person to translate the Qur’an into Circassian.
One notable aspect of Mashbash’s work was his concern that the Circassian language might eventually die out. In one of his poems, Mother Tongue, he describes how Russians tell Circassians that “nobody needs your mother tongue once you cross the Kuban River.” This line from the poem is often censored at official events and in schoolbooks on Circassian literature.
Karachaevo-Cherkessia
Volunteers from the Zelenchuksky District of Karachay-Cherkessia donated 182 portions of dried soup to the frontline. The initiative group has been preparing dried soups since 2023, and has sent more than 180,000 portions to the frontline. The volunteers dry vegetables and meat and use them to prepare the soups. According to members of the initiative group, demand for their products is highest during the winter months.
Local authorities in the North Caucasus encourage such initiatives, aiming to cultivate a sense of patriotism and solidarity with the invasion of Ukraine. They also draw parallels with the Second World War, when volunteers sent food and clothing to the frontline. Nevertheless, such initiatives have not become a mass phenomenon in the North Caucasus, and local residents have shown little enthusiasm for supporting Russian troops.
Kabardino-Balkaria
A tragedy occurred in the Bezengi Valley in Kabardino-Balkaria. On 9 September, an avalanche buried a group of 33 alpinists. Rescue teams have recovered at least 14 bodies, which were evacuated to Nalchik by helicopter. Only 10 alpinists managed to survive and descend from the valley. The search for the remaining alpinists was ongoing at the time of going to press.
Avalanches and the deaths of alpinists are frequent occurrences in the North Caucasus, particularly in Kabardino-Balkaria. This year alone, two alpinists died in Kabardino-Balkaria in August. In late July, five alpinists from Bosnia and Herzegovina died while climbing Mount Elbrus. Earlier, an alpinist from Malaysia also died. Several factors may explain the frequent deaths. First, many tourists risk their lives by hiring unlicensed mountain guides who lack the necessary competence and skills. The aforementioned Malaysian alpinist was one of them. The second factor is the impact of global warming, which has led to glacier melt and avalanches occurring more frequently.
North Ossetia
On 1 September, North Ossetia commemorated the anniversary of the tragic events at Beslan’s Public School No. 1. In 2004, a group of Islamist militants took schoolchildren and teaching staff hostage, demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya. The terrorist attack resulted in 334 deaths, including 186 children, while more than 800 people were injured. The initiative group Mothers of Beslan has been advocating for justice and a full investigation into the events, as well as the adoption of a new law on the status of victims of terrorist attacks. During this year’s anniversary, the Mothers of Beslan disclosed two previously unknown details about the terrorist attack. First, one of the perpetrators was a Saudi Arabian citizen, Abu Farrukh. Second, one of the hostages, local police officer Sultan Gurazhev, was a distant relative of the leader of the hostage-takers, Ruslan Khuchbarov.
The terrorist attack in Beslan remains a significant symbolic event for North Ossetia. More than 20 years later, many questions surrounding the events remain unanswered. Many believe that Russian armed forces used disproportionate force during the assault on the school, contributing to casualties among the hostages. There is also a view that there was scope for negotiations and that numerous deaths could have been prevented.
Ingushetia
Two Ingush brothers, Movlat and Yusup Tsuroev, were reportedly tortured in prison following their extradition from Turkey to Russia. The brothers were on a wanted list for membership in a terrorist organisation. According to the investigation, they coordinated their activities with a sleeper cell in Ingushetia, led by Amirkhan Gurzhaev and Khizir Ganiev, which was involved in attacks on local law enforcement agencies. Relatives of the Tsuroev brothers were allowed to visit them only after reports of their alleged torture were published. The brothers were handed over to Russian authorities by the Turkish intelligence services. A separate aircraft was reportedly dispatched to Turkey to transport the Tsuroev brothers to Russia.
In recent years, Islamist sleeper cells in Ingushetia have shown increased activity. Gurzhaev’s network was involved in attacks on law enforcement agencies. Although the group did not manage to establish an organised insurgency or militant presence in the mountainous and forested areas, it carried out several hit-and-run attacks. Given that a smaller proportion of young Ingush volunteered to fight in Syria compared with other republics, there is a relatively larger pool of potential recruits available there to jihadi groups.
Chechnya
430 school kits were sent by Ramzan Kadyrov’s administration to refugee camps in Gaza as part of a charitable initiative carried out by the Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation. As Kadyrov stated, it is important to provide Palestinian pupils with essential supplies and give them an opportunity to study, develop, and feel like children, at least for a time. It is expected that Kadyrov’s administration will allocate more than 1 million roubles for charitable activities related to Gaza.
Since the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Kadyrov’s administration has actively supported Palestine, and has engaged in multiple charitable activities. Several hundred Palestinian refugees have been resettled in Chechnya. With such important rhetoric, Kadyrov seeks to portray himself as a pious Muslim and thereby capitalise on solidarity with the Palestinian people. In parallel, Kadyrov avoids harsh criticism of Israel, given the relatively close relationship between the Putin and Netanyahu administrations.
Dagestan
A woman was fined by a court for using the Instagram logo on the signage of her grocery shop. Instagram and other social networks owned by Meta have been banned in Russia since 2022. The woman, a resident of the Kaytag District in Dagestan, said that the logo had been placed in 2020, before Meta was designated as a banned organisation, and that she had used it solely for commercial purposes. As a result, the court took her circumstances into account and imposed a lighter sentence.
Though Instagram and other Meta products have been banned in Russia since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Instagram remains a popular social media platform in Dagestan, with many local businesses continuing to use it to promote their products. Despite the availability of Russian alternatives, many local influencers still rely on Instagram to communicate with their audiences. Muslim preachers also use Instagram to disseminate their teachings and attract new followers. Many residents of Dagestan use VPNs to bypass the restrictions and access Instagram. As a result, legal measures targeting Instagram have had limited practical effect in Dagestan.