The "Akhulgo" memorial, opened today in Dagestan, dedicated to the storming of the residence of Imam Shamil during the Caucasian War, recalls enmity, not reconciliation of the parties, said historians interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot". They also pointed out the presence in the exhibition hall of portraits of figures unrelated to the assault on Akhulgo, including Alexander I and Vladimir Putin.
Aul Akhulgo in Northern Dagestan served as the fortified residence of Imam Shamil during the Caucasian War of 1817-64. Since June 13, 1839, the highlanders, led by Shamil, withstood the siege of the tsarist troops in Akhulgo under the command of General Grabbe. On August 22, 1839, the tsarist troops captured Akhulgo as a result of a bloody assault, but isolated battles in the village continued for another week. Shamil and the murids broke into Chechnya. The village was completely destroyed during the fighting, as described in the article about the village from the "Directory" of the "Caucasian Knot". Also in the "Directory" you can read, and in the "Personalities" section - with the biography of Imam Shamil.
The opening of the memorial took place in an atmosphere of officialdom
Today in the Untsukul district the memorial complex "Akhulgo" was opened, built in memory of the events of the Caucasian War of 1839 - the Battle of Akhulgo, a representative of the press service of the Dagestan Ministry of Culture told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
The complex was opened on the mountain of the same name and is an architectural ensemble, which includes a 17-meter signal tower and a building where the exhibition hall is located. Inside the hall there is a reproduction of Franz Roubaud's panorama "The Assault on the Village of Akhulgo", painted by the artist in 1890. Currently, individual fragments of the original panorama remain in the Dagestan Museum of Fine Arts in Makhachkala.
Only about 200 people took part in the opening of the complex: representatives of the administration of Dagestan and the head of the republic, State Duma deputies, representatives of the Federal Agency for National Affairs and “guests from Chechnya,” a representative of the Ministry of Culture listed, without specifying the composition of the Chechen delegation. According to a representative of the department, the idea of opening the complex belonged to the head of the republic.
Opening the memorial, Ramazan Abdulatipov called it a symbol of the fact that “in the battles of the Caucasian War, Russians and mountaineers consecrated with shed blood the historical unity, the brotherhood of the peoples of Russia, a call to all generations to cherish this unity,” TASS quoted the head of the republic as saying.
The construction of the memorial is “a sign of respect for the common historical memory, a reminder of the inadmissibility of bloodshed, a clear indication of the need to maintain national unity, which has developed and strengthened over the centuries,” said Vladimir Putin in a statement that was read to the participants of the ceremony, writes RIA “Dagestan” .
The head of the Federal Agency for National Affairs, Igor Barinov, called the opening of the memorial “an event for all of Russia.”
“The events that took place here 177 years ago largely determined the further development of the peoples of Russia and Dagestan. Our ancestors made their choice - the choice to be together, and after that they never betrayed each other.Paying tribute to the victims of the tragic pages of history, we must focus, first of all, on the events, trials, victories that we went through and experienced, and celebrated together. Therefore, remembering Akhulgo and other bloody battles of the Caucasian War, respecting the memory of their participants on both sides, we must remember and talk about Shamil’s will to his sons never to fight with Russia,” the website of the Ministry of National Affairs of Dagestan quotes him as saying.
Seven artists worked on the project, led by Salih Akhalov, a story about the memorial was told on the air of the Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company "Dagestan".
Panesh: the assault on Ahulgo showed the need for a peaceful resolution of the conflict
The battles of Akhulgo are important for the historical memory of the peoples of the North Caucasus, a historian, employee of the history department of ARIGA told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent Asker Panesh .
“This period is interesting because, due to the prevailing geopolitical factors, the peoples of the North Caucasus found themselves in orbit. The peoples of Dagestan and the Circassians had to defend their independence in this way. But these pages are also important because both Russia and the peoples of Dagestan were looking for ways of reconciliation, ways compromise to overcome these negative aspects,” he asserts.
According to Panesh, the opening of the memorial should show how “recourse to historical memory is necessary in order to learn the lessons of consensus and reconciliation.” The Battle of Akhulgo ultimately became just such a lesson for both Imam Shamil’s side and the Russian command, the historian believes.
“The Russian command thought about the fact that such punitive expeditions and harsh methods cannot be used in the Caucasus. And from Shamil’s side this was also a lesson. And now this lesson is a symbol of our history - that even in those conditions of confrontation we need to look for ways of reconciliation.” , said Panesh.
Caucasian War , which lasted from 1763 to 1864, staged Adyghe peoples to the brink of extinction. After the war and the mass deportation of the Circassians to the Ottoman Empire, a little more than 50 thousand people remained in their homeland. The Russian authorities have not yet made a decision to recognize the genocide of the Circassians during the war.
Mukhanov: it is inappropriate to finance such a project in the current economic situation
The battles of Akhulgo can be called “a standard operation during the Caucasian War,” the result of which was the strengthening of the position of tsarist power in the region, said the historian, senior researcher at the Center for Caucasus Problems and Regional Security at MGIMO. Vadim Mukhanov .
“Akhulgo was the headquarters of Imam Shamil in the late 30s. In 1837, there was a visit of Nicholas I to the Caucasus, who was terribly dissatisfied with the situation, there was even an attempt to hold a meeting between Imam Shamil and Nicholas I, but it failed, nothing could be agreed upon failed. When a serious offensive began, Shamil tried to gain a foothold in some locality and fight off Russian troops. This is what happened in Akhulgo,” he said.
The village was seriously fortified, towers were built nearby, Shamil concentrated in Akhulgo a fairly large mountain army - about five thousand people, Mukhanov continued.
“The fighting lasted for almost three months. Russian troops lost about a thousand, one and a half thousand killed and wounded, and the mountaineers lost about the same amount. The capture of Akhulgo is considered the final date of the first stage of the Caucasian War. And in many ways this strengthened the position of Russian power in the mountains,” said Mukhanov to the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot".
There can be no talk of any reconciliation, because it gives a rather one-sided picture
Despite the significance of the historical event itself, Mukhanov considers it wasteful to erect such a memorial against the backdrop of unresolved socio-political problems and the state of the humanitarian sphere in the region.
“I am surprised by the fact that such a project has appeared, because, given the state in which Dagestan is today, such spending is clearly not being done in the direction it should be. This is wrong, it is ridiculous and clearly does not stimulate the development of historical thought in Dagestan ", and there is only one goal - PR for the current leadership of Dagestan. There can be no talk of any declared beneficent goal, of reconciliation, because a rather one-sided picture is given," he said
According to the historian, the memorial would contribute to reconciliation and an objective discussion of the past if its authors took into account the recommendations of scientists, for which it was necessary to hold scientific and practical conferences. In this case, we are talking about playing the sacred name of Imam Shamil for Dagestan, added Mukhanov.
“The consequences of the Caucasian War are still very hotly discussed in the Caucasus. This is a topic that has passed from the 19th century into our time and is part of the socio-political discourse. The opening of the memorial is an attempt to promote the blissful historical past, which is perceived positively in Dagestan, because this is a memorial where the key figure is Imam Shamil,” the expert believes.
In 2015, in Dagestan it was announced filming of the film "Imam Shamil. Ahulgo" , dedicated to the assault on Ahulgo in 1839. The authors of the project noted that the initiative was accepted by the authorities with doubts due to the tense situation with the armed underground in the republic.
Donogo: including Putin in the portrait gallery "Akhulgo" is groveling
The assault on Akhulgo in its dramatic nature is the number one event in the entire history of the Caucasian War, but in the design of the memorial the context of this event is not sufficiently taken into account, a doctor of historical sciences told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent Khadzhimurat Donogo . As an example, he cited a portrait gallery, which is located inside a building with an exhibition hall.
“According to the plan, it was conceived like this: the Russian side and the Dagestan side. But here is such a moment - the events under Akhulgo took place in 1839 and, from my point of view, this portrait gallery and everything connected with painting had to be tied to this date. It was necessary to shed more light on this particular event of 1839. While inside is exhibited a portrait of Alexander I, who was no longer in sight in 1839,” the historian pointed out.
On the Russian side, according to Donogo, it was necessary to show, for example, General Milyutin, who “was a participant in Akhulgo and left interesting memories about it,” to display the correct portrait of General Pavel Grabbe.
“Grabbe is presented, but he was depicted in his declining years as an old man, while on Akhulgo he was a relatively young man. The historical line is a little lame. It was possible to make other participants in the Russian army,” the expert said.
A similar situation, according to him, is on the part of Dagestan - the gallery presents Imam Gazi-Muhammad and Imam Gamzat-bek, who were no longer alive at that time.
“Imam Shamil is represented by a copy of Sverchkov’s painting, but not of very high quality,” he added.
The most unexpected thing for the expert was that the exhibition featured a portrait of Vladimir Putin.
“He was depicted in a short-sleeve shirt, sitting on a white horse against the backdrop of Russian birch trees. I absolutely can’t imagine this portrait here. This is groveling, and I’m sure that the president, even if he ends up there, won’t like the fact that he’s there like that presented,” says the historian.
At the same time, Khadzhimurat Donogo noted that technically the complex was made of very high quality.
“Externally it looks wonderful, a good watchtower, a good design, everything is beautiful inside: the hall, the woodwork - design aspects, the masonry is magnificent, the place was chosen very well, from where you can see Akhulgo itself. It’s fascinating,” he said.
Skakov: the memorial reminds of war, not peace
The coordinator of the working group of the Center for the Study of Central Asia and the Caucasus of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences also called the concept of the memorial in Akhulgo unsuccessful. Alexander Skakov . In his opinion, the memorial is reminiscent of military confrontation, not peace.
“This turns out to be a poorly educated, poorly cultured, tactless burning of the problems that existed before. That is, it provides the basis for those who have not yet forgotten about the struggle of part of the Caucasus and Russia. More subtle approaches, more subtle ways are needed. What has been done is the worst option,” the historian told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.
According to Skakov, there are no successful examples of memorials that would serve as a symbol of the unity of Russia and Dagestan.
“I don’t see anything successful yet. I see a bias in one direction or the other. I don’t see anything that would be aimed at the reconciliation of the parties, namely that this is a story that you need to know, but you don’t need to live in it.” , for now,” he said.
Khadzhimurat Donogo, among the successful memorials dedicated to the participants of the Caucasian War and installed in the North Caucasus, singled out the stele on Gunib. Shamil's troops were defeated in June 1845 by the tsarist army under the command of Alexander Baryatinsky.
“On Gunib there is a stele made of mountain stone, where the words of the participants in the Caucasian War are engraved. Before the revolution, there was a gazebo made of white stone in honor of Baryatinsky’s victory over Shamil. It still stands, but a stone was placed opposite the gazebo to show this event from the other side , from the defenders of Gunib,” the historian noted.
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On Mount Akhulgo in Dagestan there is a memorial museum of the same name, erected in memory of the events of the Caucasian War that took place here in the summer of 1839. The military operation that took place in Akhulgo, aimed at capturing the fortress of Imam Shamil, is called one of the most important historical events, having invaluable significance for the historical memory of the inhabitants of the North Caucasus and all Russians.
Despite the fact that very little time has passed since the opening of the memorial complex, this place already today attracts a large number of tourists from all over the country and neighboring countries who want to personally touch the historical collisions of the period of the Caucasian War - one of the most tragic pages of Russian history. According to the creators of the open-air museum, literally every stone of the Akhulgo memorial was laid with a fervent, sincere prayer for peace, unity, friendship and brotherhood of peoples whose destinies were affected by the war that lasted in the Caucasus region from 1817 to 1864.
What is the Ahulgo memorial?
The memorial complex, opened at the beginning of 2017, is an original ensemble that includes a signal tower 17 meters high, as well as an exhibition hall with an exposition that today presents artifacts from the Caucasian War and thematic paintings. We are talking mainly about portraits of statesmen who took part in the events of 1817-1864 and the direct assault on the residence of the leader of the Caucasian highlanders. The central place in the art gallery rightfully belongs to the reproduction of “The Assault on the Village of Akhulgo” - the work of the outstanding panorama artist Franz Alekseevich Roubaud, the famous author of several hundred monumental panoramic paintings.
The initiator of the construction of the memorial was the head of the Republic of Dagestan Ramazan Abdulatipov. The first steps to popularize the heroic events were taken in 2013, and already in 2016, during the celebration of the 145th anniversary of the death of Imam Shamil, the republican authorities announced their plans to build a memorial complex-museum located at the site of the siege of Akhulgo. According to Abdulatipov, the opening of the memorial was another step towards national unity. “Not just another landmark, but a monument of friendship that will unite the peoples of the Caucasus and Russia” - this is how the head of Dagestan described his own project.
Assault on Ahulgo: a brief historical background
In 1834, 37-year-old Shamil received the title of imam of the North Caucasus Imamate, becoming the successor of Gazi-Mukhamad and Gamzat-bek. Very soon, his power and popularity among the people are growing by leaps and bounds, and the military leadership of the Caucasian Army of the Russian Empire, which is not satisfied with this state of affairs, decides to launch a punitive operation. By the way, it is not only the course of events that is of interest, but also the very place in which they unfolded. Mount Akhulgo, which translated from the Avar language means “anxious mountain,” became the location of two villages at once - Old and New Akhulgo, between which stretches a 40-meter gorge with a narrow wooden bridge.
The military operation, which would later be called the assault on Ahulgo, began on June 12, 1839. General of the Russian cavalry Pavel Grabbe decides to storm the Surkhaev Tower - the so-called “Hill of Strength”, which was subsequently destroyed literally to the ground. Russian soldiers made three assault attempts, installing several batteries. The first assault did not bring the desired results - the Surkhaev Tower bravely endured it, and both sides suffered significant losses in their troops.
However, during the second assault, which began on July 4 and was accompanied by bombardment, the tower fell, literally burying almost all of its heroic defenders under the rubble. This moment became a truly turning point and decisive, allowing General Grabbe to throw all his forces into the assault on the villages of Akhulgo and significantly advance guns and other artillery forward.
On July 16, the next stage of the operation began - the decisive third assault, for which Russian infantrymen under the command of Colonel Karl von Wrangel arrived to help Grabbe and his assistants. We must pay tribute to the highlanders who fought for their land to the last, and this time not only men, but also women, dressed in men's Circassian costumes, took an active part in the battles. At some point, the position of the Russian army became critical, since the murids managed to take advantage of a slight hitch and rain down a powerful hail of bullets on the enemy from a large number of loopholes. Baron von Wrangel was seriously wounded, and the losses of both armies this time amounted to hundreds of people.
After the historically significant turning point, a long siege of the fortress followed, in which a huge number of wounded and sick accumulated. A smallpox epidemic broke out in Akhulgo, also claiming a large number of victims. Both sides were literally exhausted by the latest events, in addition, the armies were ultimately left with virtually no officers. As a result, a decision was made to hold negotiations, during which Grabbe invited Imam Shamil to capitulate, having first surrendered his own son as a hostage and transferred the entire arsenal of weapons to the military leaders of the Russian army. Naturally, this prospect did not suit the leader of the Caucasian highlanders, and the negotiations, accompanied by incessant shooting, brought virtually no results.
Completion of the assault
After unsuccessful negotiations, the fourth and fifth assault operations followed, and on August 22, Russian banners were hung over the villages. The assault on Akhulgo, which lasted 80 days, was completed, and most of the population fled to the nearest caves and the Ashilty gorge. As for the heroic defenders of Akhulgo, by 12 noon on August 22 not a single person was left alive. Minor clashes continued for another week, and by August 29, the resistance of the mountaineers was completely suppressed. The losses were, without exaggeration, enormous. Imam Shamil, who in the future was destined to become one of the key figures and national hero of the peoples of the North Caucasus, miraculously broke through the siege into the territory of Chechnya together with his murid subjects.
Ahulgo in culture and art
As one would expect, the events that took place during the assault on the Shamil fortress had a great influence on art, literature, and politics. As already mentioned, the military operation in Akhulgo impressed the panorama painter Franz Roubaud, whose brushes include such legendary panoramas as “The Defense of Sevastopol” and “The Battle of Borodino”. The canvas “Assault on the Village of Ahulgo” by Roubaud was included in a series of paintings based on the Caucasian War (the customer of the series, which was originally created for the military-historical museum “Temple of Glory” in Tiflis, was the government of Alexander III itself).
The work continued in Munich for more than 10 years (during 1880-1890). The original fragments of the monumental panorama have been successfully preserved to this day and are currently stored in the Dagestan Museum of Fine Arts in Makhachkala. The siege of the fortress of Imam Shamil was also reflected in literary works. In particular, in 2008, the historical novel “Akhulgo” was published, authored by the famous native of Makhachkala, Shapi Kaziev.
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The Caucasian War occupies a special place in Russian history of the 19th century. It affected Russians, Caucasians, and the whole country. The origins of this war, first of all, are in the rivalry of the military powers-empires: Persia, Turkey and Russia for the Caucasus-Caspian region, which was of great strategic importance in the struggle for global influence. The Caucasus as a whole, the North Caucasus, and Dagestan in particular became hostages to the struggle of the great powers. The Caucasian War mainly took place in Dagestan and Chechnya. Other nations also joined this struggle.
The situation in the region before these events was generally favorable. In 1813, the Gulistan Peace Treaty was concluded, and Dagestan finally got rid of the threat of endless bloody invasions of eastern conquerors, having come to terms with the fact that it was part of Russia. Moreover, having fought for centuries with the Persians and Turks, the Dagestanis have always been more predisposed to an alliance with Russia and the Russians, with whom there have never been serious contradictions. The Dagestanis remembered that back in the 10th century, Prince Svyatoslav liberated them from the Khazar yoke.
The Caucasian policy of the tsarist autocracy, unfortunately, did not take into account that the main part of the Dagestan society is the Uzdeni - free citizens of free societies, who started the war with the feudal rulers. But it so happened that General Ermolov and the tsarist army found themselves on the same side with the Dagestan feudal lords, and on the other side were the common people. During the war, many soldiers and officers, getting to know the highlanders better, began to sympathize with their struggle for independence, seeing its just nature. In the works of Pushkin, Lermontov, Leo Tolstoy, Bestuzhev-Marlinsky, the Caucasus opened up for all of Russia from a positive side, despite the war. Russians and Caucasians have always sympathized with each other. Thus, Alexander Bestuzhev-Marlinsky wrote: “They sent us to fight, but they began to fraternize.” But the war dictated its cruel laws.
The Caucasian war was tragic for everyone, but the most important thing is that after the war no one really engaged in post-conflict construction, which was often used by various kinds of provocateurs to incite mistrust and conflicts between Russians and Caucasians. At the same time, we became subjects, and then citizens of a single Fatherland. Russians and Caucasians have been building and defending Russia (and previously the Soviet Union) together for centuries as their common homeland. It is precisely because of the understatement and incompleteness in Chechnya and Dagestan that every time after the next “revolution” or “putsch” “new liberators” appear who, together with international interventionists and terrorists, incite ethnopolitical and religious extremism in the region and start bloody wars. Thus, even after the collapse of the Union, separatism and religious fanaticism were aroused, which did not happen even during the Caucasian War. And only after V.V. came to the leadership of the country. Putin laid the foundation for the liberation of Dagestan and Chechnya from terrorists and separatists. Vladimir Putin was able to mobilize the Dagestan, Chechen and other peoples of the country to fight for the integrity of the Russian Federation, managed to re-build the vertical of power and restore the people's trust in it.
In 1999, the Dagestanis, together with the Russian army under the leadership of V.V. Putin expelled international terrorists from his territory. The Chechen people, led by the courageous Akhmat-Khadzhi Kadyrov, were also mobilized for such a struggle. In accordance with the guidelines of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin, under the leadership of the National Anti-Terrorism Committee, as a result of the heroic struggle of law enforcement officers and ordinary Dagestanis in Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria and other regions of the Caucasus, the terrorist underground was almost completely destroyed. For us, Dagestanis, Caucasians, it is important to declare that never again will threats to the security and integrity of our country, the safety of citizens of the Russian Federation, come from the territory of the Caucasus. Hence the relevance of solving problems to overcome the consequences of past conflicts and tragedies, starting with the Caucasian War: in ideology, politics, and the education of the younger generation. Dagestanis and Caucasians not only made peace with the Russians, but also fraternized, for centuries together they have been creating and defending a common Fatherland - Russia. Imam Shamil's will says: "I bequeath to you, my descendants... friendship and brotherhood." Imam Shamil’s grateful attitude towards the Russian Tsar is known for the respect and generosity shown to him and to Dagestan.
We need to overcome the negative consequences of past conflicts and increase the potential for cooperation and mutual understanding. Therefore, we decided in the mountains of Dagestan to erect the first memorial of common memory and common fate in the Caucasus - “Akhulgo” - on the site of one of the greatest and most brutal battles of the Caucasian War. In this battle, as Rasul Gamzatov wrote, “Ivan’s blood mixed with the same exact blood of Magoma.”
The memorial is an architectural ensemble that includes a 17-meter signal tower and a building housing an exhibition hall, the main exhibits of which are a reproduction of the panorama by Franz Roubaud “The Capture of the Village of Akhulgo” and portraits of statesmen and military leaders from the era of the Caucasian War. On the fortress are the words of blessing and prayer of Sheikh Ahmad-Hadji and Bishop Varlaam, the meaning of which is the same.
By erecting the "Akhulgo" memorial, we remember not only the Russians and Dagestanis who died on the battlefields of the Caucasian War, but also those fellow countrymen who, together with the Russians, fought for Russia in the First World War in the Savage Division. And soldiers of the Great Patriotic War, such as Magomed Abdulmanapov, who, in response to the Nazis’ offer to abandon the Russians and stay alive, exclaimed that the Russians were his brothers, and died along with them. For me, this is also the memory of Senior Lieutenant Volodya, who carried my wounded father from the battlefield on the Sevastopol hills and saved his life. On Akhulgo today I hear the voice of the Hero of Russia Magomed Nurbagandov, who was not afraid of bandit weapons aimed at him, and in response to the demand to urge his colleagues to refuse service in the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, calmly and with dignity said: “Work, brothers!”, addressing these words not only to colleagues, but to all honest people.
The memorial complex "Akhulgo" is, first of all, the historical memory of our fallen ancestors, which we look at through the prism of awareness of our common destiny. This is also a call to all of us to work as brothers to create and ensure the unity of Russia and Dagestan. Today Dagestanis, Chechens, Circassians and Russians are one family, and therefore together we honor the memory of all those who died, together we create and defend our common Fatherland. As V.V. says Putin: “We are one country, one people.” The "Akhulgo" memorial is the embodiment of our memory, our feelings and faith, in the light of historical reconciliation and brotherhood of Russians, Dagestanis, Chechens, Circassians and all other peoples of Russia.
“Akhulgo” is a memorial erected not only in memory of a common tragic past, but also in honor of common creative deeds, giving us the intention to work together to ensure the safety and well-being of current and future generations of all Russians - citizens of a single country. Memory, Motherland are sacred!
Quite strange and contradictory attitudes often reign in the mass consciousness of people: they forgot about the cruel conquests of the Tatar-Mongols, the lame Timur, the Persian Shahs and Turkish Sultans, they forgave everyone except those who became friends, brothers, and compatriots. And this happens, by the way, on both sides. The theme of the Caucasian War is widely used both to incite distrust of the Caucasians and to accuse the Russians of aggression. The Ahulgo Memorial is evidence that conflicts and wars between our peoples are a thing of the historical past. We need an understanding that both the Russian soldier and the highlander then had their own truth, but now for centuries we have a common truth, for we have a common Fatherland. And most importantly, remembering and honoring the past, we cannot and should not trail behind the past, but must take the future “by the horns,” that is, be compatriots together, creating a new Russia. Sometimes, in order to end a war, it takes hundreds of times more courage and wisdom than to continue this war. Prince Baryatinsky and Imam Shamil showed courage, wisdom and will to end the Caucasian War. Imam Shamil never wanted this war and did a lot to end it, including giving his beloved son Jamaludin hostage to Akhulgo. But only Baryatinsky’s arrival in the Caucasus made it possible to end the war with the long-awaited reconciliation. And this was our biggest victory.
Each stone of the "Akhulgo" memorial is laid with a prayer for friendship and brotherhood of Russians, Dagestanis, and Caucasians. The main idea of the memorial is the continuation of our common work to establish mutual understanding, memory and solidarity between Russians and Caucasians at all levels, so that the conflicts of the past cannot quarrel us either today or in the future. This is the target task and the main meaning of the project, which was implemented in Dagestan.
The Memorial of Common Memory and Common Fate "Akhulgo" is a memorial to the memory of all who shed their blood in the Caucasian War, especially those who were against this war and did everything in their power to complete it, giving peace to the Caucasus and Russia. This is a memorial to the memory of those who did not become embittered, did not take revenge, but were able to forgive, make peace and fraternize with each other in the name of peace and prosperity of Russia and the Caucasus, the dignity and unity of Russians and Caucasians, who became patriots, creators and defenders of a united Fatherland. This is a memorial to the glory of those who continue to strengthen the unity of Russia.
(Pictured in the announcement photo:
Assault on the village of Akhulgo (Rubo F.A., 1888))
In the coming days, the ethnographic memorial complex “Akhulgo” will be opened in Dagestan. The opening itself is timed to coincide with the 145th anniversary of the death of Imam Shamil. The construction of the complex was initiated by the head of Dagestan Ramazan Abdulatipov.
It should be noted that during the inspection of the construction progress of the complex Abdulatipov stated that at this place the blood of not only Dagestanis was shed, but also “Russian soldiers who found themselves in the war against their own will.” According to his plan, an inscription was made on the memorial: “Blessed memory. And eternal glory."
The complex was built next to Mount Akhulgo, on the site of one of the main battles of the Caucasian War of 1817-1864. The imam's few troops defended themselves in this area. Shamilya.
The memorial complex includes a 17-meter signal tower and a building that will house an exhibition hall. As the administration of the Untsukul district told Kavkaz.Realii, a reproduction of the panorama will be recreated in the exhibition hall Franz Roubaud"Taking the village of Akhulgo."
The complex will house portraits of three Dagestan imams and three Russian emperors, as well as portraits of statesmen and military leaders from the Caucasian War era, as well as other exhibits from the Caucasian War, according to the website of the Dagestan parliament.
Dagestan historians have ambivalent assessments of the opening of the complex. For example, a historian Hadji Murat Donogo believes that the construction of this complex provides an opportunity not so much for tourists or guests of the republic, but for the Dagestanis themselves to learn their history.
“The defense of Akhulgo is an unparalleled feat. When our ancestors faced a huge army for 80 days. Suffice it to say that Shamil and his associates were bombed by 30 guns when the defenders did not have a single gun. In fact, the battle on Akhulgo is a turning point in the Caucasian War. The events that took place in 1939 on Akhulgo were described in great detail by Shamil’s chroniclers and contemporaries. And, of course, when you come to Akhulgo, you cannot help but feel a shiver from the consciousness of what happened in this place. This complex should have the following task: coverage of the events that took place on Akhulgo.”, - said the historian "Caucasus.Realities"..
This building on Akhulgo is an ideological product, the historian is sure Patimat Takhnaeva.
“Firstly, it was stated that this would be an “ethnographic memorial complex.” In my opinion, “historical-memorial and ethnographic” would sound more correct. Secondly, it is absolutely obvious to me that if the complex still somehow justifies the ethnographic component, then it will not fulfill the historical-memorial component, its main component. This is probably not necessary. I watched a couple of interviews with the author of the project and realized that the new museum complex is being created as an exclusively ideological product, alas. That says it all. Therefore, it would be foolish to make any serious demands on him.", - noted Takhnaeva.
The heroic Akhulgo, who was part of the spiritual memory of Muslims who honored the memory of martyrs, part of the world of legends and traditions of Dagestan, has now become part of the ideological front, the interlocutor added and concluded that “we are dealing with an attempt to manipulate historical memory.”
On January 20, the Akhulgo Museum opened in the Untsukulsky district of Dagestan, a memorial and historical complex dedicated to the events of the Caucasian War that took place in western Dagestan. The memorial perpetuates the memory of participants in the military actions that took place in Dagestan - supporters of Imam Shamil and Russian soldiers.
The memorial complex includes a 17-meter signal tower and a building that will house an exhibition hall. The exhibition consists of a museum containing artifacts from the Caucasian War that have survived to this day, and an art gallery. The gallery contains portraits of Dagestan imams Gazi-Magomed,Gamzat-bek And Shamilya and Russian emperors Alexandra I, Nicholas I And Alexandra II. This combination of portraits indicates who led the opposing sides in the Caucasian War during the period from 1817 to 1864. The exhibition is also decorated with a reproduction of the painting Franz Roubaud"Assault on Ahulgo"
The museum is named after the Avar village, long abandoned by the inhabitants, located on Mount Akhulgo, on the banks of the Andiyskoe Koisu River. The mountain village of Akhulgo entered the history of the Caucasian War as the site of battles between mountain troops under the leadership of Imam Shamil and the Russian corps under the command of the general Petra Grabbe. In 1838, pressed by Russian troops from the flat part of Dagestan, Imam Shamil made the highland Avar village of Akhulgo the capital of his state, strengthening it with fortifications. These structures, combined with the rocky terrain, rarefied air, unusual for Russian soldiers, the lack of roads and the large concentration of fanatical supporters of Shamil in Akhulgo, made the Avar village an almost impregnable stronghold. In Russian military documents, the Shamil fortress was called a “castle”. The Akhulgo fortress consisted of two fortified settlements located on the cliffs, Old and New Akhulgo, separated from each other by a deep gorge leading to the Ashilta River, which flows into the Avar Koisu.
In May 1839, the Russian command decided to deal the final blow to Imam Shamil, capturing his capital Akhulgo. Grabbe's detachment, which emerged from Chechnya, made a dangerous journey for the Russians to the fortress through the territories under the control of Shamil within a month. On the way to Akhulgo, Grabbe’s detachment repeatedly entered into battles with mountain formations, which were personally commanded by Imam Shamil, who the day before came to the aid of his supporters at the head of armed detachments.
The most famous clashes in history between Grabbe’s detachment and Shamil’s supporters on Grabbe’s path to Akhulgo occurred near the villages of Tarengul ( the current village of Burtunay, Kazbekovsky district of Dagestan) and Argvani ( Gumbetovsky district). In the Battle of Argvan against the Russians, in addition to the inhabitants of the village, a 16,000-strong detachment of Dagestanis and Chechens under the command of Shamil took part, as a result of which Russian troops were able to take Argvan only with heavy losses. Shamil's defeated supporters went to the Akhulgo fortress, where Grabbe's detachment was able to approach in early June. Having reached the fortress, in June Russian troops began the blockade of Akhulgo, trying to block the besieged’s access to sources of drinking water, thereby forcing the enemy to surrender. On June 12, after several fierce battles with the mountaineers, Grabbe's troops were able to begin the siege. Russian troops repeatedly offered Shamil to surrender, pointing to combat losses and mortality of the besieged from thirst and hunger caused by the siege, to which Shamil responded with refusal and continued resistance. The fighting at the fortress lasted from June 12 to August 22, 1839 - the day when the Russian detachment, as a result of a bloody assault, was able to enter the village of Old Akhulgo. Both Shamil’s supporters and local residents, including women, took part in the battles against Russian troops. The battle lasted from early morning until two o'clock in the afternoon. A significant part of the defenders of the village died, and a smaller part, led by Shamil, was able to escape along the mountain paths to Chechnya.
The idea to build a memorial and the project of the memorial on the site of the siege of Akhulgo belongs to the head of Dagestan Ramazan Abdulatipov. Back in 2013, the authorities of Dagestan initiated work to cover films and programs dedicated to the events of the Caucasian War in local media. The emphasis was on the unprecedented feat of the besieged defenders of the Imamate and the personality of Shamil, the state, military and spiritual leader of the peoples of the Caucasus. In 2016, when the 145th anniversary of Shamil’s death was celebrated in Dagestan, the process of creating a historical and memorial complex in the Akhulgo region began. The progress of construction was personally inspected by Ramazan Abdulatipov many times. Dagestan media reported that the head of the republic ensured that the complex was recreated as much as possible identical to what it was during the time of Imam Shamil. At the end of October last year, Akhulgo Abdulatipov, who visited, said that the memorial was almost ready for opening.
“After completion of construction, the memorial complex will become not just another landmark of the republic, but a monument of friendship uniting the peoples of the Caucasus and Russia,” the head of Dagestan said then. However, the opinions of the Dagestani public regarding the Akhulgo complex are divided. Some Dagestanis argued that the memorial in Akhulgo is “a monument to the Russian occupiers who killed women and children, built with republican money.” The other part said that by building a museum in Akhulgo glorifying Imam Shamil, Abdulatipov was immortalizing himself. The head of Dagestan is known as an ardent admirer of Shamil, and in his speeches he has repeatedly emphasized that the policy of his administration is to follow the political and spiritual traditions of the legendary military and spiritual leader of the Caucasus.
The personality of Shamil, whose name in Dagestan is used to name settlements and city streets, is treated ambiguously in Dagestan. Among the Dagestan intelligentsia (especially the older generation), reproaches against the imam are repeatedly heard. For example, many honored artists of the Soviet period, in a conversation with a correspondent, accused the imam of the following: with his personal ambitions, he first provoked a long-term war in the Caucasus, which claimed the lives of thousands of residents of Dagestan and Chechnya and led to the destruction of many ancient villages, and in 1859, instead In order to die in battle as a highlander and a Muslim, he himself surrendered and forced the rest of the highlanders to submit. The cult of Shamil, which in many ways has an exaggerated character, is associated by many social activists in Dagestan with the fact that Abdulatipov, an Avar by nationality, is trying to “saddle” the Avar nationalist trend that has long existed in the republic.
Historian Patimat Takhnaeva, an employee of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, several months before the opening of the memorial, said that the Akhulgo Museum is not history in the strictly scientific sense of the word, but an ideology. “I watched a couple of interviews with the author of the project ( meant Ramazan Abdulatipov - EADaily) and realized that the new museum complex was being created as an exclusively ideological product, alas. That says it all. Therefore, it would be stupid to make any serious demands on him,” Takhnaeva told the information resource “Caucasus. Realities." It is noteworthy that the journalist with whom Takhnaeva spoke gave his material a striking title - “Akhulgo. Ideological defeat."
However, the idea of creating a memorial in Akhulgo was approved at the project development stage by the Federal Agency for National Affairs (FADN) and at the level of other federal authorities. Head of FADN Igor Barinov was announced the day before in the Dagestan media as the most anticipated participant in the opening ceremony of the memorial. Even at the stage of development of the project, the Mufti of Dagestan gave his blessing to the memorial Akhmad Abdullaev and Bishop of Makhachkala and Grozny Varlaam (Ponomarev).
North Caucasian edition