Phenomenon of abrechestvo in the North Caucasus as a form of social protest in the late 19th – early 20th centuries
https://doi.org/10.37493/2409-1030.2023.2.9
Abstract
Introduction. The article examines the features of the abrek movement in the North Caucasus in the second half of the 19th century, which is interpreted as one of the forms of social protest. The author casts doubt on the scientific perspective of attempts to determine the beginning of the abrek practice in the region. At the same time, the hypothesis about its origin and connection with the custom of blood feud is supported.
Materials and Methods. The author shows how the ideology of abrechestvo changed depending on the socio-political and economic situation in the North Caucasian region, and emphasizes the ambiguity of the perception by the local population of people who took the path of robbery. The study is based on the analysis of texts by domestic and foreign Caucasian scholars and materials obtained from the archival funds of the Central State Archive of the North Ossetia-Alania. Retrospective, illustrative and personal biographical methods were used as methods of historical and political research.
Analysis. The author of the article draws attention to the ambiguous perception of the phenomenon of abrechestvo and the attitude towards it by various social strata of the population of the North Caucasus, as well as the discord in its assessment by Caucasian scholars who occupied various socio-political positions. In the eyes of the poor, the doomed were defenders of justice, while for the official authorities and local elites they were bandits and criminals. Abreks are assessed by Russian revolutionaries (E. Eshba, A. Sheripov), who shared the ideals of Marxist teaching and defined abreks as fighters against oppression and defenders of the social lower classes of society. The author also examines the image of the «noble robber» in folklore, where the abrek is endowed with the most revered traits by the general public - generosity, courage, selflessness. However, for the most part, real abreks did not always correspond to the qualities that were attributed to them. Often, the arbitrariness of the robbers forced people to get rid of them, including helping the official authorities track down and eliminate abreks.
Results. Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that as a result of a fundamental change in the socio-political, economic and cultural paradigm in the North Caucasus, there are noticeable transformations in the practiced protest forms used by the population defending their right to identity. In the historical period under review, the abreks acted as defenders of «traditional values», sought to prevent the introduction of elements of capitalist modernization into everyday life, a certain part of the mountain society, the least prepared to accept the changes that were taking place.
About the Author
I. A. Mutushev
Pyatigorsk State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Isa A. Mutushev, Postgraduate student
357532
9, Kalinin avenue
Pyatigorsk
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Review
For citations:
Mutushev I.A. Phenomenon of abrechestvo in the North Caucasus as a form of social protest in the late 19th – early 20th centuries. Humanities and law research. 2023;10(2):251-257. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.37493/2409-1030.2023.2.9
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