The role of Kizlyar in the border policy of Russia in the 18th century
https://doi.org/10.37493/2409-1030.2026.1.1
Abstract
Introduction. Fortifications were widely used In Russian border policy in the North Caucasus. Along with their military function, they began to acquire the significance of economic centers of influence on the peoples of the region. The history of the fortress city of Kizlyar is a clear example of the empire’s influence on socio-economic processes in the North Caucasus in the 18th century.
Materials and methods. The article uses the principles of historicism and objectivity. The study is based on a set of primary sources, some of which are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time.
Analysis. After the abolition of the Holy Cross fortress in 1735, Russian troops retreated to the Terek. They had to settle in the Kizlyar tract, which was already used by local residents as a trading platform, and now new prospects were opening up for it. The city was initially multi-ethnic, and the authorities emphasized the need to attract people from the North Caucasian peoples to settle there. The Kizlyar market made the local crafts profitable. Kizlyar turned out to be a transit point through which the flow of goods was redirected to Astrakhan. Accordingly, Russian goods were also brought to the North Caucasus through this city. Local entrepreneurs quickly built logistics, thanks to which cargoes connected with regular suppliers and consumers were sent in both directions. Kizlyar was not perceived by the mountain population as a threat or a source of danger. The economic interests of the most diverse parties of the interethnic dialogue being established in the borderland were concentrated there.
Results. The military-political and economic development of the North Caucasus took place simultaneously. Border fortresses became centers of economic interaction between the subjects of the empire. The prospects for turning a fortress into a full-fledged city directly depended on the success in building mutually beneficial economic and cultural partnerships with local peoples. Kizlyar achieved the greatest success here, becoming a key point in Russia’s connections with the mountain and nomadic peoples of the region and with the markets of the East.
About the Author
K. A. Abdulaev
Dagestan State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Karim A. Abdulaev, Postgraduate student
43a, Magomed Gadzhiev St., 367000, Makhachkala
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Review
For citations:
Abdulaev K.A. The role of Kizlyar in the border policy of Russia in the 18th century. Humanities and law research. 2026;13(1):11-17. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.37493/2409-1030.2026.1.1
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