MODERN PROTESTANT IDEOLOGY AND DENATIONALIZATION OF NORTH CAUCASIAN PEOPLES (CASE STUDIES OF NORTH OSSETIA AND ADYGEI)
Keywords:
Protestantism, Ossetians, Adyghe, neo-paganism, mountain ideologies, Orthodoxy, Islam, republican authoritiesAbstract
The article aims to compare the religious/ethnic situation in two North Caucasian republics—North Ossetia and Adygei; the place of Protestantism in the regional context, the growing number of Protestant communities (Baptist, Pentecostals, Adventists) in these republics, the emergence of new ideologies of North Caucasian highlanders and the roots of their increasing popularity. The field ethnographic materials gathered in 2009-2019 confirm that the process of denationalization is ongoing despite the efforts of the local public figures to revive and expand the sphere of folk traditions up to and including neo-paganism. A comparison of Protestantism in North Ossetia-Alania and Adygei revealed that the trend towards a new foundation remains the same, while the paths, forms and methods may vary.
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References
See: A.V. Isaenko, Ekstremisty—baptisty i ikh posledovateli, Orjonikidze, 1968.
See: R.N. Lunkin, Rol khistianskikh tserkvey Evropy v razreshenii sotsialno-politicheskikh krizisov. Doctorate Thesis, Moscow, 2018, 431 pp.
See: E.V. Fedosova, “Konfessionalnaia identichnost i religioznye ustanovki molodezhi Severnoy Osetii,” Izvestia SOIGSI, No. 2, 2013, pp. 86-91; S.A. Shtyrkov, “Traditsianolistskie dvizhenia v sovremennom severo-osetinskom obshchestve i logika religioznogo natsionalizma,” in: Kavkazskiy gorod: potentsial etnokulturnykh sviazey v urbanisticheskoy srede, ed. by Iu.M. Botiakov, MAE RAS, St. Petersburg, 2013, pp. 331-362.
See: O.A. Oleynikova, Problemy sektanstva v Severnoy Osetii, 2001, Scientific Archive of SOIGSI. Planned Works Record Group, No. 468; Idem., Konfessionalnaia situatsia v RSO-Alania: vzaimodeystvie razlichnykh konfessiy i verovaniy, Vladikavkaz, 2000, Planned Works Record Group, No. 446; I.L. Babich, “Protestanstskoe dvizhenie v Adygee,” in: Khristianstvo na Severnom Kavkaze: istoria i sovremennost, ed. by I.L. Babich, L.T. Solovyeva, IEA RAS, Moscow, 2011, pp. 162-185.
Field materials collected by the author (FMA). North Ossetia-2019.
See: O.A. Oleynikova, Konfessionalnaia situatsia v RSO-Alania: vzaimodeystvie konfessiy i verovaniy, pp. 32-33.
FMA. North Ossetia-2019.
Ibidem.
For example, one of my informers, Ossetian R. who had moved from Tbilisi (where he was born) to Vladikavkaz in 2003 and later attended the Adventists of the Seventh Day community; today he belongs to the community of Evangelical Christian-Baptists. Pastor of the Baptist Church of Vladikavkaz Ossetian T. lost four of his children in Beslan; today he lives with his daughter who also attends the Baptist church, FMA. North Ossetia-2019.
See: O.A. Oleynikova, Problemy sektanstva v Severnoy Osetii.
FMA. North Ossetia-2019.
Ibidem.
As it turned out later some of the young members had gone to the Baptist community in Alagir.
FMA. North Ossetia-2019.
Ibidem.
Ibidem.
Every Saturday the members study the Bible in the club of the wagon-repair plant; on Sundays services are organized in the House of Cinema in 5 Batoev Str.
FMA. North Ossetia-2019.
Services are conducted in the National Scientific Library, 43 Kostoev Str.
FMA. North Ossetia-2019.
Ibidem.
Ibidem.
FMA. Adygei-2009; FMA. Adygei-2016.
FMA. Adygei-2009.
FMA. Adygei-2016.
FMA. Adygei-2009.
FMA. Adygei-2017.
See: S. Lyausheva, V. Nekhai, R. Khunagov, B. Shkhachemukova, “The Traditional Adyghe Culture in the Context of Globalization: Social Integration as a Factor of Defusing Ethnic Tension in the Caucasus,” Central Asia and the Caucasus, No. 3, 2016, pp. 113-121; S.B. Filatov, R.N. Lunkin, “Respublika Adygeia. Osobennosti istoricheskogo razvitia religii,” in: Religiozno-obshchestvennaia zhizn rossiyskikh regionov, ed. by S.B. Filatova, Letniy sad, Moscow, 2014, pp. 7-32.
See: I.L. Babich, op. cit., pp. 162-185.
See: A.A. Muzalev, M.S. Shorova, “Khristianstvo v Adygee: istoria i sovremennost,” Vetsnik Adygeyskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta, No. 1, 2006, pp. 54-56; Severny Kavkaz v sostave Rossiyskoy imperii, ed. by V.O. Bobrovnikov, I.L. Babich, Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie, Moscow, 2007, pp. 88-111.
FMA. Adygei-2016.
Ibidem.
See: I.L. Babich, “Vzaimosviaz sovremennykh gorskikh ideologiy i natsionalnykh interesov Rossii na Severnom Kavkaze,” in: Severnyy Kavkaz v natsionalnoy strategii Rossii, ed. by V.A. Tishkov, FSSU Rosinformagrotekh, Moscow, 2008, pp. 171-186.
FMA. North Ossetia-2019.
There are local religious organizations of the traditional faiths of the Ossetians The District Mozdok Community of the Asses (Atsata) in Mozdok; the Traditional Faiths of the Ossetians True Faith (Atsag Din) in Vladikavkaz; Upper Ossetia (Uallagir) in Alagir; the Community of the Sanctuary Mayrama of the Upper Tower (Tsazziu) (Tsazziu Ualamasyg Mayramy dzuary kord) in the village of Lats, Alagir District; the Religion of Ossetia (Iry din) in the village of Zmeyskaya, Kirov District; Dzivgis (Dzyvgis) in the village of Dzivgis, Alagir District.
[https://ironau.ru/allon.html].
See: “V Respublike otkrylas shkola Iron Agdau,” available at [https://news.sputnik.ru/obrazovanie/5ecc4fa4c0a193 61e8535f8341e01870a406dec3].
See: Z.V. Kanukova, “Obshchestvenny sovet v Osetii: traditsii i innovatsii,” Uspekhi sovremennoy nauki, Vol. 7, No.11, 2016, pp. 9-11.
See: O.A. Oleynikova, Konfessionalnaia situatsia v RSO-Alania: vzaimodeystvie razlichnykh konfessiy i verovaniy, pp. 32-33.
In 2013, Chechnya and Ingushetia still belonged to this eparchy; later the Makhachkala and Grozny eparchy was set up (Ingushetia also belongs to it.)
FMA. North Ossetia-2019.
The capacity of the mosque is limited to 500 so women do not attend services while men occupy the section reserved for women. FMA. Severnaia Osetia-2019.
[https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/330087/].
FMA. North Ossetia-2019.
Ibidem.
Ibidem.
See: E.V. Fedosova, “Konfessionalnaia identichnost i religioznye ustanovki molodezhi Severnoy Osetii,” p. 88.
FMA. North Ossetia-2019.
FMA. North Ossetia-2019.
Ibidem.
Ibidem.
Ibidem.
Ibidem.
FMA. Adygei-2009.
FMA. Adygei-2009, FMA. Adygei-2016.
FMA. Adygei-2017.
FMA. Adygei-2016.
FMA. Adygei-2017.
Ibidem.
FMA. Adygei-2017.
FMA. Adygei-2009.
Ibidem.
FMA. Adygei-2017.
FMA. Adygei-2009.
Ibidem.
FMA. Adygei-2009.
FMA. Adygei-2017.
See: I.L. Babich, “Vzaimosviaz sovremennylh gorskikh ideologiy i natsionalnykh interesov Rossii na Severnom Kavkaze,” pp. 171-186.
See: R.N. Lunkin, op. cit., p. 23.
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