The purpose of the article is to draw the attention of professional historians of Kabardino-Balkaria to the provisions of the theory of historical knowledge, which seem methodologically significant for the construction of a general work on the history of the region, and to offer a sketch of the conceptual scheme of such a work as material for discussion. The general narrative is a "response" to the needs and demands of modern society, and the discussion of its concept should begin with the definition of these needs and demands. A complicating factor in the case of Kabardino-Balkaria is the complex ethno-confessional structure of society, the multiplicity of cultural and historical identities present in it, which can give rise to tension and conflicts. Overcoming the cognitive difficulties associated with this is possible if we do not focus on the past and present, but model the future in which the country and the region will be able to effectively respond to external and internal challenges. A historical narrative based on a subjectively desired future can be intersubjectively meaningful (i.e. scientific and objective) if it integrates the principle of mutual recognition and acknowledgement of differences in culture (identities) as a methodological rule. An authentic form of expressing continuity and discontinuities in the historical process is a narrative of the genetic type, showing how past patterns of activity are transformed in order to be included in modern conditions. The theoretical framework of this type of narrative is set by a combination of civilizational (sociocultural) and modernization approaches to interpreting the content of the historical process. The object of the generalizing history of the region is Kabardino-Balkaria as a spatio-temporal integrity, a historical region in which Kabardians, Balkars and other groups of the population carry out their life activities and organize mutual relations. The subject of the history of the region is the genesis of modern Kabardino-Balkaria – the formation, evolution and change of forms of social order on its territory, which were first the product of the historical creativity of its peoples, and then the regulatory and guiding influence of the Russian state.

From the second half of the XVIII-th century, began a process of large-scale transformation of the common system of social relations in the Central Caucasus, which involved Kabarda and its immediate social environment. The reasons were both endogenous (the crisis of feudal public institutions in Kabarda, the antagonism between the interests of the Kabardian aristocracy and the highlanders of the Central Caucasus) and exogenous in nature – change in the foreign policy status of the region, strengthening of military-political pressure, administrative regulation by the Russian Empire. The result was the actualization of migration processes as a way of resolving crisis phenomena in the system of ethnosocial relations of a hierarchical nature that connected all population groups of the region. One of the vectors of migration activity was the desire of a part of the underprivileged classes of Kabarda to organize resettlement beyond the border of the Russian Empire institutionalized in 1777-1778. The spontaneous flight of representatives of the dependent classes of Kabarda to Russian territory became another form of migration activity that threatened the demographic and socio-political stability of the region. In the border areas of the Kabardian appanage principalities with the highlanders of the Central Caucasus, local migrations also occurred, leading to changes in ethnic boundaries and the formation of uninhabited exclusion zones. By the end of the XVIII-th century, the general crisis of ethnosocial relations in the Central Caucasus initiated the Sharia movement as a way to overcome the crisis phenomena and the beginning of the migration activity of Kabardians directed to the Eastern Trans-Kuban region.

The article explores a range of issues related to the organization and functioning of the institution of barter trade between the Russian Empire and the mountain societies of the North Caucasus in the first half of the 19th century. Based on an analysis of archival materials and contemporary accounts, the article examines key trade centers, the range of goods, and the legal and social aspects of barter relations. Special attention is given to the role of trade as a tool for political influence and integration of the region into the economic space of the empire, as well as its transformation during the Caucasian War. The administrative management structure created in accordance with the 1846 «Regulations on Exchange Trade with the Highlanders along the Caucasian Line» was analyzed separately. It is concluded that Russia's policy in the field of barter trade in the Caucasus in the first half of the 19th century went through a complex development path, from spontaneous neighborhood exchange to its use as a repressive tool, to an attempt to transform it into an instrument of integration and soft power. However, the emerging system faced insurmountable challenges: the objective economic logic (secret barter, the tendency towards monetary relations) and the difficulties of integration practices on the ground.

The article, based mainly on documents of British diplomatic correspondence, studies the approaches and moves of the Foreign Office in connection with the problem of the mass exodus of Circassians to the Ottoman Empire in 1863-1864. The main attention is paid to clarifying the facts, motives, nature and results of the relatively active formulation of proposals on this issue by British diplomats in Turkey and Russia during May-June 1864 and their attempts to put it on the international agenda. A conclusion is made about the dual character of the reaction of official London to the Circassian migration crisis and humanitarian catastrophe, conditioned by the general logic of the Anglo-Russian rivalry in the Ottoman East with its variability of the “hard” and “soft” lines. The reasons for the British Government’s ultimate refusal to both peddle the theme of St. Petersburg’s moral and financial responsibility for the “uncivilized” methods of expansion in the Caucasus and to finance Circassian colonization in Anatolia, as well as to limit itself to sending only moderate humanitarian aid to the refugees in the Ottoman Empire, are revealed. On the other hand, the examined correspondence fully confirms and supplements the data of other sources on the extreme inadequacy of the measures taken by the Russian and Ottoman authorities to organize, respectively, the dispatch and reception of Circassians and the high levels of mortality and human suffering caused by this. Overall, the work contributes to a better understanding of the role of the British factor in the processes of migration and settlement of North Caucasians within the Ottoman borders. 

This work is devoted to the issue of the emergence of the Nalchik settlement and its formation as a center of administrative, judicial and cultural life in the region. Based on the provided documentary materials, the issue of an attempt by the population of Nalchik settlement to change the legal status of the settlement is considered. The article provides an overview of the historiography of projects for the transformation of Nalchik settlement into a city in the 80s of the 19th century. The purpose of the study is to systematize existing sources and critically comprehend the interpretations of chronicles, archival materials, materials of local authorities and periodicals with an emphasis on historiographical approaches. Methodologically, the work combines a comparative analysis of sources and a rhetorical and historiographical reconstruction of various paradigms of the modernization project, assessing their relationship to the real socio-economic conditions of the settlement: demographic dynamics, transport accessibility, land and legal regime, economic practice and everyday aspects of life of the population. The study of the history of the emergence and development of Nalchik, during its formation as an administrative, judicial and cultural center, reveals a complex process of interaction between local initiatives and imperial policy. The analysis of archival documents demonstrates the desire of residents for an urban lifestyle, the desire to receive benefits provided to citizens of the Russian Empire, was not accompanied by a deep understanding of the legal and financial consequences of such a transformation. In conclusion, the directions for future research are formulated: a more accurate dating of fortress projects and their stages of implementation, and a rethinking of the role of the local population in the formation of urban identity.

The article analyzes the main provisions of the agrarian reforms in the Caucasus region, which had a further impact on the lives and daily routines of the region's state peasants, and highlights certain changes in their lives. The article also identifies the reasons that necessitated the implementation of the peasant reform in the region and the introduction of new rules in land relations. Based on archival sources and literature, the article examines the impact of reforms on the economic life of state peasants in the Caucasus region during the study period. It also notes that the first Russian settlements in the Caucasus region played a significant role in the economic, social, and political life of the region. The settlers from the central regions of the country merged with the local population, and their further development was influenced by various factors in all aspects of life and activities. The article attempts to trace the socio-economic situation of the state peasants. The more or less correct and normal collection of state taxes largely depended on the level of material support for this vast mass of direct producers.

The article is devoted to the events in Transcaucasia after the defeat of Germany and the Ottoman Empire in the First World War. The discussion in the Military Council and the Imperial Military Council on the development of British policy in Transcaucasia in December 1918 – March 1919 is shown. At the end of 1917, Great Britain and France divided their spheres of influence on the territory of the former Russian Empire, and Transcaucasia began to enter the sphere of Britain's geopolitical interests. The situation in Transcaucasia was complicated by the outbreak of Civil War in the territory of the former Russian Empire and the need for the former Entente allies to determine their attitude towards supporting Russian anti-Bolshevik forces. The main disputes in the British government over military involvement in the anti-Bolshevik struggle in Russia unfolded between Prime Minister D. Lloyd George, who envisioned a joint solution to this problem at peace conferences, and Secretary of State for Military Affairs appointed by him in January 1919. Churchill, who defended the position of immediate assistance to the White Movement. Against the background of complex internal relations between various political forces in Transcaucasia and the presence of problems in Great Britain itself, the Entente's policy in Transcaucasia was indecisive, contradictory and inconsistent, which resulted in the decision to withdraw British troops from the region in March 1919.. Soviet Russia benefited from this, having managed to defeat its opponents on all fronts and restore the borders of the former Russian Empire in Transcaucasia 

The article is devoted to the study of the everyday life of the lecturer of the Don University, and from 1925, the North-Caucasus State University. Chronologically, the study covers the period of the first Soviet decade in the South of the RSFSR. Everyday life is considered an important characteristic of the lecturer's life and a cultural phenomenon of a specific university community. Extracurricular, everyday life outside the university is highlighted. Living conditions are identified, and the food and housing problems of the lecturer are examined. It is established how these problems affected the work of the Don lecturer.

Academic routine is also considered. Its components are studied: daily classes, meetings of scientific circles and subject commissions, and scientific research. Stable practices of the university community have been identified: anniversaries, commemorative evenings for SKGU scholars, and others. Phenomena of everyday university life have been described ("family-like" atmosphere in the medical faculty clinics), and a number of factors influencing the scientific work of lecturers in the 1920s have been characterized. The research conducted revealed the mechanisms by which lecturers adapted to the hardships of everyday life as well as to university changes. Many components of academic daily life indicated attempts to maintain previous university traditions (scientific societies, clubs, public lectures, honoring professors on jubilees). At the same time, the influence of central state organizations — KUBU, SNR, and locally, the local committees — on lecturer' everyday life was increasing. By the end of the 1920s, a Soviet lecturer was expected to become an active participant in social life.

After the formation of the Union state in 1922, the Bolsheviks began active work on the implementation of the policy of "korenization". It was one of the components of the national policy of the Russian Communist Party (b), which provided it with the support of national minorities of the former Russian Empire. At the initial stage, this resulted in the practical implementation of the slogan "the nation's right to self-determination", and subsequently the development of national cultures, the training of national personnel, etc. Thus, the Bolshevik Party not only demonstrated respect for the traditions of the peoples, but also sought to assert its authority in the national republics and regions. For each national republic, autonomy, or district, it acquired its own characteristic features. The first steps were taken at the XII Congress of the Russian Communist Party (b) in 1923, when it was decided to purposefully train national personnel. The Congress proposed to intensify efforts to attract personnel who know the language, way of life and culture of the respective peoples to the administrative, party bodies and institutions of the national republics and regions. This meant that priority in the training and placement of personnel would be given to representatives of national minorities. The article is devoted to the training of national personnel in the field of education and healthcare of the Adygea Autonomous Region during the first five-year plan. Based on archival materials, the content of the "korenization" policy has been studied, and the effectiveness of the implemented plans for training national personnel for educational institutions and healthcare in Adygea has been assessed.

Tyrnyauz Tungsten-Molybdenum Plant (TTMP) is a key mining and metallurgical enterprise of the Soviet Union in the North Caucasus, which played a significant role in providing the defense industry with rare metals. The article examines the history of the discovery by geologists B. Orlov, V. Flerova and others of the country's largest tungsten-molybdenum deposit in the 1930s. Based on the corpus of archival materials and published sources, the stages of geological exploration of the Elbrus region, the struggle around the decision to build a plant among metropolitan geologists and the position on this issue taken by the party leadership of the KBAR were substantiated. The issue was resolved only after the personal intervention of the People's Commissar of Heavy Industry G.K. Ordzhonikidze (1937). The role of Soviet geologists and scientists in the theoretical justification of the presence of large mineral deposits in the Tyrnyauz region, which was located within the Elbrus region of the KBAR, on the watershed of the latitudinal ridge Tyrny-Auz, which is the eastern spur of Elbrus, is analyzed.

The article is devoted to analyzing the perception of the Caucasus in the American political and expert discourse of the 1930s. Based on materials from the U.S. National Archives (NARA), it examines the formation of an American analytical approach to the Caucasian region as a strategically important part of the USSR, possessing significant resource potential and a complex ethnopolitical structure. Special attention is paid to the issues of modernization, protest movements, and socio-economic processes reflected in diplomatic reports, memoranda, and expert notes of the U.S. Department of State. The publication traces the evolution of U.S. interest in the Caucasus – from economic cooperation and concession projects of the 1920s to the systematic collection of intelligence and political information about the situation in the region. The study shows that American analysts viewed Soviet modernization in the Caucasus as facing persistent resistance and believed that ethno-religious contradictions amplified the USSR’s internal instability. The reports combined statistical and qualitative analysis, focusing on the oil industry, agrarian reforms, and national policy. It is concluded that American assessments of the Caucasus in the 1930s largely reflected the ideological context of the era and the perception of the Soviet Union as a “colossus with feet of clay,” while simultaneously laying the foundation for future strategic studies of the region.

The article analyzes the role of local authorities in stabilizing socio-political and economic life using the example of the Tersky District of Kabardino-Balkaria in 1943 after the Nazi occupation. Based on archival materials, the study examines key areas of activity: restoration of destroyed economy, organization of spring sowing, social support for the population, combating the consequences of a typhus epidemic, and normalization of the social sphere. Special attention is paid to the mechanisms of inventory and re-collectivization, as well as interaction with republican authorities. The main challenges are identified: lack of resources, reporting problems in collective farms, and slow infrastructure recovery. The conclusion is made about the effectiveness of combining a strict administrative vertical with local initiatives to overcome the consequences of occupation in conditions of general economic crisis.

Based on extensive field ethnographic material, the article highlights the problem of revealing the concepts of visual masculine symbols (weapons, gazyrs, spears, etc.) using the example of two villages – Endiray (Khasavyurt district, Republic of Dagestan) and Gilany (Nozhai-Yurtovsky district, Chechen Republic).

During his lifetime, a will (vasiyat) was being prepared, which spelled out all the requirements for burial and funeral rites. Usually, the will indicated a modest funeral with low material costs, and all the remaining money was asked to give alms to the poor (sadaqa).

The inherent modesty in funeral and memorial rituals was characteristic of almost all Muslim peoples. However, with all the similarities of the rituals, there were differences. In particular, in the village of Gilany, various images were carved (outlined) on tombstones that characterized the life of the deceased. There were no similar images in the village of Andy.

The article is based on field ethnographic expeditions to the villages of Andy and Gilany in October-November 2025. During this expedition, more than 20 old-timers of the villages were interviewed. The cemeteries of two villages were also visited. The materials obtained will make a definite contribution to the necropolystics of the North Caucasus.

The article analyzes the transformations in the funeral and memorial rites of the Kabardians, focusing on the central role of the concept of the soul (“pse”) and its spatial symbolism. Traditional ritual practices, which synthesized animism, the norms of "Adyghe Khabze" and Islam, are considered as a complex social institution regulating the relationships between the worlds of the living and the dead. The main focus of the research is shifted to the analysis of the spatial organization of the funerary and commemorative sphere, namely the practices of creating a sacred space that structures the interaction between the living and the deceased and determines the corresponding ritual actions and behavioral norms directly related to the cult of the soul. These traditional practices formed a holistic system that included the preparation of special memorial food "khyedeyus" (Kabardian-Cherkess – "food for the deceased"), endowing ritual dishes with deep symbolism, strict adherence to a detailed funeral protocol, and a special, sacred attitude toward the soul of the deceased. In the modern context, the author documents a profound transformation and desacralization of these practices under the influence of globalization and re-Islamization, leading to the rejection of many practices as "impermissible actions" and causing intra-family conflicts. The analysis concludes that the cult of pse is not disappearing but is undergoing a process of revitalization through the recoding of its meanings.

As ways to constructively overcome potential conflicts, the implementation of educational and scientific projects, the application of digital technologies, and dialogue with religious institutions are proposed. The ultimate goal is not the conservation of archaic forms but the adaptation of profound spiritual connections to preserve the cultural identity of the Kabardians in the 21st century.

In the conditions of the modern crisis, it is important to study the system «Man» – «Nature» – «Society» from the standpoint of environmental issues and, in particular, the ecology of music in various aspects: from noise pollution of the environment to the impact on health, the spiritual and psycho-emotional world of man.

In connection with the inclusion of environmental issues in the number of general cultural topics of the ХХI ^st century and in the system «Man» – «Nature» – «Society» in musical art, a «special» layer of musical texts is distinguished, embodying a specific sphere of imagery associated with environmental themes. The correlation process observed in these musical texts not only at the level of content, but also at the level of sound implementation determined the goal of this study was to identify the origins of the timbre-acoustic complex of means and semantic implementation of the figurative-symbolic sphere of music in the development of nature and natural material, which will allow us to determine the sound ideal, semantic multidimensionality and genetic predetermination of the origins of environmental music in the process of its inclusion in the «resonant space» of «pure» nature.

In order to express the inexpressible connection between ecology and music, we will resort to the method of suggestive visual-associative and timbre-acoustic perception of sounding music in combination with the ecological mythological consciousness of the Adyghe. In this regard, such a style of reasoning may sometimes not correspond to the established simplicity of the study.

The article publishes the text of the highest-approved report by the Chairman of the Caucasian Committee, dated December 22, 1848, on the sources of the Kabardian public fund. It is noted that this report is an important source for studying the specifics of the incorporation of the population of the Central Caucasus into the socio-cultural and financial-economic space of the Russian Empire in the mid-19th century. It is concluded that the document reflects the current state of the Kabardian public fund as the only financial instrument in the region that accumulates funds collected from the Kabardian residents of the region in the form of fines for crimes and fees for the export of timber, as well as funds spent on housing for employees of military and administrative institutions operating in the region, salaries for some of them, etc. It is noted that the document is published in its entirety, preserving the stylistic, spelling, and punctuation features of the original source. To compare the text of the document with the original source, the present work includes prints of the original.

The article explores the main trends, problems, and prospects in contemporary Russian historiography related to the Nalchik Mountain Verbal Court. The study analyzes works published during the post-Soviet period, revealing a significant increase in scholarly interest in various aspects of this judicial institution. The article demonstrates that modern historians focus on key issues such as the interaction between different legal systems (adat, sharia, and imperial Russian law), the nature of cases handled by the court, its organizational structure and composition, as well as the procedural documentation practices. The examined research reflects a deepened scholarly approach to understanding the court’s influence on the everyday and legal life of the Kabardian and Balkar peoples, enabling a more nuanced reconstruction of their social structure and legal traditions. One of the article’s key conclusions is the recognition of growing academic interest in the topic, which creates favorable conditions for further in-depth study of the court's functioning and its role within the socio-legal system of the region.

The article examines the representation of state institutions in the Don newspapers in 1914. The main focus is on the perception of the emperor and the royal family, the State Council, the State Duma, and the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief before the war and in the early months of the conflict.

The regional focus is determined by the specific characteristics of the region. In addition to the traditional Cossack population, the Don Cossack Host included developed industrial centers such as Rostov-On-Don, Taganrog, Nakhichevan-On-Don, and others, where the bourgeoisie and intelligentsia were concentrated. In a situation of limited political participation, it was the urban strata that were motivated to gain political representation. The main voice of the bourgeoisie and intelligentsia was provided by periodicals. By 1914, most newspapers in the region followed a moderate-liberal agenda, indicating a significant imbalance in the print media of the Don Cossack Host.

The article examines the most widely circulated newspapers in the regions, on the pages of which attitudes towards state institutions of power changed during the military conflict. The main goal: to trace the dynamics of perception in different periods of 1914. The author concludes that in the pre-war period, the Don press perceived the political situation as a crisis. The outbreak of war, despite patriotic rhetoric, brought with it expectations of political reforms. 

The article analyzes A. Tsalikov’s essay The Struggle of Social Forces in Kabarda, published in the newspaper Volny Gorets. It is noted that the author’s observations, as a contemporary and participant of the events described, serve as a valuable source for a comprehensive understanding of the essence of the revolutionary era in the region, particularly the processes that unfolded here after the fall of autocracy in February 1917 and up to the proclamation of Soviet power in March 1918. Based on this source, it can be summarized that the contradictions emerging in Kabardian society were rooted not in involvement with the socio-political platforms of competing all-Russian actors, but in a local sociocultural discourse, which contemporaries characterized as a confrontation between adat and sharia. On one side of this discourse stood the local aristocracy, drawing from adat the justification of its privileged position, integrated into the Russian administrative, legal, and cultural field, and striving to preserve the status quo in the new political realities. On the other side stood the clergy, advocating for a reorganization of society on the principles of sharia, with its ideas of equality and social justice, and seeking political representation in Kabarda as a means to implement its vision.

The article, based on analysis of the works of the promiment Georgian scientist N.A. Berdzenishvili (1894-1965), traces the influence of the ideas of M.A. Polievktov on the formation of the school of Georgian Caucasian studies. N.A. Berdzenishvili was not a student of M.A. Polievktov, but was influenced by the scientific methodology of the Russian scholor, which allowed him to make a significant contribution to the development of Georgian Russian studies. N.A. Berdzenishvili`s doctoral dissertation «From the history of Russian-Georgian relations at the turn of the 16<sup>th</sup>-17 th centuries» (1943) was devoted to the process of formation of Georgian-Russian relations. In it, the Georgian scientist, based on the achievements of M.A. Polievktov in revealing the origins of Russian-Georgian relations in the specificed period, substantiated his position, recognizing the special role of the Russian scientist in the development of Georgian Caucasian studies. Although he noted that M.A. Polievktov`s works are without shorcomings due to unfamiliarity with Georgian sources. Nevertheless, N.A. Berdzenishvili confirmed the significant role of M.A. Polievktov in the development of Georgian Caucasian studies.

The historiographical study examines scientific works on the development and management of the Sochi urban agglomeration. Currently, the development of urban agglomerations is recognized as one of the main prerequisites for accelerating the economic growth of the country's economic structures. The Sochi agglomeration received a new impetus for further development after the creation of the Sirius federal territory and the actual redistribution of functional specialization between its structural divisions, in particular, the resort city of Sochi and the Sirius federal territory, which became the scientific, sports and cultural center of the Black Sea region. The periphery of the Sochi agglomeration is gradually increasing its importance as the main place for the life and work of the population, while the core of the agglomeration – the Central district of the city – retains the role of a kind of labor and service center. A number of publications have reviewed the main existing types and types of agglomeration structure, the objects that are located inside it, and proposed types of connections that combine all the elements of the agglomeration. Some authors conclude that the main problem of the normal development of urban agglomerations is the need to develop a management system based on new principles and coupled with the regulatory framework of the region. Others call for attention to the distortions of recent decades in the transport and urban planning policies of local authorities, which have led to chaotic coastal development and transport collapse in the summer season. Some researchers believe that Sochi is primarily a resort (recreational) agglomeration, in which the well-being of the surrounding nature is directly linked to the economic prosperity of the resort city. The authors substantiate the need to organize the management of the Sochi urban agglomeration, taking into account its features as the largest resort in the country and the prudent use of local natural and land resources.

The article analyzes the position of the federal mass media regarding the use of force by the central authorities in resolving the Ossetian-Ingush conflict in the fall of 1992. It examines the content of typical analytical articles by experts in the most authoritative and influential mass media of the post-Soviet era, as well as interviews with well-known Russian politicians, military officers, and people's deputies. Some of the authors of these publications were directly involved in the fighting in the Prigorodny District during those days. These articles can be divided into two large groups: those that were loyal to the central government's policies in the North Caucasus, and those that were critical of the federal forces' entry into the Prigorodny District and their subsequent military action against the Ingush militant groups. The former group focused on the peacekeeping nature of the federal forces' actions in North Ossetia and Ingushetia, as well as the humanitarian assistance provided to the civilian population from their side. The latter claimed that the Center provided unilateral support to the Ossetian forces, which led to the destruction of a number of settlements in the Prigorodny District and the flight of tens of thousands of Ingush people from there. They believed that such a development of events in the near future could lead to a new Caucasian war and Russia's complete loss of positions in the region, as well as lead to the collapse of democratic reforms and the restoration of the old order in the country. The author concludes that such points of view will be actively presented in the federal mass media during the first Chechen campaign of 1994-1996.

The subject of this research article is psychological prose, and the object of study is the works of the Balkarian writer A. Bittirova, who joined the literary process in the late 1990s. The purpose of this work is to examine the dominant themes, artistic features, narrative techniques (introspection, retrospection), and figurative structures used by the writer in creating psychological texts. The article analyzes the phenomenon itself without delving into the historical patterns of the genre's development, and how the phenomenology of psychologism manifests itself at the structural and content levels of the author's text. For the purpose of familiarization, the preamble outlines the fundamental features of psychological prose and explores the key problematic aspects of A. Bittirova's work to identify its correspondence with this genre. The artist's field of vision includes the typology of conflict and character images, with a focus on the moral and ethical aspects of interpersonal communication. The author's creative techniques and their analysis lead to the functionality of national prose in the realistic genre. After analyzing a corpus of literary works in medium and short narrative forms, we conclude that the Balkarian writer's stories and novellas are dominated by confessional and introspective elements, which are characteristic of women's psychological prose.

The article is devoted to the study of meditative lyrics as a genre with an invariable essence of reflection, most vividly represented in the work of the classic of Dagestan (Lezgi) poetry Etim Emin. The main focus is on the analysis of the poet's poems («Ah, our life,» «Be patient, wait, mood (soul),» «What should I do, oh, Almighty?,» «I do not want to die without speaking out,» «Words spoken before death,» etc.), revealing the central theme for his poetry «fan» (the frailty of the world) through the prism of the Sufi worldview. It considers the split characteristic of the lyrical hero Emin between the momentary passions of the soul and the duty to God, his constant appeal to God, reliance on His mercy and the search for spiritual peace. The interweaving in his poetry of social, religious and philosophical motives (enlightenment, fatal predestination, the mortality of life, criticism of the depravity of the world), as well as the specifics of poetic forms (for example, muhammas) are analyzed. The article demonstrates how faith and the Sufi attitude to spiritual self-improvement determine Emin's artistic understanding of the world of fan, the suffering of man and his existential questions, while maintaining internal conflict and the dream of transforming the world.

The article focuses on the fruitful, but not yet developed in the context of Adyghe literature and its history, the issue of dream research. Through characteristic episodes from the biographies of iconic figures in the history of Adyghe literature, the problem of "creativity and dreaming" is emphasized, and episodes in which the experience of coming into contact with certain sacred spheres through sleep is told firsthand are considered the most interesting and trustworthy. The metaphysics of sleep, unfolded in the volume of a single work, is explored based on the material of Zaur Kankulov's short story "White Soot". The features of the hero's dream are considered based on aspects that are positioned as defining in most modern studies devoted to the interpretation of dreams in a literary text. It is revealed that the metaphysics of sleep in the story "White Soot" is determined by the values associated in world culture with the confrontation of darkness and light.

The article examines the preconditions for the early Soviet novel's formation and development (multi-character, multi-linear, chronicle novels, etc.), its evolutionary and transformative tendencies, and its structural and substantive components. The emergence of a new cultural matrix in the first decades of Soviet reality also determined a unique form of large-format prose, characterized by a combination of utilitarian, ideological, and revolutionary-educational texts of the early Soviet era with the qualities of a fairly well-developed literature. This applies directly to the works of North Caucasian authors, including the Karachay writer A.M. Urusova. Her novel-dilogy "Aisanat" is an autobiographical work, officially dated to the 1970s and 1980s. However, a number of indicators suggest that the novel's text was created over a long period, with some of it occurring in the pre-war period. This latter is supported by the presence of the chronicle novel's features, a trend in Soviet literature in the 1930s. Furthermore, the novel's narrative is marked by a combination of fragments and plot periods with differing chronological statuses – from a linear and uniform chronological flow to temporal systems formed from elements of varying chronological localization. Moreover, the authors of the article believe that the temporal characteristics of the aesthetic text are one of the essential criteria for its historical affiliation.

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the poetic work of the Adyghe (Circassian) poet and writer Uvzhuk Askerbievich Tkhagapsov (born in 1961). The relevance and novelty of the study are confirmed by the absence of scientific works on the stated topic in national literary criticism. The material for the study is the poetic works included in the author's collections "The Cradle of Peace" (2001), "Children of God" (2007), "The Earth Spins" (2023) – poems, short poems, satirical and humorous poems, sonnets, poems, fables, ballads, fairy tales. The main motives and value orientations are revealed, the varieties of the poet's lyrics are highlighted – philosophical, patriotic, civic (socio-political, socio-economic motives), love, landscape lyrics. The genre paradigm and poetics of U. Tkhagapsov's works are considered, the correspondence/non-correspondence of some works to the author's definition of the genre is established. Sonnets, plot (fabular) poems, and the poem "Hunting Stories" are highlighted. The obtained results can be used in the educational and research process. 

The article explores the role of the stylistic device of allusion in the essay by the Balkar writer B. Chipchikov, titled "We Lived Next to the Grail". The text under analysis is part of the eponymous author’s collection. The methodological framework of the work is grounded in theories of style, which provide a scientifically substantiated toolkit for interpreting literary texts. The study employs a descriptive method, developed by V.V. Vinogradov, which is based on the analysis of the stylistic context of the artistic work. The research establishes that one of the distinctive features of Chipchikov's essays is the subjectivity of the narrative, achieved through allusive intertextuality. Allusion serves as the primary factor ensuring a high intertextual density within the text, expanding its semantic and emotional-aesthetic capabilities, and actively contributing to the creation of artistic images and the formation of object-logical content. Thus, in his ethical-philosophical essay, which encompasses global cultural experience, B. Chipchikov not only adheres to the key canons of the genre, such as freedom of composition, intimacy of tone, and subjectivity of internal connection, but also original transforms its conceptual content and cultural significance, largely due to his skillful use of allusions.

The article presents a literary analysis of the image of feather grass in modern Kalmyk Russian-language lyrics, which determines the relevance and novelty of the object and subject of the study. The material of the article is the poems of the authors included in the poetry books of different years. The comparative method and the method of descriptive poetics reveal the common and individual in the poets' worldview, in their landscape lyrics, which define the typical landscape of the Kalmyk steppe. Compared to wormwood, cowberry is the second common phytonym in the poems of Kalmyk poets about the flora of their native land. Nevertheless, the phytoportrait of feather grass – poems addressed to this herb – is rarely represented in the lyrics of the authors, with the exception of the works of P. Chuzhginov and R. Khaninova. Basically, the grasshopper became a figurative component in the overall picture of the steppe, symbolizing the connection of the lyrical subject with his homeland, clan, and family. The autobiographical details included in such narratives emphasize the poets' personal attitude to the patriotic theme. The motif of memory is usually plot-forming in such poems. The image of a hobble is conveyed through appearance, color, movement, comparison, metaphor, animism: the white color of a hobble, comparison with a person's gray hair, with sea waves become typical. The seasonal image of the plant is given mainly in spring and summer. The poems are not diverse in terms of genre, and their titles do not include the name of the hobble.

This article is devoted to the study of the universal concept of the "hour of petitions" ("tsyuray sahat" / "kurdiaty sahat"), included in the conceptual field of the motif of "fulfilment of desires," which is very popular in the texts of the Ossetian "Nartiada." As an archetypal core, it represents the most important mythological meanings, among which one of the most significant is the initiatory motif of Nart Bora's marriage to the Heavenly Beauty. The symbolic paradigm of this cosmogonic myth is conditioned by the process of transforming Chaos into an orderly Cosmos, as it reproduces the events of the era of creation. The semantic reconstruction of this mythological plot, the primary cause of which was the wedding motif, clearly demonstrates the idea of transforming the personal into superpersonal. It is of considerable interest that the motif of "fulfilling wishes" in the plots of the epic explicitly includes religious and mythological and magical semantics. The heroes' prayers with various requests to the Creator are indicative, as they accurately reflect elements of ritual prayer, which is an essential component of Ossetian ritual culture. It is noteworthy that in the context of modern scientific and rational society, ideas about miraculous times continue to influence the worldview of society, remaining at the level of conscious attitudes. These beliefs have retained their relevance and are clear in the folklore and ethnographic traditions of the Ossetians.

The article describes two terminological dictionaries of the Kumyk language related to the Soviet period (late 1930s – 1990s). The publication of terminological dictionaries is conditioned by changes in the socio-political life of society or the language policy of the state.

No terminological dictionaries were published in the pre-revolutionary period. In the pre-war Soviet period (1920s – early 1930s), 4 dictionaries (Kumyk vocabulary in Latin) were published. The Soviet period includes three stages, each of which has its own characteristics, generally characterized by the fact that in 1938 the Kumyk alphabet switched to Cyrillic, in 1958/1959 a school reform was carried out, the prestige of the Russian language increased, the internationalization of vocabulary began, and the promoted bilingualism developed asymmetrically. These facts are reflected in lexicographic practice, including terminology. In the post-Soviet period (1990 – 20s of the 21st century) – large-scale socio-economic changes, the collapse of the USSR led to the emergence of a large number of new words and, as a result, the "Russian-Kumyk Terminological Dictionary" was published in 2006.

During the analyzed Soviet period, two dictionaries were published: «Къумукъ тильни терминологический словары» («Terminological dictionary on history, language, literature, mathematics, natural science and geography») and «Школалар учун русча-къумукъча терминлер сёзлюгю. Тил, литература ва педагогика» («Russian-Kumyk school terminological dictionary»), in which the Kumyk part is rendered in Cyrillic. The author examines the macro and microstructure of these interdisciplinary bilingual Russian-Kumyk dictionaries. The article presents the main parameters of the dictionaries: by thematic orientation - interdisciplinary, by functional loading - educational, by language orientation – bilingual Russian-Kumyk terminological dictionaries. According to the features of microstructural parameters, the analyzed dictionaries are dictionaries of elementary microstructure, which represent a comparison of the vocabularies of the Russian and Kumyk languages without any additional notes. Russian terms in the Kumyk language are transmitted in the following ways: equivalent transmission, translation and calque method, phonetically adapted method and direct borrowings.

This article explores the semantic and stylistic potential of antonyms in speech. It is known that, in addition to the basic function of realizing the semantics of contrast (antithesis), antonyms in speech can also express other types of relationships that lack the semantics of opposition. Particular attention in the work is given to the description of the features and conditions of the implementation of amphithetic relations, the essence of which lies in the coverage of the whole by combining and affirming opposite signs or phenomena. It is shown that amphithesis in the Kabardino-Circassian language is constructed as a pair or a series of antonymous homogeneous members of a sentence, connected most often by a repeating coordinating suffix -и…-и, less often by adding the suffix -рэ to one member of the antonymic opposition, and the conjunction -и to the other in combination with the case formative -уэ (-уи).

Based on an analysis of literary texts, the types of antonyms that most regularly convey the unification of opposites within a single entity were identified. The main functions of amphitheses in literary discourse were characterized.

The works of Kabardian and Circassian writers served as the empirical basis for the study.

The study utilized methods of linguistic observation and description, contextual analysis, and oppositional analysis. The relevance of the study stems from the fact that the semantic essence of antonyms, as well as the potential for their stylistic use in speech, remains understudied in Adyghe linguistics.

The obtained results can be used in further studies of the lexical-semantic system of the Kabardino-Circassian language, in the analysis of artistic speech, as well as in the development of programs and manuals for students of the Kabardino-Circassian language. They are of practical importance for lexicographers in creating a dictionary of antonyms of the Kabardino-Circassian language, the compilation of which remains one of the important tasks of Adyghe linguistics.

This article examines the development of the psychological concept of language in the work Geist und Sprache (“Spirit and Language”) by the German philosopher, psychologist and educator Dr. Moritz Lazarus (1824–1903). The analysis is based exclusively on the introductory section of this work, in which the main principles of his philosophy of language are presented in a concise form. The article explores the relationship between language and spirit, the manifestation of spirit in language, and the peculiarities of its development through linguistic expression. It also addresses the origin, functioning, and activity of language within the sphere of spirit. Importantly, Lazarus does not aim to construct a comprehensive psychology of language or a systematic study of spirit. Nevertheless, he to some extent absolutizes the role of language, claiming that nothing can be conceived or realized within the spirit without taking linguistic form. A significant influence of Wilhelm von Humboldt’s ideas on Lazarus becomes evident, particularly in discussions of the nature of language and the interplay between spirit and language. The very framing of the problem—namely, the essence of language, its relationship to the native speaker, and its cultural potential in both theoretical and practical respects—is highly relevant to Caucasian studies, where linguo-philosophical and linguo-cultural issues are actively developed.

This work is based on a linguacultural approach, which views culture as a hierarchically organized system of cultural codes that structure the extremely complex and multifaceted cultural world. Each cultural code is divided into a number of independent linguistic units. This article examines the semantic features of the natural-landscape code unit gogu "road," which is widely represented in Adyghe linguistic culture. The research material includes linguosemiotic formations with ethnic specificity and high semiotic content – sacred texts, proverbs, metaphors, phraseological units, metonymies, speech stereotypes, and allusions – that allow for the interpretation of a particular people's worldview. In this article, the primary source is the Adyghe Corpus – an annotated electronic collection of texts in the Adyghe language. The study revealed that the unit gogu "road" encompasses a range of cultural meanings, which can be divided into three associative clusters, the most important of which are "gogu as a path" and "gogu as fate." This study also successfully confirmed the applicability of the cultural coding method in studying Adyghe culture.

The proposed article is in line with the problem of encoding space in natural language, which is currently being actively developed against a broad typological background. When studying the issues of linguistic conceptualization of space, as is well known, researchers generally speak of two types of situations: dynamic – the subject moves in space and static – the subject is at rest. This state is expressed by one of the so-called position verbs: sit, stand, lie down, which play a key role in the linguistic representation of a static spatial situation. The present work is devoted to a comparative study of position verbs in the languages involved in the analysis. Hence, the objective of the study is to conduct a brief cross-cultural analysis of the semantics of these verbs based on data from explanatory dictionaries and examples of their use in order to identify ways and principles of their conceptual expansion. At the same time, while these lexemes are described with varying degrees of completeness and from different angles in many languages of the world, including English and Russian, their correlates in Kabardino-Circassian (hereinafter, Kabardian or KL), have been studied and described insufficiently. In particular, the article shows that while Russian and English generally use prepositional structures to encode static localization, Kabardian resorts to some specific means due to its structural features. Being a typical representative of polysynthetic languages, spatial relations here are encoded, par excellence, by means of locative complexes consisting of a verbal prefix with a locative meaning combined with a root morpheme expressing some key ‘at-rest positions’. 

This article examines the impact of current political challenges on ethnopolitical dynamics in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR). Based on an interdisciplinary analysis, it substantiates the thesis that contemporary challenges act as a catalyst, bringing to light deep, latent socioeconomic and historical contradictions. The central argument of the paper is that the long-term stability of a multi-ethnic region depends on the ability of government institutions to transform these challenges into a legitimate political process, offering fair and targeted solutions. Despite the general normalization of the situation in the North Caucasus after the 2010s, persistent structural problems create a permanent risk of local conflicts escalating into ethnic conflicts. The KBR, with its unique model of "balanced representation," is considered a key case for studying this contradiction between external stability and internal conflict potential. 

The article is devoted to the analysis of migration processes of Russian citizens to Armenia after the start of the Special Military Operation in Ukraine in 2022. Armenia, thanks to the visa-free regime, geographical and cultural proximity, has become one of the key destinations for migrants. The purpose of the work is to study the motives of relocation, adaptation strategies and further migration prospects of Russians. The empirical basis of the study was 20 in-depth interviews with migrants living in Yerevan conducted in July 2024.

An analysis of in-depth interviews shows that the key reasons for moving are: personal disagreement with the political situation in Russia; fear of persecution for associating with individuals whose activities are known to be directed against Russia's security or who have been designated as foreign agents; and for men of military age, fear of mobilization.

It has been established that the adaptation of relocants in Armenia is characterized by some contradictions. On the one hand, some of them highly appreciate the hospitality of the local residents and note the ease of initial integration due to the widespread use of the Russian language. On the other hand, they face rising rental prices, language barriers when seeking employment in local companies, and instances of economic discrimination. A significant number of migrants, particularly in the IT sector, continue to work remotely, while others are forced to engage in low-skilled labor in the service industry. An important feature is the weak integration into Armenian society: migrants form their own communities and Russian-language infrastructure (cafes, schools, and kindergartens).

The study shows that most respondents view Armenia as a transit country for subsequent relocation to Europe, Asia, or Kazakhstan. The decision to stay in Armenia in the long term is associated with successful legalization, business stability, and the overall geopolitical situation in the region, particularly relations with Azerbaijan. For many of the surveyed relocators, returning to Russia is not an option, even if the foreign policy situation changes.

In the year of the 80^th anniversary of the great victory, we once again remember the tragic events associated with the genocide of the Soviet people. This very definition was enough for the Nazis to use various sophisticated methods to exterminate women, children, old people and prisoners of war-people of different nationalities in our country. Of the 27 million Soviet citizens who died, more than

Half were civilians. The plan to exterminate our compatriots was prepared by the Nazis even before the start of World War II. According to the Directive on Economic Policy of the Economic Headquarters (the hunger plan), for example, it was envisaged that 20 to 30 million inhabitants of the Soviet Union would be exterminated by depriving them of food. The document states: «We are condemning these people to death by starvation not only because they are extra mouths to feed, but also because the Great Russians-both under the Tsar and under the Bolsheviks- were and remain enemies of Germany and Europe». According to the National Center for Historical Memory under the President of the Russian Federation, the Nazis and their allies organized 528 death camps in the occupied territories of the RSFSR, where our citizens lived and died in inhumane conditions.

80 years ago, at the Nuremberg Military Tribunal, a new definition of their atrocities was heard: crimes against humanity and genocide.

 The task of preserving historical memory was and remains relevant. This is connected with the ongoing attempts to falsify the history of the Second World War, to conceal or distort the historical truth about the sacrifices made by the Soviet people, and to downplay the role of the USSR in the victory. For many years, information about the Nazis extermination policies and crimes against humanity was not the subject of widespread discussions and only recently appeared in the university curriculum on Russian history. This was also a state policy when our country tried to build relations with the West. It is for this same reason that Soviet history textbooks omitted information about the fact that the fight against Ukrainian fascism continued until the mid- 1950s. Today, this topic is not only relevant; the history of genocide has become a key point in preserving the historical memory of the Great Patriotic War. Preserving memory means transmitting information to the younger generation, students, and schoolchildren. This is the task of historians today.

The monograph under review is devoted to the study of the dynamics and evolution of the socio-normative systems of adat and sharia in the family and social life of the Kumyks. The monograph's five chapters correlate with the main stages of the Kumyk people's historical development over the past two centuries: pre-imperial, imperial, Soviet, and modern. The author examines the genesis of both systems, which became the primary source of law in traditional Kumyk life but were subject to manipulation by the state and its legislative branch. The reviewer disagrees with the author's view that adat and sharia norms interact without conflict. The monograph is highly praised for significantly expanding our knowledge on the topic under study.