One of the peoples living in the North Caucasus is called Ossetians. It has rich and unique traditions. For many years, scientists have been interested in the question: “Are Ossetians Muslims or Christians?” To answer it, it is necessary to get acquainted with the history of the development of religiosity of this ethnic group.
Ossetians in ancient times
Since ancient times, the Ossetian nationality has had different names. For example, they called themselves “iron adam”, and the country in which they lived - “Iriston”. The Georgians called them “ovsi”, and the country, accordingly, “Ovseti”.
Since the first millennium AD, people lived in the North Caucasus, in the Alanian kingdom. Over time, the Ossetians were greatly pushed out by the Mongols and Tamerlane’s troops, after which their way of life changed greatly. Having fallen under the influence of Georgia, they began to change their lives, and with it their religious affiliation. It became quite difficult for the people to live under the new conditions and had to settle in the harsh mountains.
People who observed the life of Ossetians from the outside sympathized with them very much, since their country was closed and inaccessible to the outside world because of the mountains shrouded in ice and snow, and also because of the presence of rocks and fast-flowing rivers. Because of environment The fertility of Ossetia is low: apart from cereals such as oats, wheat and barley, virtually nothing will be born there.
Ossetians, whose religion has been considered Christian since ancient times, are today only considered as such because of their observance of Lent, veneration of icons, and faith in priests and churches. They have nothing more to do with Christianity. Previously, Ossetians revered many gods of the natural elements and looked for parallels between the Christian pantheon and saints in Islam. Very often they made sacrifices to Christian saints, such as Nicholas the Pleasant, St. George the Victorious, Archangel Michael and others.
The emergence of Christianity in Ossetia
How did Ossetians become Christians? This religion came to them from Georgia in the 11th-13th centuries - this is according to official data, but not many people know that the people became acquainted with this faith much earlier. And she gradually entered their lives.
Back in the 4th century, South Ossetians adopted Christianity from western Georgia. But due to the weakening of faith after Lazik’s departure to the Persians, religious teaching did not spread further. Again Christianity asserted itself during Justinian’s campaign against Ossetia and Kabarda. This happened already in the 6th century. During Justinian's activity as a missionary, churches began to be built, and bishops came from Greece. It was during this period that Ossetians became accustomed to elements of the Christian cult and rituals. But already in the 7th century, the campaigns of the Arab conquerors began, which again stopped the development of Christianity.
For many centuries, religious life in Ossetia remained unstable. There were Ossetian Christians and those who adhered to the Islamic faith. Both branches became family to them.
Study of Ossetian Faith
For many years, this people (Ossetians) adhered to both Christianity and Islam. Despite the differences between confessions, the rituals were carried out together. In addition, they were interconnected with ancient beliefs. Today North Ossetia has communities of 16 faiths. Researchers constantly monitor the inhabitants of the country and their religion; their attention is drawn to the form and degree of influence of faith on the people.
The beliefs of Ossetians began to be systematically studied after the annexation of Ossetia to Russia. It was the representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church who began to observe how the Ossetians, whose faith was unstable, lived and what traditions they preferred. And the first research began during missionary activity in the territory of this mountainous country.
Specifics of the Ossetian faith
Thanks to the traditional system of religion, for many centuries the opinion of the people developed, which was radically different from monotheistic beliefs. Their faith is open and capable of accepting completely new ideas and views from other faiths. The specificity of the Ossetian religion is the tolerant attitude of this people towards both Christianity and Islam. This is how they are - Ossetians. Whether there are Muslims or Christians around, it doesn't matter to them. Despite the faith that family and friends accept, these people treat them the same, since at different times both Christianity and Islam were present in the life of the people.
Manifestation of Christianity in Ossetia
The origins on the territory of Alanya could not be studied as well as the arrival of Christianity. There are some differences among scientists. The history of the Ossetians says that the faith of the sons of Allah began to spread in these lands in the 7th century, and other sources claim that Islam became “theirs” among the Ossetians only in the 18th century. Whatever it may be, the only thing known for certain is that the turning point occurred precisely after the annexation of Ossetia to Russia. Religious forms were dramatically transformed and adapted to the new rules. The Orthodox Church began to restore Christianity among the Ossetians, although it was not easy for the missionaries to achieve the desired result.
Ossetians treated baptism as an act necessary to join the Russian people, and were absolutely not interested in Christian dogmas and, naturally, did not adhere to rituals. It took several decades for Ossetians to come to know the faith of Christ and join church life. The creation of Christian schools, where public education took place, helped quite a lot in this.
Christianity and Islam began to develop in parallel after the annexation of Ossetia to Russia. Islam spread in some parts of the country, especially in the western and eastern regions. There people accepted it as the only religion.
Russia's influence on Ossetian religion
Already during the first, the Orthodox Russian Church was declared a stronghold of counter-revolution. Subsequently, there were repressions directed against the clergy. They lasted for several decades, churches and temples began to be destroyed. The Vladikavkaz diocese was already destroyed in the first 20 years of Soviet power. Ossetians, Christians or Muslims, did not have a single faith. And already in the years 32-37 there was a second wave of repressions, then both Christianity and the Muslim faith suffered. It was during these years that mass destruction and closure of churches were observed in Ossetia. For example, in Vladikavkaz, out of 30 cathedrals, only two have survived, which are still in use today.
In the 30s, the mosques that were located on the territory North Ossetia, destroyed. The best clergy of various nationalities were persecuted.
IN Soviet times It became very difficult to exist, but the Orthodox faith remained traditional and numerous for the indigenous Ossetians. Only in the 90s did Islam begin to revive in Ossetia, communities began to be registered, and mosques were restored. Before today The consequences of past attacks and raids are being felt. The clergy do not have any professional training, and there is practically no literature necessary for worship. This affects the work of Muslim communities. There have been attempts to invite young people who were educated in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, but they led to bad consequences, since along with them the Salafi teaching, unfamiliar and not inherent to the people, began to appear in the Caucasus.
Modern Ossetia
In the modern world, due to the transformation of religion, its new forms began to appear, which are very far from traditions. Ossetian culture is also undergoing changes. Under the guise of restoring the national Ossetian religion, there are attempts to create new movements that could become an alternative to Islam and Christianity. They are defined as non-pagan. Three such communities have already been registered in the Republic of Ossetia. They are trying to create a republican organization.
Today Ossetia has become a small state with a territory of almost 4000 square meters. km and a small population. After the August war with Georgia, Ossetians began to live in safety. The Georgians left them, but at the same time the people became very vulnerable. Borders South Ossetia and Georgia are under strict control of the Russian authorities. Russia specifically created the Border Department for South Ossetia. After the war with Georgia, the country is recovering very slowly, and its capital Tskhinvali has only recently begun to truly reconstruct.
Pentecostals and communities of Ossetia
The situation with religion is quite peculiar. Only the Tskhinvali synagogue survived atheism Soviet era, and is still in operation today, although it has been converted into a Jewish cultural center. Nowadays, Jews began to leave Ossetia en masse and return to Israel, so the synagogue began to work for Ossetian Pentecostals. But now only the part of the building that was located in the back is operational, since the Jews held divine services in the front. There are six more Pentecostal communities throughout Ossetia.
Many representatives of the Ossetian intelligentsia accepted their faith, and for convenience, services are conducted in both Russian and local languages. Although Pentecostals are not officially registered today, they are absolutely free to develop and go about their business. This movement has taken a strong position in the social structure of the united church of Christians with the evangelical faith.
Ossetians today
A considerable part of Ossetians are still faithful to traditional beliefs. Different villages of the republic have their own sanctuaries and prayer houses. Today Ossetia is being restored and reconstructed. Due to the unsatisfactory socio-political situation, many citizens left the country, and those who remained live on low salaries. It is very difficult for people to engage in construction or purchase necessary products food, since Russian customs services continue to work according to the same scheme as before the war with Georgia. The Ossetian culture is not developing fast enough, so far they do not have the opportunity to get a good education and achieve something in life. And this despite the fact that Ossetia is rich in non-ferrous metals, they have wonderful timber, and the textile industry is being revived. The state can begin to develop and become one of the most modern, but this will require a lot of effort and a new government.
Ossetian religion today
The history of a people is quite complex, and the same is true with religion. Who are Ossetians - Muslims or Christians? It's very difficult to say. North Ossetia has remained closed to research and not much is known about it. Experts estimate that approximately 20% of the population in the north are faithful sons of Allah. Basically, this religion began to rise after many young people in North Ossetia began, mainly in the form of Wahhabism. Some people think that the clergy wants to control the religious activities of Muslims, and that they themselves are tightly controlled by the FSB, albeit behind the scenes.
Religion and nationality
South Ossetia has become a haven for different peoples - Ossetians and Georgians, Russians and Armenians, as well as Jews. left the country in large numbers due to the conflict in the 90s and began to live in Russia. This is mainly North Ossetia-Alania. Georgians, in turn, left en masse for their homeland. Orthodox faith, despite all the vicissitudes, began to prevail among Ossetians.
The connection between culture and religion
The Ossetian culture is constantly evolving, but the people try to adhere to ancient traditions and teach this to new younger generations. For the residents of Ossetia, it is absolutely unimportant what religion their relatives and neighbors have. The main thing is good attitude to each other and mutual understanding, and God is one for everyone. Thus, it does not matter who exactly the Ossetians are - Muslims or Christians. For spiritual and mental development museums and theaters, libraries and educational establishments. The state is constantly working to improve the economy and other areas.
Ossetia is the only Orthodox republic in the North Caucasus. Ossetians were baptized before Rus' and retained their faith, despite Mongol captivity, Muslim encirclement and Soviet state atheism. True, despite traditional Orthodoxy, Soviet historiography considered the Ossetians pagans. Indeed, they still visit the sanctuaries and slaughter sacrificial lambs in the mountains. Our correspondent looked into how this fits with Orthodoxy.
Basilica of St. George of Kauttis, 10th century, Tskhinvali. One of the oldest temples in South Ossetia. Divine services are held here very rarely. Entering the temple is easy: the door closes with a wire hook
Descendants of Alans
Vladikavkaz, the capital of North Ossetia, is located at the very foot of the Greater Caucasus Range, in good weather from the city center, right from the Terek embankment, its white peaks are clearly visible. Beyond the snowy passes is Georgia. East of Vladikavkaz, not far from the city limits, there is the border with Ingushetia and the Prigorodny district, the zone of the famous Ossetian-Ingush conflict. In the early 1990s, a full-scale outbreak almost broke out here. Civil War. A little to the north is the infamous Beslan.The vast majority of Ossetians are Orthodox Christians, but Orthodox tradition here it is surprisingly intertwined with national traditions. Thus, Ossetians honor Saint George the Victorious (Uastarji), whose image in the popular consciousness combines the features Orthodox martyr and a legendary deity from the pagan pantheon. If you move from the city to the west, on the way to the Alagir Gorge along right hand From the road there will be a small grove and a covered pavilion, which from a distance looks like a bus stop. In the center of the pavilion there is a colorful panel - a gray-haired old man soars astride a winged horse. This is Uastarji. The grove behind the pavilion is a sacred place; here, according to legend, Saint George appeared to the legendary warrior Khetag, the son of a Kabardian prince, who refused to convert to Islam.
Modern ones are considered the descendants of the ancient Alans - an Iranian-speaking people descended from the nomadic tribes of the Scythians and Sarmatians, who once inhabited vast territories from the Caspian steppes to the Crimean Peninsula. The book counters of Vladikavkaz are replete with monographs on Iranian studies, retellings of the Avesta hymns in comparison with the Ossetian folk epic, and foreign linguist students studying Iranian languages come to local universities for internships. Once upon a time, medieval Alania was the largest Christian state in the North Caucasus, and its territory stretched from modern Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia in the west to modern Chechnya and Ingushetia in the east. In the Balkar village of Arkhyz, majestic Ossetian temples built by the Alans in the Byzantine style are still preserved. Here was the capital of the Alan diocese, and possibly the Alan state. It is believed that the Alan people were baptized at the same time as the Georgians; according to legend, this happened already in the 1st century through the works of the holy apostles Andrew the First-Called and Simon the Canonite. Historians do not undertake to refute or confirm this, but prefer to talk about Ossetian Orthodoxy only from the middle of the 10th century, when the region established strong ties with Byzantium. TO XII century The Alans form a national Christian tradition comparable to the Russian one.
Tskhinvali, city center. A significant part of the capital of South Ossetia is the private sector, one-story, less often two-story houses. In some places the landscapes are almost rural
At the beginning of the 13th century, Alanya perishes under the blows Mongol hordes, and the surviving Alans go high into the mountains. Although the Alan diocese continued to exist, by the end of the 14th century, having become isolated and left without a bishop, it found itself deprived of its own clergy. Its Christian culture adapted to new conditions and acquired the features of “folk Orthodoxy.”
Ancient Orthodox churches, which the Ossetian land is still rich in, have turned into sanctuaries-zuars. The guardians of these places, the lay dzuarlags, eventually took on the functions of senders of “lay” worship. Most likely, most of them came from priestly families, but after the disappearance of the Alan diocese there was no one to ordain priests, and the children took over the baton from own parents as best they could. Over time, they turned into some semblance of priests.
Mountain village Nuzal, North Ossetia. Here, in an ancient chapel of the 14th century, many scientists believe that the last Alan king and legendary warrior Os-Bagatar is buried. At the end of the 13th century, the Ossetians, led by Prince Bagatar, captured the Georgian fortress city of Gori and the surrounding lands. Later Tskhinvali will be founded here. Around 1306, Bagatar died, and the Alanian state died with him.
However, the last dzuarlags disappeared quite a long time ago; With early XIX century, many temples that had stood in ruins for four hundred years are being restored to their original functions through the efforts of partly Georgian, but primarily Russian missionaries.
Elder of All Ossetia
The Alagir Gorge stretches along the Ardon River, almost to the Roki tunnel, which connects South Ossetia with North Ossetia. At the very entrance to it there is the only convent in North Ossetia. Together with the abbess, Mother Nona, 15 nuns live here.
Behind a low fence are neat buildings. The monastery church, built in 2006 and consecrated in honor of the holy martyrs Grand Duchess Elizabeth and nun Varvara, painted with frescoes in the Byzantine style. Many inscriptions are duplicated in Ossetian. The liturgy has been served here with Ossetian elements for several years now. In the hands of the abbess, the prayer book is also in Ossetian, the translation was published through the efforts of the sisters of the monastery. Between the temple and the central monastery building there is a small hotel for pilgrims, surrounded by flowers on perfectly trimmed lawns. Ten years ago there was wasteland and ruins left over from a pioneer camp.
“What kind of pagans are we? All our traditions are permeated with Christianity,” the abbess explains to me. - For example, the pie at the table is first accepted by the father of the family, sitting in the middle, then the youngest - sitting exactly opposite the father, then the middle members of the family, on the left and right hand of the elder. What happens if you draw this diagram? Cross!" Abbess Nona (Bagaeva), a television journalist by secular profession, graduated from the Institute of Advanced Training for Employees of Regional Television and Radio Companies in Moscow, and defended her dissertation. I came to faith by accident. She came to the Kursk region to report on the resident of the Rila Monastery - the elder Archimandrite Hippolyte (Khalina), known throughout Russia and popular among the Ossetian diaspora, and ended up remaining a worker at the Kursk monastery. She lived in the monastery for several years, then for about a year she collected donations for the monastery, standing in Moscow near the metro - this was the monastic skill assigned to the elder for the young novice. “At first it was scary. The police often took me away, after all, my Caucasian residence permit, and she herself grumbled: what am I doing here, candidate of sciences? But obedience is above all. We met all the local homeless people, helped them as best we could, fed them,” recalls my mother. After going through the Moscow school of obedience, she returned to the Kursk region and soon went home as a nun - to set up the first convent for women in the republic. The idea to create a convent in Ossetia also belonged to Elder Hippolytus. He blessed the future abbess for the upcoming work.
Before the ritual meal, three Ossetian pies are carried around the temple in a “procession of the cross.” They circle the temple and the sacrificial ram
The monastery was opened in 2004. The intelligent mother turned out to be an excellent organizer. Almost simultaneously with the monastery, a monastic children's rehabilitation center grew next to the monastery, built with the help of Ossetian philanthropists and with the support of the Church Abroad. Children from Beslan and children from South Ossetia who survived the assault on Tskhinval are being rehabilitated here. Teachers and psychologists work with them. It is interesting that the spiritual children of the Kursk elder founded the second Ossetian monastery - a men's monastery. It is located in the neighboring gorge, Kuratinsky.
You have candles, we have sheep
The interfluve between the Big and Small Liakhva and the Ksan River on the southern slopes of the Caucasus Range is the so-called South Ossetia, a republic that became part of Georgia as an autonomous region in the early twenties and tragically tried to secede at the end of the 20th century. The ethnic conflict between Georgians and Ossetians here broke out into a real war in 1991, and only recently ended with the failure of the Georgian blitzkrieg and the introduction of Russian troops.In the capital of South Ossetia, Tskhinvali, more than three years after the end of the conflict, there is almost no battle damage left. From the nearby heights, the scale of post-war construction is visible to the naked eye: all the new roofs are painted brick red, and in the center the majority of such roofs are located.
In Tskhinval itself, except cathedral in honor of Holy Mother of God there are a few more Orthodox churches, but most of them are half-abandoned. Before the war, due to strained relations between Georgians and Ossetians, the Georgian clergy practically did not minister to the residents of the city. The population itself was content with “folk Orthodoxy” and traditional rituals: every year they went up to the mountains to their native dzuars to slaughter a lamb and remember their ancestors.
Rams are slaughtered on religious and family holidays not only in Ossetia; Muslims and Christians do this in many Caucasian republics (for example, Georgia and Armenia). Typically, these sacrifices are considered a special form of expressing gratitude to God. “In Russia it is customary to light candles, and we slaughter lambs, but in essence they are the same thing,” the Ossetians explain. “When we slaughter a ram, we read prayers and pray not to some pagan god, but to the same God to whom we pray in the Church.”
Khoam in the village of Tsru, in the homeland of President E. Kokoity. Like other parishes in South Ossetia, it is de facto governed by the canonically unrecognized “Alan Diocese”
The Gabarev family lives in Tskhinvali, but comes from the high-mountain village of Zalda. Here their dzuar is the picturesque ruins of a temple, quietly nestled on a wooded slope. Today is a holiday for the Gabaraevs - their birthday. In Ossetian society, family ties still play a primary role, namesakes necessarily belong to the same clan, each clan has its own day - and this day remains one of the main family holidays. The area around the temple - Holy place. This is where the lamb will be slaughtered. The meat of the sacrificial ram will be the main treat at festive table.
An improvised tablecloth is laid out right there: on it are simple salads and the obligatory Ossetian pies. Three pies, similar to large flat cakes, are also a ritual. Number of pies - tribute Christian tradition, which permeates any folk ritual. Before the feast, these pies are supposed to be carried around the temple building three times - like procession. Throughout the ceremony, participants read folk prayers in Ossetian, their content generally corresponds thanksgiving prayer, addressed to God, although it is not related to those prayers that we can find in our Breviaries. In the meantime, the ram is slaughtered, having first fed it with salt (this is an obligatory element of the ritual) and singed part of the wool with a candle.
Boiled lamb meat is served on the table. The first three toasts are made by the oldest member of the family: to God, to the holy place and to family members. Subsequent toasts are made only by men; women are given the floor as an exception. Young people and men under thirty, as a rule, do not sit down at the table, but serve wine, fill glasses and take a closer look. The Ossetian feast is a serious test; before sharing a meal with adults, young people observe and learn how to behave correctly.
St. George the Victorious (in Ossetian Uastarji), fresco of the Nuzal Church, 14th century
Guests can enter the temple. There are no church services here; in place of the altar apse there is a table. There are pies, homemade beer, wine and chacha on the table. At the table, young guys - the offspring of other families of the same kind - make toasts. Each toast ends with a loud “omen!” - in the Ossetian manner, a converted church “amen”.
Today, many high-mountain Ossetian churches, which stood in ruins until recently, are being restored, and with them the balance between folk and church traditions is being restored. The temple has not yet been consecrated, but has already been built (in fact, rebuilt) in the town of Tsru. This settlement with a “spy” name is known throughout the republic, the CIA is the ancestral village of Eduard Kokoity, the president of South Ossetia, the presidential “zuar”.
Even higher into the mountains is the St. George's Church in the village of Ger (Georgian: Jeri). Church services They rarely visit Jeri, but the temple is still active. Unlike Zalda, its altar part is fenced off from the general space, and the “table” in the apse is a full-fledged altar. Pies are not placed here and drinks are not placed here. However, a little further down the road to the temple it is easy to notice the same benches under a small canopy - before the war both Ossetians and Georgians came here with their sheep, but now that the Georgian villages at the foot of the mountain have been destroyed (during the last war their population fled to Georgia), mainly Ossetians come to the temple. At the belfry, instead of ropes, tattered but easily recognizable flags of the victorious countries: Russia and South Ossetia are tied to the tongues of the bells.
“Every nation has its own holidays and traditions: Russians bake pancakes for Maslenitsa, and we cut lamb,” explain the Ossetians. On family days and church holidays In the Caucasus, sheep are slaughtered everywhere; Georgians, Armenians and many other peoples have this tradition
But these churches are schismatic: de jure remaining the canonical territory of the Georgian Church, South Ossetia has been de facto governed for 20 years autonomously and not canonically recognized in Orthodox world The “Alan diocese”, which is in eucharistic communion only with the Greek “Old Calendarists” who broke away from the Greek Church at the beginning of the 20th century. The last war and the unilateral recognition of the independence of the South Ossetian Republic by the Russian state aggravated the problem: the Georgian population, the natural flock of the Georgian Church, was expelled, and Georgian villages were practically wiped off the face of the earth.
Ossetian potential
In the North Caucasus, the only Christian republic remains North Ossetia. Its capital Vladikavkaz, as the center of the Vladikavkaz and Makhachkala diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, unites Orthodox Christians from the entire region.“Now in some circles it is fashionable to talk about Ossetian paganism. But the people need a “native” religion, says Ossetian historian, employee of the Institute of History and Archeology of North Ossetian State University Mikhail Mamiev. - If we “comb” everything into Russian traditions, we will simply lose parishioners. Then, in search of national identity, they will go to the real pagans. Folk traditions do not threaten Orthodoxy; on the contrary, they can become a reliable support for it. For four hundred years, our tradition has remained the guardian of Christian values, the guardian of the Orthodox Alan heritage, and now it cannot simply be ignored or rejected.”
At the first diocesan meeting of the Vladikavkaz diocese recreated this spring, held on May 4, a decision was made on the development of Ossetian-language worship in the republic. “We are starting work on a modern translation of the main liturgical texts into the Ossetian language,” explains Archbishop Zosima of Vladikavkaz and Makhachkala. - Already now, in some churches of our diocese, the Creed and the Gospel are read in parallel during worship in Slavic and Ossetian... The people who live here are very believers, and they have enormous potential. The Lord commanded his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations, and Ossetian worship, I am sure, will be an adornment to our Church.” Perhaps worship will return to ancient churches located in mountain villages.
Text: Dmitry REBROV
Photo: Irina SECHINA
The majority of Ossetian believers are considered Orthodox, having adopted Christianity from Byzantium in the period from the 4th-9th centuries (which, however, somewhat contradicts the testimony of the Ossetians themselves, who have oral traditions from the relatively recent past, the 19th century, about baptisms “for red shirts”, and the motive for adoption baptism several times to replenish the wardrobe is also reflected in folklore [source not specified 193 days]). Some Ossetians profess Sunni Islam, adopted in the 17th-18th centuries from the Kabardians. But a significant part of Ossetians are actually adherents of traditional Ossetian beliefs, which have pre-Christian roots.
History of the formation of traditional beliefs
The system of religious worldview of the Ossetians was inherited from distant ancestors and is based on Aryan roots. [source not specified 102 days] But in the absence of the clergy, religious organization and writing, it underwent significant changes over time
The process of ethnogenesis of the Ossetians on the basis of the Caucasian Alans with the participation of the local Caucasian-speaking substrate (tribes of the Koban culture) obviously became the main component for the formation of their religious and cult ideas.
The spiritual culture of South Ossetians was continuously enriched due to the proximity to Christian Georgia and long-term, continuous contacts with its population [source not specified 849 days]. These processes were most intense during the reign of Queen Tamara in Georgia.
The Christian elements in the folk religion of the Ossetians were partly inherited from the Alans themselves, who, during the political heyday of Alania in the 10th-11th centuries, actively spread Orthodoxy on their territory. This policy was also actively supported by the allied Byzantium.
As a result Mongol invasion in the 13th century, these processes were interrupted without being completed. In the period following the collapse of Alania and right up to joining Russia, the Ossetians lived in isolation in the conditions of inaccessible mountain gorges without participating in the spiritual life of world civilization. Under these conditions, the process of the final formation of the modern religious culture of Ossetians took place, now characterized as the universal monotheistic religion of Orthodox Christianity [What?].
[edit]Modern form
At the current stage, the folk religion of Ossetians looks like complex system worldview and cults based on the ancient Ossetian mythology (reflected in particular in the Ossetian Nart epic), which is characterized by the presence of a single God (Ossetian Khuytsau), having the epithets Great (Styr) and United (Iunæg).
He created everything in the Universe, including the lower celestial forces that patronize the various elements, material world and spheres of human activity and components of the pantheon subject to it: patron saints (Ossetian dzuar); heavenly angels (Ossetian zæd) and earthly spirits (Osetian dauæg).
IN folk calendar Ossetians have holidays celebrated in honor of the Great God and most saints, which are accompanied by prayer feasts (Ossetian kuyvd) and sacrifices, often held at the sanctuaries dedicated to them (Osetian dzuar).
Sanctuaries can be certain places of worship, as well as sacred groves, mountains, caves, heaps of stones, and the ruins of ancient chapels and churches. Some of them are revered in individual gorges or settlements, and some are all-Ossetian.
Faces of Russia. “Living together while remaining different”
The multimedia project “Faces of Russia” has existed since 2006, telling about Russian civilization, the most important feature which is the ability to live together while remaining different - this motto is especially relevant for the countries of the entire post-Soviet space. From 2006 to 2012, within the framework of the project, we created 60 documentaries about representatives of different Russian ethnic groups. Also, 2 cycles of radio programs “Music and Songs of the Peoples of Russia” were created - more than 40 programs. Illustrated almanacs were published to support the first series of films. Now we are halfway to creating a unique multimedia encyclopedia of the peoples of our country, a snapshot that will allow the residents of Russia to recognize themselves and leave a legacy for posterity with a picture of what they were like.
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"Faces of Russia". Ossetians. “These are my mountains”, 2006
General information
OSSETINS, iron, digoron [self-name; the ethnonyms Tualag (Dvals, a group of Ossetians in the Naro-Mamison region) and Khusairag (Khusars, a group of Ossetians in South Ossetia)] have also been preserved] - people of Iranian origin living in the Caucasus, descendants of Alans, the main population of the two republics of North Ossetia - Alania and South Ossetia (main population of North Ossetia, number about 335 thousand people) and Georgia (main population of South Ossetia, number 65 thousand people); They also live in Kabardino-Balkaria (10 thousand people), Karachay-Cherkessia (4 thousand people), Turkey and other countries. The population in Russia is 402 thousand people.
According to the 2002 Census, the number of Ossetians living in Russia is 515 thousand people, according to the 2010 census. - 528 thousand 515 people. The current number of Ossetians is more than 600 thousand people, taking into account the large diaspora living outside their ethnic territory. The northern part of the Ossetians constitutes the main population of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania with its center in the city of Vladikavkaz and is part of Russian Federation. The southern part of the Ossetian people lives on the southern slopes of the Caucasus ridge (about 80 thousand people), the center of the Republic of South Ossetia (2008) in the city of Tskhinvali.
Main subethnic groups: Ironians and Digorians (in western North Ossetia). They speak the Ossetian language of the Iranian group of the Indo-European family. It has 2 dialects: Ironsky (formed the basis of the literary language) and Digorsky. Written (since the 19th century) based on the Russian alphabet, most Ossetians are bilingual (bilingual - Ossetian-Russian, less often - Ossetian-Georgian or Ossetian-Turkish).
Believers are Orthodox, there are Muslims. The majority of Ossetian believers are considered Orthodox, having adopted Christianity in several stages from Byzantium, Georgia and Russia. Some Ossetians profess Sunni Islam, adopted in the 17th-18th centuries from the Kabardians. But a significant part of Ossetians are actually adherents of traditional Ossetian beliefs, which were significantly influenced by Christianity at certain historical stages.
Series of audio lectures “Peoples of Russia” - Ossetians
Ossetians have long been associated with the Caucasus. Since the time of the Scythian campaigns in Western Asia, they have been mentioned in the Georgian chronicle: they are called oats (wasps, hence Russian name Ossetians). The Ossetian people were formed together with the aboriginal population of the North Caucasus (the creators of the Koban culture) and with the alien Iranian-speaking peoples - the Scythians, Sarmatians and especially the Alans. This process began in the 1st century AD. The powerful alliance of Alans that formed in the Caucasus gave impetus to the formation of the Ossetian people.
The hypothesis of the Iranian origin of the Ossetians was first put forward by Jan Potocki in the 18th century. and developed in the first half of the 19th century by Julius Klaproth, it was soon confirmed by the language studies of the Russian academician Andreas Sjögren.
The ethnonym Digor (Ashdigor) was first mentioned in “Armenian Geography” (7th century). The same source names the Dvals. Georgian historian Leontiy Mroveli (11th century) points to the significance of the “Great Dvalian Road,” which ran from Georgia through the territory of the Dvalians to the North Caucasus. Ossetians are one of the ancient peoples of the Caucasus. Since the time of the Scythian campaigns in Western Asia, they have been called in the Georgian chronicles as oats (wasps, hence the Russian name for Ossetians). The Svans called them Saviar, the Mingrelians - ops, the Abkhaz - auaps, the Chechens and Ingush - iri, the Balkars and Karachais - duger, the Kabardins - kuschkhye. The formation of the Ossetian people is associated with the aboriginal population of the North Caucasus (the creators of the Koban culture) and with the alien Iranian-speaking peoples - the Scythians, Sarmatians and especially the Alans (from the 1st century AD). As a result of the latter's settlement in the Central Caucasus, the indigenous population adopted their language and many cultural features.
The powerful alliance of Alans that formed here (wasps - in Georgian and Yasy, dormouse - in Russian medieval sources) marked the beginning of the formation of the Ossetian people. In the 13th century, the Alan state was defeated by the Mongol-Tatars, the Alans were pushed from the fertile plains to the south, into the mountain gorges of the Central Caucasus. On its northern slopes, 4 large “societies” were formed, dating back to the tribal division (Digorskoye, Alagirskoye, Kurtatinskoye, Tagaurskoye), on the southern - many smaller “societies”, which were dependent on the Georgian princes. Quite a few Ossetian Alans went to Mongolia and especially to the countries of Eastern Europe(a large compact group of descendants of the Alans settled in Hungary, calling themselves the Yases, but lost their native language).
Already in the 40s of the 18th century, Russian-Ossetian relations took shape. The Russian government created the "Ossetian Spiritual Commission". Members of the commission organized the Ossetian embassy in St. Petersburg (1749-52), contributed to the resettlement of Ossetians to Mozdok and the Mozdok steppes for settlement and development of new lands. The Ossetians, experiencing an acute need for land, repeatedly turned through the commission with a request to the Russian government to resettle them to the foothills of the North Caucasus. In 1774 Ossetia became part of Russia. The consolidation of the Ossetian people has intensified. At the end of the 18th and 19th centuries, the resettlement of part of the Ossetians from the mountains to the plains began. The lands transferred to the Ossetians by the Russian government were assigned mainly to the Ossetian nobility.
After 1917, there was a massive resettlement of Ossetians to the plain. On April 20, 1922, the South Ossetian Autonomous Okrug was formed as part of the Georgian SSR, in 1924 - the North Ossetian Autonomous Okrug, which on December 5, 1936 was transformed into the North Ossetian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic as part of the RSFSR. In 1990, the Supreme Council of the Republic adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Republic of North Ossetia.
On the plain, the main traditional occupation is agriculture (wheat, corn, millet, barley, etc.). In the mountains, along with agriculture, cattle breeding was developed (sheep, goats, large cattle). The traditional farming system on the plain is three-field. The main weapon in the mountains was a plow with an iron opener, a team with a pair of oxen, on the plain - a heavy plow, the team of which consisted of 8-10 oxen. Cattle breeding was the most important occupation that provided Ossetians with food, raw materials, and draft power. Sheep and goat farming predominated, with cattle and horses on the plain. Home crafts and crafts were developed - the production of cloth, sheepskin, furniture, dishes, wood and stone carving, blacksmithing, jewelry, embroidery, etc.
Traditional settlements in the mountains (kau) are small, with a cumulus or row layout; on the plains they are larger, with a street layout. The main building material is stone, in wooded gorges it is wood. The houses are one- or two-story, the first floor is for livestock, the roofs are flat and earthen. Inside, the walls were coated with clay, and with the advent of a stove with a chimney, they were whitewashed. The floor is earthen. The windows are small, quadrangular. The houses were multi-room, designed for a large family. The dining room, combined with the kitchen, had an open fireplace with a chain of fire (considered sacred, as was the central support pillar supporting the ceiling) and was divided into male and female halves. A special room was arranged for guests - the kunatskaya.
Monuments of traditional architecture are multi-tiered (3-5 tiers or more) battle towers, castles (galuans), residential two- and three-story towers (ganakh), various types of crypt structures (zoeppadz), pagan sanctuaries (zuar). In South Ossetia, dwellings with a closed terrace and a hipped roof are common; the first floor is made of stone, the second floor is made of wood. Less prosperous Ossetians lived in turluch (wattle) and adobe houses, covered with straw or reeds.
Traditional men's clothing - Circassian jacket with gazyrs, beshmet, shirt, trousers, burka, sheepskin coat. Headdresses - a hat made of sheepskin or astrakhan fur, a bashlyk made of cloth, goat down, less often camel hair, a felt hat with a wide brim. Shoes - leggings, boots, shoes made of leather, morocco or cloth. Permanent affiliation men's suit- dagger.
Women's casual clothing before the 19th century was almost identical in cut to men's; with the penetration of elements of Russian culture it becomes more diverse. The festive dress, which reached to the toes, was cut at the waist with a slit in the front and long sleeves, underneath there was a silk skirt; wore a short apron with a wide belt. Silver and gilded decorations (bibs) and appliqués were sewn onto the dress. The round velvet cap (wedding) was covered with a light openwork scarf.
Traditional food is close to the food of other peoples of the Caucasus. The mountains were dominated by dairy and meat dishes, on the plain - flour and vegetables. Among the national flour products, pies with meat and cheese, stuffed with beans, pumpkin, potatoes, cabbage, etc., are widespread. The most common dairy products and dishes are cheese, ghee, kefir, and various cereals with milk. Dzykka, made from fresh cheese mixed with flour, occupies a special place in the diet. In South Ossetia, lobio and ajabsandal, adopted by the Georgians, became favorite vegetable dishes.
The most revered drink is beer, which was made in the mountains exclusively from barley, and in the plains, in addition, from wheat and corn. Beer is an ancient Ossetian drink; according to legend, it was invented by the Nart heroine Satana. It is usually prepared for large family and social celebrations in huge copper brewing kettles. Araka (moonshine) made from corn is widespread everywhere, and in South Ossetia there are various wines.
Ossetian society was divided into several social groups. In the everyday life of Ossetians, remnants of many ancient institutions have been preserved. Among them, blood feud, which extended to close and distant relatives and lasted for years, stood out especially. It arose over land, insults to the honor of the house or individual family members, kidnapping of women, etc. Reconciliation ended with payment by the guilty party large quantity livestock and valuables (weapons, brewing kettle, etc.) and arranging a “blood table” for treating the victims. The customs of hospitality, kunakism, twinning, mutual assistance, and atalism differed little from those of other peoples of the North Caucasus.
In Ossetian life, many attitudes of the tribal system and patriarchal foundations have been preserved. For example, such a principle as the unconditional subordination of the younger to the older. In large families, many issues were resolved at family councils. The head of the family was the eldest in age. At the same time, many elements of matriarchy have been preserved. Older women are the stewards of family and social celebrations.
Remnants of the clan system were manifested in the division into patronymics - small (mygkag) and large (oervadosltoe). Large families persisted even in the early years of Soviet power. All issues were resolved at the family council. The rights of the head of the family were limited. Usually the head was the eldest in age. Responsibilities among the women were distributed by his wife or an older woman. The main family was small family. It was dominated by patriarchal principles: the unconditional subordination of the younger to the older, the lack of rights for women. At the same time, many elements of matriarchy have been preserved. Enjoyed special respect elderly woman. Senior woman She was the hostess at family and social celebrations.
The majority of Ossetians professed Orthodoxy, which penetrated in the 6th-7th centuries from Byzantium, later from Georgia, from the 18th century from Russia, a minority - Islam (adopted from the Kabardians in the 17th-18th centuries); pagan beliefs and rituals were preserved. Among the various genres of folklore, the epic about the Narts, heroic songs, legends, and laments stand out. In the 2nd half of the 19th - early 20th centuries, the Ossetian intelligentsia was formed.
In 1798, the first book in the Ossetian language ("Short Catechism") was published. In the 40s of the 19th century, the Russian philologist and ethnographer A.M. Sjögren compiled an Ossetian grammar and Ossetian practical alphabet on a Russian basis. It began to publish spiritual and secular literature, folklore texts, school textbooks, and also published the “Ossetian Lyre” (“Iron Fandyr”). Until the mid-1910s, Ossetia had more than 200 primary and secondary schools, a significant number of national intelligentsia, and developed fiction, dramaturgy and prose appeared. Subsequently, education, culture, art, healthcare, and science developed; professional theaters, state ensembles, and artistic groups were created.
B.A. Kaloev
EssaysWhat you give to the people will not be lost
When the words “Ossetian”, “Ossetian” are heard, then for some reason I immediately remember a picture depicting a young and beautiful woman, and next to her courageous man. He is wearing a traditional Circassian coat with gazyrs, a beshmet, a burka, and on his head is a sheepskin or astrakhan fur hat. The young woman is dressed in a fitted, toe-length dress, trimmed with silver and gold jewelry. On her head she wears a round velvet cap, covered with a light openwork scarf. Everything is strict and everything is beautiful. And one more significant detail of the Ossetian men’s costume is the dagger. This is not only a weapon, but also an important part of strict male psychology.
Life sticks to custom
Since the time of the Scythian campaigns in Western Asia, oats (wasps, hence the Russian name for Ossetians) have been mentioned in Georgian chronicles. The Ossetian people were formed together with the aboriginal population of the North Caucasus (the creators of the Koban culture) and with the alien Iranian-speaking peoples - the Scythians, Sarmatians and especially the Alans. This process began in the 1st century AD. The powerful alliance of Alans that formed in the Caucasus gave impetus to the formation of the Ossetian nation. In the 13th century, the Mongol-Tatars defeated the Alan state. The Alans were pushed back from the fertile plains into the mountain gorges of the Central Caucasus. Many Ossetian Alans went to Mongolia, as well as to the countries of Eastern Europe. On the northern slopes of the Caucasus, four large communities were formed, dating back to tribal division: Digorskoye, Alagirskoye, Kurtatinskoye, Tagaurskoye. In the forties of the 18th century, Russian-Ossetian relations were established. The process of rapprochement occurs quickly, and in 1774 Ossetia already became part of Russia. The current number of Ossetians is more than 600 thousand people, taking into account the large diaspora living outside their ethnic territory. The northern part of the Ossetians constitutes the main population of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, with its center in the city of Vladikavkaz and is part of the Russian Federation. The southern part of the Ossetian people lives on the southern slopes of the Caucasus ridge (about 80 thousand people), the center of South Ossetia is in the city of Tskhinval. The special strictness of the Ossetians is based on strict adherence to customs. In folklore, this theme is spelled out very carefully: “There is nothing older than custom in the world.” “Life is held together by custom.” “Custom is the boss of everything.” “Custom does not grow old.” Many attitudes of the tribal system and patriarchal foundations have been preserved in Ossetian life. For example, such a principle as the unconditional subordination of the younger to the older. In the folklore of the Ossetian people one can find many judgments confirming the sustainability fundamental principles clan, family: He who does not honor his ancestors is himself unworthy of respect. He who is good for his mother and father, stronger than that there is none in the world. The son pays his father’s debt. A man lives for his offspring. It is impossible to understand the morals and character of the Ossetian people without knowing what “aegdau” is - a code of conduct.
Nykhas and farn of ancestors
Ossetians have this concept of “nykhas”, literally conversation. In the center of any Ossetian village there is a place where old people gather. It is also called nykhas. All difficult questions were decided here. At Nykhas, Ossetians took places strictly according to seniority. When the need arose, the elder gave the right to vote to young people. Thanks to such performances, young people learned oratory from the old men, as well as respectful attitude towards elders. And, what is also important, during the work of the nykhas (this is like an ancient parliament), young people comprehended the norms of everyday law, became acquainted with the ideological foundations of their people and moral concepts. All the most complex problems, such as conflicts with neighboring peoples, as well as issues related to the reconciliation of parties involved in blood feuds, were resolved at nykhas. In the North Caucasus, many peoples are committed to the old patriarchal way of life, but the situation among the Ossetians is quite unique. They managed to preserve their language, culture, religion, traditions almost in their original form. The most important thing for all Ossetians, including those living today, is contained in the so-called Farne of the ancestors, the Farne of the people. The concept of Farn can be translated into Russian as all good things: happiness, prosperity, prosperity, peace, silence, grace.
Hat for a man, scarf for a woman
In the minds of the Ossetian, the personal and the tribal formed a single whole. Each member of the clan collective considered himself responsible for his team, and the clan collective, in turn, considered himself responsible for each of its members. Ossetians believe that a person can be insulted and disgraced physically and morally. Physical abuse includes hitting with a stick or whip. According to popular understanding, a stick exists only for dogs, therefore, hitting a man with a stick equates him with a dog. A lash is considered a similarly humiliating insult. After all, usually only dumb and powerless slaves were beaten with whips. The Ossetian felt insulted when someone touched his headdress. No matter how poor the highlander was, he always tried to have a good, solid hat. After all, according to the views of Ossetians and mountaineers in general, a hat belongs to a real man. Accordingly, the scarf is a woman’s property. When they wanted to shame a man for cowardice, they told him that he was not worthy to wear a hat. Therefore, let him replace it with a scarf, and then there will be no claims against him that are made against a man in general. Ossetians also reacted painfully to verbal insults to their wife, mother, or deceased loved one. For centuries, the mores of pre-class society fostered pride and vindictiveness in Ossetians. For insulting personality and human dignity, the Ossetians cruelly took revenge on their enemy. Cases of deliberate murder or insult to family members inevitably led to blood feud. The clan feud could continue for centuries, claiming the lives of dozens of young men. Moreover, even in the most cruel times of irreconcilable hostility, the bloodlines never touched children, women and the elderly. Sooner or later, the blood feud ended with the conclusion of peace. At times, enormous diplomatic and oratory mediators to convince the warring parties to stop the senseless bloodshed. In the proverbs of the Ossetian people we find such eloquent statements: “The edge of a sword can stretch” (that is, blood feud lasts a long time). “It is not known who will arrive first - the debtor of the blood or the avenger of the blood.” “Revenge is accomplished only in this world.”
Travel with Nart Sozyrko
As for the other world, according to the Ossetians, this is not an entirely out-of-bounds territory where living people are prohibited from entering. In Ossetian legends about Nart heroes, there is a poetic story about how a Nart named Sozyrko makes a journey into another existence, into the land of the dead. And there, in the afterlife, he actively communicates with his ancestors. This legend was translated into Russian by the poet Rurik Ivnev. In our opinion, this is a very instructive story, in which, without false pathos, the idea is affirmed that for earthly deeds a person is always rewarded according to his deserts, but in another life.
Ossetians are the heirs of ancient Iranian tribes: Sarmatians and Scythians. In the Middle Ages, the territory of Ossetia was part of the powerful economically and culturally developed state of Alania. Historian-ethnographers note the close intertwining of Iranian and Caucasian features in the field of spiritual and material culture of the modern Ossetian people.
General information about the life of Ossetians
A native Ossetian can be recognized by his oblong head shape, dark or light brown hair, and mostly brown or brown eyes. gray. Ossetians belong to the Caucasian race (Caucasian type).
Since ancient times, the main occupation of the inhabitants of the republic was cattle breeding and agriculture, and therefore the local area was famous for the high-quality production of butter, cheese, woolen products, etc. It was also developed here applied arts: embroidery of ornaments, wood and stone carving, metal forging.
Among religions, Ossetians prefer Orthodox Christianity(57% of respondents in 2012), the faith of their ancestors is paganism (22%) and Islam (3%).
Ossetians have very strong family ties. The head of the family sought to protect it from enemies and other adversities by erecting reliable fortresses, towers, castles and high barriers. Unfortunately, to this day the ancestral buildings have survived only in a dilapidated state.
The friendliness and tolerance of the Ossetian people knows no bounds, as evidenced by the peaceful residence of representatives different nationalities on the lands of North Ossetia.
Brief facts about the “biography” of other nationalities on North Ossetian territory
Russians. Russian Cossacks first appeared in these places back in the 16th century. In order to gain independence and not obey the usurping landowners, people found refuge in remote corners of the country, where they formed their own mini-states - Cossack villages and settlements. Fortified villages elected their own authorities. The main one among the Cossacks was the ataman, who led the life of the village both in times of war and peace. After some time, the Cossacks found a common language with state government: the villages came under control Russian authorities, however, they retained all the rights and privileges of the Cossacks. The advent of Soviet power met serious resistance from the majority of Cossack settlements, which resulted in a brutal massacre of the Cossacks: villages throughout the North Caucasus were destroyed. At the congress of the peoples of the Terek, North Ossetia managed to defend and protect from destruction such Russian settlements as: Zmeyskaya, Arkhonskaya, Nikolaevskaya and Ardonskaya villages.
Armenians. Trade and cultural ties between Armenia and these lands were known even during the existence of the Alanian state. To protect themselves and their property from robbers and bandits, Armenian traders tried to make friends with local residents and travel around an unfamiliar country accompanied by them. The beginning of the 20th century coincided with the First World War, in which Turkey and Russia found themselves different sides barricades Armenians were persecuted throughout Turkey, which is why they sought refuge in different countries. In those years, North Ossetia sheltered more than one Armenian family.
Greeks. The bulk of the Greek settlement appeared in North Ossetia in the first half of the 19th century. Under the leadership of Spiridon Chekalov, a group of Greeks headed to Sadon in order to carry out construction projects of houses, bridges and roads. Turkish Greeks repeated the fate of the Armenians during the First World War: many of them found a peaceful life in the local region. A Greek theater and a Greek school operated in the capital of North Ossetia.
Germans. German settlements (Emmaus and Mikhailovskoye) appeared on the territory of the republic in the second half of the 19th century. The Russian Tsar invited German families to learn from their experience of impeccable housekeeping.