The Chechens are considered the oldest people in the world, the inhabitants of the Caucasus. According to archaeologists, at the dawn of human civilization, the Caucasus was the hotbed in which human culture arose.

Those whom we used to call Chechens appeared in the 18th century in the North Caucasus due to the separation of several ancient clans. They passed through the Argun Gorge along the Main Range of the Caucasus and settled in the mountainous part of the modern republic.

The Chechen people have centuries-old traditions, a national language, and an ancient and original culture. The history of this people can serve as an example of building relationships and cooperation with different nationalities and their neighbors.

Culture and life of the Chechen people

Since the 3rd century, the Caucasus has been a place where the paths of civilizations of farmers and nomads crossed, and the cultures of different ancient civilizations of Europe, Asia and the Mediterranean came into contact. This was reflected in mythology, oral folk art and culture.

Unfortunately, the recording of the Chechen folk epic began quite late. This is due to the armed conflicts that shook this country. As a result, huge layers of folk art - pagan mythology, Nart epic - were irretrievably lost. The creative energy of the people was absorbed by the war.

The policy pursued by the leader of the Caucasian highlanders, Imam Shamil, made a sad contribution. He saw democratic, popular culture as a threat to his rule. During his more than 25 years in power in Chechnya, the following were banned: folk music and dances, art, mythology, observance of national rituals and traditions. Only religious chants were allowed. All this had a negative impact on the creativity and culture of the people. But Chechen identity cannot be killed.

Traditions and customs of the Chechen people

Part of the daily life of Chechens is the observance of traditions that were passed down by previous generations. They have evolved over centuries. Some are written down in the code, but there are also unwritten rules, which, nevertheless, remain important for everyone in whom Chechen blood flows.

Hospitality Rules

The roots of this good tradition go back centuries. Most families lived in difficult, difficult to navigate places. They always provided the traveler with shelter and food. Whether a person needed it, whether he was familiar or not, he received it without further questioning. This happens in all families. The theme of hospitality runs through the entire folk epic.

A custom associated with a guest. If he liked the thing in his host home, then this thing should be given to him.

And also about hospitality. When there are guests, the owner takes a position closer to the door, saying that the guest is important here.

The owner sits at the table until the last guest. It is indecent to be the first to interrupt a meal.

If a neighbor or relative, even a distant one, came in, then young men and younger family members would serve them. Women should not show themselves to guests.

Man and woman

Many may have the opinion that women's rights are violated in Chechnya. But this is not so - a mother who has raised a worthy son has an equal voice in decision-making.

When a woman enters a room, the men there stand up.

Special ceremonies and decorum must be performed for the arriving guest.

When a man and a woman walk side by side, the woman should be one step behind. A man must be the first to accept danger.

Wife young husband First she feeds his parents, and only then her husband.

If there is a relationship between a guy and a girl, even a very distant one, the connection between them is not approved, but this is not a gross violation of tradition.

Family

If a son reaches for a cigarette and the father finds out about it, he must, through his mother, make a suggestion about the harm and inadmissibility of this, and he must immediately give up this habit.

When there is a quarrel or fight between children, parents must first scold their child, and only then figure out who is right and who is wrong.

It is a grave insult for a man if someone touches his hat. This is tantamount to receiving a slap in the face in public.

The younger one should always let the older one pass and let him pass first. At the same time, he must greet everyone politely and respectfully.

It is extremely tactless to interrupt an elder or start a conversation without his request or permission.

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 countries around the world 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". Chechens. “Nokhchalla - Chechen character”, 2010

General information

CHECHENS, Nokhchiy (self-name), people in Russian Federation(899 thousand people), Vainakh people North Caucasus, the main population of Chechnya. The number in Chechnya and Ingushetia is 734 thousand people. They also live in Dagestan (about 58 thousand people), Stavropol region(15 thousand people), Volgograd region (11.1 thousand people), Kalmykia (8.3 thousand people), Astrakhan (7.9 thousand people), Saratov (6 thousand people), Tyumen (4, 6 thousand people) region, North Ossetia (2.6 thousand people), Moscow (2.1 thousand people), as well as in Kazakhstan (49.5 thousand people), Kyrgyzstan (2.6 thousand people) , in Ukraine (1.8 thousand people), etc. The total number is 957 thousand people. The total number of Chechens around the world ranges from 1,550,000 to 2 million people. The population of the Chechen Republic as of January 1, 2008 reached 1209.4 thousand people.

According to the 2002 Census, the number of Chechens living in Russia is 1 million 361 thousand people, according to the 2010 census. - 1 million 431 thousand 360 people.

The modern name “Chechens” was formed in this transcription in the 18th century as a result of close contact between this people and the Russians. The name “Chechens” itself was a Russian transliteration of the Kabardian name “Shashan” and came from the name of the village of Bolshoi Chechen. Since the beginning of the 18th century, Russian sources began to use the term “Chechens” in relation to the ancestors of modern Chechens. In the literature about Chechens, the name “Vainakhs” (literally: our people) appears quite often.

Believers Chechens are Sunni Muslims. There are two widespread Sufi teachings - Naqshbandi and Nadiri. They speak the Chechen language of the Nakh-Dagestan group. Dialects: flat, Akkinsky, Cheberloevsky, Melkhinsky, Itumkalinsky, Galanchozhsky, Kistinsky. The Russian language is also widespread (74% are fluent). Writing after 1917 was first based on Arabic, then on Latin script, and from 1938 on the Russian alphabet.

Strabo's "Geography" mentions the ethnonym Gargarei, the etymology of which is close to the Nakh "gergara" - "native", "close". The ethnonyms Isadiks, Dvals, etc. are also considered Nakh. In Armenian sources of the 7th century, the Chechens are mentioned under the name Nakhcha Matyan (i.e. “speaking the Nokhchi language”). In the chronicles of the 14th century, the “people of Nokhchi” are mentioned. Persian sources of the 13th century give the name sasana, which was later included in Russian documents. In documents from the 16th and 17th centuries, the tribal names of the Chechens are found (Ichkerins - Nokhchmakhkhoy, Okoks - A'kkhii, Shubuts - Shatoi, Charbili - Cheberloi, Melki - Malkhii, Chantins - ChIantiy, Sharoyts - Sharoy, Terloyts - TIerloy).

Series of audio lectures “Peoples of Russia” - Chechens

Their neighbors, the Ingush, are very close to the Chechens in genotype, culture and religion. Together they form the Vainakh people, bound by blood, common historical destiny, territorial, economic, cultural and linguistic community. Chechens live mainly in Chechnya and Ingushetia. They also live in Dagestan, Stavropol Territory, Volgograd Region, Kalmykia, Astrakhan, Saratov, Tyumen Regions, North Ossetia, Moscow, as well as in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine. Believing Chechens are Sunni Muslims. The Chechen alphabet is compiled on a Russian graphic basis, it has 49 letters. This is 16 letters more than in the Russian alphabet. These additional letters were needed in order to convey specific Chechen sounds (glottal consonants and soft sounds) that are absent in the Russian language.

The anthropological type of Pranakhs can be considered formed in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages. The ancient Chechens, who mastered not only the northern slopes of the Caucasus, but also the steppes of the Ciscaucasia, early came into contact with the Scythian, and then with the Sarmatian and Alan nomadic world. In the lowland zone of Chechnya and nearby regions of the North Caucasus in the 8th-12th centuries, the multi-ethnic Alanian kingdom was formed, in the mountainous zone of Chechnya and Dagestan - public education Sarir. After the Mongol-Tatar invasion (1222 and 1238-1240), the steppe beyond the border and partly the Chechen plain became part of the Golden Horde. By the end of the 14th century, the population of Chechnya united into the state of Simsism. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Caucasian Isthmus was the object of constant claims by the Ottoman Empire (with its vassal, the Crimean Khanate), Iran and Russia. In the course of the struggle between these states, the first Russian fortresses and Cossack towns were erected on Chechen lands, and diplomatic ties between Chechen rulers and aul societies were established with Russia. At the same time, the modern borders of Chechen settlement were finally formed. Since the Persian campaign of Peter I (1722), Russia's policy towards Chechnya has acquired a colonial character. IN last years During the reign of Catherine II, Russian troops occupied the left bank of the Terek, building a section of the Caucasian military line here, and founded military fortresses from Mozdok to Vladikavkaz along the Chechen-Kabardian border. This led to the growth of the Chechen liberation movement at the end of the 18th-1st half of the 19th century. By 1840, a theocratic state was emerging on the territory of Chechnya and Dagestan - the Imamate of Shamil, which initially waged a successful war with Russia, but was defeated by 1859, after which Chechnya was annexed to Russia and included, together with the Khasavyurt district, populated by Aukhov Chechens and Kumyks, in the Terek region . In 1922, the Chechen Autonomous Region was formed as part of the RSFSR. Even earlier, part of the lands taken from it during the Caucasian War. Office work and teaching were introduced in native language, other cultural and socio-economic transformations were carried out. At the same time, collectivization that began in the 1920s, accompanied by repressions, caused great damage to the Chechens. In 1934, Chechnya was united with the Ingush Autonomous Okrug into the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Okrug, and since 1936 - the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In February 1944, about 500 thousand Chechens and Ingush were forcibly deported to Kazakhstan. Of these, a significant number died in the first year of exile. In January 1957, the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, abolished in 1944, was restored. But at the same time, several mountainous regions were closed to the Chechens, and the former residents of these regions began to be settled in lowland villages and Cossack villages. Chechen Aukhovites returned to Dagestan.

In 1992, the Congress of People's Deputies of the Russian Federation decided to transform the Chechen-Ingush Republic into the Ingush Republic and the Chechen Republic.

Traditional agricultural crops are barley, wheat, millet, oats, rye, flax, beans, etc. Later they began to grow corn and watermelons. Gardening and horticulture were developed. Arable tools - plow (gota), skid implement (nokh). The three-field system was widespread. Transhumance sheep breeding was developed in the mountainous regions. Cattle were raised on the plains, which were also used as labor. They also bred thoroughbred horses for riding. There was economic specialization between the mountainous and lowland regions of Chechnya: receiving grain from the plains, mountain Chechens sold their surplus livestock in return.

Handicrafts played an important role. Chechen cloth, produced in the Grozny, Vedensky, Khasavyurt, and Argun districts, was very popular. Leather processing and the production of felt carpets, burkas and other felt products were widespread. The centers of weapons production were the villages of Starye Atagi, Vedeno, Dargo, Shatoi, Dzhugurty, etc., and the centers of pottery production were the villages of Shali, Duba-Yurt, Stary-Yurt, Novy-Yurt, etc. Jewelry and blacksmithing, mining, and production were also developed. silk, processing of bone and horn.

Mountain villages had a disorderly, crowded layout. Two-story stone houses with a flat roof were common. The lower floor housed livestock, and the upper floor, which consisted of two rooms, housed housing. Many villages had housing and defense towers of 3-5 floors. Settlements on the plain were large (500-600 and even up to 4000 households), stretched along roads and rivers. The traditional dwelling - turluchnoe - consisted of several rooms, stretched in a row, with separate exits to the terrace that ran along the house. The main room belonged to the head of the family. Here was the hearth and the whole life of the family took place. The rooms of married sons were attached to it. One of the rooms served as a kunatsky room, or they installed special building in the courtyard. The yard with outbuildings was usually surrounded by a fence. A distinctive feature of the interior of a Chechen home was the almost complete absence of furniture: a chest, a low table on three legs, several benches. The walls were hung with skins and carpets, weapons were hung on them, and the floor was covered with mats. The hearth, the chain of fire, the ash were considered sacred, disrespect for them entailed blood feud and, conversely, even if the murderer grabbed the chain of fire, he received the rights of a relative. They swore and cursed with the chain above them. The eldest woman was considered the keeper of the hearth. The fireplace divided the room into male and female halves.

Woolen fabrics were of several types. The highest quality fabric was considered to be “iskhar” made from the wool of lambs, and the lowest quality was considered to be made from the wool of dairy sheep. No later than the 16th century, the Chechens knew the production of silk and linen. Traditional clothing had much in common with the general Caucasian costume. Men's clothing - shirt, trousers, beshmet, Circassian coat. The shirt was tunic-shaped, the collar with a slit in the front was fastened with buttons. A beshmet was worn over the shirt, belted with a belt with a dagger. The Circassian coat was considered festive clothing. Circassian shorts were sewn cut off at the waist, flared downwards, fastened to the waist with metal fasteners, and gazyrnitsa were sewn onto the chest. Pants, tapered downwards, were tucked into leggings made of cloth, morocco or sheepskin. Winter clothing - sheepskin coat, burka (verta). Men's hats were tall, flaring hats made of valuable fur. Shepherds wore fur hats. There were also felt hats. The hat was considered a personification manhood, knocking it down entailed blood feud.

Main elements women's clothing there was a shirt and pants. The shirt had a tunic-like cut, sometimes below the knees, sometimes to the ground. The collar with a slit on the chest was fastened with one or three buttons. The outerwear was a beshmet. Festive clothing was “gIables” made of silk, velvet and brocade, sewn to fit the figure, with beveled sides and fasteners to the waist, of which only the lower ones were fastened. Hanging blades (tIemash) were sewn on top of the sleeves. Giables were worn with a breastplate and a belt. Women wore high-heeled shoes with a flat toe without a back as formal footwear.

Women's headdresses - large and small scarves, shawls (cortals), one end of which went down to the chest, the other was thrown back. Women (mostly elderly) wore a chukhta under a headscarf - a hat with bags that went down the back, into which the braids were placed. The color of clothing was determined by the woman's status: married, unmarried or widow.

Food in spring is predominantly plant-based, in summer - fruits and dairy dishes, in winter - mainly meat. Everyday food is siskal-beram (churek with cheese), soups, porridges, pancakes (shuri chIepalI-ash), for the wealthier - kald-dyattiy (cottage cheese with butter), zhizha-galnash (meat with dumplings), meat broth, flatbreads with cheese, meat, pumpkin, etc.

The dominant form of community was the neighborhood one, consisting of families of both Chechen and sometimes other ethnic origins. It united residents of one large or several small settlements. The life of the community was regulated by a gathering (khel - “council”, “court”) of representatives of clan divisions (taip). He decided judicial and other cases of community members. The gathering of the entire community (“community khel”) regulated the use of community lands, determined the timing of plowing and haymaking, acted as a mediator in the reconciliation of bloodlines, etc. In the mountains, tribal settlements were also preserved, subdivided into smaller kin groups (gar), as well as large associations of taips (tukhums), differing in the peculiarities of their dialects. There were slaves from unredeemed prisoners of war, who, for long service, could receive land from the owner and the right to start a family, but even after that they remained incomplete members of the community. Great importance preserved the customs of hospitality, kunakism, twinning, tribal and neighborly mutual assistance (belkh - from “bolkh”, “work”), blood feud. The most serious crimes were considered to be the murder of a guest, a forgiven blood relative, rape, etc. The issue of declaring blood feud was decided by the elders of the community, the possibility and conditions of reconciliation were decided at general gatherings. Revenge, punishment, and murder could not take place in the presence of a woman; moreover, by throwing a scarf from her head into the middle of the fighters, a woman could stop the bloodshed. The customs of avoidance persisted in the relationships between husband and wife, son-in-law and in-laws, daughter-in-law and in-laws, parents and children. In some places, polygamy and levirate were preserved. Clan associations were not exogamous, marriages were prohibited between relatives up to the third generation.

There are various forms of folklore: traditions, legends, fairy tales, songs, epic tales (Nart-Ortskhoi epic, Illi epic, etc.), dances. Musical instruments - harmonica, zurna, tambourine, drum, etc. The veneration of mountains, trees, groves, etc. has been preserved. The main deities of the pre-Muslim pantheon were the god of the sun and sky Del, the god of thunder and lightning Sela, the patron saint of cattle breeding Gal-Erdy, hunting - Elta, the goddess of fertility Tusholi, the god of the underworld Eshtr, etc. Islam penetrated into Chechnya from the 13th century through Golden Horde and Dagestan. The Chechens were completely converted to Islam by the 18th century. In the 20th century, the Chechen intelligentsia was formed.

Chechen tradition presupposes that a woman knows eight generations of her maternal and paternal ancestors. A man must know the seven ancestors.

These examples show that Chechens associate the number 8 with a woman, and the number 7 with a man. Seven essentially consists of ones. The number eight, consisting of four twos (otherwise, pairs), reflects motherhood, the principle of generating one’s own kind. Thus, digital symbolism shows the special, predominant place of women in society compared to men, which comes from ancient times. This is also emphasized by the well-known Chechen proverb: “If a man spoils, the family spoils, if a woman spoils, the whole nation spoils.” A woman-mother has earned respect from all nations, but among the Chechens she is placed in a very special position. The woman-mother (tsien nana) is the mistress of fire, while the man-father (tsIiina da) is only the master of the house. The most terrible curse is the wish that the fire in your house should go out. The greatest shame among Chechens is disrespect for the mother and her relatives. The Chechen mother says goodbye before leaving for war or a dangerous campaign.

Ya.Z. Akhmadov, A.I. Khasbulatov, Z.I. Khasbulatova, S.A. Khasiev, Kh.A. Khizriev, D.Yu. Chakhkiev

Essays

Unity of the people is an indestructible fortress

When meeting, every Chechen will first ask: “How is it at home? Is everyone alive and well? When breaking up, it is considered good manners to ask: “Do you need my help?”

The custom of mutual labor assistance goes back to ancient times. In those days, harsh living conditions forced the mountaineers to unite for agricultural work. Peasants tied themselves together with one rope to mow grass on a steep mountain slope. The entire village reclaimed plots for crops from the mountains. In any misfortune, especially if the family lost its breadwinner, the village took upon itself to take care of the victims. Men did not sit down to the table until part of the food was taken to a house where there was no male breadwinner.

When greeting an older person, a young man always includes an offer of help. If an elderly person in Chechen villages begins some kind of housework, then the neighbors also take part in it. And often it is the volunteer helpers who finish what they start.

“The unity of the people is an indestructible fortress,” Chechen wisdom rightly says.

Since then they have lived in the Caucasus mountains

There is a legend that when God was dividing the earth between nations, the mountaineers held a feast in his honor and therefore were late for the start. Then God gave them the land that he left for himself - the Caucasus. Since then, in the Caucasus mountains, where, according to legend, Prometheus was chained to a rock and where the warlike Amazons lived, the Nokhchi people, better known as the Chechens, lived and now live. Chechens are one of ancient peoples Caucasian, belong to the Caucasian race.

The modern name “Chechens” was formed in this transcription in the 18th century as a result of close contact between this people and the Russians. In the literature about Chechens, the name “Vainakhs” (literally: our people) appears quite often. In the North Caucasus, Chechens are the largest ethnic group (over one million people).

The population of the Chechen Republic as of January 1, 2008 reached 1209.4 thousand people. Believing Chechens are Sunni Muslims.

The Chechen language belongs to the Caucasian-Iberian language family. The roots of this language are recorded in the wedge-shaped inscriptions of the ancient eastern states of Mitanni (XIV - XI centuries BC) and Urartu (IX - VI centuries BC).

Digital symbolism

One of the Chechen fairy tales talks about the young man Sultan, who courted a girl for exactly 8 years. For an infant According to Chechen customs, you cannot show a mirror until the age of eight months.

In the Vainakh version of the myth of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman went in different directions to find a mate; Eve said that on her way she crossed eight mountain ranges. The choice of number 8 in this case is not accidental. Chechen tradition presupposes that a woman knows eight generations of her maternal and paternal ancestors. A man must know the seven ancestors.

A woman-mother has earned respect from all nations, but among the Chechens she is placed in a very special position. The woman-mother (tsien nana) is the mistress of fire, while the man-father (tsIiina da) is only the master of the house. The most terrible curse is the wish that the fire in your house should go out. The greatest shame among Chechens is disrespect for the mother and her relatives. The Chechen mother says goodbye before leaving for war or a dangerous campaign.

The most brutal battle, as if by magic, stopped when a woman with her head uncovered appeared among the combatants. As soon as a potential victim of blood feud touched the hem of any woman, the weapon was immediately hidden, since the victim found himself under the protection of the woman.

Building a Family Life

Chechens have a special institution - courting a girl. Moreover, the girl was given the same rights as the boy. This necessity was based on the conviction that offspring conceived not out of love are defective and inferior. To choose a spouse, controlled but widespread communication was necessary: at parties - “sinkyeram”, help work - “belkhi”, at a spring - “hin yist”, during special invitations of the girl for conversation-tests.

Acquaintance and meetings were not allowed anywhere. For example, at parties, through an intermediary chosen by the girls (sometimes the hostess of the house herself), a guy could find out from his chosen one whether she agreed for him to court her. If the young man wanted to continue the relationship, then again the girl was asked for consent to this new relationship. Then the girl informed the chosen one that she could get married. As a sign of this, she gave the guy some thing as collateral: a handkerchief, an earring, a ring. Finally, a time and place were appointed, where the groom and his comrades and the bride, accompanied by one of the women, usually the wife of the elder brother, would appear.

Having bestowed gifts on the mourner, the eldest of the groom’s friends took the bride by the hands and said: “I take heaven and earth as witnesses, from now on you are our daughter-in-law.”

But even if the groom committed some kind of misconduct immediately before the wedding, this was enough for the bride to refuse him. The marriage was dissolved easily and on the initiative of both parties. During the divorce, the husband needed two witnesses, in front of whom he said: “Taking as witnesses (names), I burn nine times, that is, I leave...”.

During the existence of this institute, a special language of gestures and facial signs was developed. The unique popular definition of this relationship between young people is “dog daha” (literally: tear out the heart). Marrying by kidnapping the bride was not popular.

There is no happiness without consent. As the Chechen proverb says: “Where the sun shines, the earth will warm.”

The question of the origin of the Chechen people still causes debate. According to one version, the Chechens are an autochthonous people of the Caucasus; a more exotic version connects the appearance of the Chechen ethnic group with the Khazars.

Where did the Chechens come from?

Magazine: History from the “Russian Seven” No. 6, June 2017
Category: Peoples

Difficulties of etymology

The emergence of the ethnonym “Chechens” has many explanations. Some scholars suggest that this word is a transliteration of the name of the Chechen people among the Kabardians - “Shashan”, which may have come from the name of the village of Bolshoi Chechen. Presumably, it was there that the Russians first met the Chechens in the 17th century. According to another hypothesis, the word “Chechen” has Nogai roots and is translated as “robber, dashing, thieving person.”
The Chechens themselves call themselves “Nokhchi”. This word has an equally complex etymological nature. Caucasian expert late XIX- at the beginning of the 20th century, Bashir Dalgat wrote that the name “Nokhchi” can be used as a common tribal name among both the Ingush and the Chechens. However, in modern Caucasian studies, it is customary to use the term “Vainakhs” (“our people”) to refer to the Ingush and Chechens.
IN Lately Scientists pay attention to another version of the ethnonym “Nokhchi” - “Nakhchmatyan”. The term first appears in the “Armenian Geography” of the 7th century. According to the Armenian orientalist Kerope Patkanov, the ethnonym “Nakhchmatyan” is compared with the medieval ancestors of the Chechens.

Ethnic diversity

The oral traditions of the Vainakhs say that their ancestors came from beyond the mountains. Many scientists agree that the ancestors of the Caucasian peoples formed in Western Asia approximately 5 thousand years BC and over the next several thousand years actively migrated towards the Caucasian Isthmus, settling on the shores of the Black and Caspian Seas. Some of the settlers penetrated beyond the Caucasus Range along the Argun Gorge and settled in the mountainous part of modern Chechnya.
According to most modern Caucasian scholars, all subsequent time a complex process of ethnic consolidation of the Vainakh ethnos took place, in which neighboring peoples periodically intervened. Doctor of Philology Katy Chokaev notes that discussions about the ethnic “purity” of Chechens and Ingush are erroneous. According to the scientist, in their development, both peoples have come a long way, as a result of which they both absorbed the features of other ethnic groups and lost some of their features.
Among modern Chechens and Ingush, ethnographers find a significant proportion of representatives of the Turkic, Dagestan, Ossetian, Georgian, Mongolian, and Russian peoples. This is evidenced, in particular, by the Chechen and Ingush languages, in which there is a noticeable percentage of borrowed words and grammatical forms. But we can also safely talk about the influence of the Vainakh ethnic group on neighboring peoples. For example, the orientalist Nikolai Marr wrote: “I will not hide that in the highlanders of Georgia, along with them in the Khevsurs and Pshavas, I see Georgianized Chechen tribes.”

The most ancient Caucasians

Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Georgy Anchabadze is sure that the Chechens are the oldest of the indigenous peoples of the Caucasus. He adheres to the Georgian historiographical tradition, according to which the brothers Kavkaz and Lek laid the foundation for two peoples: the first - the Chechen-Ingush, the second - the Dagestan. The descendants of the brothers subsequently settled the uninhabited territories of the North Caucasus from the mountains to the mouth of the Volga. This opinion is largely consistent with the statement of the German scientist Friedrich Blubenbach, who wrote that the Chechens have a Caucasian anthropological type, reflecting the appearance of the very first Caucasian Cramanyons. Archaeological data also indicate that ancient tribes lived in the mountains of the North Caucasus back in the Bronze Age.
British historian Charles Rekherton in one of his works moves away from the autochthony of the Chechens and makes a bold statement that the origins of Chechen culture include the Hurrian and Urartian civilizations. In particular, the Russian linguist Sergei Starostin points out related, albeit distant, connections between the Hurrian and modern Vainakh languages.
Ethnographer Konstantin Tumanov in his book “On the Prehistoric Language of Transcaucasia” suggested that the famous “Van inscriptions” - Urartian cuneiform texts - were made by the ancestors of the Vainakhs. To prove the antiquity of the Chechen people, Tumanov cited a huge number of toponyms. In particular, the ethnographer noticed that in the language of Urartu, a protected fortified area or fortress was called khoy. In the same meaning, this word is found in Chechen-Ingush toponymy: Khoy is a village in Cheberloy, which really had strategic importance, blocking the path to the Cheberloy basin from Dagestan.

Noah's people

Let’s return to the self-name of the Chechens “Nokhchi”. Some researchers see in it a direct reference to the name of the Old Testament patriarch Noah (in the Koran - Nuh, in the Bible - Hoax). They divide the word “nokhchi” into two parts: if the first “nokh” means Noah, then the second “chi” should be translated as “people” or “people”. This was, in particular, pointed out by the German linguist Adolf Dirr, who said that the element “chi” in any word means “person”. You don't need to look far for examples. In order to designate residents of a city in Russian, in many cases it is enough for us to add the ending “chi” - Muscovites, Omsk.

Are Chechens descendants of the Khazars?

The version that Chechens are descendants of the biblical Noah continues. A number of researchers claim that the Jews of the Khazar Kaganate, whom many call the 13th tribe of Israel, did not disappear without a trace. Destroyed prince of Kyiv Svyatoslav Igorevich in 964, they went to the Caucasus mountains and there laid the foundations of the Chechen ethnic group. In particular, some of the refugees after Svyatoslav’s victorious campaign were met in Georgia by the Arab traveler Ibn Haukal.
A copy of an interesting NKVD instruction from 1936 has been preserved in the Soviet archives. The document explained that up to 30 percent of Chechens secretly profess the ancestral religion of Judaism and consider the rest of the Chechens to be low-born strangers.
It is noteworthy that Khazaria has a translation in the Chechen language - “Beautiful Country”. The head of the Archive Department under the President and Government of the Chechen Republic, Magomed Muzaev, notes on this matter: “It is quite possible that the capital of Khazaria was located on our territory. We must know that Khazaria, which existed on the map for 600 years, was the most powerful state in eastern Europe.”
“Many ancient sources indicate that the Terek valley was inhabited by the Khazars. In the V-VI centuries. this country was called Barsilia, and, according to the Byzantine chroniclers Theophanes and Nikephoros, the homeland of the Khazars was located here,” wrote the famous orientalist Lev Gumilyov.
Some Chechens are still convinced that they are descendants of Khazar Jews. Thus, eyewitnesses say that during Chechen war one of the militant leaders Shamil Basayev said: “This war is revenge for the defeat of the Khazars.”
Modern Russian writer, a Chechen by nationality, German Sadulaev, also believes that some Chechen teips are descendants of the Khazars.
Another interesting fact. In the oldest image of a Chechen warrior that has survived to this day, two six-pointed stars of the Israeli King David are clearly visible.

CHECHENS, Nokhchi (self-name), people in the Russian Federation (899 thousand people), the main population of Chechnya. The number in Chechnya and Ingushetia is 734 thousand people. They also live in Dagestan (about 58 thousand people), Stavropol Territory (15 thousand people), Volgograd Region (11.1 thousand people), Kalmykia (8.3 thousand people), Astrakhan (7.9 thousand people) ), Saratov (6 thousand people), Tyumen (4.6 thousand people) region, North Ossetia (2.6 thousand people), Moscow (2.1 thousand people), as well as in Kazakhstan (49.5 thousand people), Kyrgyzstan (2.6 thousand people), Ukraine (1.8 thousand people), etc. The total number is 957 thousand people.

The anthropological type of Pranakhs can be considered formed in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages. The ancient Chechens, who mastered not only the northern slopes of the Caucasus, but also the steppes of the Ciscaucasia, early came into contact with the Scythian, and then with the Sarmatian and Alan nomadic world. In the flat zone of Chechnya and nearby regions of the North Caucasus in the 8th-12th centuries, the multi-ethnic Alan kingdom was formed, in the mountainous zone of Chechnya and Dagestan - the state formation of Sarir. After the Mongol-Tatar invasion (1222 and 1238-1240), the steppe beyond the border and partly the Chechen plain became part of the Golden Horde. By the end of the 14th century, the population of Chechnya united into the state of Simsism. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Caucasian Isthmus was the object of constant claims by the Ottoman Empire (with its vassal, the Crimean Khanate), Iran and Russia. In the course of the struggle between these states, the first Russian fortresses and Cossack towns were erected on Chechen lands, and diplomatic ties between Chechen rulers and aul societies were established with Russia. At the same time, the modern borders of Chechen settlement were finally formed. Since the Persian campaign of Peter I (1722), Russia's policy towards Chechnya has acquired a colonial character. In the last years of the reign of Catherine II, Russian troops occupied the left bank of the Terek, building a section of the Caucasian military line here, and founded military fortresses from Mozdok to Vladikavkaz along the Chechen-Kabardian border. This led to the growth of the Chechen liberation movement at the end of the 18th-1st half of the 19th century. By 1840, a theocratic state was emerging on the territory of Chechnya and Dagestan - the Imamate of Shamil, which initially waged a successful war with Russia, but was defeated by 1859, after which Chechnya was annexed to Russia and included, together with the Khasavyurt district, populated by Aukhov Chechens and Kumyks, in the Terek region . In 1922, the Chechen Autonomous Region was formed as part of the RSFSR. Even earlier, part of the lands taken from it during the Caucasian War was returned to Chechnya. Office work and teaching in the native language were introduced, and other cultural and socio-economic changes were carried out. At the same time, collectivization that began in the 1920s, accompanied by repressions, caused great damage to the Chechens. In 1934, Chechnya was united with the Ingush Autonomous Okrug into the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Okrug, and since 1936 - the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In February 1944, about 500 thousand Chechens and Ingush were forcibly deported to Kazakhstan. Of these, a significant number died in the first year of exile. In January 1957, the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, abolished in 1944, was restored. But at the same time, several mountainous regions were closed to the Chechens, and the former residents of these regions began to be settled in lowland villages and Cossack villages. Chechen Aukhovites returned to Dagestan.

In 1992, the Congress of People's Deputies of the Russian Federation decided to transform the Chechen-Ingush Republic into the Ingush Republic and the Chechen Republic.

Mountain villages had a disorderly, crowded layout. Two-story stone houses with a flat roof were common. The lower floor housed livestock, and the upper floor, which consisted of two rooms, housed housing. Many villages had housing and defense towers of 3-5 floors. Settlements on the plain were large (500-600 and even up to 4000 households), stretched along roads and rivers. The traditional dwelling - turluchnoe - consisted of several rooms, stretched in a row, with separate exits to the terrace that ran along the house. The main room belonged to the head of the family. Here was the hearth and the whole life of the family took place. The rooms of married sons were attached to it. One of the rooms served as a kunat room, or a special building was erected for it in the courtyard. The yard with outbuildings was usually surrounded by a fence. A distinctive feature of the interior of a Chechen home was the almost complete absence of furniture: a chest, a low table on three legs, several benches. The walls were hung with skins and carpets, weapons were hung on them, and the floor was covered with mats. The hearth, the chain of fire, the ash were considered sacred, disrespect for them entailed blood feud and, conversely, even if the murderer grabbed the chain of fire, he received the rights of a relative. They swore and cursed with the chain above them. The eldest woman was considered the keeper of the hearth. The fireplace divided the room into male and female halves.

Woolen fabrics were of several types. The highest quality fabric was considered to be “iskhar” made from the wool of lambs, and the lowest quality was considered to be made from the wool of dairy sheep. No later than the 16th century, the Chechens knew the production of silk and linen. Traditional clothing had much in common with the general Caucasian costume. Men's clothing - shirt, trousers, beshmet, Circassian coat. The shirt was tunic-shaped, the collar with a slit in the front was fastened with buttons. A beshmet was worn over the shirt, belted with a belt with a dagger. The Circassian coat was considered festive clothing. Circassian shorts were sewn cut off at the waist, flared downwards, fastened to the waist with metal fasteners, and gazyrnitsa were sewn onto the chest. Pants, tapered downwards, were tucked into leggings made of cloth, morocco or sheepskin. Winter clothing - sheepskin coat, burka (verta). Men's hats were tall, flaring hats made of valuable fur. Shepherds wore fur hats. There were also felt hats. The hat was considered the personification of masculine dignity; knocking it down would entail blood feud.

The main elements of women's clothing were a shirt and trousers. The shirt had a tunic-like cut, sometimes below the knees, sometimes to the ground. The collar with a slit on the chest was fastened with one or three buttons. The outerwear was a beshmet. Festive clothing was “gIables” made of silk, velvet and brocade, sewn to fit the figure, with beveled sides and fasteners to the waist, of which only the lower ones were fastened. Hanging blades (tIemash) were sewn on top of the sleeves. Giables were worn with a breastplate and a belt. Women wore high-heeled shoes with a flat toe without a back as formal footwear.

The dominant form of community was the neighborhood one, consisting of families of both Chechen and sometimes other ethnic origins. It united residents of one large or several small settlements. The life of the community was regulated by a gathering (khel - “council”, “court”) of representatives of clan divisions (taip). He decided judicial and other cases of community members. The gathering of the entire community (“community khel”) regulated the use of community lands, determined the timing of plowing and haymaking, acted as a mediator in the reconciliation of bloodlines, etc. In the mountains, tribal settlements were also preserved, subdivided into smaller kin groups (gar), as well as large associations of taips (tukhums), differing in the peculiarities of their dialects. There were slaves from unredeemed prisoners of war, who, for long service, could receive land from the owner and the right to start a family, but even after that they remained incomplete members of the community. The customs of hospitality, kunakship, twinning, tribal and neighborly mutual assistance (belkhi - from “bolkh”, “work”), and blood feud remained of great importance. The most serious crimes were considered to be the murder of a guest, a forgiven blood relative, rape, etc. The issue of declaring blood feud was decided by the elders of the community, the possibility and conditions of reconciliation were decided at general gatherings. Revenge, punishment, and murder could not take place in the presence of a woman; moreover, by throwing a scarf from her head into the middle of the fighters, a woman could stop the bloodshed. The customs of avoidance persisted in the relationships between husband and wife, son-in-law and in-laws, daughter-in-law and in-laws, parents and children. In some places, polygamy and levirate were preserved. Clan associations were not exogamous, marriages were prohibited between relatives up to the third generation.

There are various forms of folklore: traditions, legends, fairy tales, songs, epic tales (Nart-Ortskhoi epic, Illi epic, etc.), dances. Musical instruments - harmonica, zurna, tambourine, drum, etc. The veneration of mountains, trees, groves, etc. has been preserved. The main deities of the pre-Muslim pantheon were the god of the sun and sky Del, the god of thunder and lightning Sel, the patron of cattle breeding Gal-Erdy, hunting - Elta, the goddess of fertility Tusholi, the god of the underworld Eshtr, etc. Islam penetrates Chechnya from the 13th century through the Golden Horde and Dagestan . The Chechens were completely converted to Islam by the 18th century. In the 20th century, the Chechen intelligentsia was formed.

Ya.Z. Akhmadov, A.I. Khasbulatov, Z.I. Khasbulatova, S.A. Khasiev, Kh.A. Khizriev, D.Yu. Chakhkiev

According to the 2002 Population Census, the number of Chechens living in Russia is 1 million 361 thousand people.

RIA Novosti columnist Tatyana Sinitsyna.

Chechens are confident that their deepest roots historically stretch back to the Sumerian kingdom (30th century BC). They also consider themselves descendants of the ancient Urartians (9-6 centuries BC). In any case, the deciphered cuneiform of these two civilizations indicates that many authentic words have been preserved in the Chechen language.

It so happened that throughout history the Chechens did not have their own state. The only attempt to create the kingdom of Sinsir in the 14th century came at the wrong time - this barely born idea was crushed by Tamerlane’s cavalry. Having lost two-thirds of their people in battles with the eastern conquerors, the Chechens left the fertile plains and went to the mountains - from there it was more convenient to continue the fight. For Chechens, the mountains have forever become a haven, a refuge, a native, and even a holy place.

In addition to foreign conquerors, there were also plenty of local enemies - warlike detachments of other Caucasian ethnic groups attacked each other every now and then, this was the way of life. I had to be armed at all times. In order to more effectively protect their home, the mountaineers united into militia units and built defensive lines. To this day, hundreds of ancient fortress towers made of crushed stone are scattered across the Caucasian peaks. From here they watched the enemy, and, having noticed him, they lit fires, the smoke from which was a signal of danger. The constant expectation of raids, the need to always be in full combat readiness, of course, militarized the consciousness, but also cultivated courage and contempt for death.

In battles, even one saber played a big role, so every boy from the cradle was brought up harshly and harshly, like a future warrior. According to ethnologist Galina Zaurbekova, a mother of four children, to this day Chechen ethics prohibits caressing, pampering children, and indulging their whims. And today, ancient songs are traditionally sung at the cradles, praising military valor, courage, a good horse, and good weapons.

The highest peak of the Eastern Caucasus is Mount Tebolus-Mta, which rises to 4512 meters. The ascent of the Chechen people to this mountain, heroic battles with the pursuing enemy is the theme of many ancient beliefs. The mountainous nature of the Caucasian landscape “fragmented” the Chechen people - they settled autonomously, along gorges, differentiated not according to territorial, but according to the clan-clan principle. This is how Chechen teips arose, which are united groups of families, each of which is headed by an elected elder. The most revered and respected are the root, ancient teips; others, having a short pedigree, formed as a result of migration processes, are called “younger”. Today there are 63 teips in Chechnya. A Chechen proverb says: “Teip is the fortress of adat,” that is, the traditional rules and regulations of the life of Chechen society (adat). But the teip protects not only the customs established over centuries, but also each of its members.

Life in the mountains defined the whole circle public relations. The Chechens switched from agriculture to cattle breeding; the principle of flax farming was excluded, when workers could be hired, and this forced everyone to work. The prerequisites for development have disappeared feudal state, the need for hierarchy. The so-called mountain democracy, where everyone was equal, but whose laws cannot be questioned. And if “birds of a different plumage” suddenly appeared, they were simply squeezed out of the communities - leave if you don’t like it! Leaving their clan, the “outcasts” found themselves within the borders of other nations and assimilated.

The spirit of mountain freedom and democracy turned a sense of personal dignity into a cult. The Chechen mentality was formed on this basis. The words with which Chechens have greeted each other since ancient times reflect the spirit of personal independence - “Come free!”

Other stable expression- “It’s hard to be a Chechen.” It's probably not easy. If only because the proud, freedom-loving essence of the Chechen personality is literally chained in the “iron armor” of adat - norms of law elevated to custom. For those who do not observe adat - shame, contempt, death.

There are many customs, but in the center is the code of male honor, which unites the rules of behavior for men, aimed at encouraging courage, nobility, honor, and composure. According to the code, a Chechen must be compliant - mountain roads are narrow. He must be able to build relationships with people, without in any way demonstrating his superiority - a way to avoid unnecessary conflict. If a person on horseback meets someone on foot, he must greet first. If the person you meet is an old man, then the rider must get off the horse and only then greet him. A man is forbidden to “lose” in any life situation, to find himself in an unworthy, ridiculous position.

Chechens are morally afraid of insult. Moreover, not only personal, but also insulting one’s family, teip, and non-compliance with the rules of adat. If a member of the teip seriously disgraces himself, then he will have no life, the community will turn away from him. “I’m afraid of shame, and that’s why I’m always careful,” says the mountaineer, a fellow traveler of the poet Alexander Pushkin on his journey to Arzrum. And in our time, internal and external guardians of behavior force the Chechen to be extremely collected, restrained, silent, and polite in society.

There are wonderful, worthy rules in hell. For example, kunachestvo, (twinning), readiness for mutual assistance - the whole world builds a house for someone who does not have one. Or - hospitality: even an enemy who crosses the threshold of the house will receive shelter, bread, protection. And what can we say about friends!

But there are also destructive customs, for example, blood feud. Modern Chechen society is fighting against this archaism; procedures have been created for the reconciliation of bloodlines. However, these procedures require mutual goodwill; an obstacle on this path is the fear of being “unmanly” and being ridiculed.

A Chechen will never let a woman go ahead of him - she must be protected, there are many dangers on a mountain road - a landslide or a wild animal. Besides, they don't shoot from the back. Women play a special role in mountain etiquette. They are, first of all, the keepers of the hearth. In ancient times, this metaphor had a direct meaning: women were responsible for ensuring that the fire was always burning in the hearth, on which food was cooked. Now, of course, this expression has a figurative, but still very deep, meaning. Until now, the most terrible curse among the Chechens is the words “May the fire go out in your hearth!”

Chechen families are very strong, adat contributes to this. The format and lifestyle are stable and predetermined. The husband never gets involved in household chores; this is a woman’s undivided sphere. To treat a woman with disrespect, especially to humiliate or beat her, is unacceptable and impossible. But if the wife has failed with her character and behavior, the husband can very easily divorce him by saying three times: “You are no longer my wife.” Divorce is inevitable even if the wife treats her husband’s relatives with disrespect. Chechen women had no choice but to master the subtle art of getting along with their husband’s relatives.

Adat prohibits Chechens from any “beautiful madness,” but they still dare, for example, to kidnap brides. In the old days, according to Galina Zaurbekova, girls were stolen, most often because the family refused the groom, thus insulting his personal dignity. Then he himself restored honor - he kidnapped the girl and made her his wife. In another case, the reason for thefts of girls was the lack of money for the dowry (ransom), which is paid to the parents. But it happened, of course, that the passion of the heart simply leapt up. Be that as it may, the “full stop” in such a case was put in two ways: either the kidnapper was forgiven and the wedding was celebrated, or he was pursued by blood feud for the rest of his life. Today, the custom of “kidnapping the bride” has rather a romantic connotation. As a rule, it is performed by mutual agreement, being part of the wedding ritual.

A wedding is one of the biggest holidays among Chechens. Her procedure hasn't changed much. The celebration lasts three days and always ends with dancing in the evenings. Chechen dance is unusually temperamental and graceful. In the 20th century, this small nation had a happy opportunity to show the beauty of its national dance to the whole world: the great dancer and “Chechen knight” Makhmud Esambaev was applauded in all countries. The plasticity and meaning of Chechen dance are based on the main ethical and aesthetic values: men are brave and proud, women are modest and beautiful.