On October 7 and 8, 2026, Timirlan Kodzoev, Head of the Committee for State Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites, and Akhmedkhan Sampiev, Acting Director of the Dzheyrakh-Assa Museum-Reserve, participated in an expanded meeting dedicated to the state protection of cultural heritage sites, held in Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkarian Republic.

The event was attended by heads of relevant executive agencies from the constituent entities of the Russian Federation within the Southern and North Caucasian Federal Districts.

Meeting participants discussed unified approaches to protecting historical monuments and preserving them for future generations.

On the second day of the event, the participants took an excursion to the Blue Lakes, located in the Chereksky District, and visited the landmarks of the republic’s mountainous region—specifically, Upper Balkaria.

Large-scale archaeological research is actively underway in the mountainous region of Ingushetia. Two unique vases were discovered during this work in one of the tower settlements.

According to experts, these finds are comparable in scientific and historical significance to the exhibits in one of the world's leading museums, the State Hermitage Museum.

The pieces are made of clay. Photo 1 shows a round, terracotta-colored vase with a handle. Its surface is decorated with a wavy pattern, which lends it uniqueness and artistic value.

Photo 2 shows a white clay vase, which, according to archaeologists, is made in the Iznik style of ceramics, a branch of Ottoman decorative and applied art. The vase is decorated with intricate floral motifs, arabesques, and geometric patterns characteristic of this style.

These artifacts are further evidence that the Ingush possessed the skills to make clay pottery even in ancient times.

Yakub Gogiev, a member of the Dzurdzuki Historical and Geographical Society, and representatives of the Koaloi teip conducted an expedition to the summit of Mount Koaloi-Loam, located near the Koale tower complex (not to be confused with the Keli settlement and Mount Kuloi-Loam, located on the opposite side of the Assinovsky Gorge).

The expedition members discovered the remains of several stone structures at the summit.

The first structure is oriented strictly along the east-west axis and measures 4.20 x 5.80 meters. The height of the surviving masonry on the southern side reaches 1.20 meters, reaching an altitude of 2,368 meters above sea level. A unique structural feature of the building is that its northern wall rests directly on a rock outcrop, using it as a natural foundation. The interior is completely filled with collapsed roofing and rubble from the walls. To the north of this site are the ruins of another structure, but the degree of its destruction precluded instrumental measurements. On the southwestern elevation, a pillar-like sanctuary has been identified, surviving to a height of up to two meters. It is noticeably damaged by time, but overall in good condition.

Taken together, the discovered complex convincingly demonstrates the long-term cultic use of this area, likely lasting for several centuries. A shift in religious paradigm deprived these structures of their former significance, and they were abandoned. Final conclusions and a reconstruction of ritual practice will be possible after archaeological excavations, which we hope will reveal the secrets of the past of this unique highland sanctuary.

The Koale tower settlement is located on a spur of Mount Tsorei Loam, 800 meters east of Gerite and 1 km northwest of Barakh.

As a reminder, at the end of last year, in the western part of the complex, staff from the Dzheyrakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve discovered a previously unaccounted-for structure, presumably a temple-sanctuary.

The complex also contains six surviving residential towers and a natural spring.

In the Dzheyrakh District of Ingushetia, staff at the Dzheyrakh-Assin Museum-Reserve have discovered a valuable archaeological site. As reported on the Telegram channel of the State Archival Service of Ingushetia, the find is located on a hill between the tower complexes of Garakh, Falhan, and Metskhal.

The site consists of a platform with four stone steles decorated with pictograms. Relief images were found on the stones, including a circle with symbols and a rhombus. According to the researchers' preliminary theory, the complex symbolizes the four elements: fire, air, water, and earth. Indentations were also found on the surface of the steles; scientists believe they may represent fragments of an ancient star map.

The find is of great scientific value. Restoration of the steles and their comprehensive study are planned for the near future.

During an inspection tour of the Khyani tower complex, a previously unregistered stone spring was discovered.

The natural water source is located 80 meters south of the Khyani towers, deep in the forest.

The structure is lined with river stones and resembles a tower. It has an L-shaped base and, according to local residents, was landscaped several centuries ago.

After the necessary work is completed, the spring will be included in the list of identified cultural heritage sites of the Republic of Ingushetia.

An ancient Christian artifact has been discovered in mountainous Ingushetia.

During a research expedition, staff from the Dzheyrakh-Assinsky State Historical, Architectural, and Natural Museum-Reserve discovered a stone structure in the form of a tribune with an engraved cross near the Keli tower complex.

According to preliminary research, the find dates to the early Christian period—the period from the emergence of Christianity (approximately the early 1st century) to the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea (325).

The archival service believes that the stone tribune may be one of the oldest Christian artifacts in modern-day Russia.

During archaeological excavations at the Khamkhi tower complex, a large castle-type tower settlement in the center of the Targim Basin in the Dzheyrakh District of Ingushetia, human skeletal remains, a clay jug, a knife, and an ancient saber with a handle, a long blade, and a characteristic curve toward the butt were discovered.

The excavations were conducted in a medieval above-ground crypt. The skeletal remains were discovered under the second burial layer, in a special wooden enclosure. A knife and a clay jug with a handle were found nearby. Presumably, this was the burial of a person of considerable renown at the time (possibly a renowned warrior).

Of greatest interest to researchers are the human skeleton, over 2 meters tall, and the ancient saber, which, at first glance, appears to have preserved its shape and all its structural elements well.

Archaeological work is being carried out with the financial support of the Safmar charitable foundation.

The first phase of the "3D Chronicle from Generation to Generation: Protecting Cultural Heritage" project, which involves creating high-precision 3D models of cultural heritage sites using terrestrial laser scanning, has been completed.

To date, work has been completed on the Tkhaba-Yerdy and Albi-Yerdy churches, as well as the Erzi, Targim, Sredniy Ozdik, Beini, and Khamkhi tower complexes.

A student scientific expedition has launched at the Dzheyrakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve to create high-precision 3D models of cultural heritage sites using terrestrial laser scanning and, possibly, aerial photography.

The project is being implemented with the assistance and support of the Committee for the State Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites and the Dzheyrakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve.

Students from the V.G. Shukhov Belgorod State Technological University will participate in the expedition, which will take place in the Republic of Ingushetia from July 20 to 30, 2026.

Their project, "3D Chronicle from Generation to Generation: Protecting Cultural Heritage," won the federal competition for student scientific expeditions, "Rediscovering Russia," organized by the "Russia – Land of Opportunity" platform.

Project Manager: Natalya Vladimirovna Shirina, Head of the Department of Urban Cadastre and Engineering Surveys at V.G. Shukhov University, Associate Professor, and Candidate of Technical Sciences.

The goal of the expedition is to create high-precision digital twins and 3D models of cultural heritage sites in the mountainous Ingushetia region by integrating terrestrial laser scanning and aerial photogrammetry.

The obtained data will provide preventative documentation of the condition of the monuments for their subsequent restoration, scientific study, and for use in Russian and international platforms for the digital preservation of cultural heritage.

Expedition Objectives:

Conduct terrestrial laser scanning and aerial photography of the region's historical monuments.

Create textured 3D models and high-resolution orthophotomaps.

Create a catalog of the objects with metadata.

Transfer the materials to the Dzheyrakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve and post them on the 3D Heritage portal (Geoscan Group).

Test a method for digitally documenting cultural heritage in mountainous areas using Russian software.

The expedition will result in the creation of a set of interconnected digital products with both scientific and socio-cultural value.

All materials will be donated to the State Committee for the Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites and the Dzheyrakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve.

The presentation of the Russian-Ingush dictionary, compiled in 1846 by educator Grigory Tsamtsiev, took place on July 6 in Magas.

Akhmedkhan Sampiev, Acting Director of the Dzheyrakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve, also participated in the event.

The newly published Russian-Ingush dictionary contains over a thousand Ingush words with Russian translations.

This is one of the first systematic works on Ingush vocabulary, and is of great value to scholars.

The first advance copy, a limited edition, was published by Bersnako Gazikov, Ruslan Kurkiyev, and Magomed Ozdoyev.

The dictionary charts the transformation of the Ingush language over nearly two centuries. It is invaluable material for comparative historical research.

On July 2, 2026, a regular meeting of the Public Council and representatives of other public organizations was held in Magas with the heads of the Committee for State Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites, Timirlan Kodzoev, and the Dzheyrakh-Assin Museum-Reserve, Akhmedkhan Sampiev.

The agenda included restoration, archaeology, and preservation options for the Tkhaba-Yerdy temple and other historical and cultural monuments of the republic.

Present at the meeting were Kureysh Tsoroyev, a deputy of the People's Assembly of the Republic of Ingushetia, public figure, and concurrently, Chairman of the Public Council; representatives of the Council of Teips; Doctor of Historical Sciences, ethnographer, and renowned academic and public figure, Zeynep Dzarakhova; researcher and archivist Bersnako Gazikov; Executive Director of the Dzurdzuki Cultural Heritage Site, Yakub Gogiev; and Magomed Kartoyev, a senior researcher in the Department of History of Ingushetia at the V.I. Chakha Akhrieva, Ruslan Bekov, a senior researcher at the E.I. Krupnov Archaeological Center, museum-reserve staff, restorers, public figures, activists, and everyone interested in the history of Ingushetia.

The participants decided to openly discuss all the pressing issues in order to develop a unified vision for how work should be conducted on these centuries-old sites, which are considered a national treasure of the republic.

In his speech, Timirlan Kodzoev emphasized that, given the historical and cultural significance of the Tkhaba-Yerdy temple not only for the region but also for the country as a whole, it will receive close attention from both government agencies and public organizations during the work. He also emphasized the need to establish a working group to oversee all restoration work underway in the Dzheyrakh district.

Temporary wooden structures have been installed on the monument to prevent its destruction, and the first stage of archaeological excavations has been successfully completed.

Magomed-Sali Aushev, representing the Council of Teips, added that the successful restoration of this monument will be recognition of the skill of those who worked on its revival.

Bersnako Gazikov noted that, in parallel with the restoration of the monuments, work must also be carried out to preserve historical data about them on paper. He emphasized the need to document these objects, which, in his view, is a key aspect of this work.

Magomed Kartoyev expressed his opinion that restoration should be prioritized on those monuments that have retained a large structural volume and pose a risk of collapse in the near future. In contrast, monuments with a smaller volume and no risk of collapse can be restored later.

In his presentation, Yakub Gogiev, based on scientific sources, presented a detailed justification for why the eighth-ninth centuries should be considered a more likely date for the construction of the Tkhaba-Yerdy temple than the thirteenth-fourteenth centuries. He also explained why, if artisans from other countries were involved in the construction of the church, preference should be given to Ingush specialists.

Concluding the meeting, the participants set the date for the next session and the range of issues to be discussed.

The event was held in a friendly atmosphere, allowing everyone to speak up and be heard.

A press conference was held in Magas on June 18, where Mikail Tumgoev, a representative of the Safmar charitable foundation in the Republic of Ingushetia, and heads of relevant agencies answered journalists' questions.

Mikail Tumgoev reported that 220 ancient monuments have been restored in the mountainous part of Ingushetia during restoration work, with slightly more than a hundred planned for this year.

Particular attention was paid to the quality of the work being carried out.

Timirlan Kodzoev, Head of the Committee for the State Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites of the Republic of Ingushetia, noted that each stage of restoration undergoes strict quality control, and all projects developed are subject to mandatory approval by the Committee before implementation.

Akhmedkhan Sampiev, Acting Head of the Committee for the State Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites of the Republic of Ingushetia. The acting director of the Dzheyrakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve added that the institution, together with the Committee, conducts on-site activities to oversee restoration, conservation, and emergency response work to preserve historical and architectural sites.

Umalat Gadiev, Deputy Director of the E.I. Krupnov Archaeological Center, shared that archaeological research, which is also an integral preliminary component of restoration, reveals a vast historical and cultural layer of the region, revealing previously unknown facts about its history.

At the end of the discussion, the participants discussed the extensive cemetery restoration work that has been completed. By the end of 2025, 94 cemeteries had been restored, and the remaining 15 are planned to be restored by the end of 2026.

On June 11, 2026, staff from the Dzheyrakh-Assin Museum-Reserve conducted a field visit to the Borga-Kash Mausoleum to monitor and clean the surrounding area.

Borga-Kash is one of the earliest surviving Muslim monuments in the North Caucasus, located in the rural settlement of Plievo in the Nazran District of the Republic of Ingushetia.

As a result of the campaign, the surrounding area was brought into proper sanitary condition, weeds and unwanted vegetation were removed, and all household waste was collected and removed.

The Borga-Kash Mausoleum is a historical and cultural monument of national significance and is under state protection.

The Dzheyrakh-Assin State Historical, Architectural, and Natural Museum-Reserve was established on June 2, 1988.

By decree of the President of the Russian Federation, the Dzheyrakh-Assin Museum-Reserve was included in the list of historical and cultural heritage sites of federal significance.

The Dzheyrakh-Assin Museum-Reserve is located in the Dzheyrakh District of Ingushetia, the republic's only mountainous region, and is the largest open-air museum in Russia. Its grounds contain over 4,000 ancient monuments.

The main goal of the museum-reserve is to protect, preserve, and promote the republic's historical and cultural monuments and architectural ensembles.

The republic's tower architecture is a unique cultural heritage, faithfully reflecting the reality of the people's lives.

Currently, Ingushetia boasts over a hundred architectural complexes, numerous crypts, shrines, and other structures, and over 4,000 cultural heritage sites, of which 349 are listed in the Unified State Register of Cultural Heritage Sites as sites of federal, regional, and municipal significance.

Mountainous Ingushetia is the center of the spiritual and material culture of the Ingush people.

Artifacts of material culture are of primary importance for the history of the Ingush people, as they compensate for the lack of written sources. Defensive and domestic structures, funerary and religious monuments, as well as various artifacts such as household items, weapons, and jewelry, provide invaluable material for reconstructing the historical life of the people.

Indeed, this region is renowned for its unique combination of natural and mountainous landscapes and its abundance of ancient and medieval monuments, which constitute the Ingush people's primary national treasure.

On April 21, 2026, a ceremony was held at the Tugan Malsagov Ingush State Museum of Local History to honor the handover by representatives of the Institute of Caucasus Archaeology of the fourth part of the artifacts discovered in 2018 during the reconstruction of the Kavkaz federal highway in the Gamurzievsky Administrative Okrug.

The archaeological excavations were stored at the Institute of Caucasus Archaeology for nearly six years, during which time a tremendous amount of work was carried out on their study, description, and cartography.

The event was attended by Chairman of the Government of the Republic of Ingushetia V.V. Slastenin, People's Assembly Deputy A.Kh. Tsoroev, Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic Z.I. Lyanova, representatives of the Institute of Caucasus Archaeology, and the heads of the Committee for the State Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites T.U. Kodzoev. and the Dzheyrakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve, A.A. Sampiev; Associate Professor of the History Department at Ingush State University, Professor E.D. Muzhekhoeva; Director of the Franco-Ingush Research Center in Paris, Professor Isa Bokov at Sorbonne University; researcher, archaeologist, and Deputy Director of the E. Krupnov Archaeological Center, Umalat Gadiev; researchers of Ingushetia's material culture, ethnographers, public figures from the Dzurdzuki Ingush Cultural Heritage Site, university professors, artists, local historians, students, and others interested in the history of the Ingush people.

In 2018, the "Kavkaz" federal highway was being widened in the Gamurzievo area. Soon, routine construction work led to a full-scale archaeological expedition. During this time, entire cities (or rather, what remains of them – fortified settlements) have been discovered underground, along with Scythian burial mounds containing ancient artifacts: clay vessels, bronze and gold jewelry, and even the mysterious remains of people with deformed skulls.

The Gamurzievskoye settlement is a historical settlement in the Nazran District of Ingushetia. The ruins of the ancient settlement occupy a vast area – approximately 10,000 square meters.

In total, over 4,000 ancient artifacts were discovered during the excavations, dating, according to experts, to the Koban culture and the Alanian era.

All speakers agreed that the discovered artifacts are of great scientific interest to the history and culture of the republic and that their study allows for a new understanding of the trade and cultural ties of the ancient tribes that inhabited the territory of Ingushetia, as well as a clarification of the timeframe of their existence.

Biyaslan Atabiev, Director of the Caucasus Archaeology Institute, notes that the significance of these finds extends far beyond the Caucasus: "The ceramic vessels and jewelry pieces among the transferred artifacts provide insight into trade routes, trade and economic ties, and the level of socioeconomic development of society..."

Yesterday, staff from the Caucasus Archaeology Institute delivered a collection of ornamented gold, silver, and bronze jewelry, which will be stored in a special bank vault under temperature control.

The transfer of the artifacts to the Ingush people was made possible thanks to the joint efforts of T. U. Kodzoev, Head of the Committee for the State Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites; A. A. Sampiyev, Head of the Dzheyrakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve; and M. Z. Sagov, Head of the Local History Museum. and the director of the Institute of Caucasus Archaeology, Biyaslan Atabiyev, who, back in late 2023, reached a mutual agreement to return the finds to their historical homeland.

On April 11, 2026, employees of the Dzheyrakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve and the State Committee for the Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites of the Republic of Ingushetia held a joint cleanup day in the adjacent office areas of Magas.

Employees cleaned the lawns behind the building and cleared the streets adjacent to the office building of debris and last year's leaves.

As a result of these activities, the office building on Borova Street was cleared of household waste, dead trees, and last year's leaves, which were collected and removed to a designated area.

A.A. Sampiev, Director of the Museum-Reserve, thanked all participants and added that more cleanup days will be held throughout the month, including in mountainous areas.

Monitoring the medieval religious monument, the Dyalite temple-sanctuary.

0.2 km north of the village of Kart, on the crest of a high hill, stands the heavily damaged, large Dyalite temple-sanctuary, dating from the late Middle Ages.

The sanctuary is rectangular in base, with a gabled, stepped roof. In the past, the temple-sanctuary was highly revered by the Ingush, who even gathered there in the late 19th century to resolve common issues.

Monitoring the Doshkhakly Rock Temple.

Akhmedkhan Sampiev, acting director of the museum-reserve, recently conducted an inspection tour of the Doshkhakly temple-sanctuary, located in the western part of the Doshkhaklye tower settlement.

The site was discovered, introduced into scientific circulation, and subjected to archaeological excavations by M.B. Muzhukhoev in 1979-1980 . It dates back to the 14th-15th centuries.

The sanctuary is a highly original structure with narrow entrances; it is built into the cliff face and has three chambers. The temple once had a large annex with a separate entrance. Only the foundation of this annex remains today.

Yakub Gogiyev, executive director of the Dzurdzuki Historical and Cultural Center, rightly notes the similarity of the building to the rock formations of Table Mountain.

The bones and horns of sacrificial and wild animals are found inside the monument. The walls are wide, with small hiding places and niches.

The structure is dilapidated; the roof is missing.

During these days, Magomed Akhilgov, an inspector at the museum-reserve, held a preventative discussion with students from the Dzheyrakh school, aimed at fostering a respectful attitude toward the region's historical and cultural monuments.

As a result of this event, the children learned more about the republic's cultural heritage and the importance of preserving it for future generations.

As part of the work plan, museum-reserve employee M. Chakhkiev held an informative talk with students from the Gul village school about the republic's historical and cultural monuments and how to treat them with care.

The event took place in a friendly and warm atmosphere, during which the children learned about the significance of the towers for studying the history of the region and the importance of preserving them for future generations.

On January 24, the premiere of Bashir Gatagazhev's historical documentary film “Twelve Degrees” took place at the Cultural Development Center in Magas.

This project is the result of many years of research by scientists in Ingushetia.

The event was attended by the Head of the Committee for State Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites, T. U. Kodzoev, Acting Director of the Dzejrakh-Assin Museum-Reserve, Akhmetkhan Sampiev, as well as historians, public figures, researchers, university professors, cultural workers, and others.

The film “Twelve Degrees” is dedicated to the history of Ingushetia, the ancient Ingush temple “Thaba-Erdy” and the reconstructed historical objects – 12 thrones installed near the temple last summer. The film presents in detail the material collected over years of research, which reveals the peculiarities of the social structure and values passed down from generation to generation over the centuries.