Jeyrakh-Assin Reserve

Currently, active work is underway on the certification of cultural heritage sites in mountainous Ingushetia.

The SAFMAR Charitable Foundation signed a contract for 200 million rubles with a company from St. Petersburg, which will do this work.

Specialists will work on a detailed description of each architectural object in mountain Ingushetia. This will be not just a statistical record, but an accurate history of the origin of each family tower and settlement. Such large-scale work has never been carried out before and is of great importance for the history of the people.

Head of the Committee for the State Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites Kodzoev T.U. and Acting Director of the Dzheyrakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve Sampiev A.A. took part in the International Scientific and Practical Conference “Caucasus at the junction of Europe and Asia: problems of preserving historical and cultural heritage and restoring unique sites in the North Caucasus Federal District”, which takes place in Grozny, Chechen Republic on July 21-23, 2024.

At the conference, Timirlan Umarovich made a report “Historical and cultural heritage as the most important factor in the socio-economic development of the Republic of Ingushetia”, in which he outlined the preservation of historical and cultural heritage as a priority in the work of the authorities.

The head of the Committee in his speech spoke about the importance of historical and cultural heritage in the socio-economic development of the republic, its current state, as well as measures taken to preserve it.

One of the most important directions of development of the region, the leadership of the republic considers the development of the tourism industry, allowing to use and effectively use the recreational, production and socio-cultural potential of the republic, which also involves providing the population with new jobs and, accordingly, increasing tax revenues.

Large-scale work on the restoration of tower complexes, which take place in mountainous Ingushetia, was noted with the financial support of the SAFMAR charity fund of M. Gutseriev. The adopted program, designed for 10-15 years, involves, in addition to the restoration of cultural heritage sites and the renewal of engineering communications, the construction of hotels, campsites and other facilities related to the tourist business.

At the end of his speech, the head of the Committee showed slides dedicated to mountain Ingushetia.

The event was held in a friendly and positive atmosphere, where participants exchanged experiences and learned a lot of new and interesting things for further study and preservation of the historical and cultural heritage of the regions.

Employees of the museum-reserve, during a planned roundabout, 150 meters east of the tower complex "New Evli" found an underground crypt not taken into account in the list of identified objects of cultural heritage.

New Evloy is located 0.5 km southwest of Old Evloy. Today, there are badly damaged 1 combat and 5 residential tower structures, which are united by a stone wall into a single complex.

The object identified has an almost square base - 200x230 cm, from the inside it is made of uncooked stones, on lime. The entrance to the burial ground is half covered with a stone slab, contains bone remains, safety is satisfactory.

The crypt is an above-ground, semi-underground or underground room intended for the burial of the dead, was called to life in the highlands due to the acute lack of land. They were located mainly on the slopes of the mountains. The Ingushes called the crypts "milha kash" - solar graves.

Usually the crypts are located in a group on the outskirts of the village, forming a special city of the dead, but more often they are scattered near the village in several places. They are made of unhewn stones, on lime, have a yellow lining and in each tier of laze (with sides about 0.5 m), through which the dead were dragged. The laz is covered with a wooden board or stone slab. The crypts are oriented to the cardinal points by corners or walls. The height of the crypts ranges from 3-4 to 5-6 meters, at the base the length of the sides varies from 2 to 4 meters.

Depending on the number of tiers, the manholes are located on all sides of the crypt, serving as an entrance to each tier, also small through holes that provide ventilation are often found in the walls. A drilled stone slab is often reinforced on the side of the manhole or above it; sometimes it was replaced by two stones forming a gap between them.

According to some residents, a pole with a white flag was inserted into this hole in the old days, which remained on the crypt until it decayed. Quite often on the cladding of the crypts there are prints of the hands, as is reasonably assumed, the builder of the crypt.

For the identified object - an underground crypt, to ensure its integrity and safety, an application will be submitted to the Committee of State Protection of Cultural Heritage Objects on its inclusion in the list of identified objects of cultural heritage of the republic.

As part of the work plan for visual inspection of the technical condition of cultural heritage objects, an inspection trip to the Erzi architectural complex was made.

Erzi Tower Complex (Airzi) is one of the largest medieval castle-type tower settlements located at the tip of the mountain range, including fifty small residential towers, two semi-combat towers, 8 battle towers and a long stone defensive wall with wide gates of the late Middle Ages. The battle towers are 5 and 6-storey. Also on the territory of the complex are visible the remains of stone walls, once blocking the path of enemies. The floors of the towers start from four and end with six levels. Erzi translates from Ingush as “eagle”.

At the foot of the Erzi complex there is a domed mausoleum of Yand-Kash, that is, Yandov’s grave. Here is buried Yand tower builder - the famous stone architect of all times, who lived in the XVII century. The mausoleum contained a relic that gave this village such a name - the bronze Eagle of Suleiman. Or rather, for the Ingush it was simply the Eagle, and the name of the master Suleiman, as well as the date of manufacture, was already determined by Caucasian experts, who found that the bird was ringed with an inscription on an Arabic alphabet. Around the figure of the eagle began a discussion of scientists, arguing about the date of its manufacture, the date of its appearance in the mountains of Ingushetia, its purpose, etc. The eagle was made in 796, most likely in Basra, and is the oldest accurately dated piece of Islamic art in the Middle East. How he got here - no one now will say: maybe he was captured by the mountaineers in some caravan, or maybe was presented by the Persians as a sign of peace.

For Ingushetia, it became one of the national symbols. For many years this eagle was in the Hermitage, the Ingush long demanded to return the eagle home, where he was taken back in 1931. As a result, a copy was made in St. Petersburg, in 2013 it was placed in the local history museum named after T. Malsagov, in Nazran.

The Ayrzi complex is historically part of the Metskhal Society.

As part of the state contract for the restoration of monuments, for 2012-2017 restoration works were carried out at the complex, which allowed them to be preserved for posterity and adapted for museum display.

Acting Director of the Museum-Reserve Sampiev A.A., in the framework of supervision of restoration, conservation and emergency work aimed at preserving historical and architectural objects of mountain Ingushetia, made an inspection trip to the tower complexes "Morch" and "Khyamishki", where restoration work is carried out on the agreed projects of "ASM Group". Specialists who also carry out the author's control of the work carried out.

For example, during the last supervision, samples of solutions used by the contractor during restoration were selected and sent to the laboratory for examination.

Hamishki and Morch are complexes located in the Dzheyrakhov gorge with many historical objects of varying degrees of preservation.

Recall that in September last year, the first stage of restoration work at the Morch complex was completed, during which one combat, one semi-combat and one residential tower were restored.

Two restored battle towers can be seen in Hjamishka.

During the tour, employees of the Jeirakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve, 3-4 km north of the tower complex "Guli", on Mount Giyrakhye, discovered a previously unrecorded object - a unique architectural structure attached to the mountain range.

The object has two tiers, an arched doorway, a window opening and presumably served our ancestors as a sheepdog (jelly) for corralling cattle. The building is also equipped with one machicula-balcony.

The object is well preserved, perhaps due to the fact that it, like Dzaurkyongi-Jel - a more famous unique monument that has come down to us in its original form, and located in Upper Guli, is attached to the rock, which provides them with a protective function.

The monument after the relevant works will be included in the list of identified objects of cultural heritage of the republic.

Marzaganov Ruslan, founder of Albi Technoparks, member of the Committee of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation in the field of construction, scientist and specialist in the field of scientific restoration, met with the head of the Committee for State Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites of Ingushetia Kodzoev Timerlan Umarovich, as well as Acting Director of the Jeirakh-Assin Museum-Reserve Sampiev Akhmedkhan Alikhanovich and took the initiative to preserve the temple "Albi-Yerda" from destruction by tourists, local residents, livestock, etc.

The temple - the sanctuary of "Albi-Yerda", more than 1000 years old, is located on the left bank of the river "Assa", from which, according to historians, more than a quarter of the entire Ingush genus originated. After the approval of the project, a metal fence will be erected around the historical object, with a total length of about 200 meters. This measure, as well as the installation of a video recording system of violations, will prevent the destruction of the temple and will initiate restoration work.

These measures are taken to protect and preserve the object of cultural heritage of the Republic of Ingushetia.

On August 12, 2024, during the tour, employees of the Jeirakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve, 1200 meters south-east of the Lower Puy tower complex, discovered a previously unrecorded object – a pillar-shaped sanctuary – cIuv.

Pillar-shaped sanctuaries are one of the types of religious structures made of stone, which were erected, according to Ingush folklore, in the place where lightning killed a person.

Deputy Director of the company "Heritage" Y. Gogiev notes that this pillar-shaped sanctuary differs from a group of similar sanctuaries in its size - it is larger in size and lancet niche is quite deep and wide. In the past, this sanctuary was crowned by a gabled pyramidal-step roof of slate slabs. At the moment it is completely destroyed. In terms of the base of the sanctuary is rectangular.

The pillar-shaped sanctuaries are the most numerous group of religious monuments of mountain Ingushetia. In his work Medieval Cult Monuments of the Central Caucasus (Grozny, 1989, P. 89), B. Musukhoev writes that this group of monuments refers to the most recent time of construction of pre-Islamic religious monuments. He considers them family, explaining the reason why there are several pillar-shaped sanctuaries near some villages (two in Erzi, three in Egikale).

The monument, after carrying out the relevant works, to ensure its integrity and safety, will be included in the list of identified objects of cultural heritage of the republic.

In recent years, archaeologists have begun to find evidence of an ancient civilization that existed in Ingushetia long before written history. Cyclopic buildings are structures of huge uncooked stone blocks of solutionless masonry of a horizontal plan, ancient stone dwellings. Cyclopean structures are considered a masterpiece of ancient civilization – no one knows exactly who built them and why.

The beginning of the scientific study of megalithic monuments on the territory of mountain Ingushetia falls on 20-30 years. XX century. It was at this time that they were studied by such famous Russian Caucasian scientists as L.P. Semenov and E.I. Krupnov.

Currently, on the state record as the identified objects of cultural heritage consist in the architectural complex Targim in the amount of 14 buildings, although in the territory of mountain Ingushetia such buildings were previously found at the villages of Egikal, Hamkhi, Khart, Doshkhakle, Tori, Ozik, Keli, Kazi, etc. These days, the staff of the museum-reserve began a huge work to register all cyclopean buildings in mountain Ingushetia as objects of cultural heritage.

It should be noted that among scientists, the question of dating cyclopean structures for many years remains controversial. The problem of dating megalithic structures today, as before, is relevant.

L.P. Semyonov and E.I. Krupnov, after studying the remains of megalithic buildings in the Ingush villages of Hamkhi, Egikal, Doshkhakle, it was concluded that these cyclopean fortress houses belong to the era of the Scythians, i.e. VII-V centuries BC. "when there were strong patrimonial foundations and all buildings were erected by the efforts of numerous members of the clan." The idea of the antiquity of cyclopean monuments according to folklore information is also expressed by the Caucasian scientist B.K. Dalgat.

However, recently such scientists as: S. T. Umarov, V. B., Vinogradov, V. I., Markovin, who studied these megalithic structures in mountain Ingushetia, call another time of their origin XI-XIII centuries AD.

The most optimal and acceptable option is the dating put forward by the archaeologist M.B. Musukhoev. In the late 70s and early 80s, he excavated cyclopean buildings near the medieval tower settlements of Kart and Doshkhakle. Having made an analysis on the basis of the collected material, he gives his dating of II – I thousand BC. At the same time, the scientist also expresses an opinion about the diversity of cyclopean buildings. Archaeologist V.I. Kozenkova also considers it possible to attribute the type of stone dwellings in question to 1 thousand BC.

With the origin of these huge buildings associated with many legends and legends. It was believed that megaliths are the work of giants who, playfully, could throw stones from the palm of your hand to the palm of your hand. The ancient Greeks believed that these huge structures were built by one-eyed mythical giants – cyclops. Hence the name.

In the legends of the Ingush are also mentioned giants - wampalas, and among them there were one-eyed giants. However, legends or legends cannot give a general objective explanation of how and by whom, were built, and most importantly, to what period the construction of these buildings belongs. The lack of written evidence on this issue makes it difficult to study it.

On August 14, as part of the work plan, employees of the Dzhirakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve held a Saturday on the territory of the architectural complex "Lower Puy". All garbage was collected and removed from the complex, grass and unwanted vegetation were mowed.

Acting Director of the Museum-Reserve Sampiev A.A. thanked all the participants of the event and at the same time expressed hope that visitors to the mountainous area will be more careful and careful about the environment. Not where they are, but where they are not.

Earlier, the adjacent territory of the Egikal complex was brought into proper sanitary condition.

As part of the work plan for the visual inspection of the technical condition of cultural heritage sites, the staff of the Dzhirakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve made an inspection trip to the temple-sanctuary "Itaz-Erda".

Itaz-Erda is one of the largest temples-sanctuaries of mountain Ingushetia, located south of the village of Olgeti, on the slope of the forested mountain of the side gorge of the Archkha River of the Jeirakh district of Ingushetia. During the visual inspection, we found the unsatisfactory condition of the monument, despite the fact that it was preserved to the full height.

Dimensions in plan: 4.97×10.34 m, height 4.52 m. The structure is rectangular, stretched from east to west. The walls are lined with rough stones in lime mortar. Outside covered with lime smear. Uncovered floor.

The monument was explored in 1969-1970 . Inside were found a large number of horns of sacrificial animals (bulls, tours, deer, goats, deer), as well as iron arrowheads and fragments of ceramics.

The temple is now partially destroyed. Emergency condition, previously conservation work was not carried out. Repair and restoration work is required.

The history of each village is associated with some legend or legend. In addition to the legend of the outstanding person whose name this temple is named, there is another ancient history that is passed down by the inhabitants of the village of Olgetti from generation to generation. The legend says that in this place, where the temple is located, it is categorically impossible to cut down trees, since this place is considered sacred (as well as all places where temples are located) : the felled tree should soon die. Residents of nearby villages and to this day continue to believe in this tradition, and still do not dare to cut shrubs and trees in this truly sacred place.

On August 17, during the next inspection, employees of the museum-reserve on the territory of the architectural complex "Upper Puy" discovered previously unrecorded 3 underground crypt tombs.

“Upper Puy” is a small castle-type tower village, located in the Dzheyrakh district, the southern part of the Targim basin, under the Molellnya mountain. It consists of one semi-combat, which survived to a height of four tiers and dilapidated residential buildings.

towers.

The discovered crypts are located 150-300 m south-west of the complex in the forest.

Identified objects of cultural heritage to ensure their integrity and safety, having carried out the relevant work, will be included in the list of identified OKS of the Republic of Ingushetia.

On August 19, the head of the Committee for State Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites Kodzoev T. U. and Acting Director of the Jeirakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve Sampiev A. A. visited the tower complex "Metskhal", where specialists of complex architectural and restoration projects of the ASM GROUP together with employees of the museum-reserve are working on fixing and accounting of the OKN of mountain Ingushetia.

Metskhal is a large tower village in the Jeirakh district, near Falkhan. Today there are preserved only dilapidated, but not lost its historical value, buildings.

Employees of the Jeirakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve, within the framework of the work plan to identify and account for previously unrecorded architectural monuments, and partners of the institution, within the framework of the implementation of the National Object Management and Safety System "Territory" on the territory of the museum-reserve, conducted joint studies of cave-type structures on the southern slope of Table Mountain in the Jeirakh district.

As a result of the measures taken, the locations of 6 buildings were determined, measurements of the front and interior parts of the premises were made, photofixation was made.

Thus, the staff of the museum-reserve in the process of work noted the following interesting details of rock buildings:

The front part of the first building is represented by a solid masonry of arched form, closing the entrance to the cave, there is an entrance opening and a small window above the opening.

The second structure has about a dozen small holes, probably loopholes throughout the area of the front wall.

The front part of the fourth structure consists of two masonry, separated by rock. The clutches close two interconnected caves. Opposite the entrance opening there is a deepening into the rock part with a depth of 6.7 m, a height of no more than 1.5 m, protrusions for the ceilings of the second tier are noticeable on the wall.

In the left part of the sixth building, there is a depression forming a separate room, the depth of which is 7.7 m, the width is 4.2 m.

These are the interim results of the conducted research, work in this direction continues, according to unspecified data, there are about three dozen rock buildings on the slopes of Table Mountain, they will all be taken into account and by the Order of the Committee for the State Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites of the Republic of Ingushetia put on the state register.

Employees of the Jeirakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve held a Saturday in the territories of the architectural complexes "Hamkhi" and "Middle Khairakh". Employees collected and removed all garbage from the complexes and brought to the appropriate sanitary condition of the adjacent territory of the complexes.

Taking this opportunity, we urge all residents to observe cleanliness and order in the protected area. Take care of our cultural heritage!!

In the Ingush State Museum of Local History named after Tugan Malsagov, a solemn ceremony was held to transfer more than 200 archaeological objects of great scientific interest to the representatives of the Institute of Archaeology of the Caucasus.

Archaeological excavations, presented in the form of household items, ceramics, tools, jewelry, were discovered in 2018 during the reconstruction of the federal highway “Caucasus” in the Gamurzievsky administrative district and were stored in the Institute of Archaeology of the Caucasus for almost six years and during this time were studied in detail.

Scientists attribute these findings to the Koban archaeological culture of the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages.

Director of the Institute of Archaeology of the Caucasus Biyaslan Atabiyev notes that the significance of these finds goes far beyond the Caucasus: “Ceramic vessels, works of jewelry, available among the transferred artifacts, give an idea of trade routes, trade economic ties, the level of socio-economic development of society.”

It should be noted that the staff of the Institute of Archaeology of the Caucasus did a lot of work on the description and cartography of these objects. In total, there are more than 4000 of these artifacts, 200 items that came to the republic are only the first batch, the work on the return of the remaining part will continue.

The transfer of artifacts to the Ingush Museum of Local History took place thanks to the joint work of the head of the Committee for the State Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites Kodzoev T. U., Acting Director of the Jeirakh-Assin Museum-Reserve Sampiev A. A. and Director of the Institute of Archaeology of the Caucasus Biyaslan Atabiev, who at the end of 2023 came to a mutual agreement on the return of all finds to their historical homeland.

Today we want to devote this material to such an unpleasant phenomenon as vandalism in the mountains. Vandalism is understood as acts of destructive human behavior, during which objects of art and culture are destroyed or desecrated.

Unfortunately, we have to state that employees of the museum-reserve have repeatedly recorded cases of vandalism in the mountainous area.

Despite the fact that, in our work, we repeatedly remind visitors to the mountainous area about the fragility of monuments, that we are doing irreparable damage to monuments with our illegal actions, many stubbornly ignore the comments and climb some objects that are already under threat of collapse, put inscriptions on them, make bonfires in the wrong place, leave garbage behind, etc.

As part of our work, we conducted introductory conversations with students of the SOS of the republic, talked about the rules of visiting the mountainous terrain, about the need to observe cleanliness and order on the territory of monuments, but we could not assume that there was a need to explain such things to adults.

Monuments of history and culture are the memory of our ancestors, it is our historical homeland, it is, finally, the heritage of the entire Ingush people, so we have no moral right not only to its destruction, desecration, we have no right even to its oblivion.

Therefore, taking this opportunity, as we condemn those who desecrate the memory of ancestors, we also thank all those who consciously relate to the monuments of antiquity, all who, showing an active civic position, spend subbotniks in the mountainous area, are engaged in cutting down unwanted vegetation and bring the territory of the reserve into proper sanitary condition.

As we have repeatedly said, monuments of history and culture are under state protection. Persons who caused damage to the object of cultural heritage shall bear criminal, administrative and other liability in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.

I would also like to remind some offenders that in addition to installed security cameras, many complexes are protected by “photo traps”, which give an unmistakable ability to recognize them.

In this regard, as part of our work, we warn that the photos of the next violators on a huge banner, we will hang at the entrance to the Dzheyrakh district, and will also post them on their Telegram channel and on the official website of the institution, and they will have a unique opportunity to “glorify” themselves throughout the republic.

Unique sketches of the temple "Thaba-Erdy" and its architectural details of 1968-1969 from the project of the Honored Artist of the Georgian SSR, head of the Department of the Academy of Arts of Georgia architect L.A. Himshiashvili.

Gradually destroyed temple by the 60s. The twentieth century was in serious emergency condition. In this regard, the Doctor of Historical Sciences E.I. Krupnov addressed a letter to the Government of the CIASSR about saving a unique architectural monument. As a result of the agreement of the Ministry of Culture of the CIASSR with Georgian special scientific restoration workshops, restoration works of the temple were carried out in 1969-1971 according to the project of the Honored Artist of the Georgian SSR, head of the Department of the Academy of Arts of Georgia architect L. A. Khimshiashvili.

In parallel with the restoration work, archaeological excavations were carried out by the famous Georgian scientist Givi Gaezovich Gambashidze.

August 29, 2024 GKU "Jeyrakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve" and GBU "Ingush Research Institute of Humanities named after Ch.E. Akhriev" signed an agreement on joint cooperation.

The subject of the agreement is the cooperation of the Parties in the field of socio-cultural activities to preserve and update the historical and cultural heritage of the mountainous part of the Republic of Ingushetia, research, preservation and popularization of stone architecture of Ingushetia, joint implementation of long-term socio-cultural programs and projects.

Within the framework of this agreement, the institutions will cooperate in the implementation of joint projects and events aimed at preserving and popularizing the historical and cultural potential of the republic, participate in joint exhibition events, organize joint work in the field of information, publishing, etc.

The heads of the institutions expressed hope for fruitful and mutually beneficial cooperation, which will contribute to the emergence of new joint projects and this will be an important step towards preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of Ingushetia.

For example, one of the first joint projects will be the participation of the Dzhirakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve in the International Scientific and Practical Conference “National Public Education in Russia: History and Modernity”, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Ingushetia, which will be held in the capital of the Republic of Ingushetia from September 23-25, 2024.

The medieval castle "Towers of Two Rivals" ("Shin Engara G1alage") is located on the narrow crest of the spur of the Rocky Ridge between the gorges of Ozdi-choch and Ah-choch.

The absence of a stone vault makes these towers similar to the castle complex "Vonushki". Time was merciless to wooden floors, they did not survive. Large cracks were recorded along the walls. The base of the towers is shale. This is a rock unstable to climate change, which crumbles over time. The four-story tower is severely damaged at the base. Thus, as a result of natural phenomena, the towers are on the verge of destruction. Of course, the Towers of Two Rivals is one of the wonders of Ingushetia, a unique phenomenon of the material culture of our people. This complex is the embodiment of the brilliant, native Ingush skill of tower business.