Jeyrakh-Assin Reserve

The medieval tower complex Shoan is located in the picturesque Shoan Gorge near the Armkhi River. The etymology of the name is obscure (according to one data, the ancestor of the Shankhoi-Shoa migrated from Barkin and founded Shoani, according to others Shoankhoi got its name from the habitat in the highlands from “shuo” - abyss, precipice).

At a glance, this complex resembles a swallow's nest clinging to a steep cliff. There was once one combat tower and 11 residential towers. As in all tower complexes of mountainous Ingushetia, there is a vaulted doorway on the second floor of the combat tower, and on the first floor there are sacks for storing agricultural supplies. According to the stories of old residents, Shoan was home to master gunsmiths, girls were famous for their weaving skills and ability to embroider with gold, silver and beads.

On the left bank of the river dividing Shoan into two parts, at the entrance to the Shoan gorge, on a high slope there is a watchtower, it is almost destroyed today. Nearby is the cemetery of those distant times. The gravestones (churtash) are overgrown with green moss. Elmarza-Khyazha, recognized as a saint in Ingushetia, is said to have been buried here.

Historians and archaeologists have noted and described the Shoan single semi-subterranean crypt, crypt burial grounds, stone box burial ground. There is a Shoan sanctuary of Tusholi, memorial chambers. On the eastern side of Shoan there are two pillar-shaped sanctuaries.

Particularly notable is the so-called Shuan “City of the Dead” (“Mohde”), located 1.0 km west of the complex, in the Mohde locality.

The scale of the “Shuansky City of the Dead” (Mohde) is impressive - it is the largest necropolis in the region and in the region, consisting of more than 250 underground and semi-underground collective crypt vaults of the late Middle Ages.

This unique crypt necropolis has been permanently studied since the end of the XIX century by V. F. Miller, V. I. Dolbezhev, L. P. Semenov, Yo. I. Krupnov, M.X. Kataev, M.V. Muzhukhoev, D.Y. Chakhkiev, E.I. Narozhny, R.A. Dautova, X.M. Mamaev and other researchers, whose scientific works give general and detailed characterization of many local tombs, burial rites, found here very numerous and diverse finds.

The results of the latest scientific research allow us to attribute this burial ground as a whole to the second half of the XIII-XV centuries.

At present, Shoan is deserted, except for S. Getagazov, who settled there. Getagazov, who settled here in 1992.

Sanctuaries, as the most expressive monuments of pagan cult, have long attracted the attention of researchers of the region. However and now not all sanctuaries of the country are fixed by archeologists. Besides newly discovered monuments were not always studied and described with necessary for the subsequent work on them completeness and thoroughness.

In this material, we would like to show the temples and sanctuaries of mountainous Ingushetia, note their location from west to east and tell about the degree of their preservation.

In 800 meters southwest of Upper Jeyrakh, on a wooded mountain slope one can see the ruins of the sanctuary Sampai-Chug, which was dedicated to the patron saint of the home hearth.

The sanctuary of Myat-seli is located on the site of Table Mountain, at the very edge of the southern cliffs, at an altitude of 2560 meters above sea level. A feature of the sanctuary are two doors located in the west and east walls. The site has been preserved to its full height.

Myat-seli had the significance of one of the most important Ingush patrons. According to Ingush belief, Tamyzh-Yerda, Amgaly-Yerda and Myatseli were siblings, of whom Myatseli was the eldest.

The ruins of the temple of Myater-Dyala are located 200 meters above the temple of Myat-Seli, on the northern slope of the mountain. In ancient times, prayers were also held at this shrine, which is more compact than Myat-Seli.

At 450 meters above the towers of Morch stands the temple-sanctuary Morch-Seli XVI-XVII century, with a half-destroyed roof, it is the only more or less preserved temple at the foot of Table Mountain.

In the area of the village of Kerbite, on the crest of the mountain ridge, stands a small late medieval sanctuary building with a square base and a flattened gable-stepped roof.

This monument was first noted by L.P. Semenov and I.P. Shcheblykin. Its stationary research, which revealed inside the building only bones of sacrificial domestic animals, was carried out by M.B. Muzhukhoev in 1976. Apparently, this sanctuary belongs to the 17th century, as evidenced by local fragmentary historical and folklore stories.

The Itaz-Yerdy sanctuary temple is located 2 km south of Olgeti village, on the high right bank of the stream of Olgeti gorge. The temple has large dimensions, almost 10 meters long, 5 meters wide and 5 meters high. The inner room is divided by a lancet arch, which goes from the very floor.

Within the boundaries of the Egenta complex, 50 meters south of the residential towers stands the late medieval, dilapidated temple-sanctuary of Gal Erda. To the left of the entrance to the temple there is a plaster drawing of a horseman with a spear.

Half a kilometer from the tower village of Magote, on the edge of a huge cliff stands the ancient temple of Mago-Yerdy, named in honor of the legendary magician, sage Mago, who became the progenitor of five Caucasian clans and built, according to legend, by him.

A small sanctuary was built near Mago-Yerdy in honor of Seska-Solsa-Yerdy, the leader of the Narts. According to legend, a radiance emanated from Seska-Solsa's sanctuary. At night it was so bright that one could sew near it. Now the shrine has collapsed into the abyss.

At the northern edge of the village of Tumgi stands one of the largest cult buildings of mountainous Ingushetia - the temple of Tumgoi-Yerdy. According to radioisotope dating, it was built in 1558-1637 . Inside the building has three stone arches.

The Tusholi temple-sanctuary of Meller is located 300 meters west of the Meller combat tower, the structure was destroyed long ago, and today there are only remnants of the structure.

Keli sanctuary is located to the north of Keli village and northwest of Kog village, on the southern slope of the mountain Tsei-Lam. The building is half-destroyed, rectangular in plan, oriented along the line S-S and previously had a gable-stepped roof.

In the limits of the village of Kog towers heavily damaged late medieval sanctuary-building Tusholi (Kog-Yerda), which has a rectangular base and gable-stepped roof.

According to radiocarbon analysis, the sanctuary was built in 1441-1486 .

On a difficultly accessible top of mountain Kuleyloam (2915 m) of the Tsei-Loam ridge there is a heavily damaged medieval sanctuary Dyala.

Above the Gadaborsh complex, on the top of a gentle wooded ridge is a half-destroyed large temple-sanctuary of the XVII century Dzorakh-Dyala.

0.2 km north of the village of Kart, on the crest of a high hill, stands a heavily damaged large temple-sanctuary Dyalit late medieval period.

The sanctuary is quadrangular at the base, with a gable-stepped roof. In the past the temple-sanctuary enjoyed great honor among the Ingush, who even at the end of the XIX century gathered to it to solve common issues.

On the north-western outskirts of the settlement Barkhane, rises a graceful medium-sized late medieval sanctuary-building, which has a rectangular base and preserved gable-stepped roof. It is oriented in a south-east to north-west direction. Inside the building is divided into two parts by an arch.

Opposite Targim settlement, on the opposite slope of the Assy bank one can see the ruins of the sanctuary-mausoleum of Ausha-Sel. Once the mausoleum reached a height of three meters. According to legend, a certain Aush was killed by lightning of the thunderer Sel, and the mausoleum was erected to commemorate it.

The Targim (first) temple is a building measuring seven meters long, almost five meters wide, with one apse and a girt arch. The roof of the temple is not preserved. A distinctive feature of the temple is the presence of an underground crypt tomb, the access to which was arranged under the western wall of the temple. On one of the walls of the temple there are inscriptions in the ancient Georgian language, according to which it can be attributed to the XI century.

The second Christian temple in Targim was discovered recently. A part of the northern wall has been preserved from it. Near the temple there is a semi-underground tomb.

One and a half kilometers from Gappi at the top of a wooded mountain is located Gappin temple-sanctuary Gurmte, presumably dated XVI-XVII centuries. Up to the beginning of the XX century, the inhabitants of the whole area prayed and sacrificed here. Nowadays the temple is very rarely visited.

The Erzi tower complex is one of the largest tower complexes in mountainous Ingushetia, located at the tip of the mountain ridge, 900 meters west of Kerbite.

It includes combat, semi-combat and dwelling towers, various annexes to them, as well as crypt burial grounds, a nucleus-shaped mausoleum, a temple-sanctuary, etc.

The number of storeys of towers starts from 4 and ends with 6 levels.

Erzi means eagle in Ingush.

Near the towers of the aul there is a nucleus-shaped mausoleum Yand-Kash (Yand's grave), which was built over the grave of a famous local architect named Yand, the ancestor of the Yandiyev family. There are many tales and legends about Yand.

For example, an old Ingush song - illi “About how the tower was built” sings about the work of stonemasons, one of whom is a famous architect named Yand. We will write more about it in a later piece.

Briefly, Yand-Kash was described in the works of Soviet archaeologists-ethnographers L. P. Semenov, I. P. Shcheblykin, E. I. Krupnov, who in the early twentieth century conducted archaeological research on the territory of Ingushetia, thus laying the foundation for a comprehensive study of the past of our region.

A relic of a bronze eagle was found in the mausoleum, which gave the village its name.

This relic became one of the national symbols for Ingushetia. A copy of this eagle is in the T. Malsagov Local History Museum, while the original is kept in St. Petersburg, in the State Hermitage Museum.

Yesterday, employees of the Museum-Reserve took part in an event held in the walls of the Tugan Malsagov Ingush State Museum of Local Lore. Tugan Malsagov on the return of the third part of the artifacts discovered in 2018 during the reconstruction of the federal highway “Kavkaz” in the Gamurzievsky administrative district.

The archaeological excavations were stored at the Institute of Caucasus Archaeology for almost six years, and during this time a tremendous amount of work was done to study, describe and map them.

The event was attended by the deputy of the People's Assembly Tsoroev A.Kh., representatives of the Institute of Archaeology of the Caucasus, the head of the Committee of State Protection of the objects of cultural heritage Kodzoev T.U., Professor E.D. Muzhekhoeva, associate professor of the History Department of Ingush State University, employees of the Jeirakh-Assinsk Museum-Reserve, employees of the E.I. Krupnov Archaeological Center, employees of the Ch. Akhriev Research Institute of Humanities, local historians, students, as well as people who are not indifferent to the history of the Ingush people.

All speakers agreed that the found exhibits are of great scientific interest for the history and culture of the republic.

In 2018, the expansion of the federal highway “Kavkaz” was underway in the Gamurzievo area. Soon the usual construction work entailed a real archaeological expedition. During this time, whole towns (or rather what was left of them - ancient settlements), Scythian barrows with ancient household items: clay vessels, bronze jewelry and even mysterious remains of people with deformed skulls were discovered underground. Gamurzievskoye ancient settlement is a historical settlement in Nazranovsky district of Ingushetia. The ruins of the ancient settlement occupy a vast territory - about 10 thousand square meters.

In total, during the excavations were found more than 4000 items of deep antiquity, belonging, according to experts, to the Koban culture and the Alanian era.

Yesterday representatives delivered more than 1500 artifacts, by the way, this is the third batch of exhibits, and 2 batches were brought earlier, last year.

The transfer of the artifacts to the Ingush people took place thanks to the joint work of the head of the Committee for State Protection of Cultural Heritage Objects Kodzoev T.U., acting director of the Jeirakh-Assinsk Museum-Reserve Sampiev A.A., head of the local history museum Sagov M.Z. and director of the Institute of Caucasian Archaeology Biyaslan Atabiev, who at the end of 2023 came to a mutual agreement to return the finds to their historical homeland.

All artifacts in the form of fragments of ceramics, women's jewelry, weapons, household items, etc., reflecting the history and culture of the Ingush people are presented at the exhibition in the Museum of Local Lore.

The inspector of the museum-reserve M. Akhilgov held a preventive talk on the formation of a careful attitude to monuments of history and culture with the students of the Beyninsky branch of the State budgetary general educational institution “Secondary Educational School-Kindergarten of the village of Jeyrakh named after I.S.Lyanov”.

Representatives of the Jeirakh-Assinsk Museum-Reserve visited the opening of a monument to Idris Beisultanovich Zyazikov, an outstanding political and state figure, an active participant in the creation of the Ingush Autonomous Oblast and its first leader.

The monument was erected in Magas, on the square in front of the Administration of the Head of the Republic.

The Ingush believed that individual families, villages and societies had special patrons - divine beings or saints. Their name in Ingush is “tstsu” or “yerdy”. Some of these deities acquired general Ingush significance and were equally honored by all Ingush, while others (and these were the majority) were purely local, family or clan patrons.

Public places where deities are honored are usually tracts on elevated places (which, however, is not obligatory), sometimes close to the village, sometimes at a considerable distance from it.

The center of veneration is “elgyts” - a temple or sanctuary - a small building with an inner room, often enclosed by a fence.

Groves are also among the venerated tracts. Thus, in various places in Ingushetia we can point to protected and sacred groves (for example, in the areas of the villages of Furtoug, Khuli and Khairakh).

It was forbidden to enter the sacred grove or to let livestock into it; no trees could be cut down in it. If necessary, the priest gave special permission for this or that.

The veneration of groves and trees was expressed in a number of cultic actions: large trees were chosen, altars were placed under them, offerings were hung on the branches - horns of deer, aurochs, rags and rags, etc., festivities were organized, the so-called Khirkh-erdy.

Here we shall also mention that a number of objects used in cults were connected in different forms with the fact of veneration of groves or trees in general.

The four-sided shaft of the beirah, the sacred flag, which appeared at almost all great festivals, was usually made of a pole cut from a protected grove. The priest, who for the most part held his office for life, had to mark each annual celebration by cutting on the same edge of the shaft. After the death of the priest, his successor made the same cuts on the second edge, and so on. A shaft that had outlived four priests, and therefore had cuts on all four sides, had to be replaced by a new one. It was either stuck behind the ceiling beams of the elgats, as an unnecessary, but still sacred, object, or burned, if the period of its existence was unlucky (diseases, drought, bad harvest, etc.). A rod for a new shaft was cut, on behalf of the priest, in a protected grove by a single guy of chaste behavior. He had to go silently into the forest, silently and with one blow of the axe to fell the tree and silently return and hand the shaft to the priest.

In the cult of Magi-erda there is a rite of throwing linden staffs by old men...

A long time ago there lived in the mountains a man named Diskhi, who was famous for his art of building tall towers. In one of the auls of the Akki Gorge Diskhi married a maiden. Once in spring, when it is easiest to get sheepskins from young sheep in the mountains, Diskhi asked his bride to prepare sheepskins and make him a coat.

The bride promised to fulfill the bridegroom's request, but she was very sluggish: the summer was coming to an end, cold mornings were beginning, and the coat was still missing. The groom inquired whether his errand had been fulfilled, and to his great dismay he was convinced of his bride's utter negligence; it turned out that the sheepskins had not yet been finally dressed. Wishing to express as much indignation as possible for such inattention to his request, Diskhi became indignant and, in order to teach his bride a lesson, said that he himself would prepare everything necessary and build a high tower sooner than the coat was ready.

From words came to deeds: Diskhi began to prepare the stones, and then he soon began to build the walls. Naturally, Diskhi was in a great hurry, so that he could prove the truth of his words before his bride. The walls were already finished, stone slabs were piled on the high scaffolding; it was left to make the roof of them, as suddenly the logs of the scaffolding broke under the exorbitant weight of the stone and.... Diskhi fell from a height of five feet with the material with which he was killed.

The bride came running to the alarm and seeing the disfigured corpse of her bridegroom, threw herself on the dagger beside him and also fell dead. The famous master died, and the fatal tower is still called Diskhi-woo.

As part of the work plan, employees of the Jeirakh-Assinsk Museum-Reserve are holding preventive talks with schoolchildren about developing a careful attitude to the republic's historical and cultural monuments.

A little higher than where the Armkhi River flows into the Terek, at the intersection of the Daryal and Jeyrakhov gorges, at the end of the last century a graceful 5-story watchtower with a rectangular base, flat roof and high parapet stood on a rock. It reached a height of 23.00 meters. Here armed warriors of the surrounding tower settlements alternately performed guard duty, controlling the vital trade and transportation highway. And as soon as enemies appeared in the Daryal Gorge, the guards would light a fire on the tower, and the rising smoke would let people know about the approaching danger. Now only separate stone blocks of the base of the tower have been preserved.

The substantial folklore and ethnographic information about it was collected by N.F. Ustvolskaya, and later by I.A. Dakhkilgov and D.Y. Chakhkiev.

And here is what is written about this tower in Ingush legend.

Not far from this watchtower, where Ezminskoye Lake is now, there was a strong fortress where many people lived. There was also a large army in that fortress.

Once an untold army of steppe warriors appeared in the gorge. The watchtower was alerted to the approaching danger. The men of authority decided that the people of the fortress must either defeat the enemy or perish. And they also decided: “If it happens that all our warriors die and the enemy wins, women should throw themselves and their children into the abyss, and girls should marry into the fire.

- And what should we who have lost our strength do? - asked the decrepit old men.

- You must pass around a bowl of poison,” they were told, ”drink it while making toasts.

The battle began. The fighters didn't know day or night. The children burned large pine beams at night so that they could see their enemies better. The battle was so bloody that the bodies of the enemies flooded the Terek and it went out of its banks. None of the defenders of the fortress survived.

All women and children threw themselves into the abyss and perished at its bottom. The old men sat in a circle and drank a bowl of poison. The girls made a big fire, chose Myalha Azu and started throwing themselves into the fire. Jumping into the fire the girls said that they were marrying him.

The remaining enemies destroyed all their towers to the ground. Of the inhabitants, no one was left alive.

(N.D. Kodzoev, R.H. Buzurtanov. Tales of the Caucasus).