Jeyrakh-Assin Reserve
Jeyrakh-Assin Reserve

The Jeyrakh-Assin historical, architectural and natural museum-reserve is located within the boundaries of the Jeyrakh district of the Republic of Ingushetia on the northern slopes of the foothills of the Central part of the Greater Caucasus Range. The reserve was established on June 2, 1988. The area of the reserve is slightly more than 627 square kilometers. The activity of the reserve is aimed at ensuring the preservation, restoration and study of territorial complexes of cultural and natural heritage, material and spiritual values in their traditional historical (cultural and natural) environment. On the territory of the museum-reserve there are 122 ancient architectural complexes, including more than 2,670 objects of cultural significance, including defensive and residential towers, burial crypts, Christian and pagan sanctuaries and temples. The oldest buildings of the megalithic type belong to the middle of the second millennium BC. Every year, significant scientific discoveries are made on the territory of the reserve, new objects are identified, archaeological expeditions are constantly working, scientists from all over the world come. Since 1996, the reserve has been a candidate for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Significant value in the reserve is given to work on creating conditions for the development of organized tourism, its educational and service component.

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.

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