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.

Employees of the Dzheyrah-Assinsky Museum-Reserve carried out planned work on accounting and fixation of previously unrecorded objects of cultural heritage.

This time the trip was made to the rarely visited tower complex in the eastern part of the Guloikhi Gorge - "Besht", where the ruins of four residential towers are preserved.

The described monument - a pillar-shaped sanctuary or, as it is popularly called, sieling - is located 300 meters west of the complex. Its height is 2.50 m, length is 1.10 m, width is 0.65 m. Below, on the facade of the object there is a lancet beggar with a height of 0.8 m.

In his studies, the Ingush historian and archaeologist M.B. Muzhukhoev believed that pillar-shaped sanctuaries complete the evolution of local religious monuments. And some scientists, on the contrary, believe that pillar-shaped structures are the primary form of religious buildings.

M.B. Musukhoev also claims that the construction of sielings was performed in memory of deceased ancestors. These monuments served as a symbol of veneration and respect for ancestors, and were believed to provide invisible protection to their descendants.

Ethnographic descriptions acquaint us with monolithic "pillars" - sanctuaries known as "Sielings", indicating their mythological connection with the cult of "the sun god" and lightning "Selya". A typical example of the sanctuary-monument is the sielings near the village of Erzi, Egikal, Targim, Niy, Vovnushki, Ozdeche, etc. in Ingushetia.

Researcher F.M. Kostoeva believes that in ancient times, the term "seeling" was used to refer to a high quadrangular stone column facing south, with a flat or gable top and a small niche at the base. The sielings were collected from raw stone before human growth and fixed to a lime or clay solution ("markhal"). Such stone structures were erected at crossroads, at towers or crypts.

As for this structure, we did not find its description in any written source. Employees carried out measurements of the object, photofixation. The monument will be included in the list of identified objects of cultural heritage of the republic, as well as put into scientific circulation, and it will be of interest to all who are interested in the history of Ingushetia.

Go to group