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.

It is pleasant to realize that the interest in mountain Ingushetia from researchers not only does not fade, but on the contrary increases day by day: it has long attracted the attention of not only tourists, but also scientists who are trying to open unknown pages of history.

So, recently, in the framework of the study of medieval stone crosses, cruciform and anthropomorphic steles in the North Caucasus, independent researchers from St. Petersburg Alexander Potravnov and Tatiana Khmelnik, having previously agreed on their visit, together with the staff of the State Historical-Architectural and Natural Museum-Reserve of Djeirakh-Assinsk, inspected a number of monumental objects in the mountains of Ingushetia.

The researchers visited the tower complexes "Myashkhi", "Keli", the temple "Thaba-Yerda", where these objects are preserved, and which are within the scope of their scientific interests.

Scientists inspected and photographed the most accessible monuments of the past – stone crosses, cruciform and anthropomorphic steles.

At the same time, in the course of work, in the area of the tower village "Keli", on the slope, next to the crypt, a medieval stone cross was discovered, considered previously lost.

Farewelling, researchers from St. Petersburg thanked the employee of the museum-reserve for hospitality and assistance and expressed hope for continued cooperation.

SPOILER: in the future, these objects will be included in the consolidated catalog of stone crosses of the Russian Federation with a mark of places of detection on the map, which will allow a more accurate and reasoned study of the tradition of creating and distributing stone crosses not only in Ingushetia, but also in other regions of the Caucasus.

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