Nogais (Nogai) are a warlike people of the North Caucasus.

Currently, about 103 thousand representatives of the Nogai nationality live in Russia. This is an offshoot of the Turkic people, who historically lived in the Lower Volga region, the North Caucasus, Crimea, and the Northern Black Sea region. In total, according to rough estimates, there are about 110 thousand representatives of this people left in the world. In addition to Russia, diasporas have settled in Romania, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Turkey.

Nogai State

The initial state formation of representatives of the Nogai nationality was the Nogai Horde. This is the last of the nomadic powers formed as a result of the collapse of the Golden Horde. It is believed that she had a significant influence on all modern Turkic peoples.

This state was actually formed in the 40s of the 15th century in the area between the Urals and Volga. At the beginning of the 17th century it collapsed under external pressure and due to internecine wars.

Founder of the people

Historians associate the appearance of the Nogai people with the Golden Horde temnik Nogai. This was the ruler of the westernmost ulus, who, since the 1270s, actually refused to obey the khans of Sarai. As a result, Serbia and the Second, as well as part of the northeastern and all southern Russian principalities, fell under it. It is from his name that the Nogai people take their name. They consider the Golden Horde beklarbek their founder.

The administrative center of the Nogai Horde became the city of Saraichik on the Ural River. Now this place is a historical monument, and nearby is a village of the same name in the Atyrau region of Kazakhstan.

Crimean period

Under the influence of the Kalmyks, who moved from the east, in the 17th century the Nogais migrated to the border of the Crimean Khanate. In 1728, they settled in the northern Black Sea region, recognizing the jurisdiction of the Ottoman Empire over themselves.

They also had a great influence on the events taking place in our country at that time. Domestic military officers and historians learned the name of the Nogais in 1783, when they launched a major uprising in the Kuban. This was a response to the annexation of Crimea to Russian Empire and the forced relocation of the Nogais to the Urals by decision of the tsarist authorities.

The Nogais tried to take Yeysk, but Russian guns turned out to be a serious obstacle for them. On October 1, the combined units of the Kuban Corps under the command of Suvorov crossed the Kuban River, attacking the rebel camp. In the decisive battle, the Russian army won a convincing victory. According to estimates from domestic archival sources, from 5 to 10 thousand Nogai warriors died as a result. Modern Nogai public organizations claim tens of thousands of dead, among whom were many women and children. Some of them claim that it was an act of genocide.

As a result of this uprising, it suffered significant losses. This affected the entire ethnic group, and after that their political independence was completely lost.

According to modern researchers, until the middle of the 19th century, about 700 thousand Nogais crossed into the territory of the Ottoman Empire.

As part of Russia

After a crushing defeat, representatives of the Nogai nationality found themselves part of the Russian Empire. At the same time, they were forced to leave their lands, as they were considered a politically unreliable contingent. As a result, they dispersed to the Trans-Kuban region, throughout the North Caucasus, right down to the lower reaches of the Volga and the Caspian steppes. This was the territory of the Nogais at that time.

Since 1793, the Nogais who settled in the North Caucasus became part of the bailiffs, small administrative-territorial units created to govern the Muslim peoples of the Caucasus. In reality, they existed only formally, since real supervision over them was exercised by the military department.

In 1805, a special provision for the management of the Nogais appeared, which was developed by the Committee of Ministers of the Russian Empire. Since the 1820s, most of the Nogai hordes became part of the Stavropol province. Shortly before this, the entire Black Sea region became part of Russia. The remnants of the Nogai hordes switched to a sedentary lifestyle, settling in the Kuban and in the north of the Tauride province.

It is noteworthy that the Nogais took part in the Patriotic War of 1812 as part of the Cossack cavalry. They reached Paris.

Crimean War

During Crimean War 1853-1856 The Nogais who lived in the Melitopol district helped the Russian troops. After the defeat of Russia, representatives of this people were again accused of sympathy for Turkey. Their campaign to evict Russia has resumed. Some joined the Crimean Tatars, the bulk assimilated with the Turkish population. By 1862, almost all Nogais living in the Melitopol district emigrated to Turkey.

The Nogais from Kuban followed the same route after the Caucasian War.

Social stratification

Until 1917, the main occupation of the Nogais remained nomadic cattle breeding. They raised sheep, horses, cattle, and camels.

The Nogai steppe remained the main area of ​​their nomadism. This is a plain in the eastern part of the North Caucasus between the Kuma and Terek rivers. This region is located in the territories of modern Dagestan, Stavropol Territory and Chechnya.

From the 18th century, the Kuban Nogais began to lead the way and took up farming. By the second half XIX century The cultivation of agricultural crops was mainly carried out by the Nogais of the Achikulak police station.

It is worth noting that the majority of agriculture was of an applied nature, mainly engaged in cattle breeding. Moreover, almost all the livestock belonged to the sultans and murzas. Making up only 4 percent of the total Nogai population, they owned 99% of camels, 70% of horses, and almost half of the cattle. As a result, many poor people were forced to go to work in nearby villages to harvest bread and grapes.

Nogais were not conscripted for military service; in return, they were subject to a special tax. Over time, they began to move away more and more from their traditional breeding of camels and sheep, switching to farming and fishing.

Modern settlement

Today, Nogais predominantly live on the territory of seven constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Most of them are in Dagestan - about forty and a half thousand. More than 22 thousand live in the Stavropol Territory, another fifteen and a half thousand in the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria.

More than a thousand Nogais in Russia were also counted in Chechnya, Astrakhan region, Yamalo-Nenets and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrugs.

In recent decades, quite large communities have formed in Moscow and St. Petersburg, numbering up to several hundred people.

There have been many migrations in the history of the Nogais. Traditionally, many representatives of this people live today in Turkey and Romania. They mostly ended up there in the 18th and 19th centuries. Many of them at that time adopted the ethnic identity of the Turkic population that surrounded them there. But at the same time, the majority retained the memory of their Nogai origin. At the same time, it is not possible to establish the exact number of Nogais living in Turkey today. Population censuses that have been conducted since 1970 have ceased to collect information on the nationality of citizens.

In 2005, a decision was made to create a national Nogai region on the territory of Karachay-Cherkessia. By that time, a similar education already existed in Dagestan.

Language

The Nogai language belongs to the Turkic group of the Altai family. Due to their wide geographical distribution, four dialects were distinguished in it. In Chechnya and Dagestan they speak the Karanogai dialect, in the Stavropol Territory - in Kum or directly Nogai, in the Astrakhan region - in Karagash, in Karachay-Cherkessia - in Kuban or Aknogai.

According to classification and origin, Nogai is a steppe dialect, which belongs to the dialect of the Crimean Tatar language. Some experts also classify the dialects of the Alabugat and Yurt Tatars as Nogai dialects, although not everyone shares this opinion.

This people also has a Nogai language, created on the basis of the Karanogai dialect.

From the beginning of the 18th century until 1928, writing was based on Arabic script. Then for ten years it was based on the Latin alphabet. Since 1938, the Cyrillic alphabet has been officially used.

Culture

When talking about the traditional culture and traditions of the Nogais, everyone immediately remembers transhumance and nomadic livestock farming. It is noteworthy that, in addition to camels and horses, historically the Nogais were also involved in breeding geese. From them they received not only meat, but also feathers and down, which were extremely highly valued in the production of blankets, pillows, and feather beds.

The indigenous representatives of this people hunted mainly using birds of prey (falcons, golden eagles, hawks) and dogs (hounds).

Plant growing, fishing and beekeeping developed as auxiliary industries.

Religion

The traditional religion of the Nogais is Islam. They belong to one of the right-wing schools in Sunni Islam, the founder of which is considered to be the 8th century theologian Abu Hanifa and his disciples.

This branch of Islam is distinguished by a clear hierarchy when rendering verdicts. If there is a need to choose from several existing regulations, priority is given to the majority opinion or the most convincing argument.

Most modern Muslims are followers of this right wing. The Hanafi madhhab had the status of an official religion in the Ottoman Empire and the Mughal Empire.

Costume

From the photo of the Nogais you can get an idea of ​​their national costume. It is based on elements of clothing of ancient nomads. Its features evolved from the 7th century BC to the times of the Huns and Kipchaks.

Nogai ornamental art is well known. Classical patterns - the “tree of life”, They go back to the patterns first discovered in the mounds of the Sarmatian, Saka, and Golden Horde periods.

For most of their history, the Nogais remained steppe warriors, so they rarely dismounted. Their characteristics are reflected in their clothing. These were boots with high tops, wide-cut trousers in which it was comfortable to ride, and hats necessarily took into account the peculiarities of the season.

The traditional clothing of the Nogais also includes the bashlyk and beshmet (caftan with a stand-up collar), as well as sheepskin sheepskin coats and trousers.

The cut of a women's suit is similar to that of a man's suit. It is based on a shirt dress, hats made of fabric or fur, fur coats, scarves, scarves, woolen shoes, various types of jewelry and belts.

Housing

It was the custom of the Nogais to live in yurts. Their adobe houses, as a rule, consisted of several rooms located in a row.

In particular, such dwellings became widespread among their neighbors in the regions of the North Caucasus. Research has confirmed that the Nogais independently created this type of housing.

Kitchen

The Nogai food system is built on a balance of meat and dairy products. They were used in different forms processing, cooking methods. It was supplemented by products of hunting, agriculture, gathering and fishing.

The national character of dishes originated in the depths of various empires of Eurasia, and is determined by the historically established cultural and economic structure, traditions, and way of life.

Boiled meat is common in their diet; talkan porridge was often prepared from fried millet, ground into flour. It was consumed in food along with milk. Soup was made from ground corn and wheat, and porridge was made from corn flour.

A significant place in the diet was occupied by all kinds of soups with different dressings - noodles, rice. Khinkali was considered the Nogai's favorite dish. It was prepared from unleavened dough, cut into the shape of small squares and diamonds, which were boiled in meat broth. When preparing this dish, preference was given to lamb.

For drinks, they had five types of tea; kumys was traditionally prepared from mares’ milk, which was famous for its healing properties. Vodka was prepared from mare's milk; another alcoholic drink was buza, which was brewed from millet flour.

Nogais are a Turkic people of the North Caucasus. There are approximately 110,000 people living in the world. The ancestors of the Nogais are nomadic medieval Mongol-speaking and Turkic tribes.

First public education people - the Nogai Horde was formed after the collapse of the last of the great nomadic powers of the Golden Horde. The Nogai Horde took an important part in political, trade and intermediary affairs with neighboring states, collecting tribute from the Kazan Tatars, some Siberian tribes, and Bashkirs. At the beginning of the 16th century it could field about 300,000 soldiers. A good military organization allowed the Nogai Horde to successfully defend and defend its borders, provide assistance to neighboring khanates, warriors, and the Russian state. Moscow provided her with economic and military assistance.

Where live

The people live in the North Caucasus in Dagestan, Nogai, Babayurt, Kizlyar, Tarumovsky districts, Makhachkala, Kizlyar, Stavropol Territory, Karachay-Cherkessia, Astrakhan Region, Chechen Republic, Khanty-Mansiysk, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Not a large number of Nogais live in Bulgaria, Romania, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine.

Name

The ethnonym “Nogai” is associated with the military-political Golden Horde figure Nogai, who lived in the 13th century. He consolidated his supporters from different ethnic groups of the Proto-Nogais, who received their name from the name of their ancestor. Nogai paid main attention to the clans of the Uzo-Pecheneg, Kipchak-Polovtsian, Alan-As circle, since the bulk of the Mongols went over to the side of Toktai. The earliest appearance of the ethnonym “Nogai” in the Golden Age was in 1436. Other names of the people: Nogai, Crimean steppe Tatars, Nogai Tatars. Self-names: nogai, nogaylar.

Language

The Nogai language belongs to the Turkic language group of the Altaic language family. As a result of the widespread geographical settlement of the people, 3 dialects were formed:

1. Karanogai
2. Nogai
3. Aknogai

Literary Nogai was created on the basis of the Nogai dialect and the Karanogai dialect. It publishes newspapers and broadcasts radio programs. The graphic basis of Nogai writing changed several times. Until 1298 it was based on the Arabic script, from 1928 to 1938 - on the Latin alphabet, from 1938 to the present - on the Cyrillic alphabet.

Religion

The bulk of the Nogais are Muslims and profess Sunni Hanafi Islam. Islam gradually began to penetrate into the territories inhabited by the Nogai ancestors in the 10th-11th centuries. In 1312, after the official introduction of Islam by Uzbek Khan, mass Islamization began in the Golden Horde. To this day, people have preserved to some extent ancient pagan beliefs about the spirit masters of the elements. With Islam came the image of the spirit of the genie. Among the Nogais of the Great Nogai Horde, the teachings of the Yasawiyya brotherhood (also Yasawiyya) were widespread. In other groups, Naqshbandi teachings predominated.

During the time of the Nogai Horde, people were very sensitive to the graves of prominent people, mostly rulers. The burials were entire architectural structures that were erected above the burial site.

The Nogais had two types of mosques:

1. Open, in the warm season they were hosted in the steppes by nomadic Nogais, who prayed in yurts in winter. They were cleared areas where all believing communities gathered and prayed;
2. Stationary covered ones, built in settled villages and winter huts.

The Soviet government caused great damage to the religious life of the people. All mosques were destroyed, the bulk of the mullahs, qadis, akhons, imams, effendis, and muezzins were repressed. Those who remained to live in their homeland were forced to stop their activities. At the beginning of the 90s of the 20th century, only 2-3 mullahs remained in the Nogai steppe. A small number of Nogais from the older generation performed namaz, but since there were no mosques, everything was carried out individually. There was not even religious home schooling. The people tried to follow the rules of their religion, did not eat pork, and performed circumcision. Over the past few years, religious life has gradually begun to resume. Construction of mosques is underway, imams and muezzins have appeared, religious ceremonies. Nogais celebrate the holiday of Mawlid - the birthday of the Prophet, the main Muslim holidays - Kurban Bayram, Eid al-Adha. Mektabs and madrassas are opened at mosques. Some Nogais profess Shafi'i Islam and Wahhabism.

Food

The cuisine of the people used to be dominated by meat and dairy dishes. Today, the Nogai diet has been significantly enriched by borrowing from neighboring peoples. They are prepared from horse meat, lamb, and various sausages are made. They bake flatbreads from flour, cook dumplings called inkal, dumplings, fry Turkish delight, bake brushwood, and katlama. Delicious, hearty porridges are prepared from cereals, and meat is added to them. Corn, wheat, and beans are used. It is customary to serve Nogai cheese Auyrsha with porridge. Soups occupy a special place in the kitchen; they are prepared with chicken noodles, meat, and dough products. Fermented milk and cheese soups are popular. Of the sweets, the most popular is soyk, which is made from millet and sour cream. Other Nogai delicacies:

• baked pumpkin with raisins, cinnamon;
• cow's colostrum casserole with honey;
• sweet rice with ice cream and raisins.

The main national drink is kumiss; in addition to it, they drink ayran, the intoxicating drink buza, honey sherbet, and specially prepared Nogai tea. First, tea leaves are boiled in water, filtered, cream, homemade sour cream, salt, and black pepper are added. The drink is served in bowls with honey, butter, and cheese. It is believed that people have at least five types of tea.

Special dishes are prepared for weddings: boiled lamb brisket, baursak. Women in labor are fed chicken broth and poultry neck. For funerals, soups and meat dishes are always prepared. For guests they make an unusual dish “tuzlangan-koy bash” - boiled lamb head, pre-soaked in brine.

Appearance

Cloth

The traditional clothing of the Nogais is the ethnocultural historical heritage of the people, distinguished by its unique originality and beauty. The costume is based on elements of clothing of ancient nomads. Men spent a lot of time riding horses, which was reflected in their clothing. The boots had high tops and wide-cut trousers for comfortable riding. Shepkens and captals were sewn with a wraparound, open chest.

Men wore an undershirt (ishki koylek) to the knees. It was tucked into trousers and worn to graduation. A sleeveless jacket was put on top; it was usually worn while doing housework. A captal was worn as outer summer clothing. Some people call it beshmet. All men, regardless of age, wore long captals. Another piece of outerwear was the shepken. In bad weather and heat they wore a burka.

An important attribute of a man’s suit was the “belbau” waist belt - narrow, with belt pendants, a metal buckle, and plates with engravings made of gold and niello. The sash is an equally important detail of the costume; it was a folded or rolled strip of silk, 2 meters long.

The Black Sea Nogais wore three types of headdress:

• fur hat kulak bork;
• sleeping cap yat bork;
• ritual hat adetli bork.

They also wore a round-topped hat made of ram skin, covered with cloth, and sometimes they wore a small “arakshyn” cap under it. Shoes worn were dudes, bapish with leather stockings, a kind of bast shoes - ydyryk, boots made of ox, camel, cow leather, with a curved toe, high-heeled leather boots, shoes, soft leather shoes, soft morocco boots without heels with galoshes. The man’s clothing was supplemented with savyt weapons and military armor. The nomad was armed with the following:

• bow with arrows
• battle ax
• a spear
• beautifully finished arrow quiver
• case for a combat bow with ornament

Women wore pants tapered at the ankles, a tunic-like shirt, an undershirt, a short silk caftan that fitted the figure tightly, often without sleeves to make it easier to work. They wore a swinging long dress, a captal decorated on the chest with 10 patterned prismatic silver patterns. An apron used for housework was worn with outerwear. Women never walk bareheaded. Traditional headdresses:

• oka bork, covered with a scarf
• hat made of thick fabric, trimmed with fur
• Kyrym Bork cap
• kundyz bork
• headscarves

Life

For a long time, the main occupation of the people was nomadic and transhumance livestock raising; horses, camels, sheep, and cattle were bred. Agriculture occupied an insignificant place in life; they grew oats, millet, wheat, and were engaged in melon growing, gardening, and beekeeping. They raised poultry: geese, chickens, ducks. Hunting and fishing are ancient occupations of the Nogais. They went hunting with trained birds of prey: hawks, falcons, golden eagles, and also dogs.

Among the crafts, the processing of leather, sheepskin, and wood was developed; felt and cloth were produced, burkas, hats, boots, and arbabash carpets were made. Pillows, blankets, feather beds were made from goose down, and goose feathers were used for writing. The most important trade routes of the Caucasus passed through the Nogai steppes, including the Great Silk Road. Thanks to this, the people engaged in trade and sold their goods.

Housing

In Circassia, Nogais have been living in houses for a long time. The courtyards are surrounded by a wattle fence, stone fence, coated with clay. The house (uh) is built from mud bricks. The walls outside and inside are whitened with lime and chalk. The roof is mainly made of tiles. The home has a guest room and a cooking area where the whole family spends most of their time. All the houses stand sideways to the street, many have windows facing only the courtyard. Instead of ancient hearths, many installed stoves. Previously, they slept on adobe beds covered with felts. They are still found among the Karanogais. Today the decoration in houses is modern. The villages have electricity and radio.

Nomadic Nogais lived in tents. There was a fireplace in the center of the dwelling, and felt mats were laid around it for sitting. In the depths of the tent there was a sleeping place (ter). To the right of the entrance, things and household utensils were stored; to the left, a fence was installed where the young animals were placed. Harness and clothes were hung on the walls. The rich Nogais had a bed on which they laid their guests. The tent village was called “kup” and consisted of several groups of tents. In one village there were 40-60 such dwellings. They were placed in a circle, with livestock placed between them inside the circle. Once a month, people changed their place of residence, transporting their homes with all their property.

Another type of dwelling for the nomadic Nogais, the yurt, was of two types: collapsible (terme) and non-dismountable (otav). The frame of the dwelling was made of wooden folding bars, fastened at the top with domed wooden poles, in the center they converged into a rim. A lattice-type top was attached to it on top, which served as a window and a chimney. The door consisted of doors that opened outward. In winter it was insulated with pieces of felt. The outside frame of the yurt was covered with felt, the inside was insulated with mats in winter, and the wealthy used carpets. At bad weather the chimney was covered with a piece of felt (sickle). Felt and carpets were laid on the floor. The hearth was located in the center of the dwelling; food was cooked on it and the yurt was heated in cold weather. On the hearth stood an iron tripod - an important attribute of the life of nomads. Rich Nogais covered the yurt with white felt in several layers and decorated it with red ribbons and braid.

The Nogai yurts stood in rows, each row coming from the same family. In the very center stood the yurt of the eldest relative; he was the head of the entire quarter. Inside the dwelling, the woman’s place was on the eastern side; provisions, dishes, and things were also located there. On the north side there was a place of honor, covered with pillows. The head of the family slept and sat here. The Nogais had polygamy; the eldest was always served by the other wives. To the right of the husband sit the men, to the left sit all the wives according to seniority.

Culture

Nogai musical instruments:

• dombra
• kobyz
• sybyzgy
• dutar
• karnai
• cabal
• doulbaz
• zurnay

The folklore of the people consists of various genres:

• fairy tales
• epics
• sayings
• proverbs
• puzzles

Traditions

Previously, the people had a blood feud, which disappeared before the revolution. Maternal assistance was replaced by neighborly assistance in the 19th century. The custom of hospitality is still widespread; the Nogais very warmly welcome guests and treat them to the most the best dishes, go to bed in the best place. It is believed that if a house does not have a guest room, it is a bad house. The first thing the guest is treated to is Nogai tea.

The birth of a child is important. The first 40 days after the birth of a baby are very significant; during this period, the stage of its “humanization” occurs. Before the 40th day, the child is given a name, placed in the cradle for the first time, his hair is shaved, old clothes are taken off, and he is dressed in a special shirt (it koylek). A baby who is more than 40 days old is called “kyrkynan shykkan bala”.

Rituals performed during childbirth open the cycle of human life. These include:

• umbilical cord cutting;
• burial of the placenta;
• washing the newborn;
• feeding;
• naming;
• cutting the bonds when the child gets to his feet.

The baby's body is considered raw so that it hardens quickly; the child is bathed in salted water for 40 days. The ceremony of shaving hair should be performed by the child’s maternal grandfather “nagash atasi”. He doesn’t come on his own; the newborn is brought home to him. The parents give the man a shirt, he gives the child a bull or a ram as a gift. The first hair is called karyn shash, which translates as “uterine hair.” The Nogais believe that if they are not shaved, the child will constantly be sick, he will have an evil eye, and his curses will come true. The boy's shaved hair is wrapped in a scarf or piece of cloth and tied to the horse's tail. This will make the child strong, fast, and as resilient as a horse. The girl’s hair is kept in a chest at home so that she will be a homemaker, hardworking, and economical. People say about boys who don’t live up to expectations: “They probably left his uterine hairs at home.”

The child’s first shirt is called “dog”, it is sewn from the hem of the father-in-law’s undershirt of the newborn’s mother or a venerable old man, so that the baby will accept their wisdom and have a long life. During the ritual of removing the old shirt, three loaves of bread are baked, with holes in the middle. One is given to the dog, the rest to the children. The first shirt is removed and threaded through a hole in the bread, which is tied around the dog's neck. The children chase her so that she will take away everything bad in the baby. After the ceremony, children are treated to sweets and tea. Among the Nogais, it is considered indecent to scold, caress, or feed children in public, especially in front of older relatives.

Every year before Easter, on Friday, children go to the high Maytobe hill for the Tepresh holiday. On this day, eggs are painted and rolled down the hill. People associate eggs with new life, the source of the universe, are widely used to this day as a symbol of fertility.

A wedding is an important event among the people. The guy's wife was chosen by a family council headed by his father. No one asked the groom’s opinion; all issues were decided by the older brothers, men on the father’s side. The chosen one was chosen very carefully, their financial status, appearance, upbringing, and thriftiness were assessed.

When the bride is chosen, matchmaking takes place. Men come to the house, led by a venerable old man who knows all the traditions and rituals. Even if the family and the girl did not like the groom, they always received him with honor. It is not customary to give an answer right away; matchmakers should come one or two more times. At this time, the bride's family learns about the groom and evaluates him. If the parents agree, they give an answer, set the wedding day and the size of the bride price. It is noteworthy that the wedding date is set with the help of astrologers. The Nogais have a large bride price; in addition to it, the groom must also pay money on top. Due to the lack of large funds, sometimes the bride is stolen so that her relatives reduce the size of the bride price.

The bride and her mother prepare a dowry and sew clothes for members of their future family. This takes a lot of time and effort. After the engagement, a small wedding is held, during which the groom gives the bride price and the bride gives gifts to her husband’s relatives. The guests are treated to food, the bride says goodbye to her girlish outfit - a red scarf. Her wedding outfit has already been prepared, a white scarf, which she wears after marriage. Before the wedding, the bride came to the house of her future relatives, which meant an invitation to the celebration.

The wedding takes place in autumn or spring. At the celebration, they not only drink and eat, they also organize horse races, various competitions, and dancing. The newlyweds dance their first dance - Lezginka. During the dance, guests give gifts and money to the newlyweds. This is considered their first capital new family, earned jointly.

The old Nogai song-toast contains simple and touching words:

May this house be happy and rich.

His prosperity will come.

Let them give you a camel each

All eight of your camels.

May the creator send you abundance.

Let the carts of luggage be heavy.

Let them be born from your sheep

Only twins.

Let it be pleasing and convenient for him

Arrange everything so that the dream comes true,

To be happy in the fat pastures

All four types of livestock grazed.

Not everyone knows now that this song is a spell (like many others, praising not only the nurse steppe, but also “the sources of a cold mountain stream”, “a gorge where the wind blows from the heights”, mountains that are “clad with gray snow” ) were sung for several centuries by the Nogais, who lived for a long time and in full prosperity in the Middle Kuban, on both its banks - the high right and low left, right up to the Laba River and the base of the forested Black Mountains.

Today you can only rarely see them in the cities and villages of the Krasnodar Territory. However, part of this almost 75 thousand people lives nearby - in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic and the Stavropol Territory. Moreover, the roots of many Nogai surnames go back to our area, to the once populous and active environment of the “Kuban Tatars”.

General information about the Nogai people look like this: “NOGAI people (self-name - Nogai) are the oldest inhabitants of the North Caucasian steppes. The roots of the Nogai ethnic group go back to the Golden Horde. The ethnonym Nogai comes from the name of one of the military-political figures of this state - Khan Nogai, who, under Khan Berke, separated from the Golden Horde and formed an independent political association - the Nogai Horde. At the end of the 14th century, it included a number of large tribes that roamed the vast territory of the steppes of the Lower Volga region, the Northern Caucasus and the Azov region. A number of Mongolian and Turkic tribes who lived in the vast expanses of the Irtysh region, Kazakhstan, and Central Asia took part in the ethnogenesis of the Nogais. In the process of formation of the Nogai ethnic group, an important role was played by the Cumans (Kipchaks, Cumans), whose language formed the basis of Nogai. Main view economic activity

The Nogais were nomadic cattle breeders. The Nogai ethnic group is an important element of the world nomadic civilization. By religion, the Nogais are Muslims; they brought this religion out of the Golden Horde.

Since the 18th century, the Nogais were governed by specially created bailiffs who preserved and respected their tribal traditions. In the 1860s, after the end of the Crimean War, a significant part of the Nogais, especially from the Azov region, emigrated to Turkey. Some of those who left then returned back. In 1864, re-emigrants founded the largest Nogai village of Kangli in the central part of the North Caucasus.

According to the 1989 census, 75,180 Nogais lived in the USSR, of which 73,703 lived in the RSFSR. Soviet demographic statistics incorrectly classified the Nogais as the peoples of Dagestan, under the rubric of which they were included in the All-Union Censuses. Only about a third of the Nogai ethnic group lives in Dagestan, the rest live in a number of regions of the Stavropol Territory, Karachay-Cherkessia and the Shelkovsky region of Chechnya.

The territorial disunity of the Nogai ethnic group complicates the development of Nogai culture. The centers for studying the Nogai language, history, ethnography, and culture are Cherkessk and Makhachkala. In these cities, literature is published in the Nogai language, radio and television broadcasts are conducted... A society for the revival and development of Nogai culture “Birlik” has been created. (The socio-political, artistic and literary Nogai magazine “Polovtsian Moon” has been published in Cherkessk for the fifth year now - V.V.). The Nogai problem is one of the complex ethnosocial problems of the North Caucasus. At present, its real solution is possible only on the principles of extraterritoriality, since the programs put forward by some leaders of Birlik to create one or another form of Nogai territorial autonomy affect the interests of Dagestan, the Stavropol Territory and Chechnya.”

The latest scientific development suggests that it was in the Kuban that the ancestors of the Nogais roamed “at least since the time of the Huns. The fact is that the Huns included the Uysun tribe, which researchers attribute to the pre-Hunnic era. Among modern Nogais, the Uysuns bear the surname Isupov. The ethnonym Sirak also exists among the current Nogais and its name goes back to the tribe of the same name of the Sarmatian era, which lived on the banks of the Kuban. Among the Nogais, the “Kobanshylar” tribe is widespread, that is, the Kuban, with their original tamga, and they bear the surname Kubanov...” All this emphasizes the deep roots of the Nogais in the Northwestern Caucasus, who fed on the early Turkic-speaking environment, which included, in addition to the Huns, ancient Bulgarians, Khazars, Pechenegs (Kangly), Guzes, etc.

Subsequently, no later than the 16th century, the right bank of the Kuban (from the mouth to the beginning of the upper reaches), as well as the flat interfluve of the Kuban and Laba, were inhabited by tribal divisions of the Nogais. Until the end of the 18th century, they were tightly included in the orbit of military-political actions and interests of the inherently predatory policies and practices of the Crimean Khanate and the Sultan’s Turkey behind it. According to numerous testimonies of Western European, Turkish travelers and Russian scientific and documentary sources, the Nogais roamed, in particular, in the lower reaches of the Laba, along Urup and both Zelenchuks, adjacent to the Adyghe tribes, Besleneyevtsy, Abazins and the East Slavic population of Cossack villages and fortress settlements.

In the history of their ancestors (since the times of the Golden Horde!) there were many pages illuminated by fires, stained with blood innocent victims and marked by tears and cries of countless people different nations and tribes orphaned, captured and sold to foreign lands by the Nogai Murzas and Sultans, their ruthless, indomitably warlike entourage.

Generations passed, but, as before, the ambition of the Nogai leaders thirsted for glory, and the horse-mounted crowds of “ordinary” rushed after them in the hope of booty. The Black Sea and linear Cossacks, emerging from the end of the 18th century, also suffered a lot from the Nogais. But it is deeply, however, wrong to write off (as pre-revolutionary historians did more than once) precisely not the account of “peoples of Turkic origin who converted to Islam, the deep discord between the Slavic-Russians and the Caucasian highlanders.”

On the contrary, the Kuban Nogais, together with the Circassians, Abazas and other inhabitants of the local shores, more than once had to wage a cruel and heroic struggle with the troops of the Crimean Khan and the Turkish Sultan in the Trans-Kuban region. And when for the last time in 1790 the 30,000-strong Turkish army was defeated by Russian troops on the coast of the Upper Kuban, Caucasian militias also fought under Russian banners, including the Nogai detachment led by Lieutenant Colonel Mansurov, whose “clan” inhabited the lands between Zelenchuk and on the right bank of Urup, neighboring in the first third of the 19th century with the possessions of another Nogai figure - a Russian officer, writer and educator - Sultan Kazy-Girey, whose works were published in his Sovremennik and highly appreciated by A. S. Pushkin.

Sultan Kazy-Girey from the village of Prochnokopskaya (where he commanded a linear Cossack regiment) wrote with conviction in his “Notes” to the governor of the Caucasus: “Russia has become my second fatherland, no less dear, and its benefits are no less precious, especially since from the benefit of Russia only the good of my native land can expire.” He raised the issue of developing local natural resources and developing trade in the Kuban. In his opinion, first of all, it would be necessary to form a special village on the banks of the Laba, which would become an economic, social and cultural center that would attract Caucasian youth. Over time, it would begin to perform the functions of a city (in essence, this is the vision of the city of Maykop!). Kazy-Girey expressed concern that the “zakubapps” valued their land little and proposed measures to “excite” their interest in the industrial development of natural resources, harboring the idea of ​​​​gradually involving the local economy in the all-Russian economic life.

Many other Nogai contemporaries followed a similar path of difficult insight into the true prospects of their people. Recently, some pages of the biography of “the Trans-Kuban hero Izmail Aliyev - the prince of the Mangatov Nogais” became known, whose “life and death” were described by a certain nameless friend of his - a Russian officer who served in the “Prochno-Okop Fortress”. He published his memoirs anonymously in the form of an “excerpt from a letter” dated May 1, 1829 in the Moscow Telegraph (1829, No. 12).

Izmail Aliyev lived in one of the villages outside the Kuban, seven miles from the Strong Trench fortification. Having an outstanding appearance and natural “decency,” the prince was distinguished by extraordinary physical strength and amazing courage. “His fame thundered along both banks of the Kuban, on both sides of the Kuban Line. At first he was the most dangerous and worst enemy of the Russians, but then he went over to their side, moved closer to the Strong Trench and served Russia faithfully,” earning the admiration of Caucasian leaders Russian army and military-civil administration.

The apogee of his faithful service was 1827-1829, when he met and became friends with his biographer, unknown by name. At that time, when the fate of the Black Sea coast, liberated from the centuries-old occupation of Turkey, was being decided, Anapa Pasha Hasan in vain called Izmail to his side, into the ranks of those Trans-Kuban feudal rulers who secretly swore allegiance to the Ottoman Sultan against the Russians. Izmail Aliyev did not betray Russia, and “in campaigns for the Kuban he was constantly with General A. A. Velyaminov,” who was the right hand of the formidable “governor” of the Caucasus, General A. P. Ermolov.

At the end of the winter campaign of 1828, the Nogai prince was presented with awards - a gold medal and the rank of staff captain. These signs of military courage did not find Izmail alive: on April 17, 1829, while visiting the seriously ill Nogai prince Kaplan in his aul (the modern village of Kaplanovo in the Novokubansky district), I. Aliev rushed to save his kidnapped by a detachment of 20 non-peaceful Circassians from the Uzden of Igi-Temir and his family. He set off in pursuit with only 8 Nogais. An unequal battle took place on the “Sinyukh River” (Sinyukha). The kidnappers were completely defeated, but Ishmael laid down his head and was buried the next day. Great was the loss of this highly enlightened man for the Nogais (he read and wrote Turkic well, knew Arabic, was well versed in Sharia law) and a figure of firm and honest Russian orientation. It is not for nothing that an old Nogai proverb, assessing the heroes of the past, says:

“Men have two arts: One is to shoot and knock down the enemy, The other is to open and read a book...”

However, against the background of these noble examples, there were many other incidents, mutual claims and enmity, bloody strife between those who inhabited and considered the Kuban land to be theirs.

At that time, the Kuban Nogais had about 62,000 “kazanov”, that is, families feeding from one pot. This means that the total number of people in the Kuban reached many hundreds of thousands, creating considerable difficulties and obstacles to the implementation of Russian policy in the North-West Caucasus. The already mentioned V.N. Tatishchev persistently proposed (including to Empress Elizabeth Petrovna in 1743) a list of various measures in order to “keep” the Nogais “from escaping to the Kuban,” explaining the task of returning them from the Kuban “to our considerable benefit.”

However, the freedom-loving steppe people did not lend themselves well to “sovereign taming.” Finally, in the depths of the powerful St. Petersburg, the idea of ​​​​relocating the Nogais from the Kuban region to the distant Ural steppes was born and embodied in the decree of Catherine II. Its implementation was entrusted to the outstanding Russian commander A.V. Suvorov. Negotiations and mutual assurances of peace and friendship were used... Royal authorities

Moreover, A.V. Suvorov himself, in his political maneuvers, proceeded from a rather biased attitude towards the “Kuban Tatars” - the Nogais, who are distinguished by their “always inconstancy, frivolous, dainty, deceitful, unfaithful and drunk...” A similar characteristic justified these crafty influences on the leaders of the people, and seemed to promise quick and lasting success. The Nogais, indeed, partly moved along the route indicated by the authorities to the North Caspian steppes. But it’s hard to come to terms with the loss of the land that has been the breadwinner for several generations! Moreover, Turkish agents were also actively zealous, launching agitation among the Nogais with renewed vigor, and now against the Crimean Khan, who had fallen under the dependence of Russia. The results were immediate. Already by the beginning of the 1780s, up to 130 families of the “Kasaevsky Nogais” crossed to Romania on Turkish ships. Following them, the Budzhak Nogais (18,000 people) went over to the side of Turkey and migrated to Akkerman. And the Nogais who remained in the Kuban, without the knowledge of the Crimean Khan, elected themselves a seraskir and began to prepare for the “departure” from the Crimea.

An attack on the Yeisk fortress was provoked. And then the usual Suvorov motto was discarded: “prudent generosity is more useful than a swift sword”!

On October 1, 1783, in Transkuban, between the Laba and Urup rivers, in the area of ​​an abandoned ancient settlement (Kremenchuk), a battle took place between the Nogais and Suvorov’s troops. In the words of the military leader himself, there was a “complete slaughter of the Tatars.” At the same time, Major General Leontyev’s detachment inflicted a terrible defeat on the flank of the Kuban River. According to historians, in the Urup and Laba valleys the Nogais lost over 7,000 people in killed alone. And how many wounded and maimed, captured?!

Similar “reprisals” against the Nogais were undertaken later. Suffice it to recall the report of General P. Tekelli in 1789, which reported on a new expedition against the Nogais who “settled in the Anapa area, especially the Nogai Tatars living near the sea, as well as other peoples living from the Laba River and beyond.” And the “deliberately cruel” actions of another general, Portnyagin, caused outrage even among his colleagues, who accused the military leader of “crimes and injustice” and demanded that he be brought before a military court.

Shocked by the misfortunes that befell, grief and fear, the Nogais of the Kuban began to move en masse and uncontrollably to Turkey, and some migrated deep into the forested foothills, to the Adygs and Abazas. Already by the turn of the 19th century, as eyewitnesses confirm, “the Kuban region from the Caucasian line to Sea of ​​Azov the whole remained deserted...” At the same time, the “Trans-Kuban plains” glorified by A.S. Pushkin were also deserted.

But not everyone left. At the beginning of the last century, the situation changed somewhat due to the emerging orientation of some Nogais towards Russia. It was adhered to by the most far-sighted leaders and figures from among the Nogais of the Middle Kuban, such as the above-mentioned Sultan Kazy-Girey, Izmail Aliyev and others. In 1828-1829, 64 auls, consisting of 1,089 families (3,325 souls of both sexes), swore allegiance to Russia to “Trans-Kuban Nogai owners with subjects and peasants.” In particular, the sultans Batar-Girey, Selim-Girey, Princess Aisha Kamykaeva, Murza Tespim Aslambekov, Kalmurza Alagyr-Murzi, Kaplan Karamurzin and their relatives took the oath. Among those who took the oath were 108 families of “Nogai Murzas and ordinary people who fled from the Kuban last 1828” to the mountains and returned again expressing peace and “collaboration.” As a result, those living “along the left bank of the Kuban River, from the mouth of the Maly Zelenchuk River to the mouth of the Urup River” found themselves firmly under the citizenship of the Russian state. A peaceful period of history was approaching!...

But the moloch of enmity has not yet exhausted itself... During the long military operations in the Trans-Kuban region until the middle of the 19th century, the Nogais were torn apart: a considerable part found peace and settled life within the borders of present-day Karachay-Cherkessia and the areas adjacent to the north (interestingly, the steppe to the east from the Lower Urup is called to this day by the Circassians “Kazma Gubga”, which in Nogai means a cultivated field, that is, the territory where the Nogais lived - settled farmers), and the larger one, succumbing to the promises of a heavenly life in a foreign land of the same faith, went to Turkey. Eyewitnesses said: “The parting with the homeland and Russian neighbors was dramatic. The cries of women and children were heard in Nogai villages. Stunning scenes of farewell to family graves took place in cemeteries. When the Russians tried to persuade them to stay, the Nogais answered with tears: “It’s impossible - everyone is going, it’s a sin to stay.”

One of the most serious researchers of ethnography and history of the Nogais emphasizes: “The Nogai poets of those times of national disaster, as can be seen from the literary and folklore works that have reached us, addressed fiery poems to their native people, urging them not to leave their native lands, not to believe their false speeches Murzas, princes and Turkish sultans. But in vain!...” (A.I.-M. Sikaliev-Sheikhaliev).

Such is the sad fate of the “mutual responsibility” that ruined the people and deprived them of a worthy future...

Few decided to drink their share in their native places (like, for example, the Nogais of the village of Kaplanov, which was located opposite the village of Prochnokopskaya, on the other side of the Kuban). And those (it is believed that about 700,000 Nogais in total) who at different times left the Trans-Kuban region and other places of Nogai habitat in the North Caucasus, got lost, dissolved in the “Turetchina”, where today the Nogais themselves are only small groups.

But those who remained in the Fatherland many times, at the insistence of the authorities, changed their habitats: either settling together, or being “thinned out” by representatives of other peoples. The result was disastrous: modern Nogais, who had difficulty maintaining their historical and cultural unity, found themselves torn apart by the borders of four constituent entities of the Russian Federation (Stavropol Territory, Karachay-Cherkessia, Dagestan, Chechnya), and only a few thousand people live in Kuban (Krasnodar Territory). Even the historical name of the vast Ciscaucasia - “Nogai Steppe” - began to be erased from memory due to the implantation of a strange term - “Black Lands”.

This is how history dealt harshly with a numerous and courageous people, involved (through their Turkic-speaking ancestors and directly) in many achievements and events of world culture and history. The latest research leaves no doubt that the Nogais, including the Kuban, had writing and a written language in the 14th - early 20th centuries, which refutes some traditional ideas. Writing was based on the Arabic script, common to all Muslims.

The extensive diplomatic correspondence of the Grand Dukes of Muscovite Rus' with the Nogai khans and Murzas of the 15th-17th centuries, preserved in the archives of the Ambassadorial Prikaz, provides clear examples of the fact that “Nogai letters were usually written in their own language and they were translated for the sovereign by an interpreter in the Ambassadorial Prikaz” (G. Peretyatkovich ). Writing also served the internal horde office work of the Nogai khanates. Nogai manuscripts of the early 20th century indicate that in the past there were historical works “Tarikhi Nogai” (“History of the Nogais”) and “Tavarihi-i-Nogai” (“Nogai Chronicles”). This is confirmed by the opinion of the first historical and ethnographic reviews of the “Nogai Tatars” in Russia in the first half of the 19th century. There is information that the Nogai feudal lords of the Kuban had a written “constitution” that protected their interests...

Is it any wonder at the enormous desire for the national and cultural revival of modern Nogais - the descendants of a numerous, widely settled people, bearers of an original culture?!

And several times in recent years, representative national congresses of Nogais have gathered to discuss the pressing problems of their existence in the foreseeable future. Recipes for overcoming a national crisis are difficult, even painful, to come up with. But the guarantee that pressing problems will be solved is the entire long and instructive fate of the people, a significant part of their history associated with the Central Kuban, the population of which should know and remember their historically recent fellow countrymen.

Historical and geographical aspects of the development of the Nogai Horde. Makhachkala. 1993.

Kalmykov I. X., Kereytov R. X., Sikaliev A. I. Nogaitsy.

Kereytov R. X. About the stay of the Nogais in the Middle Kuban and some aspects of studying this issue // Materials of the meeting dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the scientific, creative, pedagogical and social activities of the school of academician V. B. Vinogradov. Armavir. 1994. pp. 26-27.

Essays on the history of Karachay-Cherkessia. T. I. Cherkessk. 1967.

Essays on the history of the Stavropol region. T. I, II. Stavropol. 1986. 1987.

Polovtsian moon.

Social and literary magazine. Cherkessk. 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994.

Sikaliev (Sheikhaliev) A. I.-M.

Nogai heroic epic. Cherkessk. 1994.
Feofilaktova T. M. On the military roads of Kuban (second half of the 18th century).
Krasnodar. 1992.
Greetings to the politforums community.
First of all, I would like to wish all the indigenous peoples of Russia prosperity, revival and flourishing of their national culture. Of course, good health to you and your loved ones. All this will be possible under one condition: partnership, good neighborly relations between all indigenous peoples of Russia. May representatives of other nations not be offended by me.
(I removed the hooligan avatar, somehow it doesn’t look good with such a serious topic)
The ethnonym “Nogai” goes back to the name of Khan Nogai, who began their activities under the Golden Horde Khan Berke. Nogai's grandfather was the seventh son of Jochi Khan. From his father, Nogai inherited lands located between the Dnieper and Dniester. For 30 years, Nogai fought for power in the Golden Horde with varying success. Actually, such a struggle for power is very typical of that time. There is various information in the literature about the circumstances and time of Nogai’s death. According to some sources, Nogai, wounded, fled between 1294 and 1296. was killed. According to others, he was captured and killed in 1300. However, even after the defeat of Nogai, military operations continued on the territory of the ulus. The remnants of Nogai's troops were led by his sons and for three years they waged an armed struggle against the Golden Horde, which ended with the victory of Khan Toktay over the ulus. Thus, the unity of the country was temporarily restored in the Dzhuchiev ulus. However, one of Nogai’s nephews with three thousand horsemen left the ulus; many moved to the Caspian steppes.
At the end of the 14th century, a state was formed, headed by Edigei. Separated from the Great Horde and once belonging to the Temnik ulus, the Nogai Horde began to be called Nogai, and the word “Mangyt” remained as the name of one of the eighteen tribes that were part of it. The universal recognition of Nogai's military leadership and fear of his name could not but influence the ulus inhabitants of the state he created. They began to call themselves “people of the Nogai ulus”, and the state they created “the ancient yurt of Nogai”. From the autumn of 1391, Edigei became the independent ruler of the Mangit ulus. “Having returned,” wrote M. G. Safargaliev, “to his ulus, the Mangit tribe, Edigei, as the head of this tribe, declared himself the prince of the Mangit yurt, on the basis of which the Nogai Horde was later organized.”
Owning the Mangit ulus, Edigei simultaneously remained the unlimited ruler of the entire Golden Horde under Timur-Kutluk. His main rival was Tokhtamysh's son Kadyr-Berdi, who later equipped a huge army with the help of Vytautas and marched against Edigei at the beginning of 1420. The battle took place on the land of the Horde. It became the last and decisive one both for the still young warrior Kadyr Berdi and for the experienced Edigei. Kadyr-Berdi died, Edigei remained alive. The numerical growth of the Nogai population under Edigei and the spread of the ethnonym “Nogai” to all tribes of the ulus led to the renaming of the Mangit ulus into the Nogai Horde under Edigei’s successors. By this time, the name “Nogai” was already widely used in the ulus among such large tribal associations as Kipchak, Kangly, Keneges, Kongrat, Kireyt.Kiyat, Konklyk, Argyn, Syrin (Shirin), Sun (Uysun), Naiman, Toguchan, Chublak and others who were part of the Nogai Horde.
In a fierce struggle with the Crimean khans, the Nogais restored peaceful relations with Moscow. The first embassy was sent by the Nogai prince Sheydyak to Ivan IV, who had just ascended the throne.
At the end of the 15th and especially in the 16th centuries. Among the uluses that separated from the Golden Horde, the Nogai Horde began to gain the greatest popularity. “Nogai move forward among their fellow tribesmen and attract the attention of their neighbors,” noted G. Peretyatkovich.
The Nogai Horde had significant land resources. The more ancient and main nomadic settlement on its territory was the area of ​​the river. Yaik, since in its lower reaches was the capital of the horde - the city of Saraichik, which remained the winter residence of the Nogai rulers until the final
collapse of the horde.
In the west, the border of the Nogai Horde ran along the left bank of the Volga Lowland, then called the Nogai side, or the Nogai border. The right bank of the Volga was occupied by the Nogai Horde after the final collapse of the Golden Horde. Starting from the end of the first quarter of the 16th century. The right bank of the Volga became the permanent inheritance of the Nogai princes. One of the Nogai Murzas Alchagir in 1508 in a letter to Vasily III wrote: “...my other nomad is the Volga”
“The Nogai,” noted P.I. Ivanov, “occupied an advantageous position between the Golden Horde and its eastern regions, which bore the name of the White Horde. In this regard, the Nogai had the opportunity to play a very significant political and trade-intermediary role, both in the Kazakh steppes and in the territory of the Middle Volga region.”

During the years of strife, the country suffered from famine. The years 1557 and 1558 were lean, as a result of which a significant part of the horde’s population went to Crimean side. Russia provided great material assistance to the Nogai Horde. In his letters to Ivan the Terrible, Prince Ishmael expressed feelings of gratitude for the help provided.
Relations between Ivan the Terrible and Ishmael were extremely friendly. Shortly before his death (1563), Ishmael entrusted his children to the king, who had to decide “who should be in what ulus; and about all this he ordered them to look at you (i.e., at the king) and listen in everything. And I ordered you to protect them from their enemies.” Ivan the Terrible “treated Ishmael as a reliable Ally, provided him with trust and assistance in Nogai affairs, often on his advice and in his interests, and in some other cases showed personal concern for him and his family”
In the 17th century they left the Volga steppes, in 1670 the Edisan Siyunch-Murza Sedulov with his ulus of 15 thousand tents left the power of the Kalmyks and united with Stepan Razin in the vicinity of Astrakhan. The Nogai detachment took part in the capture of Tsaritsyn, Astrakhan, and in the assault on other cities of the Volga region.

Thanks to the victories of the Razins in the Volga region, the Nogai nomads gained freedom, but they did not enjoy its fruits for long.
The migration of the Nogai population from the Volga to the Kuban continued at the beginning of the 18th century. In 1715 Kuban Bakty-Girey Sultan made a campaign to the Volga and took away from there the Edisans and Dzhemboylukovites who remained among the Kalmyks. On the eve of the last departure from the Volga, the Yedisans numbered 12 thousand tents, the Dzhemboylukovites - 3 thousand tents.
After the end of the internecine wars among the Kalmyks in 1724, the Astrakhan governor Volynsky ordered the new ruler “not to keep any Tatars in the uluses and not to return those who left without a decree of the sovereign.”
In the first half of the 18th century. The Belgorod Horde was replenished with Edisan settlers. In 1728, in order to avoid further clashes with the Kalmyks, Murza Bakty-Girey took part of the Edisans from the Kuban through the Crimea to the Belgorod Horde. In the second half of the 18th century. An attempt was made to return them back to Crimea, but the international situation did not allow this intention to be realized.

In the 19th century, the Russian army under the command of Michelson entered Bessarabia. To negotiate with representatives of the Belgorod Horde, a delegation was formed from the Nogais who lived at that time in the Molochnye Vody area. “After short negotiations, the entire Budzhak Horde, in the amount of 7,000 souls about. etc., agreed to move to Russia,” wrote A. Sergeev
In the North Caucasus, the leader of the Lesser Nogai Horde, Kazii, pursued a policy directed against the Greater Nogai Horde, and in this he found constant support from the Crimean Khan. Kaziy and his warriors repeatedly went to the Volga and took the people of Big Nogai away from there. His actions were also directed against those uluses that went from the North Caucasus to Astrakhan to connect with the Great Horde.

More accurate information about the settlement of the Nogais in the Crimea and the North Caucasus appears only in the 18th century. In a document dated 1770, the Nogai nomads are defined by the following land plots. The Edisan Horde belonged to the flat lands of the southern part of the Kherson province. Its population in literature was sometimes called the Ochakov Horde. The Yedishkul Horde occupied the lands of the Dnieper and Melitopol districts of the Tauride province. These areas were allocated to the horde in 1759 by Crimea-Girey to protect the border from the Cossacks.

The Azov Nogais roamed east of the Crimea and the Kuban Nogais wandered across the Kuban. The nomadic pastures of the Kuban Nogais are detailed in documents. It says that the Yedisan Horde of the right generation wandered from the mouth of Sasyk-Ey and Buglu-Togay downstream and near the Yeisk bazaar, as well as along Chembur and in the upper reaches of Kagalnik. The left generation of the Yedisan Horde occupied the territory from the mouth of Yesieniei and Chelbas up the rivers and along Kabash and Kuyuntyune. The Dzhemboylukovites roamed from the mouth of the Sasyk-Ey and along the course of the Bolshoy Yey. Representatives of the Budzhak Horde led a sedentary lifestyle on Chebakle. A small part of the Yedishkul branch lived in Sukhoi Chembur, among the Yedishans of the right generation. Four tribal associations of the Yedishkul Horde had their own plots. Members of the Myn clan were assigned the mouths of the Kirpiley and Zengeli rivers; the Chinese clan roamed along Ongalan, Kontor, Karakubani and the Kuban. The Burlatsky group was located between Kopyla, Temryuk and Achuev, and the Kipchak group occupied the Taman Peninsula.

The earliest information about the number of Kuban Nogais appears in 1782. According to the military department, there were 20 thousand kazans (i.e. families) of Edisans, 11 thousand Dzhemboylukovites, 25 thousand Eedishkuls, and 5400 Karakitians.
In 1783, the annexation of Crimea to Russia was officially announced. In this regard, in order to remove the Nogais from the influence of Turkey, the authorities decided to resettle the Kuban Nogais to the Ural, Tambov and Saratov steppes. At the end of June 1783, preparatory work for the resettlement was completed. For this event, the Nogais were given 200 thousand rubles in benefits. In the same month, over 3 thousand Nogais gathered near Yeisk, who then headed to the Don. Meanwhile, the Crimean Khan Shagin-Girey began to arouse the Nogais to indignation “through secretly sent letters.” The Nogai Murzas, succumbing to the agitation, decided to return the people to Kuban.
From the very beginning of the 19th century. The military and civil authorities of the Taurida province began to demand that the Nogai leaders pursue a policy of settlement everywhere.

The military events that unfolded in the Caucasus in the 18th century did not leave the Nogai population aside. In 1722, Peter 1, returning from the Iranian campaign, gave instructions to resettle part of the Sulak Nogais, led by Dovei-Murza, to the Volga. The king's order was carried out, but did not affect the Nogais, led by Murza Emanchiev. The nomads under his control at that time were in the possessions of the Tarkov Shamkhal. Migrants from Sudak, having spent a year on the Volga, again migrated to Dagestan, with the exception of the ulus people Kaspulat Agaisheev
The stay of Peter I in the Caucasus and, in particular, in Dagestan was of great importance for the Sulak Nogais. In the lower reaches of Sulak, on the orders of Peter I, a fortress was built, called the Holy Cross. The military garrison from Terka was transferred to the fortress, and part of the Terek Nogais were resettled to its deserted outskirts. The Tarkov Nogais followed their example. Thus, a stable mass of Nogai population has formed here, which still exists today. In the 19th century The nomads of these places began to be called Aksaevsky and Kostekovsky Nogais.

The Kostekovsky and Aksaevsky Nogais lived east of Kizlyar, occupying the coast of the Agrakhan Bay of the Caspian Sea. Once upon a time, the border of the Nogai steppe in the east ran from the mouth of the New Terek to the northern outskirts of the Kizlyar Bay.
The Nogais roam in the lower reaches, near the mouth of the Aksai, Amansu and Kazma rivers.”
Regarding the number of coastal Nogais and their settlement in the early 1770s, I. A. Gildenshtedt reported: “Eight villages (auls of these Nogais) are subjects of the Yaksai prince; 12 villages belong to Prince Andreisky, and 24 auls or villages belong to Tarkum Shamkhal. In former times, these Nogais were more populous, but during the reign of Peter the Great, about 1000 families of them moved to Russia, which now still roam on the left or northern side of the Terek. There are considered to be up to 5,000 tents or families still in Kumyk possession.”

In the first half of the 18th century. in the space between the Terek and Kuma, a stable, but larger in size, array of the Nogai population stands out, surviving to this day (mainly the current Nogai region of the DASSR). Its population in pre-revolutionary literature of the 19th and early 20th centuries. were called Karanogais.
Karanogais, by order of the general. Levashov, “received land from Konai (the old Terek south of Kizlyar) and the Atai Bakhtan River to Kuma itself and from the Caspian Sea to the Dzhelan and Stepan-Bugor tracts, with complete freedom from all payments and other obligations”
The significant numerical growth of the nomadic population in the North-Eastern Caucasus forced the provincial administration to urgently begin creating an administrative apparatus. In 1793, four police stations were formed on the lands of the Nogais: Kalaus Sablinskoye, Kalaus-Dzhemboylukovskoye, Achikulak-Dzhemboylukovskoye and Karanogayskoye.
The Kalaus-Sablinsky police station demarcated the lands along the upper reaches of the Kalaus and its mountainous side, as well as the area between the Bolshoy and Maly Yankuli lakes. In addition, the district of the Caucasian Mineralnye Vody. The Yedisan, Edishkul and Kasaevsky Nogais roamed this territory.

The lower reaches of the Kalaus and the areas of the basins of such small rivers as Aigur, Barkhanchuk, Kambulat and Kugulta were assigned to the Kalaus-Dzhemboylukovsky police station. The Dzhemboyluk people lived here with the following divisions: Kanglin Kararyum and Mesit.
The territorial boundaries of the Karanogay police station were formed much earlier than in the three previous police stations. The border of the Karanogai police station in the southeast reached the coast of the Caspian Sea, in the northwest - to the Kuma River and in the southwest to the Stepan-Bugorsky tract.
Only in August 1800 did the Ministry of Foreign Affairs establish the position of chief bailiff over the Nogais, Kalmyks, Turkmen and Kabardins with direct subordination to the Collegium of Foreign Affairs.
In 1803, the Caucasian administration obtained from the government the establishment of an independent police station for the Nogais living in four police stations. The Nogai prince Sultan Mengli-Girey from the Trans-Kuban region was placed at its head, at the same time awarding him the rank of major general.
The chief Nogai bailiff, Baluev, together with his assistants, began collecting material related to the customs, rituals and social structure of the Nogai people. This information subsequently formed the basis for the newly developed “Regulations on Nomadic Foreigners” in 1827, which was later included in the second volume of the Code of Laws of the Russian Empire.

Beginning in the 1820s, a number of administrative reforms were carried out in the North Caucasus. The Caucasus province was transformed into a region with its center in the city of Stavropol, and in 1847 the Caucasus region - into the Stavropol province. At the same time, all Nogai police stations were included in the Stavropol province, and only in 1888 the Karanogai police station with the Kizlyar district was transferred to the Terek region.
In the 19th century The development of Nogai culture was facilitated by the introduction of teaching the Nogai language based on Arabic script in a school in Nogaisk, the publication of books in the Nogai language in Astrakhan, and the opening of schools teaching Russian and Nogai languages ​​in Achikulak in 1869, in Nizhne-Mansurovsky in 1877.
The connections of the Nogais with the Russians, as well as the neighboring peoples of the North Caucasus - the Abazas, Circassians, Karachais, Kumyks, Ossetians, and unification with them around the same administrative, economic and cultural centers left a certain imprint on the national development of the Nogai people. As a result of mutual influences, new elements appeared in the economy, settlements, housing, food, clothing, and spiritual culture of the Nogais.
History of the Eastern Nogais since the 19th century. was inextricably linked with the history of the Stavropol province. The revolutionary changes that took place later did not escape the Nogais either.

The Bolshevik organizations of Kuban, especially the cities of Ekaterinodar and Armavir, played a decisive role in uniting the revolutionary forces of the Nogai and other peoples with the Russian revolutionary masses. On the territory of the Batalpashinsky department, Soviets began to be created at the beginning of 1918. Their organization was led by the Bolsheviks of the Krasnodar Party Committee A. Sanglibaev. Serious work was carried out by the Bolshevik group in the village of Otradnaya, which united front-line soldiers, revolutionary-minded youth from farm laborers and the poor.
In the years civil war The former staff captain of the tsarist army, Nogai Akhlau Mussovich Akhlov (1891-1937), went over to the side of Soviet power. In April 1918, A. M. Akhlov was appointed commander of the First Kazan Muslim Socialist Regiment. Under his command, the regiment repeatedly defeated the White Guards on the Volga. In June 1919, A. M. Akhlov already commanded the First Bashkir Combined Division, which participated in the military operations of the Southern Front, and in December 1919 defended revolutionary Petrograd.

Later came the stage of collectivization. The transition to complete collectivization in the region took place under conditions of fierce class struggle. Despite the fierce resistance of the propertied classes, already at the end of 1920 the first cooperative associations arose. At the beginning of 1921, 52 agricultural collectives were created in the Batalpashinsky department. They united 12,144 peasants and had 27,324 dessiatines. land.
Since 1931 collective farms became the predominant form of socialist agriculture in the region.
During the years of Soviet power, the Nogais experienced all stages of its formation. The Nogais, along with all the peoples of the USSR, toiled, worked, and fought. Then the economy destroyed by the war was restored. I had to visit the North Caucasus many times, including the Nogai steppe. And I know firsthand about the hospitality, kindness, and decency of the Nogais. I have heard more than once from old people about how, during the hungry years, Russians and Nogais helped each other out. They literally saved us from hunger and cold. The Nogai people have outstanding people, their own achievements and cultural monuments. This is generally a separate huge topic; it is impossible to talk about it in passing. So life continued, changed, houses and roads were built, but the Nogai people remained divided by administrative boundaries.
In the 90s of the twentieth century, the Birlik movement for unity and its own state independence began.

The Founding Congress of the Nogai People called for: recognizing the need for closer cooperation between the Nogais and the peoples of the Astrakhan region, the Republic of Dagestan, the Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia, the Stavropol Territory and the Chechen Republic in order to achieve peace and prosperity in places of compact residence of the Nogais; considering that the peoples of the North Caucasus and the Astrakhan region, despite their uniqueness, have largely a common heritage in traditions, customs, ideas, understanding of freedom and human rights; based on the fact that the participation of the general public in the development of a legal and economic mechanism for implementing the main provisions of the Federal Treaty, taking into account the characteristics of the above-mentioned subjects of the Russian Federation, where the Nogais live as an indigenous people, will contribute to the implementation of the provisions of this treaty; announces the creation of the interregional political public association "Birlik" ("Unity") and adopts this charter.
Excerpt:
The charter of the Birlik association contains the following provisions:
Art.1. Name and legal status.
The interregional political public association "Birlik" (hereinafter: the Association) is a voluntary public association of persons living or having family ties with the region of the North Caucasus, Astrakhan region, who want to establish peace and mutual understanding between all peoples living next to the Nogais of the above-mentioned subjects of the Russian Federation, strengthening intra-regional and inter-regional ties in the economy, science, education and culture, conservation unique nature, revival of folk traditions, development of democratic forms of state and public life, taking into account national and historical features. The association operates in the Astrakhan region, the Republic of Dagestan, the Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia, the Stavropol Territory, the Chechen Republic and other regions of Russia, both directly and through its regional, district, city and rural (primary) branches. In achieving its goals and objectives provided for in this charter, the Association acts within the framework of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Federative Treaty, the Federal Law "On Public Associations" and other legislative acts of the Russian Federation."
The tragedy of the Nogai People.
The information given above does not reflect the large-scale history of the Nogai people. It does not reflect its original culture, traditions, customs at all. It was written for people who know absolutely nothing about the Nogais. The problem is that in many pre-revolutionary descriptions the Nogais were often called nomadic Tatars. This is shown by the General Map of the CAUCASUS REGION and LAND OF MOUNTAIN PEOPLES, compiled in 1825. During Soviet times, land was redistributed with the establishment of new administrative boundaries of the newly formed republics. What kind of evil will divided the united Nogai people? Why did some of the Nogais end up in the Astrakhan region, some in Dagestan, some in the Stavropol region, some in Karachay-Cherkessia, some in the Chechen Republic, some in the Kuban?
Who was the author of this benefit?
Number of Nogais:
According to the 2002 population census, the number of Nogais in the Russian Federation is 90,666 people: - in the Republic of Dagestan 38 thousand people; - in the Chechen Republic there are 3.5 thousand people (as of January 1, 1989, in the Shchelkovo region, out of more than 47 thousand people, Nogais made up 11 thousand people); - in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic 15 thousand people; - in the Stavropol Territory 20.6 thousand people; - in the Astrakhan region there are 4.5 thousand people. Since 1989, over thirteen years, the number of Nogais has grown by 300-400 people.
From 1990 to 2002, there was a massive outflow of Nogai youth to the Southern Federal District. In search of a better life and due to total unemployment, in the absence of opportunities for civic and professional self-realization, out of hopelessness, leaving the lands of their ancestors, Nogai youth en masse leave to work in the regions of Siberia, Far East, Far North, Central Black Earth and other regions of the Russian Federation. As of January 1, 2002, in the Tyumen region: - 2.5 thousand Nogais live in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug; - in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug 1.7 thousand Nogais live. From the village of Tamaza-Tyube in the Babayurt district alone (according to the 1989 census, 851 Nogais lived) 212 Nogai families went to different regions of the Russian Federation to earn money. But in all regions where Nogais live, the 2002 census data does not correspond to reality, and reliable figures are distorted everywhere.
As of 2002, 5 thousand Nogais (mostly from the Nogai region of the Republic of Dagestan) lived in Makhachkala itself.
The situation in the North Caucasus is explosive. Any redistribution of land is equal to bloodshed. However, the current situation cannot be tolerated. In accordance with legislative framework Russian Federation can solve the Nogai issue by creating the Autonomous Kayasulinsky (Achikulaksky) Nogai district on the basis
the present Neftekumsky district of the Stavropol Territory. The Neftekumsky district adjoins closely to the administrative border of the Republic of Dagestan, and to the Nogai district of the Republic of Dagestan. The most reasonable option would be the Nogai Administrative Center on the territory of the Neftekumsky district of the Stavropol Territory, where there is a high density of the Nogai population. Other indigenous residents of the region, Russians and representatives of other nationalities, get along well with the Nogais.
Family and good neighborly relations have long been established. Almost all the villages of the Neftekumsky district are ancient Nogai settlements. It is stupid to dispute this, because even the names of the settlements themselves are Nogai: Beisey, Kayasula, Achikulak, Artezian-Mangit, Karatyube (Karatobe), Mahmud-mekteb, Kokbas.
Achikulak was historically one of the Nogai bailiffs. Achikulak also has a very favorable geographical location.
If the Nogai people themselves are more satisfied with Kayasula, then so be it. This will be the greatest act of justice to the OWN Nogai people, who shared with the Russian and other peoples of Russia all the troubles and destinies of past centuries.
Let's support the indigenous Nogai people - let's support all the Indigenous peoples of the Russian Federation, including the Russians!
Here are some interesting links on this material:

GENERAL CARD
CAUCASIAN REGION 1825. The map is huge, so I'm making a smaller copy.
Follow the link yourself.

Recently, the Nogais have been remembered mainly in connection with the land issue in Dagestan. What kind of people are they and what is happening to the ethnic group now was told to NatAccent by the deputy director of the Astrakhan branch of RANEPA, Ph.D. Eldar Idrisov.

Origin of the Nogais

The formation of the Nogais as an ethnic group took place in the space of the Eurasian steppes from the Irtysh to the Danube. Among their ancestors are medieval nomadic Turkic and Mongol-speaking tribes who came during the period of Batu's invasion.

Researchers have different opinions about the original place of residence. Some consider the “homeland” of the Nogais to be the Temnik ulus of Nogai in the area of ​​the Dnieper and Dniester rivers at the end of the 13th century. Others are the Embo-Ural interfluve, in which in 1391 Beklyaribek Edige (beklyaribek is an administrative position in the Golden Horde, similar in functionality to the modern prime minister - editor's note) founded the Mangyt yurt. The epic "Edige" is dedicated to the deeds of Beklyaribek - the founder of the dynasty of rulers of the Nogai Horde.

History of the Nogais

Stories about the origin of an ethnos are often superimposed on non-scientific ideas and folk mythology, which often interpret past events from a position favorable to a particular period of time. It is customary to emphasize the antiquity of the people and argue about their past unshakable power. The history of the Nogais in this regard is rich in speculation. It so happened that after the collapse of the Nogai Horde, nomadic groups became part of the Kazakhs, Middle Volga Tatars, Bashkirs, Turkmen and Karakalpaks. Thus, the cultural heritage of the medieval Nogais was “scattered” among all these peoples. It is not surprising that now each of them strives to give history their own interpretation, including it in their ethnopolitical construction.

This is how the concept of a “divided people” of Nogais and Kazakhs, and the view of scientists from Tatarstan on the Nogais as part of the Tatar nation, appeared. To this we must add modern division into ethno-territorial groups of Nogais: representatives of the people live in several historical and cultural zones in the North Caucasus and the Lower Volga region.

The Nogai Horde, which finally emerged as an independent nomadic state at the beginning of the 15th century, became the last large independent association of nomads on the territory of Russia and existed until the beginning of the 17th century. The development of the state was determined by the laws of self-organization of large nomadic associations: a wing management structure was formed, the past Golden Horde heritage in the form of “Yasa” and the norms of the Islamic religion were used.

In 1489, diplomatic relations were established with the Principality of Moscow, and broad dynastic and socio-economic ties developed with the Turkic states of the Black Sea region, the Volga region and Central Asia.

In the middle of the 16th century, an internal cataclysm occurred in the Nogai Horde, which coincided with the widespread advance of the Moscow state in the territory of the North Caucasus and the Volga-Ural region. In the conditions of civil strife, in connection with the murder of Biy Yusuf, the system of traditional nomadism collapsed, and plague spread in the steppe. The primary collapse of the Nogai Horde began, which continued until the beginning of the 17th century. The scattered uluses, which had departed from the power of the supreme biy, were no longer able to resist the movement of Kalmyks from Northern China in the direction of the Lower Volga region.

The process of the Nogai nomadic groups joining the Russian Empire was not simple. Finding themselves at the intersection of the geopolitical interests of Russia and Turkey, the Nogais fell under not only political, but also military influence from both sides. And in 1783, in the battle of Kermenchuk, troops under the command of Alexander Suvorov dealt a significant blow to the Black Sea Nogais.

In Soviet times, during the period of the “indigenization” policy, the Nogais were unable to form an ethno-territorial entity.

In 1957, by decree of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR, the territory of their traditional residence in the North Caucasus was divided between three subjects: the Stavropol Territory, the Dagestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic and the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.

In the early 1990s, the Nogai social movement Birlik tried to challenge this decision, but to no avail.

Attempt at consolidation

In Russia, Nogais, in addition to their main place of residence - Dagestan - live in the Stavropol Territory, Karachay-Cherkessia, and Chechnya. Since the 1990s. a fairly significant number of representatives of the people migrate to the north, to the cities of the Ural Federal District.

The first attempts to create a common Nogai ethnocultural movement were made in pre-revolutionary times. At the end of the 19th century, a whole galaxy of Nogai cultural figures appeared in Astrakhan. One of the most notable was a student of the Tatar scientist Shagabutdin Mardzhani, a collector of Nogai folklore and a prominent religious figure Abdrakhman Umerov. Umerov adopted and adapted his teacher’s ideas on nation-building for the Nogai ethnic group. Main work Abzhrakhman Umerov - “The History of the Astrakhan Nogais”, the scientist devoted almost his entire life to writing it. Alas, the manuscript was lost during Soviet times.

Followers and associates of Umerov are Abdul-Khamid Dzhanibekov, Basyr Abdullin, Bulat Saliev, Nadzhip Gasri (Mavlemberdiev) and others. Some of them continued their activities in the North Caucasus after the revolution. Thus, Abdul-Khamid Dzhanibekov became one of the developers of the norms of the modern literary Nogai language, participated in the translation of the alphabet from Arabic to Latin and from Latin to Cyrillic.

Perestroika and the self-awareness of the people

During the period of perestroika, there was a surge in Nogai self-awareness in the Astrakhan region. Historically, several groups of Nogais formed here - Yurtites, Karagash, Kundrovtsy And utara. In Soviet times, they were all classified as... Tatars, and in general the idea of ​​including the Astrakhan Nogais into the Tatar ethnic group prevailed. However, Leonid Arslanov, Victor Victorin and other scientists conducted linguistic and ethnographic studies in the 1970s, which proved the preservation of the Nogai features of language and culture among the above groups.

The democratization of society and a joint attempt to solve environmental problems that arose in connection with the work of the Astrakhan Gazprom divisions near the villages of the Nogai-Karagashis gave rise to an independent ethnocultural movement of the Astrakhan Nogais. The Karagash and Kundrovtsy, who preserved the Nogai identity to the greatest extent, were especially actively involved in this process.

As a result, from the All-Union Census of 1989 to the last All-Russian Census of 2010, the number of Nogais in the Astrakhan region doubled - to 8 thousand people.

Number of Nogais

In total, according to official data from the 2010 census, 106,000 Nogais live in Russia. Groups of Nogais live in Romania, where they ended up as a result of a large migration at the end of the 15th century, the formation of the Belogorod Horde and subsequent migration. Another large group lives in Turkey. Its formation took place during the period of “Muhajirism” - resettlement during the Caucasian War.

In Kazakhstan, in the border areas with Russia, in the Atyrau and Ural regions, as well as in the Saratov and Volgograd regions of Russia, there lives a large group of “Nugai-Cossacks”, formed during the period of Nogai migration in the late 18th - early 19th centuries. Now they are considered a separate clan within the Kazakhs, but they remember their Nogai roots.

An integral part of the Crimean Tatars is the subethnic branch of the “Nogai”, which was formed from people from the Nogai Horde. In the process of ethnocultural development, as well as as a result of deportation in the mid-20th century, internal integration processes intensified, as a result of which the Nogais, along with the Tatas and Yaylybolins, practically merged with the local Turks as part of the “Krymly” community.

Today, approximately 300,000 people in the world are carriers of the Nogai ethnic identity.

New time

Since the late 1980s, Russia has developed the practice of holding interregional events. The central general Nogai event was the celebration in 1990 of the 600th anniversary of the epic Edige in the regional center of the Nogai region of the Republic of Dagestan. Terekli-Mekteb. The first large scientific conference “Historical and geographical aspects of the development of the Nogai Horde” was also held there.

Since 1991, Dzhanibekov readings have been held in the Astrakhan region, dedicated to the activities of the Nogai educator, ethnographer and folklorist Abdul-Khamid Sharshenbievich Dzhanibekov. And in 2018, a monument to him will be unveiled in Astrakhan near the house where he was born.

In 2004, the First International Festival "Nogai El" was held in Makhachkala, bringing together Nogais from all over the world. In 2006, the International Conference “Current situation and prospects for the development of the Nogai people in the 21st century” took place in St. Petersburg. Every two years since 2014, the International scientific-practical conference"Nogais: 21st century. From origins to the future. History. Culture. Language."

In 2013, the Federal National-Cultural Autonomy of the Nogais of the Russian Federation “Nogai El” (“Nogai People”) was registered. Its founders were regional branches Dagestan, Stavropol Territory and Karachay-Cherkessia. On the one hand, the form of national-cultural autonomy is well suited for coordinating the all-Nogai ethnocultural movement, on the other hand, the leadership of Nogai El has not yet formed a development program that would take into account the ethnic and cultural interests of all territorial groups of Nogais.

Word to the youth

Several independent Nogai ethnocultural organizations operate in the regions. Youth organizations stand apart: student associations - the "Union of Nogai Youth" in Moscow and Urengoy, and in Astrakhan - the Youth Center of Nogai Culture "Edige".

An interesting interregional youth project was the freestyle wrestling competition “Steppe Bogatyrs”. The location of the tournament changes every year. Having started in Dagestan, since 2007 it has been held in all subjects of the North Caucasian Federal District and Southern Federal District where the Nogais live. In 2018, the competition will be held for the second time in the Chechen Republic.

The problem of preserving their native language is relevant for the Nogais. It is especially acute in Dagestan. The Nogai intelligentsia sees prospects in new methods and technologies, and the development of a system of additional education. The “online” language learning school “Ethnoschool” has proven itself well.

Territorial features

Today, each of the regions where the Nogais live has its own “specialization.” In Dagestan, in the Nogai region, there are the Nogai State Folklore and Ethnographic Ensemble “Ailanai”, the Nogai State Orchestra of Folk Instruments and the Nogai State Drama Theater.

In the Karachay-Cherkess Republic in 2007, the municipal formation “Nogai District” appeared. But in general, Karachay-Cherkessia is the center of Nogai research activities. It is here that the Nogai branch of the Institute for Humanitarian Research of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic operates .

The Astrakhan region is a recognized center of education and successful youth projects.

Due to regional socio-political processes, Nogai ethnicity is often politicized, and from time to time there is even talk of territorial autonomy.

In Russia and in the world

Nogais actively contact each other not only within Russia, but also with foreign diasporas. In addition to Turkey and Romania, representatives of this people today live very compactly in Germany, the Netherlands and Norway. Ethnic groups formed on a Kipchak basis in Hungary are increasingly gravitating towards the Nogais.

Arslanbek Sultanbekov, a musician from Karachay-Cherkessia, made a great contribution to the consolidation of Nogais around the world. His composition “Dombra” gained international popularity, and the song “Nogai El” became the unofficial anthem of the Nogai people.