Everything that Dagestan is dangerous for. Dagestan Nationalities

The Republic of Dagestan belongs to the multinational regions of the Russian Federation. More than a hundred different nationalities live in a relatively small area, and it is difficult to calculate the exact number of them. The Republic is called a constellation of peoples. Descriptively speaking, there are many nationalities in Dagestan - how many stars are in the sky.

Nationality groups in the Republic

Dagestan is the most multinational region of our country. However, it is difficult to even simply list all the peoples who live here, because there are more than a hundred of them. In Dagestan, nationalities can be generally divided into three groups according to language: the Dagestan-Nakh branch (otherwise it is called the Nakh-Dagestan), Turkic and Indo-European. The first belongs to the Iberian-Caucasian language family and is most clearly represented in the Republic. First of all, these are the Avars, who are almost a third in Dagestan, as well as other Caucasian peoples. The Turkic group of peoples belongs to the Altaic language family, it is represented in the country by almost 19 percent of the population. The Indo-European branch includes other non-Caucasian and non-Turkic peoples living in Dagestan. It is curious that in the Republic there is no so-called titular nationality. If you write all the nationalities of Dagestan, the list will be more than impressive. But there are 14 indigenous peoples officially recognized in the Republic.

Dagestan-Nakh branch

The population of Dagestan is represented primarily by Nakh families. First of all, these are the Avars - the most numerous ethnic group of the Republic. They live on these lands 850 thousand people, which is 29 percent of the population. They live in mountainous regions in the west. In some areas (for example, Shamilsky, Kazbekovsky, Tsumadinsky, Akhvakhsky) there are up to 100 percent of Avars. In the capital of the Republic - Makhachkala - there are 21 percent of Avars.

The second largest nationality in Dagestan is the “Dargins”, there are 16 percent of them in the country, or 330 thousand people. They live mainly in the mountains and foothills in the center of the Republic and mainly inhabit rural areas. In the cities of Izerbash, Dargins make up more than half of the inhabitants - 57%.

12 percent are represented by Lezgins, who live in the Republic more than 250 thousand people. They are mainly settled in the southern regions: Akhtynsky, Kurakhsky, Magaramkentsky, Suleiman-Stalsky, Derbensky districts.

Also, the Dagestan-Nakh branch is expressed by Laks (5 percent of the population), who live mainly in the Novolaksky district, Tabasarans (4.5 percent), Chechens (3%, mostly live in Khasavyurt, making up a third of those living in the city). Less than one percent are in Dagestan Aguls, Tsakhurs, Rutuls.

Turkic peoples in the Republic

Nationalities living in Dagestan are significantly represented by the peoples of the Turkic language branch. Thus, there are more than 260 thousand Kumyks in the Republic, which is almost 13 percent of the population. They mainly settle in the foothills and in the Tersko-Sulak lowland. Half live in cities and the remaining 52 percent live in rural areas. 15% of the inhabitants of the capital of the Republic are also Kumyks.

The Nogais, 16% of whom live in Dagestan, are a nationality that dates back to the Golden Horde. Otherwise, these peoples are called Crimean Nogai (also steppe) Tatars. There are 33,000 Nogais living in Dagestan, mostly in the Nogai region, also in the village of Sulak.

The third of the Turkic peoples represented in the Republic of Dagestan are Azerbaijanis. They number 88 thousand people - 4 percent of the population. Citizens live in Derbent, Dagestan Lights.

Indo-European peoples of Dagestan

Since the Republic is part of the Russian Federation, the population is also represented by Russians. They live in Dagestan 150 thousand people, which is more than 7 percent of the citizens. More than half of the Russian population lives in Kizlyar (54%), the Russian diaspora is also strong in Kaspiysk and Makhachkala (18%). Terek Cossacks also belong to this group. They live in Tarumovsky and Earlier, during the Soviet Union, the Republic also had a significant Ukrainian and Belarusian population. Now the percentage is extremely low - from 300 to 1500 people.

The Tats belong to the Indo-European branch, which are included in the same group with the Jews and are united under the name of the Tat Jews. There are currently 18 thousand of them in Dagestan, which is 1% of those living in Dagestan. The number of Tats continues to decline as many move to Israel.

According to the population census of the beginning of the 20th (2010) century, about a hundred different peoples currently live in the Republic. But it is not possible to calculate their exact number. Some tribal groups in the Caucasus do not even have their own written language. That is why it is so difficult to say how many nationalities there are in Dagestan. In addition, the census is complicated by the fact that some people participating in the census call themselves representatives of non-existent nationalities: Makhachkala residents, mestizos, Russians, Afro-Russians.

As of the beginning of the century, the following ethnic groups were represented in the Republic: Avars, Dargins, Lezgins, Kumyks, Russians, Laks, Tabasarans, Chechens, Nogais, Azerbaijanis, Jews, Rutuls, Aguls, Tsakhurs, Ukrainians, Tatars. These peoples account for more than 99 percent of the total population, and the remaining groups are represented by less numerous nationalities.

What is the most common nationality in Dagestan - the Avars. Their third of the population. The Avarian family includes such groups as the Karatins, Andians, Tyndals, Khvarshins, Ginukhs, Archins and many others.

The list is constantly being updated. So, for example, in 2002, according to the census, 121 nationalities were counted. Eight years later, this figure was reduced to 117 national groups.

Population of the Republic

According to Rosstat, more than three million people live in Dagestan. This is comparable to the population of such cities as Berlin, Rome, Madrid or entire countries: Armenia, Lithuania, Jamaica. In Russia, Dagestan ranks fifth in terms of the number of people.

The population of the Republic is growing steadily. The increase is up to 13 percent per year. In RD, a relatively long life expectancy is noted - 75 years. And every year these figures are growing.

Languages ​​of Dagestan

The vast majority of the inhabitants of the Republic speak Russian. These are 88 percent of the population. 28% speak Avar, another 16% speak Dargin. Also, more than 10 percent of the citizens of Dagestan speak Lezgin, Kumyk. Lak, Azeri, Tabasaran, Chechen are spoken by up to 5 percent of the country's population. Other languages ​​are represented in the minority. These are Rutul, Agul, Nogai, English, Tsez, Tsakhur, German, Bezhta, Andinsky and many others. There are also completely unexpected languages ​​in Dagestan, for example, 90 people speak Greek, more than 100 speak Korean, Italian, Kyrgyz, Hindi.

Religions in Dagestan

Believers in the Republic are mostly Muslims. Such are found among the Dagestan-Nakh and Turkic peoples. The Muslim community is predominantly Sunni, but there are also Shiites among Azerbaijanis and Lezgins. The Jewish people (Tats) profess Judaism. Among the Russian population of the Republic there are also Christians (Orthodox branch).

The Republic of Dagestan is in the very south of Russia. This explains a lot and obliges a lot. Explains why time once flew over Dagestan, rarely disturbing the highlanders. If a hurricane of events happened, it swept along a narrow strip between the sea and the mountains, only touching the people who had taken refuge in the gorges from its unrest. But then more and more often, as usual, the winds of change began to blow. Sometimes foreigners tried to deprive Dagestan of freedom. Then a multi-tribal, multi-lingual, but small country gathered in a fist to fight back. As Genghis Khan came with his hordes, so he left. Nadir Shah with many thousands of troops from Persia fled, utterly defeated. Only Russia, having come at first in peace, got along here with the freedom-loving people after a 25-year war with the legendary Shamil.

It was. The turbulent 20th century with its revolutions and wars is left behind. Today Dagestan is focused on the future. The most important railway, automobile, air and pipeline routes of federal and international importance pass through its territory, it has access to international sea routes. And as always, Dagestan is what its people are like. Today, the Land of Mountains - this is how its name is translated into Russian - is a country of great opportunities. This is the largest republic in the North Caucasus, it determines the climate of public life in the south of Russia. In terms of territory, it is larger than such states as Belgium, Denmark, Holland, Switzerland. It represents all climatic zones - from the snowy highlands with eternal glaciers to the golden sandy beaches of the Caspian Sea, which are below the level of the world's oceans. And the Dagestanis are no longer only busy with what fed them before.

Yes, and today flocks of sheep graze in the alpine meadows, giving meat and wool. And today honey apricot orchards ripen in the valleys of turbulent rivers, bend under the weight of apple and pear fruits, centuries-old walnut groves rise. Indescribably beautiful peach blossoms in spring, and juicy cherries begin fruit abundance in summer. And as before, jewelers conjure over gold and silver in the famous Dagestan villages of Kubachi and Gotsatl, which have received recognition at international exhibitions in the capitals of foreign countries, the hammers of the master of notching on wood in the village of Untsukul, the furnaces of potters in the village of Balkhar are burning. And the multi-colored carpet weavers of Tabasaran and Derbent acquire new colors. As it continues to live in the village of Rakhata, the only surviving production of shaggy Caucasian cloaks that has survived in the country.

To preserve the art that came from the depths of centuries is the duty of each new generation of Dagestanis. They honor their traditions. Each Dagestan people, whose number and their linguistic diversity also explains a lot, have their own traditions, although they are common in something fundamentally important. But in almost every aul - in something elusive - are inherent only to its inhabitants: in clothing, in language, in housing construction, in household rituals, even in the manner of carrying water from a spring where such a need is still high in the mountains. And this - most of all in the North Caucasus preserved antiquity - Dagestan as an open-air museum - is interesting. This quality is attractive, all the more so against the backdrop of the realities of the 21st century. The southernmost outskirts of Russia is endowed with it in full.
How does the republic differ from other regions of the Russian Federation? First of all - multilingualism. Scientists are still arguing how many languages ​​the indigenous population speaks here. Disagreements lie in the range of 30 and above. Suffice it to say, however, that Dagestanis read and listen to their newspapers and radio programs in 14 languages: Avar, Agul, Azerbaijani, Dargin, Kumyk, Lak, Lezgi, Nogai, Russian, Rutul, Tabasaran, Tat, Chechen, Tsakhur. Whether the language mosaic of the Dagestan press and republican air will become even more variegated will be decided by the country's parliament. But even 14 state languages ​​with all the relevant infrastructure and technical equipment, accounting for almost three million people, is evidence of a new time. Naturally, such a number of multilingual Dagestanis should have one language of communication, and, naturally, this is the Russian language. Throughout the Caucasus, it most often sounds here.

Dagestan is also distinguished by its natural features. Relic vegetation on the high-altitude Gunib plateau and virgin subtropical forest in the delta of the Samur River, the highest sandy mountain in Europe - the Kumtorkala dune and the second deepest (after Colorado in the USA) Gimrinsky canyon, the most powerful in the world in terms of saturation with hydrogen sulfide and its debit Talginsky a source and a large number of other healing mineral water and mud deposits, the largest in the country, along with Kamchatka, reserves of geothermal water and a 500-kilometer strip - from Kizlyar to Derbent - a sandy sea beach. All this makes the republic extremely attractive for tourism and the development of a network of medical and health institutions. Sanatoriums "Dagestan", "Kaspiy", "Kayakent", "Talgi" have long gained popularity. Every year they are more and more improved, the strategy for the development of this sphere of the national economy is already aimed at the construction of new complexes. And the number of tourists vacationing at numerous bases in the mountains and on the sea began to grow again after the political stabilization that has begun to emerge in the Caucasus.

In general, the revival and building up of the tourist and recreational potential is one of the priority areas for the development of the republic's economy. Thanks to the investments of private investors, many modern hotels have been built in the republic in recent years, including President, Centralnaya, Makhachkala, Sadko, Lost Castle, tourist complexes Beach Hotel - Jami, Vzmorye, "Oasis", "Shahristan", the ski base "Chindirchero" is operating. A variety of beautiful landscapes, historical and natural monuments, warm sea, ionized air and, of course, the unique original culture and art of the peoples of Dagestan make the republic attractive for domestic and international tourism and for everyone who wishes to improve their health.
Dagestan's priorities include the wealth of the Caspian: fish and sturgeon caviar, its oil and gas fields. Cognacs and wines are famous, fed by the largest vineyards in Russia (along with the Kuban ones). Starting from the 30s and to this day, the products of the Kizlyar, and in recent years, the Derbent cognac factories have regularly received awards at international competitions. In Dagestan, the most powerful (one million kilowatts) hydroelectric power station in the North Caucasus with a unique high-rise arch dam (there are only four such in the world) - Chirkeyskaya - has also been built. And in total, on the Sulak River and other mountain rivers, which the republic is so rich in, a whole cascade of power plants is being built: the construction of the Irganayskaya hydroelectric power station (800 thousand kilowatts) is being completed, the Gunibskaya hydroelectric power station has been built, the Gotsatlinskaya and Akhtynskaya are being built. After the turmoil of perestroika, machine building and instrument making, light and food industries are reviving, new enterprises are emerging that produce products using the most modern technologies - plastic pipes, glass containers, components for the automotive industry, chemical fertilizers ... The economy of the republic is a diversified economy with an agro-industrial specialization, but still with a fairly large untapped natural-climatic and human resources potential. Therefore, it continues to maintain a high level of unemployment. The level of the average wages of the population is still below the national average.

However, along with the priorities noted above, a good prospect for economic growth is promised by the fact that the international airport, commercial, fishing, oil ports in the Caspian, together with the railway linking the country with the Transcaucasus and Iran, make the capital of the republic, Makhachkala, the largest transport hub in southern Russia. And also the fact that both state and pedagogical and technical universities, medical and agricultural academies, the Institute of National Economy, 27 secondary educational institutions of the state system, many educational institutions operating on a commercial basis, and crowning this entire structure, the Dagestan Scientific Center of the Russian The academies of sciences made Dagestan, its capital, a forge of highly educated specialists in many fields of science and production. About 300 doctors and more than 1700 candidates of sciences work in the republic.

By the way, in recent years, it should be noted, despite the general economic crisis, the gross regional product in Dagestan has grown almost 2 times, industrial production - 2.2 times, and gross agricultural output - 1.3 times. The revenues of the republic's consolidated budget increased by more than 3 times. Increased during this time and indicators characterizing the standard of living of the population. The nominal average monthly wage of one worker increased by 2.5 times, and the unemployment rate, in accordance with the ILO methodology, decreased from 22.3 to 13.2 percent of the economically active population. The poverty level of the population in Dagestan has decreased by more than 2 times. These successes are also linked to greater stability in public life, as the ongoing excesses of a criminal nature appear to be on the decline. Close interaction and a high level of mutual understanding between the leadership of the republic and the federal government also play a big positive role.

And here are some more interesting figures: over 100 newspapers are published in Dagestan, of which more than 20 are republican, several magazines, 15 museums, 7 national drama theaters operate, recently an opera and ballet theater was born, using the creative forces of the republican philharmonic society and the State Dance Ensemble " Lezginka", who traveled with his tours to many countries in Europe, Asia and America.

Every corner of the Earth and every country is different in some way from the others. But among the special signs of Dagestan there is one more that distinguishes it. These are sports achievements of Dagestanis. A small republic by Olympic standards has already produced more than ten Olympic champions. And it is difficult to even count the winners of the Olympic Games, champions and prize-winners of the world and European championships among adults and youth. The most popular sports in the republic are freestyle and classical wrestling, various types of martial arts, and boxing. There were winners in fencing, there were successes in track and field athletics, everyone heard about the game of the Anji football club in the top division of the national football championship, its participation in the UEFA Cup among the teams of the continent.

The most important thing that makes each country unique, of course, is its people: politicians and scientists, tillers, gardeners and livestock breeders, writers and artists, athletes, masters of unusual professions inherent only in their native land. Many of them, the most famous in Dagestan, I would like to name here, but not all of them. But one name, well known throughout the country, adequately represents Dagestan in the vastness of Russia and beyond. This is the name of the remarkable poet Rasul Gamzatov. His book "My Dagestan" told the world about the Land of Mountains and its people with a poetic word.

Time flies, accelerating its run every year - this is the impression left by the coming third millennium. Today, the run of Dagestan time is accelerating along with the whole country. The position of the republic in the south of Russia not only explains the current rhythm of its life, but also obliges the Dagestanis to increase its pace. And the position of the southern outpost of the country requires understanding and close cooperation of the republic with all its regions.

Image Gallery

The special correspondent of Komsomolskaya Pravda arrived in Makhachkala the day before the arrests of officials, and a queue lined up to him with complaints about local orders
PRICE LIST OF POSITIONS
The parliament of Dagestan, where, as I have just been told, the seat of a deputy costs 5 million rubles, listened in deathly silence to the Russian prosecutor Denis Popov.
It was a tragedy. Mockery. Jesuitism.
For the first time in the history of Dagestan, the deputies were forced to vote for the candidacy of the prosecutor of the republic.
And for free.
It evoked quiet horror downstairs and stifled laughter in our gallery, which consisted of journalists, press secretaries, petty officials and other relatively honest people.
- Five million? Dachshund? - I asked my colleagues doubtfully, who were gloatingly looking at the crowded hall.
It used to be 5, they say. But recently an ugly scene took place in the corridors of Parliament, revealing that prices had dropped dramatically.
One people's choice (not yet arrested) came to a relative of a very, very famous Dagestan figure (also) and demanded surrender. Say, he paid for a ministerial position, the government changed - the minister was not given. Return the money! The poor fellow was not allowed into the waiting room, where millions rushed about. He made a scandal right in the corridor, shouting to the whole honest parliament: “Yes, this deputy is worth 2 million at most! Give back!"
In Dagestan, such stories are carried by the warm Caucasian wind, and not in the form of sensationalism. How about stock news? Well, for example, how about barrels of oil… Deputies have fallen in price. Well, yes, a small tragedy - a deputy invested, didn’t recapture, they threw a man, it happens ...
“I will work in accordance with the law of the Russian Federation,” prosecutor Popov told the Dagestani elite, and that was it.
The shortest campaign speech in my memory.
- Any questions, please? The prosecutor smiled affably.
- Will the deputies have questions to Denis Gennadievich? the speaker agreed in the growing silence.
Pause. The silence has become absolute.
- Questions will be later - clumsily explained the situation chairman.
Our gallery shook.
- I can imagine! she laughed. - There are such people in the hall! Who is on gas, who is on oil, who is on taxes ...
“I hope I won’t be arrested tomorrow,” an official in the neighborhood suddenly joked, looking intently at the impenetrable Governor-General Vladimir Vasiliev.
As it turned out later, due to a protocol error on and. O. the head of the republic promisingly stood the Russian flag, and not the Dagestan one ...
It was a sign.
- And the day after tomorrow? - I'm joking and I see in the face - in vain.
The next day, searches began at the mayor's office ...

In the photo - Acting Deputy Prime Minister of Dagestan Shamil Isaev.
EVERYTHING IS ROTTEN...
From experience, when a special cleansing brigade arrives in a region and a shameful bus with a governor with a bag on his head goes to the airport, the people and officials experience opposite emotions.
The first one is hopeful and happy, the second ones get into the cracks and, even if you pick them out, they hiss irritably: “Why exactly us ?!”
In Dagestan, Vasiliev, prosecutors, the capture group, even Moscow journalists - the impression - EVERYONE is happy! And so hysterically glad that you are lost.
Each detention is a small holiday!
On the Internet - hooting and hide-and-seek. Where did the minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs go, in what country, radish, did he hide?
Or - "why plant Dagestan officials, we will send them to the USA, and they will let a potential enemy around the world."

Former Minister of Education of Dagestan Shakhabas Shakhov.
Or even an attempt to go from Khasavyurt godfather ... ugh, the Islamic way to Vasilyev with complaints about bureaucrats.
My phone number became public knowledge in Dagestan the very next day, and robbed citizens reached out to me, trying to get through to Vasiliev.
- It can't get any worse! they said. Everything here is rotten. Officials demand bribes and do nothing for free.
But then the officials themselves came to me. With papers, incriminating evidence against each other, with stories beautiful in their savagery.
- Everything is rotten here! they argued no less fervently. Everyone takes bribes. Namely, this one, this one, and that one over there.
- Don't you take it? - I ask.
- Well, what are you, - they say. - Never in my life. For 20 years (5, 30, 40 years) never! I'm honest. And Vasiliev needs to rely on people like me. I would head (tax, administration, police department) ...
I somehow vividly imagined the first days of the Russian Governor-General Vasiliev ...
And then a few days later at a meeting, when the governor suddenly shouts nervously:
“Everyone, these times are over!”
It no longer seemed surprising...
But the first day of the new wave of arrests was impressive.
Having cordoned off the whole block, the special services first arrested the chief architect of Makhachkala, Magomedrasul Gitinov.
“No one is running away, no one is hiding, so there is no need to take the architect of the city with a large group with masks,” ex-head of Dagestan Ramazan Abdulatipov immediately protested from Moscow. - This is the architect of the city, he has nothing but a pencil and a tablet.
- If I were the new team, I would be more careful with the land, - advised my familiar official. - It is not enough in Dagestan, this is a painful issue ...

The new prosecutor of Dagestan Denis Popov.
EARTH AND APOCALYPSE
Officially, Gitinov was arrested for a prank innocent for Dagestan life - he gave permission for construction on the territory belonging to another owner. He sued, and the system ... failed. The judge suddenly considered the case according to the law - to demolish the new building at the expense of the city. And this is a serious damage to the state and a natural arrest ...
For Dagestan, this is a revolution.
Since the time of the great mayor of Makhachkala, Said Amirov, about whom terrible legends still circulate in the republic (judging by them, Amirov belonged to Makhachkala along with all its goodness - residents, businesses, investigators and the treasury, and those who doubted it - Apparently, this is why Amirov received a life sentence five years ago), they were not interested in the laws.
About the sanitary zone, for example. From which the embankment of Makhachkala is built up with excellent hotels of the relatives of the former mayor.
Urban planning anarchy led to the fact that strange quarters appeared in Makhachkala, refuting all urban planning norms at once.
Too high-rise for a seismically dangerous zone. And so dense that between them is literally a few meters.
Everything is explained very simply. Recently, the cost of permits has become so astronomical that the developer was told to build as you wish. He gets out at any cost.
But the worst thing is if someone dares to buy an ordinary plot of land for himself ...
Because until recently, no one in Dagestan really knew how many property documents were SOLD by local officials.
When several owners met at once to figure out who had the real documents, shootings and stabbings broke out. But this is if the owners are alive.
For example, I was asked about a meeting by a pensioner who was robbed with the help of a dead man.
The famous singer in the republic, performer of Kumyk songs Magomed-Zapir Bagautdinov, who died in 2010, successfully sold the land last year and registered the deal at the local MFC. The court overturned it. But officials did not notice the decision and brought the matter to resale. Now the unfortunate owner of this land is walking in a vicious circle and now he has come to complain about the famous dead man to me.
“They paid this, that,” he complains. - One loses documents, the other simply does not notice them, the third one makes new ones ... How to live in such a viper?!
“And the worst thing,” local entrepreneurs tell me, “is that if Vasilyev is going to check the legality of land ownership and the construction of buildings, an apocalypse will happen.
“For example, take my house,” one of them tells me. - The land under it, fortunately, is mine. So (thinks) I'm pretty sure of it. When I came to legalize a house worth, say, three million, and officials roll out a price list according to which each step is 300-500 thousand rubles, and there are 6-7 such steps, I send them to hell. And therefore, half the city is officially a self-construction. I know a poor fellow who has been going around the courts for ten years, trying to honestly register his house. They just lose their papers and laugh at him...
- Are you impressed by such little things? local colleagues are surprised. - On our agricultural lands, there are not even houses. Cities! With schools, kindergartens. They don't look at documents here.
“Wait,” I say. Are the authorities building schools on illegal land?
- Listen, dear, are you an alien? - Dagestanis shook their heads. You don't seem to understand anything...

Vladimir Vasiliev
FROM THE "KP" DOSSIER
Vladimir Abdualievich VASILIEV is 68 years old. He was born in Klin near Moscow in a family of teachers, his mother is Russian, his father is Kazakh.
Vasiliev since 1972 - in the bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Since 1997 - Deputy Minister, Head of GUBOP - Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime. He was deputy head of the headquarters for the release of hostages at the Theater Center on Dubrovka. Since 2003 - Deputy of the State Duma, Vice Speaker. October 3, 2017 appointed and. O. head of Dagestan.
He has the rank of Colonel General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
WHO ELSE HAVE BEEN DETAINED
Deputy Prime Minister Rayudin Yusufov.
(The official representative of the TFR, Svetlana Petrenko, said that the above persons are suspected of fraud on an especially large scale, committed by a group of persons by prior agreement).
Mayor of Makhachkala Musa Musaev and chief architect of the city Magomedrasul Gitinov.
They are charged with exceeding official powers in the distribution of land plots.

An official from Kazan may head the government of Dagestan

Yesterday it became known that an official from Tatarstan, the acting minister of economy of the republic, Artem Zdunov, is being tipped for the post of head of the government of Dagestan. His candidacy was submitted to the People's Assembly of Dagestan by the acting head of the region, Vladimir Vasiliev. Artem Zdunov is a relatively young official. May 18, he will be 40 years old. Born in Kazan, where he still lives. In connection with recent events, the question arose about Dagestan roots, but no, Zdunov's whole life is connected with the capital of Tatarstan.

The federal center is conducting a unique operation in the most complex Caucasian republic - Dagestan, trying to break the political system that has been functioning in the region for decades. The demonstrative cleansing and arrests are of great importance not only for the republic, but for the whole of Russia. Why did Moscow only now take up the solution of this problem and what result does it want to achieve in the end?

The operation to purge the authorities in Dagestan is unique. Therefore, almost no one was surprised even by the exaggeration made by one of the news agencies, which reported that the personnel at the traffic police posts had been completely replaced.

“Instead of them, consolidated groups of the police and the Russian Guard, sent from other regions of Russia, were put on duty,” a source told the agency, but it is clear that to replace all the traffic police officers in a three-million-strong republic, many thousands of troops would be required, which in reality did not exist, so soon the same agency issued a retraction. But the Kremlin took more than seriously to restore order in the three-million-strong republic, and this in itself indicates the onset of a new stage in the life of the country.

Yes, the whole country - and not just one Caucasian republic.

Why? Because only a very strong and self-confident government can start solving the “Dagestan problem”. But hasn't Putin's vertical been like this all these years? Not really.

During the first half of the 2000s, Putin restored the controllability of the country, which had been destroyed almost to the ground in the 90s. The president sometimes manually, through plenipotentiaries, returned powers and control levers to the federal center.

In the second half of the 2000s, the vertical of power was already largely functioning, but both the personnel problem and the contradictions within the elite remained. Both between levels of power and between oligarchic structures, between the state apparatus and the oligarchy. It is no coincidence that back in 2011, Putin said that “everything in our country rests on a living thread.”

After returning to the Kremlin, Putin strengthened and cleaned up the bureaucracy. Arrests of governors, mayors, deputies have become a mass phenomenon, and the elimination of corruption schemes and models has become systemic. The Caucasian republics remained the most difficult in terms of purges. The most difficult situation remained in Dagestan, and it was difficult to even begin to solve it. Because the Kremlin simply had no one to rely on - the very structure of power in this republic was so specific that it was not clear how to shake it up and purge it in such a way as to maintain at least minimal control over the territory.

In addition, the corruption situation in Dagestan was viewed as a lesser evil against the background of possible problems with the interethnic situation. The most complex interethnic relations within the most multinational republic in Russia served as a kind of insurance, a lightning rod against excessive attention from the center - "we have a special situation here, we need to take into account the balance of all nationalities, otherwise someone will feel dissatisfied."

Hiding behind this, as well as corrupt metropolitan patrons, the Dagestan clans ruled the republic as they pleased. Relying on their relatives and countrymen, feeding on the budget and making sure that the “share” of another clan does not grow beyond measure, and its expansion is not blatantly brazen. So they lived - realizing, however, that this would not end well.

Not only because Moscow inevitably sooner or later had to call officials to order, but also because the situation in the republic itself was degrading in all directions. After the liquidation of the terrorist underground in Chechnya, it was Dagestan that became the main "hot spot" in the North Caucasus. Moreover, both purely criminal or separatist-minded characters went underground, “into the forest”, as well as young believers who protested against the injustice of the local way of life, who fell under the spell of “pure Islam”. Such Dagestan was no longer just turning into a black hole, but also into a dangerous point for the whole of Russia.

Putin made his first attack on Dagestan in 2013 - then Ramazan Abdulatipov, a former federal minister and deputy who left Dagestan many decades ago, was elected to lead the republic. But even this respected public figure failed to build a local elite.

True, it was under him that the process of “liquidating” the shadow rulers of the republic began. The mayor of Makhachkala Said Amirov, the most "strong man" of Dagestan of all post-Soviet times, was arrested. The head of the pension fund branch, Murtazaliev, a former wrestler and informal leader of one of the Avar clans, fled abroad. Some honest and not connected with the clan officials began to move up - but on the whole, the entire system of national quotas remained untouched. And with it, corruption was reproduced. It was impossible to simply “take away” some ministry from, for example, the Kumyks - it was necessary to give them another ministry or an important object “for feeding” as compensation.

In order to maintain the “balance of interests” of even the four main peoples of Dagestan (Avars, Dargins, Kumyks and Lezgins), it is already necessary to forget about any professionalism - and then there are Laks and Azerbaijanis, Tats and Tabasarans ... Even local Russians - whose share, however, has decreased over post-Soviet time almost three times, up to 3.5 percent.

And in October 2017, Putin appointed Vladimir Vasilyev to Dagestan - Vice Speaker of the State Duma, a former employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Security Council, his long-term ally. Although Vasiliev is Kazakh by father (that is, he has Muslim roots, which is important for the republic with the largest number of Muslims in Russia), he is clearly a “Varangian” for Dagestan.

It was important for local elites to understand how the new government would be formed. By what principle? The local elites could not believe in what was purely professional. Until recently, until this week, acting director was arrested. Prime Minister Hamidov, his two deputies and a former minister. The blow was dealt not to the Dargins, Avars and others represented by these officials, but to the entire clan model. The new prime minister was a native of Tatarstan, who has nothing to do with Dagestan.

With this gesture, Moscow says - that's it, we are no longer afraid of "violating the fragile peace." Those who are worthy, who know how to work, who do not steal will lead.

And no "interethnic balance" can scare us - because, naturally, local cadres will be nominated, without them it is impossible to manage the most complex subject of the federation. But "Varangians" will be thrown at the power structures, at the government of the republic, in order to build an honest management system, to conduct a professional selection of personnel.

Will the situation explode? No. The Dagestanis themselves, ordinary, normal residents, are most tired of the state of their republic. Potentially the richest subject of the federation lives in the "gray", and that in the "black" zone - this applies to both the economy and social relations.

Making Dagestan an all-Russian health resort and breadbasket is not a fantastic idea at all. Dozens of kilometers of Caspian beaches - in Russia, where every kilometer of the warm sea counts, can become our inner Turkey. Harvests of vegetables and fruits, which can be harvested under the local sun, can make rich not only the local "elite", accustomed to cutting everything and everything.

In order for all this to work out, the main thing to do is to bring Dagestan out of the shadows. To return it to the Russian legislative space, to transfer its management into the hands of honest and hardworking representatives of all Dagestan peoples, to break the “proportional system”.

Let this system remain only in Lebanon, on which they were guided when building it in Dagestan. There, by the way, she works not for the development of the country, but to prevent the resumption of the civil war of all against all. And here, in Russia, we need to think about the development of Dagestan, and not about the conservation of an outrageous and explosive situation.

Newsline

• Makhachkala residents were outraged by the pandemonium in the police during quarantine

  Residents of Makhachkala, who were detained for violating the regime of self-isolation, were taken to police departments for an explanatory conversation. The police drew up protocols and demanded explanatory notes, having gathered dozens of people in close quarters, residents of the city reported.

• The pandemic has updated the tradition of mutual assistance in the North Caucasus

  Residents of Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria and North Ossetia have lost interest in current political and land conflicts amid the spread of coronavirus. The threat of the epidemic has brought to life the mechanisms of self-organization of the Caucasian society, people are actively helping each other to fight a common problem, scientists and activists interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" stated.

• 1 Muslims in southern Russia held Friday prayers at home

  Friday prayers were held today at home by residents of Kabardino-Balkaria, Adygea, Ingushetia and Chechnya in connection with the ban on visiting mosques. The believers in Dagestan did the same, where the muftiate limited himself to a recommendation to refrain from collective prayer. Orthodox churches in Kabardino-Balkaria continue to work, but parishioners stay at home, a representative of the Pyatigorsk diocese said.

• 1 Volunteers came to the aid of isolated residents of a house in Makhachkala

  Residents of the Makhachkala high-rise building, who were forbidden to leave the house because of a neighbor infected with the coronavirus, took advantage of the delivery of food and medicine by a volunteer organization. Such volunteers work throughout Dagestan, the Ministry of Health of the Republic noted.

• 16 residents of Dagestan are waiting for a positive test for coronavirus

  Preliminary tests for COVID-19 per day gave a positive result in six more hospitalized, the condition of three elderly patients in intensive care remains serious, the Dagestan Ministry of Health reported today.

• The police threatened with fines for violating the quarantine in the Makhachkala high-rise building

  The security forces do not constantly monitor compliance with the quarantine regime in an apartment building in Makhachkala, limiting themselves to daily rounds. However, people whose next door neighbor is hospitalized with coronavirus face a fine for violating quarantine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs warned.

• 1 The security forces reported on the prevented terrorist attack in the Stavropol Territory

  One of the IS supporters who planned the attack was killed, the second was detained, the FSB reported. The special operation took place in an apartment building located in Neftekumsk, the head of the region specified.

• 1 70 people in Dagestan transferred to quarantine per day

  No new confirmed cases of coronavirus were registered in Dagestan during the day, however, another 70 people were sent to the quarantine regime.

• Volunteers organized help for the elderly in Dagestan

  Volunteers delivered food, medicines and other necessary goods according to 169 applications received from the elderly residents of Dagestan and social services to the hotline after the announcement of the self-isolation regime due to the threat of the spread of coronavirus.

• 1 Nogai activists called Elmira Kenzhibulatova a "victim of the situation"

  The daughters of Elmira Kenzhibulatova, a resident of the Tarumovsky district of Dagestan, who was arrested after returning home from Syria, were examined by doctors and psychologists. Elmira's father, as well as Nogai activists who are familiar with the family, deny the woman's involvement in the militants.

• Makhachkala drivers complained about mass detentions

  Drivers reported mass arrests in Makhachkala for violating the self-isolation regime. The security forces set up posts at the entrances to the settlements of Dagestan.

• The Ministry of Health of Dagestan reported about complications in those infected with coronavirus

  Three patients with coronavirus are in serious condition, among 25 infected three children, the Ministry of Health of Dagestan said today.

• Number of people infected with coronavirus in Dagestan reaches 25

  10 new cases of coronavirus infection have been confirmed in Dagestan, 900 people are in quarantine, Rospotrebnadzor reported.

• Nurmagomedov vs Ferguson canceled

  The duel of the Dagestani mixed martial arts fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov with the American Tony Ferguson was canceled amid the pandemic.

• Residents of one entrance of the Makhachkala high-rise building placed in quarantine

  The test for coronavirus of a resident of Makhachkala turned out to be positive, employees of the republican Rospotrebnadzor ordered all her neighbors in the entrance to self-isolate.

• 1 Entrepreneurs in Dagestan voluntarily refused to work during self-isolation

  The head of Dagestan signed a decree on measures to support businesses in connection with the spread of coronavirus. Residents of the republic engaged in the provision of services, interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, said that they did not count on the help of the authorities, but after the announcement of the self-isolation regime, they refused to work.

• Analysts doubt the scale of IS* recruitment in the Kalmyk colony

  Islamic jamaats are being formed in Russian colonies, whose representatives defiantly propagate the ideas of terrorist groups without being members of them, analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" said. At the same time, in their opinion, information about the terrorist network in the Kalmyk colony is similar to a PR campaign by the security forces.

• 1 The head of the Kizlyar district spoke about the restrictions in Yasnaya Polyana

  In the village of Yasnaya Polyana, from where a local resident was hospitalized with suspected coronavirus, a self-isolation regime is in effect, entry and exit from the village were not prohibited, the acting head of the Kizlyar district said.

• The Ministry of Health of Dagestan reported 15 infected with coronavirus

  The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Dagestan increased by two and reached 15, initial testing gave a positive result in another 14 patients.

• Mufti of Dagestan urged believers not to attend mosques

  Believers in Dagestan need to stop attending mosques due to the threat of the spread of coronavirus infection, the mufti of the republic said today. Instagram users have approved this initiative.

• Instagram users criticized the authorities of Dagestan for weak quarantine control

  Dagestan Instagram users were outraged by cases of violation of the self-isolation regime. Commentators criticized the authorities, who, in their opinion, weakly monitor the implementation of quarantine measures.

• Dagestan journalists doubt the possibility of introducing quarantine in the format of Moscow

  The introduction of quarantine measures in Makhachkala, similar to those in Moscow, is impossible, since the inhabitants of the republic are not ready for them either financially or emotionally, Dagestani journalists told the "Caucasian Knot".

• Resident of Dagestan village hospitalized with suspected coronavirus

  A resident of Yasnaya Polyana was taken to a Makhachkala hospital with suspected coronavirus after returning from Nalchik. The week before, he had complained of a high temperature, his aunt said. In the village, according to local residents, there are restrictions on entry and exit.