DOCSLIB.ORG

Reeification

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Reeification REEIfication NEWS FROM THE INDIANA UNIVERSITY RUSSIAN AND EAST EUROPEAN INSTITUTE David L. Ransel, Director Philip Hart, Editor Vol. 28, No. 4 December 2004 Beslan, Chechnya, and Terror in Russia: A Panel Discussion by Neil Gipson On September 1, 2004, terrorists seized a school full of children and parents in the southern Russian town of Beslan, near the breakaway territory of Chechnya. Who were the terrorists? What sparked the attack? And what were its roots and consequences? On October 26th, the Russian and East European Institute arranged a panel discussion to address the origins and aftermath of the tragedy. The panel members brought multiple perspectives to bear on the events at Beslan. Professor David Ransel, Director of the Russian Features and East European Institute, introduced the panel and moderated the discussion. Julie Fairbanks, a PhD candidate in the Department of Beslan 1 Anthropology who specializes in the region, set the historical and social Faculty Profile: Dodona Kiziria 3 context of the hos- Voices from the Caucasus 4 tage-taking. Profes- Alumni Profile: David Marks 5 sor Nazif Shahrani Language Opportunities 6 of the Department Outside The Classroom of Anthropology European Security and 7 discussed the role of Ukraine Conference Islam in the Chechen conflict. Professor Henry Hale of the News Department of Politi- cal Science laid out SWSEEL 2005 8 some of the political IU Polish Studies Center and 9 consequences of the Director Honored in Warsaw attacks and addressed SWSEEL 2004 Highlights 10 the reaction of the Dobro Slovo Inductions 11 Russian government. Student News 13 Ms. Fairbanks Alumni News 13 highlighted the ori- gins of the Chechen Faculty News 14 Beslan is located in the Russian republic of North Ossetia wars and also their International Studies Summer 16 in the northern Caucasus near Chechnya recent spillover into Institute the neighboring regions of Ingushetia and North Ossetia. Originally, Russia subjugated the peoples of the North Caucasus in the mid-1800s continued on next page 2 Russian and East European Institute REEIfication, December 2004 3 INSTITUTE STAFF Beslan David L. Ransel, Director continued from previous page Denise Gardiner, Assistant Director/Outreach Coordinator as part of its imperial drive to the south, meeting fierceresistance for many Lisa Giullian, Advisor/Assistant years. In the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Chechen Director for Student Services political leaders renewed their drive for independence, but the Yeltsin ad- Jessica Hamilton, Admin. Secretary ministration in Moscow refused to sanction their secession. Two wars fol- GRADUATE ASSISTANTS lowed, with a lull from 1996-99, and today the fighting continues as rebels Philip Hart, Publications Editor demand a complete Russian withdrawal from Chechen territory. The Stephanie Hockman, World Wide region outside of Chechnya proper is being drawn into the conflict partly Web Administrator as a result of Stalin’s 1944 wholesale deportation of Chechens, Ingush, Jonathan Hudgens, Library Asst. Balkars, and other peoples. On the pretext of disloyalty during WWII, the Karen Kowal, Slavica Asst. Alice Tobin, Outreach Asst. entire population of the region was shipped to the Kazakh steppe. Their political territories were dissolved and the lands repopulated by other eth- CONTACT INFORMATION nic groups. The original inhabitants were ultimately granted permission Russian and East European Institute Ballantine Hall 565 Indiana University Bloomington, IN 47405-6615 Phone: (812) 855-7309 Fax: (812) 855-6411 Email: [email protected] www.indiana.edu/~reeiweb/ IU Awards for REEI Alumni 1994 Irene Meister College Distinguished Alumni 1998 Stephen Cohen College Distinguished Alumni (L-R) Shahrani, Fairbanks, Ransel, and Hale discuss the 1999 James F. Collins Beslan Tragedy and Terror in Russia Honorary Doctorate 2004 Richard Miles to return in 1957, but resulting land and property disputes were never fully Distinguished Alumni Service resolved. As a result, tensions remain, and conflict between Ingush and REEI Awards North Ossetians erupted in violence in 1992. Many observers speculate that the attack in Beslan—situated in North Ossetia not far from the In- DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI gush border—may have been an attempt to extend the war in Chechnya 1988 Alexander Rabinowitch to the wider region. 1988 Charles Gati 1995 Gale Stokes Ultimately the war’s origins have been conflated with the international 2000 Helena Goscilo war on terror and Islamic fundamentalism. The Russian government 2002 Howard I. Aronson frames the war in Chechnya as an “anti-terror” operation, and it quickly 2002 William Hopkins blamed the Beslan tragedy on Islamic extremists. As a result, accord- DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ing to Professor Shahrani, the question on the minds of many is: “How 1988 Theofanis Stavrou could Muslims in the name of Islam kill over three hundred children in 1988 Robert F. Byrnes a school?” 1989 Karen Niggle One possible answer is that such acts simply cannot be justified by refer- 1996 Robert W. Campbell ence to the Koran or Islamic scholars. “Nobody,” argues Shahrani, “is doing 1997 Charles Jelavich 1997 Janet Rabinowitch this for Islam. They are doing it for the cause of liberty, for what they perceive 2000 William B. Edgerton continued on page 12 2 Russian and East European Institute REEIfication, December 2004 3 INSTITUTE STAFF David L. Ransel, Director Faculty Profile: Dodona Kiziria Denise Gardiner, Assistant by Lyndsay Miles Director/Outreach Coordinator Lisa Giullian, Advisor/Assistant Professor Dodona Kiziria culture, language and politics into a textbook for teaching the Director for Student Services Jessica Hamilton, Admin. Secretary has been a member of Indiana also figure highly in her aca- language both in the classroom University’s Slavic Languages and to students working inde- GRADUATE ASSISTANTS and Literatures faculty since pendently. Her study material Philip Hart, Publications Editor 1979, as well as being an af- is used by students of Georgian Stephanie Hockman, World Wide filiate faculty member of REEI. in many countries worldwide. Web Administrator Originally from Tbilisi, Republic Not only is Professor Kiziria Jonathan Hudgens, Library Asst. of Georgia, Kiziria completed the IU’s local authority on Georgian Karen Kowal, Slavica Asst. Alice Tobin, Outreach Asst. bulk of her formal education in language, culture and politics, the Soviet Union. Her credentials she also plays an important and CONTACT INFORMATION include a degree in Indian lan- active role in her native coun- Russian and East European Institute guages and literatures from the try. She is known in Georgia as Ballantine Hall 565 Institute of Oriental Languages both a poet and a political com- Indiana University at Moscow State University, mentator. She writes articles Bloomington, IN 47405-6615 Phone: (812) 855-7309 as well as a graduate degree in Dodona Kiziria has been a faculty member on current events, primarily in Fax: (812) 855-6411 film history and theory from the in the Department of Slavic Languages Georgian, and is regularly invited Email: [email protected] Institute of Cinematography in and Literatures since 1979 for roundtable discussions in the www.indiana.edu/~reeiweb/ Moscow. Kiziria explains that demic pursuits and have become Georgian section of Voice of IU Awards for REEI Alumni her interest in cinema, which de- a serious part of her research and America. In May of 2004, she was veloped during the 1960s, largely teaching. Over the years she has one of four Georgians to be hon- 1994 Irene Meister stemmed from its position as “the often worked one-on-one with IU ored with dual citizenship by the College Distinguished Alumni most subversive art form in the country’s new president, Mikhail 1998 Stephen Cohen students interested in the study of College Distinguished Alumni Soviet Union,” and therefore one her native country. Saakashvili, for her contribution 1999 James F. Collins of the few acceptable means of In 1986 Professor Howard to the development of democracy Honorary Doctorate dissidence. When she relocated Aronson of the University of in Georgia. 2004 Richard Miles to the United States in 1971, and Chicago, a prominent scholar and While she acknowledges that Distinguished Alumni Service later to Indiana University, there pioneer of Georgian studies in interest in Georgian studies has REEI Awards were very few academic oppor- the United States, organized the been limited in the United States, tunities in film studies, especially first Georgian language summer she strongly encourages further DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI studies in Soviet cinema. Profes- workshop in the United States. academic research on the country 1988 Alexander Rabinowitch sor Kiziria completed IU’s PhD for its “untapped treasures” in a 1988 Charles Gati Professor Kiziria taught Georgian 1995 Gale Stokes program in Slavic languages and in the Workshop for two years. In variety of fields, including folk 2000 Helena Goscilo literatures in 1979 after presenting 1988, Georgian was added to the music, history, ethnography, and 2002 Howard I. Aronson her dissertation, “The Influence of program of the Summer Workshop literature. To further encourage 2002 William Hopkins Cinema on Literature.” She also in Slavic, East European and Cen- pursuits in this area, Kiziria teach- DISTINGUISHED SERVICE developed courses in Soviet and tral Asian Languages (SWSEEL) es Georgian language on an inde- 1988 Theofanis Stavrou East European Cinema that she at IU. In addition, with
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Counterfactual-Hando
    Third International Conference on Iranian Linguistics 11th-13th September 2009, Paris, Sorbonne Nouvelle Arseniy Vydrin Institute of Linguistic Studies St.Petersburg, Russia [email protected] Counterfactual mood in Iron Ossetic Ossetic1 (Northeastern Iranian): Iron, Digor dialects. Spoken mostly in The Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, about 500000 native speakers. 1. Counterfactual meaning Counterfactual meaning can be defined as the meaning which is contrary to the actual state of affairs. Conditional constructions with irreal condition are the easiest way to express the counterfactual meaning. For example, Persian: (1) Agar tabar-rā az dast-aš na-geferte1 bud2-and if axe-OBL PREP hand-ENCL.3SG NEG-take.PLUPERF1,2-3PL hame-ye mā-rā tekke pāre karde1 bud2-and all-EZF we-OBL piece piece do.PLUPERF1,2-3PL ‘If they hadn’t taken the axe from him we would have been hacked to pieces’ (S. Hedāyat. Katja). Couterfactual is considered to be the core meaning of the semantic domain of irrealis [Plungian 2005]. However, as shown in [Lazard 1998; Van Linden and Verstraete 2008], very few languages have a narrow dedicated marker for expressing only counterfactuality. In most languages, counterfactual meaning is a part of the semantic repertoire of some other “broad” markers, primarily associated with the domain of possibility / probability or past (including, according to Lazard, such values as prospective, desiderative, debitive, inceptive, evidentiality, habitual, subjunctive and optative). Most of the Iranian languages: past habitual, imperfect or pluperfect markers. Among languages which possess a dedicated counterfactual marker Lazard cites Turkana (Nilotic), Ewondo (Bantu), Yoruba and classic Nahuatl. Van Linden and Verstraete add Chukchi (Chukotko-Kamchatkan), Hua (Trans–New Guinea), Ika (Chibchan-Paezan), Kolyma Yukaghir, Martuthunira (Pama-Nyungan) and Somali (Cushitic).
    [Show full text]
  • The Future of the Caucasus After the Second Chechen War
    CEPS Working Document No. 148 The Future of the Caucasus after the Second Chechen War Papers from a Brainstorming Conference held at CEPS 27-28 January 2000 Edited by Michael Emerson and Nathalie Tocci July 2000 A Short Introduction to the Chechen Problem Alexandru Liono1 Abstract The problems surrounding the Chechen conflict are indeed many and difficult to tackle. This paper aims at unveiling some of the mysteries covering the issue of so-called “Islamic fundamentalism” in Chechnya. A comparison of the native Sufi branch of Islam and the imported Wahhaby ideology is made, in order to discover the contradictions and the conflicts that the spreading of the latter inflicted in the Chechen society. Furthermore, the paper investigates the main challenges President Aslan Maskhadov was facing at the beginning of his mandate, and the way he managed to cope with them. The paper does not attempt to cover all the aspects of the Chechen problem; nevertheless, a quick enumeration of other factors influencing the developments in Chechnya in the past three years is made. 1 Research assistant Danish Institute of International Affairs (DUPI) 1 1. Introduction To address the issues of stability in North Caucasus in general and in Chechnya in particular is a difficult task. The factors that have contributed to the start of the first and of the second armed conflicts in Chechnya are indeed many. History, politics, economy, traditions, religion, all of them contributed to a certain extent to the launch of what began as an anti-terrorist operation and became a full scale armed conflict. The narrow framework of this presentation does not allow for an exhaustive analysis of the Russian- Chechen relations and of the permanent tensions that existed there during the known history of that part of North Caucasus.
    [Show full text]
  • Genetic Analysis of Male Hungarian Conquerors: European and Asian Paternal Lineages of the Conquering Hungarian Tribes
    Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences (2020) 12: 31 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-019-00996-0 ORIGINAL PAPER Genetic analysis of male Hungarian Conquerors: European and Asian paternal lineages of the conquering Hungarian tribes Erzsébet Fóthi1 & Angéla Gonzalez2 & Tibor Fehér3 & Ariana Gugora4 & Ábel Fóthi5 & Orsolya Biró6 & Christine Keyser2,7 Received: 11 March 2019 /Accepted: 16 October 2019 /Published online: 14 January 2020 # The Author(s) 2020 Abstract According to historical sources, ancient Hungarians were made up of seven allied tribes and the fragmented tribes that split off from the Khazars, and they arrived from the Eastern European steppes to conquer the Carpathian Basin at the end of the ninth century AD. Differentiating between the tribes is not possible based on archaeology or history, because the Hungarian Conqueror artifacts show uniformity in attire, weaponry, and warcraft. We used Y-STR and SNP analyses on male Hungarian Conqueror remains to determine the genetic source, composition of tribes, and kin of ancient Hungarians. The 19 male individuals paternally belong to 16 independent haplotypes and 7 haplogroups (C2, G2a, I2, J1, N3a, R1a, and R1b). The presence of the N3a haplogroup is interesting because it rarely appears among modern Hungarians (unlike in other Finno-Ugric-speaking peoples) but was found in 37.5% of the Hungarian Conquerors. This suggests that a part of the ancient Hungarians was of Ugric descent and that a significant portion spoke Hungarian. We compared our results with public databases and discovered that the Hungarian Conquerors originated from three distant territories of the Eurasian steppes, where different ethnicities joined them: Lake Baikal- Altai Mountains (Huns/Turkic peoples), Western Siberia-Southern Urals (Finno-Ugric peoples), and the Black Sea-Northern Caucasus (Caucasian and Eastern European peoples).
    [Show full text]
  • Programa Saboloo
    October 27 14 00 Symposium Opening (The Georgian National Academy of Sciences, 52 Rustaveli Ave., 5th floor, a conference hall) Opening address – President of the Georgian National Academy of Sciences, Acad. T. Gamkrelidze D. Shashkin – Minister of Education and Science of Georgia A. Kvitashvili – Rector of Iv.Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University L. Ezugbaia – Director of Arn. Chikobava Institute of Linguistics G. Gambashidze – President of Fund of Caucasus S. Pasov – Pro-rector of Karachay-Cherkessian State University Kh. Taov – Pro-rector of Kabardo-Balkarian State University A. Abregov – Head of the Chair of the Generel Linguistics of the Adyghe State University Ts. Baramidze – Full Professor at Iv. Javakhishvili State University I. Abdullaev – A senior research-worker of H.Tsadasa Institute of Language, Literature and Art A. Timaev – Head of the Chair of the Chechen language at Chechen State University S. Patiev – Docent of the Chair of the Ingush language at Ingush State Iniversity 15 00 Plenary Report G. Kvaratskhelia (Tbilisi) _ Like-Mindedness and Hereditariness in Science N. Machavariani (Tbilisi) _ Ketevan Lomtatidze's life and activity A. Arabuli, V. Shengelia (Tbilisi) _ Academician Ketevan Lomtatidze's contribution to studying the Abkhaz-Circassian and Kartvelian languages Address Speeches and Memories: M. Lordkipanidze, I. Asatiani, B. Outtier, R. Janashia, N. Andguladze, A. Chincharauli, T. Berozashvili, A. Arabuli, T. Ujukhu... 24 October 28 Sectional Meetings I Section 10 00 _ 11 30 Chairs : I. Abdullaev, G. Kvaratskhelia T. Uturgaidze (Tbilisi) _ On the Subject of the Mix of Models in Lingual Systems A. Khalidov (Grozny) _ About Ascertainment of Affinity of Ibero-Caucasian Languages (in support of M.E.
    [Show full text]
  • Between Integration and Resettlement: the Meskhetian Turks
    BETWEEN INTEGRATION AND RESETTLEMENT: THE MESKHETIAN TURKS Oskari Pentikäinen and Tom Trier ECMI Working Paper # 21 September 2004 EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR MINORITY ISSUES (ECMI) Schiffbruecke 12 (Kompagnietor Building) D-24939 Flensburg Germany ( +49-(0)461-14 14 9-0 fax +49-(0)461-14 14 9-19 e-mail: [email protected] internet: http://www.ecmi.de ECMI Working Paper # 21 European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) Director: Marc Weller © Copyright 2004 by the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) Published in August 2004 by the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) List of Abbreviations.................................................................................................4 I. Introduction...........................................................................................................6 1. Who Are the Meskhetian Turks?...........................................................................9 2. A History of Forced Migration............................................................................11 II. The Meskhetian Turks’ Current Demographic and Socio-Political Situation.......13 1. Georgia...............................................................................................................15 2. Azerbaijan...........................................................................................................19 3. Ukraine...............................................................................................................20 4. Russia..................................................................................................................21
    [Show full text]
  • Durable Solutions for Meskhetian Turks: the Issue Revisited
    Andrei Khanzhin* Durable Solutions for Meskhetian Turks: The Issue Revisited I. Introduction Meskhetian Turks, with their bitter experience of two deportations and years of living in exile, have been perhaps the most neglected group among the peoples forci- bly uprooted by Stalin’s order in . They remain one of the few groups not to have been officially rehabilitated or allowed to return. It is striking how shabby is the state of discourse and analysis in academic and policy circles about the history, culture and current situation of Meskhetian Turks. Though lately the number of publications on the issue seems to have increased, genuinely profound studies of the Meskhetian Turks are still lacking. In-depth knowledge on the level of their integration in different regions, on their preferences regarding repatriation or resettlement, on their lifestyle, practices, history and culture in general is in demand. Indeed, it is urgently needed, for well- informed solutions of their problems are long overdue. Meskhetian Turks want to be officially allowed to return to the region they were deported from; they seek assistance, not obstruction, in their endeavours to integrate into countries they have been living in for decades; many of them long to find a place where they could be spared harassment and the haunting fear of another displacement. Until recently, the international com- munity largely kept aloof from the problems of the Meskhetian Turks. Unfortunately, notwithstanding some seemingly positive recent developments, thus far, progress with regard to their repatriation tends to zero. Problems related to Meskhetian Turks’ inte- gration in receiving societies have not had their fair share of attention either.
    [Show full text]
  • The Agglomeration of Exporters by Destination
    The Agglomeration of Exporters by Destination Andrew J. Casseya aSchool of Economic Sciences, Washington State University, 101 Hulbert Hall, P.O. Box 646210, Pullman, WA 99164, USA. Phone: 509-335-8334. Fax: 509-335-1173. Email: [email protected]. Katherine N. Schmeiserb;∗ bDepartment of Economics, Mt. Holyoke College, 117 Skinner Hall; 50 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075, USA. Phone: 612-910-2538. Email: [email protected]. Abstract Precise characterization of informational trade barriers is neither well documented nor understood, and thus remain a considerable hindrance to development. Using spatial econometrics on Russian customs data, we document that destination-specific export spillovers exist for developing countries, extending a result that was only known for developed countries. This result suggests behavior responding to a destination barrier. To account for this fact, we build on a monopolistic competition model of trade by postulating an externality in the international transaction of goods. We test the model's prediction on region- and state-level exports using Russian and U.S. data. Our model accounts for up to 40% more of the variation than in gravity-type models without agglomeration. This finding has important development implications in that export policy that considers current trade partners may be more effective than policy that focuses only on the exporting country's industries. Keywords: agglomeration, distribution, exports, development, location, Russia JEL: D23, F12, L29 ∗Corresponding author Preprint submitted to. September 21, 2011 1 1. Introduction 2 One of the unsolved problems in economic development is the lack of knowledge about the 3 size and nature of barriers to trade, and how these barriers affect growth and income.
    [Show full text]
  • Stress Chapter
    Word stress in the languages of the Caucasus1 Lena Borise 1. Introduction Languages of the Caucasus exhibit impressive diversity when it comes to word stress. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the stress systems in North-West Caucasian (henceforth NWC), Nakh-Dagestanian (ND), and Kartvelian languages, as well as the larger Indo-European (IE) languages of the area, Ossetic and (Eastern) Armenian. For most of these languages, stress facts have only been partially described and analyzed, which raises the question about whether the available data can be used in more theoretically-oriented studies; cf. de Lacy (2014). Instrumental studies are not numerous either. Therefore, the current chapter relies mainly on impressionistic observations, and reflects the state of the art in the study of stress in these languages: there are still more questions than answers. The hope is that the present summary of the existing research can serve as a starting point for future investigations. This chapter is structured as follows. Section 2 describes languages that have free stress placement – i.e., languages in which stress placement is not predicted by phonological or morphological factors. Section 3 describes languages with fixed stress. These categories are not mutually exclusive, however. The classification of stress systems is best thought of as a continuum, with fixed stress and free stress languages as the two extremes, and most languages falling in the space between them. Many languages with fixed stress allow for exceptions based on certain phonological and/or morphological factors, so that often no firm line can be drawn between, e.g., languages with fixed stress that contain numerous morphologically conditioned exceptions (cf.
    [Show full text]
  • Diplomatiya Aləmi
    DİPLOMATİYA ALƏMİ WORLD OF DIPLOMACY JOURNAL OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN № 43, 2016 EDITORIAL COUNCIL Elmar MAMMADYAROV Minister of Foreign Affairs (Chairman of the Editorial Council) Novruz MAMMADOV Deputy Head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Head of the Foreign Relations Department, Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Araz AZIMOV Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Khalaf KHALAFOV Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahmud MAMMAD-GULIYEV Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Hafiz PASHAYEV Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nadir HUSSEINOV Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Elman AGAYEV Head of Analysis and Strategic Studies Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan EDITORIAL BOARD Hussein HUSSEINOV Department of Anaysis and Strategic Studies Nurlan ALIYEV Department of Anaysis and Strategic Studies Samir SULTANSOY Department of Anaysis and Strategic Studies @ All rights reserved. The views expressed in articles are the responsibility of the authors and should not be construed as representing the views of the journal. “World of Diplomacy” journal is published since 2002. Registration № 1161, 14 January 2005 ISSN: 1818-4898 Postal address: Analysis and Strategic Studies Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sh.Gurbanov Str. 50, Baku AZ 1009 Tel.: 596-91-31; 596-92-81 e-mail: [email protected] AZƏRBAYCAN RESPUBLİKASI XARİCİ İŞLƏR NAZİRLİYİNİN JURNALI 43 / 2016 MÜNDƏRİCAT - CONTENTS - СОДЕРЖАНИЕ RƏSMİ XRONİKA - OFFICIAL CHRONICLE - ОФИЦИАЛЬНАЯ ХРОНИКА Diplomatic activity of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Mr. I.Aliyev in the third quarter of 2016 ............................................................ 4 Activity of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • Nation Making in Russia's Jewish Autonomous Oblast: Initial Goals
    Nation Making in Russia’s Jewish Autonomous Oblast: Initial Goals and Surprising Results WILLIAM R. SIEGEL oday in Russia’s Jewish Autonomous Oblast (Yevreiskaya Avtonomnaya TOblast, or EAO), the nontitular, predominately Russian political leadership has embraced the specifically national aspects of their oblast’s history. In fact, the EAO is undergoing a rebirth of national consciousness and culture in the name of a titular group that has mostly disappeared. According to the 1989 Soviet cen- sus, Jews compose only 4 percent (8,887/214,085) of the EAO’s population; a figure that is decreasing as emigration continues.1 In seeking to uncover the reasons for this phenomenon, I argue that the pres- ence of economic and political incentives has motivated the political leadership of the EAO to employ cultural symbols and to construct a history in its effort to legitimize and thus preserve its designation as an autonomous subject of the Rus- sian Federation. As long as the EAO maintains its status as one of eighty-nine federation subjects, the political power of the current elites will be maintained and the region will be in a more beneficial position from which to achieve eco- nomic recovery. The founding in 1928 of the Birobidzhan Jewish National Raion (as the terri- tory was called until the creation of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast in 1934) was an outgrowth of Lenin’s general policy toward the non-Russian nationalities. In the aftermath of the October Revolution, the Bolsheviks faced the difficult task of consolidating their power in the midst of civil war. In order to attract the support of non-Russians, Lenin oversaw the construction of a federal system designed to ease the fears of—and thus appease—non-Russians and to serve as an example of Soviet tolerance toward colonized peoples throughout the world.
    [Show full text]
  • Conflicts in the North Caucasus
    Central Asian Survey, (1998), 17(3), 409-441. Conflicts in the North Caucasus SVANTE E. CORNELL* Although the conflicts that have attracted most international attention in the post- cold war era have been those of the Transcaucasus, another area of both potential and actual turmoil is the North Caucasus. The first example of serious conflicts in the area, naturally, is the war in Chechnia. However, the existence of this war, and its astonishing cruelty and devastation, has been instrumental in obscuring the other grievances that exist in the area, and that have the potential to escalate into open conflict. These can be divided into two main categories, which however spill over into one another. The first type of conflicts are those among the peoples of the region; the second type is conflicts between these peoples and Russia. Doubtlessly, the main example of the unrest in the North Caucasus has been the short but bloody war between the Ingush and the Ossetians. However, this war distinguishes itself only by being the only one of the conflicts in the region that has escalated into war. Among the other known problems, three issues call for special attention: First and perhaps most pressingly, the bid for unity of the Lezgian people in Dagestan and Azerbaijan; Second, the latent problem between the Turkic Karachai and the Circasssian peoples in the two neighbour republics of Karachaevo-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria; and thirdly the condition of the most complex of all the North Caucasian republics: Dagestan. It seems logical in this study to start with the most well-known of these issues: the war that raged in November 1992 in the Prigorodniy raion between the Ingush and the North Ossetians.
    [Show full text]
  • RUSSIAN ORIENTAL STUDIES This Page Intentionally Left Blank Naumkin-Los.Qxd 10/8/2003 10:33 PM Page Iii
    RUSSIAN ORIENTAL STUDIES This page intentionally left blank naumkin-los.qxd 10/8/2003 10:33 PM Page iii RUSSIAN ORIENTAL STUDIES Current Research on Past & Present Asian and African Societies EDITED BY VITALY NAUMKIN BRILL LEIDEN • BOSTON 2004 naumkin-los.qxd 10/8/2003 10:33 PM Page iv This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Current research on past & present Asian and African societies : Russian Oriental studies / edited by Vitaly Naumkin. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 90-04-13203-1 (hard back) 1. Asia—Civilization. 2. Africa—Civilization. I. Title: Current research on past and present Asian and African societies. II. Naumkin, Vitalii Viacheslavovich. DS12.C88 2003 950—dc22 2003060233 ISBN 90 04 13203 1 © Copyright 2004 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Brill provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910 Danvers MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change printed in the netherland NAUMKIN_f1-v-x 11/18/03 1:27 PM Page v v CONTENTS Preface ........................................................................................ vii PART ONE POLITICS AND POWER Monarchy in the Khmer Political Culture .............................. 3 Nadezhda Bektimirova A Shadow of Kleptocracy over Africa (A Theory of Negative Forms of Power Organization) ...
    [Show full text]