Until 1990, South Ossetia was an autonomous region within the Georgian SSR.
On December 21, 1991, she proclaimed her independence from Georgia. Currently, the state is recognized by 5 UN member states: Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru, Tuvalu. All other UN member states recognize the territory of South Ossetia as part of Georgia.
The republic is located in the Transcaucasus. In the north it borders on the constituent entity of the Russian Federation North Ossetia-Alania, in the west, south and east - with Georgia. It has no outlet to the sea.
State symbols
Flag - is a rectangular panel with an aspect ratio of 1: 2 with three equal stripes: white on top, red in the middle and yellow on the bottom. Red represents courage, yellow represents prosperity and prosperity, and white represents moral purity. South Ossetia's flag is identical to the flag russian republic North Ossetia Alania. The flag was approved on November 26, 1990.
Coat of arms - is a round red shield. The shield depicts a yellow leopard against the background of the silvery mountains of the Caucasus. Around the shield is written the name of the country in two languages: in Russian ("Republic of South Ossetia") below and in Ossetian ("Republic of Hussar Iriston") above. The colors of the coat of arms (white, red and yellow) correspond to the colors of the flag of South Ossetia. The coat of arms was approved on May 19, 1999. It is almost identical to the coat of arms of North Ossetia. The Caucasian leopard against the background of the mountains is the historical emblem of Ossetia, which in the Middle Ages was the emblem of the Ossetian state. The red field of the shield personifies law, strength and courage, the golden color - supremacy, greatness and respect. The mountains on the shield symbolize the World Mountain with eight peaks - the oldest model of the world among the ancestors of the Ossetians and others indo-European peoples... One peak at the upper level is the divine absolute, the supreme power, three peaks at the middle level are the world of people, three social functions of Indo-Europeans, four peaks at the lower level are the cardinal points, the geographical limits of the country. Silver color means purity, wisdom, joy.
Modern state structure
Form of government - presidential republic.
Head of state - the president.
Head of the government - Prime Minister.
Church of the Holy Mother of God in Tskhinval
Capital - Tskhinval.
Largest cities - Tskhinval, Kvaisa.
official languages - Ossetian, Russian, Georgian (in places of compact residence of Georgians).
Territory - 3,900 km².
Population - about 72,000 people The population of South Ossetia consists of Ossetians (64.3%), Georgians (25%) and some other ethnic groups (mainly Russians, Armenians, Jews).
Currency - Russian ruble.
Administrative division - 4 districts and the city of Tskhinval. Only two settlements have the status of a city: Tskhinval and Kvaisa. Dzau, Znaur and Leningor are villages. Other settlements have the status of villages.
Religion - the main religion is Orthodoxy.
Sport - the most popular sport is football.
Economy - according to the decision of the Georgian parliament, it organized an economic blockade of South Ossetia. The main products produced in South Ossetia are fruits, which after the August 2008 war are supplied exclusively to the Russian Federation.
The railway service also ceased ( railway connected Tskhinval with Gori and the Transcaucasian highway). There are also no airports. The republic's aviation is represented only by helicopters.
Parade of military equipment of South Ossetia on Victory Day
Military establishment - a general headquarters, two rifle battalions, a motorized rifle battalion, a reconnaissance battalion, an MTO battalion, a mountain special forces company, a sniper company, a communications company, an engineering company, a guard company, a guard of honor company.
Nature
South Ossetia is located on the southern slope of the Central Caucasus and in the foothills of the Inner Kartli Plain. Almost 90% of the territory of the republic is located at altitudes over 1000 m above sea level. The highest point of South Ossetia is Mount Khalatsa (3938 m).
Most of the republic's rivers belong to the Kura basin (flows into the Caspian Sea): Bolshaya Liakhva with a tributary Malaya Liakhva, Ksan, Mejuda, Lehura. The Jojora and Kvirila rivers belong to the Rioni basin (flows into the Black Sea).
River Kvirila
The largest lake in the republic - Kelistba, located at an altitude of 2921 m. The lake is slowly collapsing due to soil erosion by the Ksani River flowing out of it. The lake is covered with ice for 7-8 months a year.
The largest man-made reservoir is on the Malaya Liakhva River, it is used for irrigation.
The following are distinguished in South Ossetia types of climates: 1. Dry, steppe climate with moderately cold winters and hot summers (on the Inner Kartli Plain in the south of the republic). 2. Moderately humid with moderately cold winters and long summers (at an altitude of 2000-2200 m). 3. Humid climate with cold and long winters and cool summers (at an altitude of 2200-3000 m). 4. Alpine humid climate of eternal snows and glaciers (on the tops of the Main Caucasian ridge, at an altitude above 3000-3600 m. On the passes of South Ossetia, snow falls almost at any time of the year.
Visible life appears in South Ossetia below the border of eternal snows. At an altitude of 3500 m, a narrow strip along the slopes of mountain ranges stretches a belt of mountain-stony tundra with a predominance of mosses and lichens. Below, up to an altitude of about 2500 m, forb-cereal alpine meadows are widespread, behind which tall-grass subalpine meadows with shrub-shrub thickets of the heather family: rhododendron, lingonberry, blueberry, crowberry descend like a colorful carpet.
Alpine meadows
The fauna of the alpine meadows: rounds, chamois, snow finches, larks, choughs, Caucasian snowcock, snow voles. The subalpine belt is inhabited by the European hare, Prometheus and common vole, Caucasian mouse, moles, shrews, chukots, mountain horses, gray warbler, wall-climbers, birds of prey are also found: eagle, golden eagle, peregrine falcon, falcon, bearded vulture.
Hare
The forests of South Ossetia are dominated by vegetation of moderate and subtropical belts: oak, beech, chestnut, linden, ash, alder, and from conifers - spruce, fir, pine. Below grow loquat, dogwood, wild apple, pear, cherry, cherry plum, blackthorn, barberry, sea buckthorn, viburnum, walnut, birch, mountain ash, maple, willow, juniper. Hazel, red currant, cherry laurel, boxwood, blackberry, raspberry, and wild rose grow in the undergrowth. In the gorges, in some places a preglacial relict - berry yew has been preserved.
Sea buckthorn
The mountain forests of the republic are inhabited by brown bear, red deer, roe deer, wild boar, wolf, fox, badger, raccoon dog, stone marten, forest dormouse, weasel, squirrel, hares, forest mice, bats, hedgehogs, Caucasian viper, numerous European forest birds.
In the extreme south of the republic, rose hips, hawthorns, dertrees, and buckthorns grow. Of the animals, hamsters, voles, field mice, hedgehogs, hares, foxes, jackals, boa constrictors, and the steppe eagle live.
The only specially protected natural area is the Liakhvsky reserve.
Liakhvsky reserve
It was formed in 1977 to preserve high-mountain forests and was then located in the Gori municipality of Georgia (now the Tskhinvali region of South Ossetia). The reserve is located at an altitude of 1200-2300 m above sea level and covers an area of \u200b\u200b6084 hectares. It covers a number of gorges, including the Gnukh gorge.
The reserve is inhabited by the Caucasian deer, roe deer, brown bear, lynx, marten, Caucasian black grouse, Caucasian snowcock, mountain partridge, etc.
Brown bear
Culture
Costa Khetagurov
The culture of South Ossetia has its own history and personalities. The most famous of these is perhaps Costa Khetagurov (1859-1906), an outstanding Ossetian poet, educator, painter and sculptor. The founder of Ossetian literature. He is also considered the founder of the literary Ossetian language.
Costa Khetagurov "Zikar Pass"
In Tskhinval, the South Ossetian State Theater is named after K. Khetagurov.
Famous writers: M.B. Tskhovrebova, Z.Z. Kabisov, T.Kh. Tadtaev.
The most famous Ossetian dance is simd... As in other Ossetian folk dances, young men perform technically complex movements with temperament and ease. They behave with dignity, emphatically polite in relation to the girl.
Simd is interesting for its drawing and compositional construction. It starts at a moderate pace, but gradually the pace of the dance accelerates. It is performed smoothly, on high half-fingers, the body is tucked up all the time. The number of performers must be even.
State Honored Academic Song and Dance Ensemble "Simd" named after B. Galaeva was founded in 1937. One of the famous performers of the ensemble was the singer Valery Sagkaevwho died tragically in 1992 under an avalanche on the Transcaucasian highway.
Valery Sagkaev
Sights of South Ossetia
Tskhinval
Monument to the victims of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict
As a result of the military conflict in August 2008, the city was destroyed. Russian Ambassador to Georgia Vyacheslav Kovalenko: “The city of Tskhinvali no longer exists. It simply does not exist. It was destroyed by the Georgian military ”.
There were architectural monuments in the city: the Cavt Church of St. George (VIII-IX centuries), the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (XIX century), St. Nicholas (XIX century), Kviratskhovelskaya, Zguderskaya church of St. George. During the war in South Ossetia in August 2008, some of them were completely destroyed, some were seriously damaged.
During the restoration work of the Church of the Holy Mother of God (1718)
One of the most picturesque parts of Old Tskhinval is the Jewish quarter. It has been known since the 13th century. He was seriously damaged by rocket and artillery strikes in 1991-1992, when Georgian troops captured the commanding heights over the eastern part of the city and shot him with direct fire for several months. In the summer of 1992, the troops of the State Council of Georgia broke through the defenses of the city and occupied the part of the city where the Jewish quarter was located. At the same time, old houses were burned and destroyed. The quarter was also seriously damaged during the military conflict in August 2008.
Kusjita village
... And very beautiful nature in South Ossetia
Story
The oldest history
The territory of South Ossetia has been inhabited by people since ancient times. The abundance of Paleolithic monuments on the territory of South Ossetia suggests that the climate of the Caucasus during the Stone Age was dry and warm. The remains of a macaque and bones of sea fish were found in the Acheulean caves Kudaro-1, Kudaro-2.
The ancient Greek historian Diodorus Siculus (90-21 BC) pointed out that “the wasps (Ossetians), who previously lived east of Armenia and the Persian Gulf, descended from the Medes-Iranians and settled on the territory of the Transcaucasus proper, and in particular South Ossetia, 5 centuries before the birth of Christ. After the Mongol and Timurov invasions, the remnants of the Alanian population were able to take refuge in the mountains, where the process of ethnogenesis of the modern Ossetian people took place.
New history of South Ossetia
Georgian-South Ossetian conflict (1918-1920)
In 1918, Georgia restored its lost state independence and, as part of the newly formed Democratic Republic of Georgia, the Tskhinvali region, as in 1867-1917, was divided between two administrative units of the republic - Gori and Dusheti districts. In May 1920, an uprising began: the Bolsheviks, having proclaimed Soviet power, put forward a demand for the region to become part of Russia. As in the previous uprising in 1918, this time most of the local Ossetian population supported the uprising. The authorities of the Georgian Democratic Republic sent troops to Tskhinvali to suppress it. Government troops for a short time won. Ossetian citizens who took part in the uprising (20,000 people) left Georgia and moved to Russia. In 1918-1920. in South Ossetia, there were three major anti-government uprisings under the slogan of the establishment of Soviet power and the annexation of South Ossetia to the RSFSR. The most powerful was the 1920 uprising.
South Ossetian rebels and sent to help them from Soviet Russia The South Ossetian brigade crossed the pass on June 6 and defeated the Georgian troops near Java. The next day, after stubborn offensive battles, the Georgian troops were defeated near Tskhinval, and the city was taken. On June 8, Soviet power was proclaimed in South Ossetia.
In June-July 1920, the Georgian government carried out a punitive operation in South Ossetia, about 70% of the livestock was stolen or killed, about 5 thousand Ossetians were killed or died of hunger and epidemics. The Soviet Georgian government created the South Ossetian Autonomous Region in April 1922. The administrative-state languages \u200b\u200bwere Russian and Georgian.
Proclamation of independence of the Republic of South Ossetia
On November 10, 1989, the Autonomous Republic of South Ossetia was formed. The Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR recognized this decision as unconstitutional.
On September 20, 1990, the Council of People's Deputies of the South Ossetian Autonomous Region proclaimed the South Ossetian Soviet Democratic Republic as part of the USSR, and on November 28, 1990, the South Ossetian Soviet Democratic Republic was renamed the South Ossetian Soviet Republic.
On December 9, 1990, elections were held to the Supreme Soviet of the South Ossetian Soviet Republic. Residents of Georgian nationality boycotted them.
South Ossetian war (1991-1992)
On the night of January 5-6, 1991, police units were brought into Tskhinvali and national guard Georgia. But the Ossetian self-defense units and local militia began to resist, and after 3 weeks they were forced to leave the city.
On February 1, 1991, Georgia cut off the power supply to South Ossetia. Several dozen old people froze to death in the nursing home, babies died in the maternity hospital.
During 1991, periodic armed clashes continued. The flow of refugees from the conflict zone to North Ossetia and to Russian territory began.
Georgian police forces carried out shelling of the city of Tskhinvali, resulting in numerous destruction and casualties.
After shelling
Ossetian detachments in blockaded Tskhinvali experienced a shortage of weapons and ammunition and acted in small sabotage groups. The humanitarian situation in the former autonomous region and the city was disastrous.
On September 1, 1991, the Session of the Council of People's Deputies of South Ossetia proclaimed the Republic of South Ossetia as part of the RSFSR. This decision was annulled by the Georgian parliament.
In late 1991 - early 1992 in Georgia itself began civil War, during which he was released from a Tbilisi prison and sent by helicopter to Tskhinvali by Jaba Ioseliani, he again headed the Supreme Soviet of South Ossetia. In the 1992 referendum, more than 98% of the population of South Ossetia answered that they would like to join Russia and independence. The result of the referendum was the beginning of artillery shelling of Tskhinval with Georgian artillery and armored vehicles. On May 20, 1992, Georgian militants shot at a column of refugees heading for North Ossetia near the village of Zar, 36 people were killed.
Horrors of war
On May 29, 1992, the Supreme Council of the Republic of South Ossetia adopted the Act on State Independence of the Republic of South Ossetia.
On July 14, 1992, peacekeeping forces were brought into the conflict zone, consisting of three battalions (Russian, Georgian and Ossetian).
Ludwig Chibirov
November 10, 1996 the first President of South Ossetia was elected Ludwig Chibirov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor. In 2001 he was replaced by Eduard Kokoity.
Eduard Kokoity
At the end of May 2004, declaring its intention to fight smuggling, Georgia introduced detachments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and army special forces into the territory controlled by South Ossetia. On August 19, 2004, Tskhinvali was fired upon from mortars. On the same day, military clashes took place near the village of Tliakan. A day later, Georgian troops were withdrawn from the conflict zone.
In March 2006, Eduard Kokoity filed an application with the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation for the unrecognized republic to join the Russian Federation.
Armed conflict 2008
On the night of August 7-8, 2008, Georgia began a new conflict. As a result of the hostilities, 48 \u200b\u200bRussian servicemen, including 10 Russian peacekeepers, and 162 civilians were killed. The Russian Federation introduced its troops to South Ossetia, a few days later Georgian troops were driven back from South Ossetia, during the conflict military establishment Georgia was left with the upper part of the Kodori Gorge in Abkhazia, which they previously controlled. On August 26, 2008, Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia; on September 9, diplomatic relations were established between the states.
On the evening of August 7, the Georgian and South Ossetian parties to the conflict accused each other of violating the terms of the ceasefire. Georgian artillery, including rocket artillery, began intensive shelling of Tskhinvali and adjacent areas.
The horrors of war: on the streets of Tskhinvali
On the morning of August 8, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili accused Russia of bombing Georgian territory, calling it "classic international aggression." A general mobilization was announced in Georgia.
At about 15:00 on August 8, Russian armored vehicles entered South Ossetia.
After the 2008 conflict
Despite the fact that the Supreme Council of the Republic of South Ossetia (RSO) proclaimed the independence of the republic as an independent state, in August 2008 the independence of South Ossetia was recognized only by other unrecognized states on the post-Soviet territory (Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Transnistria).
According to the Georgian Constitution, it continues to be a part of it (in the form of parts of four different regions), but de facto it has been independent from Georgia for the last 15 years.
Two weeks after the end of the active phase of hostilities in South Ossetia, the Russian Federation officially recognized the independence of South Ossetia, which provoked a violent reaction from the world community.
On April 19, 2012, as a result of elections, he officially took office as President of the Republic of South Ossetia Leonid Tibilov.
Currency rates in Russia
Other currencies of South Ossetia: Russian ruble (RUB)
The currency of Russia is currently represented by a monetary unit called the Russian ruble. According to ISO 4217, the code of the Russian currency is designated as RUB, until 1998 this code was RUR. The very concept of "ruble" as a monetary unit appeared in the Novgorod Republic in the 13th century. At first, the Russian ruble was part of the hryvnia and looked like a silver fragment with notches on it. The number of notches corresponded to the weight of a ruble, four notches, or four rubles, were equal to one hryvnia. Thus, the word "ruble" comes from the verb "cut". The modern Russian currency in the form of the ruble was introduced into circulation in December 1991. It was used simultaneously with the Soviet rubles circulating in Russia until the fall of 1993. One Russian ruble equals one hundred kopecks. In the form of coins, the currency of Russia is represented by denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50 kopecks. In the form of paper notes, the Russian ruble is presented in denominations of 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 5000 rubles. In addition, there are metal analogues of the Russian ruble in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 rubles. The paper banknote with a denomination of 5 rubles has not been printed since 1997, but, nevertheless, it still remains in circulation. In 2012, the Russian currency will also lose the paper version of the 10-ruble banknote. Its metal version went out of circulation on October 1, 2009. Whereas Vladimir Lenin was depicted on all Soviet rubles, Russian rubles are decorated with various landmarks located in different cities of Russia - Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Yaroslavl, Novgorod, Krasnoyarsk, Khabarovsk and Arkhangelsk. The Russian currency, or rather its issue, is controlled by the Central Bank of Russia - the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. FSUE "Gosznak" is engaged in the manufacture of paper notes and coins. The mints of the Gosznak are located in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and the printing houses of the Gosznak are located in Perm and Moscow. At present, the exchange rate of the Russian ruble is pegged to the exchange rate of the US dollar, however, despite this, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) is going to make the Russian ruble a reserve Ukrainian currency. All international credit cards are in circulation on the territory of Russia; currency exchange is carried out at exchange offices and banks.
The Republic of South Ossetia is a partially recognized state located in the Transcaucasus. At the moment, the question of the status of South Ossetia remains open: on the one hand, the country's independence was recognized by Russia, and on the other, the territory on which the state is located is Georgian land. According to the 2007 census, the population of the republic is approximately 72 thousand people, with an area of \u200b\u200b3900 km2.
The ethnic composition of the population of South Ossetia is quite diverse. The majority, of course, are Ossetians (64%), but there are also Georgians, Russians, Armenians, Jews, and representatives of other nations.
The capital of South Ossetia is the city of Tskhinval. State languages in this country, Russian, Georgian and Ossetian are considered.
According to the form of government, South Ossetia is a presidential-parliamentary republic. At the moment, the post of the president of the republic is occupied by Eduard Kokoity. According to administrative division, South Ossetia has 4 districts, each of which has its own center.
The population of South Ossetia consists of Ossetians, Georgians and some other ethnic groups (mainly Russians, Armenians, Jews), while Ossetian and Georgian settlements (until August 2008) were mixed with each other. Many Ossetian families left the region as a result of the armed conflict in the early 1990s, finding refuge on Russian territory, mainly in North Ossetia-Alania. Most Georgians left their villages as a result of the August 2008 war and fled to Georgia.
National composition of South Ossetia in 2008:
Ossetians - 46,289 (64.3%)
Georgians - 18,000 (25.0%)
Russians - 2,016 (2.8%)
Armenians - 871 (1.21%)
Jews - 648 (0.9%)
others - 4,176 (5.8%) (Armenians, Tatars, Gypsies, Azerbaijanis, Lithuanians, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, Georgians, Tajiks)
According to South Ossetia, now (in 2009) the majority of the population are Ossetians (80%)
Speaking about the country's industry, it should be noted that no more than 10% of enterprises currently operate in South Ossetia from the legacy of the USSR. A significant drop in production in this area is associated with the wars with Georgia. Today, the country's industry employs about 670 people. Of the factories located in South Ossetia, the following enterprises can be distinguished: "Vibromashina" and "Emalprovod", Lesokombinat, which produces furniture.
The country's food industry is represented by the Aluton brewery, a fairly large and well-functioning enterprise. The main products produced by South Ossetia are fruits, which are supplied mainly to Russia. Due to its unique natural and climatic conditions, tourism is a good source of income for South Ossetia. Recently, the restoration of old tourist centers and rest houses has been actively carried out, new ski slopes and sanatoriums are being built. Generally speaking, the country's economy is going through hard times due to frequent military conflicts with Georgia.
The monetary unit used in circulation on the territory of South Ossetia is the Russian ruble. On the territory of the country, clients are served by the National Bank and its branches. Visiting tourists should take care in advance of converting their euros or dollars into rubles, because due to the lack of exchange offices, foreign currency does not have circulation on the territory of the republic.
It should be noted that in the bowels of South Ossetia there are reserves of nonmetallic and ore minerals. So, most of the deposits are located in the Dzau region, it is here that the largest polymetal deposit in the Transcaucasus is located. Studies that were carried out back in the days of the USSR revealed that there are small reserves of oil, coal and gas on the territory of the country.
Most traders in South Ossetia work through Western or Russian brokers. Now they can trade stocks, options (for gold, silver, coffee, wheat, cotton, gasoline, gas and other goods), SP 500, foreign exchange trading on a global and Russian scale with access to the MICEX and RTS. Major world currencies are traded: Russian ruble, US dollar, Australian dollar, Belarusian ruble, British pound, euro, Kazakhstani tenge, Canadian dollar, Chinese yuan, Ukrainian hryvnia, New Zealand dollar, Swiss franc, Japanese yen.
The main mode of transport in the country is automobile. The Transcaucasian Highway passes through the territory of South Ossetia, which connects it with Russia and Armenia (from Moscow (Russia) you can get almost anywhere in the world: Belarus, Latvia, Israel, Azerbaijan, Dagestan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Ossetia, Ingushetia, (many former countries USSR), Turkey, China, Japan, Ukraine, Australia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Moldova, Singapore, countries of Africa and Asia). Railway transport in the country has not functioned since the beginning of the first Ossetian-Georgian conflict. As for air transport, there are only helicopters in South Ossetia. There are no airports in the country, but in the future it is planned to build one airfield.
Show business stars such as Philip Kirkorov, Alla Pugacheva, Kristina Orbakaite come to South Ossetia as part of the tour.
The Republic of South Ossetia has a National Bank. Through the branches of the National Bank in the districts, payments reach clients. Possibilities of branches of Russian banks (Sberbank, VTB Bank, Alfa Bank) coming to the territory of South Ossetia are being discussed. Currently, the republic is experiencing an acute shortage of credit resources. It is believed that the arrival of Russian banking capital will be a major lending breakthrough. As for direct work with entrepreneurs, loans are allocated for restoration and business development. Also, the government acts as a guarantor to the Savings Bank, which will issue loans to entrepreneurs for the restoration and development of business.
To date, since January 2010, 692 unemployed have been registered in the Department of Labor and Employment of the Republic of South Ossetia, and the total number of vacancies is 110. “Among the people who are currently not provided with jobs, there are people with higher education: teachers, engineers, doctors, economists. 300 people looking for work have no education. In addition, we have 249 registered people with secondary specialized education. "
The leading foreign and Russian media outlets The Guardian, The Financial Times, The New York Times, Forbes, etc. have repeatedly appeared about South Ossetia.
Many Russians believe that South Ossetia is part of Russia. There are Russian passports, our ruble, Russia pays them pensions and salaries to state employees, South Ossetians vote in our elections. Although formally, according to international standards, this is Georgian territory. The border with which we still did not cross.
In 2017, South Ossetia is planning to hold a referendum on the accession of this unrecognized republic to Russia. South Ossetia, along with another Georgian region - Abkhazia, declared its independence after the military conflict with Georgia in 2008. South Ossetia is now recognized by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, Tuvalu and the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic.
In North Ossetia, I was invited by the Guild of Interethnic Journalism. After the North Caucasian stage of the media maker contest, we went on an excursion to the Kurtat Gorge, just towards Georgia, on the way we talked with the editor-in-chief of the newspaper "North Ossetia" Alan Kasayev.
In the photo: reading the newspaper "North Ossetia", the circulation of the newspaper is 20,000 copies. Alan Kasaev is second from the left.
An interview with Alan Kasaev was recorded by Yulia Korneva:
- Now the border between North Ossetia, that is, Russia and South Ossetia, is conditional. Crossing the border takes 5-10 minutes together with the security check. You just need to show your internal Russian or South Ossetian passport. There is only one border and customs point between Russia and South Ossetia, along the only carriageway. You can, of course, climb the mountains, but it's hard. From Vladikavkaz (the capital of North Ossetia - editor's note) to the border is about 110 kilometers.
They live about the same: what's in North, what's in South Ossetia?
There is certainly poorer. The consequences of the war continue to affect. The fact is that South Ossetia existed very successfully as a transit territory - further to Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan. And we hoped that after the acute conflict with Georgia in 1990-92, it would be somehow resolved. But in 2004, under the pretext of fighting smuggling, Saakashvili took and closed all the markets that traded between South Ossetia and Georgia on the territory of South Ossetia. This, of course, was a colossal stupidity on his part, because it angered the people to the extreme. In the end, which is better than smuggling or war? I think smuggling is much better than war. The population, both Ossetian and Georgian, on both sides of the then demarcation line coexisted perfectly with each other, there were both natural and monetary exchanges. People went to visit each other and everything was fine. But his decision, in my opinion politically stupid and absurd, ultimately led to an acute conflict.
In these markets, they traded in everything: from greenery to cars. It was especially profitable to buy a car, because customs duties in Georgia were much lower. One could buy a car there, register it in South Ossetia and, with a temporary permit, drive in Russia.
How did the conflict between South Ossetia and Georgia begin? So let's say your version?
In 1989, nationalists, Gamsakhurdia, came to power in Georgia. He came to power under the slogan "Georgia for Georgians". And he decided to abolish all autonomous formations on the territory of Georgia: Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Adjara. With Adjara, he did not succeed, since Georgians live there, only of the Muslim faith. And Abkhazia and South Ossetia simply did not obey. In 1990, South Ossetia did not want to be abolished and the South Ossetian republic was formed within the USSR, directly subordinate to Moscow. And at once attempts of armed pressure began from Tbilisi, armed people began to arrive, and sometimes even criminals were released from prisons for this. The most acute phase of the conflict began after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the peak came in the first half of 1992, when Tskhinval was surrounded from all sides and fired from tanks and other heavy weapons.
Have you been to Tskhinval, can you still see traces of the past hostilities?
In some places they are still visible. The houses have been pierced with shells and bullets; by no means all of them have been restored. Some large buildings are still burned down. Over the eight years that have passed since the last armed conflict, well, 60-70 percent have been restored at the very least.
The last time I went there this summer was in June. I am a historian by training, and there is a research institute and its director is 70 years old, so we gathered a few people, went, congratulated him, stayed a little and came back. I have no close relatives there, but I have friends.
They say that if there is a mark in the passport about crossing the borders with South Ossetia or Abkhazia, they may not be allowed to enter Georgia?
Well, we pass with internal Russian passports, not with a foreign passport and, of course, they do not put any mark on the Russian passport. In 2010, I then worked in Moscow at the RIA-Novosti agency, we went to Georgia. Well-known journalist Maxim Shevchenko and Volodya Mamontov, the then editor-in-chief of the Izvestia newspaper, went with me. It is known about me that I am Ossetian and cannot but visit South Ossetia, so they let me into Georgia, but they are not. Volodya Mamontov was confused with Arkady Mamontov, a TV presenter, and was banned from entering. Maksim Shevchenko was also stopped at the airport, just in case, and for some reason was sent by a flight to Yerevan. But I came to Georgia. I have been to Georgia many times. The last time was this year in May. And I never had any problems crossing the border. Although, probably in all their secret computer lists, my name is.What is the population of South Ossetia in numbers?
There, according to the 1989 census, there were 98 thousand people. For comparison, there are now 730 thousand in North Ossetia. But now, given the fact that Georgians no longer live in South Ossetia, there are probably 50-60 thousand people - no more. And of them, about half live in Tskhinvali. They have never lived there richly and Georgia has never been particularly concerned with this territory. Now Russia is helping South Ossetia: it allocates funds for reconstruction, pensions and social benefits.
What money is in use in South Ossetia now?
Russian rubles, they do not have their own currency. Georgian money does not go there openly, but it is possible that it is exchanged there on the black market. But I do not know anything about this.
Is the Crimean scenario possible there?
Join Russia? Well, this is a matter of political speculation. The topic of South Ossetia is not widely known in Russia, and you cannot make such political dividends on it, as in Crimea. Now ask the Russians: 9 out of 10 Russians surveyed will be surprised to learn that South Ossetia is not Russia. That is, this is not a topic for some political scandal that would attract and consolidate the electorate, would lead to some kind of unity of society around the president. This is not Crimea. For Russia, annexing South Ossetia now would mean further ruining relations with outside world... And to make sure that a few dozen more Ossetians have even stronger sympathy for Putin - well, this is not the right dividend.
Is South Ossetia not participating in the Russian elections by any chance?
In South Ossetia, almost everyone has Russian passports, that is, they are citizens of Russia, so they could vote. There were 11 polling stations in the recent parliamentary elections. But these were precincts that belonged to the North Ossetian electoral commission.
I dont know. But for sure for United Russia. And the residents of South Ossetia are also participating in the Russian presidential elections.
That is, in fact, it is like Russia?
Well, not quite. For example, they have much lower customs duties than in Russia. Customs duties on cars there are two times less. A big beautiful fat Mercedes can be cleared there - it will cost, say, ten thousand rubles.
How do they make a living to buy a big beautiful Mercedes?
So it’s not they who buy it, but the Russians. That is, not the local population. And what they earn: well, first of all, there is a Russian military base there. About five thousand people, well, the bulk of these five thousand are South Ossetians. Plus the maintenance of this military base... Third, there is a whole Russian border department, it is also a couple of thousand people.
I hope this is not a military secret?
No, I don't know military secrets. Maybe a secret, but I don't know about it. Then the local budget system: doctors, teachers, officials, policemen.
But do they have the same police uniform, our Russian one?
Yes, only the old model. That is, the one that we had ten years ago, apparently a lot of it has accumulated in warehouses.
Why, they communicate. There is a Leningor region there, where the border is actually open, but it is open for citizens, not for goods. The population in this Leningor region is from five to ten thousand people - and all of them have Georgian passports. From Leningor to Tbilisi 20 minutes drive. All young people up to 45 years old - mainly work in Georgia in Tbilisi. There, travel is generally free, although formally Russian border guards issue passes. But really, formally, there are no problems with this, and now they say that these passes will be canceled altogether, so as not to breed some hypothetical corruption. But the main problem is, after all, the transit of goods. It must exist. Transit is what has fed South Ossetia for centuries and should be fed. But for this it is necessary to somehow improve relations with official Tbilisi. Because fruits and vegetables will not feed the whole country.
The South Ossetian state flag and the North Ossetian flag are the same.
Upon returning to Tomsk, I recorded a survey on the street: what do Tomsk residents know about the current status of South Ossetia? The majority, indeed, are inclined to think that South Ossetia is ours.
Tags: Tomsk, Tomsk region, South Ossetia, North Ossetia, annexation of South Ossetia to Russia