Territorial disputes in the North Caucasus as a source of regional instability

Introduction. The article is devoted to territorial interethnic disputes in the North Caucasus of the Russian Federation, both “frozen” and ongoing, and their impact on regional political processes.

Materials and methods. The theoretical and methodological foundations of the study are the concept of ethnic boundaries and social distance by F. Barth, the works on ethnopolitical conflicts by D. Horowitz, M. Toft, as well as the research of Russian scientists, such as A.V. Avksentiev, D.A. Dmitriev and others. For the North Caucasus, the issue of land ownership, the historical territory of the people has always been painful, it has been the main reason for and factor of interethnic distancing. This research is based on: 1) analysis of official documents of federal and regional authorities; 2) studying declarations of ethic movements and interviews of politicians; 3) media monitoring; 4) classification and situational analysis.

Results. The considered territorial disputes in the North Caucasus can be classified in terms of the  factors underlying the conflicts: territorial disputes as consequences of deportation (North Ossetia and Ingushetia, Dagestan); the problem of divided peoples (Lezgins); disputes over unsettled land ownership (Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia and Dagestan); disputes over administrative boundaries (Chechnya and Ingushetia, Chechnya and Dagestan).

Discussion and conclusion. Taking into account the fact of significance of the “historical territory” for the North Caucasian peoples, the resolution of territorial disputes should be carried out with respect for historical memory, with the involvement of conciliation procedures that have strong traditional foundations in North Caucasian societies. Territorial conflicts and grievances lead to mobilization of the people, the growth of protest moods and regional political instability, therefore land issues should be resolved with the involvement of the public opinion. This will help to avoid clashes on an ethno-territorial basis and increase the trust in the authorities.

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