Problems of sociocultural modernization of the North Caucasus: Soviet experience

The article presents an assessment of major trends of the historical process in the North Caucasus region during the XX century. The author argues that their general drift was towards modernization but the duality of traditional vs. modern, ethnic vs. transnational etc. in the structures of local societies and cultures was by no means overcome towards the end of 1980s. From here one could trace the origins of most current problems in regional development.