Russian statehood and “mountain archaic”: on some anti-scientific manifestations in the modern historiography of the North Caucasus peoples

The article by the two recognized Chechen historians examines some negative issues in the modern historiography of the North Caucasus peoples which are most vividly manifested in the works of the so-called “V.B. Vinogradov's school of North Caucasian studies”. According to the authors, it is assumed there as a scientific paradigm that the mountain peoples of North Caucasus were in the past and continue to be at present an object, but not a subject of historical process; they are treated as “elements” in what is claimed to be the integrative as well as civilizational and cultural mission of the Russian state. The authors argue that the “idée fixe” propagated by the historians of the above school is the premise that the Russian state allegedly being at a very high level of development is incompatible with the stadial backwardness and evil mentality of the North Caucasus peoples (especially, Chechens) who are alleged to be the major obstacle for the development of Russia's South. By analyzing two key monographs written by the “school”s' leading historians the authors show that the historical facts in the monographs are selected and interpreted in a biased way. In general, these editions reveal the falsification of the history of the peoples of North Caucasus, resorting to conjecture, propaganda and explicit nationalist rhetoric. It is concluded that such “historical” works as well as “ideologems”, “paradigms” and historical myths imposed by them should be confronted by academic community, the Russian public and state. Moreover, the authors of the article highlight the essential problem of a historian's responsibility to society and future generations of the peoples of Russia.