Saturday, July 16, 2005

Dagestan - wild mountain villages, traditional people

By Paul Knott
"Dagestan is a multi-ethnic republic sandwiched between the Caucasus mountains and the Caspian Sea. It has for many years been run from Moscow, yet retains its distinct identity. The traditional village life, outside of the city, remains unaltered by the industrialisation and other reforms of the former Soviet Union. Bordering with Chechnya and Azerbaidzhan, it sits in a turbulent region on the fringes of Europe, yet has maintained its unity and has so far avoided modern conflict.

In 1992, shortly after the demise of the Soviet Union, I persuaded some friends from Kiev to accompany me and a group from Britain to visit the remote and mysterious high mountains in the west of the country. Explored in 1892 but not visited by Westerners since, these had great allure to us and the Ukrainians alike.

This illustrated narrative describes our adventures and impressions ..."

See here: Dagestan - wild mountain villages, traditional people

Hans Heiner Buhr (http://kaukasus.blogspot.com): Imam Shamil- The Lion of Dagestan

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