“There is no Russia without the Caucasus, and no Caucasus without Russia”

This year marks the 100th anniversary of WWI and the formation of the Savage Division. Scientists and specialists of military history of the Caucasus, politics, representatives of public, cultural and non-governmental organizations started talks today about the role of the Caucasus highlanders in WWI alone.

Leonid Reshetnikov, the director of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, said that the president was the one to initiate reconsideration of WWI events because people understood that history, the state, the past and upbringing on ideas cannot take place on the deeds of people in the Great Patriotic War alone.

Kamilzhan Kalandarov, the president of the Russian-Turkish Eurasian Dialogue Fund, said: “the role of the Caucasus in the history of the Russian Empire and modern history is enormous. There is no Russia without the Caucasus, and no Caucasus without Russia. Speaking of WWI, the Savage Division formed in the Caucasus, in Tiflis, the Tatar Regiment in Azerbaijan, the Chechen Regiment, the Ingush Regiment, the Kabardinean Regiment made a huge contribution. It is the brightest page in the history of the Russian Empire, the Russian state. It is disappointing for me, as a politician, as a diplomat, that our children do not know our history today. We still continue concealing facts. The big contribution made by the people of the Caucasus because of distrust towards Muslims, Jews.”

“As the chairman of the Nasha Rossiya All-Russian public organization, I have been struggling for years to start institutions of priests functioning in the Russian army, so that mullahs, rabbis, Orthodox priests could participate in some events. Now Orthodox priests meet soldiers, baptize them, bless, but the role of Muslim clerics in Russia is passive. I think the page of the Caucasus will stay in our history for long, the contribution of the Caucasus will remain a white page because many see no benefits or interests, unfortunately,” says Kalandarov.

According to the official, the contribution to the memory of heroes of WWI should be preserved by politicians, public figures and journalists. “Respect for traditions, respect for military deeds of the heroes of the Savage Division are the main goal of Russian policy, Russian journalists, Russian public organizations. It is time to talk about it, propagandize it, tell people about it, how glorious Russian history was, how Muslims, people of the Caucasus fought for Russia, for the Russian Empire, for the tsar. We need to try to forget all the bad. We remember only the bad now. Unfortunately, we have such a psychology.”

Says Kamilzhan KalandarovThis year marks the 100th anniversary of WWI and the formation of the Savage Division. Scientists and specialists of military history of the Caucasus, politics, representatives of public, cultural and non-governmental organizations started talks today about the role of the Caucasus highlanders in WWI alone.Leonid Reshetnikov, the director of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, said that the president was the one to initiate reconsideration of WWI events because people understood that history, the state, the past and upbringing on ideas cannot take place on the deeds of people in the Great Patriotic War alone.Kamilzhan Kalandarov, the president of the Russian-Turkish Eurasian Dialogue Fund, said: “the role of the Caucasus in the history of the Russian Empire and modern history is enormous. There is no Russia without the Caucasus, and no Caucasus without Russia. Speaking of WWI, the Savage Division formed in the Caucasus, in Tiflis, the Tatar Regiment in Azerbaijan, the Chechen Regiment, the Ingush Regiment, the Kabardinean Regiment made a huge contribution. It is the brightest page in the history of the Russian Empire, the Russian state. It is disappointing for me, as a politician, as a diplomat, that our children do not know our history today. We still continue concealing facts. The big contribution made by the people of the Caucasus because of distrust towards Muslims, Jews.”“As the chairman of the Nasha Rossiya All-Russian public organization, I have been struggling for years to start institutions of priests functioning in the Russian army, so that mullahs, rabbis, Orthodox priests could participate in some events. Now Orthodox priests meet soldiers, baptize them, bless, but the role of Muslim clerics in Russia is passive. I think the page of the Caucasus will stay in our history for long, the contribution of the Caucasus will remain a white page because many see no benefits or interests, unfortunately,” says Kalandarov.According to the official, the contribution to the memory of heroes of WWI should be preserved by politicians, public figures and journalists. “Respect for traditions, respect for military deeds of the heroes of the Savage Division are the main goal of Russian policy, Russian journalists, Russian public organizations. It is time to talk about it, propagandize it, tell people about it, how glorious Russian history was, how Muslims, people of the Caucasus fought for Russia, for the Russian Empire, for the tsar. We need to try to forget all the bad. We remember only the bad now. Unfortunately, we have such a psycholog