by Yevgeny Nikolaychuk exclusively for VK
On September 15, Dagestan marked the Day of Unity. It was set at the Third Conference of Peoples of Dagestan, summoned for consolidation of the multinational republic. Dagestan is one of the most complicated states, in terms of ethnicities: it has over 100 nationalities and ethnicities, including 30 indigenous peoples of different languages and groups (Iberian-Caucasian, Turkic, Iranian, Indo-European). It is the only territory in the world with such high variety of peoples.
Consolidation of Dagestan has not been affected by domestic disagreements, foreign conquerors trying to provoke peoples against each other. The highland population provided stock-raising products, the lowland resembled a granary.
Dagestani highlanders were grouping up closer during foreign invasions. Hostile societies were forgetting about their differences and were facing their enemy together. According to researcher of Nadir-Shah history Muhammad Kazim, the Avars, Dargins, Lezgins and Lakhs helped the locals during to Battle of Tabasaran. Resistance of Dagestani peoples turned into a real patriotic war, ending with destruction of Nadir-Shah’s force.
The Great Patriotic War consolidated all peoples of the USSR in their common strive to beat fascism and free their land from invaders. Dagestanis showed a heroic fight at the Brest Fortress, forests of Karelia, in Ukraine and Belarus, Baltic, defense of Smolensk, Moscow. Thousands of Dagestanis took part in the Battle of Stalingrad, the breakthrough of the World War, the Kursk Battle, liberation of Donbas, Crimea, crossing of Dnepr, Leningrad and Belarus Fronts, liberation of Poland, battles at Vistula and Oder, assault of Berlin. 58 Dagestanis became Heroes of the Soviet Union, 7 were awarded with the Order of Glory, tens of thousands got awards. They include people of all nationalities of the republic.
Magomed Gajiyev, a commander of a submarine division, was the first Dagestani to become the Hero of the Soviet Union. Ametkhan Sultan had 135 air battles and shot down 30 enemy planes and 19 more in group battles, becoming the Hero of the Soviet Union twice. Pilot Valentin Emirov became the Hero of the Soviet Union for the Battle of the Caucasus. Shamsulla Aliyev became the Hero of the Soviet Union for assault crossing of the Kerch Strait. Pilot Yusup Akayev destroyed over 70 ships and 4 planes, becoming a Hero of the Soviet Union. Shatiel Abramov became a Hero of the Soviet Union for liberation of Poland, fights in Oder, assault of Berlin. Hero of the Soviet Union Sergeant Major Yakov Suleimanov fought in Western Prussia. Names of all Dagestanis fighting in the war were put in the Book of Soldierly Glory and Memory.
The Dagestanis consolidates in August 1999, when militants commanded by Basayev and Khattab entered the republic. The intervention turned into a bloody war, as demonstrated by numerous terrorist attacks against state structures and law enforcers, religious figures and peaceful population. The new holiday is to remind the Dagestanis about their glorious past, inspire patriotism and pride for their people, language and culture. As long as Dagestan remains united, it can fear no challenges, its unity and historic achievements are the main treasure.
