By Vestnik Kavkaza
In late October Russian, Azerbaijani, Georgian and Turkish historians will take part in an international conference in Ankara on the history of the Caucasus in the 19th century. One of its initiators, MSU tutor Ismail Agakishiyev, told Vestnik Kavkaza about the project.
- Ismail Aliyevich, what topics will be discussed at the conference in Ankara?
- I think the event will be very interesting and informative. First of all, its participants are professional historians, rather than political intriguers who have no idea about scientific methods in describing such a difficult and acute topic as problems of the Caucasian war in the mid-19th century, for example.
The Caucasus joining the Russian Empire is a complicated and long-lasting historical process determined by the objective situation in the international arena and the history of relations between Russia and neighboring nations and countries. Unfortunately, this circumstance is often ignored in favor of some political speculations, forgetting that the Caucasus war wasn’t determined by Russia’ desire to destroy the Caucasus people.
- However, historians admitted that the war turned into numerous victims and tragedies from both the Russian side and the Caucasian sides. What can be objectively said about the essence of the historical events?
- For sure, the Caucasus war led to numerous victims among the Caucasian peoples. But I would like to emphasize that attempts to tear the events of the years from their historical context are unacceptable from the point of view of science. Of course, it is not correct to idealize the historical reality of the North Caucasus ahead of joining Russia. It appears we should leave aside such questions as overcoming tribalism or development of education among the Caucasian peoples. And this concerns not only the North Caucasus.
As a man who has been studying the history of the South Caucasus for years, I understand that historians of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia face the same problems when populist politicians discuss historical topics, while many of them have never been in any historical archive. At the same time, they judge such painful events like, for instance, the Circassian issue, which needs delicate treatment. Loud statements which are made by politicians of third countries are unacceptable in this case.
- Why have Turkish historians become your partners in organizing this important event?
- There is no secret, but among our partners in the leading universities of Ankara there are graduates from the History Department of MSU. Their views on the methods and principles of studying the history of the North and South Caucasus match our approaches. We have a common methodological basis – the prominent Soviet historian, Academician Ivan Kovalchenko.
So, realization of the necessity to form a common space for studying the Caucasus war appeared. If we look at the issue more widely, the whole process of cooperation between Russia and Turkey in the Caucasus in the 19th century should be studied. Russia and Turkey often clashed in diplomatic battles and on battle fields, but it wasn’t a conflict which was based on mutual hatred. It is the real politics of the 19th century. From this point of view we want to consider painful points of the Caucasus in that century.
