Beshtau and Happenings

On the 15th we had our first snow fall of the year. I was walking back to the obshaga after an evening of watching “Downtown Abby” with Alina and Vika when the fuzzy, little snowflakes starting falling from the heavens. It wasn’t cold enough for the snow to stick to the ground, melting into pools of water upon contact, but at the higher elevations it was a sight to see. In the morning I got up and went to the kitchen window and scanned the horizon. The Caucasus look beautiful. They are all covered in snow, another good layer on top of their peaks, the snow glistening in the sun light. The lighting gave the mountains a navy blue hue, their sharp peaks cutting the sky like an eagles talons. The Caucasus look so primeval compared to the Rockies. The shapes are both angular, but also organic. It is amazing what over a 100 millions years of volcanic activity can do and form, the rock morphing into shapes that only lava and a million years of wind and water erosion can accomplish. I like to think of mountains as passive overseers or wardens. They hold within them ancient memories and will age only an instant within a thousand human life times. This makes looking at them even more fun, because as I stand on a hill or on top of a smaller mountain such as Malshuk, and I look at the Greater Caucasus region and of course at Elbrus with his duel peaks; I know that thousand years ago, hundreds of people stood here and looked at the same sight that I’m seeing. A great “human moment.” The air is crisp and cold, reminders that winter is on it’s way. Some of the trees on the mountain side and in the city center, still refuse to give up their leaves, a testament to the defiant nature that the Caucasus embodies in both the terrain and the peoples who call this region home. As the Georgians say, the Caucasus has the “energetikis t’avisup’lebis” or the “energy of freedom.” You sense it in the “rynki” (or markets, another Russian word that I prefer to use over the English equivalent) when seeing the free market at work. I sense it in the movements and gestures when the local cultures dance lezginka. You sense it in the air when the mountains whisper to you the myths and legends that are carved into their stoney skin. You feel it when a Russian recites poetry from Lermontov or Pushkin from memory. It is ironic to think that over two hundred years ago, the Caucasus was viewed as a prison and like in Siberia, people where exiled to this place to live the rest of their lives, such was the power of the Russian Tsars.

The link above is of the National Georgian Dance Team, preforming various styles of ballet and Georgian lezginka. Enjoy.

Living in Nebraska for the last 17 plus years has taught me that change is a constant and that the weather is unpredictable. For those of you reading in the States and elsewhere, if you are familiar with prairie or mountain life, you too understand this. The last three days have felt like Nebraska in regards to the weather patterns, or lack thereof. It is so windy now, the clouds moving in rapidly over the steppes and hugging the summits of Malshuk and Beshtau. They are gray in color and it seems that we will be in for some rain later. It is very clear and sunny out during the mornings so at least the happy, warm rays of the sun can be enjoyed for a little while. In Russian, the words for “windy” and “wind” are “vetreno” and “veter.” They are very relevant now, hopeful I will remember to use these words when they come up in conversation. I do enjoy the range of biomes here in the Caucasus. Staring on the Black Sea coast, black pebbled beaches are pounded by the strong waves. In the Northwestern half of the Caucasus range, there are lush, alpine and deciduous forests. Glaciers coat the peaks of the mountains, Dombai being a stellar example. As one heads northward, the forests give way to grasslands, which in the spring and summer, present lovely yellow flowers. Journeying eastward, the grasslands turn into rocky gorges, with rivers that ever so slowly, cut into the earth. These canyons become the hallmarks of Kabardino-Balkaria and North Ossetia. Elbrus then stands tall and proud, an icon of the area. Farther to the east the canyons turn into high plains desert, getting dryer and dryer. Ingushetia and Chechnya, become arid and give way to the Nogay Steppe. In Dagestan’s southern borders, great sand dunes litter the landscape all the way to the coast of the Caspian Sea. In a few months, the Caucasus will be covered in snow and I’m eagerly awaiting winter. As the Georgian legends tell, the Caucasus (in particular, the historic homelands of the Georgians), are so beautiful that at the beginning of creation, God reserved these lands from himself, but after experiencing Caucasian hospitality, he honored them by giving his hosts these lands instead. One of the better origin stories that I’ve heard from the Caucasus.

Things have been pretty mellow since my last trip outside of Pyatigorsk. It is funny because for me the weeks seem to go by fast when I have a trip planned, but when I don’t go somewhere, the week goes by very slowly. Maybe its because when I travel somewhere, I have something to look forward to. I’m fiddling with an idea about planning a trip across the border and to see more of Georgia with my friends here in the dorm. The problem will be timing the trip. I’m thinking it will be better to go during the April and May, when the weather is warmer and the mountains still have snow on them. The first time I went to Georgia, it was just for a few days on business with the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi. I never really got to explore or experience Tbilisi so, the plan would be to send a few days there and to then head east to see the vineyards and monasteries of Sighnaghi and Velistsikhe. I’m know a good amount about what I what to do and see and I look forward to writing about it if this plan works out. To prepare for the trip, I’ve started “Georgian 101” on my own. I’ve written out the Georgian alphabet in my notebook, all thirty-three characters and their phonetic sounds. There are a lot of consonants. Georgian is another native language to the Caucasus region and has one of the oldest original alphabets in the world, the first Georgian script dating to the 3rd century B.C. The script is called “mkhedruli.” As an example: “ქართული,” “kartuli” or in English the word for “Georgian.” I love how the letters loop, the calligraphy is fantastic. I’m hoping to start learn either Georgian or Azeri next semester so I can get a Caucasian language under my belt. I’d love to learn Kabardian as well, but this maybe too ambitious, with a fifty-three letter alphabet, with limited vowels. I’m writing this down so I can release my excitement. Just the thought of going to Georgia on a trip is very appealing to me. If had to choose my favorite culture in the Caucasus, it would that of the Georgians (as much as I love the Kabardian and larger Adige or Circassian culture). They are an ancient people, with so much to offer in regards to cuisine, music, and dance (their style of lezginka is amazing to watch).

I had a good teaching moment this week. Connie teaches around five classes a week and on Tuesday she was conducting a lesson on the educational systems in the United Kingdom, in the United States and in Russia. She had asked me if I was willing to come by as a guest and talk with her class about the educational system in the U.S. I mainly discussed about publics schools (I used the model from the Papillion and Bellevue School Districts, as public schools will different from State to State) and private universities such as Hastings. The students seemed to be surprised at the costs and intrigued by the ability to choose both the college, the classes, and the major that one can take. University systems in the UK seemed strange to me after Connie discussed the lay out at Oxford, as it seemed more specialized. I value the concept of the liberal arts education system as I think being well rounded in other subjects besides ones major is very useful. I also think being able to discuss with professors and peers one on one during classes is very beneficial, as college teaches you how to think more critically. The British system seems to be a good way for people who know that they want to do at an early age (around 16-18). I’d honestly have to have a longer conversation about both the systems to pick through all the pros and cons. Needless to say, conversation is a great way to learn and hearing from personal experience is also key, sometimes better and more informative in some cases.

The the 22nd, I had an opportunity to climb Mount Beshtau again. I met up with a friend of mine, an Ossetian man, who is an alpinist of sorts. He has experience climbing several mountains in the region, including Beshtau. Besthtau is 1402 meters (or 4,599 feet). This mountain is has been the inspiration of legends and poems in the region, form the local mythology to the writings of Lermontov. Lermontov describes Beshtau and his five peaks (for which Pyatigorsk is named after, literally the “five mountains”), within his novel “A Hero of Out Time,” as “looming blue,” like “the last thundercloud of a tempest dispersed.” His description is not far off. The weather was prefect for our hike. The air was chilly, but the sun was warm. It is truly amazing when living at high attitudes. Elbrus was so clear, you could see the winkles and folds of the snow as it clashed against the rocks. The whole of the Greater Caucasus range was visible. The sharp edges of their peaks looked like the teeth of a saw, cutting into the sky. They were covered in snow, like white crystals from a chandelier. The sun was bright and marvelous, shadows cast onto the ground by the few clouds which whisped around. I was stunned by the perfection of the weather and view. He went from the obshaga by foot, walking northwest toward Beshtau.

As we walked, the streets where busy with activity. Shashlik was being cooked for the mid-morning meals. The smell of cooked meat was wonderful. People were all over the the place. There is an automobile “market” on the outskirts of town. People buy and sell used and new cars here, automobiles lined up on the dirt road. We headed up the road toward Beshtau. Once you get out of Pyatigorsk and onto the country roads, it becomes quiet. This silence is a wonderful thing to experience, and it reminded me a lot about home, during the many Scouting campouts and trips. On occasion we would see a car drive by, a person walk down from Beshtau, and a pheasant or two fly away in a panic when hearing our heavy boots hit the road as we walked. I took a lot of great photos when on the road, to capture a few amazing imagines of the mountains. The brushes still have a few berries on them and we ate some on the way up. Wild blueberries taste fantastic. Climbing Beshtau must be done in stages. The first stage is getting through the birch forest. The terrain is very steep and the woodland is very dense. Thick piles of leaves cracked and crunched from under our feet as we walked. Walking up this first stage was difficult for me as I’m not used to the lower oxygen content. I was breathing very heavily and my heart was pounding in my chest. We got a quarter of the way up and I took several more photos. The hardest time of the trek up was getting through the second stage, or the middle level of the mountain. It had snowed a week earlier and Beshtau was covered in snow. Now the majority of the snow had melted and it made the accessible paths to the summit a muddy mess. This of course made our journey very dangerous. I slipped several times and if I hadn’t had a root, tree branch or rock to grab, I would have surly fell and hit head my head or broke my leg on one of the many rocks at the base. On this difficult part of our trip, we found a strong stick, about a meter and a half in length. It was a much needed tool, as it saved me from slipping many times and helped me climb the steepest parts.

With my newly claimed staff, I felt like I could conquer anything. It helped me during the trip, both up and down the mountain. I was reminded about how difficult doing the things “worth” doing are. If it was easy, there would be no point to doing it. Earning something, by bleeding, sweeting and working for it is the true reward. Climbing and struggling in the mud, reminded me of our ancestors and of the people who lived here in this region hundreds of years ago. Clawing out a living, battling the elements. There is a Russian proverb, that says, “Why climb the mountain, when you can go around it?” This maybe the less painful and easiest way, but I prefer the Kabardian proverb, “One is only as strong was the summit he climbs.” Again, earn it. We, as human being are meant to overcome challenges and if we take the easy route, we don’t learn or change. Yes, I was in pain, yes I was coved in mud, my finger nails and hands were filthy (and for those of you who know me well, you can imagine how that must have made me feel),  and yes, I was sweeting buckets, but that was apart of the experience. With my staff in hand, I felt like Moses, climbing Mount Sinai. It was a good feeling. We climbed on the side of the summit that was arguably the most difficult, regardless of the melted snow. The side we climbed had to be at some points at least 75 degrees. It was very difficult, sweet ran down my forehead. At the end of the hike, it all had dried to white crystals around my hairline. I was so glad to have brought two liters of water with me. After this hard level, we then got to the third and final step in our long trip on the mountain. The third level, starts at the point where tree line ends. The peak is covered in sharp rocks, long brown grasses, and thorn brushes. We walked up to the summit ever so slowly as I was running on empty. At the top of Beshtau, there is a security station that has radio equipment, medicinal supplies and really chill security guards. I met a guard by the name of Misha who was very kind and thought it was cool that an American was visiting for a second time (yes, he remembered me from my first visit two years ago). He invited us for tea in that little shack on the mountain and we talked about the security business in our respective countries. I had a very good time and it was great to chat and get warm again. Tea will do wonders for your health. One may think that England is the tea drinking place, but the Russians have more tea drinking customs and institutions. Only black tea traditionally speaking, none of the green tea “stuff.”

Top of the summit was gorgeous. The view was so clear and the lighting was prefect, as the shadow and mountains gave off a blue hue and misty clouds were forming over some of the lower areas. The sun was setting at around 4:45 in the afternoon and yellow and orange color started to peek over the Greater Caucasus range. Elbrus looked so pretty and the other mountains showed off there stunning appearances. Malshuk was covered with clouds, a beautiful, white dress to fit her lovely figure. Lermontov described Malshuk as “raising like a shaggy Persian fur cap.” I hold the old girl at higher stands, as she’s still in her prime and more beautiful then a “Persian fur cap,” but writers will be writers. Mount Zmeyka (3,261 ft.) was very pretty too, a watchful guardian over the city of Mineralnya Vody. To the Southwest, looking down the slopes of Beshtau, the smaller mountains of Shelvdivaya, Kabanka and Medovaya, looked cute, their little peaks just touching the incoming mist/clouds which were floating above the steppe. In the distance, Dzhutsa and Yutsa stood proudly like sentinels looking over the Etoka Valley or in the Adyghe language, “Mud Valley.” When I travel in the Caucasus sometimes feel like Pechorin (one of the main characters in Lermontov’s, “A Hero of Our Time), or like the Caucasian dzhigit (a kind of Caucasian bard, who tells stories in great detail and is a skilled horsemen, doing tricks and performing stunts). I’ve been called a dzhigit by Elberd’s mother during the first time I wore a cherkeska (the traditional regalia of many Caucasus peoples) and also by a Chechen women who’s children attend English Club. I took another round of photos when on the summit and we headed down on of paths to return home. The photos from this trip are the best I’ve taken of the Greater Caucasus Range as of yet. It was so exciting.

A very good end to a long week. This Sunday has literally been a “day of rest.” All that walking up and down has done me in. Cheers to you all. Целую и пока.

Nalchik and Political Happenings

My blog this time around is not just about life here in Russia. It’s going to get a little political as so much has happened in the world. Firstly, I would like to give my regards and sincerest thoughts to the French people. What happened last night was horrible. My prayers to the the victims and their families. I’ve been seeing a lot of posts on Facebook about it and the journal articles are flooding my newsfeed. The most interesting and heart warming thing I saw as I video of French citizens leaving the Football (Soccer for my U.S. readers) Stadium. They were clam, collected and they all were singing “La Marseillaise.” Tears come to my eyes are I watched this 25 second clip from Sky News. The unity and strength to overcome was very apparent. My thoughts go out to Emma, Jeanne, Alex, Pierre, Romain, Christophe and Nassim. Long live the Republic and long live France.

Well, we have all had a very busy week and on top of it all world events never seem to stop making life interesting. As the old Chinese proverb goes, “we live in interesting times.” Is quote as hit hard for me, both during my first time here and now. The investigation continues concerning the crash of Russian Airbus 321. I was sitting in my room working on my homework, when Hesham came up to my and said that a Russian passenger plane crushed near the city of Arish, in northern Egypt. It first I thought, ‘another one?’ It seems that planes are falling out of the skies, left, right and center. Hearing about this has become such as common occurrence now. The two Malaysian flights, the Dutch liner in Ukraine and now a Russian plane. It was terrible news to read about on BBC and Reuters. 224 people dead and now the network is saying that the Egyptian investigators are “90 percent sure it was a bomb.” ISIS militants are claiming responsibility. ISIS was the first group I had in mind when Hesham had told me the news. The region of the crash and the profit of the plane, a Russian passenger jet, were the obvious facts. Regrettably, I expected something like this to happen at ISIS had called for open jihad on Russia and America at the end of October. I will keep my wits about me when living here, as always. Geographically speaking, Syria and Iraq are close to the Caucasus and they are extremists throughout the region, the local order calling themselves the Caucasus Emirate, an organization that has been around since the Russian invasion of the Caucasus, its goal being the establishment of a Emirate or Caliph in the North Caucasus. During the 90’s the Emirate was contained to Chechen and Ingush rebels and fighters from Dagestan. Now the Emirate has declared it’s allegiance to ISIS, as they share similar goals and fellow the same radical Wahhabi sect of Islam.

The Russians have mixed feelings about the event. Some people who I have spoken to, have said that they believe it was a mechanical problem that brought down the plane, whereas others have said that it the actions as undoubtably done my terrorists was a reaction to Russian troops in Syria to defend Assad. The Russians have been carpet bombing the various rebel groups for the last few weeks, getting good results in kills (at least according to Russia 1 and 2). Many of my Kabardian and Adige friends are hopeful that the bombing will convince many the the Circassian diaspora that were living in Syria to come back to their native lands in the Caucasus. The Russian government however, has been less willing to let people into the country, only around 5,000 refugees have entered the country during the past year. The refugee crisis is also a topic that is on a lot of peoples minds. Millions of people from all over North Africa and the Middle East and flocking to Europe. All these displaced people are a huge security risk for European governments also well as a logistical nightmare in regards to where to house them, fed them, etc. All this then comes out of the Europeans pocket through taxation and the people are starting to fight back. The riots that broke out in Greece, Hungary, Croatia, and Slovenia are just the start. In Germany, my contacts there have told me that in Leipzig, tens of thousands of people have marched in protest against the movement of more refugees into Germany, some going as far as calling the “beloved” Angela Merkel “a traitor to the Germany people.” In the mean time, these refugees are have starved, tried, cold and winter is coming. There is also a language and cultural barrier on both sides, the refugees not acclimating to the new environment and laws and the European governments, lacking the will and resources to handle a thousand plus people enter a single camp everyday. There seems to be no end in sight.

Speaking of no end in sight, I have to rant about the current “Leninism” going on within the walls of American universities. All I see from this is more “free speech zones,” more “PC police,” more “trigger words,” more “censorship,” and the promotion of a generation of young adults who want college to “a home” as opposed to an “intellectual space (as was the case at Yale),” where logic and rational thinking is silenced by irrational reaction. “Social Justice” has become another word for “witch hunt” in which zealous students and the media, judge events not on facts but on feelings, and if anyone has an opposite opinion or is indifferent, it becomes equal to hate. What happened to “stick and stones may break my bones, but names with never hurt me?” In America we have the right to offend and be offended. In both cases evidence and facts were superseded for blind judgment and impulse. Universities have opened a Pandora’s box, sheltering students from the real world and the exchange of ideals. As opposed to tempering students with controversial situations, the “do gooders” and the “thought police” have coddled them, making any word a “mirco-aggression” or “racial slur.” Instead of handling the situation in the dorm bathroom like adults, we instead handled it like insulate children, crying left and right in order to play victim, as opposed to doing the adult thing: washing the sign of the swastika off the wall and cleaning the poop off the floor, and going about our daily business. There, now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, it has perplexed my peers. Both Russians and Europeans are trying to make sense of all of this nonsense and it is difficult to describe in an impartial manner and without listing off one by one the Rights of the United States Constitution. I getting tired of the censorship, the political correctness and the American media’s agenda. There is no such thing as a “free press,” when there is no fact checking or credibility. The age of Tweeter and the like, is enforcing the concept of “soundbite news,” added to the rage and zeal of college students who in my opinion are the least knowledgable about the “real world” and I say this as a former student. Once they drink the “kool-aid” it is very difficult to bring them back to reality.

http://thefederalist.com/2015/11/09/mizzou-and-yale-show-why-its-time-to-burn-the-universities-to-the-ground/

Robert Tracinski wrote a good article on the subject which I would recommend to all college students. Remember the purpose of college… The “Atlantic” also wrote a very good piece on the subject as well.

Any who, back in Russia, we had a holiday on the 4rd of November. Unity Day is a Federal holiday in the Russian Federation which was instituted after the fall of the Soviet Union. Nation building has been a task that is never ending and it goes to show how much work the Russian people have done in the last two decades to reform their institutions. Unity Day was such a thing, replacing the celebration of the October Revolution in order to establish a post-Communist identity. Unity Day takes historical roots from the popular uprising by the Russian people against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth’s occupation of Moscow in 1612. This was an important moment for them as a people because this uprising happened during the the “Time of Troubles,” a era where Russia was leaderless and and in desperation Symbolically, it is the first recorded event in the history of the Russian State that the common people united under a common banner, uniting them against outside forces. This unity is that the Russia people and government have been trying to promote, though with varying degrees of success.

Unity Day is celebrated in many ways and we choose to have a dinner party, with Russian cuisine. Anna and I planed to cook dinner for our friends in the “obshaga”(the dorm). Anna decided to make borsht and vareniki. Borsht is a very traditional soup made in with beats and is shared by many ethnic groups for Slavic roots. Borsht can be made in many ways in regards to thickness and added meat and veggies. Anna made her soup with the beats as a starter, fellowed by cabbage and carrots, and then adding potatoes and tomato sauce. Beef can also be added as well, but since Connie doesn’t eat meat, we only cooked it with vegetables. The secret to Borsht is added raw garlic last, after all the cooking is done. The heat off of the vegetables cooks the garlic and the flavor is stronger this way. After cooking the Borsht, one should add sour cream (or in Russian, “smetana.” I like to use this word the connotation is better, than sour cream) and dill. Anna and I were a good team with cooking and our friends enjoyed it. Over the next few hours Anna and I prepared the vareniki. Vareniki is another very traditional Russian food, a dumpling in the shape of a crescent, filled with seasoned potatoes. The process of making the dough, the mashing the potatos and making the dumpling is long, but well worth the effort. Traditionally, vareniki should having butter placed on top it and one may add smetana and black pepper was needed. We made a ton of them and I was so stuffed afterward, a wonderful feeling. Good food and good conversation are always the best things in life, as far as I’m concerned.

Borsht

Vareniki

Then on the 5th of the November I celebrated Guy Fawkes Day (in my case V-Day). I understand for some individuals celebrating a fictional holiday on a real holiday maybe strange, but I’d much rather celebrate the actions of an individual that is fighting against a fascist government then celebrating the execution of a man who wanted to destroy the British Parliament has they were oppressing he and his fellow Catholics. Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Day is an understandable holiday for the British, but as an American, I think V-Day better suites our views on government (or in this case, against government). So, I watched the film. I love to compare the Graphic Novel to the film adaptation, and I like the film better as it is more realistic in regards to what the world is like today as opposed to a reactionary comic written in the early early-80’s by anarchist Allen Moore, who saw Margaret Thatcher, as the next Hitler. The sentiment however, carries on from the book to the film so, i do respect the original roots.

Last Sunday was the highlight of the week. My very good friend Elberd, invited my to spend the weekend in Nalchik with he and this family. For those of you who don’t know, Elberd was one of the two Russian students who studied at Hastings for a month. He and I bonded during that time and during my first stay in Russia, our friendship grew and grew. Learning about him and his culture is what first interested me in the Caucasus and specifically the Adige (and/or Adyghe) people. I left Pyatigorsk in the early morning, accompanied by Elberd’s younger brother Eldar. Nalchik is the capitol of the Autonomous Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, and means “small horseshoe” in Kabardian, as the city wraps around the mountains in this shape. This region is the historical homeland of the Kabardians and the Balkarians, the Kabardians being a member of the Adige nation, a confederation of twelve tribes in the Northwest Caucasus who share cultural and ethno-lingustic roots (specifically, Kabardian is the Northeastern dialect of Adyghe and native language to the Caucasus). I’ve been to Nalchik several times and it very disappoints. This trip around, I got to see more of the city and its memorials to famous literary figures. The city also shares a long history with Russia, the Russian Empire building a fort there in 1818, during their push south into North Ossetia. Nalchik is a larger city then Pyatigorsk by about 100,000 people and is one of the cultural centers in the North Caucasus. The Museum of Culture in Nalchik is one of the gems of this city. I first time there, I was amazed when seeing all of the old traditional regalia, swords, armor and cultural objects, that date back to the 15th century. We visited the Museum again on this trip and saw the new Ruslhan Mezlo exhibition. It felt really good to return to this place. Here is a collection of hand made rugs, in traditional Kabardian fashion. Traditionally, these rugs are woven from grass fibers by the young women of the family as a right of passage.

Elberd (on the right) and Eldar (on the left).

Just one of the many rugs. All had very cool looking patterns.

One of the many monuments to this regions rich literary figures.

We then headed to the park in Nalchik which looked gorgeous because all the red, yellow and orange leaves when on the ground. I stopped on the walk to see and few memorials to the Second World War and paid my respects to the fallen. The eternal fire is always good to see. The weather was wet and cold, but that didn’t deter us on our walk. We passed by and took a few photos of the statue of Maria Temryukovna, wife of Tsar Ivan IV. She was a Kabardian princess who married into the Russian royal family to establish an alliance. Historically, speaking, Kabardians have sided with the Russians in most of the wars in the Caucasus and this helped to protect them from the deportations during both the 19th and 20th centuries. We also stopped by a souvenir shop, where I bought a few more Adige key chains and an Adige flag. The flag was designed in 1830 by prince Seferbie Zanoque (or by the Scotsman David Urquhart, as the sources are not clear on who is the original designer) and delivered to Nour Mohamed Hag’ur in Sochi, Russia (the old capitol of the Adyghe Nation) by British delegate James Stanislaus Bell. The formation of this nation is interesting because like Greece and other nations, the Adyghe formed during the era of 19th century nationalism. The twelve golden stars in the flag form an arch and represent the twelve tribes of the Adige or the Circassian peoples (the Latin translation for Adige, giving by Genoese traders, in English, “the people who live in the mountains between two seas”), being made up of the Kabardians, Abdzank, Baslaney, Bzhedug, Temirgoy, Yegeruqay, Mamkhegh, Natukhai, Khatuqwai, Shapsugs, Ubykh and the Zhaney. These nations formed he Adige Confederacy, which resisted Russian political domination and through both diplomatic means and warfare that lasted for over a hundred (1763-1864). The three golden arrows in the flags centers represent peace and war, with the green background representing Islam and the natural beauty of the Caucasus. We were able to take a few photos my the memorial to the Caucasus War with the flag and it was a very emotional moment for us all.

Eldar and I with Maria Temryukovna, wife of Tsar Ivan IV.

We walked around some more, going around the 5 km park. The walking gave around gave us quite the appetite and we headed to Elberd’s uncles home in Nalchik. Caucasian hospitality is one of the most important parts the cultures near, all ethnic groups sharing similar traditions in regards to guests. Kabardians (as well as the other Adige) have a culture code called “xabze” detailing the rules in regards to toasting, greeting guests, serving food, etc. In xabze, the elders in charge of the dinner. Men and women eat separately in most Caucasian cultures so, Elberd, Eldar, their uncle and I ate in a small room with a lovely fireplace, which was great after a whole day walking in the cold and damp weather. The table was small too, making conservation more intense and the enjoyment of food more “assessable.” Elberd’s uncle laid out one food item at a time. At first a traditional Russian salad (similar to American potato salad) and minty, the wonderful dumplings, which are one of my favorite things. In between eating and talking, we would toast. Toasting in the Caucasus is an art and the best toasts are made by individuals who are very sentimental, but are maybe only 7 to 9 sentences in length. Toasting should be made to friendships, family, luck, health, honor, to guests and to God. Toasts according to xabze start with the eldest and work their way down the “age ladder” and finish with a toast for the guest. This is the formal order of the toasts and after this order is completed, toasts can be offered upon request. At every toast, the shoots of vodka or cognac must be finished, knocking the head back to let it all down (we were drinking “Ice” vodka, a vodka that you can only get in Kabardino-Balkaria). The shoots glasses were around 1 oz. We also had chicken shashlik and “li teibaech’e ghezchawe,” a fried beef dish with onions and sauce. After eating for 4 hours, we were so full. One never leaves a Kabardian home hungry. I also got a lesson in “Kabardian language 101.” Being on of the native languages from the Caucasus, it doesn’t share any characteristics of the Indo-Europe language that we are used to. Having a 53 letter alphabet with only 5 vowels, it is difficult to pronounce the words, but Elberd says that my pronunciation of Kabardian is good compared to Russian speakers. It is a very corse language with hard “sh,” “wha,” “gha,” and “kha” sounds. It is so humbling to be at another home of the Kotsev’s. Thank you all so much for your friendship, hospitality and brotherhood, “Adige wei, wei.”

A Kabardian table.

After I returned back Pyatigorsk, the fellowing week was very busy. I had pratice to two concerts, one a faculty promotion and the other a forum for teachers. I sang “Kavkaz” again and received a certificate for it. The teachers forum was interesting as I was asked by our faculty to help represent us are the this conference. We had a promotion video for the event and worked on ways to improve teaching styles and methods. This forum with last for the rest of the month. Many of friends in my faculty are also representing our faculty. They are third year students (Juniors in College) and it has been great to see them grow as people from two years ago. Yana, Vika, Anastasia, Natalya, Arevik, and Kristina, you all are great. The conference went well all in all, but it was three hours, something that I hadn’t had planned on. This week we also had a TED conference at the university which was very cool. There were several speaker who gave good talks on the important of language usage, international relations, speaking from the heart etc. Emma, Jeanne, Sarah, Diogo, and I went together the watched the first four speakers. I favorite was the first speaker as he talked about the importance of communication and speaking a second language. He encouraged the Russian students to learn English so that they could express themselves anywhere in the world and he pointed out that if all people focused on learning a second language, we could have better dialogue internationally speaking, in an age where talking to someone on the other side of the planet is a “Skype call away.”

English Club was also another highlight of last week. On Thursday we had out “Fall Festival” day (since we can’t say Halloween, at least officially). We talked about a lot of subjects including to words used about this time of year. “Apple cider”, “pumpkin,” “corn mazes,” “football,” “haunted houses,” “Trick or Treat,” etc. We discussed the words, used them in sentences and explained the cultural relevance to them in both America and the United Kingdom. It’s to bad we don’t have a Canadian student here too or an Australian or New Zealander. It would be good for the Russian student to hear all the forms of English in one room. We also passes out candy and painted pumpkins. The students had a lot of fun, and that is the greatest joy I get out of doing this.

Well, the next blog with be on its way has so much is going on. Cheers to all of you and regards from Russia.

Vladikavkaz and North Ossetia

Well, these past few days have been very busy and fun filled. I will normally write a blog every week or two, but so much as happened since the last blog so, here we are. As many of you are aware, Halloween was just a few days ago and when living in another country one’s holidays become even more important. To take away from my last blog, I mentioned about one’s duty when aboard to be an ambassador. This job includes, sharing and explaining the holidays and festivals that are unique to you country. Halloween is just one such holiday. Now to be clear, Halloween is by no means exclusive to the United States, as people celebrate this day all over the world, even some Russians partake in the festivities. Halloween however, has become very globalized following the selling to candy, masks and other orange and black apparel. Has some of you may know, Halloween is a festival that has Celtic origins, a day to celebrate the coming of the harvest, as well as the a three day dedication to the dead, including spirits, martyrs, etc. After Celtic populations were Christianized, the Church took on many of the traditions. These traditions started in the British Isles (specifically in Gaelic and Welsh cultural areas) and spread to North America when many of these same peoples settled there. It has only been through the last 60 years, that Halloween has become a commercialized, money making machine, with candy and crazy customs.

Because of Halloweens “pagan” origins, the holiday is frowned upon in Russia. When I taught Conversational English and American Culture during my first year at Pyatigorsk, I was asked by the dean of the English and German faculty to not discuss Halloween in regards to its historical roots in pre-Christian areas. I was also told that the reason for this request was because the Russian Orthodox Church helped fund the University and the faculty feared of a funding cut if the Church caught wind of an American talking about ancient pagan rituals being the building blocks of Halloween. As one can imagine, this makes people even more interested in the topic and so it is better to talk about such holidays on the street or in the dorm. We inviting a lot of people to our dorm. That day, I went out to several markets with Alina to buy a few food items, including various candies, ranging from American bands to Russian ones. Alina and I had good chats as always and also shared coffee. Later on All Hallows Eve, Connie, Alex, Nuri and myself met up in the kitchen on the 3rd floor. They had gone to the larger market and bought a lot of squash to make a soup. I offered to help and so over the next three hours we chopped up squash and cooked it up with garlic, ginger, clove, and red pepper. It was a very tasty soup and the fact that it was orange made things even more festive. I will comment however, that in Russia at least, they lack a “true” pumpkin. The Russian word for pumpkin is “tykva,” but this word can also be used for squash. I’ve seen nothing that looks close to a pumpkin grown in the U.S. here. Needless to say, the windows in the dorm were lacking jack o’lanterns. I guess one of the few cons of being in another country is that you don’t get the same atmosphere concerning the holidays. Halloween and Thanksgiving are the two holidays I’m going to miss the most.

I can think of no other way to celebrate All Souls Day, then to travel to a new place with some of your favorite souls (i.e. with friends). On the November 1st, Alex, Connie, Nuri, Hesham, Christophe, Diogo, Alina and I traveled to the fabled city of Vladikavkaz. This city is the current capitol of the Autonomous Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, about a three hour bus ride southeast from Pyatigorsk. Since my first year in the North Caucasus, I’ve wanted to visit this place because of the history and geographical importance of Ossetia. Ossetia has been called the “Gateway to the East,” the “Door to Europe,” as well as many other similar names. In the North Caucasus, there is a path through the mountains which is large enough for wagons (and now in the modern era, tanks) to ride through. The “Georgian Military Highway” as it has been called has seen the passage of many armies and peoples from as far back as antiquity. After defending the Persians, the Greek (Macedonian) king, Alexander the Great, marched his troops through this path on his way to the Hindu Kush. A thousand years later, the Mongol hordes invaded the Nogay steppe and the South Caucasus through this same geographical road and throughout the last 500 years Persians, Ottoman Turks, and Russians have used this highway to their own ends, the Russians having control of it since the 1840’s. The Russian poet, Lermontov, describes that “gateway” in the mountains in his novel “A Hero of Our Time” and also details the peoples who live in these lands.

The Ossetians were described by Lermontov has a “grey skinned people” who “perfected the art of the trade and barter” within the Caucasus. Historically, the Ossetia are a people who descended from Alans, a Sarmatian ethnic group who immigrated to the Caucasus some 3,000 years ago from what is now modern Iran and settled as far north as the River Volga until the Huns destroyed their kingdoms between 350 and 374 AD, pushing them back into the Caucasus, where they stayed. Ossetians speak Ossetic, an Iranian language belonging to the Eastern branch of the Indo-European language family. Their ancestors, where Christianized by Byzantine missionaries as early as the 10th century according to some scholars and by the 12th-13th centuries the Ossetians had became Eastern Orthodox through the influence of the Georgian Church and culture, the close proximity of both ethnic groups has had a large impact on Ossetians both culturally and politically. There is a Sunni Muslim minority, in Ossetia from the influence of Ottoman clerics and through contact with the Kabardians who where Islamized in 17th century. Ossetians themselves are a wonderful mix cultures and religions, making them very diverse as a single ethnic group. Ossetia officially became apart of the Russian Empire in 1774, as the Russians pushed into Georgia.

Ossetia, at least in my opinion, is the personification of the diversity within the Caucasus. The long and complex flow of ethnic groups, goods and historical events make it a wonderful region to read about and even more so, to see it in person. The city of Vladikavkaz was settled in 1784 as a fortress during the Russian conquest of the Caucasus, guarding the “Military Highway” and serving as a central base of operations for all forces within the region. An official roadway through the passage in Vladikavkaz was constructed in 1799, an amazing effort, considering the technology of the time and in 1875, a railway was built to connect the cities of Rostov-on-Don and Baku to this central transportation hub. Vladikavkaz in of itself is a smaller city, with a population of around 330,000, but at Diogo and I noticed and commented on, the city is expanding very quickly. When we arrived we needed to take another bus to the city center. On the way, we saw building being raised left and right. Modern structures, most likely be used as office buildings and apartments. The weather was the best it could have been for our trip. I was so surprised that on the 1st of November the weather was so nice and sunny. The air was also very clear so you could see the mountains and all their glory, their peaks reaching to the blue heavens. Fall was blessing Vladikavkaz that day. The trees were losing their leaves, with large hemps of them on the sides of the streets and sidewalks. Lovely red, yellow and orange colors. The air was cold and crisp (my favorite kind of weather) with sunny skies. As a cultural note, I observed one of things I love about Russian and subsequently the Caucasus. When I was sitting on the bus, an older man with a brushy, white mustache got on the bus and sat behind me. He then put his old, winked hand in front of me, with 15 rubles in change laying in his palm. We didn’t say another thing. I instinctively took the money and handed it to the driver of the bus. I then shopped and realized that I have lived here long enough to have been “programed” to respond to such things, without speaking. Just a really cool moment for me.

We arrived at the city center and walked to the bridge over looking the river Terek River. Here, there is a tall statue of the Ossetian General Pliyev, a man know for his bravery and skills at command when fighting the Germans during the Great Patriotic War. The statue is very impressive in regards to it’s sentiment and size. We then headed across the bridge to see a few other monuments that were nearby. One of the statues, a bronze sculpture of an Ossetian man in traditional cherkeska or chokha, with a staff. This is a depiction of the Nart Sagas. The Nart (or “hero” in Proto-Iranian) Sagas are a series of tales originating from the North Caucasus and form the basic mythology of the many ethnic groups in the regions, including the Ossetians, Abkhaz, Circassian (Adige and Kabardian), Karachay-Balkar and Chechen-Ingush folklore. The Nart Sagas (especially the Ossetian versions) have been a valued window into the world of the Iranian-speaking cultures from antiquity, as well as the cultural traditions of the North Caucasians as these are more archaic and preserve the details of earlier traditions and beliefs from these groups. For more information about the Nart Sagas and to read good translations in English, I’d recommend the books: “Legends of the Caucasus,” by David Hunt and “Nart Sagas from the Caucasus: Myths and Legends from the Circassians, Abazas, Abkhaz, and Ubykhs,” by John Colarusso.

We then walked through a park that was filled with fallen leaves. As we walked through this “fall wonderland,” we also played in the leaves, throwing them into the air. As the leaves rained down amongst us, Christophe and Ian took many photos of our friends. We had a lot of good childish fun, something that as an adult, has been (at least for me) harder and harder to reproduce. I’m reminded that one must saver and preserve every moment and every detail. Yet another reason why I’m writing this all down.

We came across a lot two religious institutions on our walk. The first was local Armenian Church, built in 1868. The architecture was very impressive. I wish we could have enter, but I didn’t want to disturb the parishioners as it was on a Sunday. We walked for awhile along the side of the Terek until we saw the Mukhtarov Mosque, the only mosque in all of Vladikavkaz. As we approached the site, I noticed the differences in architecture from the other mosques I have seen. Hesham had commented that it was in a older Egyptian style, unlike the mosques built in Ottoman style that I have seen before. The mosque was built from 1900-1908 by Józef Płoszko, a Hungarian architect, with funds from Murtuza Mukhtarov who was an Azeri millionaire. A very interesting mix of characters. The mosque serves the Ossetian and Ingush Sunni Muslim minority and is known for its beautiful setting near the Terek and against the dramatic backdrop for the Caucasus. When I entered the mosque, I was taken aback by the beauty of it’s interior. All the walls were full of Islamic calligraphy and symbols from both Islam and Judaism. The colors were striking. We also meet a few people inside. A older man, who had studied the Quran in Cario and a young man who was studying Business and Economics. Both men were so friendly and I wish that more Americans could get past the fear and apprehensions regarding Islam and Muslims. I feel just as comfortable (and sometimes ever more comfortable) when in the mosque as I do when in a Church and I’m glad to have had experiences through the Tri-Faith movement in Omaha to help prepare me. I can’t stress enough that Jews, Christians, and Muslims are all people of the same book and we worship the same God.

We stayed in the mosque is a while, chatting with these two men and viewing the symbols. Afterwards, we started the search for food. After a lot of walking and exploring, we found a cafe in the corner of an ally. As is true in all cities, the cafes or restaurants that are in the dark corner of an ally way, turn out to be the best “Mom and Pop” places. The cafe was very clean and we put to tables together to seat the eight of us. We wanted to have a traditional Caucasus meal, that had elements of Ossetian cuisine. Ossetian cuisine has a lot of Georgian influences with the spices of Persia. We started out with beer and soup. The soup had huge pieces of boiled potatoes and beef, with garlic, parsley, chives and red pepper. It was very filling and had a lovely, zesty flavor. Our second course was “osentinskiy piro” or Ossetian pie, filled with meat. Our third course was Khinkail, a kind of Georgian dumpling. Varieties of khinkail with be different across the Caucasus. The fillings will reflex the local faith of the people, so, Muslim communities will have lamb or beef as opposed to pork. The meat fillings also have parsley and cilantro with red pepper. Khinkail is eaten plain or with sour cream or black pepper. The meat filling is uncooked when the khinkali is assembled, so, when it is cooked, the juices of the meat are trapped inside the dumpling. To make khinkali juicier usually warm water or broth is added to the minced meat. The khinkali is traditionally eaten first by sucking out the juices while taking the first bite, in order to prevent the dumpling from bursting. Connie and I had a lot of fun explaining to the other this tradition, Connie explaining while I demonstrated. Typically, the tops, where the pleats of dough meet, is tough, and is not supposed to be eaten, but discarded to the plate so that those eating can count how many they have consumed. I must confuse that I eat these two, as I don’t care about the toughness. After our meal, I was so full. I felt that I could burst.

After our feast, we were able to hire two taxi cabs that would take us to the mountains of Tse and Fiagdon. I rode in a cab with Diogo, Hesham and Alina. Our cab drivers name was Denis and he was the coolest taxi driver I have ever had. He was a normal taxi drive, a civil taxi driver. Someone who would discuss normal topics as opposed to sex and drugs. It was about a 45 minute drive to the mountains, so we got to chat about life in Ossetia and the like. Denis also was a lezginka listener and he and I listen to the same albums so singing along was a treat. I felt so connected to the place as I was listening to the national music of the Caucasus while going see these mountains. Denis was kind enough to stop along the way to show us some of the geographical sites. Ossetia is littered with canyons and gorges that cut into the earth. Some of the gorges bottom 300 feet into the earth, with rushing waters from the Terek and Fiagdon rivers. The terrain raises every higher and one can see the “bashnya” or towers that dot the landscape, min-fortesses protecting the “Military Highway” and the goods that it provided through the ancient Silk routes. In Ossetian, these fortresses are called “kuvandon” and they are one of the hallmarks of the region. After a lovely drive through the mountains, we arrived at the Fiagdon Monastery. We walked up the steep steppes and took a lot of photos of the exterior and we then entered the Monastery. The Church as wonderful icons, which are beautifully crafted I was very happy that we had the time to see both the city of Vladikavkaz and the mountains of Ossetia. I still need to see Mount Kazbek, the tallest mountain in Ossetia, perhaps on another trip.

All in all we had a wonderful time. I was so glad to have gone with my friends and especially with Alina, as I always had wanted to go to Vladikavkaz with her. It was good to see both the city and the surrounding national environments. On the way back from the mountains, we stopped at a souvenir market on the side of the road, where a bought a magnet, as is my custom and a new papakha. This one is of the Cossack fashion (though it can also be apart of Chechen and Kabardian style), made of black felt. Really good spoils from the trip. Well, its back to the books for a while. We have a holiday on the 3rd of November, Russia Day, so no classes. I’ll keep you all posted on the happenings that go on here in the weeks to come.