From War Histories to Cultural Traditions: Latest Translations on AW
New translations have been added on AbkhazWorld, each offering a deeper understanding of the Caucasus' history and culture.
Said-Khasan Muskhadzhiev's The Caucasian War: Zigzags of Russian Historiography provides an in-depth look at historical perspectives from a major conference in Sukhum. Konstantin Kovács’s The Songs of the Kodor Abkhazians, published in 1930, captures Abkhazia’s musical traditions and the stories they tell. Mirra Khotilashvili-Inal-ipa’s Mysteries of the 1925 Musical-Ethnographic Expedition uncovers an almost forgotten chapter in Abkhazian cultural history. Naima Neflyasheva’s The Adyghe Way of Raising Children offers insight into the traditional practices and values that shape Adyghe family life. These translations bring fresh perspectives and a deeper understanding of the region's heritage. We hope you find them engaging and thought-provoking.
The Caucasian War: Zigzags of Russian Historiography, by Said-Khasan Muskhadzhiev
In May 2024 (20–23 May), the Abkhazian State University in Sukhum hosted a four-day International Scientific Conference titled ‘The Caucasian War: Lessons of History and Modernity,’ dedicated to the 160th anniversary of the end of the Russo-Caucasian War and the 110th anniversary of the renowned Abkhazian historian Georgy Alekseevich Dzidzaria (1914–1988). The conference featured scholars from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Stavropol, Grozny, Makhachkala, Cherkessk, and Maykop, who gathered to present and discuss their research on the complex history of the Caucasus.
The presentations from this conference have been published in the collection “Кавказская война: уроки истории и современность” (The Caucasian War: Lessons of History and Modernity). This collection is a valuable resource for historians, ethnographers, students, postgraduates, and anyone interested in 19th-century Caucasian history.
'The Caucasian War: Zigzags of Russian Historiography’ by Said-Khasan Muskhadzhiev, originally published in Russian and appearing on pages 130–138. This translation into English is provided by AbkhazWorld to ensure broader accessibility for an international audience.
The Song of the Kodor Abkhazians, by Konstantin Kovács (1930)
Konstantin Kovács’s The Songs of the Kodor Abkhazians is a seminal collection of ethnographic materials complete with musical notations, published in 1930 by the People's Commissariat for Education of Abkhazia and the Academy of the Abkhazian Language and Literature. This 72-page volume represents a significant exploration into the musical and cultural heritage of the Abkhazian people, focusing on the distinct traditions of the Kodor region. With a print run of 1,500 copies, this work serves as an essential document for understanding the intricate connections between music, folklore, and historical memory in Abkhazia.
AbkhazWorld presents the first translations of The Songs of the Kodor Abkhazians, encompassing the Author’s Preface (pp. 3-5) and the initial section, Historical Songs (pp. 7-11), which covers topics such as the struggle for the independence of the Caucasus, the Russian-Turkish War (1877–78), feudalism, and revolutionary events. In time, the remaining chapters will also be translated and made available.
Mysteries of the 1925 Musical-Ethnographic Expedition, by Mirra Khotilashvili-Inal-ipa
This article, Mysteries of the 1925 Musical-Ethnographic Expedition, first appeared in Respublika Abkhazia (Issue No. 127, 9–10 November 2006) and was later republished in Аҧсуаҭҵаара / Abkhaz Studies (Issues 8-9, 2013, pp. 298–301). Authored by the esteemed Mirra Khotilashvili-Inal-ipa (1928–2024), a distinguished historian, archaeologist, and honoured cultural worker of Abkhazia, as well as an honorary doctor of the Abkhazian National Academy, the article provides a rigorous examination of a unique yet largely forgotten chapter in Abkhazia’s musical and cultural history.
Khotilashvili-Inal-ipa's work unearths the details of a 1925 musical-ethnographic expedition in Abkhazia, spearheaded by prominent cultural figures of the time. Through meticulous analysis, she investigates the individuals involved, the expedition's objectives, and the enigmatic absence of its findings in Abkhazia’s collective memory.
The Adyghe (Circassian) Way of Raising Children, by Naima Neflyasheva
This article by Naima Neflyasheva, PhD, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, addresses traditional child-rearing practices in Adyghe (Circassian) families. Originally published in Russian on the Sovetskaya Adygeya website on 25 June 2024, it explores the values, customs, and pedagogical principles that shape Adyghe attitudes toward children and family bonds. Previously, we published another translation of Neflyasheva’s work, titled Being a Man in the Circassian Way. This English version aims to broaden the readership for Neflyasheva's insights into the cultural heritage of the Adyghe people.