Kabardino-Balkaria

The Kabardino-Balkarian Republic is located in the central part of the northern macroslope of the Caucasus . The territory of the republic is divided into three main geomorphological zones - mountain, foothill and flat. Mountain and foothill zones occupy a large part of the territory of the subject. The flat zone covers the north-eastern part of the republic.

Five main ridges of the Greater Caucasus are stretched parallel to each other across the territory of the republic: Pasture (or Cretaceous), Wooded , Rocky , Lateral, and Main (or Dividing).

• The highest point : Mount Elbrus (5,642 m, western peak) is the highest point in Russia , the Caucasus and Europe . The administrative border of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia passes through the western peak of Elbrus, while the eastern peak of the mountain (5,621 m), like most of the slopes, lies within the CBD.
• Maximum length from north to south : 167 km.
• Maximum length from east to west : 123 km.

Climate

The climate in the republic is diverse. Because of its location in the mountainous terrain, in the republic there is a vertical type of zoning. A humid continental climate is prevalent on the plains and in the foothills, which is replaced in the mountains by the climate of the subalpine zone . And further in the highlands goes into the alpine type of climate . The average January temperature ranges from −2 ° С (on the plain) to −12 ° С (in the mountains), July +25 ° С and +5 ° С, respectively. The average annual rainfall ranges from 500 to 2000 mm .

In the flat part of the republic (in particular, the islands of Prokhladny and Prokhladnensky district, Maysky district) a temperate continental climate with a semi-arid climate prevails.

The winter in the plain in absolute values ​​of low temperatures is colder than in the foothills (Nalchik), the minimum temperature record in the republic was set on February 8, 2012 in the city of Prokhladny, at the city weather station the temperature dropped to -29.5 ° C, while as in Nalchik, the temperature did not fall below -27 ° C that day.

Summer on the plain is very warm, the second half is hot.

June is, on average, the wettest month, with the most precipitation, and there is usually no strong heat in June (up to +37 ° C).

The first half of July is generally identical to the second half of June, but drier. In the second half of July, higher temperatures are observed. The hottest period is the end of July — August. The temperature in July in the plain part often rises above +38 ° C, the maximum temperature in July for the period 2000–2016 was observed in Prokhladny on July 28, 2000, when the city was +40.7 ° C. In Nalchik, the air warmed up to +38.3 ° C that day.

August on the plain is often the hottest month of the year, on the plain in August usually there is much less rainfall than in July or September. The small amount of precipitation in summer forces us to use a canal system for irrigating vast agricultural land. In August, the maximum temperatures often rise to + 38 ... + 40 ° C. For the XXI century, the highest temperature in August was observed on August 8, 2006 in the city of Prokhladny - the maximum at the city weather station that day was +40.9 ° C.

Ecosystem

Black earth and dark chestnut soils are widespread on the plain, and mountain meadow soils on mountain slopes.

Forests occupy 1/10 of the territory. In the floodplains - deciduous forests . At an altitude of 800-1600 m - deciduous forests (mostly beech ), up to 2200 m - coniferous (mostly pine ). At an altitude of 2000–2400 m, subalpine meadows (forb- fescue and forb- grasses ) are common. Above 2400 m - alpine meadows .

Among mammals, there are common fox , jackal , wolf , brown bear , marten , roe deer , wild boar , red deer , Caucasian chamois , Dagestan tour . Of the most common birds - tit , warbler , pheasant and quail .

On the territory of Kabardino-Balkaria, there is the Elbrusie National Park , the Kabardino-Balkaria High-Mountain Reserve ^[11] and 11 state reserves.

Rivers

Lakes

• Blue Lakes
• Shadhurei Lakes
• Lake Tambukan
• Lake Syltranquel

Waterfalls

•  

  Chegem waterfalls

•  

  Gedmishh

• Gedmishh - a waterfall on the river of the same name (the right tributary of Malka ).
• Chegem Waterfalls - a group of waterfalls on the tributaries of the Chegem River: Adaysu, Kayaarta and Sakal-Tup.
• Abai-Su is a waterfall on the river Bashil-Auzu-Su (tributary Chegema ).
• Sultan - a waterfall in the area of ​​Gil-Su, in the upper reaches of the river Malka .

Five thousand peaks

• Elbrus (5642 m)
• Dykhtau (5204 m)
• Koshtantau (5152 m)
• Pushkin Peak (5100 m)
• Shkhara (5068 m)
• Dzhangitau (5058 m)
• Mizhyrgi (5025 m)

Before the formation of the modern republic, two historical areas were located on its territory - Kabarda and Balkaria . Kabarda consisted of two principalities: Big Kabarda and Small Kabarda, and occupied the flat and foothill part of the modern republic, as well as the mountainous and alpine zone in the headwaters of the Malka River and its tributaries. Balkaria, which was divided into five mountain societies, occupied mainly mountainous and high-mountainous areas of the modern republic.

In 1921, Kabarda and Balkaria, together with other historical regions of the Central Caucasus, became part of the Mountain ASSR . On September 1, 1921, the Kabardian district withdrew from the Mountain Autonomous Republic, and then on January 16, 1922, Balkaria followed.

The Kabardino-Balkarian Autonomous Region was formed in 1922 , in 1936 it was transformed into the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic .

During the Great Patriotic War in the Kabardino-Balkaria, the 115th Kabardino-Balkarian cavalry division was formed under the command of A.F. Skorohod , who fought in the Battle for the Caucasus and the Battle of Stalingrad . In 1942, most of the republic, together with Nalchik, was occupied. In January 1943, Kabardino-Balkaria was completely liberated. In 1944, in connection with the eviction of the Balkarians, it was renamed the Kabardian ASSR , since 1957 - again the Kabardino-Balkarian ASSR. Since 1992 - Kabardino-Balkaria Republic.

In the 1950s and 1960s , large industrial enterprises of mechanical engineering and instrument-making were built in Kabardino-Balkaria. In 1990, 96.3 thousand people were employed in industry ^[12] .

In 2008, the Bank of Russia issued a commemorative coin dedicated to the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria ^[13] .

Republic has its own flag, coat of arms and anthem.

According to the Constitution of the CBD, the coat of arms is an image of a golden (yellow) eagle. On the eagle's chest there is a small crossed shield, at the top - an image of a silver (white) mountain on two peaks in an azure (blue, blue) field, at the bottom - a golden (yellow) trefoil with oblong sheets in a green field.

The national flag of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic is a panel of three equal horizontal stripes: the top is blue-blue, the middle is white, the bottom is green. In the center of the cloth is a circle crossed by a blue-blue and green field; on the blue and blue field - a stylized image of Mount Elbrus in white.

The national anthem of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic is solemn music, created using intonations and colors of Kabardian, Balkarian and Russian folk songs. The hymn is performed without words. The author of the music is Hasan Kardanov ^{[14] [15]} .

The population of the republic according to Rosstat is 866,310 ^[6] people (2019). The population density is 69.47 people / km² (2019). The urban population is 52.1% ^[16] % (2018).

The mortality rate in 2016–2017 (as of the end of the year) was 8.5 ppm ^[17] .

Note: the table shows peoples with more than 1000 people in 2010 .
Note 2: many Kabardians, like other Circassians, at the 2010 census indicated their exoethnonym “Circassian” .

Age and sex composition

According to the 2010 All-Russian Population Census ^[21] :

Men - 401,775 people (46.7%). Women - 458 164 people (53.3%).
The average age of the population is 35.3 years. The median age of the population is 32.8 years.
The average age of men is 33.4 years. The median age of men is 30.8 years.
The average age of women is 36.9 years. The median age of women is 34.9 years.

Localities with a population of more than 10 thousand people

According to the KBR Law “On the administrative-territorial structure of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic”, the subject of the Russian Federation includes the following administrative-territorial units : 3 cities of republican significance and 10 districts . ^[24]

Within the framework of the municipal structure of the republic, within the boundaries of the administrative-territorial units of Kabardino-Balkaria, municipal formations are formed : 3 urban districts and 10 municipal districts . ^[25]

The capital of the republic is the city of Nalchik , which is also a major economic center of the North Caucasus and one of the main resorts of federal significance in the country.

The basis of the republic's economy is agriculture ( grain crops ( wheat , corn , millet ), industrial crops ( sunflower , hemp ), animal husbandry (milk and meat), and logging.

Within the framework of infrastructure development and support for small and medium-sized businesses in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, a network of business incubators was established, the purpose of which is to provide equipped and office premises to small and medium-sized businesses in the CBD on preferential terms. Three business incubators have already been created and are successfully operating: the state institution Kabardino-Balkaria Business Incubator in Nalchik, which provides office and production premises, two municipal office business incubators in the city district Prokhladny and Baksansky district.

Industry

More than 100 industrial enterprises operate in the republic ^[26] . In the city ​​of Maysky LLC Sevkavrentgen-D is one of the leading manufacturers of x-ray equipment in Russia. In the city of Terek, the Terekalmaz plant started its own production of synthetic diamonds, and high-quality diamond tools based on them. Among the products manufactured are diamond drilling tools for exploration and mining enterprises (crowns, chisels, expanders); diamond ruling tools (precision shaped rollers, pencils, combs, diamonds in the frame), diamond grinding tools (circles ACC, direct profile, etc.) for mechanical engineering and metalworking; diamond tools for stone processing and construction industry (segment cutting wheels, cutters, rods, wire saws, etc.) for cutting, grinding, polishing natural stone, concrete, asphalt; diamond pastes, etc. In the city of Tyrnyauz there is a factory “Kabbalkgips” for the production of products of the brand GIPSELL, based on the production and sale of building and finishing materials.

• Plant Kavkazkabel
• Tyrnyauz mining and processing plant (not working since the beginning of the 2000s, after the gathering boarded)
• Kabbalkgips (plant)

The electric power industry is developing, there are several hydroelectric power plants in the region, with a total capacity for 2010 of 126.6 MW and an output of 478 million kWh per year:

• Aushigerskaya HPP (60.0 MW; 222.0 million kWh per year),
• Kashkhatau HPP (65.1 MW; 241.0 million kWh per year),
• Baksan hydroelectric station (27.0 MW; 125.0 mln kWh per year),
• there are several small hydropower plants (with a total capacity of 5.5 MW and a production of 14.9 million kWh per year),
• Zaragizhskaya (28.8 MW ^[27] ) and Verkhnebalkarskaya HPP (15.6 MW) are under construction,
• construction of the Blue Lakes hydropower plant (up to 110 MW) is under consideration; the Sarmakovskaya HPP (17.6 MW, 74.5 million kWh) is being designed

Agriculture

Grain crops (corn, wheat, barley, millet), fodder, technical (sunflower and hemp ) crops, potatoes, and vegetables and melons are grown .

Transportation

The cultural heritage of the Nart epic brings immense importance to the culture of the republic.

The cultural policy of the republic in the last decade of the XX century was built in close connection with the all-Russian, federal concept of the development of culture and art, taking into account the peculiarities and difficulties of developing national cultures of multinational Kabardino-Balkaria. The federal target program “Culture of Russia” has brought some clarity to the perspective of national culture ^[31] .

By the end of the 20th century, an increase in interest in amateur creativity was noticeable in the CBD, the crisis of the early 1990s was overcome, culture began to adapt to new market conditions. If in 1999 there were 1,440 circles in Kabardino-Balkaria, in 2001 their number increased to 1,560, an increase in the number of cultural and leisure activities was noted. According to the number of cultural and leisure institutions, the CBD ranks 78th among the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Features of the development of ethnic musical culture of the CBD in the 90s of the XX century

In most of the settlements, the Houses of Culture were the only multifunctional centers of culture and their condition largely determined the level and prospects of the cultural life of a particular village. The creation of folklore ethnographic centers is among the modern requirements for the development of national cultures.

Considering the importance of the development of amateur creativity at a high creative level, in the CBD in the 1990s republican festivals of folk song and dance ensembles, performers of the Adyg and Balkarian folk songs, festivals of national cultures, regional exchange festivals of cultures, shows and competitions of choreographic art, orchestras were regularly held. folk instruments, performers on the national harmonica named after K. Kashirgova, the thematic program “Musical Kabardino-Balkaria” was developed.

In the activities of municipal cultural institutions, positive trends in the organization of events have appeared, taking into account the social and cultural specifics of the area. Folklore festivals, parades, contests have become widespread in cultural institutions of the Baksan district. An increase in the number of folklore groups and ensembles was noted in Zolsky district. The culture department of Urvansky district intensified its activities in the preservation and development of folklore. The implementation of these tasks was focused on the Folklore Center in s. Psynabo. In the Tersky district, special attention was paid to work with children and young people, in Chereksky - work on the revival and preservation of traditions and rituals was intensified, in the Chegemsky district - national calendar holidays were held regularly;

Since the beginning of the 1980s, mass holidays in the village, district, and city have become increasingly widespread. These are the Days of the city, the celebration of anniversaries of writers of Kabardino-Balkaria, the holding of national games with the celebration of the best. With the beginning of the era of glasnost and democratization, religious ritual public holidays, long gone from the life of the people and now being revived at a different level, began to return to the people’s culture. Often, these are staging events carried out by professional and amateur groups: the first furrow festival; khuypllyzykkeryshche (tying up smoked cheese) with sports games and awards, arranged not only at the birth of a son, but also on other festive dates of the secular calendar (May 1, November 7, etc.); celebration of the vernal equinox. Reliable knowledge of the customs of the people, holidays, rituals, their content, forms and methods of carrying out allows us to reveal what is in folk customs and what has been accumulated by cultural and educational institutions.

The peculiarity of the holiday, festive communication of people consists in the harmonious combination of two styles of communication: ordinary, almost real and ideally conditional, inherent in art. The most preserved, but somewhat modified, are family holidays and ceremonies. These are ceremonies of the primary life cycle (guschehephe (putting the child in the cradle), the celebration of the "first step", etc.), wedding ceremonies. Among the secular family holidays, firmly established in the life of the people in the 80-90s of the XX century, it should be noted the celebration of birthdays, graduation from an educational institution, etc.

A large role in the revival of the Adyghe vocal culture belongs to the Republican contest of the Adyghe folk song regularly held in 1996 in memory of the national artist of Kabardino-Balkaria, H. Kunizhev. The purpose of the competition: the revival of traditional songwriting; preservation of the Circassian culture; identifying talented performers; attracting children and young people to creativity, increasing their performance skills; wide propaganda of the genre; enrichment of the repertoire of groups and individual performers.

The great representatives of the culture of the CBD are the People’s Poet of the KBR, the laureate of the Leninist and State Prizes of the USSR and the RSFSR Kaysyn Kuliev and the People’s Artist of the USSR, the laureate of the State Prizes of the USSR and the RSFSR Yuri Temirkanov .

• Kabardino-Balkarian State Agrarian University named after V. M. Kokov
• Kabardino-Balkarian State University. H.M. Berbekova
• Kabardino-Balkarian Institute of Business
• Kabardino-Balkarian branch of the Moscow Institute for Integrated Security
• Nalchik Institute of Cooperation (branch) of the Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization Belgorod University of Cooperation, Economics and Law
• North Caucasus State Institute of Arts
• North Caucasus Institute for the Advanced Training of the Staff of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia
• Modern Academy of Humanities - Nalchik Branch
• Armavir Linguistic Social Institute - Branch in Nalchik

The Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, according to the Constitution, is a secular state. Religious associations are separated from the state and are equal before the law ^[32] . The most widespread are two religions: Islam and Orthodox Christianity . Ethnic Muslims in the republic account for more than 70% ^[33] . Sunni Islam in the territory of Kabarda and Balkaria was fully established in the XVIII, by the beginning of the XIX century ^[34] .

According to the CBD government data for 2013, 176 religious organizations are registered in the republic ^[35] , including:

• 125 muslim
• 21 Orthodox
• 1 Jewish
• 3 roman catholic
• 26 Protestant .

A total of 152 mosques function in the CBD (as of the beginning of 2016) ^[36] , 20 Orthodox churches, 1 monastery, 4 chapels, 1 synagogue, 27 Protestant and 3 Roman Catholic prayer houses. 137 Muslim , 23 Orthodox , 2 Roman Catholic, about 30 Protestant ministers, 1 rabbi conduct religious services in them.

• Constitution of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic
• Terek region
• List of monuments of cultural heritage of Kabardino-Balkaria in Wikigid

• Харенко А. А. Горными тропами Кабардино-Балкарии: Спутник туриста. — Нальчик: Эльбрус , 1972. — 104, [16], [24] с. - 30 000 copies (обл.; карты-схемы)

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