Land, Community, and the State in the Caucasus: Kabardino-Balkaria from Tsarist Conquest to Post-Soviet Politics

In Land, Community, and the State in the Caucasus, Ian Lanzillotti traces the history of Kabardino-Balkaria from the extension of Russian rule in the late-18th century through to the ethno-nationalist mobilizations of the post-Soviet era. The Caucasus mountain region in southern Russia has witnessed some of the worst conflict in Europe since 1945; yet, amidst such turmoil, the semi-autonomous, multiethnic Kabardino-Balkar Republic has remained, by comparison, an oasis of peace. Through exploring themes of inter- and intra-communal relations, the expansion and evolution of imperial rule and governance, and the causes of peace and conflict, this book examines how and why Kabardino-Balkaria managed to maintain relative stability despite the tensions over religion, land, and identity in North Caucasus.
Deeply researched and elegantly argued, Ian Lanzillotti deftly balances sources from Russia’s central archives with rare and often overlooked archival material from the Caucasus region to provide the first historical examination of Kabardino-Balkaria in the English language. As such, Land, Community, and the State in the Caucasus is a vital resource for both historians of the Caucasus region and modern Russia, and scholars of peace and conflict studies.