Erzi (village)

Rural locality in Ingushetia

Aul in Ingushetia, Russia

Erzi

Эрзи

Aul

Other transcription(s)
• Ingush| Аьрзи

Location of Erzi

Erzi

Location of Erzi

Show map of Russia

Erzi

Erzi (Republic of Ingushetia)

Show map of Republic of Ingushetia

Coordinates: 42°48′12″N 44°45′40″E﻿ / ﻿42.80333°N 44.76111°E﻿ / 42.80333; 44.76111
Country| Russia
Federal subject| Ingushetia
Population

(2010 Census)[1]

• Total| 0

Administrative status

• Subordinated to| Dzheyrakhsky District
Time zone| UTC+3 (MSK [2])
OKTMO ID| 26620420126

Erzi (Russian: Эрзи; Ingush: Аьрзи, romanized: Ärzi, lit. 'Eagle') is a medieval village (aul) in the Dzheyrakhsky District of Ingushetia. It is part of the rural settlement (administrative center) of Olgeti.[4] The entire territory of the settlement is included in the Dzheyrakh-Assa State Historical-Architectural and Natural Museum-Reserve and is under state protection.

## Nomenclature[edit]

The word "Erzi" (Аьрзи) translates from the Ingush as 'eagle'.[5] According to Ingush folklore, Erzi was founded on a place where there once was an eagle's nest. [6]

## Geography[edit]

It is located in western part of the mountainous region of Ingushetia 1315 m above sea level on the right bank of the Armkhi River, clearly visible from the road, and considered te be one of the main monuments of the Erzi Nature Reserve. The nearest tower settlements are: in the north — Hamishke and Koshk, in the southeast — Kerbite, in the west — Lyazhgi, in the east — Angeti.[7]

## History[edit]

The settlement is considered to be founded in the 16th century by Chard, the ancestor of several Ingush families, notably the Mamilovs, Yandievs, Burazhevs and Aldaganovs. Other sources attribute the foundation to Yand,[8] the progenitor of the 'principal family‘[9] of Erzi who kept guard there and took tribute for passage.[10] Erzi was home to several Ingush families and clans (teips), territorially attributed to the Fyappin, Metskhalin or Kistin society. [11][12][13]

On May 14, 1733, natives of Erzi, Bodscha and Karadscha Yandiev, swore an oath of allegiance to Vakhtang VI of Kartli.[14]

On January 8, 1811, Erzi became part of the Russian Empire through an agreement signed by the representatives Khasai and Itar Yandiev.[15]

During the pre-Islamic period, a strong cultural and religious relationship existed with the neighbouring tower complexes Tyarsh and Shoan.[16]

In 2012-2015 the tower complex was reconstructed. It has 8 combat, 2 semi-combat, 47 residential towers, 1 temple, and over 20 burial grounds, including the mausoleum of the famous tower builder - Yand.[17]

In 2019, carbon dating revealed that Erzi was constructed between 1683 and 1723.[18]

In 1931, a rare and very important find was made in the village of Erzi: a bronze censer in the shape of an eagle, known as Suleyman's Eagle, though some historians believe it be a detail of an ancient military standard. It was made in the 8th century (year 189 of the Hijri calendar) in the Arab Caliphate. In 1936 the statue was relocated to St. Petersburg, where it is exhibited in the Hall of the Culture and Art of the Hermitage Museum.[19]

> "Apparently, strong birds enjoyed special reverence among the local highlanders, and may have been the totem of the inhabitants of Erzi. It is no coincidence that the ancient and numerous family of the Mamilovs (the native Erzians), had an image of an eagle as their coat of arms. It is likewise no coincidence that the Armkhi River, roaring deep in the gorge, received from Ossetian neighbors, the, at first glance, unexpected name “Makkal-don” (meaning “river of kites”), and the Ingush themselves, the inhabitants of the gorge, are called among the Ossetians “Makkal” or “Makkalon” ”, i.e. "kite people". The eagle and the kite in ornithology (the science of birds) are close relatives, they belong to the same family - hawks. Consequently, behind the Ossetian "makkal" and the Ingush "erzi" are close concepts of raptors, the special role of which in the life and religious ideas of the population of the Dzherakh Gorge left an indelible mark in these places."

> — Vitaly Vinogradov [ru][20]

## References[edit]

1. ^ Russian Federal State Statistics Service (2011). Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года. Том 1 [2010 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1]. Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года [2010 All-Russia Population Census] (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service.
2. ^ "Об исчислении времени". Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации (in Russian). 3 June 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
3. ^ Итоги Всероссийской переписи населения 2020 года. Федеральная служба государственной статистики.
4. ^ "Ольгетинская сельский округ (сельсовет)* (Джейрахский район)" [Olgeti Rural settlement (village council)* (Dzheyrakhsky District)]. www.ocato.ru. Archived from the original on 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2011-07-23.
5. ^ Мальсагов 1925, p. 122.
6. ^ Т.М. Акимова, Л.Г. Бараг, ed. (1976). Фольклор народов РСФСР (in Russian). Башкирский государственный университет. p. 58.
7. ^ Проект «Открытый Кавказ». "Карта" (in Russian). Retrieved 25 September 2017.
8. ^ Г. Д. Чиковани, ЧИЭЭ, 1979, ТЕТр. II, 12., Стр. 127
9. ^ Baddeley, John F. (1940). The Rugged Flanks of Caucasus. Vol. 1. London: Oxford University Press: Humphrey Milford. p. 209
10. ^ И.А. Дахкильгов, Антология ингушского фольклора, т. 7 с. 66-67
11. ^ Сборник документов и материалов 2020, pp. 486–487 (РГВИА. Ф. 13454. ОП. 15. Д. 202. Л. 101—111).
12. ^ Сборник документов и материалов 2020, pp. 596–604 (ЦГА РСО-А. Ф. 262. Оп. 1. Д. 77. Л. 76 об—92 об.).
13. ^ Сборникъ статистическихъ свѣдѣній о Кавказѣ 1869, p. 44.
14. ^ Документы по взаимоотношениям Грузии с Северным Кавказом в XVIII в. 1968, pp. 122–126, Письма старшин горных провинций Гудамакари, Мтиулети, Кистетии, Тагаури и Хеви к царю Вахтангу VI, с изъявлением своей верноподданности.
15. ^ В январе 1811 года от генерала Тормасова к генералу Румянцеву. Акты К.А.К., т.4, стр. 904
16. ^ ИСХОДНЫЕ ФУНКЦИИ, СЕМАНТИКА И АНАЛОГИИ БОГА ДЯЛА В РЕЛИГИОЗНЫХ ВОЗЗРЕНИЯХ ИНГУШЕЙ АКИЕВА П. Х.
17. ^ Проект «Открытый Кавказ». "Эрзи" (in Russian).
18. ^ "The results of radiocarbon dating of the battle tower c. Erzi. Mountainous Ingushetia, Dzheirakhsky district". GKU 'ARCHAEOLOGICAL CENTER NAMED AFTER E.I. KRUPNOV'.
19. ^ "Образ орла в ингушской символике" [The image of the eagle in Ingush symbolism]. ДЗУРДЗУКИ. 24 May 2015.
20. ^ Виноградов 1966, pp. 159–160.

## Bibliography[edit]

### Russian sources[edit]

* Виноградов, В. Б. (1966). Смирнов, К. Ф. (ed.). Тайны минувших времен [Secrets of past times] (PDF) (in Russian). Москва: Наука. pp. 1–167.
* Воронов, Н. И.; Кавказскій отдѣлъ Императорскаго русскаго географическаго общества (1869). "Списокъ горскихъ ауловъ Кубанской и Терской областей" [List of mountain villages of the Kuban and Terek Oblasts]. Сборникъ статистическихъ свѣдѣній о Кавказѣ [Collection of statistical information about the Caucasus] (in Russian). Vol. 1\. Тифлисъ: Типографія Главнаго Управленія Намѣстника Кавказскаго; Типографія Меликова и К. pp. 41–52 (418–429 as PDF).
* Гамрекели, В. П. (1968). Григолиа, К. Г. (ed.). Документы по взаимоотношениям Грузии с Северным Кавказом в XVIII в. [Documents on relations between Georgia and the North Caucasus in the 18th century] (in Russian). Тбилиси: Мецниереба. pp. 1–333.
* Картоев, М. М. (2020). Ингушетия в политике Российской империи на Кавказе. XIX век. Сборник документов и материалов [Ingushetia in the policy of the Russian Empire in the Caucasus. 19th century. Collection of documents and materials]. История Ингушетии: открытый архив (in Russian) (2nd ed.). Ростов-на-Дону: Южный издательский дом. pp. 1–760. ISBN 978-5-98864-060-8.
* Мальсагов, З. К. (1925). Ингушская грамматика со сборником ингушских слов [Ingush grammar with a collection of Ingush words] (in Russian). Владикавказ: Гостип. „СВЕТ“ И. А. О. pp. 1–224.