Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus
The Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus (MRNC), also referred to as the United Republics of the North Caucasus, Mountain Republic, or the Republic of the Mountaineers, was a state in Eurasia and encompassing the entirety of the North Caucasus that emerged during the Russian Civil War and existed from 1917 to 1922. It formed as a consolidation of various Caucasian ethnic groups, including the Abkhazians, Abazins Circassians, Chechens, Karachays, Ossetians, Balkars, Ingush, and Dagestanis.
Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus
Sunni Islam (majority and state-backed faith)
Russian Orthodox Church (minority)
North Caucasian
Confederated parliamentary republic under a provisional government
6 March 1917
1 May 1917
30 November 1922
1917[1]
1922[2]
430,874 km2 (166,361 sq mi)
11,221,860[8]
The MRNC encompassed the former territories of Terek Oblast and Dagestan Oblast within the Russian Empire. These territories now constitute the present-day republics of Chechnya, Ingushetia, North Ossetia–Alania, Kabardino-Balkaria, Dagestan, and a portion of Stavropol Krai in the Russian Federation. Spanning approximately 430,874 square kilometers (166,361 sq mi), the MRNC had a population of approximately 11.2 million. Throughout its existence, the capital of the MRNC relocated from Vladikavkaz to Nazran and ultimately settled in Temir-Khan-Shura.
The MRNC broke away from the Russian Empire after the February Revolution, just before the outbreak of the Russian Civil War. The Russian Volunteer Army captured the state in 1922, and it ceased to exist.[9] However, in September 1919, the North Caucasian Emirate was proclaimed as the successor of the Mountain Republic.[10] However, in August 1920, it was captured by the Soviet Russia, which led to an uprising.[11] In April 1921, the Mountain Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was established by the Bolsheviks within the RSFSR, but the uprising lasted until 1925.[12]
State formation[edit]
The Union consisted seven "states" distributed on a national basis and united under a confederative principle within the territories: Dagestan, Ingushetia, Chechnya, North Ossetia–Alania, Circassia (including West Circassia, although the union had control only over East Circassia), Karachay-Balkaria, the Nogai steppes, and also asserted claims in Abkhazia.[13][14][15]
The Cabinet of Ministers of the Mountain Republic comprised representatives from nearly all regions of the North Caucasus.
Abdulmajid Tapa Tchermoeff, oil industrialist, first chairman of the Central Committee and first prime minister, Chechen. Died in Switzerland in 1937.
Rashid Khan Kaplanov, second Chairman of the Central Committee, Minister of the Interior, Kumyk. Assassinated by the Bolshevik government in 1937.
Haidar Bammate, Foreign Minister, Kumyk. Died in Paris in 1965.
Nukh-bek Tarkovskiy, Military Minister, Kumyk. Died in Switzerland in 1951.
Zibair Temirkhanov, Chairman of the Madjlis (Parliament), Kumyk. Twice repressed by the Bolsheviks, died in Dagestan in 1952.
Daniyal Apashev, Member of Parliament and chairman in 1919, Kumyk. Killed by Bolsheviks in 1920.[20]
![Daniyal Apashev, Member of Parliament and chairman in 1919, Kumyk. Killed by Bolsheviks in 1920.[20]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/%D0%90%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%88%D0%B5%D0%B2%2C_%D0%94%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F%D0%BB.jpg/126px-%D0%90%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%88%D0%B5%D0%B2%2C_%D0%94%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F%D0%BB.jpg)
![Ibrahim Bey Gaydarov, Minister of Posts and Telegraph,[21] Lezgian. Died in Ankara in 1949.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Ibrahim_bey_Haydarov.jpg/150px-Ibrahim_bey_Haydarov.jpg)
Alikhan Kantemir, the official representative in neighboring countries (Azerbaijan, Georgia), Muslim Ossetian. Died in Munich in 1963.
Tadjuddin Penzulayev, Minister of Justice, Kumyk. Killed by the Bolsheviks in 1937.[24] Co-author of Mikhail Bulgakov's piece "Children of Mulla".[25]
Muhiddin Penzulayev, Minister of Communications, Kumyk. Died in 1942.[24] Brother of Tadjuddin Penzulayev.
