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PLACE AND ROLE OF ISLAM IN REGIONS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, THE CAUCASSUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
ASLANBEK ADIYEV. INTERETHNIC RELATIONS AND RELIGIOUS SITUATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF DAGHESTAN IN 2019 (A CASE STUDY OF EVENT ANALYSIS) // The article was written for the bulletin "Russia and the Moslem World."
Keywords: Interethnic relations, religious situation, interethnic conflicts, tolerance, state national policy, all-Russian civil identity, social adaptation.
Aslanbek Adiyev,
PhD(Politology)/ Academic Secretary, Regional Center of Ethnopolitical Researches, Daghestan Scientific Center, RAS
Citation: Adiyev A. Interethnic Relations and Religious Situation in the Republic of Daghestan in 2019 (a Case Study of Event Analysis) // Russia and the Moslem World, 2020, No. 3 (309), P. 37-56. DOI: 10.31249/rmw/2020.03.03
Abstract. Interethnic relations and the religious situation in the Republic of Daghestan (RD) are developing positively. Media resources do not record cases of interethnic clashes in 2019. The tolerance of the region's residents towards representatives of other ethnic groups is at a high level. The state national policy is being comprehensively implemented in the field of harmonizing interethnic relations,
strengthening the all-Russian civil identity, as well as the social adaptation of foreign citizens - labor migrants.
Introduction. Interethnic relations and religious situation in the Republic of Daghestan (RD) are developing positively, maintaining, despite the presence of a number of "old" conflict subjects, controllability and stability. During 2019, media resources did not record cases of interethnic clashes and other manifestations of open interethnic conflict in the region. According to a survey conducted in October 2019, 87.2% of respondents appreciate the state of interethnic relations in the Republic of Daghestan, 91.9% of respondents indicated that they do not dislike migrants. Tolerance of the inhabitants of the region towards representatives of other ethnic groups (nationalities) is also at high level (88.6%).
In Daghestan, under the coordinating role of the Ministry for National Policy and Religious Affairs of the Republic of Daghestan (Minnats RD), state national policy is being implemented in an integrated manner in the sphere of harmonizing inter-ethnic relations, strengthening of all-Russian civic identity, as well as social adaptation of foreign citizens -labor migrants. For the second year, the state program of the RD "Implementation of state national policy in the Republic of Daghestan for 2018-2020" is being executed, and in municipal districts and urban districts corresponding municipal programs were adopted and responsible officials were appointed. The functionality of the Minnats includes work to promote the harmonization of inter-ethnic relations, to preserve interfaith and intra-confessional peace; strengthening of all-Russian civic identity among the population of the republic; countering the ideology of ethnic (national) and religious extremism; preservation of ethnocultural identity of peoples living in the territory of the territorial unity. Since 2019, activities on adapting foreign citizens (migrants) have become a required focus area of the department. This work becomes relevant, since migration
processes affect not only the demographic situation, but also the socio-economic and socio-political situation in the region.
Demography and migration. The permanent population of the Republic of Daghestan in the beginning of 2019 was 3,086,126 people, which is 22 thousand people more than last year data. The population of Daghestan has been constantly growing for many decades. On the basis of official statistics, only over the last 20 years (from 2000 to 2019) the population of the republic increased by 643,517 people (by more than 26%). Natural population changes indicate the demographic well-being of the republic: the difference between the fertility and mortality rates in Daghestan is positive and amounted to 33.2 thousand people gain in 2018. It is important to note that the recorded population growth of the republic takes into account the migration loss, which significantly impacts on the growth rate of the resident population of Daghestan. A study of general migration trends of the population of the republic in recent years makes it possible to note a steadily negative migration balance. The outflow value -4,518 of people, recorded in 2000, increased to a maximum value of - 23,958 people. in 2012. Since 2014, it has been noted a decrease in migration losses to 14-11 thousand people annually, and in 2018 migration loss amounted to - 11008 people. The main destination of Daghestanis is intra-country migration to other regions of Russia. Every year, about 100 thousand people participate in the migration processes of the republic - the amount of annual arrivals and departures from Daghestan, almost 99% of which move within the country. Most of the departures and arrivals are people of working age. First preference areas of migration of Daghestanis are Moscow and the central macro-region, the cities of the West Siberian macro-region (Tyumen region), as well as St. Petersburg, where the average level of salary is significantly higher than republican rates. Moreover, a significant part of Daghestani migrants settles in the Stavropol and Krasnodar territories, in the Rostov and Astrakhan regions, where there are favorable opportunities to
engage in traditional agricultural activities for them. Thus, almost the whole migration flow from Daghestan circulates within the Russian Federation and is aimed at economically developed regions of the country.
Migration processes related to the countries of the postSoviet territory cover a very small proportion of arrivals and departures (0.04% of the resident population of the republic for 2019), and only a few of people participate in movements between Daghestan and distant foreign countries. For the recent years, the migration process (albeit very modest) between Daghestan and the countries of the post-Soviet territory has a stable surplus. The largest migration growth in the population of the republic comes from Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan. Mainly labor migrants arrive in the republic (with the exception of Ukraine, for the most part ethnic Daghestanis participate in migration processes with it) from all the listed countries. A temporary resident permit (which is given in the Russian Federation for 3 years), as well as a residence permit (a document confirming the rights of a foreigner for permanent residence in the Russian Federation) are executed in the republic annually by about 1.5 thousand people, more than half of which are immigrants from Azerbaijan. There are many people who want to receive a residence permit among citizens of Uzbekistan and Ukraine. Paradoxically, in Daghestan - the most labor-making region of the North Caucasus Federal District of the Russian Federation, labor migrants from the countries of Central Asia and Transcaucasus arrive to work in such sectors of the economy as: construction, trade, agriculture, catering. The largest number of migrants (foreign citizens) in the republic lives in Makhachkala (more than 13 thousand people), Khasavyurt and Khasavyurt region (more than 5 thousand people), Derbent and Derbent region (more than 4 thousand people), in Kaspiysk (about 2 thousand people) and Karabudakhkent region (more than 1 thousand people). A relatively large number of migrants (from 500 to 1000 people) are registered in the Karabudakhkent,
Kayakent, Kizilyurt, Levashinsky, Buinaksky, Kizlyar and Nogai districts of Daghestan. In all six state universities of the Republic of Daghestan located in Makhachkala, foreign students study, the total number of which for the 2018-2019 academic year amounted to 1,435 people.
The materials of in-depth interviews conducted in 2019 with representatives of expat and migrant communities from Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan in the republic testify to their preference for the Republic of Daghestan due to the socio-cultural affinity of the host community in comparison with the societies of the central regions of the country. Comparing their work experience in other regions of Russia, migrants from Central Asia working in Daghestan note that the price for their work in the republic is noticeably lower than in Moscow and other large cities of the country, but the positive aspects are the cultural affinity and benevolence of people.
Domestic migration in the context of municipal districts of the republic has its own characteristics. Almost all rural areas of the republic, with the exception of the Novolaksky district, show the migration loss of the local population. But the difference in the number of people participating in migration processes between the municipalities of the republic is significant. If, on average, 500 people annually participate in migration processes in the mountainous territories of the republic, in the southern regions of Daghestan migration includes about 1,500 people. annually. In addition, in the direction of migration, the population of mountain territories moves mainly within the republic with an insignificant negative migration balance (i.e., settle in cities and plain regions of the Republic of Daghestan), while in the southern regions of Daghestan and in the northernmost - Nogai region, external migration dominates. Thus, the largest migration losses of the entire population of municipalities are recorded in the southern regions of Daghestan, as well as in the northernmost - Nogai district. Losing about 600 people on the difference between migration inflow and
outflow annually, the population of this district decreased from 22,472 people given according to the 2010 census to 18,397 people by the beginning of 2019 and continues to decline, despite the natural population growth. There is a similar situation in many southern regions of Daghestan (Agul, Akhtynsky, Dokuzparinsky, Kurakhsky, Rutulsky, Suleman-Stalsky, Tabasaran, Khiva municipal regions of the republic), where migration loss is not compensated by natural growth and leads to a reduction in the number of resident population. In the remaining territories of the republic, migration loss is compensated for natural growth, which leads to an increase in the number of permanent population there.
"Old" conflicts: the problem of the Aukhov district. In general, the stable nature of inter-ethnic relations in the republic is overshadowed by the presence of "old" conflict factors, among which the most difficult factor is the uncertainty of the administrative-territorial prospects of the Novolaksky district and the administrative subordination of two villages of the Kazbekovsky district with a mixed Avar-Chechen population in connection with the sluggish process of restoration of the Aukhov district. The situation on the continuous process of resettlement of the Lak population of the Novolaksky district to a new place of residence (the territory of Novostroy - the future Novolaksky district) and the restoration of the Aukhovsky district remains actually "frozen." The ongoing head of the republic, V. Vasiliev, said it was advisable to postpone for the future the solution of the questions where there is at least the faintest risk of interethnic conflicts2.
At the same time, according to experts, any "frozen," "delayed," "smoldering," "old" conflict have the risks of actualization, so such hotbeds existing in the North Caucasus cannot be left without the constant attention of both federal and regional authorities3.
The process of restoring the Aukhov district, which was liquidated after the deportation of Akkin Chechens in 1944,
remains the most politicized problem, which can exacerbate inter-ethnic contradictions to direct and mass clashes between Avars and Chechens in the villages of Kazbekovsky and Novolaksky districts. Although there were no open manifestations of the conflict in 2019, the tension of the discourse on the restoration of the Aukhov district does not decrease. As it is known, in April 1991 the Law of the RSFSR "On the Rehabilitation of Repressed Peoples" was adopted, after that on June 26, 1991 the III Congress of People's Deputies of Daghestan adopted a resolution "On practical measures aimed at adherence to the decisions of the congresses of people's deputies of the DASSR and execution of the law" On the Rehabilitation of Repressed Peoples." According to the decisions and agreements of the interested parties of this controversial ethno-territorial dispute, the Lak population of the Novolaksky district agreed to move compactly (by settlements) to a new place to the north of Makhachkala with the formation of the similarly-named municipal district there. The Avar and Chechen populations of the Novolaksky district initially agreed to live together in the restored territory. Later, Avars living in the northern part of the Novolaksky district (in the villages of Gamiy, Novomekhelta, Novochurtakh and Tukhchar) began to demand a special status for their villages as a part of the restored Aukhovsky district or incorporating of their villages to the neighboring Khasavyurt district. At the same time, Avars living in the villages of Kaliniaul (in Chechen Yurt-Aukh) and Leninaul (Aktash-Aukh) of the Kazbekovsky district, which until 1944 were part of the Aukhovsky district, categorically disagree with the prospects of including these villages in the restored Aukhovsky district, and also they are committed to the maintenance of these villages as a part of the Kazbekovsky district. Thus, the northern and southern territories of the former Aukhov region, inhabited mainly by Avars, have uncertain prospects, and their introduction in the restored region is a very controversial and conflict-generating issue.
On February 23, 2019, an annual rally of Akkin Chechens dedicated to the memory of the victims of the repressions of 1944 was held, where there was again a demand to restore the Aukhov district. The rally participants accepted an appeal to the peoples of Daghestan to support them in their desire to obtain historical justice: "the incompleteness of the process of resettlement of the Lak population and the restoration of the Aukhov district creates an additional hotbed of tension in our region and serves as a source of various kinds of provocations and conflict situations between our peoples," the text of the appeal says4. According to activists of the Public Council of Chechens of Daghestan, in the last 2-3 years the situation has worsened due to the trend of uncontrolled grant (sale) of lands in the villages of Novolaksky district, as well as in the villages of Kalininaul and Leninaul of Kazbekovsky district. Especially, according to their estimates, the administrations of the villages of Kalininaul, Leninaul, Kazbekovsky district, as well as Gamiy, Tukhchar and Novokuli, Novolaksky district, are active in the distribution of the land fund. The land left for the restoration of the village of Bursun by the administration of the village of Leninaul, Kazbekovsky district, according to Chechen social activists, is divided into plots (more than 700) and distributed among the inhabitants of this village5. And now, families of heritors of the deported residents of the village of Bursun, as they say, have lost the possibility of territorial rehabilitation. Thus, the work of rural administrations on the distribution of land plots in the villages of Novolaksky and Kazbekovsky districts is perceived by the Public Council of Chechens of Daghestan as a seizure of the lands of the restored Aukhovsky district.
As of 2019, a significant part of the Lak population of the Novolaksky district has already moved to a new place (Novostroy), derived for this district to the north of Makhachkala. At the same time, the process of returning houses released by the Lak population to rehabilitated Chechens, as in general, the process of restoring the Aukhov district was extremely delayed
and politicized. On July 24, 2019, the Executive Committee of the Public Council of Chechens of Daghestan held an enlarged meeting with the participation of the heads and deputy heads of villages of the Novolaksky district. On the agenda there was the question of the attitude of rehabilitated Chechens to the information that the Government of the Republic of Daghestan advanced a proposal to change acceptance and transfer certificates of a residence building, building or land plot to a rehabilitated citizen. In particular, in this legislative initiative of the regional authorities, it was proposed to introduce the wording "on the transfer of a house (building, land) to safe storage until compensation is received by the relocated people." Following the results of the meeting, the Chechens expressed their categorical disagreement with this initiative to change acceptance and transfer certificates of real estate and insist on maintaining the previous form of this act. "We do not object to the receiving of compensation by the immigrants, but strongly disagree with the linkage to this return of house buildings to its legal owner -a rehabilitated citizen of the Russian Federation," the Public Council of Chechens of Daghestan said in a statement6.
Taking into account the updating of the land issue on the territory of the Novolaksky and Kazbekovsky districts, social activists of the Chechens of Daghestan demand from the leadership of the republic:
- adopt the state program of the RD "Restoration of the Aukhov district" and include it in the Program of the Russian Federation "Development of the North Caucasus for the period up to 2025";
- regulate the process of land use on the territory of the restored Aukhovsky district, prohibit the sale of land, its allocation for long-term rent, as well as registration actions on land and house buildings which should be returned to rehabilitated citizens and transferred to the municipal property of Aukhovsky district;
- conduct a complete inventory of house buildings and land plots assigned to immigrants in the Novolaksky district with the subsequent approval of the registry in the Government of the Republic of Daghestan as property transferring to the Government of the Republic of Daghestan after an immigrant receives new housing for subsequent transfer to rehabilitated citizens;
- introduce for consideration by the National Assembly of the Republic of Daghestan a draft decree on the creation of the Novolaksky district on the territory allocated for the resettlement of the Lak population of the Novolaksky district;
- introduce for consideration by the National Assembly of the Republic of Daghestan a draft decree on the restoration of the Aukhov district;
- create a temporary administration of the restored Aukhovsky district until the adoption of the charter of the municipality and election of local government bodies7.
Currently, the leadership of the republic is most likely not ready to fulfill the listed requirements of the Chechen party, given their conflict-generating potential in the form of a response from the Avar and Lak party. According to the statement of Chechen activists, the whole situation with the position of affairs in matters of rehabilitation and resettlement in the appropriate manner was communicated to the leadership of the Republic of Daghestan and the Government of the Russian Federation indicating violations of the current legislation in these matters, and concrete proposals were prepared to eliminate them. Also, according to Chechen activists, to the Government of the Republic of Daghestan there was presented a step-by-step plan (roadmap) for the implementation of measures to complete the process of resettlement and rehabilitation. The legal framework for resolving these issues exists, however Chechen social activists are sure that there is no political will of the leadership8.
The authorities, as it seems to us, do not still see a mutually acceptable solution to this ethnopolitical issue, and therefore the
leadership of the republic is trying to maintain the status quo that has developed in recent years. The Lak population of the Novolaksky district is gradually relocating to the territory of Novostroy, but in fine this municipal district is unlikely to be relocated in the years ahead. Only 4 settlements (the villages of Akhar, Shushia, Duchi and Nitsovkra) have official standing on the territory of Novostroy. The remaining 7 resettlement villages in Novostroy are partially populated, but do not have official standing, and their rural administrations are located on the territory of the "old" Novolaksky district. In addition, the Novolaksky district, judging by official statistics, is the only rural region of Daghestan where migration population growth is observed (about 200 people. per year). It is not still clear which ethnic group is increasing in the municipality due to mechanical growth. Moreover, it is not known what kind of population of villages (old or resettlement; Chechen, Avar or Lak) is increasing due to migration, as the administration of the Novolaksky district serves today not only the population of the villages of the region itself, but also immigrants living in the villages of Novostroy. Meanwhile the Avar population of Kalininaul, Leninaul, Novomehelt and others disagree to become part of the future Aukhovsky district, and Akkin Chechens do not agree to the restoration of the Aukhovsky district within the borders of the Novolaksky district, Novostroy will not receive the status of a municipal district, and Novolaksky district will function at the same place.
The surge of negativity in Daghestan-Chechen relations during the period of work to clarify the administrative borders between Daghestan and the Chechen Republic. The "frozen" status of the problem of restoring the Aukhov district was clearly manifested during the aggravation of the socio-political situation due to controversial episodes in the process of clarifying the administrative boundaries of the Republic of Daghestan with the Chechen Republic. Such episodes happened on the border near the city of Kizlyar, as well as on the border of the Botlikh and
Tarumovsky districts with the Chechen Republic. On June 10, a road sign was set up by the Chechen party indicating that the road leading from the city of Kizlyar towards the Chechen Republic passes through the Shelkovskiy district of the Chechen Republic. At night, about two hundred young people gathered at the sign, who barbarously dismantled it. Next day, the chairman of the Chechen parliament M. Daudov arrived in Kizlyar, accompanied by security, who met with the head of the administration of the Head and Government of the Republic of Daghestan V. Ivanov and the head of the Kizlyar district A. Pogorelov. At the meeting, Daudov accused the leadership of Kizlyar of what is happening, who, according to him, is not engaged enough in work with the population. The road sign was set up again and cordoned off by the security leaders. In addition, the Chechen politician at this meeting said that some Daghestanis still live in houses that the Chechens built, reminding of restoring the Aukhov district. This statement encouraged the public of Daghestan Akkin Chechens, demanding to step up the process of restoring this area, as there have been no other publicity opportunities that draw attention of the public to this problem for a long time. The rest of the Daghestan public perceived the words of the speaker of the Parliament of the CR as an attempt to intervene in intra-republican matters. Activists of the Public Council of Chechens of Daghestan, taking advantage of the publicity opportunity because of the near-border dispute of Kizlyar, recorded a video message to the leadership of the republic with another call to accelerate the process of restoring the Aukhov district9.
The head of the RD V. Vasiliev, reacting to the border incident in Kizlyar, said that the setup of the sign does not violate anything. "The territory on which one sign was placed on the federal road and two signs on the regional one is the territory over which neither Daghestan nor the Chechen Republic have any complaints against each other10" V. Vasiliev explained. He also noted that all controversial issues will obligatory be discussed, including with
the population of border municipalities. However, on the same day, information appeared on social networks and instant messengers that an unknown person on a truck demolished two signs with the name of the Shelkovsky district of the Chechen Republic on the border with the Tarumovsky district of Daghestan. In this part the Chechen border, which passes through the territory of Daghestan by a wedge, connects two border regions of the Republic of Daghestan - Tarumovsky and Nogaysky. A member of the Daghestan border demarcation commission S. Khadulaev accused the offender of inciting a conflict with the Chechens11. In response to the demolition of road signs by an unknown driver, the Chechen party built checkpoints on both sides of this short sector (only 9 km) - Cordon 50 and Cordon 60. According to the head of the Shelkovsky district of the Chechen Republic, Kh. Khadzhiev, these checkpoints are of great importance for the region, since this is the border between Daghestan and the Chechen Republic12. These measures of the Chechen party forced the leadership of the Republic of Daghestan to explore the issue of asphalting a bypass road 30 km long, connecting the Nogai district with the Tarumovsky district without passing through the territory of the Chechen Republic.
The conflict amendment of the administrative boundaries between the Republic of Daghestan and the Chechen Republic negatively affected relations between Daghestanis and Chechens. So, on July 12, a brawl took place in the Vedensky district of the Chechen Republic of local residents with cowhands from the Daghestan village of Gagatli, who rented Chechen pastures13. In addition, a new dispute broke out on social networks and messengers between the Daghestan and Chechen public regarding the ownership of a plot of land on the border of the Vedensky district of Chechnya and the Botlikh district of Daghestan14.
Due to the arising territorial disputes during the period of amendment of the administrative boundaries between the Republic of Daghestan and the Chechen Republic, the
plenipotentiary representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the North Caucasus Federal District A. Matovnikov (from June 26, 2018 to January 22, 2020) announced a decision to postpone work on amendment of the borders between these subjects of the Russian Federation for 2020. The republican authorities will have to prepare thoroughly, study constitutive documents, including archival ones, and next year continue this work with more active involvement of the heads of border municipalities and the public, ensuring openness and transparency in the process of amendment of administrative borders15.
Another reason for the aggravation of Daghestan-Chechen relations was the publication of an interview with the head of the CR about the events of 1999 and about the activities of Imam Shamil during the "Caucasian War" of the XIX century in Chechnya. In Daghestan, that year was the 20th anniversary of the events of 1999, marked by the defeat of international rebel groups that invaded the territory of Daghestan from Chechnya. A landmark was the adoption by the State Duma of the Russian Federation of a bill identifying volunteers as veterans of hostilities who opposed the invasion of militants in Daghestan in 1999. Bearing in mind those events in his interview, the head of the CR R. Kadyrov said: "Yes, 20 years have passed. All this time, we continue to condemn the invasion of Daghestan in Chechnya. At the same time, for 20 years we hear the same thing! That, "Chechen terrorists attacked Daghestan16". In the same interview, the head of the CR noted that the events of 1999 lasted two weeks, and Shamil's actions over 20 years contributed to kill of more than half of the Chechen people and burning of all Chechnya.
After the declaration of the head of the CR about activities of Imam Shamil during and after the end of the "Caucasian War" in the Daghestan segment of social networks, there was a heated discussion of this topic and an increase in negative reaction to the words of the politician. Observing the growth of negativity in Daghestan-Chechen relations on social networks and instant
messengers, the Head of the Republic of Daghestan appealed to the residents of Daghestan and Chechnya not to create excessive tension around the evaluation of the historical role of Imam Shamil. "There are always people who judge as it seems to them. I am convinced that wise Daghestan people, like the equally wise Chechen people, will find a solution," said V. Vasilyev17.
Territorial issue in the Nogai district. The Nogai public continues to seek a reconsideration of the status of distant-pasture cattle tending lands in the RD and the transfer of these pastures from republican ownership under control of local governments. The total area of lands in the Nogai district is 887.1 thousand hectares, the land of distant-pasture cattle tending of which (i.e. land confiscated during the Soviet period from the municipal district in favor of the republic) is 577.5 thousand hectares. The main arguments of the Nogai public in favor of returning of distant pastures to the balance of the municipal district as inter-settlement territories are the expected increase in the collection of rental charges if there are municipal supervision over the economic activities of agistors and an increase of the local budget that way of the revenues. Moreover, the returning of distant-pasture cattle tending lands to the municipality is justified by the Nogai public by the need to prevent desertification of the Nogai plain due to unrationed and year-round cattle grazing on these pastures.
March 24, 2019, in the Nogai district, a meeting of the Council of Elders of Nogais was held with administration of the municipal district. Delegates of Nogai communities from the northern regions of the country, as well as representatives of Nogais from the Astrakhan region, the Chechen Republic and the Stavropol Territory came to the event. The subject of discussion was the problem of desertification of the territories of the Nogai region. The reason for this environmental disaster is a multiple exceedance of the grazing standards in winter pastures. Nogai social activists, examining the territories of the municipal district, confiscated by the Daghestan government as distant-pasture
cattle tending lands, discovered old Nogai cemeteries there. As the participants of the trip told and showed at the meeting, due to desertification of the soil, the bones of people buried in these unhedged cemeteries were on the surface. According to R. Murzagishiev, Chairman of the Council of Elders of the Nogai District, the transformation of the Nogai plain into a desert is a trend of recent decades. The head of the Nogai district, M. Adzhekov noted that in the Soviet years, control over the use of the distant-pasture cattle tending lands was carried out by district employees, and in the modern period control is transferred to republican departments, which, obviously, do not cope with this task. According to M. Adzhekov, the head of Daghestan encharged with the task to solve some land problems in the Nogai district, in particular, for the villages of Kumli and Ediga, which do not have land for cattle grazing. But, according to the official, these instructions are still not fulfilled. Regional deputy R. Adilgereev in his speech noted that the measures taken by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Republic of Daghestan of localizing sandy areas are only half measure, and the money allocated for struggle against desertification will "go into sand" while there is the practice of excess cattle breeding in the region. The legal side of the problem was commented by the chairman of the regional assembly of deputies R. Nasyrov, according to whom the republican law on the distant-pasture cattle tending lands contradicts the federal law. To repeal this law, the Assembly of Deputies of the Nogai District sent documents to the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Daghestan. The deputy noted that the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Daghestan called this issue political and recommended coordinating the abolition of the law with the leadership of the republic. The result of the meeting on March 24 was a resolution, with another demand to the Daghestan government to delegate the right to control and supervise the use of the distant-pasture cattle tending lands located within the Nogai district of the administration of this municipality18.
The inefficiency of the practice of distant-pasture cattle tending was also mentioned in the annual message of the head of the Republic of Daghestan to the People's Assembly of the Republic of Daghestan on March 20, 201919, in which V. Vasiliev complained that the farmers of the republic lose about 7 thousand tons of lamb due to cattle overlanding between summer and winter pastures. At the same time, the committed position of the Daghestan government on the issue of ownership of distant-pasture cattle tending remains the same - these lands belong to the Republic of Daghestan and have a special status.
Religious situation and opposition to pseudo-religious extremist ideologies. As of 2019, there are 2669 religious organizations in the Republic of Daghestan: of which: Islamic -2631 (of which 1273 jumah mosques, 899 quarter mosques, 437 preaching houses, 15 madrasas, 6 universities and 1 union of Islamic youth); Christian - 33 (of which 23 Orthodox, 8 Protestant, 1 Old Believer and 1 Armenian Apostolic Church); Jewish - 5. As it can be seen from the above figures, there are sufficient Islamic religious educational institutions with an appropriate base and conditions for religious education. The preservation and development of religious educational institutions in Daghestan is given precise attention, since the Muftiyat of the Republic of Daghestan and state authorities have faced with the task of ensuring access to high-quality religious (Islamic) education within the Russian Federation.
Nowadays, in the RD there is a significant stabilization of the situation in the intra-confessional sphere. Every year, with the participation of representatives of religious organizations, a large number of measures are taken in the republic to prevent and combat the spread of extremist ideologies. The organization and implementation of such activities is getting more focused and systematic character. Monthly preventive conversations with school students, students of universities, technical schools and colleges are conducted by specialists of the Education Department of Muftiyat RD. At the regional level in Daghestan, events are regularly held
with the participation of religious organizations aimed at spiritual and moral education and cultural education in the spirit of peaceful coexistence, mutual understanding, mutual respect and cooperation of representatives of the younger generation who profess Islam, Orthodoxy and Judaism. One of these events is the "International Interreligious Youth Forum," which (the sixth since 2014) was held in Daghestan from September 29 to October 4, 2019. At the level of municipalities of the Republic, preventive measures to counter the ideology of extremism are carried out by the municipal Anti-Terrorism Commissions (ATC), which include not only representatives of local administrations and commissioners of police, but also imams of mosques, rural deputies and authoritative social activists. Municipal ATCs deal not only with issues of antiterrorist protection of the most important socially significant objects (schools, kindergartens, hospitals, sports complexes, cultural centers, transport infrastructure), but also conduct socio-political, cultural, sports and public awareness activities of anti-terrorism orientation.
Conclusion. Activities carried out by state and local government bodies together with educational institutions, ethnocultural and religious organizations overwhelm all areas of modern state national policy of the Russian Federation. Great attention is paid to strengthening an all-Russian civic identity among the residents of the republic (especially among youth), patriotic education, inter-ethnic and interreligious tolerance. The policy of the republic's leadership, including personnel, is based on an approach that recognizes the subject of public, including relations of power, the entire multinational people (population) of Daghestan, and not its individual ethnic groups, communities and territories. In his public speeches, V. Vasiliev uses the concepts of "people of Daghestan," "Daghestanis," "residents of the republic," without distinguishing ethnic groups and doesn't recognize them as subjects of political processes. This approach contributes to the significant depoliticization of ethnicity in public discourses and strengthening of civic identity among Daghestanis.
References
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2. Melamedov A. When will Vasiliev go to Botlikh? // Daghestan social and political weekly "Novoe Delo". 2019 From January 26. [Electronic resource]. Access mode: https://ndelo.ru/interv-iu/kogda-vasilev-poedet-v-botlih (checked: 11.08.2019).
3. Interethnic relations and religious situation in the North Caucasian Federal District. The second half of the year and the results of 2018 / Resp. ed. M.A. Astvatsaturov. Expert report. - Pyatigorsk: PSU, 2018. -154 p. P. 6.
4 Appeal of the Aukh Chechens to the peoples of Daghestan // Republican socio-political newspaper "Niiso-Daghestan". 2019 No. 08 (924) dated February 28, 2019. p. 2.
5 Rehabilitation in Daghestani // Republican socio-political newspaper "Niiso-Daghestan". 2019 No. 16 (932) dated April 25, 2019. p. 3.
6 Strong disagreement // Republican socio-political newspaper "Niiso-Daghestan". 2019 No. 30 (946) dated August 1, 2019. p. 1.
7 Rehabilitation in Daghestan / / Republican socio-political newspaper "Niiso-Daghestan". 2019. No. 17 (933) dated May 2, 2019. S. 2.
8 Address of S. Shavkhalov // Social network Instagram [Electronic resource]. Published on 03.10.2019, Access mode: https://www.instagram.com/p/ B3KFEdhjneJ/ (checked: 02.12.2019).
9 Appeal of the Executive Committee of the Public Council of Chechens of Daghestan // Social network Instagram [Electronic resource]. Published 03.10.2019 Access mode: https://www.instagram.com/p/By2ZOrPjoH8/ (checked: 11.29.2019).
10 Daghestanis demolished a road sign of Chechnya near Kizlyar. The authorities returned it to its place, and the residents came out to protest // [Electronic resource]. Access mode: https://www.yuga.ru/news/442405/ (checked: 11.29.2019).
11 Two more road signs were demolished on the border of Daghestan and Chechnya // [Electronic resource]. Access mode: https: //www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/336607/ (checked: 11.29.2019).
12 On the border of the Shelkovsky region of Chechnya with Daghestan, two checkpoints were opened // [Electronic resource]. Access mode: https://grozny.tv/video.php?id=35763 (checked: 11.29.2019).
13 Daghestani shepherds are expelled from Chechnya // [Electronic resource]. Access mode:https://riaderbent.ru/Daghestanskih-pastuhov-vydvoryayut-iz-chechni-2.html (checked: 11.29.2019).
14 Officials in Daghestan confirmed the ownership of the tower near the village of Ansalta to Chechnya // [Electronic resource]. Access mode: https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/338225/ (checked: 11.29.2019).
