Development of the Culture of the Peoples of the North Caucasus as a Result of the Joint Activities of Representatives of the Russian and Mountain Intelligentsia in the XIX–XX Centuries

The article examines one of the topical problems of the development of culture of the peoples of the North Caucasus – the impact on it of the joint activities of Russian and mountain intelligentsia in the XIX–XX centuries. Through the lens of the Karachay-Balkar and Adyghe peoples, the study elucidates the mechanisms of cultural interaction between these groups and the Russian culture. The authors describe in detail the co-operation between representatives of the mountain and Russian creative intelligentsia, talking, in particular, about how Russian teachers worked in Caucasian schools and brought the light of enlightenment to local youth; helped to develop national languages by creating dictionaries and teaching aids; provided a cultural background for the identification of talented young people, etc. Furthermore, the distinctive Caucasian color became the foundation for numerous artistic works by Russian painters, composers, and poets, serving as a medium for the revelation of new dimensions within their creative expressions. The authors emphasize the significance of such cultural exchanges, asserting that isolation within narrowly national frameworks does not foster the comprehensive development of peoples. In conclusion, the article posits that the active mutual influence of mountain and Russian cultures in the North Caucasus during the XIX–XX centuries had a positive effect on their integration and progressive development.