On the issue of the activities of general M.A. Kundukhov to prevent unrest in the Tersk region in the 1860-1870s

The article analyzes the measures planned and implemented in 1863-1865 by Major General of the Russian Imperial Army M.A. Kundukhov and the command of the Caucasian Army in order to prevent armed actions by mountaineers in the Ichkerinsky, Argun, Chechen and Ingush districts of the Tersk region. Which could arise from the construction of a new line of fortifications on the lands of the Highlanders. The author paid special attention to the effectiveness of information and psychological impact measures implemented in order to reduce the social base of the anti-Russian insurgency in the region and persuade hostile locals to relocate to Turkey. The novelty of the article is determined by the choice of the content of a set of information and psychological impact measures implemented by M.A. Kundukhov and the head of the Tersk region, Lieutenant General M.T. Loris-Melikov, in order to prevent outrage among residents of the Tersk region. Using concrete examples, the author shows how the authority gained by M.A. Kundukhov, his political tact and deep knowledge of the traditions and psychology of the local population made it possible to exert a beneficial influence on the psyche and behavior of Chechens and Karabulaks hostile to Russia, to persuade them to voluntarily leave for the Ottoman Port. The relevance of the topic proposed by the author is explained by the complexity and tension of the ethnopolitical situation in the North Caucasus in the context of today’s global confrontation between the Russian Federation and the collective West. Russia’s geopolitical opponents continue to view the region as a point of subversive efforts aimed at destroying such important aspects of Russia’s national security as interethnic and interfaith harmony. Proactive actions in the information and psychological sphere aimed at preventing ethno-religious extremism are a priority task for both local and federal authorities.