History of the Alans and feudalism in Alania-Ossetia in the scientific heritage of B.V. Skitsky

The article analyzes the scientific heritage of Boris Vasilyevich Skitsky, one of the founders of the Soviet historical school of Caucasian and Ossetian studies, who made a great contribution to the development of the problems of the history of the North Caucasian peoples. The appeal to the works of Skitsky on the history of ancient and medieval Alania-Ossetia is dictated by modern tasks of active mobilization of knowledge and experience of past generations of researchers. Skitsky’s research on the history of the Alans in their inextricable connection with the ethnogenesis of the Ossetians and the development of statehood, feudalism in Alania and Ossetia have not yet become the subject of special study. The purpose of this article is to establish their relevance. Using problem-chronological and retrospective methods, the author’s concept of the history of medieval Ossetia and the evolution of the scientist’s views in assessing the stages of the history of the Alan-Ossetian society are analyzed. It is concluded that, despite obvious compromises with political reality, Skitsky strengthened the position of historians-Caucasians in the general scientific field of humanitarians of a multinational country. His works on the socio-political and economic history of the peoples of the North Caucasus have not lost their scientific significance to this day, and his works on the history of medieval Alania-Ossetia deserve the professional attention of researchers. The controversial content of many aspects of the history of the Alans, the formation and development of the Alan statehood, feudal relations in Ossetia, their modern scientific formulation leads to a discussion of the current tasks of ensuring the political and cultural integrity of Ossetia-Alania. The analysis of Skitsky’s scientific works evokes, in particular, reflections on the historical functions of the social elite not only in ancient and medieval, but also in modern Ossetia.