Family and Marital Relations in Kabardino-Balkaria, 1920s–1970s: Between Tradition and Innovation

This article examines the complex dialectical process of the transformation of family and marital relations in Kabardino-Balkaria from the 1920s through the 1970s. Drawing on archival materials from the Central State Archive of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and published normative legal acts, the study traces the evolution of Soviet family law and analyzes the specifics of its implementation in the region. The article reconstructs the process of synthesis between Soviet legislation and the norms of adat and Sharia among the highland peoples of Kabardino-Balkaria that unfolded in the early twentieth century. The author argues that the region witnessed a profound collision of tradition and innovation in the sphere of family relations during the period under review, which led to the emergence and practical implementation of institutional alternatives. The study concludes that a dualistic family model emerged, wherein elements of traditional family culture and ritual practice persisted within the framework of Soviet law, proving remarkably resilient. The article further contends that the liberalization of family policy in the 1950s–1970s was a deeply contradictory process. While it facilitated the modernization of the family unit, on the one hand, the reliance on administrative methods, on the other, generated a sense of alienation among the population. This dynamic contributed to the latent conservation of traditional practices among the local populace.