CaucasTalk

Buckle up for today’s info-packed, highly entertaining episode about tourism in the North Caucasus. Today we interview our first ever American guest on the show: Shannon Scarbrough. Shannon is the founder of Elbrus Elevation, a top-notch English-speaking tour operation geared specifically toward Western/American clients, run out of the heart of the North Caucasus. We had a such good time interviewing Shannon that we ran pretty long. . . over an hour. But I can promise you that you will not want to miss Shannon’s final comments, so hang in there.

You’ll also have a chance to test your geographical savvy with a quiz from Andrew’s creative internet searches!

Episode 6 Links (updated 15 Sept., 2017)

Elbrus Elevation

World’s 7 Highest Summits

“Africa” by Toto

 – “I know that I must do what’s right, As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like a leopress above the Serengeti” (1:55 Kilamanjaro shout out!)

What do Romans, pointy hats, mixed martial arts, and “articulate gobbledy-gook” have in common? Caucasus history!

Now before you roll your eyes and skip this episode, assuming that history is boring and irrelevant, just have a listen. We’re talking Caucasus history here. Have we ever let you down before?

Today we ask the question everyone meeting the North Caucasus asks as some point, How on earth did it become the way it is today?? It’s not a simple answer and we finish the episode as amazed as when we began. As Dr. Ufuk Tavkul says, “Caucasus is not a physical geography or a political geography but it is a cultural geography” (see the link below).

Episode 5 Links

18th Century Caucasus Map (1)

18th Century Caucasus Map (2)

Caucasus Language Families Map

600 AD Caucasus Map

“The Sociological Analysis of the Caucasian Culture” by Dr. Ufuk TAVKUL

Symbols of the Regional Culture of the North Caucasus, by Y.P Ten and V.V. Gudakov

News Bio of Ossetian Wrestler/MMA Fighter Khetag Pliev

News Bio of Dagestani MMA Fighter, Khabib Nurmagomedov

“Fire and Sword in the Caucasus,” 1906 History of Caucasus Peoples, by Luigi Villari

“Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive” – Bing Crosby & the Andrews Sisters

What do Romans, pointy hats, mixed martial arts, and “articulate gobbledy-gook” have in common? Caucasus history! Now before you roll your eyes and skip this episode, assuming that history is boring and irrelevant, just have a listen. We’re talking Caucasus history here. Have we ever let you down before? Today we ask the question everyone … Continue reading "CT5 – A Brief Look at the History of the North Caucasus | News Minute!!"

**BONUS EPISODE!**

So eager are we to get this podcast up and running that we are jumpstarting things this month with BONUS EPISODES! Instead of one episode every two weeks, we’re posting every week for the month of August (as long as we don’t exceed our monthly hosting limit with blubrry.com… but don’t worry your pretty little head over that). Enjoy!

Culture: What Is It?

Culture may be one of the most overused words in the English language. It can describe everything, or nothing. Today we tackle this unruly term and take on an even more bodacious question: What is culture in the North Caucasus?

Of course this could take a lifetime to answer. That’s why today’s episode is so long. No, actually, it’s long because today we conduct our very first CaucasTalk interview ever! And is it ever juicy. We invite you meet Khalid, our well-spoken, English-speaking Karachay friend from our university. Guided by Andrew’s steady questions and interrupted by Eli’s unhelpful interjections, Khalid shares eloquently about key features of North Caucasus culture as he sees it.

We’d love your feed back! Write and tell us what you think at [email protected].

Episode 4 Links

10 American Values

**BONUS EPISODE!** So eager are we to get this podcast up and running that we are jumpstarting things this month with BONUS EPISODES! Instead of one episode every two weeks, we’re posting every week for the month of August (as long as we don’t exceed our monthly hosting limit with blubrry.com… but don’t worry your … Continue reading "CT4 – Culture: What Is It? And Our First Interview! **BONUS EPISODE!**"

**BONUS EPISODE!**

So eager are we to get this podcast up and running that we are jumpstarting things this month with BONUS EPISODES! Instead of one episode every two weeks, we’re posting every week for the month of August (as long as we don’t exceed our monthly hosting limit with blubrry.com… but don’t worry your pretty little head over that). Enjoy!

Culture: What Is It?

Culture may be one of the most overused words in the English language. It can describe everything, or nothing. Today we tackle this unruly term and take on an even more bodacious question: What is culture in the North Caucasus?

Of course this could take a lifetime to answer. That’s why today’s episode is so long. No, actually, it’s long because today we conduct our very first CaucasTalk interview ever! And is it ever juicy. We invite you meet Khalid, our well-spoken, English-speaking Karachay friend from our university. Guided by Andrew’s steady questions and interrupted by Eli’s unhelpful interjections, Khalid shares eloquently about key features of North Caucasus culture as he sees it.

We’d love your feed back! Write and tell us what you think at [email protected].

Episode 4 Links

10 American Values

Tourism in the North Caucasus, Part 2

We’re jumping right back into our fly-by of the NC region where we left off last time. Having grazed the surface of Dagestan, Chechnya, and Ingushetia, we today continue westward into Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, and Adygheya—with a brief stop off in our fair region, the lovely, the bubbly KMV, “Kavkaz Mineralnye Vody”/Caucasus Mineral Waters region.

ERRATA:

For those of you who listened to Episode 2 in the early days of its release, first of all kudos to you. But secondly, our apologies—there was a wee gaff. The early release included both parts 1 and 2 in a single release, rather than in two, as it should have been and now is. That means that if you heard all of the first Episode 2 (the 40 minute version), you’ve heard the bulk of Episode 3. But it also means you’ve missed the new ending to the freshly uploaded, shorter Episode 2 (the 23 minute version) which includes a thrilling Tourism Tip.

So, first off, our apologies! We are learning, and it’s definitely on a curve. (But everyday we are getting better and better. . .) Second, our advice: go back to Episode 2, hop in around minute 18:07 and catch the revised ending and said Tourism Tip. It’s a great little nugget. Thanks for hanging in there with us!

Tourism in the North Caucasus, Part 2 We’re jumping right back into our fly-by of the NC region where we left off last time. Having grazed the surface of Dagestan, Chechnya, and Ingushetia, we today continue westward into Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, and Adygheya—with a brief stop off in our fair region, the lovely, the bubbly … Continue reading "CT3 – Tourism in the North Caucasus, Part 2"

Tourism in the North Caucasus, Part 2

We’re jumping right back into our fly-by of the NC region where we left off last time. Having grazed the surface of Dagestan, Chechnya, and Ingushetia, we today continue westward into Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, and Adygheya—with a brief stop off in our fair region, the lovely, the bubbly KMV, “Kavkaz Mineralnye Vody”/Caucasus Mineral Waters region.

ERRATA:

For those of you who listened to Episode 2 in the early days of its release, first of all kudos to you. But secondly, our apologies—there was a wee gaff. The early release included both parts 1 and 2 in a single release, rather than in two, as it should have been and now is. That means that if you heard all of the first Episode 2 (the 40 minute version), you’ve heard the bulk of Episode 3. But it also means you’ve missed the new ending to the freshly uploaded, shorter Episode 2 (the 23 minute version) which includes a thrilling Tourism Tip.

So, first off, our apologies! We are learning, and it’s definitely on a curve. (But everyday we are getting better and better. . .) Second, our advice: go back to Episode 2, hop in around minute 18:07 and catch the revised ending and said Tourism Tip. It’s a great little nugget. Thanks for hanging in there with us!

Tourism in the North Caucasus, Part 1

“What? Me, tour the North Caucasus?” That’s right. Today we begin a two-part series to introduce you to the marvelous republics of the North Caucasus. They are: Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, and Adygheya. In this episdode we cover the first three.

Episode 2 Links

The Range: 1 hr. Video Documentary of the North Caucasus

Derbent as a UNESCO city, fortress as UNESCO site

Good North Caucasus Map

Derbent Citadel founded in 6th century

Lake Kezenoyam in Chechnya