CaucasTalk

With their republic all but in our back yard, the Karachai are among our near neighbors and good friends. It’s high time we hear from them! Today we welcome three Karachai into the studio to share many surprising insights into their culture. Did you know many Karachai don’t call their children “my son” or “my daughter” in public, or display affection to them, or call each other nick names (32:00)?? (Don’t worry, every guest affirmed confidence that they knew their parents love them.) As always their pride in their language and people shines, as does the winsome and clever banter of your beloved hosts. Enjoy!

The people of Chechnya are probably some of the least well-understood in the Caucasus to outsiders. In the spirit of our ongoing series “In Their Own Words,” today we give the mic to our Chechen friend and tour guide to share about his place and people from his own perspective. Aside from being an experienced tourist host through Couchsurfing.com (see a link to his page below) with over 100 satisfied reviews, Abdullah is, like many Caucasus people, informed about history and articulate about the treasures of his own culture, such as the Chechen code of honor, nokhchal. As always, we are sure you our listeners will be refreshed and encouraged by this honest and fascinating inside look at Chechens!

Links for Episode 44

Couchsurfing.com – Abdulla’s pageMeet: ZaBeast / Zabit Magomedsharipov

Timestamps

01:43 – Sports segment – The next big thing in MMA: Zabit Magomedsharipov a.k.a. “ZaBeast”02:17 – 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon05:38 – No “f” sound in Chechen language07:56 – Welcome Abdullah! The Vainakh People10:50 – A brief history of Chechnya and Ingushetia15:16 – The elephant in the room: Stereotypes about Chechnya20:14 – Most important Chechen values21:40 – Nokhchal / Нохчал = “Chechenness”22:28 – When tourists come who are different27:20 – How Chechens and Ingush are similar and different29:00 – Famous historical Chechen leaders35:01 – Tiny Biebolt?36:54 – Foreigners’ top 3 impressions of Chechnya

We are continually amazed at what a global community exists with strong ties to the North Caucasus. The cultures here reach out like branches across continents, as today’s guest demonstrates. Daria Kulesh—Moscow-born Russian, descended from Ingushetia, now living in the UK—makes her living singing songs about her Caucasus roots. Inspired by her beloved Ingush grandmother at a young age, Kulesh passes on to her listeners vivid images of life in the Caucasus republic of Ingushetia. Daria speaks with us movingly of the tragic deportation of the Ingush nation. The pain of that period reverberates still in her music, as does the strength and resilience of the people who return to their homeland.

Explore her music, visual art, and fascinating story at her website, http://www.daria-kulesh.co.uk/.

Facebook: DariaKuleshMusic

Twitter: @DariaKulesh

SoundCloud: daria-kulesh

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Copyright © 2019 CaucasTalk

MUSIC CREDITS:

Daria Kulesh, “Golden Apples”

http://www.daria-kulesh.co.uk/

Rinat Karimov, “Dance of the Caucasus”

www.karimovrinat.ru

Some things only improve with age. We feel that way about a few of our early releases. Today we are re-releasing one of our most popular episodes ever, no. 7, “Meat and Tea,” all the way from summer 2017. We hope it will provide some inspiration for your outdoor activities this spring and summer. Enjoy!

Local business director Zaur joins us today from the Elbrus region for an insider’s look at the economy of the North Caucasus region. While many sectors of the local economy do struggle, the situation is far from bleak as considered by some. Local entrepreneurs are routinely making bold moves, not just to make ends meet, but to create new business ventures that strengthen the economy. Our guest shares some bright examples about jobs in the North Caucasus.

Links for Episode 41

Human Development IndexEconomy of DagestanElbrus Elevation

Timestamps

2:05 – NEW Segment! “Caucasus in Transit”7:30 – Shout-outs! 11 year-old listener!11:00 – Zaur our Guest!13:54 – Who is Zaur18:30 – The “boulechka ladies”!19:48 – Tourism & Agriculture30:30 – Handicrafts34:08 – Oil41:21 – Corruption43:50 – Positive stories of people making ends meet47:33 – Cattle, paragliding, and . . . the only sauna with a view of Elbrus

Skiing . . . in Russia? That’s right. While many in the English-speaking world look to Europe’s Alps or the Rockies in the US, just under our noses here in the North Caucasus lies a little-known cluster of ski resorts. From the most chic and developed at Sochi down to the backcountry Cheget, the North Caucasus boast a wide range of skiing with tremendous views and a budget price. Today we discuss the four most popular and accessible resorts with the expectation that you, like we were, will be surprised by the opportunity that awaits.

Links for Episode 40

The 10 Most Popular Ski Resorts in RussiaSkiing Mount ElbrusThe Best Skiing in Eastern Europe

The year 2018 finishes out with a bang as we hear from Armenians in their own words. And have they got words to share! Our guests give us an insider look at what it means to be Russian-born Armenians in the North Caucasus today. You will hear a remarkable compassion and open-mindedness as we cover topics from food to religion to politics. Only on CaucasTalk! Thank you for listening in 2018 and Happy New Year / С новым годом!

In a region already teeming with diversity, North Ossetia pushes the boundary yet further. Unlike its neighboring republics in so many ways, we are delighted today to share an interview with some North Ossetians friends and for them to share about their people in their own words.But that’s not all. It turns out that the capital of North Ossetia, Vladikavkaz, has a Sister City partnership with our very own Asheville, NC. We scored a fascinating interview this summer with Constance, the director of that partnership on the Asheville side. Once again due to our superabundance of rich material we’ve split this episode into two. So please enjoy this tour of North Ossetia, in their own words!

Music Credits

Abby the Spoon Lady & Chris Rodrigues – “You Got to Move”

Vadim Bora, Ossetian artist in Asheville, NC // ObitChechen Boy does 4,105 Push-ups in 2 hoursOssetian hip-hopTsay GorgeRekom Shrine 1, 2, 3Faigdon River Valley

In a region already teeming with diversity, North Ossetia pushes the boundary yet further. Unlike its neighboring republics in so many ways, we are delighted today to share an interview with some North Ossetians friends and for them to share about their people in their own words.But that’s not all. It turns out that the capital of North Ossetia, Vladikavkaz, has a Sister City partnership with our very own Asheville, NC. We scored a fascinating interview this summer with Constance, the director of that partnership on the Asheville side. Once again due to our superabundance of rich material we’ve split this episode into two. So please enjoy this tour of North Ossetia, in their own words!

Music Credits

Abby the Spoon Lady & Chris Rodrigues – “You Got to Move”

Links for Episode 38

Vadim Bora, Ossetian artist in Asheville, NC // ObitChechen Boy does 4,105 Push-ups in 2 hoursOssetian hip-hopTsay GorgeRekom Shrine 1, 2, 3Faigdon River Valley

Leicester, England is not known for its mountains. In fact, it has none. Hailing from those very flatlands, Richard Hartfield treks mountains the world over. This summer, his explorations brought him all the way to our neck of the woods. His goal was to trek (that’s like walking, but with a backpack, and for weeks rather than minutes) from the Black Sea to the Caspian. Andrew managed to intercept him at his halfway point for a brief phone interview. The results are stellar: an adventuresome look at the beauty of the peoples and places of the North Caucasus.

Links for Episode 37

https://www.youtube.com/user/RichHartfield/videos

https://www.instagram.com/richhartfield/

Instagram handle:  @richhartfield