Since its conquest by Russia in the 19th century, the North Caucasus has been the scene of genocides, forced deportations, wars for independence, and insurgency. The dozens of nations indigenous to the region continue to be repressed socially and culturally by the Russian Federation.

However, Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine has once again raised the imperial nature of the Russian state and has shone a light on how this imperialism extends to the North Caucasus, as several organisations led by North Caucasian natives and diaspora members call for the independence of their nations.

On this week’s episode of the Caucasus Digest, OC Media co-director Dominik Cagara talks about the colonial legacy of the Caucasus conquest and its lingering effects on the region. Magomed Torijev, a journalist and representative of the Ingush Independence Committee, talks about the committee’s aim of securing independence for Ingushetia. Harold Chambers, a North Caucasus analyst, breaks down the current situation in the North Caucasus and talks about the challenges faced by these organisations.

Read more:

• ‘We have only one enemy — this is Russia’: the Chechens taking up arms for Ukraine
• Opinion | The Ingush are leaving Russia
• Opinion | Russia’s death train rolls through Chechnya and Ingushetia
• Opinion | The world has woken up to the Russian terror that the Chechens know only too well
• Opinion | In Russia, calling yourself a Circassian is always a political stance

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