63,3(2) в V90 

THE PEOPLES OF THE CAUCASUS TODAYWITH ITS INDUSTRIES AND COLLECTIVE FARMS, ARE ALL BROTHERS OF ONE SOVIET FAMILY: THERE IS DAGHESTAN WITH ITS ORCHARDS AND SKILLED CRAFTSMEN; OSSETIA, A REFUBLIC OF MINERS; CHECHIA WITH ITS OIL WORKERS; INGUSHETIA WHOSE FIDELITY TO THE PROLETARIAN REVOLUTION DURING THE CIVIL WAR IS UNFORGETTABLE; KABARDINO-BALKARIA WITH ITS AGRICULTURAL CITIES AND FAMOUS HORSES; KARACHAI, KNOWN FOR ITS FLOCKS OF SHEEP; CHERKESSIA WHERE EDUCATION IS MAKING GIGANTIC STRIDES; THERE ARE THE COSSACKS, DJIGITS (HORSEMEN)SKILLED AGRICULTURALISTS, TRACTOR DRIVERS, CHAMPION CROP GROWERS, CONQUERORS OF THE DRY, FAMINE-BEARING WINDS, WHOSE RAVAGES HAVE BEEN QUELLED BY THE PERSISTENCE AND ABILITY OF THE BOLSHEVIKS. 

ONE MUST HAVE KNOWN THE POVERTY, IGNORANCE AND SLAVERY IN WHICH THE MOUNTAIN PEOPLES LIVED IN THE GLOOMY PAST TO APPRECIATE THE MIRACLE WROUGHT BY THE BOLSHEVIKS. 

«THE PRISON OF THE PEOPLES»—TSARIST RUSSIA HAS BEEN CALLED. 

AND THE CAUCASUS WAS ONE OF THE MOST GLOOMY DUNGEONS IN THIS PRISON. THE CAUCASUS IS INHABITED BY NUMEROUS NATIONS. THERE ARE 81 PEOPLES AND 36 LANGUAGES IN DAGHESTAN ALONE. NEIGHBOURING AULS (VILLAGES) FREQUENTLY DO NOT UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER. THESE PEOPLE LIVED THE OLD TRIBAL LIFE. THEY WERE OBLIGED TO DEFEND THEMSELVES FROM THE INVASION OF TSARIST RUSSIA, TO PROTECT THEIR LAND AND HERDS, THEIR LANGUAGE AND RELIGION, THEIR HEARTHS AND HOMES. 

RESISTANCE TO THE PENETRATION OF TSARIST RUSSIA WAS SEVERE AND BLOODY, FULL OF TRAGEDY AND VALOUR. 

THIS TRAGEDY AND VALOUR HAS FOUND EXPRESSION IN THE NATIONAL LITERATURE, IN THE POEMS OF PUSHKIN AND LERMONTOV AND IN TOLSTOY S «THE COSSACKS» AND «HADJI MURAT». THE TSARS LAUNCHED THEIR COSSACKS AND SOLDIERY AGAINST THE MOUNTAIN PEOPLES. BUT THE LATTER DEFENDED EVERY INCH OF THEIR SOIL, AND IT REQUIRED MANY YEARS OF BEFORE THE PROUD AND «UNRULY» SONS OF THE CAUCASIAN MOUNTAINS COULD BE CONFINED WITHIN THE «PRISON OF THE PEOPLES.» THE TSARS BOUGHT OVER THE NATIVE NOBILITY BY GRANTING THEM SPECIAL PRIVILEGES. THEY INCITED TRIBE AGAINST TRIBE. THEY DROVE THE POPULATION FROM THE FERTILE PLATEAUX INTO THE ROCKY GORGES AND WERE THE CAUSE OF WHOLESALE EMIGRA

THE NATIVE LANGUAGES. THE PEASANTS AND HERDSMEN, WHO WERE AT THE MERCY OF THE LANDLORDS, THE MERCHANTS, THE MULLAHS, THE PRIESTS AND THE OFFICIALS, WERE LEFT TO LANGUISH WITHOUT DOCTORS OR TEACHERS, WITHOUT BOOKS AND WITHOUT AGRONOMICAL AID. 

«THE POLICY OF TSARISM,» STALIN SAID IN 1921 «THE POLICY OF THE LANDLORDS AND THE BOURGEOISIE TOWARDS THESE PEOPLES WAS TO SUPPRESS EVERY GERM OF STATE LIFE AMONG THEM, TO CRIPPLE THEIR CULTURE, TO RESTRICT THE USE OF THEIR LANGUAGE, TO KEEP THEM IN IGNORANCE AND FINALLY, TO RUSSIFY THEM AS FAR AS POSSIBLE.» 

THE ROAD TO STATE LIFE, TO NATIONAL REVIVAL, WAS OPENED BY THE GREAT PROLETARIAN REVOLUTION. IN THE CIVIL WAR, LED BY THE BOLSHEVIKS, AND FIGHTING SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH THE RUSSIAN PROLETARIAT, THE MOUNTAIN PEOPLES WON HAPPINESS FOR THEIR COUNTRY. AND NOW THE SOVIET UNION IS THEIR FATHERLAND, AS IT IS THE FATHERLAND OF ALL LABOURING HUMANITY.