Ethnocultural and Historical Context of the Formation of the South Ossetian Autonomous Region

Abstract

The establishment of the South Ossetian Autonomous Region on April 20, 1922, and the subsequent developments are closely linked to the radical protectionist policies of Bolshevik Russia. This naturally raises an important question: how feasible was it to establish South Ossetia as an autonomous national-territorial unit and to develop effective socio-political institutions there without the support of the Soviet government?
As early as the mid-19^th century, the Russian Empire attempted to subordinate the mountainous region of Eastern Georgia to Russian administration, which was quite a difficult task due to geographical, economic, ethnocultural and other factors. On April 10, 1840, the Ossetian District was established, falling under the administrative jurisdiction of Tbilisi, Telavi, and Gori uezds. This district included settlements inhabited by Ossetians who had migrated from the North Caucasus during the 17^th and 18^th centuries. The Russian government was focused on improving administrative efficiency in the mountainous regions of Georgia and had no plans to create a distinct political unit in this area. Nevertheless, this establishment set a precedent that later contributed to the Ossetians’ demands for autonomy, eventually leading to the creation of an autonomous district.
The initial instances of Ossetian separatism in the Shida Kartli region can be traced to three uprisings in 1918-1920, which clearly received support from Soviet Russia. The Bolsheviks assisted the insurgents both politically and financially, and provided armed support. Following the establishment of the Soviet regime in Georgia, the government took proactive steps toward creating Ossetian autonomy. Forming a new autonomous unit required careful consideration of geographical, ethnic, and sociocultural factors. A critical aspect was the need to overhaul the existing communication system. Traditionally, the region’s economic vector followed the natural gorges, extending from the mountains to the plains connecting to Georgia’s urban centers. Establishing a new autonomous unit necessitated linking these gorges, a task that was virtually insurmountable due to the challenging terrain. This connectivity was only achieved after the Russian-Georgian war of 2008, which led to the linking of the gorges of the Ksani and Liakhvi rivers via the Akhalgori-Tskhinvali highway.
The main supporter of Ossetian separatism was Russia, behind the high mountain range of the Caucasus. However, for a permanent connection with it, it was necessary to cut a high-capacity road to the north (at the Roki Pass). The construction of the cart road began during the aforementioned Ossetian uprisings. Later, in the 1930s, there was an idea to connect the South Ossetian Autonomous District with North Ossetia through the Roki Tunnel, which was finally implemented in the 1980s.
The South Ossetian Autonomous District was defined to include various areas inhabited by Ossetians, such as Kudaro in Racha, the Jejora Gorge, the upper reaches of the Kvirila River in Imereti, Thruso in Khevi near the source of the Terek River, and Ghuda at the head of the Tetri Aragvi River; the gorges of Didi and Patara Liakhvi, as well as the Frone, Mejuda, and Lekhura Gorges in Shida Kartli. Geographically, these areas were isolated from one another, with the Georgian population predominating in many areas. Economically, their unification was impractical. These gorges, separated by mountains, historically fell under different Georgian administrative-political units (saeristavos).
In establishing the South Ossetian Autonomous District, the Soviet government decisively departed from the region’s traditional systems and undertook a radical transformation of its ethno-social landscape. Despite efforts to make the process as smooth as possible and the implementation of certain measures, the changes, implemented without regard for the region’s landscape, ethnic composition, traditional communication routes, and economic systems, posed significant risks of serious conflict.
The archival materials reveal that the Soviet government deviated from its declared principles in the creation of the South Ossetian Autonomous District. Instead of considering historical, ethno-cultural, socio-economic, and geographical factors, the government was driven by the empire’s geopolitical interests when establishing this new administrative-political unit.