Abrek is who? Who is so called, and what is the meaning of this word?

Abrek called a man who had gone to the mountains, living outside of power and the law, leading a secretive way of life and periodically committing predatory raids. In the North Caucasian nationalities, the abrek is an exile from the clan that had to lead a wicked and half-robbery life for a committed crime. What does history tell about such characters? Under the assumptions, the word "abrek" originated from the Ossetian name "abyraeg" or "abreg", which translates as "wanderer". Later, the designation "abrek" began to be gradually perceived as a "bandit" and "robber".

Literary illusions

Russian society for quite a long time looked at the mountaineers through a certain poetic prism. After all, it is often the works of Russian poets and writers that contributed to the creation of the enchanting images of the "children of the mountains", such as Kazbich, Ismail-bek and Hadji-Murat. Over the years, the poetry flew more and more irretrievably went into oblivion. It was replaced by a time of harsh real prose. No matter how beautiful and romantic the horse men in the mountains looked, in the souls of some people they placed fear and reluctance to face them.

Descriptions without romance

The Russian authorities in the Caucasus had to face the Abrek movement. But even at the beginning of the XIX century, in her classic book "The Caucasians," Broniewska described the robberies of the mountaineers very picturesquely and reliably. He told how the Chechens, risking their own lives, crossed the Terek River and waited 2-3 days for the appearance of a lone merchant or officer on the road. And when they waited, they attacked him, tied him to a log, and thus smuggled him through a powerful mountain stream into his possessions. After that, they contacted the authorities or close relatives of the kidnapped person and demanded a ransom. Quite often they managed to get good money for their prisoner. That's how the word "abrek" Its with enthusiasm for the categorically opposite.

Causal causes

Historians try to subdivide all abrek into two groups. The composition of the first is characterized as follows: abrek is one who once spoke against the colonial policy of tsarism and its guides. The second group includes ordinary bandits engaged in robberies and robberies for the purpose of personal enrichment. But nevertheless, the same methods of both the first and the second put them on a par with criminal criminals. "Political criminals" Russian and Cossack authorities of the North Caucasus district of the Abreks have never been considered.

Part of the robbery of the mountaineers was pushed by economic reasons, because in the mountains, how much labor you put in, you still can not grow a good crop. Also, cattle breeding did not help. And on the plain they were outcasts. This led to the fact that men in the mountains were decided to sally, to robberies and robberies. Among the rocks they built stone towers, in which they hid someone else's stolen cattle. At that time, even a wild rule was born: if you manage to drive stolen cows or sheep into your tower and close the gate, then these animals become yours.

From lawlessness to lawlessness

Since the end of the XIX century, numerous cases of abreticism began to spread through the territory of the Terek region, which grew into problems of quite serious proportions. For example, in 1910, 3,650 armed robbery attacks were committed. The general capture of well-to-do townsfolk, the destruction of administration officials, attacks on trains, mail coaches, treasuries and banks, on shops and shops with goods, systematic hijacking of cattle and horses - the only thing that has already been enshrined in people is the belief that abrek is Evil and lawlessness, from which there is practically no protection. But not all were such, and a little lower for comparison, two people, two outcasts of society, and you draw your conclusions.

Abrek Osman Mutuev (Grozny District)

Osman belonged to a prominent Chechen family, once famous in the war under the leadership of Shamil. The career of the warrior and the laurels of the rebel did not interest the guy. He studied in Grozny and dreamed of becoming a good interpreter to get into public service. The loss of parents forced the young man to forget about his studies and return to his native village, where his fellow villagers had already accepted him not as their own, but as an "alien". Osman hardly managed to make ends meet, but to commit anything wrongful was never in his thoughts.

And when the district administration, in connection with growing lawlessness and frequent cases of robbery, demanded that they hand over "perverse members" for deportation to Siberia, the dishonest villagers were sent to Osman and all those for whom there was no one to intercede. From Siberia, the guy fled, and, without hiding, came to the authorities with a request to understand the error. At that time General Tolstov served as the region's chief. He honestly approached the matter, reviewed the case and officially recognized Othman as innocent. But all the same fellow villagers again did not give him a chance to live peacefully, who once again wrote a false denunciation on him. And again Siberia, escape. But, returning to his homeland, now Mutuev disappeared into the mountains.

The Chechen "Dubrovsky"

So, what kind of thought conveys the expression "abrek"? The meaning of the word is often compared with nobility, as in the case of Osman Mutuyev. Suffered from human betrayal, Osman did not become hardened and did not become embittered. A clever and honest person - this is how the world stands - has become a defender for all unjustly offended. For this he was always welcome and even called his prince. And only the family, once slandered Osman, still continued to incite him to power, accusing and attributing to him all that the other abreks were doing. Osman died in another sweep, organized by the authorities for another unfair denunciation.

Abrek Iski

On the mountain ranges of the Caucasus you can watch endlessly, here you can make the most mysterious and beautiful photos. Abrek, Appearing on this beautiful background, at one point made me forget about all the lyrics. Claims are the exact opposite of Osman. Escaped from prison at the cost of killing several people, he moved to abreki. The suit was short and thin, and with a vicious expression of his face and his whole figure, he looked like a monkey.

A distinctive feature of his crimes - bestial, ruthless and senseless craving for murder, sometimes he did not even rob his victims. Such abrek - it was a beast in human form. The lawsuits terrified both the Russian and the mountain people. Everybody hated him, regardless of nationality. The beast man paid with an even more cruel coin.

Conclusion

The word, which was called wanderers who do not recognize the laws of society or simply want to live outside it, has acquired negative color over time. Abrekov was afraid. But as elsewhere, some are born and remain human, others become animals. Maybe it's not a matter of circumstance, but in the strength and nobility of the spirit?