The restoration of the tower complex has brought to light the issue of disagreements among the Ingush teips.

In the Ingush village of Lyazhgi, the restoration of the tower complex "Garakkh" has been completed. The head of the republic, after speaking with the elders of the Garakkh clan, urged the Ingush teips to stop disputes over the ownership of the clan towers.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", in August, a group of women from Ingushetia appealed in a video message to the head of the republic, Mahmud-Ali Kalimatov, urging to save the medieval complex "Towers of Two Rivals" (also referred to as "Towers of Two Wives") in the Dzheirakh district. The complex is threatened with collapse due to the crumbling rock on which it was built. The Committee for the Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites of Ingushetia reported on the development of a restoration project for the "Towers of Two Rivals", with work planned to begin in 2027.

In the "Garakkh" complex, six towers and three crypts have been restored

The restoration of the tower complex in the Dzheirakh district was announced on the evening of November 11 in his Telegram channel by the head of Ingushetia Mahmud-Ali Kalimatov. "Today I visited the village of Lyazhgi in the Dzheirakh district, where the restoration of the tower complex "Garakkh" has been completed. Together with the elders of the Garakkh clan, village residents, and representatives of the teip, I inspected the restored structures and discussed issues of preserving historical heritage," the official wrote.

In the "Garakkh" complex, nine cultural heritage sites have been restored: a combat tower, five residential towers, and three crypts, Kalimatov explained.

Historical heritage should not become a cause of disputes between families and teips

"During the conversation with the elders, we touched upon the complex issue of clan ownership of the tower complexes. I believe that historical heritage should not become a cause of disputes between families and teips. Each clan has its own history and memory of ancestors, but the towers belong to the common cultural heritage of the Ingush people. Their preservation should unite us," he wrote.

Whether the tower complex "Garakkh" is a subject of such a dispute, the head of the republic did not specify.

09:42 17.01.2025

The threat of destruction of medieval towers has alarmed Ingush activists

Authorities should pay more attention to the preservation of medieval tower complexes that are at risk of collapse.

He noted the role of the founder of the charitable foundation "Safmar" Mikhail Gutseriev, who has been financing the restoration program of historical monuments in Ingushetia for several years now.

"Since 2023, thanks to this initiative, work has been underway on approximately 500 tower complexes. These are serious private investments in the preservation of our common heritage. Without such support, many monuments could eventually be irretrievably lost," Kalimatov stated.

The official added that he instructed "the relevant agencies together with municipalities" to determine those responsible for the condition of the restored sites, organize regular inspections, and timely repair of damages.

Disputes over clan towers have led to clashes and shootings

In Ingushetia, disputes periodically arise between various teips over clan towers. In particular, on October 18, a statement was published in which the Council of Elders under the head of Ingushetia called on the Tumgoev and Kodzoev teips to resolve the dispute peacefully related to the tower complex. Social media users, discussing the dispute, expressed concerns that the conflict could escalate and criticized the authorities for inaction amid the disagreements between the teips.

Disputes over clan towers have repeatedly led to clashes between representatives of the teips. For example, on August 19, 2023, a mass brawl occurred in the Dzheirakh district between representatives of the Kushtov and Vadelev teips. A representative of the Vadelev teip cited the closure of access to the tower complex as the cause of the conflict. According to him, the Vadelevs considered the land to belong to their teip, while the Kushtovs transferred it to a hotel complex under the guise of restoration.

In December 2019, a shooting occurred in Ingushetia, resulting in one death and six injuries. The cause of this conflict between representatives of the Evloev and Polonkoev families was a dispute over the ownership of the Pyaling tower complex.

In January 2021, representatives of the Polonkoevs attempted to organize a meeting with the Evloevs to resolve the conflict, said a member of the council of teips of Ingushetia, Isa Darsigov. According to him, invitations were sent multiple times, but the meetings did not take place.

Clan towers have long served as homes and protection from attacks for Ingush families, and their construction required the unification of the forces and resources of the entire clan. The hereditary share in a combat tower and clan burial site was significant for a person's social status. The towers were also the center of family rituals: the hearth and the upper chain were considered sacred, associated with the memory of the deceased and the bride's incorporation into her husband's family, as stated in a material published on May 20, 2013, on the website of the Dzheirakh-Assin Museum-Reserve.