The Formation of the Autonomy of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic: Results and Limits of Soviet Historiography (1950–1980)

The article analyzes the main stages, content and outcomes of the study of the formation of the Kabardino-Balkarian Autonomous oblast in the Russian historical science in the 1950–1980-ies. Despite the lack of methodological freedom and political and ideological determinism of the nature and results of scientific and historical comprehension national-state construction on Northern Caucasus, including Kabardino-Balkaria, Soviet historiography has made a significant contribution to the study of this problem. In the republics of the North Caucasus were published collections of documents and materials on the problems of Sovietization of the mountain people, which has enriched the source base of nation-building. Published monographs, notably enriched the circle of the studied issues. The Soviet national-state building of the mountain peoples was presented as a focused and consistent process of transition from one form of state to another in the framework of realization of the conceptual attitudes of the Soviet government on the right of Nations to self-determination: from the Terek Republic through Gorsky to national autonomy.