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Our series “In Their Own Words” returns this week with a rich look at the peoples of Dagestan. With only one interviewee this time, this is admittedly a disservice to the fast array of ethnicities in Dagestan. But it’s a start and a great one at that. Our guest today shares candidly about growing up in Makhachkala (Dagestan’s capital), the popularity of wrestling and fighting, the patrilineal transmission of ethnic identity, moving away from home for university, and what it’s like meeting other Caucasus nationalities for the first time. Oh, and a terrific Caucasus proverb toward the end.
Links for Episode 32
NatGeo on Tightrope Walking in Dagestan
Conor McGregro vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov
Timestamps
2:16 – News Minute! National Geographic Article
7:10 – Dagestan on the World Stage
10:10 – In Their Own Words: Dagestan!
15:10 – Overview of Dagestan
25:27 – Mixing with other Caucasus nations: “We are all Muslims”
27:13 – Deeper into Dagestan
32:18 – Preserving culture in Makhachkala
36:48 – Languages of Dagestan
40:18 – Geography of Dagestan
41:28 – MMA in Dagestan
46:13 – “Главный не тело льва а дух орла” = The most important thing is not the body of the lion, but the spirit of the eagle.
49:28 – One thing to tell the world about the North Caucasus: Hospitable and “the safest place on earth”
