The Hidden War in the Caucasus

3 minute read

Despite the reduction of large-scale military operations 10 years ago in Chechnya, a guerrilla war waged by Islamic fundamentalists rages on, and has brought a striking level of violence and bloody insurgency to the neighboring Caucasus republic of Dagestan.

For decades, and in much of the world’s eyes, all the news coming from the North Caucasus seemed focused on the cataclysm in Chechnya. Now, with Grozny slowly emerging from decades of chaos, Dagestan – the largest, most heterogeneous and, today, the most violent republic in the North Caucasus region – is raising its international profile, but for all the wrong reasons.

With a population of about 3 million people, Dagestan — bordering Chechnya, with the Caspian Sea to the east and Georgia and Azerbaijan to the south — is comprised of more then 40 ethnic groups. Ethnic Russians make up roughly four and half percent of the republic’s total population, while political power is held mainly by the two largest groups: the Avar and Dargin, both of whom practice Sufism, or the region’s traditional brand of Islam. Recently, however, Salafism — a puritanical form of Islam practiced largely in Saudi Arabia — has begun to make inroads, further complicating the already tangled political and religious picture.

Split by seemingly intractable social and religious differences and with almost a half of its territory locked down under a special security regimen (CTO, or “counter-terrorist operation”), Dagestan’s populace endures martial law, rigid curfews and random searches enforced by the Russian military.

For most Russian citizens, meanwhile, the North Caucasus is peopled not by neighbors or citizens but by stereotypes. A mountain region, alien and dangerous, it is populated (in the Russian popular imagination) by suicide bombers and terrorists. Period.

The Jamaats—local Islamic societies—comprise the vast majority of active anti-Russian Islamist fighters in Dagestan. Numbering somewhere around 500, by best estimates, Jamaats manage to replace those killed in action with newly joined militants in a remarkably timely manner. The reason for this renewable source of fighters is, in fact, rather simple: namely, the fundamentalists find fertile ground to propagate their ideas in the region’s remote, mountainous villages — as well as via the Internet. As the Dagestan justice system is largely ruled by nepotism, Russian law and order doesn’t have real power and most people find it impossible to receive justice from local authorities. Jamaats’ leaders, meanwhile, claim to be the “legitimate authority of Dagestan” and are candid about their aim of establishing a “fair society” based on Shari’a law. As the years pass, more and more people convert to Salafism.

Dagestan’s society is still deeply split. The gap between the richest and the poorest is enormous — and, like everywhere else, is rapidly growing. Conservatives, including many traditional Muslims, who still feel an allegiance to Russia certainly do not accept the “Islamization” of their country and their culture, while many others simply vote with their passports — emigrating from the republic entirely. The men, women and children who stay behind must somehow find ways to endure in the midst of their country’s hidden war.


Maria Turchenkova is a freelance documentary photographer based in Moscow. She was recently selected to attend the 2013 World Press Joop Swart Masterclass.


A Salafi woman with a child seen in a street of Kaspiysk.
A Salafi woman with a child seen in a street of Kaspiysk.Maria Turchenkova
A policeman seen in forest. Being a hunter he knows all the forest very well and disappointed with failure of local special forces he searches the area himself trying to find traces, insurgents and dugouts. He survived 3 attempts of insurgents to kill him.
A policeman seen in the forest, disappointed with the failure of local special forces, searches the area himself trying to find traces of insurgents and dugouts. He has survived three attempts by insurgents trying to kill him. Maria Turchenkova
Friends dance at a house party.
Friends dance at a house party.Maria Turchenkova
A portrait of a military man seen in a village house in Bezhta.
A portrait of a military man seen in a village house in Bezhta.Maria Turchenkova
Regular house check by military forces in the mountain village. Dagestan has almost a half of its territory locked down under a special security regime, known as the CTO - abbreviation for “counter-terrorist operation”. It means: martial law, curfews and random searches enforced by the Russian military and ongoing talks about the new bloody war in the North Caucasus.
Dagestan has almost half of its territory locked down under a special security regime known as the CTO, an abbreviation for “Counter-Terrorist Operation.” The Russian military enforces Martial law, curfews and random searches with ongoing talks about the new bloody war in the North Caucasus.Maria Turchenkova
Yesterday special forces operation was held near the house of  Zhukhra. 4 insurgents – 3 men and 1 woman were killed by the police, while Zhukhra  brought another women, wounded at leg, pulling her to this room. She was arrested immediately and was interrogated for 2 days  suspected in support to insurgents
This is the room where Zhukhra brought a women that was wounded in the leg during a special forces operation against insurgents. She was arrested immediately and was interrogated for two days suspected of supporting the insurgents.Maria Turchenkova
Regular house check held by military forces in the mountain village.
Regular house check held by military forces in the mountain village.Maria Turchenkova
Magomed, a school teacher, shows to his 2year-old nephew how to hold a weapon.Dagestan is the biggest and the most multinational republic in the North Caucasus region. The society is mostly based on traditions and still is very conservative.
Magomed, a school teacher, shows to his 2-year-old nephew how to hold a weapon. Dagestan is the biggest and the most multinational republic in the North Caucasus region. The society is mostly based on tradition and still is very conservative.Maria Turchenkova
Military helicopter searching the forest early in the morning. Dagestan has almost a half of its territory locked down under a special security regime, known as the CTO - abbreviation for “counter-terrorist operation”. It means: martial law, curfews and random searches enforced by the Russian military.
Military helicopter searching the forest early in the morning.Maria Turchenkova
Military checkpoint at a mountain road.2011 scored more then 1200 people including policemen, insurgents and civilians killed in terrorism acts, Special Forces operations and street shootings.
Military checkpoint at a mountain road.Maria Turchenkova
A discovered blindage seen in forest.Insurgents build a lot of blindages in forest so they can hide here from the police for a long time. Usually they are located not far from the villages to make it easier for insurgents to take food and observe the locality and the road. This blindage is 1 km away from Kidero village.
An uncovered hideout seen in forest. Insurgents build a lot of hideouts in forest so they can avoid police for a long time. Usually they are located not far from the villages to make it easier for insurgents to take food and observe the locality and the road. This hideout is one km away from Kidero village.Maria Turchenkova
A woman believed to be a prostitute poses in her bed.
A woman believed to be a prostitute poses in her bed.Maria Turchenkova
A bed seen in the house after the special forces operation when 4 people were killed suspected to be insurgents.
A bed seen in the house after the special forces operation when four people were killed suspected to be insurgents.Maria Turchenkova
Patimat rocks her son in traditional Dagestany manner. Patimat is a Salafi woman, she was 3 times married, all her husbands were killed by the police during special forces operations.
Patimat rocks her son in traditional Dagestany manner. Patimat is a Salafi woman. She was three times married; all her husbands were killed by the police during special forces operations.Maria Turchenkova
Photos of a young man killed by the police in 2008.Officially he was considered an insurgent, once stopped by the police at a checkpoint he've started to shoot and was killed by counterfire.According to his family he was killed by no reason near his house, his relatives claim for prosecution but no investigation has been started yet. About 100 bullets were found in his body.
Photos of a young man killed by the police in 2008. Officially, he was considered an insurgent. Once stopped by the police at a checkpoint, he had started to shoot and was killed by crossfire. According to his family he was killed for no reason near his house. His relatives call for prosecution but no investigation has been started yet. About 100 bullets were found in his body.Maria Turchenkova
Funerals in Gimry.
Funerals in Gimry.Maria Turchenkova
A man seen in a burned mosque. 3 days ago unknown armed people came here after the evening pray, killed imam and 2 parishioners and burned the mosque.
A man seen in a burned mosque. Three days prior, unknown armed personnel came here after the evening prayer, killed the imam and two parishioners and burned the mosque.Maria Turchenkova
An evening in Salafi family in Gimry.
An evening in Salafi family in Gimry.Maria Turchenkova
A boy studying Koran in a mosque in Makhachkala.
A boy studying Koran in a mosque in Makhachkala.Maria Turchenkova
Anticorruption rally in downtown.Russian law and order doesn't have real power in Dagestan, the justice system is ruled by nepotism. People often can't find justice and truth from official authorities. And at the same time, Jamaats' leaders claim to be "legitimate authority of Dagestan" with the aim of establishing a "fair society" based on Shari'a law.
Anticorruption rally in downtown. The Russian justice system doesn't have real power in Dagestan. The rule of law is nepotism. People often can't find justice and truth from official authorities. At the same time, Jamaats' leaders claim to be "legitimate authority of Dagestan," with the aim of establishing a "fair society" based on Shari'a law.Maria Turchenkova
Ropewalker performance in the legendary village of ropewalkers.
Ropewalker performance in the legendary village of ropewalkers.Maria Turchenkova
Local people wait before the performance during celebration of the day of administrative separation of Beztinsky region.
Local people wait before the performance during celebration of the day of administrative separation of Beztinsky region.Maria Turchenkova
Men praying in mosque.
Men praying in mosque.Maria Turchenkova
Poster and mosque seen in the memorial at the place where Ghazi Mullah, the first Imam of the Caucasian Imamate, died in 1832 in a fight against Russian army.
Poster and mosque seen from the spot of the memorial for Ghazi Mullah, the first Imam of the Caucasian Imamate who died in 1832 in a fight against the Russian army.Maria Turchenkova

More Must-Reads from TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com