This is not the first, second, or even the third time this has happened. Every time Russia refuses to accept the current state of affairs in the South Caucasus region and tries to push Azerbaijan toward a decision favorable to Moscow, it resorts to using the Lezgin factor in its Caucasus policy. Modern Russia has come up with nothing new in building a civilized state and healthy relations with its neighbors, which is why it continues to rely on outdated and obsolete methods.
Previously, such threats from Russia caused serious concern not only for the Azerbaijani authorities but also for the Lezgin people themselves, who, due to their geographical distribution, have always been at the epicenter of major events in the Caucasus and have often suffered as a result of historical upheavals. However, today, without a doubt, neither the Lezgins of Azerbaijan nor even the Lezgins of Dagestan will fall for these political tricks of the Kremlin, which are employed solely for selfish gain and not out of any “great love” for the peoples of the Caucasus. These methods have lost their relevance, and it is time for Moscow to realize this.
Therefore, the first question to ask is: Who benefits from discord between Azerbaijanis and Lezgins, and for what purpose? And another question: Who stands to gain from this situation? There are several possible answers to this question, but in none of them is the Lezgin people among the winners. That is because the Kremlin is attempting to use the Lezgins in its dirty political games.
Perhaps nothing in this article is new to readers. But why are we writing about this now?
The reason is that, as we previously reported, the Telegram channel “NEZYGAR” published an article about relations between Baku and Moscow, listing various tools of influence that Russia allegedly has at its disposal against Azerbaijan—so-called “retaliatory measures”: blocking money transfers from Russia, halting the Baku-Novorossiysk oil pipeline, attempting to implement the North-South Transport Corridor exclusively through direct maritime connections with Iran, the Russian agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor citing “parasites in Azerbaijani products,” and, of course, playing the Lezgin separatism card.
And all of this because Baku dared to raise justified claims against Moscow after Russian forces, on approach to Grozny, shot down an Azerbaijani passenger plane with a Pantsir-S missile, resulting in the deaths of 38 people…
And the most absurd part is that this review of “instruments” concludes with a statement about how Russia can “practically painlessly bring Azerbaijan to the brink of economic collapse.”
Now, regarding the “Lezgin card”: As is known, the State Security Service of Azerbaijan recently neutralized an armed group in the north of the country connected to the “Forest Brothers,” eliminating eight and detaining six members of the criminal organization. It should be noted that back in 2009, 26 members of the “Forest Brothers” militant group were tried in Azerbaijan for attacking police checkpoints and planning terrorist acts in the country. This story began in the year 2000, when radical Islamists formed armed groups and dreamed of creating the “Caucasus Emirate” on post-Soviet territory. The entire gang was controlled by the leader of the Arab fighters in Chechnya, Emir Khattab, also known as the “Black Arab.”
Since there are no coincidences in the world, it appears that after Khattab’s death, 15 years later, certain circles in Russia decided to revive his mission, but in a new interpretation. They assumed that the idea would take off, given that many Lezgins are religious and could be easily manipulated for use in nefarious schemes. In other words, some forces in the Kremlin still have hopes of playing the “Lezgin card.”
But the initiators of this idea cannot see beyond their noses due to their lack of intellectual development. This idea will fail before it even reaches the borders of the Republic of Dagestan—a subject of the Russian Federation (!)—which has firsthand experience of Moscow’s discriminatory economic policies in the southern region. Looking at the current state of Dagestan, one cannot say that Vladimir Putin treats it with care and affection.
Years of destructive policies in southern Dagestan have had a devastating impact on its economic and agricultural development, forcing local people to migrate to central Russia in search of work. Yet Dagestan is rich in natural resources, and with competent management, it could ensure prosperity and economic well-being, even establishing a single free economic zone.
But Moscow prevents this at all costs because such a development would raise the question of self-determination, possibly leading to secession, the formation of an independent state, and the removal of all national and religious restrictions. This issue was raised multiple times in Dagestan even before the collapse of the Soviet Union. That is why the Kremlin does everything in its power to ensure that corruption, banditry, and armed groups continue to thrive in the North Caucasus, allowing the region to be labeled as lawless. This, in turn, serves as justification for its continued presence within the Russian Federation. The narrative is that Russia, at its own expense, is suppressing separatism and protecting neighboring countries from crime—so it should even be thanked for turning the Caucasian peoples into criminals.
At the same time, Russian propaganda fosters a negative image of Caucasians, enlisting politicians and public figures who occasionally suggest measures such as restricting birth rates in the North Caucasus by imposing fines for a third child, or, if people are unhappy, surrounding them with barbed wire.
This was precisely the kind of statement once made by the late leader of the LDPR party, Vladimir Zhirinovsky. His remarks caused a nationwide stir at the time. Interestingly, deputies representing North Caucasian republics demanded that Zhirinovsky be held criminally liable for his statements and officially appealed to the chairman of the State Duma Committee on Nationalities. However, Zhirinovsky faced no consequences for this provocation. Why? Because he was voicing the sentiments of the Kremlin.
Since then, Moscow’s attitude toward Dagestan has remained unchanged. Corruption and unemployment still reign there, and Russians, still obsessed with their great-power chauvinism, continue to view “persons of Caucasian nationality” with hostility, despite the fact that these peoples have made invaluable contributions to the development of Russian science and culture.
Now, ask the Lezgins of Dagestan: Do they want to be pawns in a big, dirty game? Today, they would undoubtedly answer “no.”
As Confucius said: “If you want to change the world—start with yourself!”
Ramella Ibrahimhalilova
