Buynaksk (kum. Temir-Khan-Shura) is a city in the south of Russia, in the Republic of Dagestan. This is the administrative center of the Buynaksk region (which is not included). The city of republican significance, forms the municipality of the city of Buynaksk with the status of an urban district as the only settlement in its composition.
In the vicinity of Buynaksk, rock carvings of the late 2nd - early 1st millennium BC have been preserved.
Buynaksk was founded in 1834 as the Temir-Khan-Shura fortress. The legend connects the name with the name of Tamerlane, Shura - the Kumyk "lake", that is, "Lake Tamerlane" (the military leader allegedly rested on its shore). In 1866 the fortress was transformed into a city, in 1922 it was renamed Buinaksk in honor of the Dagestan revolutionary U.D.Buynakskiy.
Early History and Founding
Buynaksk, located in the Republic of
Dagestan, Russia, at the foothills of the Greater Caucasus on the
Shura-Ozen River, has roots tracing back to the late medieval period.
The site was originally a small settlement known as Temir-Khan-Shura,
named after the Mongol conqueror Tamerlane (Timur), who is said to have
camped there in 1396 following his victory over Tokhtamysh in the
Tokhtamysh-Timur war. The area first appears in Russian historical
records in the 1590s, when Muscovite ambassadors traveled nearby en
route to Georgia. Prior to Russian control, it was a modest town
inhabited primarily by Kumyks and ruled by a local Bek (a feudal lord).
The settlement remained relatively insignificant until the early 19th
century, amid the escalating Caucasian War. In 1830, Russian forces
destroyed Temir-Khan-Shura for its alleged support of the rebel leader
Ghazi Muhammad (Kazi Mulla), a key figure in the Murid movement against
Russian expansion. Two years later, in 1832, a Russian expedition under
General Klugenau camped at the site during a raid on the nearby aul of
Gimry. The modern founding of the town dates to 1834, when Klugenau's
forces constructed a fortress on a rock overlooking a lake, establishing
it as the headquarters for the Apsheron Regiment. This fortification
became the most critical Russian stronghold in inner Dagestan during the
Murid War (1834–1859), a prolonged conflict pitting Russian imperial
forces against North Caucasian resistance led by Imam Shamil.
Russian Empire Era (Mid-19th Century)
Throughout the mid-19th
century, Temir-Khan-Shura grew in strategic importance. In 1849, the
Avar leader Hadji Murad, a notable naib (deputy) under Imam Shamil who
later defected to the Russians, orchestrated a bold raid into the town,
highlighting its vulnerability despite fortifications. The area suffered
from health issues due to the nearby lake, which bred malaria-carrying
mosquitoes. In 1858, Prince Moisey Argutinsky-Dolgoruky drained the lake
to mitigate disease, a move that improved living conditions and
facilitated urban expansion. A monument to Argutinsky was erected in
1878 but was demolished in 1921 during the Soviet era.
By 1866,
Temir-Khan-Shura was granted official town status and served as the
administrative center of the Temir-Khan-Shurinsky Okrug and later the
Dagestan Oblast within the Russian Empire. The town's population
diversified, including Russian military personnel, Armenian traders, and
a growing Jewish community (detailed below). It became a hub for
commerce and military logistics in the North Caucasus.
Jewish
Community in the 19th and Early 20th Centuries
The Jewish presence in
Buynaksk (then Temir-Khan-Shura) is one of the oldest in the North
Caucasus, emerging after Dagestan's annexation by the Russian Empire in
the early 19th century. During the Caucasian War, many Mountain Jews (a
subgroup of Jews indigenous to the region) were displaced or killed by
forces loyal to Imam Shamil. Survivors who sought Russian protection
were resettled in Temir-Khan-Shura after the war. By 1850, several
families of Mountain Jewish artisans lived alongside Russian and
Armenian settlers. Ashkenazi Jews, often retired Russian soldiers, also
arrived and established separate quarters.
The community grew
steadily: In 1858, there were 89 Mountain Jews; by 1866, 290 Jews total
(170 Mountain Jews) with two synagogues—one for Mountain Jews and one
for Ashkenazis, built in 1862. Prominent rabbis included Mordechai-Leib
Rassentsov (1866) and Hezekiah Mushailov (from 1875) for Mountain Jews,
and Toviy Naumovich Gorodetsky (1890s) for Ashkenazis. By the 1897
census, Jews numbered 1,199 (13% of the city's over 9,000 residents),
peaking at 1,950 by 1899. Until the 1917 February Revolution, Jews (both
Mountain and Ashkenazi) formed the majority of the population. Most were
merchants supplying the Russian army or traders. In 1910, the community
had 1,317 members, two synagogues, a cemetery, and a public school. The
1912 count reached 1,930 Jews (1,200 Mountain).
Revolutionary and
Soviet Periods
The early 20th century brought upheaval. During the
Russian Civil War and the Dagestan uprising, 150 Jewish families fled to
the town, boosting the population temporarily. In 1920, Temir-Khan-Shura
briefly served as the center of the short-lived Mountainous Republic of
the Northern Caucasus, an independent state amid post-revolutionary
chaos. On November 13, 1920, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist
Republic (RSFSR) declared Dagestan's autonomy at a congress held in the
town.
In 1922, the town was renamed Buynaksk in honor of the
Bolshevik revolutionary Ullu-biy Buynaksky, a Kumyk leader killed during
the Civil War. Under Soviet rule, the Jewish community faced
collectivization and repression. By 1926, Jews numbered 1,471 (15.5% of
the population, including 980 Mountain Jews). In 1932, a Mountain-Jewish
collective farm called "New Life" was established with 170 members.
However, by 1939, only 196 Jews remained, reflecting purges and
migrations. During World War II (the Great Patriotic War), Ashkenazi
numbers increased due to evacuees from other regions. The synagogue
reopened in 1945, with Rabbi Meir Khanukaevich Rafailov serving until
1951.
Anti-Semitic incidents persisted, such as a 1960 blood libel
article in the local newspaper Communist, accusing Jews of ritual
murder, which sparked international protests and led to the dismissal of
officials. Despite challenges, the community maintained cultural
institutions like a Hebrew school, library, and youth club into the
1980s. Buynaksk was severely damaged by a major earthquake in May 1970,
which affected infrastructure and led to reconstruction efforts.
Post-Soviet Era and Recent History
Following the Soviet Union's
dissolution in 1991, Buynaksk experienced instability amid regional
conflicts. The Jewish community dwindled further; by the early 1990s, a
Jewish school opened briefly, but emigration to Israel, other countries,
or Russian cities accelerated. By 2012, only about 20 families remained,
and the synagogue fell into disrepair. In 2019, the local history museum
hosted an exhibition on the Jewish community. Tragically, in 2021, a
local resident was sentenced to 10 years for murdering the community
chairman. Current estimates suggest only 5–10 Jews live in Buynaksk as
of 2020.
The town became a flashpoint in the late 1990s amid the
Second Chechen War. On September 4, 1999, a car bomb exploded outside an
apartment building housing Russian military families, killing 64 people
and injuring over 100—a key event in the series of apartment bombings
that precipitated Russia's invasion of Chechnya. Further violence
included gunmen attacks on August 13, 2009, killing four police officers
and seven civilians in a sauna, and a suicide car bombing on September
5, 2010, at a military base, which killed three soldiers and wounded 32
(with militants claiming higher casualties). These incidents underscore
Buynaksk's role in ongoing North Caucasian insurgencies.
Today,
Buynaksk remains a small administrative center with a population of
around 60,000, reflecting a blend of Kumyk, Avar, Lak, and Russian
influences. Its history encapsulates the broader narrative of imperial
conquest, ethnic diversity, revolutionary change, and post-Soviet
turmoil in Dagestan.
Buynaksk is a town situated in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, nestled at the foothills of the Greater Caucasus mountain range. This positioning places it in a transitional zone between the rugged highlands of the Caucasus and the lower-lying plains extending toward the Caspian Sea. The town serves as the administrative center of Buynaksky District, which spans approximately 1,842 square kilometers in central Dagestan. The surrounding landscape is characterized by mountainous terrain, deep valleys, and steep cliffs, reflecting the diverse and dramatic topography typical of the North Caucasus region.
Geographically, Buynaksk is located at coordinates 42°49′N 47°07′E,
approximately 40 kilometers southwest of Makhachkala, the capital of
Dagestan and a major port on the Caspian Sea. The town sits at an
elevation of around 490 meters (1,610 feet) above sea level, with the
immediate vicinity featuring significant elevation variations due to the
proximity of the Caucasus foothills. Within a 2-mile radius, the land
cover includes substantial areas of cropland (about 49%) and grassland
(34%), indicating a mix of agricultural and natural environments.
Buynaksky District, encompassing the town, is centrally positioned in
Dagestan, bordering other districts but without specific boundary
details readily delineated in general overviews.
The broader region
of Dagestan, where Buynaksk is located, occupies the eastern end of the
northern flank of the Greater Caucasus, along the western shore of the
Caspian Sea. This makes Buynaksk part of a geographically complex area
with influences from both mountainous interiors and coastal plains,
though the town itself is inland and shielded from direct Caspian
effects by intervening terrain.
The terrain around Buynaksk is predominantly mountainous and rugged,
with valleys and steep cliffs dominating the district's landscape. As
part of the Greater Caucasus foothills, the area features folded
mountain ridges, erosional valleys, and occasional plateaus. Historical
accounts note that the site of Buynaksk once included a lake or cliff
area that was drained in 1858 to mitigate health issues, altering the
local topography for human settlement. The Narat-Tyube Ridge, nearby,
exemplifies the dissected relief with its ridges and valleys shaped by
fluvial erosion.
One standout natural feature is the Sarykum
aeolian-accumulative complex, a massive sand dune system located near
Buynaksk in the Shura-Ozen River valley. Sarykum is one of the largest
dunes in Eurasia, formed by wind-blown sands in a semi-arid environment,
and it is protected within the Dagestansky Nature Reserve. This dune
contrasts sharply with the surrounding rocky mountains, highlighting the
region's ecological diversity.
The Shura-Ozen River is a central hydrological feature of Buynaksk, flowing through the town and shaping its valley. Originating in the low mountains of the northeastern Greater Caucasus, the river traverses the region before emptying into the Caspian Sea north of Makhachkala. Its valley near Buynaksk includes varied geological structures, with the river contributing to erosion and sediment deposition that supports the Sarykum dune formation. The Shura-Ozen is part of the broader Caspian basin drainage system, and its flow is influenced by seasonal precipitation and snowmelt from the mountains. No major tributaries or lakes are prominently associated with the immediate town area post the 19th-century drainage, but the river remains vital for local agriculture and ecology.
Buynaksk experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen
classification: Dfa), marked by warm, dry summers and cold, snowy
winters. Proximity to the Caspian Sea moderates temperatures somewhat,
but the mountainous setting leads to significant seasonal variations.
The annual average temperature is around 10-12°C, with extremes ranging
from record lows of -28.1°C to highs of 40.4°C. Precipitation totals
about 475 mm per year, mostly as rain in warmer months and snow in
winter.
The warm season spans from late May to mid-September, with
July being the hottest month (average high 28°C/82°F). Winters last from
late November to mid-March, with January the coldest (average low
-3°C/26°F). A growing season of about 7 months supports agriculture,
with spring blooms typically in late April.
Cloud cover is more
pronounced from September to June (up to 52% overcast in April), while
summers are clearer (84% clear in July-August). Humidity peaks in summer
with a muggy period from late June to early September, though overall
discomfort is low outside this window. Winds are consistent at around
11-12 km/h (6.5-7.2 mph), predominantly from the east in most months.
Sunshine varies dramatically, with up to 15.3 hours of daylight in June
and solar energy peaking at 6.7 kWh/m² in July, dropping to 1.8 kWh/m²
in December.
Seasonally, summers are dry and sunny, ideal for
outdoor activities, while winters bring snowfall and potential for
tourism in nearby mountainous areas. The nearby Caspian Sea influences
water temperatures, which range from 4°C/40°F in February to 25°C/77°F
in August, indirectly affecting local microclimates.