Malgobek (Ingush. Maggalbike, Chech. Malhabek) is a city in the Republic of Ingushetia of the Russian Federation. The toponym "Malgobek" is considered primary for the western part of the Tersk ridge and is derived, according to one version, from the Kabardian language. Original Kabardian-Cherk. Melgebeg is a compound word consisting of mel - "sheep", the prefix of the causative ge- and the root of the verb bag - "to swell" (meaning "to swell from poison"). According to another version, the name of the city comes from the name of the Magial-Bek tract, in the place of which the city allegedly arose. From Ingush, this toponym is translated as "the supreme commander of the army" and is raised to the title of the former owner of these lands.
Located in the Alkhanchurt Valley, on the southern
slope of the Tersk ridge, 40 km (in a straight line) from the
capital of the republic - the city of Magas. Malgobek is located in
the westernmost part of the valley, to the west of the city it
narrows, pressed from the north by the Tersk ridge, and from the
south by the Sunzha ridge and one of its spurs (Mount Arik-Paptsa,
510.9 m), towards the village of Nizhniy Kurp ( Kabardino-Balkaria),
where it is closed by the valley of the Kurp River, which stretches
in the meridional direction from south to north. Thus, already a few
kilometers south of Malgobek, located at the northern border of the
valley, the Sunzhensky ridge rises. To the east, the Alkhanchurt
Valley is expanding. Along the southeastern border of the city, the
Western Branch of the Alkhanchurt Canal flows, which originates from
the Alkhanchurt Canal near the village of Nizhnie Achaluki, then
goes far northwest to Malgobek, and then rushes east to the mouth of
the valley.
The territory of the city (and the corresponding
urban district) includes not only Malgobek itself, but also all the
surrounding oil-producing villages and areas of the Malgobek-Gorsky
oil field, located on the crest of the Tersky ridge to the north,
north-east and north-west of the city.
During the
intensification of landslide processes in the vicinity of Malgobek,
caused by the development of existing oil fields, the former
producing villages and areas found themselves in a landslide zone,
in connection with which residents are being relocated to new
territories today. Previously, the largest of them were the Pobeda
site (1200 people), the village of Stary Malgobek (850 people), the
Chapaev site (520 people) - as of 1988.
The nearest
settlements: in the south - the village of Sagopshi (in fact, it
merges with Malgobek) and the village of Psedakh, in the south-west
- the village of Inarki, in the north-west - the village of Nizhniy
Kurp (Kabardino-Balkaria), in the north, already beyond the Tersk
ridge - the village Vezhariy, in the northeast, on the crest and
slopes of the ridge - the villages of Maly Malgobek and Predgornoe
(North Ossetia), the village of Voznesenskaya, in the east - the
village of Yuzhnoye, in the southeast - the villages of
Zyazikov-Yurt, Nizhnie Achaluki, New Redant.
In 1934, by a resolution of the All-Russian Central
Executive Committee, the village of Voznesenskoe of the Voznesensky
village council of the Sunzhensky district of the Chechen-Ingush
Autonomous Okrug was transformed into a working settlement of
Malgobek. By the decree of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR dated
August 27, 1939, the settlement was transformed into a city. The
emergence and rapid growth of the settlement, and then the city, are
associated with the development of the Malgobek-Gorsky oil field.
The Great Patriotic War
The heroic pages of Malgobek's
history are associated with the period of the Great Patriotic War.
One of the main goals of the German offensive in the Caucasus in
1942 was the capture of the main oil production areas in the USSR -
Grozny and Baku. Therefore, after the Germans reached the Terek line
in the area of Mozdok and Prokhladny in August, the direction to
Malgobek became one of the priorities for the further offensive.
Malgobek is the center of a large oil-bearing region (the first oil
fields in the North Caucasus were captured in early August, when the
enemy occupied Maykop). In addition, the capture of Malgobek opened
for the Germans access to the Alkhanchurt Valley, along which it was
possible to develop an offensive further to the southeast, to
Grozny.
In early September, the German 1st Panzer Army began
to cross the Terek in the Mozdok area. The heavy defensive battles
that the Soviet 9th Army (11th Guards Rifle Corps and other
formations) fought with the Germans in this direction make up the
Mozdok-Malgobek defensive operation, which lasted from September 1
to September 28, 1942. Despite the fierce counterattacks by Soviet
troops, the formations of the 1st Tank Army managed to create 2
bridgeheads on the southern bank of the Terek - in the Mozdok area
(Predmostny farm) and in the area of the Kizlyar village.
Expanding them, on September 12 the Germans occupied the village of
Malgobek (also called Malgobek-2, Malgobek western), which is now
located in North Ossetia, in the north-western direction from the
city of Malgobek, and has nothing to do with the city in Ingushetia.
However, due to the same names, it is often the date of September 12
that is mistakenly called the beginning of the occupation of the
city. In the area of the village of Malgobek, the 37th Army of the
Northern Group of the Transcaucasian Front defended itself, while
the direction to the Malgobek oil fields from the north was covered,
as already mentioned, by the 9th Army, located east of the 37th.
The fascist attack on the city of Malgobek (also called Eastern
Malgobek) began only on September 26 from the west, from the area of
the headwaters of the Alkhanchurt Valley, as well as from the
north, across the crest of the Tersk ridge. However, the initial
attempts to break into the valley, taking Psedakh, Sagopshi and
Malgobek, were unsuccessful. It was only on October 5 that the
forces of the 52nd Army Corps of the 1st Panzer Army (111th Infantry
Division) and the 5th SS Panzer Division "Viking" managed to break
into the western part of Malgobek. The 5th Guards Tank Brigade, 52nd
Tank Brigade, 9th Infantry Brigade, 57th Infantry Brigade, 59th
Infantry Brigade and other formations defended on the Soviet side in
the city area. By October 19, the front had stabilized, although
local battles continued later.
During the autumn battles of
1942, the enemy was unable to completely seize the Malgobek oil
fields (their eastern part remained with the Soviet troops). The
57th Rifle Brigade was later awarded the Order of the Red Banner for
defensive battles in the Malgobek area and attempts to counterattack
the enemy in order to liberate the city in October 1942.
Since November 1942, the 58th Army (271st Infantry Division and
other units) and 44th Army (223rd, 416th Infantry Divisions, and
other formations) have occupied the defense lines in the Malgobek
area, on the Terek, on the approaches to Mozdok. In early January
1943, after the disastrous defeat of the Germans at Stalingrad, the
offensive of the Transcaucasian Front began, hoping to forestall the
retreat of the German troops, who feared encirclement in the
Caucasus. On January 3, 1943, by the forces of the 58th and 44th
armies, the Malgobek and Mozdok area was liberated.
Post-war
period
In 1944, after the deportation of Chechens and Ingush,
Malgobek was transferred to the North Ossetian ASSR and remained
there until 1957, when he was returned to the restored
Chechen-Ingush ASSR.
During the Soviet period, oil production
remained the basis of Malgobek's economy. There was a brick factory,
as well as food industry enterprises. The city's population grew
until the 1970s, then remained at approximately the same level until
the early 1990s. At the same time, the ethnic composition of the
population was gradually changing. Almost from the moment the city
was founded, the number of Russians decreased, while the number of
Ingush grew.
Since 1992, after the division of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous
Soviet Socialist Republic, Malgobek has been a part of Ingushetia.
In the 2000s and 2010s, in the city, as well as in Ingushetia as a
whole, the activity of the Islamist bandit underground operating in
the North Caucasus was noted. The city has repeatedly attacked law
enforcement officers, committed terrorist acts, and carried out
special operations against militants.
On October 8, 2007, in
memory of the courage, perseverance, heroism shown by the defenders
of the city during the Great Patriotic War, by the Decree of the
President of the Russian Federation, Malgobek was awarded the
honorary title of the Russian Federation "City of Military Glory".
On May 9, 2010, the City of Military Glory stele was solemnly opened
in the city, which immediately became one of the symbols of
Malgobek. Even before its official opening, in January 2010, the
city's coat of arms was changed - a commemorative stele became its
central element. In 2010, a postage block dedicated to Malgobek and
other Cities of Military Glory was released. In 2011, a
commemorative coin dedicated to Malgobek was released in the “City
of Military Glory” coin series.
On November 5, 2013, in
memory of the soldiers of the 9th rifle brigade, 223rd and 416th
rifle divisions of the 44th army, formed in the Azerbaijan SSR and
fought in 1942-1943 in the Malgobek area, the Alley named after the
President was opened in the city Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev, which
symbolizes the friendship and unity of the peoples of Russia and
Azerbaijan. A memorial sign with the image of Heydar Aliyev is
installed on the alley. On the same day, a bust of Alexei Berest,
one of the participants in the hoisting of the Victory Banner over
the Reichstag building, was unveiled in Malgobek.
On May 10,
2015, the city of military glory Malgobek and the Belarusian city of
Brest became sister cities.