Vovnushki (from Ingush. Vӏovnashke - place of defensive towers)
is a medieval complex of Ingush defense and watchtowers. It is a
unique monument of Ingush architecture, included in the
Dzheyrakh-Assinsky State Historical, Architectural and Natural
Museum-Reserve. Located in the high-mountainous Dzheyrakhsky region
of modern Ingushetia. The Vovnushki towers are also traditionally
referred to as the ancestral towers of the Ingush teip “Ozdoi”. The
first reliable descriptions of Vovnushki date back to the beginning
of the 18th century.
Vovnushki is one of the brightest and
most exotic tower complexes among the defensive structures of
ancient Ingushetia. The Vovnushka monument consists of three main
towers, two of which stand on the top of one rock and one on the
opposite rock. The towers of the complex attract attention from
afar, although they are located in the picturesque gorge of the
Guloikhi River against the backdrop of the impressive cliffs and
ridges of the Caucasus. The towers are built of stone and look like
a natural continuation of the rocks on the tops of which they were
built. They are four-storey buildings of a truncated pyramidal shape
with flat roofs and narrow loophole windows. The protective walls
blocking access to the towers are organically inscribed in the
natural relief of the inaccessible rocks.
In 2008, the Vovnushki tower complex became a finalist in the Seven
Wonders of Russia competition project organized by the Izvestia
newspaper, the Rossiya TV channel and the Mayak radio station.
In
2009, the image of the Vovnushki tower complex appeared on the stamp of
the Russian Post "Republic of Ingushetia" in the "Regions" series.
In 2010, the Bank of Russia issued a silver coin with a print run of
10,000 copies of one of the watchtowers of the Vovnushki complex with a
face value of 3 rubles and a weight of 31.1 grams in the “Architectural
Monuments” series of commemorative coins of Russia.
Very little is known about the time of the
construction of the towers of the Vovnushka complex, but we can
confidently assume that each of the towers was built within one
year, like other ancestral towers of the Vainakhs. It was considered
obligatory to meet the construction of the tower within 365 days. If
it was not possible to complete the construction of the tower within
a year, then it was not completed, but dismantled into stones or
left abandoned. The very fact was a weak spot on the teip who was
building the tower.
Many legends are associated with the
Vovnushki, but one of them looks like a true story: once, during the
siege of the towers, a Vainakh woman saved many babies. When one of
the towers was set on fire, she dragged the cradles with the kids,
miraculously managing to run several times along the rope left over
from the suspension bridge between the two Vovnushki towers
destroyed by the enemies.
In 2008, the Vovnushki tower
complex became a finalist of the competition project Seven Wonders
of Russia, organized by the Izvestia newspaper, the Rossiya TV
channel and the Mayak radio station.
In 2009, the image of
the Vovnushki tower complex appeared on the Russian Post stamp
“Republic of Ingushetia” in the “Regions” series.
In 2010,
the Bank of Russia in the series “Architectural Monuments” of
commemorative coins of Russia issued 10,000 copies of a silver coin
depicting one of the watchtowers of the “Vovnushki” complex with a
denomination of 3 rubles and a weight of 31.1 grams.
The first reliable descriptions of Vovnushki date back to the
beginning of the 18th century. At that time, the Ozdoev family castle
played an important strategic role. The fact is that the neighboring
Assinsky Gorge was then the only direct and relatively convenient
passage through the Caucasus Range. Caravans constantly went along this
route, which were raided by robbers. Vovnushki served as a refuge and
protection for travelers (as well as a number of other neighboring
castles, a single ensemble included in the group of the
Dzheyrakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve).
From time to time, raids
threatened the castle, not to mention local conflicts. But it was built
in such a good place that it could withstand the longest siege. Mountain
slopes were reliably protected from uninvited guests.
If an
ignorant person is shown a photo of the castle and asked what kind of
place it is, he will probably name some European country without
hesitation. “A typical building for the late Middle Ages,” historians
say. Strange, but none of them can name the exact period of the castle's
creation. Presumably this is the XVII-XVIII centuries, but possibly
earlier. Most likely, when the castle was being built, Christians still
lived on the territory of Ingushetia. Islam began to spread among the
local population in the 18th century and had not yet had time to leave
an imprint on the appearance of local buildings.
The cult of stone - this is how you can briefly characterize the very
essence of this structure. Surprisingly, two massive battle towers were
erected without any foundation. In fact, they stand on slate rocks.
Quite a common building technology of that time: milk was poured onto
the proposed construction site, on the ground. All the soil through
which it seeped was removed and poured further - until the milk ceased
to be absorbed. After that, the first stones of huge sizes, larger than
human growth, were placed, which ensured the stability of the structure.
“With amazing harmony, proportionality and rather high height, they are
stable and durable,” wrote the artist Shcheblykin about the Ingush
military towers, who left a lot of research on this place and sketches
of local structures. When transporting stones, a special gate was used
to lift them. And in the Caucasian legends there is a mention that the
stones for the foundation of the tower were pulled by nine pairs of
bulls, and twelve horses could not budge.
Before the construction
of a castle or tower began, a sacrifice was made. The place of the
future building was sprinkled with the blood of the sacrificial ram, and
only after that it was possible to start work.
In addition to the
method of construction, the technology of preparing a mortar for bonding
stones together on the upper tiers of the tower is also surprising. One
of its main components, judging by the results of laboratory studies, is
casein (a protein that is formed during the souring of milk). In fact,
the solution is a mixture of lime, sand and milk. He still holds the
masonry "tightly".
It is not surprising that the skill of
handling stone was highly valued in those days. From generation to
generation, the practice of building stone castles was passed down for
centuries, and all prominent masters in this business were known by
name. For the successors of traditions, it was a matter of honor not
only the quality of construction, but also the observance of
construction deadlines. The master was given exactly a year, and if for
some reason he did not meet the deadlines, a shameful stain fell on his
entire family, and the tower itself was dismantled to the ground and the
order was given to others. As a rule, the masters had time. In any case,
Vovnushka's castle is a clear evidence of the skill and punctuality of
its creators.
The Ingush believed that all troubles were caused
by hunger. Therefore, the responsibilities of the customer included a
daily dense diet for builders and masons. If the master fell from the
tower from dizziness, the owner was accused of greed and expelled from
the village.
Previously, the two towers were connected by a suspension bridge, and
in the event of a siege, women, old people and children moved to a safer
tower. If we talk about height, then we can draw a parallel with a
seven-story building (architects of that time, as a rule, did not build
combat towers higher than 30 meters).
People got inside only
through the second floor, it was there that the front door was: this
made it impossible for the enemies to use a ram during the siege. The
ground floor, without windows and doors, served both as a place to store
food and as a basement for prisoners. On the second floor there was
usually the most valuable thing that the inhabitants of military towers
possessed: a fraternal cauldron - a large container on a thick chain.
The cauldron was credited with magical properties and was worshiped as a
shrine (it was believed that the souls of the dead hovered over it). If
the blood lover, fleeing from persecution, managed to run inside the
tower and touch the sacred cauldron, they did not touch him until he was
far enough away from the shrine.
The upper floors were inhabited.
Between the floors, the inhabitants of the towers moved along ladders.
And the topmost was used as an attic, where weapons, building materials
and necessary household utensils were stored.
Crypt structures were usually built not far from the battle castles. Vovnushki is no exception: if you climb a little up the gorge, you can find an ancient crypt and mausoleum, which has a very curious shape of a cannonball. In the Middle Ages, above-ground crypts were often erected in Ingushetia, where the dead were placed in several rows on the shelves, and their bodies were subjected to the so-called "natural mummification".