Ingush nationalism is the belief that theIngush people should constitute a nation. Ingush nationalism has been variously utilised as both a secular and Islamist concept at various times, and has become particularly important since thedissolution of the Soviet Union and the 1992East Prigorodny conflict withNorth Ossetia.
Modern Ingush nationalism emerged in the mid-1950s, following the 1944deportation of the Chechens and Ingush and Ingush being subsequently allowed to return. Much of Ingush land had been repopulated byOssetian settlers in the period between their deportation and their return, and three days of massive violence broke out before the Soviet government restored order. Ingush nationalism continued largely among undergroundSufi brotherhoods,[1] with occasional public events such as the1973 Grozny meeting [ru] strengthening public nationalist sentiments.[2]
AmidstPerestroika and thedissolution of the Soviet Union, Ingush nationalists began to publicly organise, forming organisations such asNijsxo and theCongress of the Ingush People in an effort to secure their autonomy separately from Chechnya (which was then united with Ingushetia as theChechen-Ingush ASSR) and retake Prigorodny District. This ultimately resulted in the establishment of modernIngushetia in 1992.[3][4] Rising Ingush andOssetian nationalism culminated in the 1992East Prigorodny conflict, which resulted in the ethnic cleansing of Prigorodny District's Ingush population by North Ossetian and Russian forces. As a response, Ingush nationalism andanti-Russian sentiment sharply increased, and in 1994 the region's nationalist leaders urged eventual independence.[5]
Ruslan Aushev, the firstPresident of Ingushetia, waselected in 1993 by a coalition of Ingush nationalist groups. An ideological secularist, he came into conflict with Islamist militant forces, which were spreading from the Middle East to the Caucasus.[6] His 2002 removal and replacement byMurat Zyazikov led Ingush to turn to Jihadism, leading to the beginning of theinsurgency in Ingushetia. Zyazikov's own removal in 2008 was met with widespread celebration among Ingush, and Caucasus experts such as Ivan Sukhov[7] and Valery Dzutsati speculated that his replacement,Yunus-bek Yevkurov, would pursue Ingush nationalist policies to deescalate the conflict and bring stability to the republic. Yevkurov called for the return of Ingush refugees to Prigorodny District in a first for a republican leader. In response, the jihadistCaucasus Emirate declared that theVilayat Galgayche would hold control over all of North Ossetia. Both the Caucasus Emirate and pro-Russian Ingush forces used Ingush nationalism during theinsurgency in the North Caucasus.[8]
The2018 Chechnya–Ingushetia border agreement was met withwidespread protests in Ingushetia, amidst the formalisation of the border and rumours that Chechnya would receive much more land than publicly declared.[9] TheIngush Independence Committee, an Ingush nationalist organisation, was formed in 2023.[10]