Zalpa Bersanova
Encyclopedia
Zalpa Khozh-Akhmedovna Bersanova is a Chechen
ethnographer
and author
who has written extensively on the Chechen people
and the First
and Second Chechen War
s. She is particularly noted for her beliefs that the values of Chechen society have survived the wars. Bersanova, who has written several short stories
, as well as a novel based on autobiographical
experiences called The Road Home, was one of 35 Russian women nominated for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize
.
Zalpa Bersanova was born into the family of the famous Chechen writer Khozh-Akhmed Bersanov
. As a child she wrote poems, fairy-tales and reports in local newspapers. She graduated from school with honors
and her passion for history led her to the Department of History at the Chechen-Ingush State University. After graduation she worked as a school history teacher and later held the Chair of Philosophy
of the Chechen State University. In 1989 she obtained a position of research fellow in the laboratory of sociology
of the Chechen Research Institute of Social Sciences. Since then, she has undertaken research on the issues of the Chechen culture and mentality. In 1999 she presented her Ph.D.
thesis at the Chair of Ethnology
of Moscow State University
.
When the First Chechen War
broke out in 1994, Bersanova was working on her Ph.D. thesis. The Chechen capital Grozny
was being shelled and bombed by the Russian federal army and innocent civilians died in their homes and in the streets. Bersanova understood that she could not stand idly by. First she took part in the protest meetings, and then she began to write articles and books about the war. She realized that the war had resulted in the Chechen people suffering from deep moral trauma. Since then she has been researching for several years on the spiritual values of the present-day Chechens. Her findings argue that the Chechen people have a considerable positive potential even after the inhumane tragedy of war and that they maintain faith in the value of compassion and humanistic traditions.
In 1999 Bersanova presented her research in the lecture held in the Andrei Sakharov
Museum in Moscow
and in 2004 and 2005, she participated in a series of conferences in the United States
, funded through the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, on the issues of war and peace. It was there that she conceived the idea of consolidating the efforts of all the researchers of the Chechen culture in order to help stop the violence. Together with her fellow researchers, Bersanova founded the International Center for Chechen Studies, striving to make the real face of the Chechen people and Chechnya's rich history and spiritual cultural achievements visible to the world. She is the author of the anti-war books I Choose the Mountains, The Bought Happiness, and The Road Home.
Chechen people
Chechens constitute the largest native ethnic group originating in the North Caucasus region. They refer to themselves as Noxçi . Also known as Sadiks , Gargareans, Malkhs...
ethnographer
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
who has written extensively on the Chechen people
Chechen people
Chechens constitute the largest native ethnic group originating in the North Caucasus region. They refer to themselves as Noxçi . Also known as Sadiks , Gargareans, Malkhs...
and the First
First Chechen War
The First Chechen War, also known as the War in Chechnya, was a conflict between the Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, fought from December 1994 to August 1996...
and Second Chechen War
Second Chechen War
The Second Chechen War, in a later phase better known as the War in the North Caucasus, was launched by the Russian Federation starting 26 August 1999, in response to the Invasion of Dagestan by the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade ....
s. She is particularly noted for her beliefs that the values of Chechen society have survived the wars. Bersanova, who has written several short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
, as well as a novel based on autobiographical
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
experiences called The Road Home, was one of 35 Russian women nominated for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
.
Zalpa Bersanova was born into the family of the famous Chechen writer Khozh-Akhmed Bersanov
Khozh-Akhmed Bersanov
Khozh-Akhmed Bersanov is a famous Chechen ethnographer and author noted for his efforts to preserve Chechen culture throughout the 20th century....
. As a child she wrote poems, fairy-tales and reports in local newspapers. She graduated from school with honors
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
and her passion for history led her to the Department of History at the Chechen-Ingush State University. After graduation she worked as a school history teacher and later held the Chair of Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
of the Chechen State University. In 1989 she obtained a position of research fellow in the laboratory of sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
of the Chechen Research Institute of Social Sciences. Since then, she has undertaken research on the issues of the Chechen culture and mentality. In 1999 she presented her Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
thesis at the Chair of Ethnology
Ethnology
Ethnology is the branch of anthropology that compares and analyzes the origins, distribution, technology, religion, language, and social structure of the ethnic, racial, and/or national divisions of humanity.-Scientific discipline:Compared to ethnography, the study of single groups through direct...
of Moscow State University
Moscow State University
Lomonosov Moscow State University , previously known as Lomonosov University or MSU , is the largest university in Russia. Founded in 1755, it also claims to be one of the oldest university in Russia and to have the tallest educational building in the world. Its current rector is Viktor Sadovnichiy...
.
When the First Chechen War
First Chechen War
The First Chechen War, also known as the War in Chechnya, was a conflict between the Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, fought from December 1994 to August 1996...
broke out in 1994, Bersanova was working on her Ph.D. thesis. The Chechen capital Grozny
Grozny
Grozny is the capital city of the Chechen Republic, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the preliminary results of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 271,596; up from 210,720 recorded in the 2002 Census. but still only about two-thirds of 399,688 recorded in the 1989...
was being shelled and bombed by the Russian federal army and innocent civilians died in their homes and in the streets. Bersanova understood that she could not stand idly by. First she took part in the protest meetings, and then she began to write articles and books about the war. She realized that the war had resulted in the Chechen people suffering from deep moral trauma. Since then she has been researching for several years on the spiritual values of the present-day Chechens. Her findings argue that the Chechen people have a considerable positive potential even after the inhumane tragedy of war and that they maintain faith in the value of compassion and humanistic traditions.
In 1999 Bersanova presented her research in the lecture held in the Andrei Sakharov
Andrei Sakharov
Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov was a Soviet nuclear physicist, dissident and human rights activist. He earned renown as the designer of the Soviet Union's Third Idea, a codename for Soviet development of thermonuclear weapons. Sakharov was an advocate of civil liberties and civil reforms in the...
Museum in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and in 2004 and 2005, she participated in a series of conferences in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, funded through the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, on the issues of war and peace. It was there that she conceived the idea of consolidating the efforts of all the researchers of the Chechen culture in order to help stop the violence. Together with her fellow researchers, Bersanova founded the International Center for Chechen Studies, striving to make the real face of the Chechen people and Chechnya's rich history and spiritual cultural achievements visible to the world. She is the author of the anti-war books I Choose the Mountains, The Bought Happiness, and The Road Home.