The North Caucasus in the Ottoman-Russian Rivalry: On the Way to Self-Identification (Северный Кавказ в Османо-Российском соперничестве: на пути к самоидентификации.)

Ottoman Empire and the Muslim peoples of the North Caucasus have been closely connected by spiritual, moral and religious ties for a long time. In connection with expansion of the Russian Empire to the North Caucasus ? to the sphere of influence and domination of the Ottoman Empire - have been untied several Russian-Turkish wars, and the peoples of the North Caucasus have raised people's liberation struggle against foreign domination in the region and tried to defend the independence and the right to independent existence, have shown the resistance to the Russian troops. In the beginning of the XXth century with the rise of the national consciousness the growth and development of Muslim and Turkish identity are observed, there are the ideas of necessity of transformations and reformation of the Muslim Caucasus, - all it has played a huge role in formation of projects of the national statehood and independence.