REPUBLIC OF ADYGEA – SMALL AND BEAUTIFUL

In this paper is considered the Republic of Adygea, one of the smallest federal subjects of the huge and complexly organized Russian Federation. Here is presented a concise history of building of the republic, as its today’s natural characteristics: geographic position, area size and population, relief, climate and water, and natural resources and economy. Especially is emphasized the attractiveness of its touristic destinations and cultural heritage, as conditions for tourism development. Specific possibilities for cultural cooperation between Serbia and Adygea provides Circassian minority, who settled in Kosovo (and in other parts of Serbia) after the Crimean War, one part of which returned to the homeland.


Introduction
Russia is the world's largest country, spreading over two continents -Europe and Asia, and covering 17,125,187 km 2 (Figure 1). At the beginning of 2016, the population is officially estimated to 146.5 million inhabitants. Today's Russia is a successor to several states. According to the questionable "Invitation of the Varangians" theory (Norman or Normanist theory), with its first proponents, the 18th-century German historians of Russia -Gerhardt Friedrich Bayer, Gerhard Friedrich Müller, August Ludwig von Schlözer and other German historians, such as Johann Erich Thunmann -all of those states originated in the ancient Russian state, founded in 862 and governed by the Rurik dynasty.
The modern-day Russian Federation is the legal heir of the Soviet Union (USSR). As Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR), it was part of the USSR from 30th December 1922, when the Soviet Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia and the Transcaucasian Federation united into the Soviet Union, until the end of 1991. On 8th December 1991, the Belavezha Accords signed by Russia, Ukraine and Belorussia declared the USSR dissolved and on 12th December, the agreement was ratified by the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR. On 25th December, the Supreme Soviet adopted a law to rename the RSFSR to Russian Federation. Two years after, on 25th December 1993, a new constitution came into force and it is current to the present day. Russia is a complex entity, composed not only of republics, but also of other types of federal units, which all have a common denomination: federal subjects. The subjects of the contemporary Russian Federation were formed in the times of RSFSR. When the current Constitution was adopted in 1993, it defined 89 subjects. Subsequently, a series of transformations and name changes occurred, so after some regions unified on 1st March 2008, there was left a total of 83 subjects. Following the incorporation of Crimea referendum held on 18th March 2014, the number of federal subjects increased to 85 (Figure 2).
In addition to the federal organs, each federal subject has its executive (governor), legislature (regional parliaments) and judicial branch (Constitutional or Statutory court). Each subject has its own Constitution (republics) or Statute (other subjects), as well as its own legislature, adopted by the respective regional parliament. The federal subjects each have two representatives in the Federation Council, which is the upper house of the Federal Assembly. All the subjects are equal in terms of their relationship with the federal government. They are empowered to solve issues delegated by the Constitution. The federal subjects are given no right to separate from the Russian Federation. According to the fundaments of political and social organization of the Russian Federation, the federal subjects are grouped in federal okrugs (districts) since 2000 ( Figure  3). Districts are not subjects or any other kind of constituents of the Federation and they were formed after the example of the military okrugs. A federal district is an area in which the President of Russia is represented by a polpred representative, one of the leading members of the Administration of the President of Russian Federation, who substitutes the President in a number of occasions. At first seven okrugs were formed, while in 2010 the North-Caucasian separated from the South Federal Okrug, and after the incorporation of Crimea, the Crimean Federal Okrug was established. Therefore, 9 federal okrugs exist in today's Russian Federation. Main data of the federal districts are given in Table 1. They are established from 2010 Russian Census, except for the Crimean Federal District, that was incorporated in Russia on March 2014, after the Russian Census was held. As we can see, the Southern Federal District is one of the smallest -it is bigger only than North Caucasian and Crimean Districts. On the other hand, the number of inhabitants in this district is smaller only in comparison to Central Federal District, Volga Federal District and Siberian Federal District. This fact shows that the population density and, consequently, the economic activities in Southern Federal District are among the biggest in Russian Federation. Southern Federal District envelops two republics -Adygea and Kalmykia, Krasnodar Krai 2 and three oblasts -Astrakhan, Volgograd and Rostov, with capitals Maykop, Elista, Krasnodar, Astrakhan, Volgograd and Rostov-on-Don ( Figure 4). Besides districts (okrugs), the federal subjects are grouped into: -12 economic regions, -10 geographic regions, -8 natural regions, -4 military districts (6 as of 2010), and -11 time zones.

Republics as the Federal Subjects of Russian Federation
According to the Population Census 2010, in Russian Federation live 304 nationalities. Among them, 41 nationality has more than 100,000 inhabitants. After the incorporation of Crimea, the Crimean Tatars became the 42 nd nation with more than 100,000 people. Although in many cases all nationalities live mixed in Federation, they are more or less concentrated on minor territory, forming their own land. These lands are formed as republics. Republics are the specific subjects in Russia; they were formed as national-state formations. There are 22 republics in Russian Federation ( Figure 5). Contrary to other subjects, they have their own constitution, and the right to establish their own official language. In Republic of Adygea official languages are Russian and Adygean (or West Circassian).  Republic of Adygea (other spellings Adygeya, Adyge, Adyghea) is one of the youngest formations in the status of republic within the today's Russian state. The formation of the republics, in general, began after the October Revolution, with many transformations, particularly in circumstances of the civil war and war against intervention of foreign forces. The symbols of the republic, the flag and the coat of arms of the Republic of Adygea are presented on Figure 6. On the green and gold Adyge flag are 12 stars that represent the 12 tribes of Adygs (Circassians) people. Adygea's coat of arms also shows these 12 stars -the 12 tribes of Adyghe nation. In the center of the coat of arms is a rider on a horse, Sosruko or Sosriqwe, the hero of the Nart saga (saga of the North Caucasus' nations), with a torch in his hand -a torch that he seized from the gods for people. Author of the national coat of arms is the artist of the Republic Davlet Meretukov. The capital city of the republic is Maykop. The name the city comes from Adyghe word that means "apple valley". It is founded in 1857 as a fortress on the River Bela. In the second half of the 19th century the city lost its military importance and in 1870, by the decision of the Emperor Alexander II, was declared as county. The city is inhabited by 153,500 citizens (144,249 according to Census in 2010). Maykop is located in the north foothills of the Caucasus Ridge on the right bank of the Belaya River (the Kuban River tributary). Maykop is 1,255 km far from Moscow and is in the same time zone. The city's name originates from an Adyghe word "Myequape" (Мыекъуапэ) that is translated as "a settlement in the mouth of a river, flowing through the valley of apple trees".

Geographic Position, Area Size and Population of Adygea
Republic of Adygea is one of the smallest federal subjects within the Russian state. It covers the area of 7,792 km 2 (0.05% of territory of Russian Federation), with territory that makes an enclave within Krasnodar Krai. Among the federal republics, smaller than Adygea is only Ingushetia. All other federal subjects in Russia are bigger, except the cities of federal importance (Moscow, Sankt-Petersburg and Sevastopol). Among European countries, Adygea is about the size of Cyprus (9,251 km 2 ); it is greater only than Luxembourg, Andorra, Malta, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Monaco and Vatican. The republic is situated at basin of two main Kuban inflows -Laba and Belaya. Main part of the republic covers the area between 44° and 45°N, spreading the geographic latitude of, for example, Serbian capital Belgrade (44 0 49'14") and its neighborhood. The whole length of the borders of Adygea is 900 km, the spans in are 208 km (in direction north-south) and 165 km (in direction west-east).
45th circle of latitude crosses the Krasnodar Reservoir (Kuban Sea), the biggest reservoir of the Northern Caucasus. Its area is 420 km 2 , volume 2.0 to 3.1 km 3 (it is regulated, the water level oscillating about to 8 m), long 40 km, wide to 15 km. The reservoir was built in 1973-1975; east part of new reservoir includes former Tschikskoe Reservoir. 44th circle of latitude crosses the north-western parts of Big Caucasus. In the west-east direction, the republic is crossed with the 40th meridian, that goes through Lago-Naki Upland, one of the natural jewels of the republic, and near west of the capital Maykop (Figure 7). On the 1st January 2015, the total population of the Republic was estimated to 449,171 inhabitants (Численность постоянного населения 2015). The population density (57.6 per km 2 ) is relatively high for the Russian Federation, although lower than in Krasnodar Krai. The shares of urban and rural population are 47.1 and 52.9. In comparison to Russian Federation, the share of urban population is considerably lower -in Federation, this share exceeds three quarters. It is also lower in comparison to Krasnodar Krai (54%).
Adygea is multi-ethnic republic. Over 80 ethnic groups live in the Republic. According to the Census 2010 (Итоги ... Том 4, 2012), dominant ethnicity are the Russians (63.6%), Adyghs, including Circassians are the second and make up 25.8%. Other ethnicities make up less than 10% of total population: Armenians (3.7%), Ukrainians (1.4%), Kurds (1.1%), Tatars (0.6), Roma (0.6%), etc. Titular nationality is more compact and make majority in city Adygeysk (78.4%) and in Teuchezhsky (68.4%) and Shovgenovsky District (62.5%), also in Koshekhablsky District (49.4%), although there is less than half of total population. at the North that is plain, and mountainous at the south. The highest mountain peak is 3,238 m (mountain Chugush on the south of the republic, Figure 8). The mountain is located in the Western Caucasus, and contains 10 glaciers covering an area of 1.2 km 2 .
The republic's major mountains and peaks range in height from 2,000 to 3,238 metres, and include: Chugush Mountain -3,238 m, Mount Fisht -2,867 m, Oshten Mountain -2,804 m, Pseashkho Mountain -2,743 m, Shepsi Mountain -2,755 m (mountain peak near Kurdzhinovo, Karachayevo-Cherkesiya). Oshten together with Fisht are the first from west Caucasus peaks, arise to the high of snow line and covered not only with even snows, but also with little glaciers.
The republic is rich of water, which resources are widely used in farming. The main river in Republic is 870-kilometer long Kuban River (Figure 9). Kuban (Russian: Кубань, Adyghe: Псыжъ) is one of the major navigable rivers in the Caucasus region; it is navigable from the city Ust-Labinsk, in central part of the Krasnodar Krai on right (high) bank of Kuban River, up to Krasnodar. It forms part of the northern border between the Republic of Adygea and Krasnodar Krai. Kuban flows mostly through Krasnodar Krai for 660 kilometres but also in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Stavropol Krai and the Republic of Adygea. Kuban basin size is 57,900 km 2 . The river was known to Herodotus as Hypanis, flows 870 kilometres north and west from its source near Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus Mountains (as it is formed at the merge of its two tributaries, Ullukam and Uchkulam), eventually reaching Temryuk Bay in the Sea of Azov. Kuban has great economic importance, among others, to the Adygea. In 2008-2009 there were the plans to build Adygea Hydroelectric Power Station, capacity of 72 MWh, but up to day these plans were not implemented. It is a tributary of the Kuban River, which it joins at Ust-Labinsk. It is formed by the confluence of the Bolshaya Laba River and the Malaya Laba River. It is used for irrigation and log driving. It is also suitable for rafting. Other rivers are Chokhrak River, Dakh River, Fars River, Khodz River, Kisha River, Psekups River, Pshish River, Sakhray River, Sukhoy Kurdzhips River -flows near the archaeological site at Mezmaiskaya cave. At the slopes of Fisht their flow start Rivers Pshekha 139 km long and Belaya, that belongs to Kuban basin, and river Shakhe inflows directly into Black Sea in Sochi. On the west mountain slopes is the waterfall Fisht 200 meters high. Other beautiful waterfalls are Rufabgo, Pshekhsky, Keyvu, Shapsug, Psedakh.
Climate in the republic is moderately continental (Котляков 2003). Average temperature in January is -2.3°C, in July 21.5°C. Precipitations are cca 700 mm per year. Main river is Kuban, with great reservoir (Kuban Sea). Also, there are the Shapsugskoe and Octyabrskoe reservoirs.

Natural Resources and Economy
The republic is rich in oil and natural gas. In 1911, oil deposits were discovered in the vicinity of today's capital city Maykop. The discovery of extensive underground oil reserves has made Maykop a major center for oil extraction for the Soviet Union and subsequently, Russia. The amount of oil in the deposit was 171,000 tons on 1st January 1992 (out of which only 3,000 tons are produced each year). Adygea also has natural gas fields. The fields under development include the Maykop field (which is practically depleted), the Koshekhabelskoye field (which originally had 10.2 billion m 3 , of which only about 8% has been harvested) and a part of the Nekrasovskoye gas condensate field. Exploration is underway in the Severo-Kuzhorskoye field (with an estimated 1.6 billion m 3 ); prospects were discovered in the Vostochno-Kuzhorskoye field (2 billion m 3 ) and Vostochno-Giaganskoye field (4.4 billion m 3 ). Expected gas reserves in this field in total amounts 20 billion m 3 . The Nekrasovskoye field is at the final developmental stage. (Data for oil and gas from : Smirnov 2006.) Other natural resources include, in mountain part of republic, little fields (mineral deposits) of gold, silver, tungsten, iron, mercury, lead, and zinc. In republic are the deposits of building materials, including brick and haydite clay, sand, gravel, and ornamental stone. Also, it has large reserves of rubble. Other economically important sectors are food processing and the timber industry. Food, timber, woodworking, pulp and paper, heavy engineering, and metal-working are the most developed industries.
Even though it is now one of the poorest parts of Russia (average income is 12,493.4 rubles per capita), the republic has abundant forests and rich soil. The soil is predominantly chernozem, there are also kastanozems and mountain forest soils. The region is famous for producing grain, sunflowers, tea, tobacco, etc. Hog and sheep breeding are also developed. Forests cover almost 40% of its territory. About two-fifths of the territory of the republic is covered by temperate deciduous forest (beech, oak, hornbeam, maple). The main part of Caucasus Nature Reserve is placed in Adygea. Wild fruit forests, chestnut and nut plants are of great value. These forests are the unique natural phenomenon. They take up an area of over 15,000 ha (36,000 acres). The wild fruit forests that we see now are only the remains of the former famous "Circassian gardens".
Favorable climatic conditions, presence of productive land and industrial reserves of the series of mineral resources, to a large extent determined the priorities in development of republic's economy. Republic protrudes as vendor of various agricultural row, products of engineering and metalworking, forestry and wood industry, also food industry. Great reserves of mineral and thermal waters make possible to develop sanatorium network.
Here is a balneary and a Maykop spring of mineral water rich with Iodine and Bromine that is intended for treating pancreatic diabetes, adiposity, gout, as well as chronic gastritis with normal and hypersecretion of stomach. Chloride-hydrocarbonate mineral water from Lemonade factory "Maykopskaya" can be one of the important Adygean export products.
In republic today, about 90 large and middle companies in 11 branches are active. Leading branch is food manufacturing; the largest share of them in general volume of production is about 50 percent. Food industry enterprises produce meat and vegetables, fruits and fruit preserves, confectionery, pasta and wine and spirits, beer and dairy territories of Republic of Adygea, Krasnodar Krai and Karachay-Cherkess Republic; series of the unique natural monuments and national natural park "Mountains of Adygea". Caucasus Nature Reserve is a Russian "zapovednik" (strict ecological reserve) covering a heavily mountainous section of the Northwest Caucasus Mountains. It is the largest and the oldest in the territory of specially protected natural area in the Caucasus, having been created in 1924 as the Caucasian Bison Reserve. In 1979, the site was named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and in 1999 included in UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2008 it was officially renamed after Khachatur (Christopher) G. Shaposhnikov, the biologist who founded the reserve. The area is situated in the Mostovsky District of Krasnodar Krai, covering an area of 280,335 ha. Bolshoi Tkhach is the natural park of regional importance, situated in Maykop raion. It is founded in 1997. The size of park is 3,705 ha. In 1999, with the other protected natural territories, it was included in object of World Natural Heritage "Western Caucasus". Adygea is the unique state entity in the world, where specially protected natural territories make more than one-third of its area, and nearly 14 percent became objects of World Natural Heritage. Figure 10. Plateau Lago-Naki Source: (Василисков 2016а) Plateau Lago-Naki -jewel of the mountain Adygea (see Василисков 2016а, also Василисков 2016б и 2016в). It is the highest accessible point, which can be reached by car. Most of the mountains of the Republic of Adygea are located on Lago-Naki plateau that stretches from the north to the south and from the west to the east for over 40 km. This is a common place for walking and mountain hiking, mountaineering and rock-climbing. Winter tourism and mountain skiing is now rapidly developing on Lago-Naki plateau territory. Just there pass all touristic routes to the most famous peaks of Caucasus Nature Reserve -Fisht, Pshekho-Su and Oshten. But it is much better to start the route to the peaks from Yavorova Polyana, that is near settlement Guzeripl. There is also another way, where it is necessary to come to the to Azishskaya bend (known also as Stone Gate), to the narrow passage to Caucasus Nature Reserve, to go up to the observation deck and to enjoy plateau panorama.
The picturesque Lago-Maki plateau ( Figure 10) is a unique place where can be found all wonders of the Caucasus -coves, snow covered mountain summits, rich alpine meadows, vast steppe, secular forests, mountain rivers with waterfalls and quiet lakes. Narrow impassable gorges adjoin spacious hollows between mountains. On the northern slope of Mount Fisht can be found the largest glacier -Bolshoy Fishtinsky -and 13 karst ponds that filled cup-like hollows made by the glacier. Next to the area are canyons of the Tsitsa River "boiling" with whirlpools and trees in blossom right behind it. Lago-Naki plateau is also known for a health resort that is located on the River Kurdzhips bank and thus carries its name. It specializes on treating the cardiovascular system, musculoskeletal apparatus, digestion system, nervous system and many other disorders. Visitors could spend their leisure time walking, riding a horse or a bicycle around the plateau. Extreme sports followers could go rafting. There is also a health improvement camp "Gornyi Kluch" (Mountain Spring) in Maykop District. Among other attractions of the Republic is the Belaya River canyon "Shum" that is also called as the Hadzhokskaya Gorge, where you could go on fascinating and unforgettable night walks; the Granite canyon and the Guamskoe Gorge, on the slopes of which you could see relic box-trees and yew-trees (4 km of Memzay settlement); the Rufabgo waterfalls; the Michael-Athos monastery founded in 1878; Azishskie karst caves, located in the southern part of the Azish-Tau Range on 1400 elevation above sea level (210 km from the region center). The caves are very picturesque and there is a guided tour through its passages and halls. Not far from a mountain settlement of Guzeripl (Russian Гузери́пль, Adyge Гъузэрыплъ) can be seen the biggest dolmen of the Republic (Guzeripl Dolmen № 1, Figure 11). The Guzerpil dolmen № 1 is one of the largest and most intact dolmens of Adygea. Dolmens (Adyghe: исп-унэ), a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, represent a unique type of prehistoric architecture, built with precisely dressed large stone blocks. The Guzeripl dolmen 1, megalithic monument, is located on the territory of the Guzerpil cordon of the Caucasus Natural Reserve. It is dated to approximately 2000 B.C. Moreover, every spring Guzeripl hosts an international water rally. The territory of present Adygea republic was inhabited from ancient times. Abadzehskaya Paleolithic site is located in contemporary Maykop district. Tere are also a lot of archaeological sites of Bronze and Iron Ages. Maykop archaeological culture is well known, not only in Russia. Most of the precious items, excavated while Adygea was a part of Krasnodar krai, also known as "Scythian gold" or "Kuban gold", are located outside Adygea for the time being. Unique items were found during excavation of hills near the village of Ulyap (formerly Ulsky village), Krasnogvardeysky district. It is here, just outside Ulyap village, that precious adornments from Scythian burial mounds were discovered. There were many excavations: in 1898,1908,1909,1982,1983,2007, (see Ivantchik and Leskov 2015). On the Figure 12, the prehistoric lion is presented: Prehistory, Plaque, Lion, from Gold, 6 cm, Maykop culture, 3000-2500 BC, Eneolithic period, Copper Age, The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg.

Conclusion
Republic of Adygea is one of the smallest Russian federal subjects by both size and population, comparable only to European microstates. However, it is characterized by great natural and cultural diversity and heritage. Additionally, there are favorable conditions for tourism development. Considering the characteristics of the economies of Serbia and Republic of Adygea, the possibilities of their cooperation lie in the areas of high technologies, science and investigations and, above all, in the agro-complex, as well as tourism. As accurate as it may be when it comes to Russia as a whole, the stereotyped vision of Serbian agricultural and food production as our biggest exportation potential is, in this case, not fundamental.
In regards to the cooperation with this region, as well with the whole of Russia, Serbian construction operation companies should not be underrated, since despite all the difficulties this branch has gone through in the transition process, it succeeded in establishing good reputation during the Sochi Olympics infrastructure development, thus occupying solid positions within Russia.
As a completely specific opportunity for development of (cultural) cooperation between Serbia and Adygea we should mention Circassian minority inhabited in Kosovo (and in other parts of Serbia) after the Crimean War. Part of them returned to the homeland Adygea since the mid-20th century, especially at the end of the 1990s; however, some among them in 2000s opted for life in Kosovo. Culture of Adygea is ancient and colorful. National dances have one of the prominent places in it. The best representative of the national culture of Adygeya is its National Museum, which is in Maikop since 1926.