Maksharip Muzhukhoev

Maksharip Bagaudinovich Muzhukhoev (23 December 1942 – 16 July 2015) was a Soviet and Russian historian, archaeologist.

Born on 12 December 1942 in Grozny in Checheno-Ingush ASSR, he spent his childhood and youth in the village of Chulaktau, Kazakh ASSR, as a result of the deportation of the Chechens and Ingush in 1944. In 1960, Maksharip, together with his family, returned to Grozny. In 1962 he entered the Faculty of History and Philology of the Chechen-Ingush State Pedagogical Institute, from which he graduated in 1967 and began teaching at a school in the village of Plievo. From 1968 to 1991, Maksharip worked at the Chechen-Ingush Scientific and Research Institute of History, Language and Literature. In 1988, Maksharip was appointed the head of the History Department of Chechen-Ingush State University. In 1990, he achieved the title of professor. From 1994 to 1998 Maksharip directed the Ingush Research Institute for the Humanities named after Chakh Akhriev.

In 1969 his first work, which was about the mountainous Assa basin of Ingushetia, was published. In 1972 Maksharip defended his candidate thesis on the topic "Medieval material culture of mountainous Ingushetia (13th – 17th centuries)"; in 1987 Maksharip defended his doctoral thesis on the topic "Medieval Cult Monuments of the Central Caucasus", becoming the first Ingush to achieve the title of doctor of historical sciences.

Early life
Maksharip was born on 12 December 1942 in Grozny in Checheno-Ingush ASSR to an Ingush family. Maksharip's father worked in Grozny at a chemical plant while his mother was a housewife. In his family, he was the second child, having two younger brothers and an older sister. Together with his parents and grandparents, his family consisted of 9 people.

As a result of the deportation of the Chechens and Ingush in 1944, he spent his childhood and youth in the village of Chulaktau, Kazakh ASSR. There in Kazakhstan, Maksharip attended kindergarten and later a secondary school. After the secondary school, he got himself a job at a local pit mine. Because his family planned on returning to their homeland, admission to the university had to be postponed for some time. So in 1960, Maksharip, together with his family, returned to Grozny.

Career
Maksharip at first considered applying to a medical faculty, but in 1962 he entered the Faculty of History and Philology of the Chechen-Ingush State Pedagogical Institute. In 1967, he graduated from it and he started teaching at a school in Plievo.

In 1968, Maksharip went to work at the Chechen-Ingush Scientific and Research Institute of History, Language and Literature. At first he worked in sector of the economy, but with the advent of vacancies he was transferred to the sector of archeology and ethnography. In 1969 his first work, which was about the mountainous Assa basin of Ingushetia, was published.

In 1972, Maksharip defended ahead of time his candidate thesis on the topic "medieval material culture of mountainous Ingushetia (13th – 17th centuries)". He was the one who for the first time write about the relationship of the Ingush material and spiritual culture with Georgian, Chechen and Ossetian.

On February 1987, Maksharip defended his doctoral thesis on the topic "Medieval Cult Monuments of the Central Caucasus", becoming the first Ingush to achieve the title of doctor of historical sciences. The thesis was later published as a monograph in 1989.

In 1988, Muzhukhoev was elected to the position of head of the history department of Chechen-Ingush State University. In 1990, he achieved the title of professor.

Assessment
Historian Victor Schnirelmann:"Over the past fifteen years, a number of Orstkhoy intellectuals have done everything to revive the Orstkhoy identity. The head of the Department of History of the USSR at the Chechen-Ingush State University, archaeologist M.B. Muzhukhoev, was engaged in this with particular energy. He argued that the Orstkhoy were a separate Vainakh people and that, despite the assimilation processes of the 20th century, they retained their special identity."