Magas

Magas ( ingusch. and Russian Магас ) is since 2003 the capital of the autonomous Russian republic of Ingushetia in the North Caucasus. The city is of 2502 inhabitants (as of October 14, 2010 ). the smallest capital in the Russian Federation subject.

Location

The city is located on the banks of the Terek influx Sunzha four kilometers southeast of the largest city of the Republic and its former capital Nazran. In the immediate vicinity of Magas, the border between the republics of Ingushetia and North Ossetia -Alania runs. The M29 highway and a railway line to the North Caucasian railway running north of Magas near or in Nazran.

History

The city of Magas, whose name literally means " city of the sun" in the Ingush language originated approximately in place of a historic site which belonged to the medieval Kingdom of Alania. The name change in 1995 suggests an identity with the historic capital of the medieval kingdom, whose name has been handed down from Al- Mas'udi as Maghas and was destroyed in 1239 by the Golden Horde. However, this equation is not scientifically proven and there are two or three other find spots that may correspond to the old Maghas without the question is yet to be clarified scientifically.

The occasion of the foundation of the city as the new capital of Ingushetia, instead of the previous government seat Nazran was the fact that the latter had only a makeshift fulfills its functions as capital: The autonomous republic of Ingushetia went to the end of the Soviet Union out of the Chechen- Ingush Autonomous Republic, whose capital Grozny was. After the split of the Republic was adopted by the new Ingush government initially to have set up their headquarters in Nazran as the largest city of the Republic. However, there were hardly any buildings that would be suitable for this function, so that the authorities had to be accommodated by necessity in smaller administrative buildings, sometimes in schools or hotels.

For this reason, began in the suburb district of Nazran so in 1995 to build the new capital under the name Magas. Five years later, the city was granted city status, and in December 2000 was the law that gave the status of the Ingush capital Magas, unanimously approved by the Russian State Duma. End of 2002, the government and the President of the Republic moved into the newly constructed government complex. As of the 2002 census, the city had only 275 inhabitants.

In Magas is an administrative building of the Russian secret service FSB. On this one attack occurred in July 2007. The Russian authorities suspected the attackers in the neighboring village Ali -Yurt, where in a subsequent search operation 24 people were injured.

Demographics

Note: Census data