Fortress-city-frontier administrative unit: governance models on the North Caucasian frontier of Russia in the XVIII century

this paper analyzes the frontier management model on the North Caucasian frontier based on a system of fortress lines. The objective is to identify the governance model of the North Caucasus frontier during the Russian Empire. An analysis of the Kizlyar-Azov fortress line revealed the following characteristics: 1) From the construction of the Kizlyar fortress in 1735, the completion of the Mozdok fortress in 1765, and the establishment of the Azov-Mozdok line in 1780, Russia created a border line stretching from Kizlyar to Azov, with fortresses forming its foundation; 2) The fortresses subsequently evolved into towns to strengthen military and economic control over the frontier territories; 3) When the population in the fortresses became sufficient and their development reached a certain level, imperial decrees transformed them into administrative units, further stimulating urban development through religious, economic, and ethnic incentives. It is concluded that: 1) The internal logic of Russian expansion in the Caucasus lay in integrating the military and civilian populations based on military power and subsequently systematizing governance through state decrees; 2) The "fortress-town-frontier administrative unit" model played a crucial role in stabilizing, developing, and assimilating the frontier during Russia's expansion in the Caucasus.

крепость, город, модель управления российским фронтиром, Северный Кавказ, Кизлярско-Азовская укреплённая линия