2Q6X+4W Nizhny Zadalesk, Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Russia
The village of Zadalesk is located in the Digor Gorge, on an elevation on the right bank of the Urukh River. The village was one of the border settlements of Tapan – the Digor society, and was divided into two sections – Upper and Lower Zadalesk.
Until the late Middle Ages, Zadalesk played an exceptional role in the defense of all of Digoria. The troubled life on the border, the inevitable losses in frequent battles with external enemies, led to a constant change of population in Zadalesk. Besides Digor family names, there were many Iron family names here, mainly descendants from the Alagir Gorge.
The history of the village of Zadalesk is connected with the most tragic chapter in the history of the Alans. At the end of the 14th century, the Mongol campaigns led by Timur in Alania ended with the almost complete extermination of the Alans. According to legend, one woman who survived, later named Nana, in order to prevent the Alan lineage from disappearing from the earth, gathered orphaned children from 16 Alan clans and led them out through secret passages. She fed them wild fruits and roots. They took refuge in a cave on the Morga glade near Zadalesk. The cave is located in a tectonic fissure, the northern part of which is blocked by a giant fallen boulder, and its flat base serves as the ceiling of the cave. Timur’s troops did not reach there. The children she saved became the beginning of the people's revival. Grateful residents of Zadalesk built a house for her and the children, which after her death became a sanctuary. According to tradition, Zadalesk Nana is buried in the same Morga cave, next to which a tsyrt (a sacred pillar) is erected.
Every year on the third Saturday of July, the village celebrates the festival of Zadalesk Nana. Three families are responsible for the festival; they donate rams to the kuvd (sacrificial altar), brew beer, prepare arak (a traditional spirit) – making every effort to ensure the success of the celebration. Parents whose daughters were born during the year come to the sanctuary with offerings. The elder offers a prayer, entrusting the children and youth to Nana, asking that by her mercy they be spared from illnesses, misfortunes, and difficult roads.
The doors of the Zadalesk Nana museum are open year-round to all who wish to learn about the old Ossetian way of life. Zadalesk Nana has truly become a great heroine – a symbol of the revival of the Ossetian people.
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