The Feappii (, ) were an Ingush subgroup (society) that mostly inhabited the mountainous Fappi region of Ingushetia in the Caucasus. Historically, they bordered on the west with Dzherakh, on the east with Khamkhins, on the north with Nazranians, and in the south with Gudomakarians. The center of the society was the fortified village (aul) of Erzi or Metskhal.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, part of the Feappii migrated to Tusheti, Georgia, due to a lack of land. The descendants of the migrants are known as Bats people. In the 17th and 18th centuries, another wave of migration occurred, to the region of Aukh (modern-day Dagestan).
In 1733, due to concerns about the expansion of the Ottoman Turks in the region, the Feappii, together with the Dzherakhs and Khamkhins, established ties with the Kingdom of Kartli. As the Russian Empire began expanding its territories in the Caucasus region in the 19th century, the Caucasian War broke out. During the war, the Feappii Society was devastated after a Russian punitive expedition in 1830.
After the end of the Caucasian War, the Feappii became part of various okrugs of the Terek Oblast, which in turn was part of the Caucasus Viceroyalty. These included the Voeynno-Ossetian okrug, Ingush okrug, Vladikavkazsky Okrug, Sunzhensky Otdel, and the Nazran okrug.
Etymology Endonyms The endonym of the Feappii in their native Ingush language is фаьппий (Fäppij in old Ingush Latin writing system).
translated the ethnonym in Ingush language as "settlers marching in a discordant crowd". Similarly, Rusudan Kharadze and Aleksey Robakidze made a hypothesis that the ethnonym might be connected with the term "alien/new settler" (but not as ethnically different from the main mass of Ingush). According to linguist , the ethnonym has no etymological explanation. connected the name in the form of Veppiy with the Khazar king Uobos, mentioned in the Georgian Chronicles, thus dating the name back to the 10th century AD.
Exonyms Historically, the Feappii were known by the exonym of Georgian origin as Kists or Kistins, along with its variants such as Nearby Kists or Nearby Kistins. These terms later appeared in Russian literature. Eventually, the meaning of this ethnonym expanded to cover all Nakh peoples, despite originally referring specifically to the Feappii. The Kist ethnonym was replaced by the term "Metskhalins" in the 19th century, and the Kistin society became known as the "Metskhalin society" respectively, after the chancellery of the society was transferred to Metskhal.
The Ossetians referred to the Feappii as Maqqal (), and the river , on which the society was situated, as Maqqaldon (), which lent its name to one of the Russian names for Armkhi, Makaldon (). The ethnonym Maqqal was infrequently used to denote Feappii on some maps. This ethnonym is linked to the Ingush and Ossetian word for Kite, Maqqal (/). According to Anatoly Genko, the Ossetians derived this name from the aul of Erzi and its inhabitants, the Erzians.
History Early history One of the mountainous Ingush societies, the Feappins inhabited the mountainous Fappi region of Ingushetia in the Caucasus. The Feappins bordered Dzheyrakh to the west, the Khamkhins to the east, the Nazranians to the north, and the Gudomakarians to the south.
Historically, the Feappins were known by the exonym of Georgian origin as Kists or Kistins, along with other variants such as Nearby Kists or Nearby Kistins. The region where they resided was referred to as "Kistetia", as well as "Kistia" or "Kistinia". The first recorded mention of Kists dates back to the 7th century, in the work Ashkharhatsuyts, where it appeared in the form Kusts. However, in that context, it was used to generally describe the Ingush people, not specifically the Feappins.
According to the ethnographer Chakh Akhriev, the Feappin society traces its foundation to Prince Kist, who settled in the region and founded the village of Erzi. From him descended the Oartskhoy clan of Erzi, with the Yandiev and Mamilov families as its principal branches, whose members were recognized as the ruling princes of Kistetia (the Feappii society).Akhriev, Ch. E. (1875). "Ингуши. Их предания, верования и поверья" [Ingush. Their legends, beliefs and beliefs]. Сборник сведений о кавказских горцах [Collection of information about the Caucasian highlanders] (in Russian) (8th ed.). Tiflis. pp. 1–40.
During the 16th to 17th centuries, a portion of the Feappins migrated to Tusheti, Georgia, in search of land. Today, the descendants of these Feappins are known as the Bats people. Another wave of migration occurred in the 17th to 18th centuries to the region of Aukh (modern-day Dagestan). Today, the descendants of those migrants are known as the Vyappiy and refer to Tyarsh as their ancestral village, as evidenced by their family chronicle ():
In 1733, fearing the expansion of the Ottoman Turks, the Feappins, Dzherakhs and Khamkhins wrote a letter to Vakhtang VI, declaring their oath of allegiance to Kartli. The letter was signed by 16 representatives from leading surnames of the Feappin, Dzherakh, and Khamkhin communities.
Contacts with Russia and incorporation into Russia On January 8, 1811, foremen from 13 Feappin villages swore allegiance to the Russian Empire. However, both the Ingush and Russian sides viewed such oaths more as treaty agreements than actual submission.
In 1823-1824, alongside early military and administrative measures, the Russian authorities supported missionary campaigns organized by the Georgian Exarchate to establish Orthodox Christianity in the region. The mission launched its campaign at Erzi, selecting it as its first destination due to its status as the largest settlement and primary center of the Feappin society. Ecclesiastical reports note that the society deferred major political and religious decisions to the Yandiev (Andiashvili) clan of Erzi, recognized in Georgian correspondence as the ruling paramount chiefs (khevistavi) of the region. The Feappins initially refused to be baptized, stating that they would act according to the decisions of their khevistavi. A violent clash then broke out, resulting in the death of a prominent mediator, Faraga Yandiev (Andiashvili), and the wounding of three others. The situation was subsequently resolved through an agreement with the Yandievs, which secured local cooperation and enabled a baptism to take place in Erzi, comprising 39 households and 310 individuals. The remaining settlements soon followed. By late 1824, a total of 2,549 individuals were baptized across the Feappin society, leading to the designation of regional parishes for the construction of permanent churches, notably in Erzi, Eban, Khuli and Dzheyrakh. Throughout the campaign, the expedition party was protected and supported by members of influential clans, including the Yandievs, Tsurovs, Khamatkhanovs, Mamilovs, Dudarovs and Kazbegis, who acted as key intermediaries with the population.
During the Caucasian War, the Feappins were targeted by Russian expansion efforts. In July 1830, two Russian columns led by Major General Abkhazov embarked on a punitive expedition to mountainous Ingushetia. The Russian forces traversed the Darial and Assa Gorges, encountering fierce resistance, particularly from the inhabitants of Eban. As a result of this expedition, the Feappins were temporarily subdued by the Russian Empire, and their villages (auls) devastated. This marked the establishment of district courts and civil governance in mountainous Ingushetia. Following the general uprising of Chechnya in March 1840, during which Chechens aligned with the Caucasian Imamate, Pavel Grabbe reported that the Kists (i.e., Feappins) were either sympathetic to or aligned with the Caucasian Imamate.
Within the Russian Empire, the Feappins were part of the Ossetian-Military Okrug (1857–1862), the Ingush okrug (1862–1871), the Vladikavkazsky okrug (1871–1888), the Sunzhensky otdel (1888–1909), and the Nazran okrug (1909–1920).
Modern During the Russian Civil War, the self-proclaimed state of the Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus emerged in the Caucasus region, with Vassan-Girey Dzhabagiev, a Feappin representative, serving as its finance minister. He also led the Ingush National Council.
In 1944, the Ingush people (including Feappins) were deported to Central Asia. They were only allowed to return in 1957, after Nikita Khrushchev reversed many of Josif Stalin's policies, including the mentioned deportation. Feappin writer and poet Issa Kodzoev was repressed by the Soviet regime for addressing Stalin’s crimes. In 1989, Kodzoev, along with other Feappin representatives like Sulambek Mamilov, was part of the committee for the revival of Ingush autonomy within the Russian SFSR of the Soviet Union.
Today, Feappin descendants live across Ingushetia.
Composition Feappin society consisted of the following fortified villages (auls), tribal organizations (teips), and surnames (nyaqhash/vyarash): Auls Teips and nyaqhash/vyarash Beyni (Бейни) Keligovs (Келигнаькъан), Murzabekovs (Марзбикнаькъан), Torshkhoy (Тӏоаршхой) Byalgan (Баьлгӏане) Bisht (Бишт) Beshtoy (Бештой) Eban (Эбане) Ebankhoy (Эбанхой): Tsitskiyevs (Цискнаькъан) Erzi (Аьрзи) Oartskhoy (Оарцхой): Yandievs (Янданаькъан), Aldaganovs (Алдагӏнаькъан), Mamilovs (Мамилнаькъан), Burazhevs (Буражнаькъан), Buruzhevs (Буружнаькъан) Garak (Гаракх) Garakoy (Гаракой) Goust (Гӏовзтӏе) Ebankhoy (Эбанхой): Akhilgovs (Ахильгнаькъан) Guli (Хьули) Khulkhoy (Хьулахой) Dukhargisht (Духьаргишт) Kushtovs (Куштнаькъан) Kasheti (Кашетӏе) Kerbite (Кербӏитӏе) Oartskhoy (Оарцхой) Keyrakh (Кхерахье) Korokhoy (Корохой): Tankievs, Esmurzievs, Askhievs, Batyzhevs, Gireevs, Muruzhevs, Chasigovs, Chumakovs, Bogatyrevs, Shakrievs Khamishk (Хьамишк) Chilievs (Чилинаькъан) Didigovs (Дидигнаькъан) Patievs (Патнаькъан) Mizievs (Мизинаькъан) Gumukovs (Гумукнаькъан) Torievs (Торинаькъан) Kharp (Хьарп) Matiyevs (Матенаькъан) Amerhanovs (Амерхананаькъан) Khastmak (Хьастмоаке) Kiralt (Киралт)Oartskhoy (Оарцхой) Koshk (Къоашке) Lyazhgi (Лаьжг) Lozkhoy (Лошхой) Khautiyevs (Ховтнаькъан) Metskhal (Мецхал) Dzhabagiyevs (Джабагӏнаькъан), Kotiyevs (Котнаькъан), Kusievs (Кусенаькъан), Tochiyevs (Тоачанаькъан) Morch (Морч) Morchkhoevs (Морчхой), Dzortovs (Дзортонаькъан), Yaryzhevs (Ярыжнаькъан), Ortskhanovs (Орцхонаькъан), Bagaevs (Баганаькъан) Olgeti (Олгатӏе) Evkurovs (Евкурнаькъан), Itarovs (Итаранаькъан), Buruzhevs (Буружнаькъан) Shoan (Шоане) Shoankhoy (Шоанхой) Tyarsh (Тӏаьрш) Gudantovs (Гӏудантнаькъан), Daskievs (Даскенаькъан), Doskhoy (Досхой), Murzabekovs (Марзбикнаькъан), Torshkhoy (Тӏоаршхой) Falkhan (Фалхан) Azhigovs (ӏажнаькъан), Bersanovs (Берсанаькъан), Keligovs (Келигнаькъан), Kotiyevs (Котнаькъан), Dzarakhovs (Зарахнаькъан), Umarovs (ӏумарнаькъан) Gu (Гув) Gukhoy (Гухой) Khanikal (Ханикал) Khyani (Хаьни) Khanievs (Хоаной) Kyazi (Каьзи) Kodzoyevs (Коазой) Lyalakh (Лаьлах) Lolokhoyevs (Лоалахой) Magote (Маготе) Salgi (Салги) Salgirkhoy (Салгирхой)
Demographics Year Population Source 1816 1 269 Document 1838 2 071 Document 1857 1 269 Adolf Berge 1883 1 749 Census 1890 1 924 Census 1914 880 Census
Notable people , an Ingush employee of the , secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Ingushetia, and a hero of the Russian Federation. Akhmed Kotiev, an Ingush boxer and Minister of Physical Culture and Sports of the Republic of Ingushetia. Nazyr Mankiev, an Ingush wrestler and 2008 Olympic gold medalist. Timur Matiev, an Ingush historian (Doctor of Sciences), Head of the Department of History of the Ingush State University. , an Ingush historian and archivist. , an Ingush historian and writer. , the first Ingush people's poet, member of the Union of Soviet Writers, and chairman of the Union of Writers of Checheno-Ingushetia. Issa Kodzoev, an Ingush writer, poet, and teacher. Ruslan Mamilov, an Ingush artist, director, and sculptor. , an Ingush artist and singer.