After pogroms at the airport, residents of Dagestan found a new gathering place

In defiance of the pogromists, who, shouting anti-Semitic slogans, staged riots at the Makhachkala airport, residents of Dagestan began to post on social networks and telegram channels their photographs at the monument, where representatives of three religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – sit at the same table with cups of tea. Residents of Makhachkala and Derbent told MK about their friendship with the Mountain Tatami Jews.

“I’m ashamed of my fellow countrymen who were looking for “refugees from Israel” at the airport in order to drive them out,” says Magomed from Derbent. — About 100 nationalities live in Dagestan; hospitality and mutual assistance have long been valued here. It was considered a shame to reject the hand that was reaching out to you for help. It also pains me to look at what is happening now in the Gaza Strip, my soul hurts. But what is the fault of ordinary Israeli people who are now fleeing the war? They need a peaceful sky above their heads. How can you refuse them this? This is unthinkable for me.

Magomed says that many townspeople now come to the monument of three religions.

“They go with whole families, with friends. Avars with Jews, Tsakhurs with Chechens, Dargins with Laks, Lezgins with Rutulians, Tabasarans with Aguls… They take selfies and take pictures. There, in Kazem-Bek Lane, there is a bronze sculpture. Three friends are sitting at the same table with cups of tea – a Muslim, a Christian and a Jew. They are friends first and foremost, and then representatives of different faiths.

When we remember how protesters at the airport in Makhachkala demanded to deal with Jews arriving from Israel, another of our interlocutors, Daoud, says that he is annoyed and does not understand how something like this could happen in such a multinational republic as Dagestan.

“I’m ashamed now to look our Jewish neighbors in the eyes,” says Daoud. – Mountain Jews – Tats – came to the Caspian Sea through Iran at one time. Their ancestors lived next to our ancestors and spoke a special dialect of the Tat language. They are the same native inhabitants of Derbent as we are.

Daoud says that their Jewish neighbors have helped them out more than once in difficult times. They helped during the wedding, comforted them when grief came to their family.

— Auntie Sigal cooks Caucasian cuisine perfectly, her sons Baruch and David dance the Lezginka fieryly. Their way of life is similar to ours. Although they observe their Jewish customs, and we observe ours.

According to our interlocutor, in Dagestan on one street you can see a mosque, a synagogue, an Orthodox church and an Armenian temple. Over the course of many centuries, Jews, Muslims and Orthodox Christians have learned to live in one society, in one city.

Melisat, who lives in Derbent, says they all grew up not caring who was what nationality.

“I now communicate every day with Jewish friends who live in Israel,” Melisat shares with us. — After the events of October 7, I call them to come to Derbent. My four-room apartment is empty. Let them live in good health. They thank you, but say that not everything is so simple. They have relatives in Israel, we need to support them.

Melisat says she can’t get through to one of her friends, who works as a doctor and lives in the southern Israeli town of Be’er Sheva, considered the gateway to the Negev Desert.

– I’m worried about her. I’m worried that people living in Dagestan went to destroy the airport when they found out about the flight from Tel Aviv. We’ve never had anything like this before. No one has ever called for reprisals against people based on their nationality and religion.

Melisat recalls that in 2006 Derbent was recognized as the most tolerant city in the world and received a UNESCO award.

— Our rabbi, mullah and Orthodox priest come to visit each other on religious holidays. Read prayers together. And now, after what happened, it was decided to hold a joint prayer service.