Kabardino-Balkaria is a small republic within Russia’s North Caucasus region. It’s an ethnically diverse area, home to Kabardians (a Circassian Muslim people), Balkars (a Turkic Muslim group), Russians, among others. The republic also has an incredibly fraught history—Tsarist conquest, the decimation of the local population in the 19th century, the Soviet-era ethnic deportations, and the ethnic and religious politics of today. Yet, unlike other parts of the North Caucasus, Kabardino-Balkaria has maintained relatively stability. Why? What about its long history that has prevented interethnic and religious strife? How did Russian colonization shape it? To get a better sense of this complex, and rather little-known history, the Eurasian Knot spoke to Ian Lanzillotti to paint us a picture of Kabardino-Balkaria over the long durée, and what it means to the region. Guest: Ian Lanzillotti is Assistant Professor of History at Washington & Jefferson College, where he teaches courses on the history of modern Europe, Eurasia, and the Middle East. He’s the author of Land, Community, and the State in the Caucasus published by Bloomsbury.