Borch ( rut. ''Burj'') is a village in the Rutulsky district of Dagestan, Russia. It is part of the Borch rural settlement.

Geography

The village is located 12 km southeast of the village of Rutul.

History

Borch (Burj) is an ancient Rutul village. In the 16th-17th centuries, the Khnovskoye (along with the village of Borch), free society, like other Rutulian Free Societies (Rutulian Magal), retained their independence and was governed by elders. Borch and

Khnov Khnov (; ) is a rural locality (a selo) in Akhtynsky District, Republic of Dagestan, Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, larg ...

never submitted to Rutul, as both were free societies. More than once, the people of Borch and Khnov defended its independence from Akhtypara. Borch, like Khnov, continued to be governed by its elected elders - ''kevkha'' (or kyokhdy in rut., meaning ''elder''). Kevkhas were usually wealthy and influential Rutulians. Starting in the early 19th century, the power of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

began to assert itself in the free societies of the Samur Valley, but the Rutulians, along with other local peoples, resisted the tsarist troops. However, in 1812, representatives of the Samur Valley societies, including the Rutulians, signed an agreement with Major General Khatuntsev to come under the protection of Russia and agreed to pay tribute. These "free" societies were nominally considered under the control of the commandant of the city of

Quba Quba () is a city and the administrative centre of the Quba District (Azerbaijan), Quba District of Azerbaijan. The city lies on the north-eastern slopes of Mount Shahdagh, Shahdag mountain, at an altitude of 600 metres above sea level, on the ...

. In 1839, Borch officially became part of the Russian Empire and was administratively included in the Samur District of the Dagestan Region. By 1886, Borch had a population of 2,290 people and approximately 850 households. Since 1928, it has been part of the Rutulsky district. In the 1970s, about 60 households from Borch relocated to the

Babayurtovsky district Babayurtovsky District (; ; ) is an administrativeLaw #16 and municipalLaw #6 district (raion), one of the forty-one in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia. It is located in the northern central part of the republic. The area of the district is . ...

to the kutan of the state farm "50 Years of the DASSR," eventually forming the village of Novy Borch. Today, only about 17 people live in Borch; the historical village remains in ruins. In the past, however, it was a beautiful village located in the center of alpine meadows.

Population

The population of Borch consists of

Rutulians The Rutuli or Rutulians were an ancient people in Italy. The Rutuli were located in a territory whose capital was the ancient town of Ardea, located about 35 km southeast of Rome. Thought to have been descended from the Umbri and the P ...

. According to the 2010 census, 17 people live in the village. Most of the former population relocated to the village of Novy Borch, located on the plain in the Babayurtovsky district of Dagestan.

References

Rural localities in Rutulsky District Dagestan Rutulsky District {{improve categories, date=November 2024