Makhachkala: Lotos Publ., 2007, 104 p. (1) Makhachkala, 2009. 492 p. (2) Both books, despite the shocking title of the second, are devoted to the history of Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan. The first book is written by a professional historian who has worked well in archives and sources. P. I. Tahnasva, quoting documents in detail, tells about the appearance of Russian imperial ships led by Peter 1 off the Dagestan coast of the Caspian Sea at the end of July 1722 and its landfall: "The Sovereign Emperor impatiently wanted to go ashore, but because of the shallowness of the water, it was not possible for a boat to come closer than five fathoms to the shore, for which reason His Majesty ordered four oarsmen to carry themselves on a board to the shore; the oarsmen went in water up to their waists, and [Lieutenant] Simonov walked beside the Emperor, supporting him page 181for greater safety, with which the rowers had loaded guns "(excerpt from "Description of the campaign of Peter the Great in Persia by eyewitnesses", 1, p. 5). As a result of the Persian campaign, the Caspian regions were ceded to Russia. On a hill not far from the coast was the village of Tarki, where the residence of the local ruler Shamkhal Tarkovsky was located, who came out to meet Peter I (1, p. 7). However, the real development of the coast begins only about 100 years later, after the signing of the Gulistan Peace Treaty between Russia and Iran, according to which Iran abandoned its claims to Dagestan. Initially, the Russian fortress Burnaya was founded on Mount Tarkitau next to the village of Tarki. In the location of the fortress, as the author notes, there were serious shortcomings: there were no springs inside it. In May 1831, the defenders of the fortress managed to repel the siege of the Dagestani Imam Gazimukhammad, however, in 1838 it had to be abolished, and the garrison transferred to the Lower fortification, located on the Caspian coast. This fortification also turned out to be un ... Read more