Vladikavkaz

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Vladikavkaz , city (1989 pop. 300,000), capital of North Ossetia-Alania, SE European Russia, on the Terek River and at the northern foot of the Caucasus. It is the starting point of the Georgian Military Road as well as an industrial center with an electric zinc smelter, lead and silver refineries, chemical plants, food-processing factories, and industries producing chemicals, motors, tractor equipment, clothing, and textiles. The population is Russian, Ossetian, Armenian, and Georgian. Founded in 1784 as a fortress during the Russian conquest of the Caucasian region, it was long the military and political center of Russia in the Caucasus. It was made the capital of the Gorskaya (Mountain People's) ASSR in 1921, which in 1936 became the North Ossetian ASSR. It was renamed Ordzhonikidze in 1932, Dzaudzhikau in 1944, again Ordzhonikidze in 1954, and once again Vladikavkaz in 1990. The famous Kazbek Peak rises just above the city. The city has a university, a mining institute, and other institutions of higher learning.

Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia/Russia Zalukh, Ordzhonikidze, Dzaudzhikau On the site of Zalukh a fortress was built in 1783 by Count Paul Potëmkin (a cousin of the more famous Grigory) at a place where the Terek River exits from the Caucasus Mountains, the starting point of what came to be known as the Georgian Military Highway linking Vladikavkaz and Tiflis (now Tbilisi). It was to be the launch pad for the Russian conquest of the Caucasus. Potëmkin called it Vladet′ Kavkazom ‘To have command of the Caucasus’ from vladet′ ‘to control’ or ‘to possess’ and Kavkaz ‘Caucasus’; it is usually accepted as ‘Ruler of the Caucasus’. In 1931–44 and 1954–90 it was renamed after Sergo Ordzhonikidze^†; and in 1944–54 Dzaudzhikau, the name of the village nearby and its Ossetian name which is still legally valid. This is based on a personal name and kau ‘village’.