South Ossetia is connected to its northern neighbor, Russia's Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, as both are mainly inhabited by ethnic Ossetians. They are descendants of the nomadic Alans (derived from Proto-Iranian Áryah, which also evolved into "Iran" and "Airyanem Vaejah", among other things), a part of the Eastern Iranian Sarmatian confederation that once dominated the entirety of Central Asia and Eastern Europe, prior to the arrival of the Huns, Goths, Slavs, Mongols, and Turks. The closest relative of the Ossetian language is Yaghnobi
, spoken in Tajikistan, though since they have been separated for centuries, they are not mutually intelligible. The Alans started living in the North Caucasus region in the 4th century, and began moving to areas adjoining the Caucasus Mountains in the 13th century to escape the Mongols. By the 17th century, they moved further south to Kartli (Georgia), due to pressure from the Kabardians, who expanded throughout the North Caucasus.
When Georgia briefly became independent following the collapse of Tsarist Russia, an ethnic conflict flared up in the area around Tskhinvali, which at the time had a small but vocal Ossetian minority. Soviet Russia reconquered Georgia in 1921 and, in response to the grievances alleged by the Ossetians against Georgia, carved up an ethnic enclave called the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic.
In the years preceding the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the region experienced ethnic tensions again, mirroring those happening in Abkhazia and Samtskhe–Javakheti, Georgian regions that had significant populations of ethnic minorities. The Ossetians wanted Georgia to upgrade their region's status into an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, on par with their northern neighbor, the North Ossetian ASSR. Their request was instead met by the opposite: the demotion of their status into a mere administrative region. The Ossetians subsequently declared rebellion during the chaos of the Georgian Civil War. By the end of 1992, they had controlled most of the former South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast. Georgia eventually agreed on a peace treaty and promised not to retaliate, with Russian troops being deployed as peacekeepers.
The years up to 2004 were generally peaceful, until Georgia elected the nationalist Mikheil Saakashvili as president. Saakashvili fought to reunite all Georgian lands and began a campaign of forced reunification, by violence if necessary. In 2008, following back-and-forth clashes between the two sides, Georgia went into a more active phase by trashing Tskhinvali, killing several Russian peacekeepers along the way. This was the last straw in the eyes of the Russian government, who proceeded with a full-scale invasion of Georgia. After five days of open warfare, Russia had taken full control over South Ossetia. The remaining Georgians who didn't leave during the 1991 war were booted out. Georgia soon severed its ties with Russia, and passed a law designating South Ossetia and Abkhazia Russian-occupied territories.
To this day, South Ossetia is recognized by only five UN countries, namely Russia and its allies. It also enjoys good rapport with Abkhazia, Transnistria, and (prior to its 2024 dissolution) Artsakh, all being post-Soviet "frozen conflict" zones.
As a result of extensive Georgian missionary work, the Ossetians mostly practice Orthodox Christianity, though many Ossetians continue to practice their native Assian faith, and there is also a Muslim minority that arose through contacts with the Circassians in the 16th century.
The South Ossetian Flag
Government
- Unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic
- President: Alan Gagloev
- Prime Minister: Konstantin Dzhussoev
