"Tryokhstenny Gorodok" and Its Place in North Caucasus History
The problems related to the dating and identification of the settlement “Tryokhstenny Gorodok” are considered. The relevance of the study is determined by the fact that this issue still remains controversial: some authors equate the settlement with the fortress of the Golden Horde, others with the Cossack town of the XVI-XVII centuries, others with Terki town of the same period. Theoretical significance of the research is that the study of “Tryokhstenny Gorodok” contributes to the study of the history of the Terek Cossacks and the history of relations between Russia and the peoples of the region. The scientific novelty of the work is seen in the fact that a wide range of written sources is used that allow to re-analyze each of the three existing versions. Based on the analysis of written sources of the late XVI - the early XVIII centuries the theory according to which “Tryokhstenny Gorodok” is identified with the Cossack settlement is disproved. The reasons for the emergence and preservation of version about “Tryokhstenny Gorodok” being the Cossack settlement are analyzed. The new facts in favor of the version about “Tryokhstenny Gorodok” as the remainder of Terki town, founded in 1588 and moved to a new location in 1669, are quoted. Special attention is paid to the comparison of the information about “Tryokhstenny Gorodok” and Terki town.