ABSTRACT
Russia's fundamental, rapid transformation in the 1990s deeply shook the foundations of daily life for its individual citizens, for its diverse religious and ethnic groups, and for society as a whole. In Dagestan, these changes aggravated problems in inter-ethnic relations and religious tolerance. However, they did not lead to a territorial schism, redrawn boundaries, or mass armed conflict and bloodshed. Rather than sowing discord, Dagestan's significant ethnic and religious diversity remained a basis for creating more stable domestic political institutions.
