Gimry



Gimry (Гимры) is a rural locality (a selo) in Untsukulsky District of the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, located in the mountain where Imam Shamil, the third Imam of Dagestan, was born. Population:

History
The aul (fortified village) of Gimry enjoyed an almost impregnable position, with only a single road leading up to it, and was the core resistance area in the early days of the holy war declared by Ghazi Mullah against the Russian Empire. In October 1832, the Russian army, led by Klugenau and Veliyaminov, attacked Gimry. They discovered a narrow, difficult goat-path, but managed to drag their artillery along it, until they were within range of the aul. The fortifications were destroyed and the Russians succeeded in storming the aul. Imam Shamil was one of the only two who managed to escape. Ghazi Mullah was discovered dead, in a position of prayer, according to the traditions.

Recent events
On December 19, 2007, police blocked Gimry after the assassination of Deputy Gazimagomed Magomedov a few days before, and detained several local men accusing them of being supporters of Salafist rebels with links to Chechnya. Gimry was blockaded for several days and local residents claim that Russian soldiers have stolen from them and terrorized them during house-to-house searches. Gimry is one of the spiritual homes of Islam in the Eastern Caucasus.