Marie Bennigsen-Broxup passed away suddenly at the age of 68, in the city of Oxford, England on December 7, 2012.

Marie Bennigsen-Broxup, the daughter of Alexander Benningsen, a prominent expert on Muslim peoples of the Soviet Union, was involved in the research world from an early age, in the study of the non-Arab Eastern world. She began her scientific career working on Sheikh Mansur, a prominent leader of Chechen and North Caucasian people in the second half of the 17th century. Later, she worked on Imam Gotsinsky, a prominent Muslim leader of Daghestan and the North Caucasus during the first quarter of the 20th century. She traveled to various locations around the world: Afghanistan, Iran, the Middle East, Central Asia, the Caucasus and Volga.

Unlike many of the specialists who write about the past or present state affairs, Marie Bennigsen-Broxup was not afraid to make predictions about the future of a region. And she has never been wrong! She saw the situations in regions of tension, not from the viewpoint of a senior politician, but through the lens of the general population that she found more important. She absorbed the pain and suffering of the groups of people. She believed that she was obliged to help those people for decades.

All of the members of her wonderful family were involved in her cases: her husband Michael Broxup, two sons Alexander and Julien, two grandsons and a granddaughter, who understood her and helped with her work. The scope of Marie Bennigsen-Broxup were involved her sisters Elizabeth and Fanny, and her brother Peter together with his wife Nastya.

Over the last 15 years, they all helped the Chechen people. She started her research with Chechnya and also ended her life on the Chechen topic. She visited Chechnya in 2012 and tried to figure out the battles on the spot that the West could not really understand what is going on in the North Caucasus. It was her last trip!

For almost a quarter of century, she ran a popular magazine called “Central Asian Survey” in the West. But recently, her new project a journal of the Caucasus: “Caucasus Survey” which will start its publication run in 2013. This magazine will be the memory of her works, her absorbing power, and return herself for all.

We loved you and we will always remember you our dear and respected Marie Alexandrovna!

Mairbek Vatchagaev

Note:
1. The liturgy will be held on December 18, at 10.00am at the Saint Alexandre Levsky Cathedral (rue Daru, 8th arrondissement of Paris), the funeral service will be at 11.00am and a farewell to Marie Bennigsen will be at 12.00am
2. The interment will take place on December 18 at 02.00pm at the Russian Cemetery which is near the Paris Ste. Geneviev de Bois.

*Text was written by Waynakh Online and edited by Michael Capobianco