The book presents modern views on the origin of the Alanian ethnos in the North Caucasus and the problem of the “Alanian heritage” in a popular science form. The currently available data of linguistics, anthropology and archeology concerning the North Caucasian Alans are considered. Separate sections are devoted to the catacomb burial rite, which is the main marker of the Alanian archaeological culture in the North Caucasus and the Middle Don, and the process of the emergence of carriers of this culture in the Kislovodsk basin is considered in detail.Particular attention is paid to the first results of paleo-DNA sequencing of representatives of the Middle Sarmatian and Alanian archaeological cultures, which give an idea of the genetic portrait of the ancient and medieval population of the North Caucasus against the background of the available data on the genetics of the modern population of the region. As a result of summarizing the information presented, the author comes to the conclusion about the significant contribution of the local North Caucasian population to the process of the formation of the Alanian ethnos and its multicomponent nature.The book is intended for a wide range of readers interested in archeology and history of the North Caucasus. Editor's design preserved in PDF A4.