Truth about Occupion by Russia for the Caucasian State, CIRCASSIA, where Sochi 2014 will Take Place

The war between Russia and Circassia started in 1763, when the Russian Empire invaded Mozdok region of Kabardia (eastern Circassia), in violation of the 1739 Treaty of Belgrade which proclaimed the territory of Kabardia (eastern Circassia), and Western Circassia as independent and neutral lands.

The objective of Russia was to get control over the warm Black Sea coast, as well as Southern and Central Caucasus, in order to increase its pressure on the Ottoman Empire and Persia. By 1825 independent Kabardia ceased to exist, with 90% of its territory lost, and the population decimated by the war with Russia and the plague.

In the 1830s the Russian military commandment diverted its attention toward “pacifying” eastern Caucasus (Chechnya and Daghestan), and finilizing its conquest of western Circassia, its mountains, fertile plains, and the Black Sea coast. The war with the Circassians dragged on until 1864. Circassia failed to use Russia’s defeat in the Crimean War against Great Britain and France to its own advantage. The unification of Circassion military and political efforts came too late. Despite the all-Circassian Council of Sochi in 1861, and the proclamation of a unified Circassia with the capital city in Sochi, the Russian plan of general Evdokimov “on the final solution to the Circassian problem” had been accepted by the Empreror Alexander II. 1861-64 saw the bloodiest and the most ruthless stage of the Russo-Circassian war. The entire communities were being wiped out, people forced either to resettle on the swampy plains or immigrate to Turkey.

In May of 1864 the last remaining independent Circassian (Ubykh) community of Kbaada (now Krasnaya Polyana) was conquered by the Russian army, thus symbolizing the end of the One Hundred Year long Russo-Circassian war. By the end of 1864 90% of the Circassian population had either left for Turkey or died of famine and disease on the swamps of Adler, awaiting the Turkish ships. The ENTIRE WESTERN CIRCASSIA (1.5 mln. people) was ethnically cleansed (save for 80 000 or so Circassians who remained in the western Caucasus). The area was quickly populated by the Cossacks and later by the other COLONISTS from all over the Empire, including Russians, Ukrainians, Armenians, Greeks, Estonians, and Germans. Western Circassia had been RENAMED KUBAN oblast in 1868, and in the Soviet time it was given a name of KRASNODAR krai.

As of today, the vast majority of Circassians live in the DIASPORA (Circassian dispersion). Most of them (around 2.5 mln. live in Turkey). About 150 000 Circassians live in Syria, and around 80 000 in Jordan. Also, there are sizable Circassian communities living in Israel, Germany, and the United States.

As far as the Homeland is concerned, the largest segment of the Circassian population is concentrated in KABARDINO-BALKARIA  (around 500 000). There are about 120 000 Circassians in the Republic of Adyghea, and 70 000 in Karachay-Cherkessia. There are also around 10 000 Circassians (mostly the Shapsugs) living in the mountains along the Black Sea coast of Krasnodar krai (mostly in Tuapse and Sochi districts).

Adygheans are Circassians. The native name (by which all Circassians call themselves) is Adyghe. Circassian (or Cherkes) is a term by which the foreigners and the neighboring peoples called the Adyghe. The current division of Circassian-populated republics comes from the 1920s when the Bolshevik ethnic engineers had divided the Circassians among the three different republics (Adyghea, Karachay-Cherkessia, and Kabardino-Balkaria). The Kabardians are also Circassians (Adyghe). They have their own dialect (eastern Circassian, or Kabardian) but they call themselves Adyghe.

By Alim

ChechenCenter wishes all success to Circassians in becoming again owners of their land and Free Independent Caucasian State.  May Circassian language will be spoken again instead of language of Russian occupants.

ChechenCenter.info