Circassia the Day After: Future Circassia
By: Adel Bashqawi
August 2, 2023
Introduction
The vision of “Circassia the Day After” invites us to imagine not only the end of an era of domination, but the beginning of a just and lawful restoration—one grounded in history, dignity, and the unbroken will of an ancient nation.
Although the title of this topic is “Circassia the Next Day”—referring to the moment when dozens of peoples and nations reclaim their legitimate rights from the usurping Russian state—it is essential to briefly revisit the past. The subject cannot be fully understood without acknowledging the historical truths that shaped the current crisis. This context clarifies the factors that have aggravated the situation to its present state.
Location and Background
Circassia, the cradle of an ancient civilization in the Caucasus region, boasts a rich history dating back to the:
“…3rd millennium BC by the Kuban culture, which left its remains in many thousands of burial mounds, or kurgans, on the steppes of Ciscaucasia.” [1]
Accordingly:
“Circassia has a confirmed history of more than six thousand years, consistently and positively contributing to humanity. Circassian civilization and culture originated in the northwestern Caucasus and has existed for a long time. Circassia is situated within the Caucasus Plateau and is considered a natural obstacle. It contains Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, with an elevation of 18,510 feet above sea level.” [2]
The Circassian coast along the Black Sea extended approximately 300 km, from Anapa in the northwest to Adler in the southeast, including cities such as Tuapse, Sujuk‑Kale, and Sochi.
Conspiracy and Terrorism
The Russian Empire found ample time and loyal allies to fulfill its imperial ambitions—seizing the lands and resources of other peoples and nations to promote colonialism and settlement for its citizens and mercenaries. The irony of fate forced subjugated peoples into submission under an empire obsessed with conquest, regardless of the cost.
“The Russian military occupation and annexation after May 21, 1864, was a prelude to delete Circassia from the map of the region. The Russian Empire wanted to take possession of Circassia without the Circassians. They exterminated or displaced the entire population, either to beyond the Kuban River (10% of the population) or to the Ottoman Empire (90% of them).” [3] It is documented that:
“The genocide committed against the Circassian nation by Czarist Russia in the 1800s was the biggest genocide of the nineteenth century.” [4]
Language and Culture
Because Indigenous Circassians are dispersed across dozens of countries—and those in their homeland live in fragmented, non‑contiguous administrative entities—their language and cultural survival face an existential threat. As UNESCO has warned:
“Circassian as one of the languages in the North Caucasus at risk of completely disappearing in the next few decades, given the already low number of people who speak it in that region, the division of the community, and the absence of the use of Circassian in schools and other public spaces.” [5]
The Invasion of Ukraine Repeats the Usual Game
Phase 1 of the war began in February 2014, just after the Sochi Winter Olympics. Ukraine was unprepared for war. Russia employed hybrid tactics, deploying troops without identifying insignia—violating the laws of war and resembling gang operations. It orchestrated a calculated annexation strategy, fostering insurgencies in southeastern Ukraine. Russian‑backed rebels declared the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, which Russia soon recognized as independent.
Phase 2 began in February 2022, with a full‑scale, unjustified invasion of Ukraine. This brutal and cruel campaign—widely characterized as a war of extermination—mirrors the actions of successive Russian regimes from the time of Ivan the Terrible to the present. In the nineteenth century, Circassia, along with Chechnya, Dagestan, and other Caucasian nations, was invaded, occupied, and annexed after prolonged wars marked by oppression and genocide. The resulting tragedies and atrocities remain visible today. These were not religious wars—they were driven purely by colonial and imperial ambitions.
The Dawn of Freedom
In the early twentieth century, the nascent Soviet state promised self‑determination to its many nationalities. But those promises were quickly abandoned:
“After Lenin’s death, with the consolidation of the Stalinist bureaucracy and the physical elimination of the opposition, the Soviet state returned to rigid nationalist politics that denied other nations the right to secession, exposing the complete rupture of the Stalinist bureaucracy with Marx, who measured the caliber of socialists in oppressor nations by their attitude towards oppressed nations.” [6]
The regime devolved into tyranny, dictatorship, and even fascism. Citizens of subjugated nations were treated as second‑class.
Treaty of Adrianople (Edirne)
The infamous Treaty of Adrianople (Edirne), signed in 1829 between the Russian and Ottoman Empires, remains a pivotal moment in the Circassian tragedy. It laid the groundwork for the atrocities that followed.
Despite the treaty, the Ottoman Empire never controlled Circassia, and Circassians were never Ottoman subjects.
“Adrianople, (Sept. 14, 1829), pact concluding the Russo‑Turkish War of 1828–29, signed at Edirne (ancient Adrianople), Tur.; it strengthened the Russian position in eastern Europe and weakened that of the Ottoman Empire. The treaty foreshadowed the Ottoman Empire’s future dependence on the European balance of power and also presaged the eventual dismemberment of its Balkan possessions.” [7]
Circassians never pledged allegiance to the Sublime Porte. Yet the Ottoman Empire exploited their goodwill, using them as pawns in geopolitical bargaining. This betrayal gave Russia the green light to eliminate the Circassians—despite having no cultural, historical, or legal ties to Circassia or the Caucasus. The treaty enabled Russia to gain access to the Black Sea coast and ultimately to conquer Circassia and the entire Caucasus.
All Human Beings Are Born Free and Equal in Dignity and Rights
Deprivation of liberty breeds oppression and the erosion of rights. Regardless of how long occupation, annexation, suppression of freedoms, arbitrary detention, and enforced disappearances persist, the dawn of freedom will rise again.
Future Circassia must be part of a Pan‑Caucasus region to which it rightfully belongs. But for this vision to materialize, certain foundational steps must be taken in accordance with international law. Chief among them are: freedom, the right to self‑determination, independence, and the freedom of choice. [8]
As Circassia moves toward a future shaped by freedom, self‑determination, and rightful sovereignty, it stands poised to help anchor a new, democratic, and prosperous Caucasus for generations to come.
References:
[1] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kuban-culture
[2] Circassia: Born to be free, Adel Bashqawi
[3] Circassia: Born to be free, Adel Bashqawi
[4] http://users.jyu.fi/~aphamala/pe/issue2/circass.htm
[5] http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2016/12/can-circassian-language-and-people-who.html
[6] https://www.leftvoice.org/the-russian-revolution-and-national-self-determination/
[7] https://www.britannica.com/event/Treaty-of-Edirne
[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bUycemH6NI
