The Circassians are one of the peoples of the Caucasus, a homeland stretching from the central Caucasus to the west to the shores of the Black Sea. In the 19th century, the Russian Empire forced the state of Circassia into a bloody war that lasted 101 years. From 1763 to 1864.
At the end of this war, the state of Circassia was completely conquered by the Russian Empire, which began to expel the Circassians from their homeland into the Ottoman Empire. Before the deportation and genocide of the Circassian people, over two million people lived in the state of Circassia. After the Russian occupation of Circassia, only 50 thousand Circassians remained.
Today, one million Circassians live in the Circassian homeland, scattered across three republics: Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria, as well as in the Krasnodar Territory and on the Black Sea coast. Over 5 million Circassians live in Turkey, 200,000 in Syria, 150,000 in Jordan, and another 300,000 in other countries around the world.
There are four countries that have recognized the genocide of the Circassian people. Two of them are states within the Russian Federation: the Republic of Adygea and the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria. The other two countries that have recognized the genocide of the Circassian people are independent states: the Republic of Georgia and the Republic of Ukraine.
Despite numerous appeals, the Russian Federation refuses to recognize the fact of the extermination of the Circassian people and not only that, but also continues the policy of erasing the Circassian identity, culture and language from the Circassians who are currently within the Russian Federation. Despite this Russian policy, the Circassians still manage to maintain their identity, language and culture.
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