Adygs is the common self-name of the ancestors of modern Adyghes, Kabardians and Circassians. The surrounding peoples also called them Zikhs and Kasogs. The origin and meaning of all these names is a moot point. The ancient Circassians belonged to the Caucasoid race.
The history of the Circassians is endless clashes with hordes of Scythians, Sarmatians, Huns, Bulgars, Alans, Khazars, Magyars, Pechenegs, Polovtsy, Mongol-Tatars, Kalmyks, Nogays, Turks.




In 1792, with the creation of a continuous cordon line along the Kuban River by Russian troops, active development of the western Adyghe lands by Russia began.

At first, the Russians fought, in fact, not with the Circassians, but with the Turks, who at that time owned Adygea. Upon the conclusion of the Peace of Adriopol in 1829, all Turkish possessions in the Caucasus passed to Russia. But the Circassians refused to pass into Russian citizenship and continued to attack Russian settlements.




Only in 1864, Russia took control of the last independent territories of the Adygs - the Kuban and Sochi lands. A small part of the Adyghe nobility by this moment had switched to the service Russian Empire. But most of the Circassians - over 200 thousand people - wished to move to Turkey.
The Turkish Sultan Abdul-Hamid II settled refugees (Mohajirs) on the deserted border of Syria and in other border areas to fight Bedouin raids.

This tragic page of Russian-Adyghe relations has recently become the subject of historical and political speculation in order to put pressure on Russia. Part of the Adyghe-Circassian diaspora, with the support of certain Western forces, demands to boycott the Olympics in Sochi if Russia does not recognize the resettlement of the Adyghes as an act of genocide. Then, of course, lawsuits for compensation will follow.


Adygea

Today, the bulk of the Adygs live in Turkey (according to various sources, from 3 to 5 million people). IN Russian Federation the number of Adygs as a whole does not exceed 1 million. There are also considerable diasporas in Syria, Jordan, Israel, the USA, France and other countries. All of them retain the consciousness of their cultural unity.



Adygs in Jordan

***
It just so happened that the Circassians and Russians have long been measured by strength. And it all started in ancient times, about which the "Tale of Bygone Years" tells. It is curious that both sides - Russian and Mountaineer - talk about this event in almost the same words.

The chronicler puts it this way. In 1022, the son of St. Vladimir, the Tmutorokan prince Mstislav went on a campaign against the Kasogs - that was how the Russians called the Circassians at that time. When the opponents lined up opposite each other, the Kassogian prince Rededya said to Mstislav: “Why are we ruining our squad? Come out to the duel: if you prevail, then you will take my property, and my wife, and children, and my land. If I win, I'll take what's yours." Mstislav replied: "So be it."

The opponents laid down their weapons and joined in the fight. And Mstislav began to languish, for Rededya was great and strong. But the prayer of the Most Holy Theotokos helped the Russian prince to overcome the enemy: he struck Rededya to the ground, and, taking out a knife, stabbed him. Kasogi submitted to Mstislav.

According to the Adyghe legends, Rededya was not a prince, but a mighty hero. Once the Adyghe prince Idar, having gathered a lot of soldiers, went to Tamtarakai (Tmutorokan). The Tamtarakai prince Mstislau led his army towards the Adygs. When the enemies approached, Rededya stepped forward and said to the Russian prince: "In order not to shed blood in vain, overcome me and take everything I have." The opponents took off their weapons and fought for several hours in a row, not yielding to each other. Finally, Rededya fell, and the Tamtarakai prince struck him with a knife.

The death of Rededi is also mourned by the ancient Adyghe funeral song (sagish). True, in it Rededya is defeated not by force, but by deceit:

Grand Duke of the Uruses
When you dropped to the ground
He longed for life
Pulled a knife from his belt
Under your shoulder blade insidiously
Plugged him in and
Your soul, woe, he took out.

According to Russian legend, the two sons of Rededi, who were taken to Tmutorokan, were baptized under the names of Yuri and Roman, and the latter allegedly married the daughter of Mstislav. Later, some boyar families, for example, the Beleutovs, the Sorokoumovs, the Glebovs, the Simskys and others.

***
For a long time Moscow - the capital of the expanding Russian state - attracted the attention of the Adygs. Quite early, the Adyghe-Circassian nobility became part of the Russian ruling elite.

The basis of the Russian-Adyghe rapprochement was a joint struggle against Crimean Khanate. In 1557, five Circassian princes, accompanied by a large number soldiers arrived in Moscow and entered the service of Ivan the Terrible. Thus, 1557 is the year of the beginning of the formation of the Adyghe diaspora in Moscow.

After the mysterious death of the first wife of the formidable king - Empress Anastasia - it turned out that Ivan was inclined to consolidate his alliance with the Circassians by a dynastic marriage. His chosen one was Princess Kuchenei, daughter of Temryuk, the senior prince of Kabarda. In baptism, she received the name Mary. In Moscow, a lot of unflattering things were said about her and they even attributed the idea of ​​the oprichnina to her.

Ring of Maria Temryukovna (Kuchenei)

In addition to his daughter, Prince Temryuk sent his son Saltankul to Moscow, who was named Mikhail in baptism and was granted a boyar. In fact, he became the first person in the state after the king. His mansions were located on Vozdvizhenskaya Street, where the building of the Russian state library. Under Mikhail Temryukovich, high command positions in the Russian army were occupied by his relatives and compatriots.

Circassians continued to arrive in Moscow throughout the 17th century. Usually the princes and the squads accompanying them settled between Arbatskaya and Nikitinskaya streets. In total, in the 17th century, up to 5,000 Circassians were simultaneously in Moscow with a population of 50,000, most of whom were aristocrats. For almost two centuries (until 1776) the Cherkasy house with a huge farmstead stood on the territory of the Kremlin. Maryina Grove, Ostankino and Troitskoye belonged to the Circassian princes. The Bolshoy and Maly Cherkassky lanes still remind of the time when the Circassians-Cherkasy largely determined the policy of the Russian state.



Big Cherkassky Lane

***


However, the courage of the Circassians, their dashing horsemanship, generosity, hospitality were famous just like the beauty and grace of the Circassian women. However, the position of women was difficult: they had the hardest work in the household in the field and at home.






It was the custom of the nobles to give early age their children to be brought up in another family, to an experienced teacher. In the teacher's family, the boy went through a harsh hardening school and acquired the habits of a rider and a warrior, and the girl - the knowledge of a mistress of the house and a worker. Strong and tender bonds of friendship were established between the pupils and their educators for life.

Since the 6th century, the Circassians were considered Christians, but they made sacrifices to pagan gods. Their funeral rites were also pagan, they adhered to polygamy. The Adygs did not know the written language. Pieces of matter served as money for them.

Turkish influence in one century made a huge change in the life of the Circassians. In the second half of the 18th century, all the Circassians formally accepted Islam. However, their religious practices and beliefs were still a mixture of paganism, Islam and Christianity. They worshiped Shibla, the god of thunder, war and justice, as well as the spirits of water, sea, trees, and the elements. Sacred groves enjoyed special respect on their part.

The language of the Circassians is beautiful in its own way, although it has an abundance of consonants, and there are only three vowels - “a”, “e”, “s”. But to assimilate it for a European is almost unthinkable because of the abundance of sounds unusual for us.

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archaeological culture Language

Circassian (Kabardian)

Religion Racial type Origin There are also people with the surname "Circassian". Read more.

Currently abroad ethnonym Circassian continues to be used in relation to the descendants of the Circassian Muhajirs, as well as the descendants of the Circassian Mamluks living in the Adyghe diaspora. Sometimes the ethnonym "Circassians" denotes not only the Adyghes, but also representatives of all the North Caucasian peoples, who were also expelled or resettled abroad during and after the end of Caucasian war.

Currently in Russia the term Circassians(self-name: Adyghe) in addition to the above meaning is the designation of the Circassians living in Karachay-Cherkessia of Adygea and Kabardino-Balkaria (Russia). Circassians have a population of 73.2 thousand people, including in Karachay-Cherkessia - 56.5 thousand people (translated 2010). They live in 17 villages of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic.

This article is about the "Circassians" in the administrative-territorial sense of the term, and not about the Circassian (Adyghe) people as a whole.

Story

Ethnonym

Circassians in the USSR

In 1921, the Gorskaya Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was formed in the North Caucasus as part of the USSR. In January 1922, the Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Region was formed as part of the USSR. It included part of the lands of the Kabardians and the lands of the Besleneyites in the upper reaches of the Kuban. The Adyghes (self-name) who inhabited this republic retained the other name Circassians.

On April 26, 1926, the Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Okrug was divided into the Karachay Autonomous Okrug and the Cherkess National Okrug (an autonomous region since 1928). According to the 1926 census, 65,270 Circassians were recorded in the USSR, and according to the 1959 census, their number decreased to 30,453 people.

Since 1957 - again Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Region as part of the Stavropol Territory. Since 1992 - Karachay-Cherkess Republic. The 1970 census recorded 39,785 Circassians, and according to the 1989 census, the Circassian population in the USSR grew to 52,363.

Language

The emergence of most of the modern auls of Circassia dates back to the 2nd half of the 19th century. In the XIX - early XX centuries. 12 auls were founded, in the 20s of the XX century - 5. The estate was surrounded by a fence. Residential premises were usually built with a facade to the south. The dwelling had wicker walls on a pillar frame, plastered with clay, a two- or four-slope wattle roof covered with straw, and an adobe floor. It consisted of one or more rooms (according to the number of married couples in the family), adjacent to each other in a row, the doors of each room overlooked the courtyard. Kunatskaya served as one of the rooms or a separate building. An open hearth with a wicker smoker was arranged near the wall between the door and the window, inside which a crossbar was installed for hanging the boiler. Outbuildings were also made of wattle, often had a round or oval shape. Modern Circassians build square multi-room houses.

Cloth

File:Tsey zepyl.jpg

Traditional male costume - Circassian ( tsey) single-breasted caftan with an open chest, a length just below the knees, with wide sleeves. Young men of the age of a warrior wore short-sleeved Circassian coats - so that they would not hamper movements in battle. Gasyri were sewn on both sides of the chest (Adyghe Khezyr- ready) - narrow pockets stitched with braid for special sealed pencil cases, more often bone ones. In the pencil case was a measure of gunpowder and a bullet wrapped in a rag, molded to the measurements of the owner's gun. Penalchik allowed to quickly charge the gun at full gallop. The outer pockets, located almost under the armpits, were used to store dry chips for kindling. Later, with the advent of guns, where gunpowder was ignited not by a wick or flint, but by a primer, the outer pockets began to be used to store primers. the Circassian coat strictly differed in men according to their class affiliation in color - white color at the princes pshchy), red for nobles ( work), gray, brown and black among the peasants (blue, green and other colors were usually not used). Beshmet ( captlal) in cut resembled a Circassian but was with a closed chest and a standing collar, narrow sleeves, its length was just above the knee, it was usually sewn from light and thinner material, often the beshmet was quilted on a wadded or woolen basis. Trousers ( Guenchej, Guenchej) with a wide step to the bottom narrowed. hat ( dust) was sewn from sheepskin, white, black or brown, the height varied. Also among the Circassians felt hats were very common in everyday life ( upchle dust). Bashlyk ( shkharykhhuen, shkharykhyon) were sewn from fine homemade cloth or purchased material, decorated with lace products, rarely with embroidery, more often in white, but there were also dark shades. Burka ( shlaklue, klaklue) - a long, felt cloak, black, rarely white. Composite belt. Its buckle was used as an armchair for carving fire. Shoes - dudes ( wak'e) were sewn from red morocco, as a rule, existed among the upper class, the peasants wore chuvyaks made of rawhide or felt. Legs ( lay) - made of thin leather or morocco, decorated with galloons with garters under the knee with silver buckles. Mandatory items of men's costume were a dagger and a saber. Dagger ( kame) - the hilt and scabbard were richly decorated with silver, usually blackened - so as not to unmask the owner, as well as the saber handle ( seshhue), but the scabbard of the checker was decorated with galloon and gold embroidery (young girls of the highlanders were engaged in this work). Now only a few have a full set of national costume and appear in it on holidays.

Adygs (Circassians) wore daggers of the type - Kama (dagger), or type - Bebut, which, in addition, had the functions of a talisman, were used to perform various customs and rituals. An oriental dagger of the type - Dzhambiya was common among the Ubykhs and Shapsugs. Of the sabers, depending on the wealth of the owner, the Mamluk-type saber, or Kilich (Turkish saber), or Gaddare (Iranian saber) was preferred.

Even a bow (weapon) with a quiver for arrows was considered an element of the rider's clothing.

Adygs (Circassians) always had a small knife with them ( jean), which could be used for domestic purposes, but which was not visible and therefore was not an element of clothing.

Food

IN summer time during the year, dairy products and vegetable dishes are mainly consumed, in winter and spring, flour and meat dishes predominate. The most popular is puff bread made from unleavened dough, which is consumed with Kalmyk tea (green tea with salt and cream). They also bake yeast bread. Cornmeal and groats are widely used. The national dish, libzha (shyps) is chicken or turkey with a sauce seasoned with crushed garlic and red pepper. This dish is also national among the Abaza, but is called dzyrdza. The meat of waterfowl is consumed only fried. Lamb and beef are served boiled, usually seasoned with sour milk, crushed garlic and salt (bzhynyhu shyps). After boiled meat, broth is always served, after fried meat - sour milk. From millet and corn flour with honey for a wedding and on major holidays, they prepare behsyme (mekhsyme) (a national low-alcohol drink). On holidays, they make halva (from fried millet or wheat flour in syrup), bake pies and pies (lekum, delen, khalive, hyrshyn).

Medicine

According to the French agent of the Swedish king Charles XII Abri de la Motre, long before 1711 in Circassia they had the skills of mass smallpox vaccination. Abri de la Motre left detailed description smallpox vaccination procedures among Circassians in the village of Degliad: “... they vaccinated a little girl of four or five years old ... The girl was taken to little boy three years old, who was ill with this disease and whose pockmarks and pimples began to fester, ”etc. Let us recall that only on May 14, 1796, the English pharmacist and surgeon Jenner inoculated cowpox to 8-year-old James Phips.

Culture and Religion

In the ancient culture of the Circassians (Circassians), the central place is occupied by the moral, ethical and philosophical code "Adyghe Khabze", formed under the influence of the ancient religious system of the Circassians and brought to perfection centuries of history people.

In folklore, the central place is occupied by the Nart epic, the positive characters of which serve as a model for observing the code of "Adyghe Khabze".

The art of storytellers and song performers (dzheguaklue) has been developed. Crying songs are widespread ( gybze), labor and comic songs. Traditional musical instruments - shiklepshchyne (violin), bzhemi (pipe), pkhetslych (ratchet), various tambourines, which were played with hands and sticks. IN late XVIII century, the harmonica became widespread.

Circassian sayings: “Shapsug does not like to burn gunpowder”, “The death of a rider in battle is crying in his house, and the loss of weapons is crying in the whole people”, “a real educated horseman should leave the feast so that he could immediately be present again for the same treat, etc.

forgotten custom

It is known from history that in ancient times the Circassians practiced the Rite of Air Burial (the rite has not been performed for more than 150 years).

Notes

1. All-Russian population census 2002. Archived from the original on August 21, 2011. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
2. Official website of the 2010 All-Russian Population Census. Information materials on the final results of the 2010 All-Russian Population Census
3. Conclusion of the Russian Academy of Sciences on the ethnonym Cherkes and the toponym Cherkessia
4. // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
5. On the problem of the origin of the Koban culture and its local variants
6. All-Union census of the population of 1926. The national composition of the population in the republics of the USSR. "Demoscope". archived
7. All-Union population census of 1959. The national composition of the population in the republics of the USSR. "Demoscope". Archived from the original on August 23, 2011.
8. All-Union population census of 1970. The national composition of the population in the republics of the USSR. "Demoscope". Archived from the original on August 23, 2011.
9. All-Union population census of 1989. The national composition of the population in the republics of the USSR. "Demoscope". Archived from the original on August 23, 2011.

Links

Literature

• Kaziev Shapi, Karpeev Igor. Daily life of the highlanders of the North Caucasus in the 19th century.
• Circassians // Peoples of Russia. Atlas of cultures and religions. - M .: Design. Information. Cartography, 2010. - 320 p. - ISBN 978-5-287-00718-8
• The peoples of Russia: a picturesque album, St. Petersburg, printing house of the Association "Public Benefit", December 3, 1877, art. 354
• Adyghe (Circassian) encyclopedia.

see also

• Circassian Muhajirism and the Circassian Day of Mourning
• Circassian Franks

Ethnonyms and sub-ethnic groups of the Abkhaz-Adyghe peoples
Obsolete ethnonyms	Geniohi | Zikhi (Zigi, Zyuhi, Jiki) | Helmets | Kasogi | Circassians (Cherkasy) | Meots (Dandaria | Sinds | Doskhi, Torets (or Toreats) | Agras | Arrekhs Tarpets | Obidiakens | Sittakens | Aspurgians) | Kerkety
Sub-ethnic groups

On the territory of the Russian Federation lives a large number of various peoples. One of them is the Circassians - a nation with an original amazing culture that was able to maintain its bright individuality.

Where live

Circassians inhabit Karachay-Cherkessia, live in Stavropol, Krasnodar Territory, Kabardino-Balkaria and Adygea. A small part of the people lives in Israel, Egypt, Syria and Turkey.

population

About 2.7 million Circassians (Circassians) live in the world. According to the 2010 census, the Russian Federation accounted for approximately 718,000 people, of which 57,000 are residents of Karachay-Cherkessia.

Story

It is not known exactly when the ancestors of the Circassians appeared in the North Caucasus, but they have been living there since the Paleolithic. Of the most ancient monuments associated with this people, one can single out the monument of the Maikop and Dolmen cultures, which flourished in the 3rd millennium BC. The areas of these cultures, according to scientists, are historical homeland Circassian people.

Name

In the 5th-6th century, the ancient Circassian tribes united in single state, which historians call Zihia. This state was militant, high level social organization and constant land expansion. This people categorically did not want to obey, and throughout its history, Zikhia did not pay tribute to anyone. From the 13th century, the state was renamed Circassia. In the Middle Ages, Circassia was the largest state in the Caucasus. The state was a military monarchy, an important role in which was played by the Adyghe aristocracy, which was headed by the pshchy princes.

In 1922, the Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Region was formed, which was part of the RSFSR. It included part of the lands of the Kabardians and the lands of the Besleneyites in the upper reaches of the Kuban. In 1926, the Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Okrug was divided into the Cherkess National Okrug, which became an autonomous region in 1928, and the Karachay Autonomous Okrug. Since 1957, these two regions have again merged into the Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Okrug and became part of the Stavropol Territory. In 1992, the district received the status of a republic.

Language

The Circassians speak the Kabardino-Circassian language, which belongs to the Abkhaz-Adyghe family of languages. The Circassians call their language "Adyghebze", which translates into the Adyghe language.

Until 1924, writing was based on the Arabic alphabet and Cyrillic. From 1924 to 1936 it was based on the Latin alphabet and in 1936 again on the Cyrillic alphabet.

There are 8 dialects in the Kabardino-Circassian language:

1. Dialect of Great Kabarda
2. Khabezsky
3. Baksan
4. Besleneyevsky
5. Dialect of Malaya Kabarda
6. Mozdok
7. Malkinsky
8. Kuban

Appearance

Circassians are brave, fearless and wise people. Valor, generosity and generosity are greatly revered. The most contemptible vice for the Circassians is cowardice. Representatives of this people are tall, slender, with regular features, dark blond hair. Women have always been considered very beautiful, distinguished by chastity. Adult Circassians were hardy warriors and impeccable riders, they were fluent in weapons, they knew how to fight even in the highlands.

Cloth

The main element of the national men's costume is the Circassian coat, which has become a symbol of the Caucasian costume. The cut of this piece of clothing has not changed over the centuries. As a headdress, men wore a "kelpak", sewn from soft fur, or a hood. A felt burka was put on the shoulders. On their feet they wore high or short boots, sandals. Underwear was sewn from cotton fabrics. Circassian weapons - a gun, a checker, a pistol and a dagger. On the Circassian coat on both sides there are leather sockets for cartridges, greasers and a bag with accessories for cleaning weapons are attached to the belt.

The clothes of Circassian women were quite diverse, always richly decorated. Women wore a long dress made of muslin or cotton, a short silk beshmet dress. Before marriage, girls wore a corset. Of the headdresses, they wore high cone-shaped hats decorated with embroidery, low cylindrical hats made of velvet or silk, decorated with gold embroidery. An embroidered hat trimmed with fur was put on the bride's head, which she had to wear until the birth of her first child. Only the uncle of the spouse from the father's side could take it off, but only if he brought generous gifts to the newborn, among which were cattle or money. After the presentation of gifts, the cap was removed, after which the young mother put on a silk scarf. Elderly women wore cotton scarves. They wore bracelets, chains, rings, various earrings from jewelry. Silver elements were sewn to dresses, caftans, they decorated headdresses.

Shoes were made from leather or felt. In the summer, women often went barefoot. Only girls from noble families could wear morocco red dudes. In Western Circassia, there was a type of footwear with a closed toe, made of dense material, with wooden soles and a small heel. People from the upper aristocratic classes wore sandals made of wood, made in the form of a bench, with a wide strap made of fabric or leather.

Life

Circassian society has always been patriarchal. The man is the head of the family, the woman supports her husband in making decisions, always demonstrates humility. Women have always played an important role in everyday life. First of all, she was the keeper of the hearth and comfort in the house. Each Circassian had only one wife, polygamy was extremely rare. It was a matter of honor to provide the spouse with everything necessary so that she always looked good, did not need anything. Hitting or insulting a woman is an unacceptable shame for a man. The husband was obliged to protect her, to treat her with respect. A Circassian man never quarreled with his wife, did not allow himself to utter swear words.

A wife should know her duties and fulfill them clearly. She is in charge of managing the household and all household chores. Men did hard physical work. In rich families, women were protected from difficult work. They spent most of their time sewing.

Circassian women have the right to resolve many conflicts. If a dispute began between two mountaineers, the woman had the right to stop it by throwing a handkerchief between them. When a rider passed by a woman, he was obliged to dismount, lead her to the place where she was going, and only then go on. The rider held the reins in his left hand, and on the right, honorable side, a woman walked. If he passed by a woman who was doing physical work, he should have helped her.

Children were brought up with dignity, they tried to grow up courageous and worthy people. All children went through a harsh school, thanks to which the character was formed and the body was tempered. Until the age of 6, a woman was engaged in raising a boy, then everything passed into the hands of a man. They taught the boys how to shoot a bow and how to ride a horse. The child was given a knife with which he had to learn to hit a target, then they were given a dagger, a bow and arrows. The sons of the nobility are obliged to breed horses, entertain guests, sleep in the open air, using a saddle instead of a pillow. Even in early childhood, many princely children were given to noble houses for education. At the age of 16, the boy was dressed in the best clothes, put on the best horse, given the best weapons and sent home. The return of the son home was considered a very important event. In gratitude, the prince should bestow a gift on the person who raised his son.

Since ancient times, the Circassians have been engaged in agriculture, growing corn, barley, millet, wheat, and planting vegetables. After the harvest, a portion was always set aside for the poor, and the surplus stocks were sold on the market. They were engaged in beekeeping, viticulture, gardening, bred horses, cattle, sheep and goats.

Of the crafts, weapons and blacksmithing, cloth making, and clothing manufacturing stand out. The cloth produced by the Circassians was especially valued by neighboring peoples. In the southern part of Circassia they were engaged in wood processing.

dwelling

The estates of the Circassians were secluded and consisted of a hut, which was built from turluk and covered with straw. The dwelling consists of several rooms with windows without glass. A recess for the fire was made in the earthen floor, equipped with a wicker and clay-coated pipe. Shelves were installed along the walls, beds were covered with felt. Stone dwellings were rarely built and only in the mountains.

In addition, a barn and a barn were built, which were surrounded by a dense fence. Behind it were vegetable gardens. From the outside, the Kunatskaya, which consisted of a house and a stable, adjoined the fence. These buildings were surrounded by palisades.

Food

Circassians are not picky about food, they do not drink wine and pork. Food was always treated with respect and gratitude. Dishes are served to the table, taking into account the age of those sitting at the table, from the oldest to the youngest. In the cuisine of the Circassians, dishes from lamb, beef and poultry are the basis. The most popular cereal on the Circassian table is corn. At the end of the holidays, lamb or beef broth is served, this is a sign for guests that the feast is coming to an end. In the cuisine of the Circassians, there is a difference between the dishes that are served at weddings, commemorations and other events.

The cuisine of this people is famous for its fresh and tender cheese, Adyghe cheese - latakai. They are eaten as a separate product, added to salads and various dishes, which makes them inimitable and unique. Very popular kojazh - cheese fried in oil with onions and ground red pepper. Circassians are very fond of cheese. Favorite dish - fresh peppers stuffed with herbs and cheese. Peppers are cut into circles and served at the festive table. For breakfast, they eat porridge, scrambled eggs with flour or scrambled eggs. In some areas, already boiled, chopped eggs are added to the omelet.

From the first courses, ashryk is popular - a soup of dried meat with beans and pearl barley. In addition to it, the Circassians cook shorpa, egg, chicken and vegetable soups. Unusual is the taste of soup with dried fat tail.

Meat dishes are served with pasta - hard-boiled millet porridge, which is cut like bread. For the holidays, they prepare a dish of hedlibzhe poultry, frogs, turkey with vegetables. The national dish is lyy gur - dried meat. An interesting tursha dish is potatoes stuffed with garlic and meat. The most common sauce among Circassians is potato. It is boiled with flour and diluted with milk.

Bread, lakuma donuts, halivas, pies with beet tops “khui delen”, corn cakes “natuk-chyrzhyn” are made from baking. From sweets they make different versions of halvah from corn and millet with apricot pits, Circassian balls, marshmallow. Of the drinks among the Circassians, tea, makhsima, the milk drink kundapso, various drinks based on pears and apples are popular.

Religion

The ancient religion of this people is monotheism - part of the teachings of Khabze, which regulated all areas of the life of the Circassians, determined the attitude of people towards each other and the world around them. People worshiped the Sun and the Golden Tree, Water and Fire, which, according to their beliefs, gave life, believed in the god Tkha, who was considered the creator of the world and the laws in it. The Circassians had a whole pantheon of heroes of the Nart epic and a number of customs that were rooted in paganism.

Since the 6th century, Christianity has become the leading faith in Circassia. They professed Orthodoxy, a small part of the people converted to Catholicism. Such people were called "frekkardashi". Gradually, from the 15th century, the adoption of Islam began, which is the official religion of the Circassians. Islam has become part of the national identity, and today the Circassians are Sunni Muslims.

culture

The folklore of this people is very diverse and consists of several areas:

• fairy tales and tales
• proverbs
• songs
• riddles and allegory
• Tongue Twisters
• ditties

There were dances at all holidays. The most popular are lezginka, udzh khash, kafa and udzh. They are very beautiful and full of sacred meaning. Music occupied an important place; without it, not a single celebration took place among the Circassians. Popular musical instruments are the harmonica, harp, flute and guitar.

During national holidays, horse riding competitions were held among young people. The Circassians held dance evenings "jagu". Girls and boys stood in a circle and clapped their hands, in the middle they danced in pairs, and the girls played on musical instruments. The boys chose the girls they wanted to dance with. Such evenings allowed young people to get acquainted, communicate and subsequently form a family.

Fairy tales and legends are divided into several groups:

• mythical
• about animals
• with riddles and riddles
• legal education

One of the main genres of oral folk art of the Circassians is the heroic epic. It is based on legends about heroes-heroes and their adventures.

Traditions

A special place among the Circassians is occupied by the tradition of hospitality. All the best was always allocated to the guests, the hosts never bothered them with their questions, laid a rich table and provided the necessary amenities. Circassians are very generous and ready to set the table for the guest at any time. According to custom, any visitor could enter the yard, tie his horse to the hitching post, enter the house and spend as many days there as necessary. The owner had no right to ask his name, as well as the purpose of the visit.

It is not permissible for the young to be the first to start a conversation in the presence of the elders. It was considered shameful to smoke, drink and sit in the presence of your father, eat with him at the same table. Circassians believe that one should not be greedy in food, one should not keep one's promises, and appropriate other people's money.

One of the main customs of the people is the wedding. The bride left her home immediately after the groom entered into an agreement with her father on a future wedding. They took her to friends or relatives of the groom, where she lived before the celebration. This custom is an imitation of bride kidnapping with the full consent of all parties. The wedding celebration lasts 6 days, but the groom is not present at it. It is believed that relatives are angry with him for the kidnapping of the bride. When the wedding ended, the groom returned home and briefly reunited with his young wife. He brought treats from his father to her relatives as a sign of reconciliation with them.

The bridal chamber was considered a sacred place. It was impossible to do chores around her and talk loudly. After a week of staying in this room, the young wife was taken to a big house, a special ceremony was performed. They covered the girl with a blanket, gave her a mixture of honey and butter, showered her with nuts and sweets. Then she went to her parents and lived there for a long time, sometimes until the birth of a child. Upon returning to her husband's house, the wife began to take care of the household. Throughout his married life, the husband came to his wife only at night, he spent the rest of the time in the men's quarters or in the kunatskaya.

The wife was the mistress of the women's part of the house, she had her own property, this was a dowry. But my wife had a number of prohibitions. She was not supposed to sit in front of men, call her husband by name, go to bed until he came home. A husband could divorce his wife without any explanation, she could also demand a divorce for certain reasons. But this happened very rarely.

A man did not have the right to kiss his son in the presence of strangers, to pronounce the name of his wife. When the husband died, all 40 days the wife had to visit his grave and spend some time near it. Gradually this custom was forgotten. The widow was to marry the brother of her dead husband. If she became the wife of another man, the children stayed with the husband's family.

Pregnant women had to follow the rules, there were prohibitions for them. This was necessary in order to protect the future mother with a child from evil spirits. When a man was told that he would become a father, he left the house and for several days appeared there only at night. After the birth, two weeks later, they performed the ceremony of laying the newborn in the cradle and gave him a name.

Murder was punishable by death, the sentence passed by the people. The murderer was thrown into the river, with stones tied to him. There was a custom of blood revenge among the Circassians. If they were insulted or there was a murder, they took revenge not only on the murderer, but on his entire family and relatives. The death of his father could not be left without revenge. If the killer wanted to avoid punishment, he had to raise and raise a boy from the family of the murdered. The child, already a young man, was returned to his father's house with honors.

If a person was killed by lightning, they buried him in a special way. An honorary funeral was held for animals killed by lightning. The ceremony was accompanied by singing and dancing, and chips from a tree that was struck and burned by lightning were considered healing. The Circassians performed rituals to bring rain in a drought, before and after agricultural work they made sacrifices.

Circassians are a people that lives in Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, Adygea, Stavropol and Krasnodar Territories. The number is about 73 thousand people. Language group: Abkhaz-Adyghe.

IN modern world inhabited by a huge number of people of different races, nationalities and religions. The philosopher Hegel in his book "Philosophy of the Soul" analyzed some of them. Taking into account the Caucasoid race, he singled out a separate branch in it, the Caucasian, and attributed the Circassians to it directly.

The Circassians themselves have long called themselves Circassians, and their language - Circassian. Their worldview, relationships among themselves, living conditions and mentality are the result of the Adyghe etiquette, which at one time regulated the rules, controlled the actions of the population and the characteristics of their life. Often they were called both Chers and Sherkas, but the original name of this people is the same - Circassians.

The ancient population was engaged in pasture cattle breeding. Before the adoption of Islam, people raised pigs. Later, the Circassians bred horses of the Kabardian breed.

The main craft of the Circassians was the manufacture of cloth, the production of clothing and footwear. In the south, wood processing was widely developed. Men were engaged in weapons and blacksmithing. All products were highly valued and were in demand in neighboring territories.

Origin

Circassians - ancient people. The beginning of their existence is associated with the formation of the country of Khatia. The population of this country was very diverse, such nationalities as Abeshla and Kishpeks lived here. It is they who are considered the progenitors of the glorious family of Circassians.

Adygs have always been located on the same territory. Only they lived on their lands, so their blood is incredibly pure. They roamed on the banks of the Don and right up to the Greater Caucasus Range.

The life of the Circassians has always been under threat. They were subjected to numerous raids directly from other tribes, neighbors. Enemies wanted to retake territory with free access to the sea and a comfortable climate. The Circassians did not give up and always harrowed their land and independence, although there were fewer of them and they did not have enough weapons.

The war in the Caucasus lasted 101 years. During this time, a huge number of Circassians died, their settlements collapsed and lands were conquered. They suffered terrible losses.

Modern population

Today, Circassians live in Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria and North Ossetia. Modern representatives of this people call themselves Adygs, but in the documents they are listed as Adyghes, Circassians, Kabardians.

A large number of Circassians live abroad, in Turkey, Syria, Egypt and the Middle East. They are also registered in Europe. About 73 thousand representatives of the Circassian nationality live in the Russian Federation. A very small percentage of Circassians live in their native Caucasus, all of them scattered around the world.

The Circassians made a huge contribution to the development of Russian culture and infrastructure. Such well-known names as Inal Svetly, Temryuk Idarov, Kambulat Idarov, Dmitry Cherkassky are the pride of all the people, they are always remembered and respected.

language group

Circassians belong to the Abkhaz-Adyghe language group. Their native language is considered to be the Kabardino-Circassian language, but the name is often simply "Circassian language".

This language is spoken mainly in the Middle East and Russia. Representatives of the people who live in other countries speak a foreign language, but communicate with each other only in their native language. Circassians love their native language and don't forget.

Many attempts have been made to create writing. Until 1924, it was based on the Arabic alphabet, and from 1936 to the present day, the Kabardian script has been formed on the basis of the Cyrillic alphabet.

In 1996, the Kabardino-Circassian language was officially adopted as the state language in Karachay-Cherkessia.

At present, the Circassians remain a people that wanders around the world. Their situation causes great concern and endangers their continued existence, since there are very few indigenous representatives of the people left and 80% of them are in Turkey. It is very important that the Circassian population leave behind their customs, cultural values ​​that will be passed down from generation to generation, thereby preventing the nation from disappearing.

▲ Circassians are the indigenous inhabitants of the North-Western Caucasus. The Circassians left a noticeable mark in history, participated in almost all major events Caucasus, Russia, Egypt, the Near and Middle East, the Balkans. Bearers of original culture, they made a great contribution to the spiritual development of the North Caucasus, Russia, Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Yemen and other countries. This people, calling themselves "Adyghe", was formed in the VIII-X centuries from separate ethnic groups in the territory in the form of a large triangle formed by the Black Sea coast, the Kuban River and its tributary Laba. The ethnonym "Adyghe" is first encountered by the author of the end of the 15th century, George Ineriano. Earlier news about this term, as a self-name of the Circassians, is not yet available. Already in the XII-VII centuries before new era distant ancestors of the Circassians lived in the upper reaches of the Kuban and Zelenchuk. The most ancient Adyghe-Meotians own such a monument as the Druzhbinsk settlement (V century BC–IV century AD). In the early Middle Ages, the Circassians, among other tribes, also lived on the territory of present-day Karachay-Cherkessia. They own stone crypts in the Indysh and in other places, dating back to the 5th-12th centuries AD. The Alans and Adyghes left such a remarkable monument of the 8th-9th centuries as the Moshchevaya Balka burial ground on Bolshaya Laba south of the village of Kurdzhinovo. Starting from the northwestern tip of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, the Circassians inhabited a vast territory on both sides of the Main Caucasian Range for about 275 kilometers (counting along the watershed range from northwest to southeast), after which their lands passed exclusively to the northern slopes Caucasus Range, into the basin of the Kuban, and then the Terek, extending to the southeast for about 350 kilometers. Scientists suggest that the first appearance of the Circassians in the territory of the former Alania occurred in the XIII century. Then the Alanian territory was empty due to the invasions of the Mongol-Tatars, and this allowed the Adyghe tribes, who had lived before that across the Laba River, to move to new places.▲ The Circassians in the past were pagans, in the XIV-XV centuries they were considered Christians, and in the late XVIII-early XIX centuries - Muslims.▲ Apparently, at the end of the 14th century, one of the Adyghe tribes, the Kabardians, advanced to the lands empty after the departure of the Mongols to the Pyatigorye region. They received the name "Eastern Circassians", in contrast to the Black Sea - western. In the 15th century, part of the Kabardians and western Circassians settled in the upper reaches of the Kuban, forming the third group of Adyghe settlement. Before the resettlement of the Cossacks, the Trans-Kuban Circassians used the meadows and arable lands of the right bank of the Kuban, but with the arrival of the Russians, the Circassians gathered their bread, took their cattle and left the right bank of the Kuban without any enmity, remembering that this land had never belonged to them.▲ The Circassians originally consisted of seven main tribes: Zikhs, Kerkets, Sinds, Geniokhs, Achins, Zanikhs and Basques. The main tribe was probably the Sinds, who occupied the entire Kuban and Kabarda. They were also called Caucasian Indians. But then these names changed and were replaced by the following: kemirga, kabardey, shapsug, natuhay, abadzekh, bzhedukh and bask.▲ The Circassians were divided into two large groups: the first - the Circassians proper (Besleney) or "Adyghe", the second - the Kabardians, and were called so until the 30s of the twentieth century. These two groups received the common name "Circassians" only during the years of Soviet power. In 1833, the first group included the following nationalities: Abadzekhs, Shapsugs, Natugais, Besleneevs, Khakuchis, Makhos, Khatukaevs, Temirgoevs, Bzhedukhs, Zhaneevs, Ubykhs, Mamkhegs, Kemirgoevs, Ademii, Egerukays, Ardoma, Sasha. In "Selected works of the Adyghe enlighteners" (Nalchik, "Elbrus", 1980, p. 63) it is said that "the Circassian tribes are divided into two large departments: Adyge and Abadze. The following belong to the Adyge department: 1) fugitive Kabardians, 2) Besleneyites, 3) Makho-Shevtsy, 4) Temirgoevs (Kemkoy), 5) Yegeruks, 6) Makhmirs, 7) Gatyukaevs, 8) Bzhedukhs. The Abadze department includes: 9) Abadzekhs, 10) Shapsugs, 11) Natukhaevs, 12) Ubykhs and 13) Dzhigets. This should also include small tribes of Abkhazian origin, who also moved out from behind the Caucasus Mountains to their northeastern slope, such as: a) Barakaevs, b) Bagovtsy, c) Shakhgireevs, d) Tamovtsy, e) Kilbekovtsy, f) Bashilbaevtsy , g) Mdoveians and so on.▲ The Circassians were converted to the Christian faith in the 6th century AD - during the reign of Emperor Justinian. In 1717 Christianity in the Caucasus received a mortal blow. The Ottoman Sultan Ahmed III agreed with the Crimean Khan Devlet Giray on the conversion of the Circassians by force of arms to the Muslim faith. Many ministers of the church were killed, their sacred books were set on fire, and the pigs they kept were destroyed.▲ The territory where the Circassians lived did not know a single state power. Both in the Middle Ages and in modern times, the Circassians were tribes independent of each other, headed by princes. The tribes were different in number, from small ones of 2-5 thousand to powerful ones of 160-200 thousand people. Over the centuries, the number of tribes ranged from 11 to 32. Some tribes disappeared or lost their significance as independent entities. As a result of coercion by the tsarist government, the agitation of Turkish emissaries, and the religious feelings of the population, during the years 1858-1865 alone, approximately 493,000 people moved from the North Caucasus to Turkey.▲ Mukhajirs are the names of Caucasian emigrants of Adyghe-Circassian origin, scattered all over the world today. They currently live in 51 states and number about 4 million people. But the greatest number of them have chosen for themselves places in the Middle East: in Turkey, Syria, Jordan. Many of them visited the city of Cherkessk. According to the All-Union Population Census of 1989, 567,203 Adygs lived in the former Soviet Union, including 124,826 Adyghes, 390,814 Kabardians and 52,363 Circassians. ▲ On the emblem of the Adyghe Khasa (the so-called society by nationality) - 12 stars, a symbol of 12 clans that make up the Adyghe people, and three crossed arrows - a symbol of lasting peace and unity.▲ The Adyghe languages ​​belong to the Caucasian family, which, in addition to the Abkhaz-Adyghe, includes three more branches: Kartvels (Georgians), Veinakhs (Chechens, Ingush) and Dagestans (Avars, Laks, etc.);▲ It is historically well established that the Circassians lived on the Crimean peninsula about three thousand years ago and then slowly moved to the Caucasus as a result of a series of tribal migrations.▲ In historical times (VI century) Circassians were called Ants. But over time, it changed and became “nat” or “nart” in the Circassian language, which is a distorted form of the word “ant”.▲ Adygs were also known by early medieval authors. Thus, the Byzantine emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus (X century) mentioned that there were three regions in the North-Western Caucasus - Zikhia, Kasakhia and Papagia. The Arab traveler-geographer Abdul-Hasan-Ai al-Masudi, who visited Circassia in 940–950, characterized this country as follows: “Next to the Alans, between Kabkh and the Rum Sea (Black Sea), there is a tribe named Keshah. This tribe is well-organized and subordinate to the religion of magicians. Of the tribes we have described, there is not a single people in these countries in which one could meet a type with lighter skin and a fairer complexion and more beautiful men and women. No nation has a camp more slender, hips and pelvis more prominent and forms more beautiful than this people ... "▲ Other nations called the ancestors of the Adyghes Sinds, Zikhs, Meots, Kerkets. Since the 9th-10th centuries, both in European and Russian sources, they appear as "keshah-kasogi". Since the 12th century, the Tatars, Nogais and Turks called the Adyghes for their bravery and courage Circassians. The Russians also used the same name, it has been preserved now as the second name of the Adyghe people. It's no secret that during the years of the Caucasian War, Russians called all Caucasians Circassians. Leo Tolstoy has, for example, such an expression: "We purely symbolically call all Caucasians Circassians." At the same time, the Russians distinguished between the Kuban, Kabardian, Pyatigorsk and Trans-Kuban Circassians.▲ Interpretation of the origin of the ethnonym "Circassian", from which the geographical concept of "Circassia" arose, each nation saw its own meaning in it. The Arabs, for example, believed that it comes from the word “sherkes” (disturber of the order), the Turks - “serkut” (rebel) or “serkes” (thug), the Iranians - “framework” or “charkas” (eagle), the Tatars believed that it consists of the words "cher" (road) and "kefsmek" (cut off), the Persians believe that it is of Persian origin, in their language "cher" means "warrior", "courageous", and "kes" - a person, an individual . Some Dagestan peoples, for example, the Laks, call the Circassians "chargas", which means "dancing", "dexterous". Many believed that "Circassian" is a modified pronunciation of tribal ethnonyms - "keshak", "kashak", "kashag", "kasakh", "kasog", etc. In the XVIII-beginning XIX centuries the ethnonym "Circassian" became the name of all mountaineers living on the territory of modern Karachay-Cherkessia;▲ The Adyghe scientist Sh. Nogmov, the historian from Karachay-Cherkessia I. Kh. Kalmykov and a number of other scientists derive the name "Circassian" from the name of the ancient Meotian tribe "Kerkets". So the ancient Adyghe tribes were called by the Greeks. Subsequently, it somewhat changed in the pronunciation of other peoples (primarily Turkic), turned into "Circassian"; laureate of the Lenin Prize E. I. Krupnov wrote: “... that, according to the unanimous recognition of all linguists, the “Kerkets” of the ancient authors Pliny, Strabo and others, or the “Circenians” in a later time, are none other than modern Circassians.” There is reason to consider the ethnonym "Kerket" (later "Cherkenes" "Circassians") as a transfraction of the name to the Greek tribe (or association of tribes) that lived in the Northern Black Sea region about two and a half thousand years ago. The Greeks, as is known, set up settlements in the Northern Black Sea region from the 7th century BC. The presence of writing among the Greeks predetermined their primacy in the transmission of information about the peoples of the Northern Black Sea region and the Caucasus to Europe and the world as a whole. But the peculiarity of the Greek alphabet was that it did not have the designation of the sound “h”. Its letter designation was replaced by the letter "k" (according to P. Uslar). "Kerke-t" was supposed to have the pre-Greek form "draws". Some scientists argue that the meanings of the ethnonym "Kerke-t" - the giver of the seed (resurrection)", "Cherkenes" - "belonging to the mother of the seed (resurrection)", "Cherke-s" - "the courageous seed (resurrection)", "the deity of courage ". ▲ Historian N. I. Nadezhdin believes that the word "Circassian" consists of two parts: "chir" - the road and "kyas" - cutting, or "Cherkyas" - "tear off the head" or "thug". The etymology of "Circassian" from the Turkish "Circassian" - cutthroat ("cheri" - throat and "kes" - cut) is also widespread. In order for the soul of the Circassian to rest at home, the soldiers cut off the heads of their dead friends, brought them home and gave them to their relatives for burial.▲ Professor M. Khabichev proposed a new etymology of the ethnonym "Circassian" from the ancient Karachay-Balkarian "cheri" - troops, warrior and "kes" - department, that is, the military department, voivodeship, army, since in 1404, according to Ioan Galonifantibus , "kara cherkes" meant "Karachay province".▲ Evliya Chelebi believed that the name "Circassian" came from the name of the ruler of one of the provinces of the Bedouin Arabs in Egypt - Kisu, who one night had to flee from a threatening enemy attack. When the opponents discovered his disappearance in the morning, they said: "Sara Kisu", which means "The ruler of Kisu fled." Since then, the people began to call him "sarakisu", abbreviated as "sarakis". This distorted word began to sound "Circassian". Having fled from the battlefield, the Circassians settled between Baghdat and Mosul. Later they were forcibly resettled in the south of the Kypchak steppe, beyond the Kuban.▲ The Meots, Zikhs, and Kasogs were pagans, although, beginning in the 1st century, attempts were made to Christianize them. Back in the XIV century, along with paganism, Christianity of the Greek (Byzantine) persuasion was preserved among the Circassians. Archbishop John at the beginning of the 15th century wrote that the Circassians still follow Christian rites in some ways, and pagan in the rest. Giorgio (George) Interiano reported about the Circassians that they have priests (there is evidence that Irey Pederico, who died in 1380, was an Circassian), children are baptized at the age of eight, and that noble people do not enter the temple until they will not turn 60 years old, and before that they listen to sermons at the door, sitting on a horse.▲ The ideal of female beauty among the Circassians was considered a slender figure, flat chest, thin (50–55 centimeters) waist. To achieve such an ideal, a girl of 10–12 years old, as soon as a figure began to form, was put on a corset. It was sewn from morocco or plain leather. The corset was tightly laced up in front with a thin cord. The girls wore a corset all the time, they slept in it and took it off only when they washed. Filmed it, already forever, the husband on the wedding night.▲ The first meetings of the Circassians with the Russians are recorded in 1022, when a duel took place between the Circassian Ridada and the son of the Grand Duke of Kiev Saint Vladimir the Red Sun, Mstislav, which ended with the victory of Mstislav and the death of Ridada ("The Tale of Igor's Campaign").▲ The name "Circassians" was first used by Willem (Guillaume) Rubruk, who visited Circassia on June 6, 1253. He wrote that the name "Circassians" was given to them by the peoples surrounding them, while they themselves call themselves Adyghes.▲ Russian soldiers in the Battle of Kulikovo (1380) fought in Circassian helmets.▲ On September 14, 1829, after the conclusion of peace in Andrianopol, Russia's military operations against Western Circassia took on a legal character. By this agreement, “independent Circassia” was transferred from hand to hand either by Turkey or Russia, or vice versa. Article 3 of the treaty stated: “... recognizing the Kuban River as a border, the imperial court of Russia also renounces all nations living on the other side of the named river, that is, between the Kuban and the Black Sea.” ▲ The main agricultural crops of the Circassians were millet and corn. They were actively engaged in horticulture and horticulture on their personal plots. But cattle was considered an indicator of the well-being of the Circassian family. Animal products and vegetable diet formed the basis of the diet of the Circassians. They ate boiled millet porridge, millet stew, butter, milk and dried cheeses. Shchyps was a favorite dish - chicken with gravy, the most common drink was buza, mahsima.▲ A Circassian's wife never wept in the presence of a dead man. It was considered shameful. If the husband was killed, then his brother took the wife, and from the next night he slept with her. It was legal to have multiple wives.▲ The Circassians captured mainly young Russian women, children and teenagers. Women were turned into servants, sometimes they were made concubines, and there were even many cases when the Circassians married a young Cossack woman if she accepted Mohammedanism. The Circassians brought up children in their own way, converted them to their faith, and then sold them to Turkey.▲ In contrast to the stables built by the Cossacks (with windows and wide gates), the highlanders had dark stables so that the horse would learn to see better at night than horse riding. That is why the Circassian cavalry was not equal in the mountains and in the dark gorges. Circassian horses (Kabardian breed) were well-trained, light, hardy, good-natured. Their hooves are hard, high, not requiring a metal horseshoe. The highlander's horse never neighed in ambush.▲ The modern Circassians of Karachay-Cherkessia are the descendants of those who fled to the Trans-Kuban region, as a result of the oppression of the punitive expeditions of the tsarist troops, the inhabitants of Kabarda and an insignificant part of the Western Circassians related to the Kabardians from among the Besleneyites.In 1833-1850 they founded 10 auls: along the valley of the Maly Zelenchuk River– Khahandukovsky (Aliberdukovsky), Atleskerosky (Zhako), Kasaevsky (Khabez), Atazhukinsky (Zeyuko), Batashevsky Small Zelenchuk); along the Bolshoi Zelenchuk river valley– Dokshukovsky (Vako-Zhile), Tazartukovsky (Besleney), Bereslanovsky (Inzhi-Chishkho), Abatovsky (Ersakon); along the valley of the Kuban river- Abukovsky (Humara).
▲ Cattle in 1867 played an important role in the economy of the Circassian: it was used as a draft force in agriculture, when transferring weights, and was also a universal equivalent. The bull was the currency wow. Kalym was paid in cattle. According to the accepted custom, a simple free Circassian, buying a wife from his own class, paid for her from 7 to 15 heads of cattle, and a sufficient one paid for a beautiful and young girl he liked from 25 to 100 heads. For a peasant girl, from 30 to 60 goals were paid. When buying a boy or a man, the price was set depending on the age. For a young man from 15 to 20 years old, 15–20 heads of cattle were paid, for a man from 25 to 30 years old - 25–30 heads. In the case of murder, payment for blood was also calculated in terms of livestock. The Circassians did not know the use of coins, and they did not have money. Therefore, when imposing penalties, they set their own value, for the unit of which the same wow- a bull, it consisted of skha- Penalty for blood. In 1796, the penalty for the murder of a nobleman was 42 skha, for killing a peasant - 20.▲ In Russia, a whole galaxy of statesmen, officers and generals from Circassia were trained and brought up, who deserved world fame. Prince Temryuk Idarov sent to the Russian Tsar as a sign of allegiance his son, Saltmon, who was named Prince Mikhail Cherkasov after baptism and was granted a boyar, and his daughter Maria, who was later married to the Tsar. From them went the family of Cherkasovs and Cherkasskys, who, from all the Russian nobility, had an image of a goose on their family coat of arms, in a crest. Among them - statesman, Prince Ali-Murza (at baptism - Mikhail) Alegukovich Cherkassky (1645-1721), who was the second, after Prince F. Romodanovsky, Generalissimo of Russia (1695), commander of the Russian ground forces under Peter I. Leaving the capital, Peter I always left him behind. It is known that, having ordered the aristocracy to shave their beards, the tsar allowed only two beards to be left - T. N. Streshnev and M. A. Cherkassky. Yakov Kudenetovich Cherkassky, Aleksey Mikhailovich Cherkassky, Alexander Bekovich Cherkassky, Major General Khatu Anzorov - the personal bodyguard of the tsar, Edig Islamovich Khagundokov - military governor, general and ataman of the Amur province and many others played a significant role in the foreign and domestic policy of Russia.▲ In 1829, a teacher at St. Petersburg University compiled the Circassian alphabet in Russian grammatical basis. And in 1840, another famous scientist A. Lulie created the Adyghe alphabet and later published the Russian-Adyghe Dictionary. IN late XIX and at the beginning of the 20th century, mountain educators also compiled alphabets on various graphic bases. The first Circassian alphabet appeared in 1924. Its author was the founder of Circassian and Abaza literature, Abaza T. Tabulov. The alphabet was created on an Arabic graphic basis and existed until 1928. The first primers and newspapers were published on it. They were taught in schools. However, it soon became clear that Arabic is difficult to learn. Phonetics Arabic is not able to convey the phonetic structure of the Caucasian languages. In 1938, the Circassian alphabet, like the alphabets of other peoples of Karachay and Cherkessia, was transferred to the Russian graphic basis.▲ The Adyghe (Circassian) people consisted of 12 large tribes. And each tribe had its own breeds of horses, one or more. The oldest of them is Koban. Sholokh, Kundet, Bechkan, Abuk breeds became famous for their unsurpassed qualities. The Zhirashty breed was the most beautiful, but not hardy, it served as an exit horse for princes and nobles. There were also less common breeds - Khahanduko, Shodzheroko, Yegen, Yesieniei. The best qualities of all horses - fidelity, endurance, small size, adaptability to mountains and valleys and exceptional hoof strength - were, of course, in the Kabardian breed.