Circassian Genocide

This article's content is marked as Mature The page Circassian Genocide contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature pages are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page.

Circassians leave the aul, by Pyotr Nikolayevich Gruzinsky (1872)

“	There were human bones thrown at the seaside for seven years. Crows made their nests from men's beards and women's hair. The sea was throwing human skulls like crushed watermelons for seven years. I don't even want my enemy to see what I saw there.	„
	~ An old Circassian who survived the genocide

The Circassian Genocide, also known as the Circassian Exile, was the systematic ethnic cleansing, killing, forced migration and expulsion of Circassian individuals from their historical homeland Circassia, which roughly encompassed the major part of the North Caucasus and the northeast shore of the Black Sea by the Russian Empire after the Russo-Circassian War also known as the Great Caucasus War in the last quarter of the 19th century. While most Circassians were killed, some who were exiled moved primarily to the Ottoman Empire.

Circassians, the indigenous peoples of the North Caucasus, were ethnically cleansed from their homeland at the end of the Russo-Circassian War by Russia. The expulsion was launched before the end of the war in 1864 and it was mostly completed by 1867. The peoples planned for removal were mainly the Circassians (or Adyghe), Ubykhs, and Abaza, but Ingush, Arshtins, Chechens, Ossetians, and Abkhaz were also heavily affected.

The Imperial Russian Army rounded up people, driving them from their villages to ports on the Black Sea, where they awaited ships provided by the neighboring Ottoman Empire. An unknown number of deportees perished during the process. Some died from epidemics among crowds of deportees both while awaiting departure and while languishing in their Ottoman Black Sea ports of arrival. Others perished when ships underway sank during storms. Calculations including those taking into account the Russian government's own archival figures have estimated a loss of 90% to a 97% of the Circassian nation in the process.

During the same period, other Muslim ethnic groups originating in the Caucasus also moved to the Ottoman Empire and Persia.

It has been recorded that during the events, the Russian and Cossack forces used various brutal methods to entertain themselves, such as tearing the bellies of pregnant women and removing the baby inside, then feeding the babies to dogs. Russian generals such as Grigory Zass described the Circassians as "subhuman filth", and justified their killing and use in scientific experiments.

Background

A large portion of indigenous peoples of the region were ethnically cleansed from their homeland at the end of the Russo-Circassian War by Russia. The peoples planned for removal were mainly the Circassians (or Adyghe), Ubykhs, and Abaza, but Abkhaz, Arshtins, Chechens and Ossetians and were also heavily affected. Other Muslim peoples of the Caucasus were also affected to a degree such as Avars and Ingush.

A big deportation was launched against the remaining population before the end of the war in 1864 and it was mostly completed by 1867. Only a small percentage accepted to surrender and resettle within the Russian Empire. The remaining Circassian populations who refused to surrender were thus variously dispersed, resettled, tortured, and most of the time, killed en masse.

An unknown number of deportees died during the process. Some died from epidemics among crowds of deportees both while awaiting departure and while languishing in their Ottoman Black Sea ports of arrival. Others were killed when ships underway sank during storms. Calculations including those taking into account the Russian government's own archival figures have estimated a loss of 80%–97% of the Circassian nation in the process.

As of 2021, Georgia was the only country to recognize the Circassian genocide, and Chechnya,, Jordan were countries whose state officials mentioned the genocide but the parliament did not pass an official resolution to recognise it, while Russia actively denies the Circassian genocide, and classifies the events as a simple migration of "undeveloped barbaric peoples".

Russian nationalists in the Caucasus region continue to celebrate the day on May 21 each year as a "holy conquest day", when the Circassian deportation was launched. Circassians commemorate May 21 every year as a day of mourning commemorating the Circassian genocide. On May 21, Circassians from all over the world fill the streets and protest the Russian government, Circassian banner and flags are a common sight in certain regions of cities such as Istanbul and Amman during these events.