Turkish researcher: Russo-Circassian War of 1763–1864 was policy of extermination of Circassians

The Russo-Circassian War of 1763–1864 was not just a war, but a deliberate policy of extermination of the Circassian people.

According to a Report correspondent from Shusha, Turkish researcher, journalist, and analyst Nalan Yazgan made the remark at a panel discussion at the international conference "Cultural and Ethnic Diversity: Lessons of History, Contemporary Challenges."

"One of the most famous symbols of the Russian occupation, General Grigory Zass, gained infamous notoriety for collecting Circassian skulls as trophies. Today, in some regions of the North Caucasus, monuments in his honor are still erected, and official events dedicated to his memory are held. For the descendants of the victims of the genocide, such public glorification is a symbol not of reconciliation, but of the continuation of historical violence," she stated.

The analyst noted that in modern Russia, conditions are not being created even for peaceful commemorative events dedicated to the Circassians.

According to her, in 2025, participants in the silent memorial march in Nalchik were subjected to administrative arrest.

"The legal, political, and cultural consequences of the 1864 Circassian genocide continue to impact the lives of the descendants of its victims," ​​she added.

Researcher and professor at Türkiye's Cukurova University, Cahit Aslan, noted that millions of Circassian families living around the world strive to preserve their collective memory through family remembrances, cultural rituals, and commemorative events.

"The concept of 'Circassian identity' has been used throughout history with various meanings. In a narrow sense, it refers to the Adyghe, while in a broader sense, it serves as a supra-ethnic identity uniting many indigenous peoples of the North Caucasus who were exiled," he said.

According to the professor, the deportations of the peoples of the North Caucasus, including the Karachays, Balkars, and Chechens, carried out by the Kremlin during the Soviet period, also left a deep mark on collective memory.

"Collective memory is not only a way to remember the past, but also a will to build the future. Identity lives as long as memory exists, and memory is preserved through the transmission of cultural heritage. Therefore, Circassian national identity should be viewed as a dynamic process, grounded in the past but looking to the future," emphasized Cahit Aslan.

Rustam Khuazhev, a board member of the League of Free Nations, who joined the conference via video link from Germany, described the current situation in Russia.

"The state is trying to dictate to people how they should think, what they consider right, and how they should feel. This is where the most dangerous form of discrimination begins. It is no longer just political, but also cultural, social, and psychological. The real political representation of indigenous peoples is weakening, the mechanisms of public influence on the government are gradually being eliminated, and the centralized system of governance, in which decisions are made without citizen participation, is only strengthening," he noted.

According to Khuazhev, the problem is not limited to institutional discrimination.

"We are faced with mass detentions and arrests of young people, as well as pressure on their families. No decrees or administrative decisions can change the values ​​that people hold dear. When discrimination becomes systemic, opportunities for development disappear," he stated.

Fatima Tlis, a representative of the World Circassian Agency, speaking via video link from the United States, emphasized that ensuring historical justice remains a crucial task.

"If people retain a desire for freedom and their national identity, any attempts to erase them from the historical map or assimilate them within artificially created administrative boundaries are doomed to failure. As long as the historical homeland of the Circassians remains a territory of colonial oppression, where the study of their native language is restricted, the right of return is blocked, and the constitutions of the national republics are deprived of sovereign content, the Circassian question will remain an open problem and a source of large-scale political change," she said.