Circassian Day of Mourning

A remembrance march of the Circassian diaspora in Turkey.

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The Circassian Day of Mourning (Adyghe: Шъыгъо-шӏэжъ маф) or the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Russo-Circassian War is mourned every year on 21 May in remembrance of the victims of the Russo-Circassian War and the subsequent Circassian genocide by members of the Circassian diaspora. The choice of the date is due to the fact that on 21 May 1864, General Pavel Grabbe held a military parade in the what is now Krasnaya Polyana in honor of the victory in the Battle of Qbaada.

Background[]

From 1763 to 1864 the Circassians fought against the Russians in the Russian-Circassian War, only succumbing to a scorched earth campaign initiated in 1862 by the Imperial Russian Army. On 21 May 1864, the Russian Tsar Aleksandr II declared that the war had ended with the Battle of Qbaada. In 1914, Nicholas II celebrated the 50th anniversary of the defeat of the Circassians, describing it as one of the empire's greatest victories. Boris Yeltsin acknowledged in 1996 when signing a peace treaty with Chechnya during the First Chechen War that the war was a tragedy whose responsibility lies with Russia.

Holiday[]

In 1990, the Circassians designated 21 May as the Day of Mourning for their people, on which they commemorate the tragedy of the nation. It is memorable and non-working day in the three republics of the Russian Federation^[1] (Adygea,^[2] Kabardino-Balkaria^[3] and Karachay-Cherkessia^[4]) as well as In the Circassian villages of the Krasnodar Krai. The government of the partially recognized Republic of Abkhazia also mounrs the day of mourning on May 21^[5] (until 2011, it was celebrated on May 31).

This memorable day is also widely celebrated with rallies and processions in countries with a large Circassian diaspora, such as Turkey, Germany, United States, Jordan and other countries of the Middle East.

References[]

See also[]

• Circassians
• Circassian Genocide
• Russian-Circassian War
• Circassian Nationalism