"To enter the villages in the darkness became our usual thing. Russian soldiers were entering the houses one by one under the darkness of the night. This and following scenes were such horror scenes that none of the reporters were courageous enough to report them…" (Count Leo Tolstoy)


"Half of those who left to go to Ottoman Empire died before they reached there. Such a state of wretchedness is rare in the history of the humankind."(Russian I. DZAROV)


“Sailors were acquisitive. They were letting 200-300 people in to the ships that have a capacity of 50-60. The people left with a little bread and water. In 5-6 days these were all consumed and then they caught epidemic illnesses from starvation, they were dying in the way to Ottoman Empire, and those who die were dumped into the sea. The ship that started the trip with 600 people ended up with only 370 people alive..."(French Reporter A. Fonvill)


Such was the 21 May 1864 imprinted on the memory of the Circassian people. Day of victory for the Tsar and his armies, and the day of bitterness, sorrow, exile, disunity and death...


Despite everything, May 21 represents the resistance of the Circassian people for survival. It is resistance, rebellion, and rebirth. It is the struggle of Circassia to survive against all tyrants.


May 21 is the day on which we want to cry out all these bitterness, wars, insane practices which have been imprinted onto our memories to the world.

Medien & Kultur

circassian