'It was really the first intentional large-scale genocide of the modern times, as well as the model case of the consequent tradition of ethnic cleansing. It was also the largest single genocide of the 19th century.'' Anssi Kullberg, The Eurasian Politician - October 2003
                                                                                     

“There are no words to describe the situation of the Mountaineers in those days. Thousands of them died in the roads, thousands of them died due to illness and hunger. The coastal regions were full with people who are dead or on the verge of dying. The babies who are searching for milk in their mother’s cold dead body, mothers who didn’t leave their kids from their laps even they are already dead from cold, and people who are dead while they got closer just to keep warm, are examples of the scenes that were normal in the coasts of the Black Sea.”  Y. Abramov, ''Caucasian Mountaineers'' '                                        

May 21st, (2009) is the Day of Mourning for the Circassian people. They commemorate the 145th anniversary of the forced migration and dispersion of their grandfathers from their homeland and the imperilment of their existence.

The North Caucasus is the homeland of the Circassians. The region stretches along the high peaks of the Caucasian mountain range at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, bounded by Russia from the north and the Islamic World from the south. Through the centuries great empires have endeavored to cross this barrier between the Orient and the Occident and conquer the lands beyond.

The Caucasian war started in 1763 and lasted for more than 100 years. The Russian Czarist Army outnumbered the national Circassian resistance by more than 20 times!

On 21 May 1864, the Caucasian War ended with the occupation of Circassian land. The Czar approved a decision to deport and exile the entire Circassian people.

More than 1.5 million Circassians were expelled; 90% of the total population at the time! Most of them perished en route being victims of disease, hunger and exhaustion.

They were dispersed all over the world. Some traveled 3000 Km on foot or on ox-carts. Some roamed for 25 years before settling down.

Today over 4 million Circassians live outside Homeland in over 40 countries across of the world.

 
::: CIRCASSIAN WORLD :::