DAY OF MOURNING, DAY OF HOPE
IN MEMORIAM
(THAT WE MAY NOT FORGET)
IN 1990, THE 21st OF MAY HAS BEEN
DESIGNATED AS THE DAY OF MOURNING BY THE CIRCASSIANS ON WHICH THEY COMMEMORATE
THE TRAGEDY OF THE NATION.
AT THE PEACE TREATY SIGNING CEREMONY BETWEEN
CHECHNYA AND RUSSIA ON 12/5/1997 IN MOSCOW, YELTSIN SAID, "WITH THIS HISTORIC
ACCORD, WE HAVE PUT AN END TO A DEVASTATING WAR IN THE CAUCASUS THAT LASTED
FOR FOUR HUNDERED YEARS." THIS STATEMENT GRAPHICALLY CONTRADICTS THE RECEIVED
NOTION THAT THE RUSSIAN-CAUCASIAN WAR ENDED IN 1864. IN FACT, THE STRUGGLE
AGAINST THE OPPRESSIVE YOKE STILL RAGES TODAY, ALBEIT IN THE HEARTS AND
MINDS OF A PEOPLE SUCKLED ON THE MILK OF FREEDOM.
ON THIS FATEFUL DAY IN 1864, THE HISTORY OF A WHOLE NATION TOOK
A VERY NASTY TURN, A SUBLIME WAY OF LIFE VERGED ON EXTINCTION, THE ASPIRATIONS
OF A MIGHTY RACE WERE DASHED ON THE INTRANSIGENT ADAMANT OF HUBRIS, AMBITION
AND BARBARISM.
AFTER THE END OF THE WAR, MOST NORTH-WEST CAUCASIANS WERE FORCED
TO LEAVE THEIR ANCESTRAL HOMELAND. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WERE HERDED TOWARDS
THE BLACK SEA. MANY TRIBES WERE EXTERMINATED. A WHOLE PEOPLE, THE UBYKH,
BREATHED ITS LAST. NOT ONLY WAS A NATION MURDERED, BUT ALSO A LANGUAGE;
BLATANT CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY AND CULTURE.
MANY OF THOSE WHO REMAINED IN THE CAUCASUS WERE COMPELLED TO MIGRATE
FROM THEIR ANCIENT DOMICILES TO THE NORTHERN PLAINS WHERE THEY WOULD BE
MORE EASILY SUBJUGATED. THEIR NOBLE TRADITIONS WERE SNEERED AT. A WARLIKE,
PROUD NATION WAS REDUCED TO BONDAGE BY A MOB OF SERFS. NISRAN-ZHCHAK'A
WAS CHAINED TO THE TWIN-PEAKED MOUNT. BUT THIS TIME IT WAS THE BEAR'S TURN
TO EAT INTO HIS HEART. THE WHOLE EARTH MUST HAVE TREMBLED ON THAT HORRIFIC
DAY.
THOSE WHO WERE EJECTED FROM THEIR FATHERLAND FARED EVEN WORSE. MANY
PERISHED EN ROUTE TO THEIR DESTINATIONS. HUNGER, DISEASE AND HOPELESSNESS
CLAIMED AN UNTOLD NUMBER OF LIVES. WHOLE FAMILIES WERE WIPED OUT. NOT A
SINGLE ONE WAS SPARED A TRAGEDY. IT MUST HAVE BEEN HELL ON EARTH FOR THE
OFFSPRING OF JAPHETH.
ON 21st OF MAY 1914, TSARIST RUSSIA CELEBRATED THE 50th ANNIVERSARY
OF THE FORMAL DECLARATION OF THE END OF THE RUSSIAN-CIRCASSIAN WARS AS
ONE OF ITS GREATEST NATIONAL VICTORIES. IN STARK CONTRAST, THE CIRCASSIANS
HAD TO WAIT A FURTHER 76 YEARS TO COMMEMORATE THIS BLEAK DAY!
THE SACRED SEA DONNED HIS SABLE LEST HIS CHILDER FORGET. THE
BLEAK WATER STILL BEARS WITNESS TO THE MASSACRES IN ITS BOWELS. THE BONES
OF THE SUNKEN ONES CRY OUT FOR REDEMPTION. BUT IS THE CHILD AWAKE? DOES
HE HEAR THE SHRIEKS OF HIS FOREBEARS? DOES HE EVEN CARE?
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