The Status of the Circassian Language and Culture in Circassia
A Cyber Odyssey Across the Expanse of Circassian Culture and Language
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The Republic of Adigea
The Republic of Adigea bears the ethnonym of the Circassian nation.
It is located in the Krasnodar Krai in the Northwest Caucasus. The whole Krai is part of historical Circassia.
The President of the Republic is Circassian (Aslhencheriy K. Thak'wshine [Tkhakushinov]).
The Chairman of the State Council (Xase) is Russian (Anatoly G. Ivanov).
The land of the Shapsugh, one of the constituent peoples of the Circassian nation,
is located to the west of Adigea, on the coast of the Black Sea. Sochi (Sasha),
the centre of the 2014 Winter Olympics, had been a Circassian settlement
from time immemorial until the middle years of the 19th century,
when it was cleansed of its Circassian residents.
Flag of the Republic of Adigea,
adopted upon its upgrading to a republic within
the Russian Federation in 1992, as a symbol of renascent nationalism.
The twelve golden stars stand for the nine 'aristocratic' tribes and
the three 'democratic' tribes, while the three arrows represent unity and peace.
According to Circassian tradition, three arrows in a quiver meant that a warrior
was off to the hunt. More bolts signified more bellicose intentions.
The background represents the greenery of the countryside,
and hence a symbol of life and freedom.
Coat of Arms of the Republic of Adigea,
adopted on 24 March 1992. Nart Sosriqwe, with
torch in hand, rides Tx'wezchey [Littel Dun], the fire-horse.
The sunbeams shine the light on the twelve Circassian
nation-tribes atop the Mighty Caucasus. The national
three-legged table is a symbol of Circassian hospitality.
The products of the earth are the sign of plenty.
The first port of call on our journey shall be Maikop (Mieiqwape; 'The Vale of Apples'), the Capital of the Republic of Adigea.
Academic Institutions
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The Republic of (Adygeia) Adigea Institute for Research in the Humanities (Named after T. M. Ch'erashe [Kerashev]) ****
[13 Red October Street, Maikop]
Established in 1927, the Republic of Adygeia (Adigea) Institute for Research in the Humanities is the only institution in Adigea devoted exclusively to the study of the Adiga (Circassian) people. The Institute is named after the famous Circassian writer and enlightener Tembot M. Ch’erashe (Kerashev). Receiver of the Stalin Prize of the First Order, his first work Arq (‘Vodka’) came out in Krasnodar in 1925. Ch’erashe penned many historical tales and three novels, The Tempest, The Road to Happiness (1932), which was translated into Russian in 1948, and Lonely Rider, also translated into Russian. Some of his works were also translated to Turkish and published in Turkey by the Circassian diaspora there. The Institute's scholars publish and analyze works on language, literature, folklore, history, ethnology and ethnography, philosophy, and sociology. The Institute has 11 Sections:
The Institute Library, which was founded in 1929, incorporates the collections of the Library of the Society for the Study of the Adigean Autonomous Oblast. The collections include publications by European travellers to the Caucasus, as well as local publications from the early Soviet period. It also houses an archive of sound recordings, including songs and tales of Adigea, Kabarda and Cherkessia (the Circassian part of the Karachai-Cherkess Republic). The library has facilities for making photocopies and audio recordings.
The workers and researchers in the Institute (roughly 50 high-caliber specialists, whose names and specialties are available on the website) are both primary researchers into Circassian issues (comprehended by the Institute's mission) and (among) the custodians of Circassian culture and folklore in Adigea and the whole of Circassia. The publications, which cover all issues of interest, are mainly in Circassian and Russian, with some English co-publication.
The Institute's website is presented in Russian (predominantly) and English (to a lesser extent). Researchers into Circassian language, culture, and folklore (who have a working knowledge of Russian) shall find the site very useful. There is full bibliographic data (only in Russian) on the Institute's seminal and primary publications. Contact information is provided.
However, for an institute that is exclusively concerned with Circassian issues, it is very perplexing (one should say 'extremely annoying') that the website is not also presented in Circassian, the very language of the culture in focus (this accounts for the missing fifth star). It is hoped that this fundamental shortcoming be rectified by the Institute's administration. In addition, the priceless publications and archives of the Institute should be made available on line in attractive formats for the benefit of researchers and aficionados. This would surely make a great difference to Circassian studies across the world. I, personally, yearn to get access to these materials. Apart from the precious publications of the Institute, Circassian cultural institutes in the diaspora could set up twinning projects with the Republic of Adigea Institute for Research in the Humanities to get benefit out of its extensive know-how and long experience.
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[208 First of May Street, Maikop]
The Faculty of Adigean Philology and Culture [260 Pushkin Street, Maikop] was established in 1990. It is the successor of the Department of Adigean Language and Literature (established 1953) in the Faculty of Philology. Teaching staff consist of 23 specialists. There are about 320 regular students and 220 external students. The Sub-Faculty of the History and Culture of the Circassians was established in 2000. Lectures are given in Circassian. The Sub-Faculty of Adigean Philology was established in 1955 and houses a good collection of audio and video materials on Circassian language and folklore. The Educational and Research Centre for Circassian Studies publishes the journal Psalh (Псалъ) [Word] (since 2002) in Circassian. The (amazing) Folkloric-Ethnographic Ensemble Zchiw (Жъыу) [Chorus] works within the framework of the Centre [CD-album Gwfes (Гуфэс)].
The ten periodical publications of the University (with the exception of 'Psalh') are in Russian, including The Bulletin of the Adyghe State University. The University and the Republic of Adygeia (Adigea) Institute for Research in the Humanities jointly publish the journal Philosophy, Sociology and Culturology (in Russian).
The website of the University is presented in Russian and English, and Circassian is ignored, which is a great shame, given that this university carries the national name of the Circassians. In Adigea as a whole there is an urgent need to upgrade the Circassian language to first position to bolster Circassian culture and stem the gradual loss to omnipresent (and omnipotent) Russian.
Governmental Institutions
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The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Adigea ***
[176 Soviet Street, Maikop]
The site includes information about the principal Circassian cultural institutions in the Republic of Adigea:
The Adigean State Drama Theatre—Established in 1937, the Adigean State Drama Theatre has a Circassian section that stages plays in the Circassian language.
The Chamber Music Theatre of the Republic of Adigea—Established in 1993.
The Adigean State Academic Folk Dance Ensemble 'Nalmes'—[61 Red October Street, Maikop] Established in 1936, Nalmes sees itself as 'the collector, guardian, and interpreter of Adigean folk music and dancing'. The website, offered in Russian and English (English version needs editing), has been upgraded, and it is very stylish and informative. Unfortunately, the website is not carried in Circassian. More cultural and folkloric information should be added in Circassian and English, especially on the cultural background and connotations of Circassian choreography.
The Adigean State Folk Song Ensemble 'Yislhamiy'—[300 Young Pioneer Street, Maikop] ‘Yislhamiy’ («Ислъамый») is one of a number of folk song groups that keep the old bard traditions alive. It boasts of a varied and rich repertoire of ancient and traditional songs. The Ensemble’s mission also includes the rearrangement of folk songs and chants into modern formats to bestow contemporary relevance on them without sacrificing their authenticity and historical value. The Ensemble displayed its artistic wares in many festivals held in countries across Europe and Asia, and made several tours in countries where Circassian diasporas are concentrated. It celebrated its 15th anniversary in January 2006. Its founder and artistic director is Aslhencheriy Nexay, People’s Artist of the Russian Federation. The choreography of the Ensemble is designed by Viktoria Yedij. The Ensemble boasts of a number of world-class singers, including Susanna X’wak’we, Shemsudin Qwmiqw, Rim Schaw(e), and Saniyat Aghirjaneqwe (Agerzhanokova). Amazingly, 'Yislhamiy' does not have a dedicated website. This woeful omission should be rectified by setting up a website in Circassian and English detailing the work of the Ensemble, with ample sections on the lyrics and cultural background of the songs (in Circassian and English).
The Symphony Orchestra of the State Philharmonic of the Republic of Adigea—Established in 1993.
The Chamber Music Salon—Established in 1995.
Oshten Variety Ensemble—The Oshten (=name of peak in Adigea, 2,804m, near the border with Abkhazia to the south) Variety Ensemble was established in 1996 upon the initiative of the composer and musician Aslhen Ghwet (Gotov). The artistic director of the Ensemble is Aliy Hech'ekwe (ÕüýêIýêî Àëèé; Khachak). Distinguished vocal soloists in the Ensemble include People’s Artist of the Adigean Republic Tamara Nexay and Honoured Artist of the Adigean Republic Sima Kuysokova. The music of the Ensemble is a fusion of the traditional and modern (including 'Hard Rock'), where traditional instruments are played alongside modern ones (lead guitar and electric bass guitar).
Kukol Theatre—Established in 1999.
The Minister of Culture is Adam Z. Tletseri, a Circassian.
The website of the Ministry is carried only in Russian! A big no-no. Circassian and English services should also be supported.
The Adigean State Drama Theatre
The Symphony Orchestra of the State Philharmonic
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Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Adigea
[176 Soviet Street, Maikop]
The website of the Ministry carries information only in Russian. The Minister of Education and Science is Ramazan Aslhen Bedenoqwe [Bedanokov], a Circassian.
Students in Adigea.
Circassian Nationalist Organisations
Circassian Congress Chapter in the Republic of Adigea
This site is concerned with the genocide inflicted by the Russians on the Circassians in the 19th century and the subsequent expulsion of the Circassians from their homeland. It is run by the Circassian Congress from Maikop. The site is in Russian.
The first International Circassian Congress (ICC) was held in Nalchik on 19-21 May 1991. The Congress was attended by representatives of the Adige Xase in Kabardino-Balkaria, Adigea and the Karachai-Cherkess Republic, by delegates from the Abkhaz Popular Movement, the Motherland Association (Rodina or Xekw), and by envoys from the Circassian associations and cultural centres in Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Germany, the Netherlands and the USA. In this context, ‘Circassian’ denotes both Adiga and Abkhaz-Abaza.
One of the principal resolutions of the Congress was the establishment of Duneypso Sherjes Xase, the International Circassian Association (ICA). This body was formed of elected members representing the republics in the Russian Federation and the diaspora. Its main task was to co-ordinate efforts directed at setting up and developing cultural relations among all Circassian communities around the world. The ICA was tasked with the preservation and development of national culture and folklore, and promoting the status of Circassian, which had been under tremendous pressure.
The Congress declared that the ICA was to be entrusted with the study and solution of the general problems facing all Circassian peoples, the research into and writing of the actual Circassian history, guarantee of religious freedom, and the preservation of the national character of the Circassians. It also purported to offer all possible assistance to the Circassians who want to return to their ancestral lands, and to repatriate and restore all Circassian historical and cultural treasures that are dispersed around the globe.
The Congress ratified the charter of the ICA and elected the Association’s leadership. The first president of the ICA was the late Yura Kalmyk, who later became Minister of Justice in the Russian Federation. It was decided that the centre of the ICA would be in Nalchik.
[Eventually, the Russians were able to neutralize the nationalist movement through foul means and by placing their 'men' in key positions in its leadership. However, there is still a rump of sincere nationalists who still hold the ideals of the ICC and ICA]
The National Library of the Republic Adigea ***
[189 Komsomol Street, Maikop. E-mail: adyglib@rambler.ru]
National Library of the Republic of Adigea was established in 1895. It is run by the Ministry of Culture. It has more 500,000 books in Circassian, Russian, and other languages. The number of books in Circassian runs into thousands. The Library issues a number of publications: Authors' Tables in the Adigean Language for Republican Libraries and Annals of the Print in the Year ..., and Calendar of Memorable Dates in the Republic in the Year ... .
The Library website is only in Russian, and is not dedicated to the Library. There is no means to search the collections online (a standard feature across the world).
The Electronic Corporative Library unites the resources of the Adyghe State University Library and the National Library of the Republic of Adigea.
There are 153 libraries in the Republic of Adigea: 4 republican and 149 municipal. Some are dedicated to children.
http://www.ruslibnet.ru/lib/2002/adig.html
National Archives
Museums & Galleries
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The National Museum of the Republic of Adigea ***
[229 Soviet Street, Maikop]
The Museum houses Circassian collections. The Director is Almir N. Abrej. The website is carried only in Russian and is not wholly dedicated to the Museum. There is need for a dedicated website for the Museum carried in Circassian and English. Full contact information available.
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Museum of Local Lore, History and Economy
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The North Caucasian Branch of the State Museum of the Arts of Oriental Peoples
[221 First of May Street, Maikop]
Houses cultural and artistic materials of the peoples of the North Caucasus from ancient times to the present.
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Picture Gallery of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Adigea ***
[27 Red October Street, Maikop]
The Gallery is run by the Ministry of Culture under the directorship of A. M. Berser. The website is carried only in Russian and is not wholly dedicated to the Museum. There is need for a dedicated website for the Gallery carried in Circassian and English. Full contact information available.
Magazines, Journals & Periodicals
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Зэкъошныгъ (Zeqweshnigh) [Friendship]
[217 Soviet Street, Maikop]
In Adigea, Zeqweshnigh (Friendship) and its Russian version Druzhba, are the literary almanacs of the Adigean Branch of the (modern manifestation of the) Union of Soviet Writers, Adignatsizdat. They were first issued in Maikop in 1946. These Journals broach literary, artistic, political and social subject matters and issues. About a thousand copies of each edition of the quarterly Zeqweshnigh are published. The Journal does not have a dedicated Internet portal and is not available online. In contrast, the corresponding publication in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (Iуащхьэмахуэ; 'Waschhemaxwe) is available online and there are downloadable issues in the archive.
Another journal published by the Union is the Russian language Literaturnaya Adigeya (Literary Adigea). It is published quarterly (600 copies per edition) and deals with literary and artistic subject matters. Full list of newspaper, magazines, and periodicals published in Adigea.
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Жъогъбын (Zchweghbin) [Constellation]
[217 Soviet Street, Maikop]
The children’s magazine, Zchweghbin (Constellation), is published quarterly in Adigean (some 3,500 copies per edition).
Rodnichok Adigey [Little Fountain of Adigea] is a children's magazine published quarterly in the Republic of Adigea in Russian (2,200 copies per edition).
Newspapers
[Full list of newspaper, magazines, and periodicals published in Adigea]
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Адыгэ макъ (Adige Maq) [Circassian Voice Newspaper] *****
[197 First of May Street, Maikop]
Адыгэ Республикэм и Къэралыгъо Совет-Хасэм ыкIи иправительствэ ягъэзет
The Newspaper of the Republic of Adigea State Council (Xase) and Government
The motto of the Newspaper is 'Тызэкъотмэ тылъэш' ('Tizeqwetme tilhesh') ['There is strength in union'].
The republican newspaper Adige Maq is published five times a week in both Circassian and Russian ('Голос Адыга'). About 3,600 copies of each edition are published. This is the only systematic cyber publication in the Circassian language in the Republic of Adigea. It deals with political and cultural issues and sports. On 8 March 2008 the Newspaper celebrated its 85th anniversary. The website contains full contact information.
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Гъуазэ (Ghwaze) [Beacon]
[199 First of May Street, Maikop]
The Circassian language newspaper Ghwaze is published by the Public Movement Adige Xase [Circassian Society] of the Republic of Adigea. The number of copies per edition is close to a thousand. The editor-in-chief is Khuseyn Dawir (Daurov).
Ðåñïóáëèêý Àäûãý õàñýì êúûäåãúýêIû.
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Sovetskaya Adigeya [The Republican Newspaper 'Soviet Adigea'] ***
[197 First of May Street, Maikop]
The Republican Newspaper 'Soviet Adigea' has been published since October 1922. It is a Russian language newspaper with mainly non-Circassian staff. 'Soviet Adigea' is published five times a week and some 8,500 copies of each edition are printed.
Radio
Адыгея плюс (Adigeya plyus) [Adigea Plus]
[24 Zhukov Street, Maikop]
http://www.plusfm.maykop.ru/
Television
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State and Broadcasting Company of the Republic of Adigea
[24 Zhukov Street, Maikop]
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Maikop TV
[218 Khakurate Street, Maikop]
Information Agencies
ÀäûãåÿÍàòÏðåññ (AdigeyaNatPress): Information Agency ***
[201 Soviet Street, Maikop]
Web resource supported in English and Russian. The Circassian section was mysteriously removed some time ago.
Internet Portals
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The Republic of Adigea *** (The Official Internet Site of the Executive Organs of State Powers of the Republic of Adigea)
Breath-taking beauty of the Republic of Adigea.
This is an excellent and rich resource on the Republic, with very elegant and attractive graphics, but it is only presented in Russian. The information should also be presented in Circassian and English.
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State Council (Xase) of the Republic of Adigea
Website of the 'Parliament' of the Republic of Adigea. It is no surprise that all information is presented in Russian. The State Council (Xase) chairman is A. G. Ivanov, a Russian.
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Azamatus.Org *****
Unofficial site of the Adigean State Academic Folk Dance Ensemble 'Nalmes'. Served in Circassian and Russian. Absolutely awesome!
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Адыги.RU (Adygi.RU) ****
Entertainment and information portal mainly concerned with the Circassian republics. The (rich) information is only provided in Russian.
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Solnechnaya Adigeya [Sunny Adigea] ***
Information portal. The site is served in Russian only. The cultural information is in Circassian and Russian, but the latter predominates.
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Circassian Portal 'Xekw' [Fatherland] **
This is a website (mainly) about events in Circassia. Although it is promoted as a bilingual site in Russian and English, all the text information is in Russian. Circassian is only used in the welcome salute!
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MAFEHABL.RU: Mafehabl: Village of the Future ***
[Mafehabl, Adigea]
The site is run by the Mafehabl residents
[The following background information is from A. Jaimoukha, The Circassians: A Handbook, London: RoutledgeCurzon (Taylor & Francis); New York: Palgrave and Routledge, 2001, pp 96-7]
The Kosovar Circassians
In August 1998, the Circassians in Kosovo Polje in the Yugoslav Federation were voluntarily transferred to their ancestral lands in Adigea to escape the ethnic war in the province by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, on an initiative by Adigean President Dzharimov. A group of 76 were evacuated by plane in early August. Another group –– most of the rest of the 42 families living in two villages near Pristina, the capital of the province –– were transferred overland by the end of the month via Bulgaria and across the Black Sea. According to a BBC report on August 2nd, the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) is thought to have threatened the Adigas, accusing them of being ‘too supportive of the Serbs.’
The Kosovar Circassians somehow knew that they would have to leave right from the start of the conflict in 1997, and they were prepared when the moment of truth came. It is quite ironic that the Circassians, who were settled by the Ottomans to quell the Serbian independence aspirations, should be compelled to leave by fellow Muslims for their alleged sympathy with the Slavs.
The returnees were first settled in the village of Hakurina-Habl near Maikop and were allotted agricultural land, which suited them fine, agriculture having been their main occupation in Kosovo. Later, a new village Mafehabl [Auspicious Village] was built to accommodate them. This set a landmark precedent for Circassian repatriation. The returnees could have chosen to return to Turkey, the successor of the Ottoman Empire, which planted them there in the first place. Inevitably, the first sign of a ‘mass’ influx of Circassians must have sent shivers down the spines of the local Russian and Cossack communities. Tensions in the republic had risen to such an extent that some reports talked about nationalists on both sides on the edge of open conflict.
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Mir megalitov [The World of Megaliths] *****
This beautiful site is run by Nikita Vladimirovich Kondryakov, a Russian born in the Lazarevsky District of Western Circassia, as a labour of love. It comprises photographs and descriptions of dolmens (and other pre-historic structures) in the Lazarevsky, Tuapse and Gelendzhik Districts in Western Circassia.
Dolmen in Western Circassia near the city of Sochi.
The lateral slabs have buttresses.
[The following is from A. Jaimoukha, The Circassians: A Handbook, London: RoutledgeCurzon (Taylor & Francis); New York: Palgrave and Routledge, 2001, pp 38-41]
Ancestors of the Circassians
Some authorities believe that the people of the Maikop culture, together with a significant input from the Dolmen People, engendered the forebears of the Adiga, or at least formed an important component of the proto-Circassians.
Maikop culture flourished in the valley of the Kuban in NW Caucasus, from the Taman Peninsula to present-day Chechnya. The area witnessed a large increase in population in the Early Bronze Age from the fourth to third millennium BC, prior to establishment of this culture. There is some convincing evidence that it developed locally with substantial influence from Mesopotamian civilizations. It was contiguous with the Kuro-Arax culture of the kindred Chechens and Daghestanis. There are extant monuments to the glory of this civilization, especially in Western Circassia.
The Maikop culture influenced peoples that lived across the Kuban, like those of the Pit culture in the third millennium BC, and their successors of the Catacomb culture early in the second millennium BC. Both of these cultures depended on the continuous flow of metal objects, especially weapons, from Cis-Kuban to maintain their sway.
One of the most impressive relics of the NW Caucasus, and the whole of the southern Russian steppe for that matter, are the dolmens (from Celtic daul, ‘table’ and maen, ‘stone’) found in the Kuban, Abkhazia and Crimea. The area covered by these dolmens is roughly coincident with the ancient lands of the Circassians and Abkhazians. Some of these structures are more than 4,000 years old.
The culture of the Dolmen People, who inhabited the coastal and highland regions, was roughly contemporaneous and contiguous with the Maikop culture. One hypothesis has it that the Dolmen People settled in the Western Caucasus and at first co-existed peacefully with the people of the Maikop culture. However, they gradually pushed the Maikopians eastwards, which fact would explain the displacement of the Maikop culture towards the Central Caucasus.
The indigenous peoples must have eventually assimilated the Dolmen People by the second millennium BC. Thereafter, no palpable population shifts were evidenced in the NW Caucasus, the pattern being for transient invasions by migratory peoples leaving traces of their cultures or part of their populations. Another hypothesis claims a local origin for the Dolmen culture.
A typical Caucasian dolmen was constructed by placing one or more slabs of stone horizontally on several huge square blocks weighing several tons to form a table-like structure. One suggestion has it that the dolmens were initially used mainly as sanctuaries, later to serve as tombs. In Circassian, a dolmen is called ‘Yispi wine,’ or ‘House of the Yispi.’ In the Nart Epos, Yispi was a designation of a dwarf people who used to live in the lower reaches of the Yindil, or Volga.
Skeletons of noble people, both men and women, were found in barrows. The graves of males were especially decorated, and were separated by wooden partitions. The skeletons were lying crooked, on the right side. Many articles were found in these burial sites: gold, silver, bronze and copper wares, working implements, weapons, earthenware and jewellery. Some of these are of the greatest historical and artistic value. Some fine specimens are exhibited in the more important museums in Adigea and Russia.
Cromlechs
Cromlechs in the sense of a circle or co-centric circles first appeared in the NW Caucasus more than 3,000 years ago. G. Shamba suggested that these tombs were built by the ancestors of the Adiga-Abkhazians, citing evidence from excavated material, characteristic funeral rites, and other indirect corroborating material (G. Hewitt [ed.], The Abkhazians: A Handbook, Richmond: Curzon Press, 1999, p50). Apart from being burial places, cromlechs acted as astrological observatories.
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Site of Circassian Culture ***
Good site served in Circassian and Russian with information on Circassian culture.
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Zihia.org: Independent Circassian Web Source
Site served mainly in Russian. There is a section in Circassian and English. The downloadable books are almost all in Russian.
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Summit (Non-Commercial Partnership)
Site to promote tourism in Circassia. It is attractive and professional. P.O. Box 135, Maikop; e-mail: john@summitcaucasus.com
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The site is in English, Turkish, and Russian.
General impressions of the first leg of the journey:
Almost all espied Circassian cultural and linguistic phenomena take place in Maikop.
Although the Circassians at present make up about 30% of the population of the Republic of Adigea (at best), their presence in Maikop is much weaker (about 20%). The demographic situation, although steadily tilting towards Circassian advantage, is still a source of great worry. The accepted linguistic position of Circassian (in Adigea) as a secondary language that is gradually losing ground to Russian, despite being an official republican language besides Russian, is also perceived as such from the monitored linguistic manifestations of Circassian.
A trivial observation is that all the streets (except one) where the visited cultural institutions are located have names that have no Circassian cultural connotations.
The only systematic cyber manifestation of Circassian language (in Adigea) is on the site of the newspaper 'Adige Maq'. This is mind boggling. Either the Circassians (in Adigea) have lost their mother tongue, are ashamed of using it, or simply are not at liberty to use their language in cyber space. This point definitely needs further investigation and elucidation.
During an interview with the then Chairman of the State Council (Xase) of the Republic of Adige during his visit to Jordan in 2007, the high-level official insisted on speaking to a group of Circassians in Russian, where an interpreter rendered his words into Circassian, despite the fact that he is a fluent speaker of Circassian. This could be interpreted as an hyper-corrective act, whereby the masters are appeased at any cost.
The Government and State Council of the Republic of Adigea should lead the way and upgrade the education system to the advantage of Circassian and mandate the use of Circassian in the public spheres.
Notes on the Journey: Present State of Circassian Language and Culture in Cyber Space
Back to the beginning of the journey
Back to Amjad Jaimoukha's Circassian Culture & Folklore page