Nalchik townspeople commemorate victims of the Caucasian War

A march on the occasion of the anniversary of the end of the Caucasian War was held in Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria. The annual events help preserve the memory of the Circassians' tragedy, but are not related to claims against the current Russian authorities, residents of Nalchik have noted.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 20, in Nalchik, at the "Tree of Life", a monument dedicated to the Circassians-victims of the Caucasian War, activists lit 101 candles, one for each year of the war.

Due to the fact that the republic still sticks to restrictive measures due to the pandemic, the events were held under abridged programme; in particular, there was no traditional equestrian procession.

Several dozen people took part in the march across Nalchik.

Kazbek Kokov, the head of Kabardino-Balkaria, called "the terrible tragedy" of the Caucasian nations to be "the result of the geopolitical confrontation of the strongest powers of that time."

May 21 is the Remembrance Day of the ancestors who died defending their homeland and their honour, said Abubekir Murzakanov, the head of the NGO "Adyge Khekuzh". "The war was cruel and inhuman; our people lost their territory of residence; and 95% of the people were expelled. This can neither be forgotten nor deleted from history," he has stressed.