Madina Aliyeva

4 Posts

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A demonstration in Turkey on 21 May 2021, marking 156 years since the defeat of Circassia in the Caucasian War. Photo: Çerkes-Fed.

Was the Circassian question another victim of the global pandemic?

•8 min read

There was little movement on issues of Circassian rights in 2020, with the pandemic taking centre stage. But as Russian authorities continue to chip away at the rights and dignity of the country’s ethnic minorities, some activists remain hopeful for the future. The main event in Circassian life in 2020, as in the lives of all other people on the planet, was the COVID-19 pandemic, asserts Anzdor Kabard, a prominent Circassian activist who lives in the United States. ‘The main event in Circass

circassia

Supreme Court orders review after Circassian stripped of Russian residency

by Madina Aliyeva

•4 min read

The Supreme Court of Russia has overturned a decision to strip a Circassian Turk of his right to live in Russia, ordering a local court to hear his appeal. Tarik Topçu, who goes by the Circassian name Shamis Khotko, had his temporary residence permit annulled by the Interior Ministry in August 2018, after the ministry accused him of supporting terrorism. On 29 December 2018, the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria refused to hear an appeal of the ministry’s decision, as Topçu did not subm

Adygea

Right of return? — The struggles of the Circassian diaspora to settle in Adygea

by Madina Aliyeva

•6 min read

Today marks Adygea’s 20th annual celebration of the Day of the Repatriate, honouring the Circassians who returned to their ancestral land after more than 150 years in exile. Many in Adygea say there is little reason to celebrate, however, as few are able to settle in the republic. Circassian Jordanian Fadi Is’haqat, who came to live in Adygea 19 years ago, is still fighting for the right to obtain Russian citizenship. He believes that it will happen only if diaspora Circassians are re

Adygea

Vulnerable and divided: the uncertain state of the Circassian language

by Madina Aliyeva

•6 min read

On 14 March, the Circassian people celebrate the Day of Circassian Language and Writing. Circassian, a native language of the North Caucasus, faces many serious challenges, including a lack of official support, a divided literary standard, a decreasing interest in learning it in educational institutions, and a diminishing presence at home. It was on this day in 1853 that the first Circassian language textbook, by famous Adygea educator Umar Bersey, was published in Tbilisi. Circassian

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