The poster reads ‘The 460th anniversary of the voluntary entry of Kabardino-Balkaria into Russia. Forever with Russia’ (Radio Marsho)
On 8 September, Kabardino-Balkaria celebrated the ‘460th anniversary of its voluntary entry’ into Russia. While the Northwest Caucasus — including what is now Kabardino-Balkaria — was conquered by Russia in the 19th century, this false narrative now serves as a loyalty test for local political elites.
