The Circassians, a predominantly Muslim people, suffered greatly under the Russians and were subjected to ethnic cleansing in 1864 where some 400,000-500,000 people are believed to have died.
While this year marks the 155th anniversary of the Circassian genocide, there is a vibrant and growing cultural movement in historical Circassia and the diaspora.
Circassians, a Muslim people indigenous to Caucasia, had long been persecuted by the Russian Empire. Their last remnants of resistance against the Russians ended around today's Black Sea port city of Sochi on May 21, 1864.
Most people in the Caucasus feel they are facing a cultural onslaught, equating the bill to the policy of former Russian emperor Tsar Nicholas II, who wanted Russian to be prioritised over other native languages.
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