Circassian Activists Dismiss Official Opposition to Common Ethnonym as Absurd and Selfish

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Oct. 23 – In yet another sign that the Russian authorities are worried that members of the various Circassian sub-ethnoses Moscow has divided that nation into will declare in the census a common ethnonym as Circassians, regional officials have become increasingly shrill in denouncing that effort.

            But Circassian activists, who are expected by the Russian authorities to call themselves Kabards, Adygs or Cherkess, dismiss this official opposition as absurd, unconstitutional, slavish in following Moscow, and motivated by greed, the Prague-based Caucasus Times portal says (caucasustimes.com/ru/vserossijskaja-perepis-obedinit-cherkesov/).

            Khauti Sokhrokova, the head of the Moscow-controlled International Circassian Association, has condemned calls for a common ethnonym because he says that this “violates the rights to self-determination by the small Circassian sub-ethnoses.” Kazbek Kokov, head of Kabardino-Balkaria, agrees and says he will declare himself as before a Kabard.

            However, the Caucasus Times reports, “the most radical” critique of the effort to promote a common Circassian identity has come from the Social Chamber of the Kabardino-Balkar Social Chamber which has labelled the initiative “a provocation,” a charge that could open the way to legal moves against the activists.

            But those behind the Circassian effort dismiss these comments as ridiculous and self-serving. They say they violate the Russian constitution and are only being made by those who make money from the existing arrangements and who fear that if they anger Moscow, they will lose their place at the public trough.

            Naima Neflyahseva, an historian at the Center for Civilizational and Regional Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, says the effort has a long history and is completely justified. She notes that when Adygeya was formed, its people and its newspaper were called Circassian. And people today want no more than to go back to that arrangement.

            Shamsudin Neguch, who is a leading force between the drive for a common ethnonym, says that “the positions of the powers toward this initiative are both mistaken and short-sighted.” Everyone has the right to declare his or her nationality, and opposition to that only highlights just how slavish the local officials are to Moscow’s desires.

            But above all, he says, the position of the powers that be is absurd. “I am a resident of the Adygey Republic and according to the logic of Sokhrovkov, I must describe myself as an Adygey. But my relatives live in Tuapse, and they by his logic, must call themselves Shapsugs. But in Jordan and Turkey again live my relatives. They call themselves Circassians.”

            Another Circassian activist Aida Gerg says that opposition to the initiative comes from Moscow and the willingness of local officials to go along not from any rational cause. “If the Kremlin tomorrow says that the Circassians must call themselves Papuans, then the International Circassian Association will sincerely say that Circassians are Papuans.”

            Aslan Beshto, the head of the Kabard Congress, agrees and says that while the drive for a common Circassian ethnonym is entirely rational and constitutional, local officials will never agree because they are in Moscow’s pocket and will say and do whatever is needed to keep the money flowing into their pockets.