Circassians are One of Largest 'Dispersed Nations' in the World, EchoFM Notes in Its Latest Profile of Peoples Russia has Brought under Its Rule

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Dec. 19 – Last month, EchoFM, a Russian portal known primarily for posting articles by others, launched a series on the history and current state of nations Russia has absorbed within its empire. The Circassians are the latest to receive this coverage in a 9200-word article (echofm.online/programs/otkuda-est-poshla-ocherki-po-istorii-imperii/otkuda-est-poshla-ocherki-po-istorii-imperii-cherkesiya).

            Other nations within the current borders of the Russian Federation who have received this treatment already include the Tatars, the peoples of Karelia, the Komi, the Bashkorts, and the Chukchis. (For the URLS of the EchoFM articles about them, see echofm.online/programs/otkuda-est-poshla-ocherki-po-istorii-imperii).

            Dzhem Kumuk concludes his essay on the Circassians with the following important words: “The Circassian people have become one of the largest "scattered" nations in the world, numbering approximately 5-6 million people in 50 countries. A nation without a single territory, but with a memory of it.”

And he adds: The Circassians “are united not by borders, but by memory and a shared destiny. A people who preserve their identity while simultaneously living in the mountains of the Caucasus, in the Jordan Valley, in Turkish Antalya, and on the streets of New York. Despite their dramatic fate, this people has survived.”