How will the May 21st procession take place on the main streets of Nalchik, Maykop, and Cherkessk?
For decades, the May 21st procession has been traditionally held along the main street of Nalchik on the Day of Remembrance for those who fell for the freedom of Circassia and the victims of the genocide during the century-long Russian-Circassian War of 1763–1864.
People from all walks of life take part in this peaceful demonstration: women, children, the elderly, the youth, and professionals ranging from cultural figures to school teachers. Many wear traditional attire — the cherkeska — and march beautifully, peacefully, and orderly with Circassian flags. At the head of the column ride hundreds of horsemen on Kabardian horses in full national dress, carrying the flag of all Circassians. People and riders gather from almost every village in the republic, many travel from neighboring regions, and often members of the Circassian diaspora would come just to participate in this significant event.
Everything is organized, grand, and dignified, despite the fact that the organizers are the Circassian people themselves, without any directives from the state. This is truly worthy of the memory of the ancestors who heroically gave their lives so that the Circassian people could remain free!
Similar processions have also taken place in the capitals of the Republics of Adygea and Karachay-Cherkessia, as well as on the Black Sea coast of historical Circassia — in Shapsugia.
It is important to note that in the 1990s, the parliaments of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and Adygea recognized the genocide of the Circassian people committed by the Russian Empire in the 18th and 19th centuries. By doing so, the governing bodies of these republics committed to carrying out the necessary work to rehabilitate the Circassian people, to strive for the right of Circassians to return to their homeland, and to do everything possible to keep this memory alive.
Today, however, it remains unclear why a peaceful demonstration that has been held orderly and with deep respect for ancestral memory for decades is now facing obstacles. The situation surrounding the May 21st procession in recent years, and particularly in 2025, clearly shows just how drastically the practice of authorizing such events has changed.
Last year, the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria upheld the ruling of the Nalchik City Court, which found the authorities’ refusal to authorize a mass procession on the Day of Remembrance of the Circassians along the main street of Nalchik to be lawful and justified.
Given this situation, several questions arise:
Why do the heads of the republics allow this to happen?
What is the so-called International Circassian Association doing?
Shouldn’t they be the first to stand by their people and do everything to guarantee the safety of that worthy part of the nation which comes out on this day — with dignity, peacefully, and in an organized manner — seeking to pay tribute to their heroic ancestors and the victims of this tragedy?
What is the International Circassian Association doing to achieve the legally formalized conduct of this event, which has long become a tradition, so that people can participate in it unhindered and fulfill their duty?
Why are respected individuals, including cultural figures who participated in this event, being detained?
Why must we wait until next year in a state of uncertainty about how the authorities will react to this event this time?
Do the representatives of those Circassian diaspora organizations who frequently visit and collaborate with the leadership of the so-called International Circassian Association ever ask them these or similar questions?
After all, every Circassian, no matter where they live, has a direct connection to this date, to how memory is treated in their homeland, and to what is happening there!
Head of the Circassian socio-political organization “Khabze”, Martin Kochesoko