Attempts to restrict the march in Nalchik drew attention to it

Authorities in Kabardino-Balkaria are artificially restricting the march marking the end of the Caucasian War, but bans and warnings are only increasing the number of participants, activists and human rights defenders said.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," residents of Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, and Adygea annually celebrate the anniversary of the end of the Caucasian War with memorial events. A memorial rally was held in Nalchik on May 20, and in the evening, activists gathered at the "Tree of Life" monument lit 101 candles, and this morning a march took place in Nalchik. It passed without incident, with participants walking only on sidewalks. A week before the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Caucasian War, celebrated on May 21, security forces began handing out warnings to residents of Kabardino-Balkaria against participating in the march commemorating this date. Human rights activists called on the head of the republic to intervene. Activists stated that they do not intend to cancel the march.

Procession participants had to observe restrictions

A regular participant in the procession in Naalchik, Ruslan Taziyev, noted that he was pleased that this year everything went smoothly – the procession moved exclusively along the sidewalk, fortunately, the sidewalk along the entire length of the avenue is wide enough and allows for calm movement without pushing.

“Unfortunately, last year there was a misunderstanding, some of the procession participants went out onto the roadway, which subsequently caused problems for them, but this year everything went smoothly,” he told a “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

Ruslan Taziyev said that public organizations are created in order to To be a link between the government and the people. "And I would like the government and the people to listen to each other better," he emphasized.

The rally in Nalchik ended with a memorial prayer

Following the march, the head of the International Circassian Association, Khauti Sokhrokov, spoke at the rally near the "Tree of Life" monument, reminding everyone that May 21 is a tragic and at the same time touching date for the Adyghe people of the world.

"On this day, the bloodiest and longest war ended. 162 years have passed, but the wound still lingers. "As a result of the war, only 10 percent of the Adyghe people remained in their homeland; the rest found themselves in a foreign land," Sokhrokov said in his speech.

Sokhrokov went on to say that the memory of their fallen ancestors is honored by the Adyghe people all over the world on this day.

"Despite severe trials, the Adyghe people preserved their language and culture. In all countries where the Adyghe live, they are respected for their hard work and friendliness. Thousands of Adyghe compatriots have returned here, to their historical homeland, and harmoniously integrated into society," he emphasized. Sokhrokov added that only in Russia do the Adyghe have their own statehood and "have all the conditions for development."

Representatives of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic performed a memorial prayer. Afterward, a minute of silence was observed. A flower-laying ceremony followed at the monument to the victims of the Caucasian War. Members of the Kabardino-Balkarian government, led by Prime Minister Aliy Musukov, representatives of public organizations, and citizens laid the flowers.

Residents of Kabardino-Balkaria emphasized the importance of preserving the memory of the victims of the Caucasian War.

Asker Bora, a resident of Nalchik, said that he comes to the monument every year on this day to honor the memory of his ancestors.

"The fact that we came is a sign of respect for our ancestors. Thank God, we exist. "And I'm glad that every year more and more people come here, including children and teenagers," he told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Asker Bora sees the current problem of the Adyghe people in globalization processes and the negative political climate worldwide, which affects both the diaspora and the entire Adyghe ethnic group.

Mukhamed Tkhazaplizhev, a resident of the village of Lechinkai, said he came to the rally because he considers it his duty to honor the memory of his ancestors.

"Most of our ancestors died in this war, and the rest are scattered throughout the world. We are obliged to remember this and honor their memory. Memory is the heritage of the people. At the same time, the Adyghe can only survive as part of Russia, where we have our own autonomy. "And we must remember this, too," he added.

Warnings from security forces attracted additional attention to the march

The chairman of the Khabze socio-political organization, Martin Kochesoko*, reported that the warnings distributed by security forces this year were not the first. "For example, last year, 50 people received such warnings. Now, security forces tried to reach everyone they could. "They even say they went to educational institutions to warn teachers and students not to go anywhere," Kochesoko* emphasized.

He recalled that similar marches are held in Nalchik, Cherkessk, Maykop, and on the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory, where Shapsug-Circassians have lived for over 20 years.

"These marches were initially organized by Circassian public organizations and individual activists, but gradually it became a tradition, and people come out every year without any particular organization. One could say that this event has become a kind of self-organization of the people. It is important to emphasize that for over ten years, Circassian horsemen from various settlements of the republic also participated in this event (in some years, their number reached over 300). In total, about 5,000 people marched in Nalchik, on average, and in some years even more. In 2020-2021, marches were banned due to COVID-19. In 2022, the epidemic ended, but then the authorities and the International Circassian Association began issuing statements warning against holding marches due to the fighting in Ukraine. But people didn't understand the connection between a memorial demonstration and the current situation. In 2024, there were a few hundred people, and in 2025, there were already 2,000. They couldn't fit on the sidewalks where they were supposed to march, so they marched down the street. As a result, the next day, police detained eight people who were leading the column, cultural figures, and placed them under administrative arrest,” Kochesoko* said.

A number of public events with street processions are held in Nalchik. Why, in this case, traffic on this street can’t be stopped for half an hour or an hour is unclear.

This year, authorities have once again required event participants to walk only on sidewalks, which, according to Kochesoko*, is surprising. “A number of public events with street processions are held in Nalchik. Why, in this case, traffic on this street can’t be stopped for half an hour or an hour is unclear,” he emphasized.

According to Kochesoko*, the bans and restrictions are connected with a group of local officials who “want to demonstrate their importance to Moscow—how they control the situation. But then another question arises—okay, you’re not "You're happy with the fact that this is a grassroots initiative beyond your control, but why don't you lead the events yourself—especially since May 21 was approved as Genocide Remembrance Day back in 1992 by the Kabardino-Balkarian Parliament?" he concluded.

The authorities' arguments raised questions

Valery Khatazhukov, Chairman of the Kabardino-Balkaria Human Rights Center, also noted that the authorities' arguments appear absurd. "How are the events in Ukraine and the events in Nalchik connected? Such an argument only shapes negative public opinion. As for security, it seems downright ridiculous—if people walk on the sidewalks of the same street, how will their security improve?" he emphasized.

This is an unnecessary demonstration of loyalty.

According to the human rights activist, The restrictive measures aren't following some "signal from Moscow," but a local initiative. "It's an unnecessary demonstration of loyalty," he noted.

At the same time, according to Khatazhukov, the authorities unwittingly did today's march a great favor by drawing public attention to the events. "As a result, several times more people came than usual (according to some sources, three times as many). Even one young man there at the march said to me, 'Maybe we should thank the authorities for attracting attention?' Not many people paid attention to this, but now they're talking about it in all the countries with a diaspora," he concluded.

Adyghe activist from Adygea, Asker Sokht, on the contrary, told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that, according to his information, there are no restrictions on the events on May 21. "You can look at the programs - nothing has changed compared to previous years. "This scandal is just a storm in a teacup," he said.

* is listed as a foreign agent.

** Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) is banned in Russia.