The Karachays spoke about their relatives who died during the years of deportation.

During the years of deportation, the Karachays lost many relatives, and families keep the memory of the tragedy. What they experienced should not hinder looking to the future and building their lives, believe the Karachays.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", analysts debated the significance of the date of the deportation of the Karachay people for the youth. The consequences of the deportation of the Karachays remain palpable, noted a historian. Karachay activists have repeatedly stated that the rehabilitation of the people is incomplete, pointing to insufficient compensation for lost property. In particular, on May 3, activists pointed out that the consequences of the deportation continue to affect the situation of the people, and the measures for rehabilitation provided by law have not been fully implemented. On October 18, they called to preserve the memory of the fighters for the rights of victims of political repression.

Journalist Ilyas Bogatyrev spoke about the tragedy of his family related to the deportation.

"My grandfather was drafted into the Red Army in 1942 and went to the front. I am searching for his traces; so far, they are either in Western Ukraine or Eastern Poland; he died as a sergeant. My father was just an infant. In 1944, the deportation of the Balkars took place. Although our family is Karachay, it was deported from Balkaria. My grandmother survived and tried to save my father. My father only dreamed of seeing at least a small photograph of his father," he told the correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".

In his opinion, despite the losses during the deportation, one cannot live all the time in the past tragedy.

"This is reflected in my grandmother's behavior, who never told anything about what she went through and always protected her grandchildren. It is a heavy burden. It hinders looking to the future and building one's life, the life of one's community, the life of one's family. One must try to comprehend it, but never let these tragic events of the past become an obstacle to development," Bogatyrev concluded.

Albert spoke about his family.

"My father was born in 1933 and lived in the village of Mara. My mother, born in 1935, lived until the resettlement in the village of Kamennomost. My father was 10 years old at the time of resettlement, and my mother was eight. They were given two hours to prepare. The people did not really know what was happening or why they were being resettled. They took almost nothing with them. They were herded to the Batalpashinskaya station, and from there, freight trains took them to the desolate lands of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. My uncle and her beautiful cousin died of hunger before my mother's eyes on the way," he told the correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".

According to him, they had to survive in harsh conditions.

"Then, hungry and cold, they were thrown in the middle of the desert. My mother and father ended up in Pakhta-Aral in southern Kazakhstan. It was one of the harshest places to live. One of my maternal uncles ended up in Kyrgyzstan in the chaos. Through 'Gypsy mail,' it was reported that he was dying of hunger. My maternal grandmother was a very strong-willed woman. She rented a watermelon from the Kazakhs, so to speak, and from her settlement (it was forbidden for resettlers to leave one village for another) made her way to Kyrgyzstan. She found her eldest son on the brink of death and transported him to Pakhta-Aral," Albert continued.

"For 14 years, my mother said she never saw white bread. She worked from dawn to dusk in the cotton fields for scraps to survive. Thank God, we survived and managed to acquire some property. My older uncle was digging irrigation ditches with a 10-15 kilogram shovel and, apparently tired from work, almost dug too deep. The guard, upon learning of this, severely beat my uncle with a whip. My uncle was 15-16 years old. But he did not blame anyone or seek revenge," the interlocutor noted.

Another interlocutor, Ruslan, spoke about the difficulties of returning home after exile.

"Our family and many others returned and searched for their homes. And even if someone's house was free, it had bare walls, and they had to settle in anew. Meanwhile, some property had been acquired in the places of exile, and not everything could be taken with them. I was born in Kazakhstan. My father, a front-line soldier, returned as a second-group invalid. My older brother, son-in-law, and younger sister died in Kazakhstan. My father did not live long after returning," Ruslan lamented.

According to him, the losses are irreplaceable for spiritual life.

"There was a museum in Karachayevsk before the war. It was dismantled, and many exhibits have not been found to this day. Some are in Stavropol, some in Krasnodar Krai, some in Moscow, some in Georgia. It was almost impossible for the Karachays to obtain higher education during the years of exile. Besides tractor drivers, combine operators, locksmiths, and drivers, they were not allowed to study further. Only upon returning to their homeland did it become possible to enroll in universities," Ruslan explained.

Kemal also knows some details from his family's history during the years of deportation.

"My grandmother, who gave birth to 12 children, lost eight children on the way and in the first two years of deportation. One child died on the way. They wanted to bury him properly, to lay him to rest, wrapped him in a carpet until they reached their destination, but at one station, someone stole that carpet," he recounted.

Upon returning, there were difficulties in relationships.

"I am 50 years old; I was born in a relatively prosperous time. But my father had to literally fight for his good name upon returning. Because there were those who called the Karachays bad names," Kemal explained.