Batsbis-small Orthodox group in Georgia

[Barbara]

Description and photo comes from "Pan Caucasus" social media site

"The Batsbis (Ts’ova-Tushetians) are a small ethnic group related to the Chechens and Ingush, living in Georgia and professing Orthodox Christianity." -

Family of Batsbis from 1920s:

[SavaBeljovic]

Interesting. Are there any of these people left or were they killed during the Chechen genocide?

[Barbara]

Are you thinking of the Circassian [Cherkesh is how Turks call them] genocide in the mid-1800s ??
The anniversary is tomorrow May 21.

But there were also other attempts at killing off the peoples of the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Crimea [Stalin's deportation of the Crimean Tatars to Kazakhstan, I think it was]

ALL tragic !

I would have to do some research to find out if any of the Batsbis remain today. GOOD question !

[Barbara]

Here is a short clip showing a group of Circassians marching. The explanation tells that the leading row of marchers in picturesque costume worn by various peoples of the Caucasus region, playing the old Circassian musical instruments, were actually ARRESTED ! If so, they should be freed quickly !

The poster says that the RF state media has cast this campaign as a Western attempt to undermine the RF.

When in fact it really was a genocide.

Not like all these fake ones bruited about. That includes the completely FALSE "Hazara genocide" campaign talked up by duplicitous exiled members of the former Republic govt who are anxious to gain bac all the undeserved high privileges and govt roles that they garnered under that thoroughly corrupt regime.
In fact, there has been not a shred of violence against the Shia Hazara population of central Afghanistan by the ruling government there.

So it's too easy to toss that word around these days, but if one reads about the Circassian one May 21, 1864, it qualifies as a true genocide.

https://x.com/i/status/1925876366454538477

[Barbara]

The arrests were ONLY in Nalchik ; not other places, but did provoke much outrage among the local population.

"The arrested are highly acclaimed and prominent cultural figures in both the homeland & diaspora while also having strong ties to KBR [Kabardino Balkaria in the North Caucasus] establishment

"They are: Timur Nahush, Zuber Euz, Hussein Gugweh, Kazbech Mamich, Bashir Yerokwa, Idar Tsipina, Beslen Dhzegdef, and Marina Kalmyk"

[Barbara]

Poster for a commemoration tomorrow May 25, the 161st anniversary of the Circassian Genocide, in Ankara Turkiye.
I'm adding this onto the thread because the picture is evocative.

Grud5bWXYAAfzMc.jpg (89.15 KiB) Viewed 164 times

[Barbara]

"Portrait of Catherine Nechvolodova (1815-1887), 1840s.

Catherine was descended from nobles of the Circassian Abadzeh tribe. Soon after her birth she was taken prisoner, baptized into Orthodoxy and brought up by Major G. Nechvolodov, who married her in 1830"