Residents of Southern Russia celebrate Circassian Flag Day without street actions

Residents of Adygea, Krasnodar Territory, Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia have marked the Circassian Flag Day only with indoor events. Officials asked to do without street celebrations, the heads of regional branches of the "Adyge Khase" movement have informed.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that every year on April 25, residents of Adygea, the Kabardino-Balkarian and the Karachay-Cherkessian Republics (KBR and KChR) celebrate the Circassian Flag Day. It is consolidating the Circassians (Adygs), but this is the merit of public organizations, not of authorities, the Circassian activists who left Russia have noted.

In the KBR, festive events were held in cultural centres located in areas inhabited by Kabardians; and in the capital of the republic, Nalchik, a concert of local artists was held, said Mukhamed Khafitse, the chairman of the KBR's "Adyge Khase" branch.

"This is a special day for us, since it was the KBR's 'Adyge Khase' that had offered to establish this holiday in 2010," he has explained.

In the KChR, the major event on the occasion of Circassian Flag Day was a concert in the amphitheatre in Cherkessk, Ali Aslanov, the chairman of the KChR's movement "Adyge Khase-Circassian Parliament for Protection of Rights and Interests of Circassian People", has noted.

In Kuban (the Krasnodar Territory), the events were mainly held in schools, Madjid Chachukh, the chairman of the Krasnodar territorial public organization "Adyge Khase Society of Black Sea Circassians-Shapsugs", has reported.

All the above leaders have noted that they held no street events such as car rallies or horse racing. Mukhamed Khafitse has noted that "now is not the proper time to hold them," and referred to the direct authorities' ban.

Ali Aslanov has emphasized that after the terror act at the Crocus City Hall, organizers decided not to attract "terrorists' attention" to such events.

The leaders expressed different opinions regarding the perception of the holiday. Most felt that this is not a family holiday. Mukhamed Khafitse has noted that his family does not celebrate the Flag Day. "We celebrate the Circassian Day on September 20. And the Flag Day is a holiday for the youth," he has added.

In his turn, Ali Aslanov treats the Circassian Flag Day also as a family holiday. "Whole families with their children come to us to celebrate," he said.