Karachay-Cherkessia (), officially the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, is a

republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

located in the

North Caucasus The North Caucasus, or Ciscaucasia, is a subregion in Eastern Europe governed by Russia. It constitutes the northern part of the wider Caucasus region, which separates Europe and Asia. The North Caucasus is bordered by the Sea of Azov and the B ...

. It is administratively part of the

North Caucasian Federal District The North Caucasian Federal District ( rus, Северо-Кавказский федеральный округ, p=ˌsʲevʲɪrə kɐfˈkasːkʲɪj fʲɪdʲɪˈralʲnɨj ˈokrʊk) is one of the federal districts of Russia, eight federal distri ...

. As of the 2021 census, Karachay-Cherkessia has a population of 469,865. Cherkessk is the largest

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

and the

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

of the republic. Karachay-Cherkessia is one of Russia's

ethnic An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, re ...

republics, primarily representing the indigenous Caucasian-Turkic Karachay people and the Cherkess or Circassian people. Karachays form the largest ethnic group at around 44% of the population, followed by ethnic

Russians Russians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. Their mother tongue is Russian language, Russian, the most spoken Slavic languages, Slavic language. The majority of Russians adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church ...

(27%) and Cherkess (13%). The Cherkess are mostly of the

Besleney The Besleney ( Circassian: Bеслъэней, ; ) are one of the twelve major Circassian tribes, representing one of the twelve stars on the green-and-gold Circassian flag. By character, culture and language, the Besleney are closest to Kabardi ...

and Kabardin tribes. The republic has five official languages:

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

, Abaza, Cherkess (Kabardian),

Karachay-Balkar Karachay–Balkar (, ), often referred to as the "mountaineer language" (, ) by its speakers, is a Turkic language spoken by the Karachays and Balkars in Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay–Cherkessia, European Russia, as well as by an immigra ...

, and Nogai. The majority of the republic's territory is within the

Caucasus Mountains The Caucasus Mountains * * Azerbaijani: , * * * * * * * * * * * is a mountain range at the intersection of Asia and Europe. Stretching between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, they are surrounded by the Caucasus region ...

, except for a small strip at the northern edge of the Don Steppe. Karachay-Cherkessia is bordered by

Krasnodar Krai Krasnodar Krai (, ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and is administratively a part of the Southern Federal District. Its administrative center is the t ...

to the west, Stavropol Krai to the north-east,

Kabardino-Balkaria Kabardino-Balkaria (), officially the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, is a republic of Russia located in the North Caucasus. As of the 2021 Census, its population was 904,200. Its capital is Nalchik. The area contains the highest mountain in ...

to the south-east, and an international border with

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

to the south-west.

Mount Elbrus Mount Elbrus; ; is the highest mountain in Russia and Europe. It is a dormant stratovolcano rising above sea level, and is the highest volcano in Eurasia, as well as the tenth-most prominent peak in the world. It is situated in the south ...

, the highest mountain in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, is located on the border with Kabardino-Balkaria.

Geography

The republic is located at the slopes of northwestern

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

and borders with

in the west and northwest, the Kabardino-Balkar Republic in the southeast,

(including

Abkhazia Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...

) in the south and west, and with Stavropol Krai in the northeast. It stretches for from north to south and for from east to west. Mountains cover 80% of the republic's territory;

, which at is the highest peak in the Caucasus, is located on the republic's border with Kabardino-Balkaria. The republic is rich in

water resources Water resources are natural resources of water that are potentially useful for humans, for example as a source of drinking water supply or irrigation water. These resources can be either Fresh water, freshwater from natural sources, or water produ ...

. A total of 172 rivers flow through its territory, with the largest one being the

Kuban Kuban ( Russian and Ukrainian: Кубань; ) is a historical and geographical region in the North Caucasus region of southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Don Steppe, the Volga Delta and separated fr ...

, Bolshoy Zelenchuk, Maly Zelenchuk, Urup, and Laba. There are about 130 mountain lakes of glacial origin and an abundance of mineral springs. Climate is moderate, with short winters and long, warm, humid summers. The average January temperature is , and the average July temperature is . Average annual

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, rain and snow mixed ("sleet" in Commonwe ...

varies from in the plains to in the mountains. Natural resources include gold, coal, clays, and more. Karachay-Cherkessia is the only region in the North Caucasian Federal District that does not have an airport.

History

The Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Oblast was founded on 12 January 1922, in the early years of the Soviet Union. It was split into Karachay Autonomous Oblast and Cherkess National Okrug on 26 April 1926. The Cherkess National District was elevated to an autonomous oblast status on 30 April 1928. Karachay-Balkar partition 1944

In November 1943, Karachay Autonomous Oblast was abolished, the Karachay people were accused of collaboration with the

Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

and 70,000 were subsequently deported to the Kazakh and Uzbek republics. Most of the Karachay territory was split between Stavropol Krai and the

Georgian SSR The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Georgia, the Georgian SSR, or simply Georgia, was one of the republics of the Soviet Union from its second occupation (by the Red Army) in 1921 to its independence in 1991. Cotermin ...

. The remaining territory populated by the Cherkessians was known as Cherkess Autonomous Oblast until 9 January 1957 when it was incorporated into Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Oblast in its former borders due to the rehabilitation of the Karachay. On 3 July 1991, the autonomous oblast was elevated to the status of the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia (under the jurisdiction of the

Russian SFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...

). In January 1992, Russian President

Boris Yeltsin Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin (1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician and statesman who served as President of Russia from 1991 to 1999. He was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from 1961 to ...

was prepared to accept the division of Karachay-Cherkessia and introduced draft laws to the

Supreme Soviet of Russia The Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR, later the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation, was the supreme government institution of the Russian SFSR from 1938 to 1990; between 1990 and 1993, it was ...

for the reconstitution of the Karachai Autonomous Oblast and Cherkess Autonomous Oblast within the Russian Federation. A commission on formation of three autonomous regions – Karachai, Cherkess, and Batalpashinsk – was established in the Supreme Soviet. On 28 March 1992, a referendum was held in which, according to official results, the majority of the population of Karachay-Cherkessia voted against splitting the republic and, on 9 December 1992, the republic was recognized as the Karachay-Cherkess Republic.

Politics

The head of the government in Karachay-Cherkessia is the Head (until 28 June 2012, the official title was "President"). Until February 2011, the President was Boris Ebzeyev, a former judge of the Constitutional Court of Russian Federation. Rashid Temrezov is currently the Head of the republic. Ethnic tension is a considerable problem in the republic. In May 1999, Karachay-Cherkessia conducted its first-ever free regional presidential election. When Vladimir Semyonov, a Karachay, won the election over Stanislav Derev, a Circassian, there were protests by supporters of Derev, with widespread allegations of fraud. A court ruling later upheld the election result, prompting thousands of Derev's supporters to march in protest, many advocating the partitioning of the republic. Although activity by separatists in the region pales compared to Chechnya and Dagestan, militant groups exist in Karachay-Cherkessia. A car bomb that killed two people in March 2001 was blamed on Chechen separatists. Muslim separatist groups have formed, and dozens of their members have been killed by the Russian authorities. In September 2007, the FSB killed ethnic Abazin Rustam Ionov ("Abu-Bakar"), head of the Karachaevo '' Jamaat'' (assembly), along with his wife.

Administrative divisions

*Cities and towns under republic's jurisdiction ** Cherkessk (Черкесск) (capital) ** Karachayevsk (Карачаевск) ***''Towns'' under the town's jurisdiction: **** Teberda (Теберда) ***''Urban-type settlements'' under the town's jurisdiction: **** Dombay resort settlement (Домбай) **** Elbrussky (Эльбрусский) **** Ordzhonikidzevsky (Орджоникидзевский) *Districts: ** Abazinsky (Абазинский) ** Adyge-Khablsky (Адыге-Хабльский) ** Karachayevsky (Карачаевский) ***''Urban-type settlements'' under the district's jurisdiction: **** Novy Karachay (Новый Карачай) **** Pravokubansky (Правокубанский) ** Khabezsky (Хабезский) ** Malokarachayevsky (Малокарачаевский) ** Nogaysky (Ногайский) ** Prikubansky (Прикубанский) ***''Urban-type settlements'' under the district's jurisdiction: **** Udarny (Ударный) ** Urupsky (Урупский) ***''Urban-type settlements'' under the district's jurisdiction: **** Mednogorsky (Медногорский) ** Ust-Dzhegutinsky (Усть-Джегутинский) ***''Towns'' under the district's jurisdiction: **** Ust-Dzheguta (Усть-Джегута) ** Zelenchuksky (Зеленчукский)

Demographics

Life expectancy in Russian subject -Karachay-Cherkessia

Population: Life expectancy:

Vital statistics

Sources: 1970 to 2008; 2009–2013; 2014–...

Ethnic groups

According to the 2021 Census, Karachays make up 44.4% of the republic's population, followed by

(27.5%), and Cherkess and

Abazins The Abazin, Abazinians or Abaza ( Abaza and Abkhaz: Абаза; Circassian: Абазэхэр; ; ; ) are an ethnic group of the Northwest Caucasus, closely related to the Abkhaz and Circassian peoples. Today, as a result of atrocities committ ...

together make up 20.8%.

Religion

According to a 2012 survey which interviewed 56,900 people, 64% of the population of Karachay-Cherkessia adheres to

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

, 13% to the

Russian Orthodox Church The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; ;), also officially known as the Moscow Patriarchate (), is an autocephaly, autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The Primate (bishop), p ...

, 2% to the Karachay and Circassian native faith, 2% are unaffiliated Christians, unchurched Orthodox Christian believers or members of non-Russian Orthodox churches. In addition, 10% of the population declares to be "spiritual but not religious", 3% are

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

, and 6% are other/undeclared.

Notable people

* Zuhra Bayramkulova – Dairy farmer and Hero of Socialist Labour. * Islam Itlyashev – Circassian singer * Mussa Ekzekov – Businessman * Arslanbek Sultanbekov – Nogai folk singer

Science

The republic is the home of what was the largest telescope in the world from 1975 until 1993 (the

BTA-6 The BTA-6 () is a aperture optical telescope at the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Science, Special Astrophysical Observatory located in the Zelenchuksky District of Karachay-Cherkessia on the north side of the Cauca ...

), a very large radio telescope (576 meters in diameter, RATAN-600), and the

Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Science The Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Science (SAO RAS; ) is an astronomical observatory, set up in 1966 in the USSR, and now operated by the Russian Academy of Sciences. Based in the Bolshoi Zelenchuk Valley of the Grea ...

dedicated to the study of astronomy. These facilities are located on the bank of the Zelenchuk River, between the villages of Zelenchukskaya and Arkhyz.

Gallery

File:Поселок Архыз.jpg, Mountainous landscape of Arkhyz File:Пляски (1356881968).jpg, Wedding in Karachay-Cherkessia File:Karachayevsk.jpg, Karachayevsk File:Могучая даль.jpg, Small settlement in Karachay-Cherkessia File:Эльбрус с перевала Гумбаши.JPG, View of

from Gumbashi Pass (with zoom)

Notes

References

Sources

* * *

External links

Collection of images of Karachay-Cherkessia
trombicula.narod.ru

travel-images.com
An account of the disputed 1999 election
nupi.no

tls-msu.narod.ru
Karachay-Cherkess Republic News Portal''Medical Institute of North Caucasian State Humanitarian Technological Academy''
{{Authority control North Caucasus North Caucasian Federal District States and territories established in 1991 Regions of Europe with multiple official languages Republics of Russia