Policemen draw up protocol against mourning marcher in Nalchik

In Nalchik, the capital of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), policemen have drawn up a protocol on violation of public order against a horse rider who took part on May 21 in the mourning march in memory of the victims of the Caucasian War.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that KBR authorities refused to satisfy the request of the initiative group to hold a mourning march in Nalchik on May 21 in memory of the victims of the Caucasian War; however, despite the ban, a mourning rally on the 158th anniversary of the end of the Caucasian War took place on that day at the "Tree of Life" monument. Then, several dozen young people organized a march in memory of the victims of the war along city streets.

The Caucasian war, which lasted from 1763 to 1864, brought the Adygs (Circassians) to the brink of extinction. The Russia’s authorities have not yet recognized the genocide of the Circassians during the Caucasian War.

On May 21, during the mourning march in Nalchik, policemen tried to stop the horse riders who were riding along the roadway. According to the "Kavkaz.Realii"* outlet, the police drew up a report on at least one rider. In the explanatory note, he wrote that he "rode the Kabardian horse named Korshka in Nalchik to honour the memory of those who perished in the war" and that "he pursued no other goals."

A message that policemen tried to prevent horsemen's ride in Nalchik on May 21 was also posted in the VKontakte social network in the "Adyge Kheku" group. "Participants in the mourning events in Nalchik describe the general situation as nervous after the authorities' ban on the traditional march in memory of the victims of the Caucasian War. The policemen's clashes with horsemen during the march only exacerbated the situation," the post says.

*This is a fragment of the message created and spread by a foreign media outlet acting as a foreign agent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 23, 2022 at 09:53 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.