Circassia, also known as Zichia, was a country and a historical region in Eastern Europe. It spanned the western coastal portions of the North Caucasus, along the northeastern shore of the Black Sea. Circassia was conquered by the Russian Empire during the Russo-Circassian War (1763–1864), after which approximately 99.5-99.8% of the Circassian people were either exiled or massacred in the Circassian genocide.
The Circassians or Circassian people, also called Cherkess or Adyghe are a Northwest Caucasian ethnic group and nation who originated in Circassia, a region and former country in the North Caucasus.
The Shapsug are one of the twelve major Circassian tribes. Historically, the Shapsug tribe comprised one of the largest groups of the Black Sea Adyghe. They inhabited the region between the Dzhubga River and the Shakhe Rivers and high-altitude mountainous areas of the northern slopes of the Caucasus range along the Antkhir, Abin, Afips, Bakan, Ships, and other rivers . In Russia, the remaining Shapsug population mainly live in the Tuapsinsky District (Tuapse) of Krasnodar Krai, Lazarevsky City District of Sochi, and in the Republic of Adygea, which were a small part of historical Circassia.
The Circassian flag is the national flag of the Circassians. It consists of a green field charged with twelve gold stars, nine forming an arc resembling a bow and three horizontal, also charged with three crossed arrows in the center. Seferbiy Zaneqo, a Circassian diplomat, is the designer of the flag. Every year, April 25 is celebrated as the Circassian flag day by Circassians. Another version of the flag is currently officially used by the Republic of Adygea of the Russian Federation as its national flag.
The Russo-Circassian War, also known as the Russian invasion of Circassia, was the invasion of Circassia by Russia, starting in 1763 (O.S) with the Russian Empire assuming authority in Circassia, followed by the Circassian refusal, and ending 100 years, 10 months and 6 days later with the last army of Circassia defeated on 21 May 1864 (O.S), making it exhausting and casualty-heavy for both sides. The Russo-Circassian War was the longest war both Russia and Circassia have ever fought and the longest war in the Caucasus region.
The Circassian Day of Mourning is observed by the Circassian diaspora every year on 21 May to commemorate all those who were killed in and displaced by the Circassian genocide, which took place in the final stages of the Russian invasion of Circassia. It is known in Russia as the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Caucasus War, owing to the fact that the Russian government does not recognize the events as a genocide. On 21 May 1864, the Russian general Pavel Grabbe held a military parade in what is now Krasnaya Polyana following his troops' victory in the Battle of Qbaada; it was also on this day that Circassia was annexed by the Russian Empire, which then launched a campaign to empty the region of the native Circassian people.
The Circassian Parliament or the Circassian Majlis was the legislature of Circassia officialized in 1861 after a meeting in Sochi attended by leaders of several Circassian provinces. A tribal confederation had existed before the parliament's establishment, but a centralized government was achieved only after it was built.
Hajji Kizbech Tughuzhuqo was a Circassian military commander who took part in the Russo-Circassian War. Personally witnessing all of his family get killed by the Russian army, Tughuzhuqo was a cavalry commander especially successful in raiding behind enemy lines. He received multiple offers from the Russian Empire to switch sides and join its Imperial ranks but he refused all offers and closed negotiations. The Englishman James Bell, who knew him personally, called him "The Lion of Circassia".
Seferbiy Zaneqo, or Sefer Pasha, was a Circassian diplomat and military commander who served as the 5th leader of the Circassian Confederation from 1859 to 1860. He took part in the Russo-Circassian War both in a military and a political capacity. Advocating for the Circassian cause in the west and acting as an emissary of the Ottoman Empire in the region. By the end of his life Zaneqo had emerged as the leader of the Circassian resistance.
Muhammad-Amin Asiyalav or Naib Emin Pasha was a North Caucasian military commander and Islamic preacher of Avar origin who served as the 4th leader of the Circassian Confederation from 1848 to 1859. He was one of the Circassian leaders in the Russo-Circassian War and the third naib of Imam Shamil.
Grigory Khristoforovich von Zass was an Imperial Russian general who commanded Russian cavalry troops in the Napoleonic Wars and Russo-Circassian War, initially gaining prominence for his genocidal actions against the Circassians, whom he reportedly saw as a "lowly race". He was the founder of the city of Armavir, Russia.
The Hakuchey or Hakuch were a Circassian warrior clan who were mostly destroyed in the Circassian genocide and the Russo-Circassian War. The remaining adherents were assimilated into the Shapsug tribe. They used to speak Hakuchi, a sub-dialect of the Shapsug dialect of the western dialect of the Circassian language.
James Stanislaus Bell was a British adventurer and writer who participated in the Russo-Circassian War on the side of the Circassians.
Hajji Ismail Dogomuqo Berzeg (1763–1846) was a Circassian military commander and politician who served as the 2nd leader of the Circassian Confederation from 1827 to 1839. He was also the princely leader of the Ubykh tribe and member of House of Berzeg. He took part in both military and political capacity in the Russo-Circassian War. After 1838, he acted as a diplomat between Circassia and England.
The siege of Lazarevsky took place during the Russo-Circassian War on the night of February 7, 1840. After a 3-hour battle, the fortification was taken by the Circassians. The fort was then destroyed by Circassians, who did not want hostile elements in their land.
The siege of Anapa or the storming of Anapa was a siege that took place on July 3, 1791, when the Russian Empire attacked the Turkish-regulated Anapa fort in Circassia as part of the Russo-Turkish War and the Russo-Circassian War.
Circassians is a broad ethnonym of the Turkic origin, which in Russia, Turkey and Persia used to be, and in the case of Turkey is now, applied to peoples of different ethnicities living on the North Eastern and Eastern shores of the Black Sea, and in the Northern Caucasus.
Mehmed Indaraqo Shuwpagwe, was the Prince of Pshada, a noble of the Natukhai, and a Circassian leader. He is mentioned as "Indar-oku" in James Bell's book.
The Siege of Mikhailovsky took place on 3 April 1840 during the Russo-Circassian War. The Circassians defeated the Russian defenses and won the siege. Unwilling to accept defeat, Russian soldier Arhip Osipov infiltrated the powder magazine and detonated the explosives, killing himself, the remnants of the garrison, and a significant number of Circassians. The action was praised in the history of the Russian Army and was described as "symbolic immortality".
The Battle of Khosta (1840) was a major engagement in the Russo-Circassian War (1763–1864), fought between the Russian Empire and Circassian tribes near Khosta in the Western Caucasus. Despite being outnumbered, Circassian fighters ambushed a Russian force of approximately 3,000 troops, inflicting around 2,000 casualties. This victory highlighted the effectiveness of Circassian guerrilla tactics and temporarily stalled Russian expansion in the region, boosting local resistance efforts.
Circassia 
Russian Empire