Circassians are one of the oldest peoples of Europe who have lived for thousands of years in the Northwest Caucasus. 150 years ago, they were expelled from their homeland and now live scattered throughout the world, mainly in Turkey.

Green Party leader Jem Ozdemir sees the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi as an opportunity for Russia to draw closer to local Circassians.

Hamburg. Green Party leader Jem Ozdemir sees the Winter Olympics in Sochi for Russian Federation (RF) as an opportunity to draw closer to Circassians. «It would be nice if local organizations during the event would introduce Circassian culture» - stated Ozdemir, who himself is of the Circassian origin. He stated this on Thursday in Hamburg on the occasion of celebration of exhibition grand opening named «The Circassians from the Caucasus dispelled around the world» held at the Ethnographic Museum.

Circassians are one of the oldest peoples of Europe who have lived for thousands of years in the Northwest Caucasus. 150 years ago, they were expelled from their homeland and have since lived scattered throughout the world, mainly in Turkey. Their capital was the city of Sochi, which will host the Winter Olympics in February 2014.

«Besides, it will be very desirable from the ecological point of view, if the natural resources (of the Sochi region) are not lost forever», said Ozdemir, who enlisted in the European Parliament for Circassians and established there the «Circassian Day». His father came in 1961 as a foreign worker to Germany, the leader of «the Greens» was born in Germany but wants to visit the homeland of the Circassians in the Northwest Caucasus (Natress note – he was in Maikop).

Museum director Wulf Koepke said that something has been done regarding Circassians in Russia. For example, in 2012 in Sochi, a monument in memory of exiled Circassians in 1864 was unveiled (? - Question mark from NatPress). For Gulay Gun, Circassian Cultural Association Oyten, the exhibition is a «Great Event» because it is the first exhibition outside of (Circassians’ historical homeland) Caucasus.

The exhibition presents belts, jewelry and traditional costumes of the Circassians. Besides that there is information about horse breeding, religion and language of the original twelve tribes. Historic lands of Circassians begin with the Black Sea coast and extend to the Volga Barrens of todays’ southern Russia.

Translated Susanna Shazzo,

natpress