The Kabardians ( Highland Adyghe: Къэбэрдей адыгэхэр; Lowland Adyghe: Къэбэртай адыгэхэр; russian: Кабардинцы) or Kabardinians are one of the twelve major Circassian tribes, representing one of the twelve stars on the green-and-gold

Circassian flag The Circassian flag (or the Flag of Adygea) 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 arrow ...

. They are also commonly known by the plural terms Kabardin, Kebertei, or Kabarday. Along with the

Besleney The Besleney ( Circassian: Bеслъэней, ''Bestləney'', ; russian: Бесленеевцы ) (also known as Beslenei or Baslaney) are one of the twelve major Circassian tribes, representing one of the twelve stars on the green-and-gold Circ ...

tribe, they speak a distinctive dialect of the

Adyghe language Adyghe ( or ; ady, Адыгабзэ, Adygabzə, ), also known as West Circassian ( ady, link=no, кӏахыбзэ, khaxybzə), is a Northwest Caucasian language spoken by the western subgroups of Circassians. It is spoken mainly in Russia, ...

. Historically the Kabardians lived in Kabardia, a region of the north

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historica ...

. In modern times the Kabardians live mostly in the Russian republic of

Kabardino-Balkaria The Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (russian: Кабарди́но-Балка́рская Респу́блика, ''Kabardino-Balkarskaya Respublika''; kbd, Къэбэрдей-Балъкъэр Республикэ, ''Ķêbêrdej-Baĺķêr Respublik� ...

, which partly corresponds to the historic region. Despite the

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

administrative divisions that placed Circassians under four different designations and political units, namely ''Adygeans'' (Adyghe in

Adygea The Republic of Adygea (; russian: Республика Адыгея, Respublika Adygeya, p=ɐdɨˈɡʲejə; ady, Адыгэ Республик, ''Adıgə Respublik''), also known as the Adyghe Republic, is a republics of Russia, republic of Ru ...

), ''Cherkessians'' (Adyghe in

Karachay-Cherkessia The Karachay-Cherkess Republic (russian: Карача́ево-Черке́сская Респу́блика, ''Karachayevo-Cherkesskaya Respublika''; krc, Къарачай-Черкес Республика, ''Qaraçay-Çerkes Respublika''; Cir ...

), ''Kabardians'' (Adyghe in Kabardino-Balkaria), and ''Shapsugians'' (Adyghe in

Krasnodar Krai Krasnodar Krai (russian: Краснода́рский край, r=Krasnodarsky kray, p=krəsnɐˈdarskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and ...

), all four groups are essentially the same people (Adyghe). Furthermore, Cherkessians are mostly of the Kabardian and Besleney tribes.

Population

The Kabardians are the largest Circassian (Adyghe) tribe in the world in general, and form the largest Circassian tribe in Russia, Turkey, Egypt, and in some other countries in the region. Kabardians numbered around 520,000 in

, Russia. and about 50,000 in

, Russia. In Turkey, where more than 1 million of them live, they are concentrated on the Uzunyayla plateau of

Kayseri Province The Kayseri Province ( tr, ) is situated in central Turkey. The population is 1,434,357 of which around 1,175,876 live in the city of Kayseri. It covers an area of 16,917 km2 and it borders with Sivas, Adana, Niğde, Kahramanmaraş, ...

and around (Central Turkey), though there are Kabardian villages in Balıkesir,

Düzce Düzce is the capital city of Düzce Province, the eighty-first Province in Turkey. The population is 367,087 and in 2009 was 125,240, an increase from 61,878 in 1990. Overview Düzce is the eighty-first and the newest province of Turkey ...

Eskişehir Eskişehir ( , ; from "old" and "city") is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. The urban population of the city is 898,369 with a metropolitan population of 797,708. The city is located on the banks of the ...

(Northwest Turkey),

Çorum Çorum () (Medieval Greek: Ευχάνεια, romanized: Euchaneia) is a northern Anatolian city that is the capital of the Çorum Province of Turkey. Çorum is located inland in the central Black Sea Region of Turkey, and is approximately from A ...

Samsun Samsun, historically known as Sampsounta ( gr, Σαμψούντα) and Amisos (Ancient Greek: Αμισός), is a city on the north coast of Turkey and is a major Black Sea port. In 2021, Samsun recorded a population of 710,000 people. The cit ...

, and

Tokat Tokat is the capital city of Tokat Province of Turkey in the mid- Black Sea region of Anatolia. It is located at the confluence of the Tokat River (Tokat Suyu) with the Yeşilırmak. In the 2018 census, the city of Tokat had a population of 155, ...

(Black Sea region), amongst many others. Significant populations of Kabardians also live in

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

; and there are communities in the United States. However, in Israel and Jordan, the Shapsug and

Abzakh The Abzakh ( Circassian: Абдзэх, ''Abdzekh''; Russian: абадзехи; also known as Abdzakhs or Abadzekhs) are one of the twelve major Circassian tribes, representing one of the twelve stars on the green-and-gold Circassian flag. Histori ...

tribes respectively are the largest.

Religion

Religions historically practiced by Kabardians include the native

Adyghe Xabze The Adyghe Xabze or Circassian Xabze (, ; tr, Adige Habze; ar, أديغة خابزة, translit=Adīġa Xābza) is the worldview and moral code of the Circassian people.Khabze.infoKhabze: the religious system of Circassians Circassian society dicta ...

faith,

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...

and

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

. The majority of Kabardians had converted to Islam by the early 19th century. There are also still some adherents to traditional Xabze beliefs, with 1,8% being practiced in Kabardino-Balkaria, although most Kabardians are either

Non-denominational A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. Overview The term has been used in the context of various faiths including Jainism, Baháʼí Fait ...

Sunni Muslims Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a dis ...

of the

Hanafi school The Hanafi school ( ar, حَنَفِية, translit=Ḥanafiyah; also called Hanafite in English), Hanafism, or the Hanafi fiqh, is the oldest and one of the four traditional major Sunni schools (maddhab) of Islamic Law (Fiqh). It is named afte ...

"Arena: Atlas of Religions and Nationalities in Russia"
Sreda, 2012.2012 Arena Atlas Religion Maps
"Ogonek", № 34 (5243), 27/08/2012. Retrieved 21/04/2017
Archived
Kabardians also constituted one of the earliest Christian communities in Europe, converting in the late 2nd and early 3rd Centuries. Kabardians living in Mozdoksky District in the

Republic of North Ossetia–Alania A republic () is a " state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a " government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18t ...

are Orthodox Christians. Some of the Kabardians living in the southern part of the neighbouring Kursky district of Stavropol Krai are also Orthodox Christians. There are also some

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

Kabardians (possibly descended from families who reportedly converted from Orthodoxy during the 13th century). According to the 2012 survey census, of the 240,000 Catholics who lived in Russia, 1.8% were Kabardians.Arena - Atlas of Religions and Nationalities in Russia
Sreda.org2012 Survey Maps
"Ogonek", № 34 (5243), 27/08/2012. ''Retrieved 24-09-2012''.

Notable Kabardians

* Aleguko Shogenukov * Alexander A. Cherkassky *

Alexey Cherkassky Prince Alexey Mikhailovich Cherkassky or Tcherkassky (''Алексей Михайлович Черкасский'' in Russian, 1680–1742) was the Chancellor of the Russian Empire in the beginning of Empress Elizabeth's reign. Life Prin ...

–

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...

during the reign of Empress Elizabeth *

Alexander Bekovich-Cherkassky Prince Alexander Bekovich-Cherkassky (russian: Алекса́ндр Беко́вич-Черка́сский), born Devlet-Girei-mırza (russian: Девлет-Гирей-мурза; died 1717), was a Russian officer of Circassian origin who led t ...

– Prince of Kabarda * Alexander N. Bekovich-Cherkassky * Amirkhan Shomakhov * Atazhuko Atazhukin * Armande Kumpal Kabartay Altaï-Magini *

Aslanbek Khushtov Aslanbek Vitalievich Khushtov (russian: Асланбек Витальевич Хуштов; born 1 July 1980 in Beloglinka, Kabardino-Balkarian ASSR) is a Circassian ( Kabarday) wrestler, who has won a gold medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics ...

– Member of the Parliament of Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and athlete who has won a gold medal in the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nat ...

* Avenir Tchemerzine – Colonel of the Russian imperial army and mathematician before becoming a bibliographer * Bidar Kadın – Imperial consort of

Abdul Hamid II Abdülhamid or Abdul Hamid II ( ota, عبد الحميد ثانی, Abd ül-Hamid-i Sani; tr, II. Abdülhamid; 21 September 1842 10 February 1918) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 31 August 1876 to 27 April 1909, and the last sultan to ...

of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...

* Boris Cherkassky *

Dmitry Cherkassky Dmitri (russian: Дми́трий); Church Slavic form: Dimitry or Dimitri (); ancient Russian forms: D'mitriy or Dmitr ( or ) is a male given name common in Orthodox Christian culture, the Russian version of Greek Demetrios (Δημήτριος ...

* Doamna Ecaterina Cercheza – Princess consort of the

Voivode of Moldavia This is a list of rulers of Moldavia, from the first mention of the medieval polity east of the Carpathians and until its disestablishment in 1862, when it united with Wallachia, the other Danubian Principality, to form the modern-day state of Ro ...

as the wife of

Vasile Lupu Lupu Coci, known as Vasile Lupu (; 1595–1661), was a Voivode of Moldavia of Albanian origin between 1634 and 1653. Lupu had secured the Moldavian throne in 1634 after a series of complicated intrigues and managed to hold it for twenty years. Va ...

* Elmirza Bekovich-Cherkassky * Fyodor A. Bekovich-Cherkasski * Fyodor N. Bekovich-Cherkasski * Grigory Cherkassky * Idar of Kabardia *

Inal the Great Inal Nekhu (; kbd, Инал Нэху, lit=Inal the Radiant, translit=Yinal Nəxw; also known as Inal the Great in Georgian sources) was the Supreme Prince (King) of Circassia from 1427 to 1453 who unified all Circassians (then divided into several ...

– Prince of Kabarda * Ismail Bey Atazhukin * Ivan Amashuk * Ivan B. Cherkassky – Cousin of

Michael I of Russia Michael I ( Russian: Михаил Фёдорович Романов, ''Mikhaíl Fyódorovich Románov'') () became the first Russian tsar of the House of Romanov after the Zemskiy Sobor of 1613 elected him to rule the Tsardom of Russia. He ...

* Ivan E. Cherkassky * Jacop Cherkassky * Kasbulat Cherkassky * Kasei Atazhukin * Kambulat Cherkassky * Kelemet Cherkassky * Kudenet Cherkassky * Kurgoko Atazhukin * Ladislas du Luart, Comtesse Leïla Hagondokoff – Recipient of the

National Order of Merit An order of merit is conferred by a state, government or royal family on an individual in recognition of military or civil merit. Order of merit may also refer to: * FIFA Order of Merit, for significant contribution to association football * PDC ...

and

National Order of the Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon B ...

(Commander), model for the French high-fashion house

Chanel Chanel ( , ) is a French high-end luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. Chanel specializes in women's ready-to-wear, luxury goods, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear. Chane ...

* Ludmilla Monique Tchérina *

Mahidevran Mahidevran Hatun ( ota, ماه دوران "''lucky's moon''", 1500 – 3 February 1581; also known as Gülbahar Hatun) was a concubine of Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire and the mother of Şehzade Mustafa. After Suleiman ascended ...

– Imperial consort of

Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I ( ota, سليمان اول, Süleyman-ı Evvel; tr, I. Süleyman; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the West and Suleiman the Lawgiver ( ota, قانونى سلطان سليمان, Ḳ ...

of the Ottoman Empire * Mamstryuk Cherkassky *

Maria Temryukovna Maria Temryukovna (russian: Мари́я Темрюко́вна, Kabardian: Гуэщэней Идар Темрыкъуэ и пхъу, c. 1544 – 1 September 1569) was a Circassian Tsaritsa of the Tsardom of Russia and second spouse to Ivan ...

–

Tsaritsa Tsarina or tsaritsa (also spelled ''csarina'' or ''csaricsa'', ''tzarina'' or ''tzaritza'', or ''czarina'' or ''czaricza''; bg, царица, tsaritsa; sr, / ; russian: царица, tsaritsa) is the title of a female autocratic ruler (mon ...

of the

Tsardom of Russia The Tsardom of Russia or Tsardom of Rus' also externally referenced as the Tsardom of Muscovy, was the centralized Russian state from the assumption of the title of Tsar by Ivan IV in 1547 until the foundation of the Russian Empire by Peter I ...

as the wife of

Ivan the Terrible Ivan IV Vasilyevich (russian: Ива́н Васи́льевич; 25 August 1530 – ), commonly known in English as Ivan the Terrible, was the grand prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and the first Tsar of all Russia from 1547 to 1584. Iva ...

* Michael A. Cherkassky I * Michael A. Cherkassky II * Michael T. Cherkassky * Michael Y. Cherkassky * Mutsal Cherkassky * Nikita Egupov-Cherkassky * Peter Amashukov-Cherkassky * Peter B. Cherkassky * Roslanbek Atazhukin *

Rusudan of Circassia Rusudan ( ka, რუსუდანი; died 30 December 1740) was a daughter of a Circassian noble and a wife of Vakhtang VI, Hoseyn-Goli Khan, who ruled the Georgian kingdom of Kartli as a regent from 1703 to 1712 and a king (or a '' vali'' from ...

– Queen consort of Georgia (Kartli) as the wife of Vakhtang the Lawgiver *

Servetseza Kadın Servetseza Kadın (; 1823 - 24 September 1878; meaning "Worthy of riches" in Persian) was the first consort and chief consort (BaşKadin) of Sultan Abdulmejid I of the Ottoman Empire. Early life Of Circassian and georgiana origin, Servetseza Kad ...

– First wife of

Abdulmejid I Abdulmejid I ( ota, عبد المجيد اول, ʿAbdü'l-Mecîd-i evvel, tr, I. Abdülmecid; 25 April 182325 June 1861) was the 31st Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and succeeded his father Mahmud II on 2 July 1839. His reign was notable for the r ...

of the Ottoman Empire * Sholokh Cherkassky * Simon Cherkassky * Sunchalei Cherkassky *

Temryuk Temryuk ( rus, Темрю́к, p=tʲɪmˈrʲʉk) is a town and the administrative center of Temryuksky District in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the Taman Peninsula on the right bank of the Kuban River not far from its entry into the Temr ...

– Prince of Kabarda * Vasily Amashukov-Cherkassky * Vasily Kardanukovich Cherkassky * Vladimir Cherkassky –

Mayor of Moscow The Mayor of Moscow (russian: Мэр Москвы, Mer Moskvy) is the head and the highest-ranking official of Moscow, who leads the Government of Moscow, the main executive body of the city. Moscow is both a city and separate federal sub ...

(1868–1870) * Yefim Bekovich-Cherkassky *

Yuri Temirkanov Yuri Khatuevich Temirkanov (russian: Ю́рий Хату́евич Темирка́нов; kbd, Темыркъан Хьэту и къуэ Юрий; born December 10, 1938) is a Russian conductor of Circassian ( Kabardian) origin. Early life ...

– Music Director and Chief Conductor of the

Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra The Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra (russian: Симфонический оркестр Санкт-Петербургской филармонии, ''Symphonic Orchestra of the Saint Petersburg Philharmonia'') is a Russian orchestra based ...

since 1988 * Zaur Tutov File:Naglaa Fathy.jpg File:Leila Fawzy.jpg File:Hind Rostom.jpg File:Mariam Fakhr Eddine.jpg File:Tharwat Zubaida.jpg File:Türkan Şoray, 2014.jpg File:Farida Queen of Nile.jpg File:Nefise Karatay.jpg File:Leïla Hagondokoff.jpg File:Aleksey Mikhailovich Tcherkassky.PNG File:Arslan Bey Toguz.jpg File:Youssef Zulficar Pasha.png File:Yuri Temirkanov and Vladimir Putin - 14 December 2013 - 1 (crop).jpg File:Armande Altaï 2010.jpg File:Hussein Fahmy.JPG File:Ufa-Mordovia (1).jpg File:Cherkassky v2 p9.gif File:Facial Chronicle - b.23, p. 097.jpg File:Facial Chronicle - b.23, p. 100.jpg File:Maria Temryukovna's ring.jpg

References

{{Authority control Circassians Circassian tribes Ethnic groups in Russia History of Kuban Kabardino-Balkaria Karachay-Cherkessia Muslim communities of Russia Ossetia Adygea Ethnic groups in Turkey Ethnic groups in Jordan

Population

Religion

Notable Kabardians

See also

References