Russia is |
Peoples of Russia
Circassians
Their self-designation is Adyghe. Currently the ethnonim Circassians, previously used for all the Adyghe ethnic groups (more than 12), is used for the Adyghe living in Karachay-Circassia.
Language
The Circassians speak the Circassian dialect of the Kabardin-Circassian language (common with the Kabardians) of the Abkhaz-Adyghe branch of the Northern Caucasus language family.
Dispersion
The absolute majority of the Circassians (49.6 thousand people) live in Karachay-Circassia (the Khabez district — 26 thousand, Cherkessk — 15 thousand, the Adyghe-Khabl district — 5.3 thousand, Karachaevsk — 0.8 thousand).
Traditional occupations
The main occupation is distant-pasture cattle breeding. Breeding horses of the Kabardian breed was especially important. The traditional crafts are: fulling, making clothes: burka cloaks, etc. Smithing, gunsmithing and woodwork were widespread.
Dwellings
A dwelling had wickerwork walls covered with clay on a pole frame, straw roof and a wattle-and-daub floor. It consisted of one or several rooms (depending on the number of married people within the family) connected into a row, with the door of each room going out into the courtyard. One of the rooms or a separate building was used as a kunak room. The modern Circassians build square multi-room houses.
Food
In summer, they mostly eat dairy products and vegetables, in winter and spring, flour and meat dishes are used. Most popular is the layered bread from unleavened dough used with the Kalmyk tea (green with salt and cream). Makhsyma (national low alcohol drink) is made for weddings and big holidays out of millet and corn flour with honey. For holidays people also make halva and bake pasties.
