This book History of Adyghe Literature III is the continuation of the preceding volumes I and II. It describes and analyzes the superb literary works our Adyghe writers produced in the Soviet Union, despite the complex and harsh conditions of Party regulations, strict frameworks of “conflict-free theory,” and the constant insistence of Party leaders that writers should write only on the themes of the Revolution, collective farm, the Great Patriotic War, and great Party leaders. Regardless of all these rigid conditions, risking their own personal lives, Adyghe writers have succeeded to produce great literary works in all the literary genres, especially the great novel. These books present these great works in the form of literary criticism and book reviews. I am presenting them to English readers in their language, hoping they will find them very interesting and highly informative.

This book "History of Adyghe Literature II" is the continuation of volume I, describes and analyzes the literary works of Adyghe writers in the Soviet Unions and covers the complex and productive creative period of the fifties-sixties of the twentieth century. It shows that, despite the rigid Party regulations and strict frameworks and "conflict-free theory," especially after and before Khrushchev's "thaw" and regardless of constant reproaches and insistence of critics and Party leaders that writers should write only on the themes of revolution, collective farms and Great Patriotic War, how Adyghe writers stubbornly worked and succeeded to create great literary works practically in all literary genres, especially great novels. I am trying to present this rich, great and interesting literary treasure to the English reader.

This book "Adyghe Khabze" is about the customs and traditions of the Adyghe (Circassian) people, who are one of the oldest people in the world with a unique language and distinctive culture, appeared larger than life in the historical arena of the world in far distant times, survived the ancient civilizations of the Babylonians, Assyrians and Hittites and contributed to the world culture the Heroic Nart Epics, the Promethean Spirit and the world renowned Maikop Culture. Their rituals, customs and traditions, which are described in this book, are actually their ancient unwritten code of life and honor, Adyghe Khabze, and deal with such vital human qualities as kindness, compassion, honor and conscience. Those who follow them seriously, whether they are Adyghes or not, will certainly become pure in soul and heart, true to their words and will learn to live honestly, without deceiving themselves or others, without interfering in the affairs of others, without subservience and genuflection to the powerful in this world of ours, respecting the opinions of others with a lofty human dignity, understanding their situation, helping and protecting the weak, standing up for the degraded and insulted for the sake of fairness and justice, living by their honest work, without stealing, envy and greed and raising children according to the norms of high moral and spiritual values of Adyghe Khabze, respecting elders and honoring the women, the tender givers of life. In short, my dear reader, I hope you will read this book and find it pleasurable, interesting, informative, wholesome and beneficial.

Circassian History relates the heroic struggle for survival of one of the most ancient nations in the world, with a unique language and a highly developed distinctive culture. Beginning from 1555, Circassian princes began seeking the friendship and protection of czarist Russia against the aggressions of the Ottoman Turks and Crimean Khans. However, Czarist Russia unleashed its colonial war against Circassia to build the necessary harbors on the Black Sea. Their Nart Epos and archeological finds of the Maikop dolmen and barrow cultures testify that the ancestors of the Circassians lived and prospered on the same territory at least since the advent of the Bronze Age. Their Homeland in North Caucasus stretched from the main ridge of the Caucasus Mountains to the northeastern Black Sea and eastern Azov seacoasts. Its northern boundaries run from Lake Manych and along the Terek Riverthe northern boundary of Kabarda. Beginning from 1555, Circassian princes began seeking the friendship and protection of czarist Russia against the aggressions of the Ottoman Turks and Crimean Khans. However, Czarist Russia unleashed its colonial aggression and conquered Circassia to build the necessary harbors on the Black Sea. Russia planned to seize Bosphorus and Dardanelles with the passage to the Mediterranean Sea, weaken the position of the Ottoman Empire, deal a powerful blow on the trade interests of Great Britain, and gain the upper hand over the European powers in the contest for world supremacy. In this unequal war, Russia occupied Kabarda in 1779. By 1822, it stripped off the Kabardinian princes of the right to rule in their own land and subjected them and their country to the dictatorship of the commanding generals of the Russian armed forces. Thus, early and masterfully, Russia had cut off Kabarda from its western kindred and then directed its military might against Western Circassia. During this period, Russia launched a powerful worldwide propaganda campaign, portraying the Circassians to the Western world as the marauding savages who should be obliterated from the face of the earth in order to ensure peace in the region. At the same time, Russia kept increasing its armed forces in this region. For example, during General Yermolovs time, Russia increased its army in this region from 5075,000, excluding the Cossacks. Russia added 47 new battalions since 1831 and another 40,000 soldiers in 1840. In short, a 210,000 Russian armies and 80,000 Cossack Cavalries were conducting military operations in Circassia during 18531856. Later, Russia reinforced it with 24,000 Russian infantry corps and 2 dragoon regiments and artillery. Russia suffered colossal losses in the Russo-Circassian War. Since the time of Catherine II to 1864, 1.5 million Russian soldiers fell in this country, excluding the Cossack losses as they were not considered a part of the regular Russian army. From the beginning until the end of the war, the Russian army had burnt and pillaged twenty, thirty, fifty, and one hundred Circassian villages at a time, destroying the harvest and driving out the cattle; the Russian army killed or uprooted the native inhabitants and settled Cossack and Russian stanitsas in the territory, according to the planned genocide. As Russian generals stated openly, Russia needed the Circassian lands, not the Circassians. Finally, Russia crushed the Circassian nation in 1864, forced them from their historical Motherland, drove them to the Black Sea shore under Russian bayonets, and threw them into the confines of the Ottoman Empire thus completing its planned genocide. At the present time, as a result of the genocide, 90 percent of the Circassian population lives scattered all over the world. They survived the planned Russian genocide, the cold, deprivations, epidemics, and other companions of their forcible exile. They became exemplary citizens of many countries, established their own new republicsAdigey, Kabardino-Balkaria

I have been working on Circassian Mythology of Narts for a long time. As a result of these studies, which started about fifteen years ago, some questions arose in my mind about the Circassian Mythology of Narts. One of them is how many themes in the Circassian Mythology of Narts are universal and have not been noticed until today. However, it is very clear that many themes in the Circassian Mythology of Narts are universal. At least most of them are certainly not regional. Undoubtedly, the themes related to Nart Wezırmes are at the forefront of such universal ones. I am amazed that it has not been noticed until today that the narratives of the character Rama in the Indian epic Ramayana and the hero named Nart Wezırmes in the Circassian Mythology of Narts are actually texts based on the same story. In the same way, the thematic similarities between Nart Wezırmes and Egyptian Osiris have not been noticed until now, which intrigues me. I dealt with this subject in my book, titled The Ancient Secret of Circassian and Egyptian Mythologies, From Narts to Neters.