Circassian folk games for the youth are being recreated in Adygea

Young Circassians who came to study in the institute of higher education of Adygea from Syria initiated Circassian folk games among the youth which had not been held in the republic till autumn, 2011. On March, 24, the third game passed off on Maikop. The number of the participants is growing. In the young people’s opinion, the games integrate the youth, let them get acquainted with one another and come to know their history.

The Circassians together with the Adygeis and Kabardians are part of the same ethnic community, the Adygs, representatives of which in the territory of Russia generally reside in Adygea, Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia.

“Agyge Khase” supported the initiative of the students who came from Syria and the first game passed off in autumn of 2011 in the building of this non-governmental movement. On March, 24, the third folk Circassian game took place in Adygea. Over 60 people, mostly students, gathered in the Institute of Humanitarian Research. There were also representatives of the older generation: employees of the Institute, historians and ethnographers who generally played the role of the jury.

First all those present got acquainted with one another, then the students from Syria explained the rules of the games (the “Ring”, the “Stone”, “Siege of a fortress”, the “Bee” and others) after which both the young men and girls played them enthusiastically.

“First there were about 20 participants of the games but soon they became popular with the youth of Adygea, the number of players increased three times and we moved to the building of the Institute of Humanitarian Research in Maikop”, participant of the games Ruslan Tliunyaev, member of “Agyge Khase”, said to the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

According to the organizers, Circassian games develop tactical thinking, the skill of keeping together and coming to one another’s aid, let the young men show their strength and dexterity to the girls they like not by means of fighting but, for example, by hitting strongly one’s competitor’s palm or getting a coin out of flour with one’s teeth without soiling themselves.

The students from Syria said that their forefathers left their native country during the Caucasian war but they never forgot their customs and carefully maintained their traditions which passed from one generation to another in the families.

“When our grandfathers left their native lands and went to Syria they followed their traditions industriously. Now young people in Syria gather every week and play Circassian games. We were very much surprised that they do not do so in their motherland Adygea” Umaf Meshvez, student from Syria, said.

“Our compatriots brought different Circassian folk games with them, they often play them in Syria and we are ashamed that we have not even heard about them. This games introduce an integrating spirit to the company of players”, participant of the games Timur Chich said.

According to students from Maikop Alla and Ekaterina Yegorova, such games should he held not only among the Circassian youth.

“There are no interesting events bringing the young people together in Adygea while one so much wishes to take part is such a folk game, get to know one’s peers and spend one’s time in a useful and merry way. It is nice that the young people came from Syria with such an initiative”, the girls say.