08 March 2018, 14:40
KBR marks 74th anniversary of Balkars' deportation
74 years ago, on March 8, 1944, almost 38,000 ethnic Balkars, of which more than half were children, were moved from Kabardino-Balkaria to Central Asia. A rally in memory of the victims of the repression took place in Nalchik.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the deportation also involved disabled war veterans, family members of front-line soldiers, and heads of party bodies.
During 18 days of the trip, 562 people died in unequipped wagons. It was not until 1957 when Balkar people were allowed to return to their homeland.
Today, before the rally, actors of the Balkar Theatre planted a tree on the memorial area to symbolize the return of the Balkar people. Officials from the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) for the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) served a mourning prayer in memory of the victims of the repression.
Ingush rights defender Magomed Mutsolgov, an author of a blog at the "Caucasian Knot", has expressed his condolences to the Balkar people.
"The methods of Stalinist violence and terror against other nations are still cultivated in our country. However, the time will come, and peace will replace violence and terror. We only need to strive for it," wrote Magomed Mutsolgov.
According to the International Society "Memorial", in 1937-1944, in the USSR, up to 2.5 million members of different nations were deported.
Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.
Author: Lyudmila Maratova Source: CK correspondent
