Cherkessk

Cherkessk Черкесск
City
From the top to bottom-right, Aerial view of the City, Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Friendship Monument, Central Mosque, Soviet-Era Cinema Building
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Cherkessk
Cherkessk Location of Cherkessk Show map of Russia Cherkessk Cherkessk (Karachay-Cherkessia) Show map of Karachay-Cherkessia
Coordinates: 44°13′N 42°03′E / 44.217°N 42.050°E / 44.217; 42.050
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Karachay-Cherkessia
Founded	1825
City status since	1931
Government
• Mayor	Alexey Baskaev[1]
Area
• Total	69.8 km2 (26.9 sq mi)
Elevation	530 m (1,740 ft)
Population  (2010 Census)[2]
• Total	129,069
• Estimate  (2018)[3]	122,395 (−5.2%)
• Rank	127th in 2010
• Density	1,849.12/km2 (4,789.2/sq mi)
Administrative status
• Subordinated to	city of republic significance of Cherkessk[4]
• Capital of	Karachay-Cherkess Republic[4]
• Capital of	city of republic significance of Cherkessk[4]
Municipal status
• Urban okrug	Cherkessk Urban Okrug[5]
• Capital of	Cherkessk Urban Okrug[5]
Time zone	UTC+3 (MSK [6])
Postal code(s)[7]	3690XX
Dialing code(s)	+7 8782
OKTMO ID	91701000001
Website	cherkessk09.ru

Cherkessk (Russian: Черке́сск; Adyghe: Шэрджэс къалэ; Kabardian: Черкес-къалэ) is the capital city of Karachay-Cherkessia, Russia, as well as its political, economic, and cultural center. Population: 129,069 (2010 Census).^[2] 112,782 (2024).^[8]

It was previously known as Batalpashinskaya (until 1931), Batalpashinsk (until 1934), Sulimov (until 1937), Yezhovo-Cherkessk (until 1939).

In Russian, the city is called Черке́сск (Čerkessk)^[9] and has similar names in the languages of the city's other major ethnic groups. In Karachay, it is Черкесск (Çerkessk)^[9] or Черкесск шахар (Çerkessk şahar); in Kabardian, it is Шэрджэс къалэ (Şărdjăs qală) or Черке́сск (Čerkessk);^[9] in Abaza, it is Черкес къала (Čerkes q̇ala) or Черкесск (Čerkessk);^[9] in Nogai, it is Шеркеш шахар (Şerkeş şahar) and in Chechen, it is Черкесск (Čerkessk).

For its first century of existence, Cherkessk was a stanitsa, a village inside a Cossack host, which from 1825 to 1931 was named Batalpashinskaya stanitsa (Russian: Баталпашинская станица Batalpašinskaja stanica)^[9] and nicknamed Pashinka (Пашинка Pašinka) In 1931, it was renamed Batalpashinsk (Баталпашинск Batałpašinsk),^[10][9] and then in quick succession Sulimov (Сулимов Sulimov) in 1934^[10][9] for Daniil Sulimov, Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Russian SFSR, and following Sulimov's execution in the Great Purge, Yezhovo-Cherkessk (Ежово-Черкесск Ježovo-Čerkessk) in 1937^[10][9] for Nikolai Yezhov, head of the NKVD. With Yezhov's arrest, the initial "Yezhovo-" was dropped, and the city received its present name in 1939.^[10][9]

What is now Cherkessk was established in 1804 as a Russian military fort on the Kuban River, what was then the border with Circassia, on the spot where in 1790 Russian troops under the command of General Johann Hermann von Fersen (Ivan Ivanovich Herman fon Fersen) defeated the Ottoman Batal Pasha.^[10] In honor of the victory over Batal Pasha, the fort was named Batalpashinskaya; it was a redoubt surrounded by an earthen rampart and ditch.^[10] (That the fort was named for an enemy leader may have led villagers to prefer the nickname Pashinka.)

The settlement itself was founded as the Cossack stanitsa of Batalpashinskaya near the Russian Army outpost. The officially recognized year of founding of Batalpashinskaya and modern Cherkessk is 1825. However, the Cossack settlers from the Khopyour and Kuban regiments began arriving in the newly organized stanitsa not earlier than spring of 1826.^[11] In 1860, the village was designated as the administrative center of the Batalpashinsky Otdel of the Kuban Oblast.^[10] A decree of 30 December 1869 by Tsar Alexander II transformed the village into a city of Batalpashinsk but the decree was never implemented,^[12] and Batalpashinskaya remained a stanitsa until the Soviet times. In 1888, the village became a seat of one of Kuban's seven departments.

In 1922, the village became the seat of the Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Oblast of the RSFSR,^[10] and in 1926, the Cherkess National Okrug. In 1931, it was granted town status and renamed Batalpashinsk. It received its current name of Cherkessk in 1939.^[9] The city was occupied by the Nazi German Wehrmacht during World War II (the Eastern Front) from 11 August 1942 to 17 January 1943^[10] as part of the Case Blue offensive. In 1957, it became the capital of the reformed Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Oblast which became the Karachay–Cherkess Republic in 1991 with the fall of the Soviet Union.

Cherkessk is the capital of the republic.^[4] Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is incorporated as the city of republic significance of Cherkessk—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts.^[4] As a municipal division, the city of republic significance of Cherkessk is incorporated as Cherkessk Urban Okrug.^[5]

The population of Cherkessk was 129,069 in the 2010 Census,^[2] 116,244 in the 2002 Census^[13] and 113,060 in the 1989 Soviet Census.^[14]

The city is inhabited by Russians, native Cherkess (Circassians), Karachays, Abaza, Nogays and minorities of Ukrainians, Greeks and Armenians.

According to the First All-Union Census of the Soviet Union of 1926, inhabitants of Batalpashinsk (present-day Cherkessk) included:^[15]

• Russians (82.7%)
• Ukrainians (9.0%)
• Karachays (0.8%)
• Greeks (Pontic Greeks) (0.2%)

The 1937 census results were suppressed and destroyed but the Soviet census of 1939 recorded:^[15]

• Russians (87.6%)
• Ukrainians (3.6%)
• Abazin (1.5%)
• Adyghes (i.e. Circassian) (1.4%)
• Karachays (0.8%)
• Ossetians (0.5%)
• Nogais (0.5%)
• Greeks (0.5%)

The Soviet census of 1959 recorded:^[15]

• Russians (87.7%)
• Ukrainians (2.8%)
• Circassian (2.1%)
• Abazins (1.8%)
• Karachays (1.6%)
• Nogais (0.4%)
• Greeks (0.4%)
• Ossetians (0.4%)

The Soviet census of 1970 recorded:^[15]

• Russians (74.5%)
• Circassian (6.4%)
• Karachays (6.2%)
• Abazins (5.0%)
• Ukrainians (2.1%)
• Nogais (1.0%)
• Greeks (0.5%)
• Ossetians (0.5%)

According to the 1989 data from the final Soviet census, the population of the city included:^[15]

• Russians (67.8%)
• Circassian (9.0%)
• Karachays (7.8%)
• Abazins (6.5%)
• Ukrainians (2.2%)
• Nogais (1.2%)
• Ossetians (0.5%)
• Greeks (0.5%)

In 2002, the Russian census reported the population including:^[16]

• Russians (55.5%)
• Karachays (13.8%)
• Circassian (12.6%)
• Abazins (8.1%)
• Nogais (1.5%)
• Ukrainians (1.3%)
• Ossetians (0.6%)
• Greeks (Pontic Greeks) (0.4%)
• Other (6.1%)

In 2010, the population included:^{[citation needed]}

• Russians (54.7%)
• Karachays (16.4%)
• Circassian (13.2%)
• Abazins (8.2%)
• Nogais (1.5%)
• Other (6.0%)

In 2021, the population included:^[16]

• Russians (44.71%)
• Karachays (23.8%)
• Circassians (16%)
• Abazins (9.5%)
• Nogais (1.5%)
• Other (4.49%)

Cherkessk is home to the following education institutions:

• North Caucasian State Academy: civil engineering, mechanical engineering, energy engineering, business management, accounting, finance, medical school. www.kchgta.ru^[20]
• Moscow Social Open University (branch)
• Moscow Modern Arts Institute (branch)
• Rostov State Economic University (branch)
• Karachay-Cherkess State College
• Daurov Art College: art, interior design, music, choreography divisions
• Republican Children Art School: music, art, choreography divisions

• Drama Theater: ethnic, modern and classical plays
• State Philharmonic: classical and ethnic orchestra performances
• Elbrus State Ensemble: ethnic North Caucasian dances, dance studio
• Ensemble of Cossack Dance and Song: ethnic performances

• The association football team FC Inter Cherkessk play at the Stadium Nart. FC Nart Cherkessk previously played there, until they were dissolved in 2004.
• The demolished Dombay Stadium or Motodrom was a motorcycle speedway stadium located south of the Stadium Nart and Green Island off Ulitsa Michurina (44°13′09″N 42°02′09″E / 44.21917°N 42.03583°E / 44.21917; 42.03583). The stadium hosted important events including the Continental Speedway final round of the Speedway World Championship in 1972^[21][22] and a semi final of the 1991 Speedway Under-21 World Championship.
• The Cherkessk speedway team (under various nicknames) regularly participated in the Soviet Union Championship from 1972 through to 1992^[23] and then during 1993, in the Russian Championship, winning the bronze medal in 1993.^[24][25]

• David Safaryan, World champion in freestyle wrestling representing Armenia

• Народное Собрание (Парламент) Карачаево-Черкесской Республики. Закон №84-РЗ от 24 февраля 2004 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Карачаево-Черкесской Республики», в ред. Закона №34-РЗ от 5 июля 2011 г «О внесении изменений в некоторые законодательные акты Карачаево-Черкесской Республики в связи с изменением наименования должности высшего должностного лица Карачаево-Черкесской Республики». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "День Республики", №36-37 (16431), 28 февраля 2004 г. (People's Assembly (Parliament) of the Karachay–Cherkess Republic. Law #84-RZ of February 24, 2004 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of the Karachay–Cherkess Republic, as amended by the Law #34-RZ of July 5, 2011 On Amending Various Legislative Acts of the Karachay–Cherkess Republic Due to the Change of the Title of the Top Executive Position of the Karachay–Cherkess Republic. Effective as of the official publication date.).
• Народное Собрание (Парламент) Карачаево-Черкесской Республики. Закон №41-РЗ от 7 декабря 2004 г. «Об установлении границ муниципального образования города Черкесска и наделении его статусом городского округа», в ред. Закона №35-РЗ от 23 июня 2014 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Карачаево-Черкесской Республики "Об установлении границ муниципального образования города Черкесска и наделении его статусом городского округа"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "День Республики", №207–208 (16602), 14 декабря 2004 г. (People's Assembly (Parliament) of the Karachay–Cherkess Republic. Law #41-RZ of December 7, 2004 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formation of the Town of Cherkessk and on Granting It Urban Okrug Status, as amended by the Law #35-RZ of June 23, 2014 On Amending the Law of the Karachay–Cherkess Republic "On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formation of the Town of Cherkessk and on Granting It Urban Okrug Status". Effective as of the day of the official publication.).

• Official website of Cherkessk (in Russian)
• Cherkessk Business Directory (in Russian)