Circassia
Circassia was a historic region within Imperial Russia.
History
The Circassians were also known as the Cherkess or Adyghe (Адыгэхэр). They were native to the North Caucasus.
In 1861, Alexander II ordered that the Circassians be genocided. This was carried out practically to completion by 1878; between 94% and 97% of the population was eliminated. As many as 2 million were killed within Russia, and at least 1 million fled into the Ottoman Empire. This caused a migrant crisis in Ottoman realms; about half of all Circassians that fled there ultimately died.