adygeja
Adygeya, adyghe Adige, Adygieja Russian Republic of Adygea, Riespublika Adygieja, an autonomous republic in the European part of Russia, the Caucasus and the Great Przedkaukazia. Area 7.6 thousand. km2. 449 thousand. Population (1994). Capital Maykop. Adigeya occupies the northern part of the flat, plain-Cuban Azowska Plain, southern foothills and ranges of the Great Caucasus (height to 3238 m above sea level - Czugusz).
Since the mid-millennium BC sites are now occupied by Adigeya Meotów, Syndów and Kerketów, which Adygejczyków ancestors. In the thirteenth century, subordinate to the Golden Orda. After her break-up into the rivalry and Turkish sultans of Crimean khans. Since the mid-fourteenth century gradually turned to Russia. In the nineteenth century Adygejczycy, together with other Caucasian peoples, acted against the Russian government. After the October Revolution in Russia, Adygeya, 1917 was under the rule of the Bolsheviks, entering into the composition formed in May 1918 in Majkopie Cuban-Black Sea Soviet Republic. During the Civil War in Russia 1917-1922 many Adygejczyków fought on the side białogwardzistów. Since July 1922, in Czerkieskim (Adygejskim) Autonomous District, in 1928 renamed Adyghe Autonomous Oblast of the Russian Federative Soviet Socialist Republic, with its capital in Krasnodar. 1936, as a result of changes of borders, the capital was moved to the city of Maikop. During World War II from August 1942 to February 1943 occupied by German troops.
Adygejczycy są drugim co do wielkości narodem adygskim. W Rosji mieszka ich 128 tys., z czego w Republice Adygeja 108 tys.; żyją ponadto w Kraju Krasnodarskim (16 tys.). Mówią w języku adygejskim, który ma cztery dialekty: temirgojewski (podstawa języka literackiego), abadzechski, bżedugski i szapsugski. Alfabet adygejski stworzony został na podstawie cyrylicy. Wielu Adygejczyków na co dzień mówi już jednak wyłącznie po rosyjsku. Zamieszkują północną część Republiki Adygeja i kilka wiosek w Kraju Krasnodarskim. Wyznają islam w wersji sunnickiej, który nie jest jednak wśród nich silnie zakorzeniony.