1944 Deportation of Balkars

70 years ago, on March 8, 1944, according to the decision of the State Defense Committee, adopted three days earlier, the mass deportation of Balkars to Central Asia and Kazakhstan was launched on charges of collaborationism. Meanwhile, although part of the Balkars really fought in volunteer detachments on the side of the German troops, and several people participated as guides in the famous ascent of German mountain rangers to Elbrus, the 115th Kabardino-Balkarian Cavalry Division defended Stalingrad in summer and autumn and was almost completely destroyed - out of 5.5 thousand people, more than 4 thousand died.

A total of 37,103 people were deported. In the process of exile and in the first months of settling in a new place, 4329 people died. On March 28, 1957, the session of the Supreme Council of the Kabardian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic adopted a resolution on the restoration of the statehood of the Balkars and the return of the former name of the republic - Kabardino-Balkaria. The Balkars were allowed to return to their former place of residence.