A. V. KUSHKHABIEV Doctor of Historical Sciences Kabardino-Balkar Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences conflict Keywords: Syria, Circassian diaspora, repatriation. North Caucasus The political conflict that broke out in Syria in mid-March 2011 has become large-scale and protracted. It affected neighboring states and led to the activation of world powers in the Middle East region, such as Turkey, Iran and Israel. Part of the population of the Syrian Arab Republic (SAR) opposes the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, demands his resignation and reforms. Mass anti-government actions that take place in cities of the country, including in Damascus, are suppressed by the army and special services units. The soldiers, dissatisfied with the policy of the ruling regime, left the armed forces of the SAR, created the Free Syrian Army (SAS) and began to carry out attacks on government forces. According to the UN, the death toll in the country by mid-March 2012 was 8 thousand people, many were missing 1. The conflict has affected virtually all religious and ethnic groups in Syria. He also made drastic changes in the situation of the Circassian diaspora in this country. Circassians is an exoethnonym, a term used by other peoples to refer to the Circassians. Adyge is an endoethnonym, i.e. the self-name of Circassians. Circassians (Adygs) include Adygeans, Kabardians, Circassians-in Russia and Circassians living abroad. Regardless of their regions of residence, Circassians are a people with a common origin, closely related languages and a single culture. Circassians are an indigenous people of the Caucasus. After the establishment of Soviet power and the end of the Civil War, four Circassian autonomies were created in the North Caucasus: Circassian (from 1928 - Adygeya), Kabardian (from 1922 - Kabardino-Balkar), Circassian (from 1957 - Karachay-Cherkess), and Shapsug National region (1924-1945). Three official ethnonyms were adopted to denote the divided parts of th ... Read more