Cherkesogai
A proposed flag of the Cherkesogai, used unofficially | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 100,000 - 350,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Armavir (Krasnodar Krai), Maykop (Adygea) | |
| Languages | |
| Armenian, Adyghe, Kabardian, Russian | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly: Christianity (Armenian Apostolic Church) Minority: Islam (Sunni) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| other Armenians |
Cherkesogai (Russian: Черкесогаи), or Circassian Armenians (Armenian: չերքեզահայեր cherk'ezahayer; Circassian: Адыгэ-ермэлы, Adyge-ermely; Russian: черкесские армяне, romanized: cherkesskiye armyane); sometimes referred to as Ermeli (Circassian: Ермэлы), Mountainous Armenians (Russian: горские армяне, romanized: gorskiye armyane) or Transkuban Armenians (закубанские армяне, zakubanskiye armyane), are ethnic Armenians who have inhabited Russia's Krasnodar Krai and Republic of Adyghea since the end of the 15th century and spoke the Adyghe language (currently, most of them speak Russian as their first language), in contrast to other Armenians living in the region. They reside mostly in the cities of Armavir and Maykop. The total number of Cherkosogai is about 50,000 people (2008 estimate). According to the Russian 2002 Census, 230 Armenians speak Lowland Adyghe and 222 speak Kabardian Adyghe natively.
Notable Cherkesogai include the first Soviet millionaire Artyom Mikhailovich Tarasov, Prix Goncourt-winning writer Henri Troyat (né Lev Aslanovich Tarasov), merchant Nikita Pavlovich Bogarsukov and ballerina Olga Aslanovna Tarasova.