Kizbech Tughuzhuqo

Kizbech Tughuzhuqo (sometimes misspelled as Ghuz Bek; 1777–1840; Adyghe: ШэрэлIыкъо Тыгъужъыкъо Къызбэч, romanized: Ṩərəl'ıqo Tığujzıqo Qızbəç [ʃaraɬʼəqʷa təʁʷəʐəqʷa qəzbatʃ]; Russian: Тугужуко Кызбэч) was a Circassian military commander who took part in the Russo-Circassian War. Personally witnessing all of his family get killed by the Russian army, Tughuzhuqo was a cavalry commander especially successful in raiding behind enemy lines. He received multiple offers from the Russian Empire to switch sides and join its Imperial ranks but he refused all offers and closed negotiations. The Englishman James Bell, who knew him personally, called him "The Lion of Circassia". There is no record of him losing a battle.

Sources and contemporary writers on Kizbech include David Urquhart, secretary of the British Embassy in Istanbul and a supporter of the Circassians who contributed to the Portfolio magazine; Edmund Spencer and John E. Longworth, travellers who reported from Circassia for The Times; and James Stanislaus Bell, who followed Urquhart's lead in writing letters to the British people.

The last three of them met Kizbech personally and recorded their memories. Among the Circassian writers of the period, Sultan Khan-Giray provides information about Kizbech. On the Russian side, both the poet Mikhail Lermontov and the Russian Lieutenant General Vasily Aleksandrovich Potto, the first detailed historian of the Caucasian War, mention him. Fyodor A. Shcherbina also provides information about Kizbech.

In addition, in the oral Circassian tradition, songs were composed in the name of Kizbech. These songs were unusual because they were written while Kizbech was still alive and were known to him. In these songs, he is referred to as the "Lion of Circassia".