Alezheriyeqo Kushiku

Ajdjeriyiqo Kushuk Bechmirza (, ), was a Circassian military commander and prince. He took part in the Russo-Circassian War.

Biography Name Kushuk's surname is Bechmirza, and Ajdjeriyiqo means "son of Ajdjeriy". or "the guide of the Circassian land". He was one of the Hajret Kabardians who migrated to Western Circassia after the Russian occupation of Kabardia to continue the war. He migrated in 1817. In Circassian folk tales, Ajdjeriyiqo's skill in finding directions by observing the stars is frequently mentioned. Even during his lifetime, songs were sung about him. thumb

On April 1, 1825, General Velyaminov issued an order to destroy the villages of Hajret Kabardians. On April 5, the Russian army, under the command of Fedor Aleksandrovich Bekovich-Cherkasski, launched an unexpected attack on the Karamirzey village in the Besleney region. The Russians obtained the exact location of the village, as well as the difficult routes to avoid detection, by interrogating a captured shepherd. Karamirzey was 7-8 times larger than other Circassian villages.

During the attack, Prince Karamırza Aliy was killed, the village was plundered, set on fire, and destroyed, the villagers were massacred, and the surviving minority was taken captive. When the Jambolat Qeytuqo and Ajdjeriyiqo's armies arrived at the village, the Russians had already retreated. The two wives of Karamirza, named Haniy and Yelmiskhan, were captured as spoils of war, and Haniy was gifted to Prince Astemir, who had helped in the destruction of the village. Upon hearing the news, the Circassian commanders decided to seek revenge on those who had helped the Russians in the massacre. Ajdjeriyiqo rode 400 kilometers and arrived at Astemirov's village in Lesser Kabardia, challenging him to a duel. Ajdjeriyiqo killed Astemirov and, in the oral sources, he took the widowed wife of Karamirza Aliy back to Western Circassia.

In December 1828, a Russian detachment launched a sudden attack on Kushuk’s village at the source of the Laba River and captured 120 people. Among the captives were Kushuk's little son and his son’s wet nurse.

Death On January 11, 1830, he was severely wounded while defending an Abazin village near the banks of the Urup River and died from his injuries. After the battle, his body was carried on horseback to his village by his cavalries. In a traditional Abzakh song, Kushuk and Ale are mentioned as follows: