81 years ago, the deportation of Chechens and Ingush began in the USSR
On February 23, 1944, Soviet General Secretary Joseph Stalin gave the order to deport Chechens and Ingush from the North Caucasus region to Central Asia and Siberia. This act was recognized as genocide by many countries and the European Parliament.
Half a million people were forced to leave their homes. The number of victims during the deportation exceeded a third of the total number of peoples. The Soviet government confiscated their homes, land and all property.
As a result of the deportation, 20 to 35% of the population of the Chechen-Ingush ASSR was lost, which was abolished. In the first years, the number of victims increased due to climatic conditions, hard work and epidemics in the new environment. The settlers could only move 3 km from their place of residence.
In 1957, the USSR authorities recognized the illegality of the deportation of entire peoples, and the Chechen-Ingush ASSR was restored.
In addition to the Chechens and Ingush, Koreans, Germans, Ingrian Finns, Karachays, Kalmyks, Balkars, Crimean Tatars and Meskhetian Turks were subjected to total forced resettlement to the USSR.
