Currently, none of the members of House Kuadzhe who live in Turkey uses their original family name due to the Surname Law of the Republic of Turkey as none of the ethnic minorities at that time were allowed to use non-Turkish surnames. Due to being spread throughout the Republic of Turkey and having no contact with each other, members of House Kuadzhe chose different surnames than one another.[citation needed]
As such is the case with all other Circassian houses, -be they peasant, pirate, knight or prince houses- House Kuadzhe has its own banner, but as such is the case with some Circassian houses, it doesn't have one but three.[1] This is usually due to the house being overexpanded and divided into smaller groups. Despite bearing the same family name, these groups chose different banners than one another, to avoid confusion.[citation needed]
Traditionally, hereditary names of Circassians were associated with the name of the area, the origin of which was one of the ancestors or with the name of the ancestor. Later nicknames arose from the name of the profession, social status or the title of an ancestor. Most likely it seems that the generic name of Kuadzhe belongs to the oldest type of surnames that have come from the "geographical" name of the ancestor. This type of surname was formed from names given to ancestors in connection with their place of birth, residence or nationality. In the vocabulary of the Circassian language, the word kuadzhe (Adyghe: Къуаджэ) means hamlet. In most cases, kuadzhe was referred to the recently emerged settlement, which did not have an official name and people who emerged from it were not deep-rooted. Proceeding from this, it can be assumed that the name of House Kuadzhe was most likely obtained by a resident of such a village. It is possible that Kuadzhe was called an immigrant from a village who came to a neighbouring city for work or moved to the city for permanent residence.[2]
At the same time, it is possible that the family name goes back to the name of the ancestor "Kua" in the Ubykh dialect (an extinct dialect belonging to Circassian language), given the location of House Kuadzhe's emergence. Thus, the surname of Kuadzhe, formed with the help of the family suffix "-dzhe", takes the form of a patronymic and relates to the son's family, pointing to the grandchildren of the originator of the family. Over time, the name of Kuadzhe became a family affair and was officially registered as a family name. The family accepting the personal nickname of the ancestor as its generic name means that the ancestor of House Kuadzhe was a great authority for the household, as well as a well-known and respected person in his native settlement.[3]
Since the process of formation of names was quite long, at the moment it is difficult to talk about the exact place and time of the origin of the name "Kuadzhe". However, we can confidently say that it is one of the oldest family names.[citation needed]
Kuadzhe Galimet Aslan donned with the traditional Circassian dress.Kuadzhe Galimet Aslan Iskhakovna: (Adyghe: Къуаджэ Галимэт Аслъэн, Russian: Куадже Галимет Аслан Исхаковна) - a lawyer and a martyr of the Soviet Union. She was born in the village of Pshizov, within the present-day Shovgenovsky District of Adygea. There were seven children in their family - two brothers and five sisters. Galimet was the youngest. She graduated from the Law Faculty of Kuban State Agrarian University and became the head of the first and only regional notary office of that time in Maykop. During World War II, she served the Red Army as an underground worker. The Germans seized her in 1942, tortured her and executed by shooting along with the pioneer war hero Zhenya Popov.[5] The remains of Galimet were buried in a mass grave of the war memorial of the capital of Adygea, Maykop, Promyshlennaya street, in the area between № 28 and № 30, behind the railway, to the opposite side of the bus and railway stations, left side of the memorial, to the far right of the burial.[6] She has a memorial plaque dedicated to her in her village, School № 11.[7][5]
Kuadzhe Malazim donned with traditional Circassian clothing.Kuadzhe Malazim Iskhakovich: (Adyghe: Къуаджэ Малазим, Russian: Куадже Малазим Исхакович) - elder brother to Galimet Aslan, a scholar who devoted his whole life to geology. He was born in the village of Pshizov, within the present-day Shovgenovsky District of Adygea in c. 1900. In the early 1930s, he travelled from the village of Pshizov to Vladikavkaz on foot to become a student of the North-Caucasian Mining and Metallurgical Institute. After successful completion of the studies, the graduate was left as a teacher. Then Malazim moved to Moscow, where he taught and was engaged in science in his speciality.[5] During World War II, he fought against the Nazi invaders in the Red Army, 2nd Rifle Regiment, 1st Division. However, he was captured by Wehrmacht in 26th of October 1941, later to be released as the Germans retreated from Caucasus.[6] In 1965, he finished his doctorate thesis and became the first among the Circassians in the field of geology. He has a memorial plaque dedicated to him in his village, School № 11.[5]
Kuadzhe Elmiz Alkhasovich: (Adyghe: Къуаджэ Елмыз, Russian: Куадже Ельмиз Алхасович) - a sublieutenant of the Red Army. He was born in the village of Kuybyshevka (present-day Aguy-Shapsug, Tuapsinsky District, Krasnodar Krai, Russia), in 1925. He was conscripted in September 1942, in Tuapse and rose to the rank of sublieutenant within the three years of his service.[6] He won a Medal of Red Star due to his feat of bravery in 12th of October 1944, in the battle for the village of Dlhoňa of Czechoslovakia. He showed his clever commanding skills in a mountainous and wooded area as his platoon supported the offensive of the main infantry unit and as he relocated the fire on the retreating enemy. Trying to return to the village, he performed counterattack three times under fire and retreated back to his original lines. With the help of his mortar fire, he decimated 30 enemy troops and suppressed the enemy machinegun fire. He won the Medal of Red Banner due to his feat of courage and cleverness in 23rd of April 1945, in during the battle for the town of Olice. "Comrade Kuadzhe skillfully commandeered his platoon, manoeuvred while firing decisively, administered delusion on the enemy and destroyed the bridgehead before the order to attack". He was mortally wounded three days later, in 26th of April 1945, during his next assault, therefore was taken to the closest hospital for recovery.[8] He died shortly after at the age of 20 due to the wounds he received during that very assault and was buried to a cemetery in Czechoslovakia, Moravia, the southern suburbs of Troppau in 28th of April, 1945 - while he was serving in 193rd Regiment, 9th Division[9].[6]
Kuadzhe Bagagush Tagagukovich: (Adyghe: Къуаджэ Бэгъэгушӏу, Russian: Куадже Багагуш Тагагукович) - a private of the Red Army. He was born in the village of Kuybyshevka (present-day Aguy-Shapsug, Tuapsinsky District, Krasnodar Krai, Russia), in c. 1913. When the World War II began, he enlisted to the Red Army in 23rd of June, 1941. After six months of service, he is documented to be missing in the reports of the Red Army. Most likely he got split from his unit and failed to report - because according to an another report documented by Nazi Germany, he was captured by Wehrmacht in Stalingrad, in August 1943. Then he was taken to Stalag XVIII-A, a prisoner-of-war camp located to the south of the town of Wolfsberg, in the southern Austrian state of Carinthia. He died in captivity in 13th of January, 1945 - at the age of 32. His remains were buried in the same prisoner camp.[6]
Kuadzhe Ruslanid.Kuadzhe Ruslanid Zaidovich: (Adyghe: Къуаджэ Русланид, Russian: Куадже Русланид Заидович) - a scientist, PhD of historical sciences, lawyer and a poet. He was born in 1938 in the village of Kalezh (Circassian: Къалэжъ), Shapsugsky National District of the Krasnodar Krai. In 1957 he graduated from the School № 1 of the Ministry of Justice in Tuapse. He served in the ranks of the Soviet Army starting from 1957 until 1960. In 1964 he graduated from Kharkov Law Institute with a degree in Law. He served two years as the head of the Night School № 12 in Sochi, between 1979 and 1981.[10] In 1988 he went to the Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography of the Georgian SSR to complete his PhD thesis on the speciality "Social History" on the topic "Social Relations and Their Reflection in the Unwritten Feudal Law of Adygea (Circassia) XYIII - the first half of the XIX century".[11] After graduation, he worked as an investigator, assistant to the prosecutor of the Autonomous Region of Adygea. He is currently deceased.[citation needed]
Tkhaghapseu simply means "God bless them" in Adyghe: Тхьагъапсэу. There are two distinct stories orally transferred generation to generation.
The widely accepted one tells about the story of three brothers of House of Nartyzhyko living in the village of Tkhaghapsh, (present-day Tkhagapsh, Lazarevsky City District, Krasnodar Krai, Russia) where a tyrannical feudalprince ruled over the region. The three brothers decided that the reign of the prince must end and he must pay for the atrocities he had committed with his life. They ambushed the prince and killed him, therefore the residents of the region praised them with words "may God bless them, may God bless them" and it stuck with them as a nickname, later to become their surname. The three brothers later fled the region, each leaving for different parts of Circassia in order to avoid the vengeance of the relatives of the tyrannical prince who they had killed. One of them fled to Takhtamukay in present-day Adygea, one of them fled to Khabez in present-day Karachay-Cherkessia and the last one fled to the village of Kuba in present-day Kabardino-Balkaria.[citation needed]
Tkhagapsov Iskhan Amerzanovich: (Adyghe: Тхьагъэпсэу Исхьэн, Russian: Тхагапсов Исхан Амерзанович) - a private of the Red Army. He was born in the village of Shabanovskoe (Adyghe: Щэбэнохьаблэ) in Seversky District of Krasnodar Krai in 1924. He enlisted to the army in 1942, in Bendery, Moldovian SSR. He served in the 80th Rifle Division for three years until he was killed in a firefight against Wehrmacht in 4th of November 1945, in Vienna, Austria. He was buried nearby a shack in the southern coast of a lake unknown to his division.[2]
Tkhagapsov Maskhud Pshigusovich: (Kabardian: Тхьагъэпсэу Мэсхуд, Russian: Тхагапсов Масхуд Пшигусович) - a private of the Red Army. He was born in 1896 in the village of Khabez, (within the present-day Karachay-Cherkessia, Russia). He enlisted to the army from the local office of his region in 1941 and served about a year until he went missing in December 1942.[2][3]
Tkhagapso Garun Bicovich: (Adyghe: Тхьагъэпсэу Хьарун, Russian: Тхагапсо Гарун Бицович) - a private of the Red Army. He was born in the village of Shabanovskoe (Adyghe: Щэбэнохьаблэ) in Seversky District of Krasnodar Krai in 1911. He enlisted in 1941 from the local office of his region until he went missing in April 1943 after serving for two years.[2]
Tkhagapso Yusuf Saferovich: (Adyghe: Тхьагъэпсэу Юсуф, Russian: Тхагапсо Юсуф Саферович) - a private of the Red Army. He was born in 1912, in the village of Shabanovskoe (Adyghe: Щэбэнохьаблэ) in Seversky District of Krasnodar Krai. He enlisted from the local office of his region in 1942 until he went missing in April 1943 after approximately a year of service.[2]
Tkhagapso Madin Shumafovich: (Adyghe: Тхьагъэпсэу Мадин, Russian: Тхагапсо Мадин Шумафович) - a private of the Red Army. He was born in the village of Shabanovskoe (Adyghe: Щэбэнохьаблэ) in Seversky District of Krasnodar Krai,in 1921. He enlisted from his regional office in 1940 and served for three years until he was reported missing in April 1943.[2]
Dipsheu means "our Psheu" in Ubykh: Дипшэу, referring that the family ruled over the valley which Psou River is flowing through, which is the present-day border of Russian Federation and Abkhazia.
Circassia (formerly)
Russian Empire (formerly)
Soviet Union (formerly)
Turkey
