Tragic understanding of loss of one’s homeland in Karachay-Balkar folk songs of resettlement

M.Z. Ulakov, L.S. Gergokova

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Abstract. This work examines the historical truth about the deportation of the Balkar and Karachai people to Central Asia through the lens of oral poetry that emerged during their exile. The significance of this study lies in the need to thoroughly examine the songs that deal with the topic of resettlement, which has not been adequately explored in a scholarly context. The scientific novelty of this article lies in its first attempt to provide a literary analysis of the oral poetry of the Balkar and Karachai people, which reflects the tragic events of their deportation and loss of homeland.
Aim. The research is to identify and analyze how the emotional state of the people in exile, their hopes, and their faith in returning to their historical homeland are reflected in folk songs. It is this aspect that makes the article a valuable resource for understanding the past.
The methodological basis of the study includes theoretical works and scientific publications by domestic scholars, including M.Z. Ulakov, F.A. Urusbieva, B.A. Berberov, Kh.-M.A. Sabanchiev, and others.
The materials for the research are historical songs about the theme of migration, which have been collected and published in various publications. An important aspect of the study is the introduction of oral poetic works from the archive of the Institute of Humanitarian Research of the Kabardino-Balkarian Scientific Center of RAS into scientific circulation. Within the framework of solving this task, we use a cultural-historical approach and the method of historical comparison.
Based on the results of the study on songwriting about the forced displacement of the Karachay andBalkar people, two main stages have been identified: 1. In the early stages, compositions predominate that convey the suddenness and traumatic nature of the expulsion. 2. After thirteen years of exile, the people were tormented by humiliation, hunger, cold, and the grief of loss. Songs began to express gratitude for those who had paved the way for their return to their historical homeland. This period also saw the clearing of false accusations against them.
The findings from this research provide a new perspective for future scientific investigation into national folklore.

Keywords: folklore, historical songs, songs about displacement, deportation, cruel regime, freedom,
homeland

For citation. Ulakov M.Z., Gergokova L.S. Tragic understanding of loss of one’s homeland in Karachay-Balkar folk songs of resettlement. News of the Kabardino-Balkarian Scientific Center of RAS. 2025. Vol. 27. No. 6. Pp. 454–464. DOI: 10.35330/1991-6639-2025-27-6-454-464

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Information about the authors

Makhti Z. Ulakov, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor, Senior Scientific Researcher of the Karachay-Balkar Language Sector, Institute of Humanitarian Researches – branch of the Kabardino-Balkarian Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences;
18, Pushkin street, Nalchik, 360000, Russia;
maxtti@mail.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5972-8472, SPIN-code: 2697-4930
Leila S. Gergokova, Candidate of Philology, Senior Researcher at the Karachay-Balkar Folklore Sector, Institute of Humanitarian Researches – branch of the Kabardino-Balkarian Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences;
18, Pushkin street, Nalchik, 360000, Russia;
leylagergokova79@mail.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7998-2075, SPIN-code: 1551-1668