Circassians in Genoa: Past and Present

Circassians in Genoa: Past and Present
We continue our journey, and the next stop on our path was Genoa. Reports on our visits to Venice and Padua can be found in previous entries on our blog.
Upon arriving in Genoa, we met with our compatriot Aida Tlish—a talented Circassian artist originally from Maykop. The evening was spent in pleasant conversations, and the next day, we began active work in the archives.
First, we went to the archive where we ordered the documents of interest to us. While waiting for them, we visited several museums. The archival work brought an unexpected gift: the archive director, whom we had planned to meet, left us a book with already translated documents. This will significantly ease our research.
The history of Genoa, like Venice, is closely tied to Circassian colonies. Genoa had a colony on the territory of Circassia called Caffa. Through archival data, we uncovered a sad but important part of our history—the purchase of Circassian women by the Genoese and their enslavement. Despite their unfortunate circumstances and the hardships they faced, Circassian women left a significant mark on Genoa’s history. According to archival data, Circassian women were highly sought after by the Genoese elite of the time and were sold for prices ranging from 180 to 250 Genoese lire, highlighting their status as symbols of luxury. Some descendants of these women became influential figures in Genoa, a fact that remains important even today.
We then had a meeting with Aida Tlish at the Genoa Ship Museum. The interview with Aida was conducted in Russian, Italian, and Adyghe, covering various aspects of history and culture. We strolled through the museum, capturing historical artifacts and locations on camera. The second part of the interview took place at Aida’s exhibition center, focusing on her paintings and artistic journey.
This visit to Genoa was rich and fruitful. We not only delved into archival research but also got acquainted with a representative of the Circassian people, Aida Tlish. In the near future, we plan to meet with the archive director for further information gathering and to conduct interviews with descendants of Circassian families, which will allow us to learn even more about our shared history.