Since the  Ottoman-Russian War of 1828-1829 Field Marshal Rosen had been the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Forces and the Governor General of Caucasia. At the end of the war he appointed General Vilyaminof as the Commander of the Western Front.

            Vilyaminof had been in Caucasia for a long time. He had enough time to get to know the country and the people. He was experienced in “dealing with the situation there”. He had been a major accomplice in implementing the ruthless policies of his predecessor, General Yermolov. He had personally witnessed the way the Daghistanis and Çeçens resisted Russian aggression.

            Vilyaminof took charge of the  western Kuban basin with a changed personality. He was now convinced that violence would bred violence. He believed that they ought to establish friendly relations with the Adiğe, and maintain the same with patience; that roads and fortresses be built in sufficient numbers in the meantime to gain a firm control over the land; and that promotion of commercial relations needed to be emphasized. 

            And most importantly, an efficient intelligence network was essential for ultimate victory.

            Vilyaminof submitted a report to the same effect to his High Command in which he recommended the following three points:

            One- An intelligence service be established, and a the land and the people be thoroughly studied.

            Two- Commercial relations with the local people be encouraged. 

            Three- Additional number of forts and roads be constructed to establish and consolidate an effective control over Caucasia. 

            The report was appreciated by the Commander-in-Chief, and was approved by the Czar and his Cabinet.  And so it came into force as an imperial edict.

            The first two points were successfully implemented, at least in the beginning. With the help of the information provided by the Russian agents, the unifying role of Zaniko Sefer had been detected.  He was effectively neutralized through the intervention of the Russian Ambassador in Istanbul.

            Through the blockade of the Caucasian coast, the commercial navigation to and from the Caucasian ports was restricted. The Adiğes were rendered dependent on Armenian and Russian merchants.

            Now, it was the turn of building fortresses and roads. To this end, eight locations of strategic importance were chosen. Three of those were in the hinterland, which could be considered as the heart of Caucasia. The others were on the Black Sea coast.

            Due to the blockade of the Caucasian ports, there had developed an acute shortage of salt and gun powder.

            The Russians allowed import of salt and other consumer goods as long as they were purchased from their own markets. But they imposed a total prohibition  on transactions in such items construed as being of military utility.

            Vilyaminof, at any rate, did not favor haste and violence. He wanted to gain to his side some of the local leaders by consolidating commercial relations. He believed that friendly approach would prevail.

            As he had anticipated; some of the well known nobles like Indaryiko Mehmet, Geriyiko Ali and Havuduko Mansur, maintained trading with the Russians, albeit through intermediaries. 

            The most famous of the Armenian merchants in Anapa has been one called Baltazar. He was a Russian agent at the same time. An Adige shot him dead at the market place, as his espionage activities were exposed. 

            In spite of the bad reputation of the family, his son Artin was allowed to maintains his father’s business. He gained Havuduko Mansur's trust, and improved relations with certain other prominent leaders.

            Another Armenian merchant named Şekeroğlu established business connections with the Indars. He had considerable business with Geriyiko Ali, and he could travel throughout the coast under his protection.

            There were others, who were not interested in doing bunnies with the Russian or Armenian merchants. Batmazyiko Ali and Zaziyiko Mehmet of Cuga had never been obliged to trade with them.   Both had many friends in Trabzon and Istanbul. In spite of the risks involved, their vessels had been shuttling to and fro the  Anatolian coasts. Similarly, they helped  the Turkish ships calling at the Caucasian ports.

            Bastiko Psımef and his cousin Janbek have been receiving the support of Batmazyiko Ali. Since the beginning of the blockade, they had been conducting their business through him.

            Commercial activities and exchanges were not limited to the coastal area. There existed a different and more intense commercial exchange along the river Kuban. The Russians and Cossacks had been engaged in trade since their arrival in the area as an essential part of their preoccupation.   Summer Bazaars were set up in the vicinity of Forts Marinskaya, Yekatrinodar, Pavlovskaya and Stavropol.

            These were at some distance from the river Kuban; some within a few kilometers and some much farther away. A new market place was installed recently at the confluence of the rivers Kuban and Aştuk, very close to the waterside. Boats and barges were made available to cross the rivers. Obviously, these were facilities to entice the  Adiğes to come to the market.

            At the Adegum Assembly all sorts of exchanges and trade relations with the Russians was forbidden. But such dealings were unavoidable due to the pressing needs of the consumers.

            These secret and underhanded commercial contacts and trips to the Russian market places were practiced only by the rich and the powerful, the masses were condemned to market their produce at prices below their actual value, and had to pay exorbitant prices to what they purchased.

            The situation was awful. Certain negative consequences of the trend,  both in economic and moral grounds, began to show up. The problems related to the Russian blockade were building up. It was anticipated that the crisis would one day lead to a major explosion.

            Notwithstanding minor skirmishes along the river Kuban, peace was preserved by and large. Suddenly, however, peace was disturbed.

            General Vilyaminof had come to believe that the relations had been stabilized; and that the Adiğes would not revolt no matter what the Russians did. It was under such an impulse that  he ventured to implement the third item on his plan.

            Appropriate sites for the projected forts of Gelincik, Pşat, Sasi and Sepsin on the coastal strip; and  Abin, Nikolayevsky, Doba and Alexandrisky in the hinterland; had already been chosen.  Now he could safely give a start for the construction work.

            He deployed his artillery, infantry and cavalry on the land; and the Navy on the sea. 

            Vilyaminof personally was going to lay the foundation-stone of Fort Abin. In case of any resistance, A twenty thousand strong force was kept at alert to effectively crush any resistance. 

            He had good reasons for choosing the Abin Valley to build a stronghold there. With the occupation of Kabardey, Caucasia had practically been divided into the eastern and the western sectors, isolated from each other.

            This time he intended to deal with the Şapsı? region, where the resistance was most significant.  He planned to split up the area and to destroy the people’s solidarity.  As a result he would seize the fertile land long coveted by Cossacks.

            It was mid-May of 1834. Building material were piled up at the bank of the river Kuban together with a concentration of artillery batteries, and the cavalry troops. Approximately one hundred barges were set afloat.

            Within a few days all items were transported to the south of the river, and from there to the construction site along Abin stream. Construction of transient camps were immediately commenced.

            The deployment was carried out by surprise and speedily. It allowed no time for the Caucasians to organize a resistance. The navy had blockaded Tsemez, Gelincik and Pşat harbors. 

            Haci Huzbek confronted the Russians at the Abin valley with his seven-hundred cavalry men. With him were Nemeruko Sahingeri and Janbulat.

            Haci Huzbek had seven daughters and only one son, the youngest of his children. He was just coming of age, yet he has been following his father like his shadow.

            General Vilyaminof was relying on his artillery batteries and   infantry armed with rifles and bayonets. He was going to keep them behind trenches, and safeguard the construction site.

            Haci Huzbek didn't fall into his trap. He didn't make a frontal attack; instead he opted hit and run tactic, taking advantage of the enemy’s weak points. He managed to disrupt the enemy defense, and  engaged its cavalry to chase his men.

            He was in his seventies. The old wolf had been tempered in the battles. He knew the weaknesses of the  Cossacks. As he withdrew, affecting a rout, his cavalrymen would spread out like a fan. Then, he would make sudden return, and would hunt down the dispersed enemy one by one.

            He repeated the same tactic a number of time, inflicting heavy casualty on the enemy. The experienced Russian officers, nevertheless, lost no time to realized his tactic. They mounted an attack directly at Haci.

            Haci Huzbek was encircled by an enemy cavalry company. While he was trying to break away, he took several spear strikes, fell off his horse. Thanks to his armor, he survived.

            His thoroughbred horse named Simsek stood up on hind legs neighing, and kicking right and left in an effort to protect its owner.

            His son and few other young fighters came to his rescue at the cost of their own lives

            When Haci mounted on another horse, he looked around for his rescuers including his son, whom he found laying in a pool of blood.

            The whole space momentarily darkened to him . He instantly recovered, looked around him for a moment, and screamed:  "The death is fated. Welcome!!"  Then he yelled,

            -Attack for the sake of God!

            This final attack was terrible. Hundreds of Russian cavalry and infantry men were knocked down. The entire Russian forces were pushed in disarray towards Kuban marshes.

            General Vilyaminof hadn't expect this turn of events. He had been cautious enough to keep about ten guns and a part of his infantry in reserve at the bank of the river. 

           The intensive fire opened by the reserve force halted Haci and his fighters. counter fire stopped Haci and his fighters. Otherwise, all the Russian troops could have been dumped into the river.

            Thus Haci Huzbek, with his seven hundred strong fighters, succeeded to rout a twelve thousand Russian force, at the cost of his own son and some of his    fighters whom he highly valued. He was to suffer the pain of this grave loss, deep in his heart, to the end of his life¹ .

                                                O0O

            During the very same days, similar incidents took place at several other points on the coast. As it happened in the Abin valley, there too the troops of occupation forces were repulsed. The losses suffered losses in terms of human life and damage to property, however, were much higher.

            The manner that these events developed was interesting. 

            The war ships of the Russian Navy branched out into two flotilla. One anchored at Pşat, and the other at the Bay of Tsemez. Both the flotillas affected friendly posture; each sent small boats with messengers on board carrying white flags and requesting for a meeting.

            At both the locations the local population had gathered at the harbor, watching the ships, bemused and alarmed.

            At Tsemez, Geriyiko Şemız, Bastiko Psımef and Batmazyiko Ali received the Russian officer; while at Pşat it was Indaryiko Nogay, who met with the Russian who landed there.

            Geriyiko Şemız turned crimson and his jugular vein was pounding visibly as he listened to the interpretation of what the Russian officers verbally delivered his commander’s message.

            The message was a simple intimation to the effect that they were to land to build a fortress at the site of the old Soğucak fortress.

            Şemız without feeling obliged consulting others, replied through the same interpreter,

            -Tell this dog to get lost immediately! Otherwise... Bastiko Psımef instantly intervened, didn't let Şemız to continue, nor the  interpreter to translate his words.  He said,

            -No, No! Give us a day. We can't make a decision in the name of all the people living here so abruptly. We should discuss it among ourselves first.

            The interpreter was a Tatar from Taman. He conveyed Psimef’s words, ignoring what Şemiz had said.

            The young officer looked at Geriyiko suspiciously. But smiled at Psımef and nodded affirmatively. He and his men returned to the command vessel.

            Şemız shouted at Psımef in rage, "What do you think you are doing? What is there to discuss?"

            Psımef was calm, he replied without raising his voice.

            -And you? What is that you are doing?

            He paused for a moment. Then continued.

            -The coast and the town is full of people. The people in the neighborhood and villages around are not aware of  what is going on. Can't you see, all their guns pointed at us.

            Geriylko looked around perplexed. He got Psimef’s point. He regretfully whispered,

            -I am a good fighter. The rest, I don't know.
Psımef turned to the crowd.

            -These fellows are set to the land here. They are going to start firing their guns at us the moment we say "No". I want to gain time. We should evacuate the town and the coast.

            He lifted his right arm.

            -No need to panic! Act natural! We won't start the evacuation now, we will wait for the dark.

            Everybody understood Pşımef well. But still the excitement was too high.

            At about the same time a similar events was taking place in Pşat.

            Indaryiko Nogay gave a vague answer to the messenger. He told them they couldn't act without consulting his father and the other elders of the region.

            The Russians hopefully agreed.

            They wanted to go through the operation without a trouble. They decided to wait for a day.

            At night Pşat and Tsemez coasts were evacuated. The villages were alerted. Express messengers were sent all around to convey the news to the leaders in Anapa, including Surukyiko Duguj, Kalabatuko Hatuk, and Havuduko Mansur. 

            Indaryiko Mehmet and his son Nogay personally informed the southern regions. Zaziyiko Mehmet was to convey the news to Ubih and Abhazya regions.

            Psımef was not feeling at ease. Once the Russians mounted a landing operation, it would be very difficult to stop them. Tsemez, and the villages and districts in the neighborhoods would be trampled.

            Geriyiko Şemız met with his brother in law Ali and other elders. He said "We should evacuate all the villages close to the coast!" But, Şemız didn’t agree. He found it unnecessary.

            Şemız believed that an evacuation order would demoralize people. If panic were to start, they wouldn't be able to control the people. Everyone would go after saving his own family, ignoring over all defense.  To repulse the enemy, all ought to feel the heat of the fight together.  That was what Geriyiko Şemız contended.

            Geriyiko's contention was not in fact totally devoid of truth. Nonetheless, Psımef was set to be cautious. He warned everyone that was willing to listen to him.

            He talked with his wife and his friends in the Basti colony and asked them to be prepared for the worst. He assigned Koce Eşav and Natho Melah to organize the evacuation in the event of a dangerous situation. Pşılı Ortan and the elder Nogays were to assist them.

            The grown ups didn't sleep that night. They packed the necessary items, prepared carriages. The horses were saddled. The females were crying and loathing the enemy.

            By dawn there was virtually no sign of life left on the coast. The warriors that were hiding in the forest at the skirts of the hills could not be seen from distance.

            The Commanders of the flotillas examined the coast with binoculars for some time. They realized that they were deceived. To be sure, they felt the urge to be in communication and act in close coordination.

            Small sail boats continually shuttling between the Bays of Tsemez  Pşat bearing the messages of either flotilla commanding officers.

            No special activity were observed on the ships till noon time. Then, slowly they went into action. Two steam ships in the Tsemez Bay approached the coast, and started gun fire.

            The bombardment of both Tsemez and Pşat coasts lasted intermittently until the sunset.

            In Tsemez all the houses, depots and barracks that were close to the sea coast were destroyed. It was the same situation in Pşat too. 

            Geriyiko Şemız was restless all day. He wanted to go down to the coast, saying "You lowlifers! If you are men, come out to the land, and fight with swords!" His people held him back with difficulty. This old man in his seventies, remained afoot the whole day, didn't sit still for a moment.

            The bombardment ceased as darkness settled. Psımef was of the opinion that there would be enemy landing the next morning. Therefore, he wanted everyone take turns sleeping and rest a little while. He, along with Geriyiko Ali, visited all the warrior groups             Among the leaders the most experienced one in matters relevant to war was Geriyiko Şemız. not with standing his nervous and volatile temperament, he was command the Adi?e forces in the potential confrontation in Tsemez.

            Having shouldered the responsibility, he became more rational. He divided the warriors into detachments, and appointed a  commanding officer in charge of  each of the detachments. 

            By midnight he finally came down to the coast, drove along the shore and watched the illuminated ships. When he got back to the defense line, he slept for a short time.

            Psımef and other leaders were engaged during the early part of the evening with the provision of the requirements of the warriors, including food and drink. They managed to procure all the necessities locally and from the villages in the neighborhood.

            Psımef was right. 

            At dawn it became clear that the wide beach laying on the left side and the rocky area on the right were full of soldiers. The barges were still bringing in more soldiers, ammunition, guns and rifles. At the foreground a part of the marines had already formed a line and were getting ready for an attack.

            Soon after the sun rise, the Russian units marched on in three columns.

            Geriyiko Şemız had divided his men into three groups too. He was with the one in the center. He positioned Bastiko Psımef on his right and his cousin Ali on his left. Batmazyiko was in reserve to  support whichever detachment in need in need of help.

            The Russian soldiers had fixed their bayonets as they were accustomed to since the wars with Napoleon.

            The Russian units were extremely cautious as they moved forward. The halted for about an hour at the approaches of the ruined town. The absence of any living being around made them uneasy. They sent out reconnaissance teams to find out what had been happening. 

            The Russian advance party had two guides at its disposal. They were walking in the foreground and communicating with the commanders of the forward units behind them by means of hand gesticulation. It was obvious that the guides were very familiar with the area.

            Geriyiko Şemız noticed them. The guides being in military outfits, he could not make out who they were. He was going to hit the two guides first, as soon as they were within his range.

            He murmured to himself: "You scamps!"

            The first engagement took place at the left flank. Geriyiko Ali had no time to wait for a signal from Şemız. He had to act; for the Russian vanguards were very close to the forest. There was only a distance of thirty or forty meters left  in between. He ordered his men to fire.

            The other groups followed the suit. The groups under Şemız and Pşımef also began to fire.

            The initial all out firing slowed down Russian advance, and created breaches at their line. Most of the Russians were on their knees, firing at random. Some of them were flat on the ground to avoid being hit.

            Geriyiko did what he had planned to do He hunted down both the guides at the first instance.

            When the Commander of the Russian column in the center had his soldiers charge with their bayonets, a hand to hand fight ensued.

            Şemız and his men killed most of them and push them down the hill.

            The enemy columns at the flanks could not even attempt to move foreword. They were beaten back under intensive rifle fire.

            The Russian Commanders pulled back the infantry, and ordered the artillery into action. They shelled the forest area for almost three hours.

            In the afternoon the enemy infantry regrouped and attacked again. But this time they had to withdraw with even higher causality. Some of the Russian troops took position in the ruins of what was the town of Tsemez a day before.

            Only the light mobile guns had been landed. These proved ineffective due to their short fire range.

            Hostilities went on throughout the night. The Russians brought in heavier artillery batteries into action. In the meantime, the operations at Pşat ceased. For they considered Tsemez strategically more important. The soldiers were transferred to Tsemez.

            The second day, the enemy bombardment. As the shelling of the forest continued, the infantry units were deployed from the north;  intention being to encircle the Adiğes from the rear.

            Şemız understood what the enemy  planned to do. In order to get out of the artillery range, as well as to counter its  Russian infantry force, he ordered his men to pull back.

            Psımef estimated that the women and children in Kutak and its environs would be in danger, if the fighting were to drift towards inland. He sent his son Ismail to the village.

            Koce Esav and Natho Melah, who were in charge of the defense of the settlement, had been closely following the developments. They were in a shuttle-race between the battle field and the village. They would change their plans according to the developments.

            Not only the inhabitants of Kutak village, but everyone in the settlements of the hills of the Bay Tsemez were prepared for evacuation. In fact, at that moment majority had already begun the evacuation.

            The Russian officers were informed of the movements through their agents. They were aware of the importance of the local leaders in Tsemez and in the neighborhood. 

            Geriyiko Şemız, Geriyiko Ali, Bastiko Psımef and Batmazyiko Ali had been on their back list already. Their neutralization and destruction of their shelters had been a matter of priority for the Russians.

            The Russian troops reached to Kutak village by noon time. The earlier evacuation of women and children, and all the domestic animals to the forest areas prevented blood-shed. Within the village and its vicinity a terrible man to man fighting took place. Biyenko Bital, Bastiko Janbek, Serkuse Asha, Bjafe Pezad, Psımef s son Ismail were victims of Russian bayonets. The Russian soldiers set fire all neighborhood that lay on their path. The wooden buildings, once warm homes, turned into cinders in no time.

            Pşılı Ortan was an old man. The Basti enclave in Kutak was the result of his labor. He returned to Kutak after helping the women and children to be carried to safety, to find  saw the village, including his own home, in ablaze.  He was shocked and lost his sense. He had never seen a war in his life. He had not even fought with another person. On him was only an antiquated spear.

            Yes, Ortan was old man. Nevertheless he was still a strong man. He lifted his spear and spurred his horse. He rushed into the Russian lines like a thunder. He struck every enemy he came across at the chest. In spite of several wounds he received, he went on to strike without a respite for a long time. At last, he saw Pşılı Laşin cornered at the entrance of the Basti enclave by a group of enemy soldiers armed with bayonets. With all his remaining strength he attacked them. He brought down three of them,  but he himself fell off  his horse with a strike of bayonet from behind. His eyes were fixed on the buildings engulfed in flames, when he breathed his last breath.

            As most of the Adiğes were mounted, they were able to act swiftly. With hit and run tactic they worn out the Russian infantry.

            The well-built Şemız scattered each enemy group he encountered. Bastiko Psımef and Batmazyiko Ali controlled their men very successfully. They couldn't defeat the enemy decisively; but they did blocked their advance.

            The Russians retreated to the shore by the sunset, leaving behind hundreds of dead and wounded.  The surviving Russians had carried away to the beach along with themselves an equal number of wounded. 

            Geriyiko Şemız rested for a short while and gathered information on the losses. Then, he decided to mount a night ambush.

            Bastiko Psımef had lost his son, some of his very close friends and his valued vassals. He was in extreme distress. Though he disagreed with Geriyiko, he didn't speak up. He was not in a state to argue with him.

            Tsemez symbolized the Adige existence. Şemız too believed in that. He meant to let the Russians know that they were not to be allowed to take roots on this land. He must do that soon, he swore. 

            Geriyiko Şemız asked for volunteers to mount the ambush he had planned.  Everybody, without exception, stood up.  “No!,No!”, he exclaimed, and invited all to sit down.  He explained to them what he had in mind:

            -  As you may have noticed, the enemy strength is roughly twice that of our own.  We can by no means wipe them out.  I only want to scare them away. 

            The Russian commanders had no inkling about a possible night assault.  The soldiers were too tired. They had relaxed on the beach in large groups. 

            The plan of Geriyiko Şemız was simple. He would take with him only two hundred horsemen. They would run through the beach like a lightning, they would crush everything that would come onto their path. They were not to stop or waste time.

            He did as he had planned. He stormed in to the beach, passed through the sleepy crowds like a thunder. He didn't cause much losses, but created a terrible panic.

            The attack of Şemız was proved very effective. The next day, at dawn they found no one at the beach, except some heavy artillery and equipment left behind.

            Two days latter, however, news came  that the Russian navy had landed troops at the Bay of Gelincik.

                                                 O0O

            In compliance with the of the Edirne Armistice Agreement the Ottoman Empire ceded the whole of Caucasia to Russia. The Ottomans no longer had any foothold or a  fortress in Caucasian shores, including Georgia. The Russians were waiting to see the reaction of northern Caucasians to this decision taken at the negotiation table.

            The peaceful attitude taken by Russia after the war was intended to alley the concern of the Caucasian peoples.  They expected that in the absence of Ottoman protection, they would conveniently yield to Russian domination.

            Nevertheless the situation did not develop as anticipated by the Czar and his generals. The military operation undertaken in the spring of 1834 had been planned to test the Caucasian reactions.  The operations were vehemently resisted.

            Haci Huzbek routed a twelve thousand strong force under the command of General Vilyaminofs. A handful of Adiges under the leadership of Geriyiko Şemız, Bastiko Pşımef and Geriyiko Ali repulsed a several thousand strong Russian marine force at the Bay of Tsemez.

            Similar other developments were noticed in the east during the  same year. The Caucasian Russophile such as Bahu Bike and his sons were eliminated; it was asserted that nothing short of independence would be accepted.

            The campaign for the elimination of the Avar Princes claimed Imam Hamzat’s own life. The Imam’s successor, Imam Şamil, proved his loyalty to the policies set by him by defeating the enemy conspiracy at heavy cost in terms of human life.

            Imam Şamil, after having attended to such internal problems, concentrated on striking at the Russian front lines.  He ushered a movement, which would disillusion the Czar. 

O0O

            Under the impact of  these distressing developments, Pşımef’s wife Şayze became the most unhappy woman in Tsemez and its neighborhood. For she  had lost her son and her kins in the war, and her own family house as well as that of her parent had been burned down to ashes.

            By virtue of being brought up in a prosperous family and a nice environment she had developed a distinct personality.  Now it seemed as if God Almighty was testing her endurance and fortitude under the distressing conditions. The sudden change in her life from one of prosperity to poverty, from happiness to misfortune, could not be otherwise explained.

            This  noble lady kept up her courage in the face of  the extremely distressing situation. She never allowed her husband to see her tears. She never complained about the distressing situation she suddenly found herself in.

            Bastiko Pşımef was effected by the adversity more than his wife had been. In the days the  followed the fight, he seemed apathetic towards his home and his family, and wandered at the waterside like a ghost.

            Yes, the Adiğe forces  had repelled the Russian army. But it cost them over a thousand  young men. Pşımef had lost his own son, his cousins and a lot of his good friends.  The Basti enclave, the farm,  and the business installations, which he had labored for thirty five years to build, had been turned to ashes in  a matter of one day. 

            Being a leader himself, he had to cover up the devastation inside him  He  attempted to appear cool; and struggled to regain his emotional stability. He was ashamed for not being as  patient and fortitudinous, as his wife had been.

            Şayze took over the functions of Goşemıd, her late mother-in-law. She never sat miserably at a corner. Rather she immediately got busy to organize rebuilding of  her home and the farm.

            The site for the new Kutak Village was charted out by Geriyiko Şemız personally.  It was situated further away from the Tsemez harbor, and less vulnerable enemy attack. The plots of land allocated to each of the three leading families, who happened to be relatives of one another, were situated side by side in a row. Those of the other residents of the village extended further to the east. 

            On top of  all that Pşımef and Şayze had inherited a host of orphans to be cared for,  and to be brought up.  Goşemıd had been concerned for Famok's widow and her children. Now the scope of Şayze’s responsibilities were relatively much more wider.

            Her own son Ismail had left behind him a widow and two children.

            The emotional turmoil in the settlement was enormous, too difficult to handle. Biyenko Bital, Serkuse Asha, Bjafe Pezad, Bastiko Janbek, Pşılı Ortan, Pşılı Laşin and two Nogay young men all lost their lives in the last battle. Their wives overnight turned widows, and their children orphans.

            Those were not the only losses suffered. This large settlement, the Basti Colony  Enclave in Kutak, set up by the people from the Psifabe valley had met with an unimaginable destruction. The once cozy dwellings  had turned to ashes with whatever  the memories they carried.

            Şayze often thought about her mother-in-law while she was busy rebuilding the settlement. She was grateful to God because Goşemıd had not to endure all those devastation during the “final days of her life!”

            Given that human being was gifted with endurance under both extreme adversity and happiness, may be that nature so tempered him/her to develop stamina to exist under extreme conditions either way. 

            Within a few months time, simple but very practical houses and stables were built. The settlement with all its auxiliary buildings was set up anew.

            The existing farm land was cultivated. Late in summer corn was harvested, fruits and vegetables were plucked, and domestic animals and the harvested crop were moved into safer places before the winter commenced. In the process, the rule of nature to be hopeful of  future  was taught to the younger generation.

            Pşımef, as in the past, remained uninvolved in the domestic and farm engagements; not because of lack of interest, but because his role in the community life carried him away elsewhere. Together with the other leaders he had been committed to contain the Russian landing operations at Bay of Gelincik