March 8 is a mournful day in the history of the Karachai-Balkarian people. On this day in 1944, by the decision of the State Defense Committee, the deportation of the Balkars began in the regions of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. A total of 37 713 people were deported from their homeland.
During the deportation, whole families died, genealogical lines were cut off, the gene pool of the nation and the health of the survivors was undermined.
