The Russian authorities attempt to make a hero of General Alexei Yermolov. This was stated by participants of the presentation of the book "A. P. Yermolov. Caucasian Letters. 1816-1860." The cruelty of General Yermolov's actions does not allow residents of the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) to change attitude towards him, the human rights defenders believe.
General Alexei Yermolov participated in the Caucasian War, which lasted from 1763 to 1864. Modern assessments of General Yermolov's activities in the Caucasus are controversial. Residents of the Caucasian republics express mostly sharply negative attitude towards General Yermolov. He is called a "bloody general", executioner, punisher, and he is even accused of organizing the genocide of the Caucasian peoples.
According to Yakov Gordin, the executive editor of the book, the editor-in-chief of the magazine "Zvezda" (Star)", the book is "relevant for today's Russia", since "the Caucasian War is still not over."
The Caucasian War put the Adyg people to the brink of extinction. After the war and the mass deportation of Adygs to the Ottoman Empire, only a little more than 50,000 people remained in the homeland. Till present, the Russian authorities have not made a decision on the recognition of the Circassian genocide during the Caucasian War.
Recently, Russia faces a "memorialization of General Yermolov." This opinion has been expressed by Alexander Smirnov, the Chief Research Officer of the State Historical Museum.
The monument to General Yermolov was erected in the city of Mineralnye Vody of the Stavropol Territory in October 2008. Till present, the monument causes controversial reactions of various nationalities of the Stavropol Territory and Northern Caucasus. On October 22, 2011, unidentified persons desecrated the monument.