Cherkessk (Russian: Черке́сск) is the capital city of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Russia, as well as its political, economic, and cultural center. Population: 121,439 (2010 Census preliminary results); 116,244 (2002 Census); 113,060 (1989 Census).

It was founded as the Cossack stanitsa of Batalpashinskaya (Баталпашинская) nearby the Russian Army outpost of the same name (built in 1804).^{[citation needed]} The officially recognized year of founding of Batalpashinskaya and modern Cherkessk is 1825. However, the Cossack settlers of Khopyour and Kuban regiments began arriving to the newly organized stanitsa not early than spring of 1826. For some reason, the name "Batalpashinskaya" was given after Batal-Pasha, a Turkish general of Circassian origin, who was defeated in the battle that took place in the vicinity in 1790. In 1931, it was granted town status and renamed Batalpashinsk (Баталпашинск); then Sulimov (Сулимов) in 1934, then Yezhovo-Cherkessk (Ежово-Черкесск) in 1937, and finally Cherkessk in 1939.^{[citation needed]}