Their lot did not improve once they were taken into the Soviet Empire where many became the innocent victims of Stalins brutal collectivization drives. Stalin. fearing their lack of loyalty to the Soviet Union. forced these proud people into far off regions. depriving them of liberty. Some Pontian Greeks originally emigrated to the Crimea in the late 19th century to avoid a state of almost continuous warfare. involving Turkey. Greece. and later Russia. Ironically. today the Pontian Greeks once again find themselves caught in the middle of the ravages of war in the strifetorn Republic of Georgia. Their refugee camps are located in the center of the civil war. leaving many women and children in the path of the destruction. To worsen this desperate plight. the onslaught of severe winter storms has worked to compound the problems of this starving people. The supply lines and distribution networks to this population of 15.000 Greeks have been cutoff. leaving the people with rapidly eroding supplies that are frequently the subject of looting.
Keywords matched
emigrated refugee