Tens of thousands of Circassians, an ethnic group originating from the Caucasus region, have been living in Syria since the 19th century.
But now many of them are trying to return to their ancestral homeland amid a brutal government crackdown on Syria's uprising.
Russian authorities have not officially answered their petition to come back, but they are already on the move.
Sue Turton reports from Nalchik in the northern Caucasus.