Larisa Tuptsokova is a native speaker of the Circassian language (Western dialect, Adyghe) and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Circassian Philology and Culture from the Adyghe State University, as well as a master's degree in Caucasian Languages. She worked as a journalist for Radio Liberty for several years, and now works as a journalist for Circassian Media, a Circassian media outlet. Tuptsokova also speaks Russian, Georgian, and spoken English. She is a translator and poet, as well as a specialist at the Circassian Cultural Center in Tbilisi, Georgia, where she resides. John Lechner holds an MS in Foreign Service (MSFS) from Georgetown University. He is an expert on Russia’s growing influence in Africa, and speaks fluent Russian; advanced French, Turkish, and Georgian; and conversational Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian (BCS), Chechen, German, and Sango (the lingua franca of the Central African Republic). He currently works as a freelance journalist and researcher, reporting on the Central African Republic (CAR) and Libya. He is an expert on the history, languages, and politics of Central Africa, Turkey, and the former Soviet Union. Lechner is co-author of Beginner’s Chechen with Online Audio (Hippocrene Books, 2024), and resides in Washington, D.C.

Select Guide Rating

Larisa Tuptsokova is a native speaker of the Circassian language (Western dialect, Adyghe) and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Circassian Philology and Culture from the Adyghe State University, as well as a master's degree in Caucasian Languages. She worked as a journalist for Radio Liberty for several years, and now works as a journalist for Circassian Media, a Circassian media outlet. Tuptsokova also speaks Russian, Georgian, and spoken English. She is a translator and poet, as well as a specialist at the Circassian Cultural Center in Tbilisi, Georgia, where she resides. John Lechner holds an MS in Foreign Service (MSFS) from Georgetown University. He is an expert on Russia’s growing influence in Africa, and speaks fluent Russian; advanced French, Turkish, and Georgian; and conversational Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian (BCS), Chechen, German, and Sango (the lingua franca of the Central African Republic). He currently works as a freelance journalist and researcher, reporting on the Central African Republic (CAR) and Libya. He is an expert on the history, languages, and politics of Central Africa, Turkey, and the former Soviet Union. Lechner is co-author of Beginner’s Chechen with Online Audio (Hippocrene Books, 2024), and resides in Washington, D.C.

Select Guide Rating