DESCRIPTION:
Circassians (Adyghe people) and Ukrainians. Common past --- Про черкесів (адиґи / касоги), південно-східних сусідів українців, один з найдревніших народів планети...і історично набагато ближчий українцям, ніж більшість собі уявляє... --- Circassian song & music. Circassians greatly influenced Ukrainian cossacks. In fact many Ukrainian cossacks were of Circassian stock. Likewise a great number of Circassians settled upon Dnieper and Sniporid rivers in Ukraine (Cherkasy & Poltava provinces), first in 14th century (founded Cherkasy, Chyhyryn, Pyatyhortsi). So, emblem of Chyhyryn, cossack capital of Ukraine has same 3 Circassian arrows as national flag of Circassia. In general, Dnieper Ukrainians and Ukrainians Zaporozhian cossacks were called and referred Cherkasy (Circassians, just as Caucasus Circassians) by Moscow authorities in 16 - 17 th centuries...

Then again in Podolian region of Ukraine in the 16th century, when 5 Circassian kings with 300 soldiers moved to Ukraine upon the invitation of Polish king (as Ukraine was part of Poland then). They even formed famous Piatihortsy regiment (pancerny) in Polish royal army, famous for its bravery. Likewise a number of Circassian warriors from tribe Zhane (Christian Circassians) followed Ukrainian cossack leader Dmytro Bayda-Vyshnevetsky to found Zaporozhian Sich, the seat of Ukrainian cossackdom. Together they fought the Crimean Khanate (Tatars), the common enemy of Ukrainians and Circassians...

Ukrainian linguist Tyshchenko name the following Caucasian placenames in Ukraine: Zanky (Nizhyn dist.), Tushebyn (Rivne reg.), Koverdyna (from Circassian Kabarda tribe, Shyshaky dist., Poltava reg.), Abazivka (Poltava dist. & Kharkiv reg, from Abazin people), Kivshuvata (south Kyiv reg.) , Lazky (from Laz people), Tsukury (from Tsakhur people), Pslo, Psolia, Vorskla, Subot and Ukrainian words of Caucasian origin like kuntush, habardyn, svynets, skovoroda, kuvalda, zhrabno, zubr, chereshnia, osokir, vyno, oliya, moroka, mech, sharpaty.

It is very likely that Ukrainian hetman Ivan Mazepa (one of the greatest leaders of Ukraine from 17th cen.) was also of Circassian origin (of Christian Circassians), as his last name is Circassian (Mazepe means "early moon"). Christian Circassians were escaping into Ukraine, after Tatars and Turks started forceful islamization of Christian Circassians from the late 15th cen. In Ukraine, lords of Kyiv lands used them as southern border guards - the border with Crimean Khanate was in Ukrainian steppe then, just south from modern Cherkasy. It is also said that popular Ukrainian last name Shevchenko is likewise Circassian. Shevdzhens were Circassian Christian priests and -ko means son in Circassian. In general, there is no doubt that Dnieper Ukrainians absorbed a fair amount of these Christian Circassians immigrants.

Для з'ясування родоводу Мазеп велике значення має прояснення питання походження їхнього прізвища. У кабардинській (черкаській) мові слово "мазэ"(a) означає "місяць«, а «мазэпэ» — "першу фазу місяця, його початок". Оскільки у гербі гетьмана присутнє саме таке небесне світило, то це означає, що перед нами — не випадковий звуковий збіг.

http://www.mazepa.name/rodovid-hetmana-ivana-mazepy/

About Circassian Petyhorce regiment (from Podolia, Ukraine) read here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petyhorcy (Pety Hory = Five Mountains, name for Circassian Kabarda region in the North Caucasus)

About Circassian (Adyghe) language, called Adygebze: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adyghe_language
About Circassians (Adyghe people): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adyghe_people