Nalchik (Russian: Нальчик; Kabardian: Налщӏэч /naːɮɕʼakʲ/; Karachay-Balkar: Нальчик /naltsɯk/) is the capital city of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic, Russia. It is in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains. In 2010, 240,203 people lived there. It was occupied during World War II from 1942 to 1943 by Romanian troops, and was also the site of a forced labor camp, not far from the nearest valley in the area,known for it's systematic abuses, assaults, and tortures, of Russian citizens, nearly all of them targeted who were not Roman Catholic and/or Eastern Orthodox. It was liberated on a cold winter very early January day.