 |
|
|
|
// Republics
// Adygea, Republic of >>
// Altai (Gorno-Altai), Republic of >>
// Bashkortostan, Republic of >>
// Buryatia, Republic of >>
// Chechnya, Republic of
// Chuvashia, Republic of >>
// Dagestan, Republic of >>
// Ingushetia, Republic of >>
// Kabardino-Balkaria, Republic of >>
// Kalmykia, Republic of >>
// Karachayevo-Cherkessia, Republic of >>
// Karelia, Republic of >>
// Khakassia, Republic of >>
// Komi, Republic of >>
// Mari El, Republic of >>
// Mordovia, Republic of >>
// North Ossetia, Republic of >>
// Sakha (Yakutia), Republic of >>
// Tatarstan, Republic of >>
// Tuva, Republic of >>
// Udmurtia, Republic of >>
// Territories (Krai)
// Altai Territory >>
// Khabarovsk Territory >>
// Krasnodar Territory >>
// Krasnoyarsk Territory >>
// Primorye (Maritime) Territory >>
// Stavropol Territory >>
// Regions
// Amur Region >>
// Arkhangelsk Region >>
// Astrakhan Region >>
// Belgorod Region >>
// Bryansk Region >>
// Chelyabinsk Region >>
// Chita Region >>
// Irkutsk Region >>
// Ivanovo Region >>
// Kaliningrad Region >>
// Kaluga Region >>
// Kamchatka Region >>
// Kemerovo Region >>
// Kirov Region >>
// Kostroma Region >>
// Kurgan Region >>
// Kursk Region >>
// Leningrad Region >>
// Lipetsk Region >>
// Magadan Region >>
// Moscow Region >>
// Murmansk Region >>
// Nizhny Novgorod Region >>
// Novgorod Region >>
// Novosibirsk Region >>
// Omsk Region >>
// Orel Region >>
// Orenburg Region >>
// Penza Region >>
// Perm Region >>
// Pskov Region >>
// Rostov Region >>
// Ryazan Region >>
// Sakhalin Region >>
// Samara Region >>
// Saratov Region >>
// Smolensk Region >>
// Sverdlovsk Region >>
// Tambov Region >>
// Tomsk Region >>
// Tula Region >>
// Tver Region >>
// Tyumen Region >>
// Ulyanovsk Region >>
// Vladimir Region >>
// Volgograd Region >>
// Vologda Region >>
// Voronezh Region >>
// Yaroslavl Region >>
// Federal Cities
// Moscow >>
// St. Petersburg >>
// Autonomous Areas (Okrugs)
// Agin-Buryatia Autonomous Area >>
// Chukotka Autonomous Area >>
// Evenk Autonomous Area >>
// Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area >>
// Komi-Permyak Autonomous Area >>
// Koryak Autonomous Area >>
// Nenets Autonomous Area >>
// Taimyr (Dolgan-Nenets) Autonomous Area >>
// Ust-Ordynsky Buryat Autonomous Area >>
// Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area >>
// Autonomous Regions
// Jewish Autonomous Region >>
|
|
|
|
Chechen Republic
// GENERAL INFORMATION
The Chechens and their ancestors have evidently lived in the North Caucasus for thousands of years. Part of their territory was invaded by the Iranian-speaking Alans (the ancestors of the Ossetians) in the 9th-12th centuries, the Golden Horde in the 13th-15th centuries, and then later by the Russian Empire, which succeeded in forcing out their Ottoman and Persian rivals in the struggle for dominance in the North Caucasus that began in the 16th century.
 |
|
| Emblem |
The Chechen Autonomous Region was formed on November 30, 1922. It became the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Region on January 15, 1934; the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR) on December 5, 1936 (liquidated in 1944, but restored in 1957); and the Chechen-Ingush Republic in May 1991. The creation of the Chechen Republic and its withdrawal from Chechnya-Ingushetia were declared in November 1991.
The Chechen Republic is located on the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus and on the adjacent Chechen Plain and Terek-Kuma Lowland. The republic has borders with Georgia, Stavropol Territory, the Ingush Republic, the Republic of Dagestan, and the Republic of North Ossetia. It is a member of the Northern Caucasus economic district and the Southern Federal District.
 |
|
| Flag |
The republic has an area of 19 300 km2 and includes 14 districts, 5 cities, and 4 urban communities. The Chechens are an indigenous people of the North Caucasus, where more than 40 different nationalities live, e.g., Chechens, Ingushes, Avars, Dargins, Lezgins, Laks, Kabardins, Cherkessians, Adygeans, Ossetians, Kumyks, Nogais, Balkars, and Karachais among others. The population in 1997 was 862 000; population density was 52.8 people per km2 as of January 1, 1998.
The capital of the Chechen Republic is the city of Grozny.
The Republic is situated in a temperate climatic zone; it has a continental alpine climate. Infertile soils, poor roads, cold and snowdrifts in winter, and avalanches and mudslides in spring and fall are characteristic. Average January temperatures are from -3 to -12°С, and average July temperatures are from 5 to 25°С. Annual precipitation ranges from 300 to 1000 mm. The main rivers are the Terek and Sunzha.
HISTORY
The first mentions of the Chechens and Ingushes date from the 7th century. The ancestors of the Cherkessians occupied the southern Russian steppes 3000 years ago, but were driven into the mountains by the Iranian-speaking Scythians in the 8th century B.C. The Scythians and the related Sarmatians and Alans fell victim to invasions by Goths in the 3rd-5th centuries and then by Huns. The only holdouts were those who moved deep into the Caucasus.
After settling in the mountains, the various communities gradually acquired a certain similarity to one another. Extreme isolation of different ethnic groups and societies, a love of freedom, and a warlike character distinguish the lives of mountain people around the world. As a result of their militancy, feudalism never became widespread and the influence of feudal lords was felt only in individual districts and then only with the voluntary support of a free population.
Thus, any state annexation of the Caucasus or even any stable or long-lasting union was impossible. Internal wars, conflicts, and raids were the normal way of life for centuries, because isolation of the communities made residents of the next village foreigners. Local pagan cults were far more enduring than on the plains. Christianity appeared in the Caucasus in the 4th century but did not become the dominant religion in the whole region. Islam began advancing into the Caucasus Mountains in the 8th and 9th centuries but also did not become a predominant religion until the first half of the 18th century.
In Chechnya and Dagestan, local cults on took on Muslim, or more rarely Christian, forms.
In 1810, Dagestan voluntarily joined Russia, and Chechnya was added in 1859.
There were two victors in the Caucasian war of 1816-1864: Russia, which achieved its national objective, and, however paradoxical this may seem, the mountain people, especially the Chechens, who preserved their way of life. The loser was the Murid movement, which would be considered Islamic fundamentalism today.
After the Caucasian war, the Nakshbendi and Qadir Islamic societies (tarikats) became a major force. Some opposed Russian rule and others tried to find a neutral position. Sheikhs who called for jihad relied on the Turkish government, which sent emissaries to the Caucasus. The situation became calmer after 1878, with only isolated outbreaks in various parts of the republic.
The reforms of the 1860s and 1870s and the momentous changes of 1905-1911 had very little effect on the mountain people. Economic development proceeded very slowly because of the lack of a middle class and because businessmen did not want to invest their savings in a troubled region. Nevertheless, the October Revolution and Civil War managed to divide the mountain dwellers into Reds [Communists] and Whites [counterrevolutionaries]. The boundaries and status of the Caucasian autonomies gradually changed; for example, there were unions of various ethnic groups into Karachai-Cherkessia and Kabarda-Balkaria. Cossack villages became part of these unions, which complicated interethnic relations. Old conflicts like the Ossetian-Ingush conflict only intensified and new ones arose between the Kabardins and Balkars and Karachais and Cherkessians. Some nationalities like the Abazians did not receive any autonomy at all, others like the Nogais and Cherkessians were separated by borders, while still others like the Ingushes lost part of their native territory.
Collectivization and its accompanying terror led to a series of uprisings among the mountain people. Chechnya-Ingushetia became part of the Mountain (Gorskaya) ASSR in January 1921. The Chechen Republic was formed in November 1922 and the Ingush Autonomous Region in 1924 as part of the RSFSR. The uprisings were more persistent in Chechnya; and between 1930 and 1936, there were fierce battles in Chechnya (Ichkeria) between partisans and NKVD and Red Army units.
The Chechen Republic and Ingush Autonomous Region were united into the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Region in 1934 and then transformed into an autonomous republic of the RSFSR in 1936. In 1942-1943, German forces occupied part of Chechnya-Ingushetia. The republic was liquidated in 1944 and the population deported; it was restored in 1957. In November 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the Chechen-Ingush ASSR passed a Declaration of the republic's national sovereignty. Then in 1992, the Congress of People's Deputies of the Russian Federation passed a resolution transforming the Chechen-Ingush Republic into separate Ingush and Chechen republics.
In September 1991, the Chechen National Congress declared the Chechen Republic a sovereign state. The office of President was instituted in 1992.
RESOURCES
The Caucasus is a natural system of fortresses created by nature itself, and for centuries, the people of the mountain valleys were able to maintain their independence. However, life in the Caucasus is not easy.
The main topographical features are the high Lateral Range of the Greater Caucasus and the Rocky Range; the somewhat lower Sunzha and Terek ranges; the valleys of the Terek River and its tributary the Sunzha; and the Chechen Plain, which grades into the Terek-Kuma Lowland lying below sea level. The mountainous terrain makes for poor roads, snowdrifts, and avalanches. The landscape changes from north to south from steppe and chestnut soils, to forest steppe with black earth, to forests of broad-leaved evergreens covering the mountain slopes, and finally to subalpine and alpine meadows above them. The territory of Chechnya consists of nine soil and climatic zones, which in turn are classified into three main groups: mountain forest, mountain meadow, and nival [snowline zone]. Brown forest soils predominate in the mountain forest zone, where the main tracts of arable land are located.
The nival zone, which is characterized by a lack of soil cover, encompasses nearly the entire southern part of the republic. The region is covered with snow and glaciers.
Development of the oil industry has led to contamination of Chechnya's soils. The soil was previously contaminated as a result of accidents and during oil transport. Today, due to the lack of collection and transport, oil penetrates into the deep soil layers. The concentration of oil products near wells exceeds permissible levels by ten times or more, and the penetration depth reaches 2 m.
The soils of agricultural lands are also in an ecologically disastrous state. Pesticide contamination is 3-4 times the maximum permissible concentration (MPC). Military operations in these areas are the main cause of atmospheric and water pollution.
The mountains, foothills, and plains vary in their climatic conditions. The average January temperature ranges from-12°С in the mountains to -5°С in the foothills and on the plains; the corresponding average July temperatures are from +5 to +25°С. The amount of precipitation decreases from 600-1200 mm in the mountains to 400-600 mm in the foothills and 300-400 mm on the plains.
Mineral resources consist mainly of oil and natural gas, building materials (limestone, marl, and gypsum), and mineral springs. The best known oil and gas fields are located near the cities of Grozny and Gudermes; building material deposits, in Chiri-Yurt and Itum-Kale; and mineral springs, in Sernovodsk.
Forest resources. Forests cover one-fifth of the Chechen Republic and are of great value to the national economy. They consist of high-quality species like beech, hornbeam, plane, and oak. More than 20 million m3 of the most valuable kinds of wood have been cut since 1917. Fires destroyed large tracts of forest land in the postwar years, and valuable tree species are disappearing.
Subsurface water and a dense network of rivers make up Chechnya's water resources. The Terek, Sunzha, Argun, Belka, and many other small rivers flow though the republic. However, the ecological state of these water resources has reached a critical level. The rivers and subsurface waters are polluted, primarily by organic matter and heavy metals (copper, zinc, and lead). Oil enters groundwater from worked-out quarries and oil settling ponds. The water quality in the Terek, Sunzha, Argun, and other rivers is low. For example, in the Sunzha River, organic matter is up to 5 times MPC; ammonium nitrogen, up to 3 times MPC; nitrites, more than 10 times MPC, oil products, up to 25 times MPC; and copper compounds, up to 8 times MPC. Chechnya's other rivers are in a similar state.
The republic's subsurface waters are polluted with oil products, phenol, ammonia, organic matter, sulfates, magnesium, and pesticides. Concentrations of these substances exceed MPC by 100-1000 times. The water is polluted to a depth of 250 m, and using water from these wells can lead to severe poisoning of the population. Thus, most of Chechnya can be characterized as an ecological disaster area.
ECONOMY
At present, it is difficult to give a realistic evaluation of Chechnya's economic situation, since there has been no statistical analysis of data in the region since the war began. The main industries are engineering and metalworking, food, petrochemicals, woodworking, oil and gas production, and building materials.
All industries are in a deplorable state. Plants and factories have been wholly or partially destroyed or looted, and there are no funds for either constructing new facilities or reconstructing the old ones. At one time, dozens of industries, including a brick factory, a food-processing plant, a dairy, and a reinforced concrete plant, operated in the city of Shali, but only a few of these are still in operation today. A lack of working capital has brought many companies to a standstill. However, a few small factories have managed to survive and continue operating. Avtomatstrom is a striking example. The workers not only succeeded in rebuilding their factory, but also in starting it up. They produced boilers and stoves in winter and with the coming of spring, began to produce chairs, windows, and doors in the woodworking shop. Despite the fact that there have been no recent orders from the government or private individuals, the company has not closed. The workers have started selling their products on the market, and a bakery operates on the factory grounds.
Through their own efforts, the people of Grozny have rebuilt the Avtovaztsentr plant. Parts for the plant's operations come from Tolyatti.
The Russian Federation is helping the Chechen Republic rebuild its industrial sector. Development of the oil industry will soon provide a boost to the economy, since 100% of the oil produced in Chechnya will be exported. The republic's administration plans first of all to rebuild companies in the building industry, e.g., cement and brick factories. Akhmad Kadyrov considers it necessary to assemble leading Chechen businessmen and call on them to help rebuild the republic.
In addition, three credit and financial institutions will soon start operations in Chechnya: the National Bank of Chechnya (Chechensky gosudarstvenny bank), a branch of the Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank), and Field Bank (Polevoi bank).
Main railway lines and roads important for Russia pass through Chechnya to Makhachkala and Baku with branches to Kizlyar and Astrakhan, along with the Baku-Novorossiysk oil pipeline.
AUTHORITIES
Executive Authority. The President is the head of the executive branch of government in the Chechen Republic. He cannot be a member of Parliament or engage in commerce or business. The President has the authority to dismiss and appoint ministers and other officials, direct foreign policy, conduct negotiations, and conclude contracts subject to parliamentary approval. He is also Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Chechen Republic. The Vice-President is elected simultaneously with the President for a five-year term. He may exercise some presidential powers and act on behalf of the President if the latter is temporarily unable to fulfill his official duties. However, in this event, the Vice-President's powers must be confirmed by Parliament within a day. In addition, if the President resigns or is removed from office, the Vice-President becomes President until new elections can be held.
The administration consists of the head of the administration and government bodies and officials under his jurisdiction.
The Constitution is the fundamental law of the Chechen Republic. It entered into force on March 12, 1992, and the day was declared a national holiday.
The President and Vice-President have immunity and are protected by law.
Legislative Authority. Parliament is the Chechen Republic's highest legislative authority; it is elected by the citizens on the basis of universal direct suffrage by secret ballot. Parliament's responsibilities include making various changes to the Constitution and laws of the republic, resolving administrative and territorial matters, as well as approving the state budget and considering tax-related questions during parliamentary sessions. The deputies also fix the dates of elections for members of Parliament, the President, and local government bodies of Ichkeria. Parliament and the Chairman of the Parliament of the Chechen Republic are elected for a five-year term.
The chairman may be recalled at any time by secret vote of the members of Parliament. Kh. Akhmadov is currently Chairman of Chechnya's Parliament.
Judicial Authority. Judicial authority in the Chechen Republic is exercised only by the courts independently of the legislative and executive authorities. Their activities are also independent of political parties and other public associations (movements). The judiciary's primary task is to protect the constitutional system of the Chechen Republic and the rights and freedoms of its citizens. Judges take an oath in accordance with the law; they may not hold any paid position or be a member of any party. Courts operating in the Chechen Republic comprise the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the Grozny City Court, the Arbitration Court, city and district (regional) courts, and military tribunals. All representatives of the judicial branch are elected by the Parliament of the Republic.
CULTURE
Fate has not been kind to this small yet still great people. They have been expelled from their native lands several times and have been faced with the loss of their entire cultural heritage. In their wanderings through the huge land, the Chechens have managed to preserve their way of life and customs, dances, native arts, and language to this day. The Chechens have a rich artistic spirit that derives from folk arts. Arabic literature, which began to develop at the end of the 17th century, formed the basis of modern Chechen literature. There was a parallel rise and development of literature in the Chechen language. Poetry writing developed in imitation of Arabic poetry. This mainly consisted of religious songs and lyric verse. The deportation of the Chechens in 1944 did enormous damage to Chechen literature. Rare books and manuscripts were destroyed and burned. Unique works by the children of this long-suffering people may be found in archives and private libraries in neighboring republics.
Chechen music is divided into three main groups: songs, instrumental dance music, and martial music. The songs reflect the people's heroic struggle for freedom. However, Chechens not only celebrated their heroes, but also sang of love. They also have a genre of songs similar to Russian chastushki [short, usually humorous songs or verses]. All of these are performed on native instruments like the dechig-pondur and adkhoku-pondur [stringed instruments] or the Caucasian accordion. There are also wind instruments like the zurna [a type of clarinet] and percussion instruments such as drums and tambourines.
The State Philharmonic, which has contributed enormously to the development Chechen musical culture, was established in 1939. The professional arts in Chechnya are represented by a long list of talented musicians, singers, composers, and dancers who are known even outside Russia: the Bisirkhoev family; accordionists Magomaev, Dashukaev, Dimaev, and Dudaev; singers Ibragim Bataev and Baudin Suleimanov; composers Georgy Mepurnov, Umar Beksultanov, Said Dimaev, Adnan Shakhbulatov, Ali Dimaev, Supyan Tsugaev, and Ramzan Paskaev; the Vainakh state dance ensemble; and ballet dancer Makhmud Esambaev.
A unique culture with distinctive manners, customs, and traditions formed over a period of millennia. Among the outstanding customs are respect for elders and hospitality. It is customary to stand when greeting elderly people and to make way for them and give them a convenient seat on transportation. It is also customary to abide by the opinions of the elderly. Chechen hospitality is boundless; Chechens will risk their lives to protect the life, honor, and property of their guests. To mountain people a guest is a sacred person, and to steal something from a guest means a grievous insult to the host in whose house the guest is staying. There is a Vainakh [Chechen and Ingush] saying that goes "A house with no guest is a house unblessed."
People involved in culture and the arts in the ramshackle republic are trying to preserve and pass on this heritage to future generations, but today, they are among the most destitute members of society. Unable to bear such a miserable existence, many of them have joined the ranks of market traders. In order to earn money, talented artists, singers, and musicians have moved to other cities, where they give concerts for members of the Chechen communities there. In Chechnya today, there are occasional shows at a repaired theater. At all times, people have felt drawn to art and other creative work during war and in postwar periods. But despite that fact that there are many admirers of the theater in Chechnya, this does not fill theater treasuries, mainly because most people in the republic are poor. Artists need sets and costumes, because the old ones were destroyed during the war. The artists are devoted to their work. In the postwar years, the Vainakh dance ensemble rehearsed in partially burned, unheated buildings; and their labor was not in vain. In 1998, the ensemble was awarded the Grand Prize at an international competition in Turkey; and in February 1999, Vainakh was the winner among 25 groups from various countries at a folk dance ensemble competition held in Agrigento, Sicily. The ensemble had also been invited to tour in Europe and the Middle East. After returning to Chechnya, Vainakh received a proposal from the Italian Intermusica cultural foundation for contract tours around the country. The Chechen Republic's Ministry of Culture paid the travel expenses; however, the Chechen government is unable to finance culture. There is no money to pay librarians, workers at village clubs, artists, designers, or other specialists. Libraries are tuning into stores instead of remaining educational centers.
There are 148 cultural monuments in Chechnya, which are also in a disastrous state, and money is needed for restoration.
|
|
|
