After dispute about Imam Shamil, Kadyrov intensifies efforts of his father's heroization

Ramzan Kadyrov has told Chechens from Jordan about the exceptional role of his father in ending the war and his conversation with Putin. The new efforts to glorify Kadyrov Senior have been caused by a dispute about the person of Imam Shamil, the analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on the 20th anniversary of the Chechen militants' invasion into Dagestan, Ramzan Kadyrov drew a parallel between these events and the 19th century Caucasian War and accused Imam Shamil of repressions against Chechens for their unwillingness to confront Russia. On August 8, in Makhachkala, several dozen people came to the Avar Theatre to protest against Kadyrov's words about Imam Shamil. The action caused Kadyrov's discontent. People who continue writing "twaddle and nonsense" on the Internet should come to their senses so that not to initiate war against them, Ramzan Kadyrov said in his recent video message.

On August 13, in Grozny, Ramzan Kadyrov met a group of Chechens from Jordan and presented them with his vision of the events that took place in Chechnya in the 1990s and 2000s. In the evening on August 13, a report about this meeting was broadcast by the "Grozny" ChGTRK (Chechen State TV and Radio Company).

Ramzan Kadyrov said at the meeting that his father's supporters, residents of the republic, persuaded Akhmat Kadyrov to conclude peace with Putin and head Chechnya. "On the Internet, they write everything about us: that we sold ourselves to Putin and that we married Putin ... I'll tell you about Putin's conversation with Akhmat-Hadji, when he was the Mufti of Ichkeria. [...] Russia told Akhmat-Hadji to become the head of the republic. [...] "If the people give me the right, if the people say that they want to live with Russia, that they want to be a part of the Russian state, then I'll sign (the treaty). Otherwise, I won't," the head of Chechnya has retold.

Kadyrov also told about his meeting with Putin, which took place after the death of his father. "Adam Delimkhanov and 11 other Chechens came to Putin, when we agreed, when Akhmad-Hadji was killed. They all know what I said to the Padishah (to President Putin, – note of the "Caucasian Knot"). My position was to end the war in Chechnya. On what principles I'll be loyal to Russia: if they give me chance to end the war in Chechnya, if they give me chance to restore the destroyed Chechnya, if Russia is not against the Muslim faith, then, I'll always be with the Russian state," Ramzan Kadyrov has explained.

In the opinion of Alexei Malashenko, the head of scientific researches at the "Dialogue of Civilizations" Institute, Kadyrov has retold the "historical legend" to guests from Jordan; by his own words, he sought to support the image damaged by the criticism of his words about Imam Shamil.

Akhmet Yarlykapov, a senior scientific collaborator at the Centre for Studying Caucasian Problems at the MGIMO (Moscow State Institute of International Relations), has expressed doubts that a personal conversation of Kadyrov Senior with Putin really took place and was exactly like Ramzan Kadyrov retold it.

"Kadyrov is building his own history. [...] It is obvious that he needs to correct his media image that suffered from his words about Imam Shamil; he needs to raise his authority," Mr Yarlykapov has stated.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 16, 2019 at 03:33 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.