
The Chechen Republic (Russian (spelling): Чеченская Республика; Chechen language: Нохчийн Республика/Noxçiyn Respublika), also known as Chechnya (Russian: Чечня, Chechen: Нохчичьо/Noxçiyçö), Chechnia or Chechenia, is a constituent Subdivisions of Russia of the Russia. Bordering Stavropol Krai to the northwest, the republic of Dagestan to the northeast and east, Georgia (country) to the south, and the republics of Ingushetia and North Ossetia to the west, it is located in the Northern Caucasus mountains, in the Southern Federal District. Various armed groups in the republic have sought independence since the collapse of the Soviet Union. During the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Chechen government announced a new parliament, and declared independence as the Ichkeria. As of 2004, their independence is not recognized by any other state. This declaration has led to armed conflicts between the self-declared government and the Russian Federal army, and later between rival Chechen groups. Reportedly, some Moscow officials admit (see external links) that since 1994 over 200,000 insurgents and civilians have been killed in Chechnya, but that figure has been disputed by the Russian government. == History == ''Main article: History of Chechnya'' Chechnya is a region in the Northern Caucasus which has constantly fought against foreign rule, beginning with the Ottoman Turks in the 15th century. Eventually the Chechens were converted to Islam and tensions began to die down with the Turks, however conflicts with their Christian neighbours such as Georgian people and Cossacks as well as with Buddhist Kalmyks intensified. The current resistance to Russian overlordship began during the late 18th century (1785-1791) under Mansur Ushurma -- a Chechen Naqshbandi (Sufi) Sheikh -- with the support of many Muslim ethnicities throughout the Northern Caucasus. Mansur hoped to establish a Transcaucasus Islamic state under shari'a law, but was ultimately unable to do so because of both Russian resistance and opposition from the Chechens themselves (who had only recently been converted to Islam). Its banner was again picked up by Imam Shamil, who fought the Russians from 1834 until 1859. He was ultimately defeated after fighting the Russians across both Chechnya and Dagestan.In 1869 he was given permission to retire to the holy city of Mecca, and he travelled there through Istanbul. He died in Medina in 1871 while visiting the city, and was buried the Jannatul Baqi which is also the site where many important personalities from Islamic history are buried. His two sons became officers at the Russian army. The Chechens continued to rise up whenever the Russians faced a period of internal uncertainty. Rebellions occurred during the Russo-Turkish War (''See'' Russo-Turkish War, 1877-78), the Russian Revolution of 1905, the Russian Revolution of 1917, Russian Civil War, and Collectivization. Under Soviet Rule, Chechnya was combined with Ingushetia to form the autonomous republic of Chechen-Ingushetia in the late 1930s. The Chechens, though, again rose up against Soviet rule during the 1940s, resulting in the deportation of the Chechen population to the Kazakh SSR (later Kazakhstan) and Siberia during World War II. Stalin and others argued this was necessary in order to stop the Chechens from providing assistance to the Germans during the Second World War; however, this seems unlikely as the German front never made it as far and the removal of the Chechens only began after the German offensive had been repelled. They were only allowed to return to their homeland after 1956 during the de-Stalinization which occurred under Nikita Khrushchev. Russification policies towards Chechens continued after 1956, with Russian required in most aspects of life and for advancement in the Soviet system. However, there was no discrimination against ethnic Chechens achieving top positions in the USSR (most notable Ruslan Khasbulatov (speaker of Soviet Supreme Soviet), Dzhokhar Dudaev (Soviet general), Doku Zavgaev (chairman of Chechen-Ingush ASSR), Aslambek Aslakhanov (Soviet/Russian lawmaker) The Chechens remained peaceful and relatively loyal to the state until the introduction of Glasnost under Mikhail Gorbachev in the late 1980s. With the impending collapse of the Soviet Union, an independence movement, initially known as the Chechen National Congress, formed in 1990. This movement was ultimately opposed by Boris Yeltsin's Russian Federation, which argued: (1) Although a republic, Chechnya had not enjoyed the same level of autonomy within the Soviet Union – as the Baltic, Central Asian, and other Caucasian States had – but was a part of the Russian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic and hence did not have a right under the Soviet constitution to secede; (2) Other ethnic groups inside Russia, such as the Tatars, would join the Chechens and secede from the Russian Federation if they were granted that right; and (3) Chechnya was at a major chokepoint in the oil-infrastructure of the country and hence would hurt the country's economy and control of oil resources. Dzhokhar Dudayev, the Republic of Chechnya's nationalist president, declared Chechnya's independence from Russia in 1991. He, however, failed to maintain control over the entire republic and saw his rule descend into chaos. This anarchy appeared to have the approval of certain factions in Moscow, and was allowed to continue. In 1994, though, President of Russia Boris Yeltsin ordered 40,000 troops retake Chechnya (''see'' First Chechen War), after having been told by close advisors that it would be a popular, short, and victorious war. Other reasons for the war include growing terrorism in the Northern Caucasus, which was linked to Chechnya and the anti-Russian stance of the Chechen government which led to the expulsion of almost 300,000 ethnic Russians from Chechnya. Yeltsin hoped to use the victory to overtake political opponents and win in the 1996 presidential elections, which was extremely uncertain as opponents within the former Communist Party and nationalists under Vladimir Zhirinovsky had gained a large amount of popular support while Yeltsin's approval ratings hovered in the single digits. Russia was quickly submerged in a quagmire like that of the Soviets in Afghanistan. Chechen insurgents inflicted humiliating losses on Russia's often demoralized and ill-equipped troops. Russian troops had not secured the Chechen capital of Grozny by year's end. They finally managed to gain control of it in February 1995 after heavy fighting. This was overturned again, with Chechen forces led by Shamil Basayev attacked the city in 1996. In addition to difficulties in the battlefield, heavy public opposition developed inside Russia itself, with critical media coverage pointing to the lack of training for Russian soldiers, their poor equipment, and the devastation within Chechnya itself. In August 1996 Yeltsin ultimately agreed to a ceasefire with Chechen leaders, and the Khasavyurt agreement declared that Chechnya's ultimate fate would be decided by the end of 2001. It was determined that between 80,000 and 100,000 (Russians and Chechens) died as a result of the invasion. The Chechens elected Aslan Maskhadov as their president in 1997, but, due to the power of clans, militias, and criminal organizations within the republic, he was unable to assert complete control. Inside Russia itself, politics remained unstable, with a number of different individuals being appointed prime minister. As Yeltsin’s second term approached its end, the topic of Chechnya began to reappear. Under Prime Minister Sergei Stepashin, in power from May until August 1999, plans were prepared to re-establish control over Chechnya. On August 7th, invasion of Chechen forces – inluding a number of Arab and Dagestani extremists which were not affiliated with the Chechen government of Maskhadov – moved into Dagestan under the command of Basayev, Ibn al-Khattab and other Islamists. Stepashin was soon dismissed and replaced by Vladimir Putin, who was allegedly maneuvered into the position by the Oligarch Boris Berezovsky, on August 9th. Putin promptly ordered Russian forces to Dagestan on August 12th. This incursion by Chechen forces resulted in Russian troops being placed along the border of the republic; and Chechen terrorist attacks of September 1999 finally sparked the Russian army return into Chechnya. Bombs determined to be hexogen based were set off at apartment blocks at Buinaksk in Dagestan, Moscow, and Volgodonsk in Southern Russia. The Russian government immediately blamed Chechen terrorists. Soon conspiracy theory developed what suspected FSB agents rather than Chechens were behind the attatcks; however, the invasion of Dagestan combined with shocking terrorist acts was enough to justify the military action in the eyes of the Russian public. With the military extremely popular and associated with Putin, he and his parliamentary party "Unity" emerged victorious in the December 1999 Duma elections. This was a stunning turnaround, for only a number of months earlier a partnership between Moscow’s Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and former Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov in their party Fatherland – All Russia had been favored to win. Today, Chechen separatists still claim an independent Chechnya and have orchestrated terrorist attacks in the republic and within Russia itself, leading President Putin to place the conflict within the guise of the War on Terrorism after the attacks of September 11th (''See'' September 11th, 2001 attacks). These attacks have ranged from mass hostage-takings to rail, subway, and suicide bombings. The most memorable occurred in Moscow in October 23, 2003 where over 700 hostages were taken during Moscow theater hostage crisis and in Beslan in September 2004, during Beslan school hostage crisis where 1,200 were taken hostage at a school and over 330 were killed – half of whom were children. In the end, a decade of war has left most of Chechnya under the control of the Russian military. Fighting between the Russians and Chechen separatists continues, although primarily in the form of terrorist attacks as Chechen resistance in Chechnya itself has been largely defeated. At the same time, upwards of 100,000 (Chechens and Russians) have been killed within Chechnya as a result of the second Chechen war. The Russians and their Chechen allies have been accused of human rights abuses by international observers, such as the Russian group Memorial (''See'' Memorial (society)) and the American organization Human Rights Watch. In this atmosphere, attempts to create a pro-Russian government have also been far from successful to date, as became apparent with the assassination of Akhmad Kadyrov in May 2004. Many Chechen separatist groups have become increasingly radicalized and fractured, with Shamil Basayev adopting a strongly Islamist position and inviting support from Arab Islamist organizations, such as Al-Quaeda. This was opposed by the now deceased moderate, Aslan Maskhadov, who was killed by Russian forces in March of 2005 and still publicly desired a negotiated settlement to the conflict up until his death. While the two may have stood together against what they saw as a Russian occupation, they ultimately differed greatly in both vision and ideology. ==Politics== ''Main article: Politics of Chechnya'' Chechnya is considered an independent republic by its separatists, and a federal republic by its federalists. Its regional constitution was entered into effect on April 2, 2003 after an all-Chechen referendum was held on March 23, 2003. Some territories are or were controlled by regional teips, despite the existence of pro- and anti-Russian political structures. Since 1990, the Chechen Republic has had legal, military, and civil conflicts involving the separatist movements. However, the current government of the Chechen Republic meets most laws of Checheno-Ingushkaya ASSR, the Chechen Republic, and the Russian Federation. This compromise is considered by some to be pro-federal government. Despite popular belief, most Chechen citizens see the Chechen Republic as being within the Russian Federation (more than 70% by independent and even anti-Russian polls). The former separatist and Chechen Mufti, Akhmad Kadyrov, looked upon as a traitor by many Chechen separatists, was elected president with 83% of the vote in an internationally monitored election on October 5, 2003. However, observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe reported intimidation of voters and ballot stuffing by Russian soldiers and the exclusion from election lists of separatist parties. Rudnik Dudayev is head of the Chechen Security Council and Anatoly Popov is the Prime Minister. On May 9, 2004, Kadyrov was assassinated in a Grozny stadium by a landmine explosion that was planted beneath a VIP stage and detonated during a World War II memorial parade. Sergey Abramov was appointed to the position of acting president after the incident. On August 29, 2004 a new Presidential election took place. According to the Chechen electoral commission, Alu Alkhanov, former Chechen Minister of Interior, received approximately 74% of the vote. Voter turnout was 85.2%. Some observers, such as the U.S. Department of State, International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, as well as the opposition, question the election, citing, in part, the disqualification of the major rival Malik Saidullayev on a technicality. Polling conditions were also questioned, but no formal complaints have been made. The election was internationally monitored by the Commonwealth of Independent States and Arab League; western monitors didn't participate in monitoring the election despite being invited. Kadyrov's son, Ramzan Kadyrov, also plays an important – but unelected – role in the government, serving as first deputy prime minister. Many believe that he would have attempted to succeed his father if he had not been barred from doing so by his age – he is currently in his 20s and the constitution requires that the president be 30 years of age or older. Many also allege he is the wealthiest and most powerful man in the republic, with control over a large private militia referred to as the 'Kadyrovski'. The militia – which began as his father's security force – has been accused of killings and kidnappings by human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch. In addition to the elected government, there is a self-proclaimed separatist government that is not recognized by any state (although members have been given political asylum in European and Arab countries, as well as the United States.) The president of this government was Aslan Maskhadov, the Foreign Minister is Ilyas Akhmadov, who was the spokeman for Maskhadov. Ilyas Akhmadov is currently living under asylum in the United States. Aslan Maskhadov had been elected in an internationally monitored election in 1997 for 4 years, when the separatists were a major political force. In 2001 he issued a decree prolonging his office for one additional year; he was unable to participate in the 2003 presidential election, since separatist parties were barred by the Russian governmnet, and Maskhadov faced accusations of "terrorist offences" in Russia. Maskhadov left Grozny and moved to the rebel-controlled areas of the south at the onset of the Second Chechen War. President Maskhadov was unable to influence a number of warlords who retain effective control over Chechen territory, and his power was diminished as a result. He came to denounce the attack by rebel forces on Beslan and attempted to distance himself from the Islamist Shamil Basayev, who claimed responsibility for the attack. Russian forces killed him on March 8, 2005. Akhmed Zakayev, Deputy Prime Minister and a Foreign Minister under Maskhadov, was appointed shortly after the 1997 election and is currently living under asylum in Britain. He and others chose Abdul Khalim Saidullayev (reportedly a Saudi citizen) to replace Maskhadov following his death, bypassing Basayev. It has been reported, however, that Basayev turned the position down and has since pledged loyalty to Saidullayev. Saidullayev is a relatively unknown Islamic judge who was previously the host of an Islamic program on Chechen television. His position as a rebel is also unknown, leading the Russians and others to speculate that his selection marks the continued rise of Basayev – with Saidullayev as a figurehead – and the dearth of leadership figures that remain in the separatist Chechen community. == Administrative Division == === Districts === Chechnya Republic consists of the following districts (Russian language: районы): #Naursky District, Chechen Republic (Наурский) #Shelkovskoy District, Chechen Republic (Шелковской) #Nadterechny District, Chechen Republic (Надтеречный) #Groznensky District, Chechen Republic (Грозненский) #Gudermessky District, Chechen Republic (Гудермесский) #Sunzhensky District, Chechen Republic (Сунженский) #Achkhoy-Martanovsky District, Chechen Republic (Ачхой-Мартановский) #Urus-Martanovsky District, Chechen Republic (Урус-Мартановский) #Shalinsky District, Chechen Republic (Шалинский) #Kurchaloyevsky District, Chechen Republic (Курчалоевский) #Itum-Kalinsky District, Chechen Republic (Итум-Калинский) #Shatoysky District, Chechen Republic (Шатойский) #Vedensky District, Chechen Republic (Веденский) #Nozhay-Yurtovsky District, Chechen Republic (Ножай-Юртовский) #Sharoysky District, Chechen Republic (Шаройский) === Major settlements === #Znamenskoye #Naurskaya #Achkhoy-Martan #Urus-Martan #Grozny #Shali #Gudermes #Shelkovskaya #Itum-Shale #Shatoy #Vedeno #Nozhay-Yurt ==Geography== *Population: 1.3 million *Area: 19,300 km² *Borders: **Inside Russia: ***Ingushetia ***North Ossetia-Alania ***Dagestan **Foreign: ***Georgia (country) Rivers: *Terek River *Sunzha River *Argun River, Caucasus ===Time zone=== Chechnya is located in the Moscow Time (MSK/MSD). Coordinated Universal Time offset is +0300 (MSK)/+0400 (MSD). ==Economy== === As of 2003 === During the war, the Chechen economy fell apart. Gross domestic product, if reliably calculable, would be only a fraction of the prewar level. Problems with the Chechen economy had an effect on the federal Russian economy - a number of financial crimes in 1990s were committed using Chechen financial organizations. Chechnya has the highest ratio within Russian Federation of financial operations made in US Dollars to operations in Russian Roubles. There are many counterfeit US Dollars printed there. The separatists planned to put into circulation a new currency, the Nahar, but the Federal army prevented them. As an effect of the war approximately 80% of economic potential of Chechnya was destroyed. The only branch of economy that has been rebuilt so far is the petroleum industry. The 2003 oil production was estimated at 1.5 million metric tons annually (or 30 thousand Barrel (unit)) per day, down from a peak of 4 million metric tons annually in the 1980s. The 2003 production constituted approximately 0.6% of the total oil production in Russia. The level of unemployment is 76%. Despite economic improvements, smuggling and barter are still occupations of a significant part of the population. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4091635.stm]. Elements of the Russian army have been accused of smuggling. According to the federal government in Moscow over 2 billion USD were spent on the reconstruction of the Chechen economy since 2000. However, according to the Russian central economic control agency (''Schyotnaya Palata''), not more than 350 million dollars were spent as intended. ==Demographics== Most Chechens are Sunnite Muslim, the country having converted to that faith between the 16th century and the 18th century. At the end of the Soviet era, ethnic Russians were about 23 percent of the population (269,000 in 1989); however, war, policies of Chechen separatist governments and social conflict led most Russians to flee Chechnya during the 1990s. At the close of the 1990s, about 60,000 remained. The languages used in the Republic are Chechen language and Russian language. Chechen belongs to the Vaynakh or North-central Caucasian languages linguistic family, which also includes Ingush language and Batsb language. Some scholars place it in a wider Iberian-Caucasian languages. Chechnya has one of the youngest populations in the generally aging Russian Federation; in the early 1990s, it was among the few regions experiencing natural population growth. *Population: 1,103,686 (2002) **''Urban'': 373,177 (33.8%) **''Rural'': 730,509 (66.2%) **''Male'': 532,724 (48.3%) **''Female'': 570,962 (51.7%) *Average age: 22.7 years **''Urban'': 22.8 years **''Rural'': 22.7 years **''Male'': 21.6 years **''Female'': 23.9 years *Number of households: 195,304 (with 1,069,600 people) **''Urban'': 65,741 (with 365,577 people) **''Rural'': 129,563 (with 704,023 people) *''2004 Population in Chechnya(according to a Danish human rights group)'': Just under 800,000. **''In Grozny (the capital of Chechen Republic)'': 80,000. **''Chechens predominate, with 98% of the population. (About 10,000 Russians remain.)'' ==See also== *List of not fully sovereign nations ==External links== * [http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=eng Free Chechnya site (in English)] * [http://chechnya.gov.ru/ Official site of the government of Chechen republic (in Russian)] * [http://www.chechen.org/ The News Service of the ChRI President (in Russian)] * [http://www.chechnya-mfa.info/ Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the ChRI] * [http://www.chechenpress.co.uk/ The Chechenpress, official bilingual site of the ChRI news media] * [http://www.kavkazcenter.com/ The Kavkazcenter, independent ChRI news media] * [http://www.polosbastards.com/artman/publish/chechnya-history.shtml Russia's Splitting Headache - A Brief History Of Chechnya] * [http://www.daymohk.info/rus/index_ie.shtml Daimokh in Russian] * [http://www.chechnya-mfa.info/legal/1.htm The Russian-Chechen Peace Treaty, May 12, 1997] * [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chechnya-sl/ Moderated Chechen news database in English] * [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45863-2002Dec27.html 46 Die in Chechen Suicide Attack] by Sharon LaFraniere. The Washington Post, Saturday, December 28, 2002; Page A01 * [http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/29/international/europe/29RUSS.html?ex=1041742800&en=4a77d5edfa2b32e6&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE Russia Links Arab Millitants to Bombing in Chechnya] by Michael Wines. The New York Times, December 28, 2002 * [http://www.pinr.com/report.php?ac=view_report&report_id=221&language_id=1 PINR - Chechnya: Russia's Second Afghanistan] * [http://members.tripod.com/~ChechenianPhenomenon/ Almanac "Chechenian Phenomenon" in English and Russian] * [http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/chechnya/ CBC.ca News Indepth: Chechnya] * [http://globalpolitician.com/articles.asp?ID=230 Global Politician: The Chechen fight for independence] * [http://www.validata.ru/e_e/chechnya/ Validata polls in Chechnya] (there is also more information in the Russian version of the site) * [http://www.gateway2russia.com/art/Current%20Topics/Who%20is%20to%20blame_252029.html/ Who is to blame?] * [http://www.chechenpress.info/english/news/2004/08/30/02.shtml/ Opinion of a group of Baltic politicians regarding the latest presidential elections in Chechnya] * [http://www.russiavotes.org/Mood_int_cur.htm Russians polled on Chechnya] * [http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/0/28.html?menu=1&id_issue=10704540 Rally in Grozny protests Budanov's pardon] * [http://assembly.coe.int/Documents/WorkingDocs/doc04/EDOC10276.htm The PACE report on the Chechnya political situation] * [http://assembly.coe.int/Documents/WorkingDocs/doc04/EDOC10283.htm The PACE: The human rights situation in the Chechen Republic] * [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27550-2004Sep16.html WashingtonPost: Is there no solution to the nine-year-old Chechen bloodbath?] * [http://www.chechen.org/content.php?catID=13 Chechen demography] * [http://www.mosnews.com/news/2004/11/19/civiliandeath.shtml The Human casualties since 1994] * [http://www.einnews.com/russia/newsfeed.php?nid=16801&afid=384 Einnews: Russia Today: Chechnya] * [http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Toronto/Eric_Margolis/2005/02/27/944231.html Chechen struggle ignored] * [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2002/10/22/011.html Moscow Times expresses surprise at 30% jump in Chechen population in 3 years] * [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/22/international/europe/22chechnya.html New York Times: Rights Group Reports Thousands of Disappearances in Chechnya] ==Further reading== * Paul J., Ph.D. Murphy. ''The Wolves of Islam: Russia and the Faces of Chechen Terror''. ISBN 1574888307 * Vyacheslav Mironov. ''Assault on Grozny Downtown.'' (First hand account of a Russian infantryman's experiences in Grozny) * Matthew Evangelista, ''The Chechen Wars: Will Russia Go the Way of the Soviet Union?''. ISBN 0815724993. * Olga Oliker, ''Russia's Chechen Wars 1994 - 2000: Lessons from Urban Combat''. ISBN 0833029983. (A strategic and tactical analysis of the Chechen Wars.) * Charlotta Gall & Thomas de Waal. ''Chechnya: A Small Victorious War''. ISBN 0330350757 * Anatol Lieven. ''Chechnya : Tombstone of Russian Power'' ISBN 0300078811 * John B Dunlop. ''Russia Confronts Chechnya : Roots of a Separatist Conflic'' ISBN 0521636191 * Marie Benningsen Broxup. ''The North Caucasus Barrier: The Russian Advance Towards the Muslim World''. ISBN 1850650691 * Anna Politkovskaya. ''A Small Corner of Hell : Dispatches from Chechnya'' ISBN 0226674320 * Chris Bird. ''"To Catch a Tartar: Notes from the Caucasus"'' [ISBN 0719565065] *[http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/chechen.html UT: Chechnya maps][http://harki.ath.cx/maps/chechnya.php?segment=b4 and a Chechnya topographical map] *[http://www.da.mod.uk/CSRC/documents/Special/S40/view?searchterm=chechnya CSRC: The Caspian: Comminatory Crosscurrents, Oil and geopolitics] *[http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1289/ Significant excerpts are available online for free at the Rand] *[http://www.da.mod.uk/CSRC/documents/Caucasus/ The CSRC publications in the Caucasus Series] *[http://www.jamestown.org/publications_view.php?publication_id=1/ The Jamestown Foundation, Chechnya weekly] Republics of Russia Disputed territories Chechnya Caucasus ce:Нохчичьо nds:Tschetschenien
The Chechnya (Russian: Чеченская Республика; Chechen: Noxçiyn Respublika Noxçiyçö), also known as Chechnya (Russian: Чечня), Chechnia or Chechenia, is a constituent republic of the Russia. Republics of Russia Caucasus ce:Category:Нохчийчоь
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The Chechen Republic (Russian (spelling): Чеченская Республика; Chechen language: Нохчийн Республика/Noxçiyn Respublika), also known as Chechnya (Russian: Чечня, Chechen: Нохчичьо/Noxçiyçö), Chechnia or Chechenia, is a constituent Subdivisions of Russia of the Russia. Bordering Stavropol Krai to the northwest, the republic of Dagestan to the northeast and east, Georgia (country) to the south, and the republics of Ingushetia and North Ossetia to the west, it is located in the Northern Caucasus mountains, in the Southern Federal District. Various armed groups in the republic have sought independence since the collapse of the Soviet Union. During the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Chechen government announced a new parliament, and declared independence as the Ichkeria. As of 2004, their independence is not recognized by any other state. This declaration has led to armed conflicts between the self-declared government and the Russian Federal army, and later between rival Chechen groups. Reportedly, some Moscow officials admit (see external links) that since 1994 over 200,000 insurgents and civilians have been killed in Chechnya, but that figure has been disputed by the Russian government. == History == ''Main article: History of Chechnya'' Chechnya is a region in the Northern Caucasus which has constantly fought against foreign rule, beginning with the Ottoman Turks in the 15th century. Eventually the Chechens were converted to Islam and tensions began to die down with the Turks, however conflicts with their Christian neighbours such as Georgian people and Cossacks as well as with Buddhist Kalmyks intensified. The current resistance to Russian overlordship began during the late 18th century (1785-1791) under Mansur Ushurma -- a Chechen Naqshbandi (Sufi) Sheikh -- with the support of many Muslim ethnicities throughout the Northern Caucasus. Mansur hoped to establish a Transcaucasus Islamic state under shari'a law, but was ultimately unable to do so because of both Russian resistance and opposition from the Chechens themselves (who had only recently been converted to Islam). Its banner was again picked up by Imam Shamil, who fought the Russians from 1834 until 1859. He was ultimately defeated after fighting the Russians across both Chechnya and Dagestan.In 1869 he was given permission to retire to the holy city of Mecca, and he travelled there through Istanbul. He died in Medina in 1871 while visiting the city, and was buried the Jannatul Baqi which is also the site where many important personalities from Islamic history are buried. His two sons became officers at the Russian army. The Chechens continued to rise up whenever the Russians faced a period of internal uncertainty. Rebellions occurred during the Russo-Turkish War (''See'' Russo-Turkish War, 1877-78), the Russian Revolution of 1905, the Russian Revolution of 1917, Russian Civil War, and Collectivization. Under Soviet Rule, Chechnya was combined with Ingushetia to form the autonomous republic of Chechen-Ingushetia in the late 1930s. The Chechens, though, again rose up against Soviet rule during the 1940s, resulting in the deportation of the Chechen population to the Kazakh SSR (later Kazakhstan) and Siberia during World War II. Stalin and others argued this was necessary in order to stop the Chechens from providing assistance to the Germans during the Second World War; however, this seems unlikely as the German front never made it as far and the removal of the Chechens only began after the German offensive had been repelled. They were only allowed to return to their homeland after 1956 during the de-Stalinization which occurred under Nikita Khrushchev. Russification policies towards Chechens continued after 1956, with Russian required in most aspects of life and for advancement in the Soviet system. However, there was no discrimination against ethnic Chechens achieving top positions in the USSR (most notable Ruslan Khasbulatov (speaker of Soviet Supreme Soviet), Dzhokhar Dudaev (Soviet general), Doku Zavgaev (chairman of Chechen-Ingush ASSR), Aslambek Aslakhanov (Soviet/Russian lawmaker) The Chechens remained peaceful and relatively loyal to the state until the introduction of Glasnost under Mikhail Gorbachev in the late 1980s. With the impending collapse of the Soviet Union, an independence movement, initially known as the Chechen National Congress, formed in 1990. This movement was ultimately opposed by Boris Yeltsin's Russian Federation, which argued: (1) Although a republic, Chechnya had not enjoyed the same level of autonomy within the Soviet Union – as the Baltic, Central Asian, and other Caucasian States had – but was a part of the Russian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic and hence did not have a right under the Soviet constitution to secede; (2) Other ethnic groups inside Russia, such as the Tatars, would join the Chechens and secede from the Russian Federation if they were granted that right; and (3) Chechnya was at a major chokepoint in the oil-infrastructure of the country and hence would hurt the country's economy and control of oil resources. Dzhokhar Dudayev, the Republic of Chechnya's nationalist president, declared Chechnya's independence from Russia in 1991. He, however, failed to maintain control over the entire republic and saw his rule descend into chaos. This anarchy appeared to have the approval of certain factions in Moscow, and was allowed to continue. In 1994, though, President of Russia Boris Yeltsin ordered 40,000 troops retake Chechnya (''see'' First Chechen War), after having been told by close advisors that it would be a popular, short, and victorious war. Other reasons for the war include growing terrorism in the Northern Caucasus, which was linked to Chechnya and the anti-Russian stance of the Chechen government which led to the expulsion of almost 300,000 ethnic Russians from Chechnya. Yeltsin hoped to use the victory to overtake political opponents and win in the 1996 presidential elections, which was extremely uncertain as opponents within the former Communist Party and nationalists under Vladimir Zhirinovsky had gained a large amount of popular support while Yeltsin's approval ratings hovered in the single digits. Russia was quickly submerged in a quagmire like that of the Soviets in Afghanistan. Chechen insurgents inflicted humiliating losses on Russia's often demoralized and ill-equipped troops. Russian troops had not secured the Chechen capital of Grozny by year's end. They finally managed to gain control of it in February 1995 after heavy fighting. This was overturned again, with Chechen forces led by Shamil Basayev attacked the city in 1996. In addition to difficulties in the battlefield, heavy public opposition developed inside Russia itself, with critical media coverage pointing to the lack of training for Russian soldiers, their poor equipment, and the devastation within Chechnya itself. In August 1996 Yeltsin ultimately agreed to a ceasefire with Chechen leaders, and the Khasavyurt agreement declared that Chechnya's ultimate fate would be decided by the end of 2001. It was determined that between 80,000 and 100,000 (Russians and Chechens) died as a result of the invasion. The Chechens elected Aslan Maskhadov as their president in 1997, but, due to the power of clans, militias, and criminal organizations within the republic, he was unable to assert complete control. Inside Russia itself, politics remained unstable, with a number of different individuals being appointed prime minister. As Yeltsin’s second term approached its end, the topic of Chechnya began to reappear. Under Prime Minister Sergei Stepashin, in power from May until August 1999, plans were prepared to re-establish control over Chechnya. On August 7th, invasion of Chechen forces – inluding a number of Arab and Dagestani extremists which were not affiliated with the Chechen government of Maskhadov – moved into Dagestan under the command of Basayev, Ibn al-Khattab and other Islamists. Stepashin was soon dismissed and replaced by Vladimir Putin, who was allegedly maneuvered into the position by the Oligarch Boris Berezovsky, on August 9th. Putin promptly ordered Russian forces to Dagestan on August 12th. This incursion by Chechen forces resulted in Russian troops being placed along the border of the republic; and Chechen terrorist attacks of September 1999 finally sparked the Russian army return into Chechnya. Bombs determined to be hexogen based were set off at apartment blocks at Buinaksk in Dagestan, Moscow, and Volgodonsk in Southern Russia. The Russian government immediately blamed Chechen terrorists. Soon conspiracy theory developed what suspected FSB agents rather than Chechens were behind the attatcks; however, the invasion of Dagestan combined with shocking terrorist acts was enough to justify the military action in the eyes of the Russian public. With the military extremely popular and associated with Putin, he and his parliamentary party "Unity" emerged victorious in the December 1999 Duma elections. This was a stunning turnaround, for only a number of months earlier a partnership between Moscow’s Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and former Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov in their party Fatherland – All Russia had been favored to win. Today, Chechen separatists still claim an independent Chechnya and have orchestrated terrorist attacks in the republic and within Russia itself, leading President Putin to place the conflict within the guise of the War on Terrorism after the attacks of September 11th (''See'' September 11th, 2001 attacks). These attacks have ranged from mass hostage-takings to rail, subway, and suicide bombings. The most memorable occurred in Moscow in October 23, 2003 where over 700 hostages were taken during Moscow theater hostage crisis and in Beslan in September 2004, during Beslan school hostage crisis where 1,200 were taken hostage at a school and over 330 were killed – half of whom were children. In the end, a decade of war has left most of Chechnya under the control of the Russian military. Fighting between the Russians and Chechen separatists continues, although primarily in the form of terrorist attacks as Chechen resistance in Chechnya itself has been largely defeated. At the same time, upwards of 100,000 (Chechens and Russians) have been killed within Chechnya as a result of the second Chechen war. The Russians and their Chechen allies have been accused of human rights abuses by international observers, such as the Russian group Memorial (''See'' Memorial (society)) and the American organization Human Rights Watch. In this atmosphere, attempts to create a pro-Russian government have also been far from successful to date, as became apparent with the assassination of Akhmad Kadyrov in May 2004. Many Chechen separatist groups have become increasingly radicalized and fractured, with Shamil Basayev adopting a strongly Islamist position and inviting support from Arab Islamist organizations, such as Al-Quaeda. This was opposed by the now deceased moderate, Aslan Maskhadov, who was killed by Russian forces in March of 2005 and still publicly desired a negotiated settlement to the conflict up until his death. While the two may have stood together against what they saw as a Russian occupation, they ultimately differed greatly in both vision and ideology. ==Politics== ''Main article: Politics of Chechnya'' Chechnya is considered an independent republic by its separatists, and a federal republic by its federalists. Its regional constitution was entered into effect on April 2, 2003 after an all-Chechen referendum was held on March 23, 2003. Some territories are or were controlled by regional teips, despite the existence of pro- and anti-Russian political structures. Since 1990, the Chechen Republic has had legal, military, and civil conflicts involving the separatist movements. However, the current government of the Chechen Republic meets most laws of Checheno-Ingushkaya ASSR, the Chechen Republic, and the Russian Federation. This compromise is considered by some to be pro-federal government. Despite popular belief, most Chechen citizens see the Chechen Republic as being within the Russian Federation (more than 70% by independent and even anti-Russian polls). The former separatist and Chechen Mufti, Akhmad Kadyrov, looked upon as a traitor by many Chechen separatists, was elected president with 83% of the vote in an internationally monitored election on October 5, 2003. However, observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe reported intimidation of voters and ballot stuffing by Russian soldiers and the exclusion from election lists of separatist parties. Rudnik Dudayev is head of the Chechen Security Council and Anatoly Popov is the Prime Minister. On May 9, 2004, Kadyrov was assassinated in a Grozny stadium by a landmine explosion that was planted beneath a VIP stage and detonated during a World War II memorial parade. Sergey Abramov was appointed to the position of acting president after the incident. On August 29, 2004 a new Presidential election took place. According to the Chechen electoral commission, Alu Alkhanov, former Chechen Minister of Interior, received approximately 74% of the vote. Voter turnout was 85.2%. Some observers, such as the U.S. Department of State, International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, as well as the opposition, question the election, citing, in part, the disqualification of the major rival Malik Saidullayev on a technicality. Polling conditions were also questioned, but no formal complaints have been made. The election was internationally monitored by the Commonwealth of Independent States and Arab League; western monitors didn't participate in monitoring the election despite being invited. Kadyrov's son, Ramzan Kadyrov, also plays an important – but unelected – role in the government, serving as first deputy prime minister. Many believe that he would have attempted to succeed his father if he had not been barred from doing so by his age – he is currently in his 20s and the constitution requires that the president be 30 years of age or older. Many also allege he is the wealthiest and most powerful man in the republic, with control over a large private militia referred to as the 'Kadyrovski'. The militia – which began as his father's security force – has been accused of killings and kidnappings by human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch. In addition to the elected government, there is a self-proclaimed separatist government that is not recognized by any state (although members have been given political asylum in European and Arab countries, as well as the United States.) The president of this government was Aslan Maskhadov, the Foreign Minister is Ilyas Akhmadov, who was the spokeman for Maskhadov. Ilyas Akhmadov is currently living under asylum in the United States. Aslan Maskhadov had been elected in an internationally monitored election in 1997 for 4 years, when the separatists were a major political force. In 2001 he issued a decree prolonging his office for one additional year; he was unable to participate in the 2003 presidential election, since separatist parties were barred by the Russian governmnet, and Maskhadov faced accusations of "terrorist offences" in Russia. Maskhadov left Grozny and moved to the rebel-controlled areas of the south at the onset of the Second Chechen War. President Maskhadov was unable to influence a number of warlords who retain effective control over Chechen territory, and his power was diminished as a result. He came to denounce the attack by rebel forces on Beslan and attempted to distance himself from the Islamist Shamil Basayev, who claimed responsibility for the attack. Russian forces killed him on March 8, 2005. Akhmed Zakayev, Deputy Prime Minister and a Foreign Minister under Maskhadov, was appointed shortly after the 1997 election and is currently living under asylum in Britain. He and others chose Abdul Khalim Saidullayev (reportedly a Saudi citizen) to replace Maskhadov following his death, bypassing Basayev. It has been reported, however, that Basayev turned the position down and has since pledged loyalty to Saidullayev. Saidullayev is a relatively unknown Islamic judge who was previously the host of an Islamic program on Chechen television. His position as a rebel is also unknown, leading the Russians and others to speculate that his selection marks the continued rise of Basayev – with Saidullayev as a figurehead – and the dearth of leadership figures that remain in the separatist Chechen community. == Administrative Division == === Districts === Chechnya Republic consists of the following districts (Russian language: районы): #Naursky District, Chechen Republic (Наурский) #Shelkovskoy District, Chechen Republic (Шелковской) #Nadterechny District, Chechen Republic (Надтеречный) #Groznensky District, Chechen Republic (Грозненский) #Gudermessky District, Chechen Republic (Гудермесский) #Sunzhensky District, Chechen Republic (Сунженский) #Achkhoy-Martanovsky District, Chechen Republic (Ачхой-Мартановский) #Urus-Martanovsky District, Chechen Republic (Урус-Мартановский) #Shalinsky District, Chechen Republic (Шалинский) #Kurchaloyevsky District, Chechen Republic (Курчалоевский) #Itum-Kalinsky District, Chechen Republic (Итум-Калинский) #Shatoysky District, Chechen Republic (Шатойский) #Vedensky District, Chechen Republic (Веденский) #Nozhay-Yurtovsky District, Chechen Republic (Ножай-Юртовский) #Sharoysky District, Chechen Republic (Шаройский) === Major settlements === #Znamenskoye #Naurskaya #Achkhoy-Martan #Urus-Martan #Grozny #Shali #Gudermes #Shelkovskaya #Itum-Shale #Shatoy #Vedeno #Nozhay-Yurt ==Geography== *Population: 1.3 million *Area: 19,300 km² *Borders: **Inside Russia: ***Ingushetia ***North Ossetia-Alania ***Dagestan **Foreign: ***Georgia (country) Rivers: *Terek River *Sunzha River *Argun River, Caucasus ===Time zone=== Chechnya is located in the Moscow Time (MSK/MSD). Coordinated Universal Time offset is +0300 (MSK)/+0400 (MSD). ==Economy== === As of 2003 === During the war, the Chechen economy fell apart. Gross domestic product, if reliably calculable, would be only a fraction of the prewar level. Problems with the Chechen economy had an effect on the federal Russian economy - a number of financial crimes in 1990s were committed using Chechen financial organizations. Chechnya has the highest ratio within Russian Federation of financial operations made in US Dollars to operations in Russian Roubles. There are many counterfeit US Dollars printed there. The separatists planned to put into circulation a new currency, the Nahar, but the Federal army prevented them. As an effect of the war approximately 80% of economic potential of Chechnya was destroyed. The only branch of economy that has been rebuilt so far is the petroleum industry. The 2003 oil production was estimated at 1.5 million metric tons annually (or 30 thousand Barrel (unit)) per day, down from a peak of 4 million metric tons annually in the 1980s. The 2003 production constituted approximately 0.6% of the total oil production in Russia. The level of unemployment is 76%. Despite economic improvements, smuggling and barter are still occupations of a significant part of the population. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4091635.stm]. Elements of the Russian army have been accused of smuggling. According to the federal government in Moscow over 2 billion USD were spent on the reconstruction of the Chechen economy since 2000. However, according to the Russian central economic control agency (''Schyotnaya Palata''), not more than 350 million dollars were spent as intended. ==Demographics== Most Chechens are Sunnite Muslim, the country having converted to that faith between the 16th century and the 18th century. At the end of the Soviet era, ethnic Russians were about 23 percent of the population (269,000 in 1989); however, war, policies of Chechen separatist governments and social conflict led most Russians to flee Chechnya during the 1990s. At the close of the 1990s, about 60,000 remained. The languages used in the Republic are Chechen language and Russian language. Chechen belongs to the Vaynakh or North-central Caucasian languages linguistic family, which also includes Ingush language and Batsb language. Some scholars place it in a wider Iberian-Caucasian languages. Chechnya has one of the youngest populations in the generally aging Russian Federation; in the early 1990s, it was among the few regions experiencing natural population growth. *Population: 1,103,686 (2002) **''Urban'': 373,177 (33.8%) **''Rural'': 730,509 (66.2%) **''Male'': 532,724 (48.3%) **''Female'': 570,962 (51.7%) *Average age: 22.7 years **''Urban'': 22.8 years **''Rural'': 22.7 years **''Male'': 21.6 years **''Female'': 23.9 years *Number of households: 195,304 (with 1,069,600 people) **''Urban'': 65,741 (with 365,577 people) **''Rural'': 129,563 (with 704,023 people) *''2004 Population in Chechnya(according to a Danish human rights group)'': Just under 800,000. **''In Grozny (the capital of Chechen Republic)'': 80,000. **''Chechens predominate, with 98% of the population. (About 10,000 Russians remain.)'' ==See also== *List of not fully sovereign nations ==External links== * [http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=eng Free Chechnya site (in English)] * [http://chechnya.gov.ru/ Official site of the government of Chechen republic (in Russian)] * [http://www.chechen.org/ The News Service of the ChRI President (in Russian)] * [http://www.chechnya-mfa.info/ Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the ChRI] * [http://www.chechenpress.co.uk/ The Chechenpress, official bilingual site of the ChRI news media] * [http://www.kavkazcenter.com/ The Kavkazcenter, independent ChRI news media] * [http://www.polosbastards.com/artman/publish/chechnya-history.shtml Russia's Splitting Headache - A Brief History Of Chechnya] * [http://www.daymohk.info/rus/index_ie.shtml Daimokh in Russian] * [http://www.chechnya-mfa.info/legal/1.htm The Russian-Chechen Peace Treaty, May 12, 1997] * [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chechnya-sl/ Moderated Chechen news database in English] * [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45863-2002Dec27.html 46 Die in Chechen Suicide Attack] by Sharon LaFraniere. The Washington Post, Saturday, December 28, 2002; Page A01 * [http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/29/international/europe/29RUSS.html?ex=1041742800&en=4a77d5edfa2b32e6&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE Russia Links Arab Millitants to Bombing in Chechnya] by Michael Wines. The New York Times, December 28, 2002 * [http://www.pinr.com/report.php?ac=view_report&report_id=221&language_id=1 PINR - Chechnya: Russia's Second Afghanistan] * [http://members.tripod.com/~ChechenianPhenomenon/ Almanac "Chechenian Phenomenon" in English and Russian] * [http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/chechnya/ CBC.ca News Indepth: Chechnya] * [http://globalpolitician.com/articles.asp?ID=230 Global Politician: The Chechen fight for independence] * [http://www.validata.ru/e_e/chechnya/ Validata polls in Chechnya] (there is also more information in the Russian version of the site) * [http://www.gateway2russia.com/art/Current%20Topics/Who%20is%20to%20blame_252029.html/ Who is to blame?] * [http://www.chechenpress.info/english/news/2004/08/30/02.shtml/ Opinion of a group of Baltic politicians regarding the latest presidential elections in Chechnya] * [http://www.russiavotes.org/Mood_int_cur.htm Russians polled on Chechnya] * [http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/0/28.html?menu=1&id_issue=10704540 Rally in Grozny protests Budanov's pardon] * [http://assembly.coe.int/Documents/WorkingDocs/doc04/EDOC10276.htm The PACE report on the Chechnya political situation] * [http://assembly.coe.int/Documents/WorkingDocs/doc04/EDOC10283.htm The PACE: The human rights situation in the Chechen Republic] * [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27550-2004Sep16.html WashingtonPost: Is there no solution to the nine-year-old Chechen bloodbath?] * [http://www.chechen.org/content.php?catID=13 Chechen demography] * [http://www.mosnews.com/news/2004/11/19/civiliandeath.shtml The Human casualties since 1994] * [http://www.einnews.com/russia/newsfeed.php?nid=16801&afid=384 Einnews: Russia Today: Chechnya] * [http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Toronto/Eric_Margolis/2005/02/27/944231.html Chechen struggle ignored] * [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2002/10/22/011.html Moscow Times expresses surprise at 30% jump in Chechen population in 3 years] * [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/22/international/europe/22chechnya.html New York Times: Rights Group Reports Thousands of Disappearances in Chechnya] ==Further reading== * Paul J., Ph.D. Murphy. ''The Wolves of Islam: Russia and the Faces of Chechen Terror''. ISBN 1574888307 * Vyacheslav Mironov. ''Assault on Grozny Downtown.'' (First hand account of a Russian infantryman's experiences in Grozny) * Matthew Evangelista, ''The Chechen Wars: Will Russia Go the Way of the Soviet Union?''. ISBN 0815724993. * Olga Oliker, ''Russia's Chechen Wars 1994 - 2000: Lessons from Urban Combat''. ISBN 0833029983. (A strategic and tactical analysis of the Chechen Wars.) * Charlotta Gall & Thomas de Waal. ''Chechnya: A Small Victorious War''. ISBN 0330350757 * Anatol Lieven. ''Chechnya : Tombstone of Russian Power'' ISBN 0300078811 * John B Dunlop. ''Russia Confronts Chechnya : Roots of a Separatist Conflic'' ISBN 0521636191 * Marie Benningsen Broxup. ''The North Caucasus Barrier: The Russian Advance Towards the Muslim World''. ISBN 1850650691 * Anna Politkovskaya. ''A Small Corner of Hell : Dispatches from Chechnya'' ISBN 0226674320 * Chris Bird. ''"To Catch a Tartar: Notes from the Caucasus"'' [ISBN 0719565065] *[http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/chechen.html UT: Chechnya maps][http://harki.ath.cx/maps/chechnya.php?segment=b4 and a Chechnya topographical map] *[http://www.da.mod.uk/CSRC/documents/Special/S40/view?searchterm=chechnya CSRC: The Caspian: Comminatory Crosscurrents, Oil and geopolitics] *[http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1289/ Significant excerpts are available online for free at the Rand] *[http://www.da.mod.uk/CSRC/documents/Caucasus/ The CSRC publications in the Caucasus Series] *[http://www.jamestown.org/publications_view.php?publication_id=1/ The Jamestown Foundation, Chechnya weekly] Republics of Russia Disputed territories Chechnya Caucasus ce:Нохчичьо nds:Tschetschenien
Chechnya
Talk archives: Talk:Chechnya/Part_1 | Talk:Chechnya/Part 2
== FSB agents? true or rumor? ==
What about that line concerning FSB agents planting bombs? Is there any real evidence or is this just based on rumor?
I would really like to know the truth, and not suspicions. --G
== One revertion, two and more edits, to be correct, Dear gene S and Dr Bug ==
Gene S, you've reverted twice today at leat. Yours third time is near.
I've done it only once, and I've just edited as present.--User:Björn-Isak Rosendahl 13:19, 17 Sep 2004 (UTC)
==Dear Disputants==
I DO NOT hate Russia, Russians etc. as I stated before. I ONLY OPPOSE MOST SRTONGLY this sily waste of human lives, resources etc., thrown away just for nothing, which were needed to restore post-Soviet life decently everywhere else! OK ?--User:Björn-Isak Rosendahl 13:48, 17 Sep 2004 (UTC)
: You seem to miss a simple fact. This is Encyclodedia. This is NOT a political forum. It should report facts, not emotions. --User:Gene s 13:53, 17 Sep 2004 (UTC)
And I will continue to do it persistently up to a high extent even if we fell in a edit war I, II, III etc.--User:Björn-Isak Rosendahl 13:48, 17 Sep 2004 (UTC)
: Well, instead of violating the WP:3RR, you may want to appeal to the arbitration committee. So far, you are not proving any evidence which supports your views. --User:Gene s 13:53, 17 Sep 2004 (UTC)
:
:Dear BIR, could you please get more deep knowledge on the topic first? Just three facts to mention: 1. Dudaev declared independence before the USSR dissolved. 2. Chechen-Ingush ASSR was not a republic of Soviet Union, but a republic of Russian SFSR. 3. There were at least two powers in Chechnya in 1991, and most Chechen leaders didn't declare independence. I don't oppose to academic facts sounding anti-Russian. But, sorry, I definitely oppose what I consider ignorance, including anti-Russian one. User:Drbug[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=User_talk:Drbug&action=edit§ion=new ] User:Drbug 14:01, 17 Sep 2004 (UTC)
Thanks for details.
Really, the SU was complicated by its structures. The countries were incorporated in two circles; several national areas and republics within Russia inherited from the Czars, and the enlargened one including other Soviet republics. This unification of these both was called the SU. Then there was third circle, namely, the Warsaw pact...--User:Björn-Isak Rosendahl 13:42, 20 Sep 2004 (UTC)
: Looks like you are trying to write your own version of the history of the USSR. You may want to visit the page History of Russia instead.
:: Hi again ! I think you mean the history of the SU, or however you like to call it.--User:Björn-Isak Rosendahl 14:21, 20 Sep 2004 (UTC)
::: You seem to believe that there was a difference between the Soviet Union and the USSR. Please do explain the difference.
::: It's not "however I like to call it". It's the official country name.
So, also recent Georgia, which also belonged to the Czars, was a soviet republic similar to the Baltic ones, which also belonged to the Czars, equal to the Russian Soviet republic - in theory, at least. --User:Björn-Isak Rosendahl 13:42, 20 Sep 2004 (UTC)
: It seems exceptionally difficult for you to stay focused on the topic. Please do try. This is the Chechnya talk page. The Georgia talk page is at Talk:Georgia (country).
:: I am focused. The cricis underway are inherited from the SU structures.--User:Björn-Isak Rosendahl 14:27, 20 Sep 2004 (UTC)
::: Well, if you are focused, then why are you talking about Georgia (country) on Chechnya talk page? Also, please translate the word ''cricis'' for me. Thank you.
:::: Well, crisis is, crises are. Excuse me my un(der)qualified s, but stay rather qualified or unqualified as you wish.--User:Björn-Isak Rosendahl 07:13, 21 Sep 2004 (UTC)
:::: BTW., Georgia is included occasionally in the crisis (thank you again for your kind one s) in the form of Pankisi refugees, as you surely know.--User:Björn-Isak Rosendahl 07:13, 21 Sep 2004 (UTC)
In that sense, the ChRI seeked a separation from Russia by way of 1991 independence declaration, and that was finally granted de-facto by the 1997 peace treaty (regardless how early and where the ChRI separated exactly from), which was then dissolved in August and September, 1999.--User:Björn-Isak Rosendahl 13:42, 20 Sep 2004 (UTC)
: ''granted de-facto'' is an oxymoron. It's either granted, or de facto. Not both.
:: As far I remember, it was you who admitted that the ChRI was de-facto independent, but ok. she was de-jure independet. Anyway, she was independet before the status was dissolved somehow, someway de-facto as I am told by you.--User:Björn-Isak Rosendahl 14:27, 20 Sep 2004 (UTC)
::: Please try to read and comprehend. It is not difficult. The statement "was de fact independent" is correct. The statement "granted de facto independence" is an oxymoron. I used the correct wording. You used the oxymoron. And no, Ichkeria was never de jure independent.
:::: Maybe not. It's an aerial term, but the ChRI was and she never gave up that status.--User:Björn-Isak Rosendahl 07:13, 21 Sep 2004 (UTC)
By the way, what were the legal grounds if the de-facto independence ought to be regarded as dissolved ? Did it happen only by the means of brute force ?--User:Björn-Isak Rosendahl 13:42, 20 Sep 2004 (UTC)
: You seem to be having difficulty with understanding the difference between de facto and de jure again. ''De facto'' by definition means that it does not have legal grounds. --User:Gene s 14:06, 20 Sep 2004 (UTC)
== Why the heck no country recognised Chechnya independence ? ==
http://www.cc.jyu.fi/~aphamala/pe/2004/chechen_ind.htm
The Eurasian Politician - July 2004
The Chechen struggle for independence
by David Storobin, July 15, 2004
------------------
" In 1991, as the USSR was collapsing, Chechen President Jokhar Dudayev declared Chechnya an independent nation, following the example of the 14 Republics (Baltic States, Central Asian states, etc.) that gained independence from Moscow around the same time. Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev refused to recognize Chechen independence. Indeed, no country in the world recognized independent Chechnya.
The main reason for the discriminative treatment of different independence declarations lied in the Soviet hierarchy of different regions: the international community decided to recognize those who had the Socialist Soviet Republic (SSR) status in the USSR (including Russia itself), while those with Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic (ASSR) status were not recognized. While the SSR's were theoretically (but not practically) semi-sovereign under the Soviet rule, the ASSR's were part of SSR's. The result was that some Central Asian republics became independent with reluctance, while some smaller but eagerly independence-minded republics (mainly Chechnya and Dagestan, but also Tatarstan and Tuva) had to choose between surrendering their nationhood or starting active resistance. Only the Chechens chose the latter."
------------------
The ChRI obtained de-facto independence, but then the others countries didn't quite see it.--User:Björn-Isak Rosendahl 07:38, 23 Sep 2004 (UTC)
== Order of names. ==
Dear TimWiki,
I'm sure that 1.Russian-2.Chechen is a right order due to the following reasons:
1. The most used references (i.e. of most interest) should be put first.
2. Chechen Republic is a constituent part of Russian Federation, and Russian is a first language used within the territory.
3. Constitution of Chechen Republic uses this order.
User:Drbug[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=User_talk:Drbug&action=edit§ion=new ] User:Drbug 13:51, 2 Dec 2004 (UTC)
== Request for older history ==
The article is crying out for older history - surely the history of Chechnya goes back further than 1859. User:Tempshill 06:21, 11 Dec 2004 (UTC)
==Bug in population report==
Rural population: 730 thousands is not 57,5% of 1,103 thousands, it is 66% approximately. (Urban population quantities also have such bug.)
I do not know, what quantity (absolute or relative) is correct, so I only report this big, not fix it.
:Thanks for catching that! It's all my fault—I forgot to update percentages when copypasting the layout from a different article. It's fixed now (absolute numbers were correct).—User:Ezhiki 16:00, Dec 21, 2004 (UTC)
== History Updated ==
I have updated the history section, if anyone has problems with it please let me know. I've done my best to keep bias out and have tried not to select one argument over the other, but to place both sides' positions and beliefs on the table. I also updated the book list with some additional titles by British, Russian, and American authors. If there is too much on Russia itself please feel free to let me know and/or remove it.
--User:Seanmullan 16:15, 7 Mar 2005 (UTC)
==1956-1991==
If there was no war, this does not mean the period should not be covered at all. Just say all was OK 1956-1991.
: Added information for that period in history and also updated the politics section to include latest post-Maskhadov developments --User:Seanmullan 09:53, 19 Mar 2005 (UTC)
== 1956-1991 ==
Is the deportation of Chechens mentioned?
: I thought so -- read over it again? --User:Seanmullan 21:55, 19 Apr 2005 (UTC)
Anyone know the political parties of the leaders of Ichkeria??
== POV ==
Removing POV
User:Lapsed Pacifist 21:13, 17 Jun 2005 (UTC)
Before removing NPOV tag elaborate on the reasons behind the changes you've made (User:Fisenko 04:42, 18 Jun 2005 (UTC))
I am happy to leave the tag where it is. I am not happy with the manner in which the article is currently slanted.
User:Lapsed Pacifist 21:48, 18 Jun 2005 (UTC)
What exact statements cause your unhappiness ? (User:Fisenko 01:35, 19 Jun 2005 (UTC))
The article reads like a Russian government press release. More balance is needed.
User:Lapsed Pacifist 02:01, 19 Jun 2005 (UTC)
On the contrary in my opinion some sections of the article look like they were copied from kavkaz.org or some other Chechen terrorist propaganda site. If you intent to make any more changes aimed to increase its pro-separatist bias, please be ready to provide arguments and neutral sources, not just statements like "it reads like Russian government press release". (User:Fisenko 03:42, 19 Jun 2005 (UTC))
What sections in particular? I was unable to find any terrorist propaganda. Perhaps you could point it out for me.
User:Lapsed Pacifist 00:35, 20 Jun 2005 (UTC)
Sections you recently edited in particular. Anyway, my questions was first, explain what exact statments you consider biased or not neutral before you make any edits. (User:Fisenko 05:43, 20 Jun 2005 (UTC))
I was clarifing some very vague statements, and I have difficulty understanding why some of my additions were reverted. Why "various armed groups" instead of "armed separatist groups"? The edits on discrimination are POV. Was the anarchy in Chechnya fomented (at least in part) by Moscow factions, or not? "Terrorism" is POV. The referendum description was changed from "all-Chechnya" to "all-Chechen". Why? Were ethnic Russians not allowed to vote? Other grammar and syntax corrections I made were changed.
User:Lapsed Pacifist 01:51, 22 Jun 2005 (UTC)Chechnya
The Chechnya (Russian: Чеченская Республика; Chechen: Noxçiyn Respublika Noxçiyçö), also known as Chechnya (Russian: Чечня), Chechnia or Chechenia, is a constituent republic of the Russia. Republics of Russia Caucasus ce:Category:Нохчийчоь
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