October 11, 2005

Chechnya; Land of Conflict


Chechnya has been in the news, quite frequently, of late. As the ongoing, almost ancient, ethnic conflict between the people of this region and Russia escalates, so does the issues of human rights, freedoms and cultural diversity of the Russian Federation.

Background . . .

The Chechens are the ancient peoples of, and thus, indigenous to the North Caucasus. Their language is an unique one, closely associated only with that of the Ingush. The Chechens and their ancestors have apparently lived in their North Caucasus homeland for several thousand years. During their long history, they have battled against the Iranian Alans and the Mongol Golden Horde. In the early 1800s, an ever expanding Imperial Russia conquered the Chechens, after a lengthy engagement. Chechnya, officially, became a part of Russia in 1859.

Conflict with Imperial Russia is as old as the Impire, itself. The most distinctive regions of resistance were Chechnya and the bordering region of Dagestan. The North Caucasus Republic of the early 1900's, which included Chechnya, declared its independence in May of 1918, not long after the Bolshevik revolution. This region became known as the North Causasian Emirate, as of September, 1919. Early the following year, the Red Army invaded Chechnya in response to the rebellion against the Bolsheviks. This rebellion was finally put down in late 1921.

The Congress of the Mountain People met January,1921. It was led by Joseph Stalin (born Iosef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili of Georgia), the Peoples' Commissar of Nationalities. The Congress formed the Mountainous Soviet Republic of the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic (RSFSR). The following, albeit brief, period of peace was shattered by the political oppression and implementation of collectivization which characterized the 1920's and '30's. Civil unrest and rebellion resulted and escalated until the dawn of WWII. The rebels of Chechnya and Ingush anxiously awaited the German troops and saw the Nazis as their, would be, liberators. This treason to the Soviet was used against the people of this region and resulted in their massive deportation, from their ancient homelands, to other parts of the Soviet Union.

Eventually, thanks to the fact that Nikita Khrushchev saw the deportations a contradiction to Lenin's ideals, the Chechno-Ingush republic was restored and many deported people returned to their homelands (1957). Regardless, the Islamic mountain folk have never given any credence to the Russian, or Soviet, claim to their land. From the early 1960's to the 1990's, there existed a period of relative calm over this issue.

In November of 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the Chechno-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Chechen-Ingush Republic. The document declared Chechyna to be a sovereign state, equal to the other, then, Soviet states. This action was not unlike similar declarations made by other Soviet autonomous republics of the time. Thanks to the escalating power struggle between factions led by Boris Yeltsin and Mikhail Gorbachev, these declarations received little notice from the Kremlin.

Boris Yeltsin, however, took notice and used this ethnic unrest to advance his cause. He gained considerable support and votes from these non-Russian ethnic groups and regions by promising to increase their autonomy and to forgive the anti-Russian activities of their rebels. Roughly 80% of Chechno-Ingush voters voted for Yeltsin in the first presidential election of June 12, 1991.

In the Dec. 12, 1993, Russian Constitution (Article 65), Chechnya is listed, among others, as being component of the Russian Federation. Prior to the ratification of this Constitution, Chechens seceded from Russia and declared their independence on November 2, 1991. They passed a constitution, on March 17, 1992, and have considered themselves to be an independent state, with a president and parliament, ever since.

The People . . .

Chechens are a mountain, tribal clan folk with a dynamic sense of independence. The Russian poet, Mikhail Lermontov, summed these peoples' character best when he wrote; Their god is freedom, their law is war (1832). Sometime in the beginning of the early 1600s, these tribal people were converted to Sunni Islam; the orthodox body of the Islamic faith; and the Sufi sect. While Islam is a key factor in Chechen culture, these people still hold true to their ancestral clans when it comes to regional political and societal concerns.

Chechnya is roughly 6,000 square miles. Georgia borders to the south, Dagastan to the east and north and Stavropol Krai and North Ossetia to the northwest. The Ingush Republic lies to the west and this border is under dispute. Chechnya is a geographical wonder. Fertile plains dominate the north, nurtured by the Terek and Sunja Rivers. The southern portion of the region is home to the heavily wooded foothills and the northern slopes of the Caucasus mountains. The highest point, in Chechyna, is Mt. Elburz at 18,481 feet.

The last census (1989) reported a total regional population of 1,270,000. Of the areas currently a part of Chechnya, there was a total population of 1,084,000. Roughly 715,000 of these were Chechens; 269,000 Russians; and 25,000 Ingush. The capital of Chechnya is Grozny which is an important oil refining center. One of Grozny's most valuable assets is its rail and pipeline networks; especially the Caspian oil pipeline.

Tags: chechnyawar
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955