October 12, 2023

Kadyrov: A Medal for My Son


Kadyrov: A Medal for My Son
Ramzan Kadyrov with his son Adam in the background. Eli Dror, Twitter.

The Head of the Chechen State, Ramzan Kadyrov, awarded his son Adam the "Hero of Chechnya" medal. The reason? In a video recorded by his father, the 15-year-old can be seen beating up a prisoner in a pre-trial jail who has been accused of burning a Qu'ran.

On May 22, Nikita Zhuravel allegedly burned a Qu'ran in front of a mosque in Volgograd and was subsequently arrested on charges of insulting the feelings of believers. Volgograd's authorities have also accused Zhuravel of sending a video of his Islamophobic action to the Ukrainian Secret Services. Zhuravel was sent to a detention center in Grozny, Chechnya, where he awaits trial.

In mid-August, Zhuravel reported that Adam Kadyrov, the son of the Chechen Head of State, had attacked him in a detention center. Chechen police refused to charge the 15-year-old for assault. In fact, Ramzan Kadyrov posted a video of the beating on his social media, applauding his son's actions. Shortly after, he awarded his son with the medal "Hero of Chechnya," the highest regional award, for his extrajudicial punishment of the prisoner.

Kadyrov has governed Chechnya since 2007, not long after his father, then president of Chechnya, was assassinated. A close ally of the Russian president, Kadyrov called for the 2024 elections to be canceled due to the war, or to have Vladimir Putin as the only candidate.

 

You Might Also Like

Strangers on a Train
  • July 09, 2023

Strangers on a Train

A Russian journalist recounts a very telling encounter in a train from Tula to Moscow.
Prigozhin's Uprising
  • June 24, 2023

Prigozhin's Uprising

Russia's home-grown mercenaries have taken over Rostov-on-Don and threaten to march on the capital.
War and Beef
  • June 07, 2023

War and Beef

Sculptures of soldiers and tanks made from ground meat are making waves.
Dentist Kadyrov
  • July 04, 2022

Dentist Kadyrov

Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov isn't a dentist. But that didn't stop him from being awarded the Russian Order of Merit for Dentistry.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

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.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

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.

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