Chechnya is an autonomous republic in Russia with a population that is 95% Chechen. It has faced many conflicts with Russia over independence since the 1990s, resulting in two devastating wars that destroyed much of its infrastructure. Today, Chechnya is relatively stable under the authoritarian rule of Ramsan Kadyrov, but still faces issues of corruption, human rights violations, and separatist activity.

1. Chechnya

2. SOME FACTS
• autonomous republic in the North Caucasus
(Russia)
• 1.3 million inhabitants
• Capital: Grozny
• head of state: Ramsan Kadyrov

4. Population
• Chechens make up the majority (95%)
• minorities: -Russians (2%)
-Ingushes
-Armenians
-Ukrainians
• ethnic tensions between Russians and
Chechens because of the wars

5. Healthcare and education
• Hospitals only in Grozny, lack of qualified
medical staff
• many destroyed schools (Chechen wars), lack
of professional teachers -> low level of
education, school buildings have to be rebuilt

6. Religion and culture
• Islam is the most important religion in
Chechnya, practised by 95%
 Sunni belief, Sufism (mystical form of Islam)
• In general: clan-relationships and
brotherhoods influence everyday life

7. Languages
• Use of Caucasian alphabet
• Languages in use: Russian and Chechen
• Chechen belongs to the North-central
Caucasian language family

8. The Caucasian Alphabet

9. Political situation
• Since 1990, the Chechen Republic has had many legal,
military, and civil conflicts with Russians
• Today, Chechnya is a relatively stable federal republic,
although there is still some separatist movement
activity.
• 2007: Ramsan Kadyrov becomes head of the republic
• money and violence rule the country
• high level of corruption
• violations of human rights  rebels are persecuted
and their relatives are threatened

10. Ramsan Kadyrov

11. History of wars
• 200 years of conflict between Russia and
Chechnya
• 1817 Caucasus War
• 1918 Russian Civil War
• 1949 Uprising of Chechnya against Russia
• 1994 1. Chechen War
• 1999 2. Chechen War

12. After the war
• capital Grozny destroyed
• President Kadyrow rules by force
• human rights violations, torture, murder
• number of Chechen seeking asylum in
European countries has increased

13. Chechens in Austria
• About 30,000, most of them in Vienna
• live isolated among their own countrymen
• marriage within the people
• not a good reputation: many crimes, involved
in organized crime, violent youth groups
• reasons: young people grew up in war  no
fathers, no education, used to violence
• high national pride

14. Human rights
• Human rights violations: suppression, spread
of fear, kidnapping, punishment and torture
by state security forces, honour killing,
persecution of homosexuals
• attacks on advocats of human rights:
 lawyers
 journalists
 charities