08:54, 23 February 2019

Anniversary of Vainakhs' deportation reminds of motives for mourning abolition in Chechnya

The Ingush family of Gazdiev near the body of their killed daughter. Kazakhstan, 1944. https://ru.wikipedia.org

The refusal of the Chechen authorities to mark the deportation anniversary has to do with the softening of Russian authorities' attitude to Stalinism and an attempt to stifle the protest moods of residents of Chechnya, who, together with those of Ingushetia, remember the deportation, regardless of the policies of local authorities, Caucasus historians have noted.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Urus Kurskiev, an activist, who tried to organize an unsanctioned march of deported nations of the Caucasus, was arrested for three days for that.

February 23, 2019, marks 75 years since the start of Stalinist deportation of Chechens and Ingushes, but this date is not officially marked in Chechnya.

Alexei Malashenko, a political analyst, believes that by cancelling the events connected with the commemoration day of Chechens' deportation, Ramzan Kadyrov wanted to win support from the Kremlin.

"Nevertheless, residents of Chechnya remember this day and pay tribute to the deportees," the political analyst has noted.

In turn, the head of Ingushetia, Yunus-Bek Evkurov, has stated that Joseph Stalin is the enemy number one for all deported nations, including the Ingushes.

On February 22, 2017, the Deputies of the People's Assembly of Ingushetia adopted a draft law prohibiting the perpetuation of Stalin's memory.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 22, 2019 at 11:00 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Gor Alexanyan

Source: CK correspondent