Distribution of Mercedes cars from Kadyrov Foundation provokes criticism in Chechnya

Over the week, after returning to Chechnya, two participants of all-Russian contests received Mercedes cars from the Kadyrov Foundation. Residents of the subsidized republic recognized the merits of the contestants, but criticized the authorities of Chechnya for such expensive gifts.

Amirkhan Umaev, a soloist of the Chechen State Philharmonic, who on January 2 became the finalist of the TV contest "The Voice", got a Mercedes car from the Kadyrov Foundation and was awarded the title of People's Artist of Chechnya, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has been informed today by an official from the Chechen Ministry of Culture.

Earlier, on December 29, 2018, Alikhan Dinaev, the winner of the "Teacher of 2018 in Russia" contest, also was awarded a Mercedes car from the Kadyrov Foundation.

Residents of Chechnya expressed their ambiguous attitude to the distribution of expensive foreign-made cars to contest winners on behalf of the Kadyrov Foundation.

"In principle, I am not against the appropriate authorities' encouragement for outstanding athletes, artists, or other well-known figures. Although, it is not clear why everything that is done here, including, for example, construction of any objects, schools, houses for the needy, allocation of apartments, or acquiring the same expensive foreign-made cars for someone, is being presented as the action of the Akhmat-Khadji Kadyrov Foundation," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by Zaur, a resident of Grozny.

"There are thousands of needy families in our republic, people who do not have any shelter, those who do not have money for medical treatment of their children, and so on. And against that background, all those demonstrative expensive gifts like Mercedes cars look out of place," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by Malika, a member of a Chechen NGO.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 4, 2019 at 11:41 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.