Chechen authorities consolidate trend for mourning rallies on February 23

For the second year in a row, after a long break, the Chechen authorities have been holding an official rally in Grozny in memory of victims of the Stalinist deportation and combining the mourning date with the celebration of the Defender of the Fatherland Day. Unlike last year, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov did not attend the event, since he had left for Dubai on a visit.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the Defender of the Fatherland Day coincides with the anniversary of the Stalinist deportation of Chechen and Ingush people in 1944.

In 2011, the mourning events associated with the deportation of Vainakh people were rescheduled in Chechnya from February 23 to May 10. Ramzan Kadyrov explained the decision by the fact that the events took place on the national holiday.

Thus, the leader of Chechnya wanted to gain the support of the Kremlin, which softened its attitude towards Stalinism, and also tried to drown out the protest moods in the republic, Caucasian experts suggested.

However, in 2020, on the Defender of the Fatherland Day, a rally was held in Grozny in memory of victims of the Stalinist deportation. The rally was attended by Ramzan Kadyrov and other officials.

The local residents were surprised by the inconsistent actions of the republic's leader. Analysts explained that the legalization of mourning for victims of the Stalinist deportation was a consequence of the strengthening of the Ramzan Kadyrov's position.

The attempts of the Chechen authorities to change the date of the mourning failed, noted Ruslan Kutaev, the president of the Assembly of Caucasian Nations. In 2014, he himself spoke out against the ban on mourning events on the anniversary of the deportation and ended up in prison for almost four years.