In April 1996, almost 20 years ago, the President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Dzhokhar Dudayev, was killed. In 1999, when the second Russian-Chechen war began, his widow Alla Dudayeva was forced to leave Chechnya and has since lived in exile in Georgia, Turkey, and now in Sweden.
Alla Dudayeva was born into a Russian family, she is the daughter of an officer Soviet army, but considers himself a Chechen. Alla Fedorovna published a book about her husband, “The First Million,” and writes poetry and paintings. We began our conversation, dedicated to the anniversary of Stalin’s deportation of the Chechen-Ingush people, with memories of the times of perestroika, when Dzhokhar Dudayev led the movement for the independence of Checheno-Ingushetia from Russia.
– There were very bright hopes, there was a fresh wind of change that seemed to bring freedom to all peoples, including Russia. The future seemed only bright and joyful. But still some doubt crept in at that time. I even wrote a poem dedicated to Gorbachev, which ended like this: “A democrat and a party-crat will not grow together. One step forward and two steps back are inevitable.” Our hopes were dashed when 14 Georgian girls were killed with sapper blades, and then Russian tanks approached the Lithuanian Seimas, captured the tower, and there were also casualties. I think: why did our hope not come true, why did this happen? Because no one was punished for these war crimes, for the people killed. After all, they don’t judge their own people. This was the beginning of the end of democratic reforms.
– Who would you like to see in the dock? Hardly Gorbachev?
– Yes, I think, of course, not Gorbachev. It was great courage on his part to speak out against the state apparatus. But it was necessary to conduct an investigation, start with the generals who gave the orders for the murders, and then the threads would be pulled further.
– You lived in Estonia then...
The entire Chechen people cannot be perceived as supporters of the current regime
– Until 1991, Dzhokhar was a division general in Tartu. The first popular fronts were created there: in Lithuania, then in Estonia. It was like a spring flood. We were just learning politics then. I worked in the library, next to me was a Ukrainian, he took part in the Rukh, the Ukrainian Popular Front. In Checheno-Ingushetia, everything happened a little later; there, too, the people perked up and believed that they would receive as much freedom as they could hold, as Yeltsin later said.
– Chechnya during the Yeltsin years was the center of resistance to the empire. The Chechens repelled aggression during the first war and defeated Russia. But now Chechnya has become a stronghold of Putinism. Kadyrov is omnipotent, and it seems that even Putin himself is afraid to pull him back. What are the reasons for this change, how do you explain it?
– The entire Chechen people cannot be perceived as supporters of the current regime, otherwise these people would not have resisted decades of Russian occupation. Five Chechen presidents were killed during the two Russian-Chechen wars, the best warriors died, and the survivors were forced to leave their homeland due to persecution. And we must not forget about the monstrous torture, violence and murders, hundreds of concentration camps, not only in Ichkeria, but also in Mozdok, Kislovodsk, throughout Stavropol and the North Caucasus. The Chechen people are now intimidated, forced to simply survive according to the principle “even if you call it a pot, just don’t put it in the oven.” Nevertheless, within the people there was always alive not just a craving for freedom, but the confidence that the Chechen people would be free. The Kadyrov regime now relies on the support of Putin, and he on Kadyrov. This symbiosis will exist as long as Putin remains in power. So it won't last forever. Judging by the events currently happening in the world, this will not last long.
– Don’t you think that Putin will be elected again in 2018?
– A lot will change before 2018. Judging by the looming crisis, the pressure of European sanctions, the general rejection of the vertical power structure, the Putin regime and the constant wars in which the Russian people are involved, I think that big changes in Russia will happen much faster.
– Now they even say that Kadyrov is the only politician who can become Putin’s successor. Can you imagine such a scenario?
– I think this is being done in order to intimidate those who do not support Putin: if you don’t like Putin, Kadyrov will come. They just scare Kadyrov.
– There are reasons to be afraid of Kadyrov. The murder of Boris Nemtsov, threats to Kasyanov...
– I think it’s no secret to anyone who ordered the murder of Boris Nemtsov; this is still the same struggle for unlimited power before the 2018 elections. How many have already been killed for her? the best people Russia simply because they could become possible contenders, how many are now in prisons and camps...
– Aren’t you afraid of Kadyrov? Didn’t Kadyrov’s people try to threaten you or, on the contrary, somehow win you over to their side? Are there any such signals from Grozny?
And how can I come when the best representatives of the Chechen people are being killed in the mountains?
– There was such interest in me 10 years ago or a little more, when Akhmat Kadyrov, Ramzan’s father, was still at the head of Chechnya. He officially invited me to come through the media, promising that he would help solve economic problems, supposedly I would be the guarantee of peace in Ichkeria. Guaranteed my safety. But I told him that there is a war going on in Chechnya and he cannot guarantee his own security. And how can I come when the best representatives of the Chechen people are being killed in the mountains, and I will be received with honor? I'll look like a traitor. The Minister of the Interior also invited me to come and also guaranteed safety. A year later, Akhmat Kadyrov was blown up at the stadium.
– Ramzan hasn’t invited you yet?
- No, nothing happened. Probably my answer was enough: he is aware, he knows how I answered.
– Is there a leader in Chechnya who, in your opinion, continues the work of Dzhokhar Dudayev?
It is necessary to abolish the post of president altogether, introduce parliamentary rule, as has always been the case in Chechnya since ancient times
– For security reasons, I don’t want to name the names of the leaders; I wouldn’t want to expose these people. Although all Chechens are generals, as Dzhokhar said, in the Chechen people, like in no other, there are a large number of passionaries, people who are capable of giving their lives for the idea of freedom and independence of their homeland. Dzhokhar compared the Chechens to wild, unbroken horses, which in times of danger unite in a circle, protecting the elderly, women and children in the center and fighting off enemies with their hooves, and in Peaceful time from excess strength they kick each other. Therefore, I am sure that for the Chechen people it is necessary to abolish the post of president altogether and introduce parliamentary government, as has always been the case in Chechnya since ancient times. The imam appeared only during hostilities; in peacetime there was another governing body - the mekhk-khel, the council of elders. It's no secret that the presidential form of government is always a struggle for power, even with one's former comrades. This is always dangerous for the people, because this government can develop into an autocratic one, as it happened in Russia. One person cannot be trusted to rule an entire state. It may turn out that this person himself will become a puppet of those people who paid for his elections, and then the entire people will become victims. I believe that we need to fight not with power, we need to fight for its destruction. The less power, the better.
– Have you started to adhere to anarchist views?
– No, not anarchist, but I believe that parliamentary government is the most convenient for both the Chechen and Russian people. Because one head is good, but many heads are better. Firstly, it is impossible to blow up everyone, and this collegial body is simply much smarter and much more capable of solving difficult government problems. In addition, all people elected by the people can take part in parliament.
– Russia is not used to living without a tsar; under any regime, the same pattern of autocracy is repeated.
Dzhokhar compared Chechens to wild, unbroken horses
– And still, so much power cannot be given to one president. Now many people tell me, they lament, that there is no Dzhokhar, there is no such strong leader who would lead the Chechen people. I tell them: “All together we are Dzhokhar, each of us can’t handle it individually, but all together we are Dzhokhar.” As Dzhokhar said, “Mr. the people decide everything.” Those whom the Chechen people choose will rule together. Therefore, I believe that there is no need to focus on the leaders: separate groups appear that begin to compete with each other, argue in the struggle for power, former comrades can become enemies. This is fraught dangerous consequences for the people and the state. Parliamentary government is best. I have already talked to many of our people about this topic: perhaps in the future we will have to hold a referendum to change presidential rule to parliamentary rule. Many people support.
– You said that during perestroika you were friends with a member of the Ukrainian People’s Movement. How did you perceive the latest events in Ukraine, the Maidan, the revolution? Are there parallels in what is happening between Russia and Chechnya and between Russia and Ukraine, or are they still different stories?
I have great hopes for the Ukrainian people, because their spirit reminds me of the Chechen
– I haven’t been to Ukraine for a long time, but I’m closely following all the events. Because of Russia (as was previously the case in the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria), an internal struggle has to be waged with people who were imprisoned from former government THE USSR. Sprouted poisonous teeth dragon, which were sown by the partocrats. Then they took advantage of privatization, now they have become oligarchs, buying the conscience and votes of poor people during elections, using political technologies, monstrous deception and fraud. Universal actions in all captured and occupied republics. What concern is there for the life of the people and the right to self-determination! For example, a “referendum” was held in the so-called Lugansk and Donetsk republics, but I call it a “so-called referendum”, just like those “referendums” that were held in the occupied republics, for example in Ichkeria. A referendum is not held at gunpoint, the will of the people is not asked without the participation of international observers. Moreover, regardless of the state’s right to the integrity of its territory. I think that the parallels with the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria are also in the strength of spirit of the Ukrainian people, volunteers and the leadership of the ATO, who took the burden of the war on their shoulders. And in his political deception. An army of 300,000 entered Ichkeria under the guise of protecting the Russian-speaking population and began to establish “constitutional order.” And it entered Ukraine under the guise of protecting the Russian population of Lugansk and Donetsk. I have no doubt that Ukraine will become truly independent European state, I have high hopes for the Ukrainian people, because in their spirit they remind me of the Chechen people. In addition, I really like Mikheil Saakashvili, I lived and worked in Georgia. I was invited as a presenter on the Russian-language TV channel PIK from 2009 to 2011. I am a witness to the reformatory changes of the young government of Saakashvili.
– Why did you decide to leave Georgia?
– Because the pro-Russian government of Ivanishvili came to power. The channel where I worked for three years was closed, and persecution of Mikheil Saakashvili himself began. Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili was jailed for two years. Many were then forced to flee Georgia. Now, it seems to me that something is changing for the better.
– It cannot be said that Georgia is now pursuing a pro-Russian policy. Foreign policy is, rather, the same as during the time of Saakashvili, only without such harsh rhetoric.
– Because now there is a different president, with whom Ivanishvili’s people are not very happy. There are a lot of attacks on Mikheil Saakashvili, but I would like to tell people what I witnessed. In 1999, at the beginning of the second Russian-Chechen war, I was forced to flee to Georgia. These were the times of Shevardnadze. At that time, Georgia was a dark kingdom, there was almost no electric light, broken roads, people were poor and unemployed, with a tiny pension of 8 lari in Georgian villages, which could only buy a bottle of milk and bread. When I arrived 10 years later in 2009, I saw a completely different country, changed thanks to the investments that were made by other countries with the help of Mikheil Saakashvili, who created a fertile climate for investors. Power plants were built on mountain rivers. All Georgian villages and cities were brightly lit. Roads meeting European standards were built to the most remote corners of Georgia, right up to Pankisi, and the pension was increased to 100 lari, everyone was paid the same pension. The system of bureaucracy and corruption was completely destroyed – this was done by the Saakashvili government. I was surprised by the cheapest taxis in the world. A taxi driver could simply buy a sign for 10 lari, hang it on his old car and start working, the state did not take any taxes from him. Usually pensioners went, I talked to them, they earned 500-600 lari a month – there was great help to the families of their children and grandchildren. This work was a joy for the elderly because they felt needed by the family and independent. Small developed private business in small shops and markets. I wondered why there are no modern supermarkets: it turns out that supermarkets were not built specifically so that there would be no trade monopoly. People came from villages, brought food to these shops, sold vegetables, fruits, meat, milk, cottage cheese, cheese, wine, Borjomi, all this was very inexpensive. People dreamed of how to start trading in Russia, because Georgia – agricultural country. Mikheil Saakashvili opened the border with Georgia, visa-free travel for Russians. But Putin on the other side did not allow Georgian goods through. Ivanishvili promised to do this, but the promise was never fulfilled. And how beautiful Georgia has become! I have never seen such decorations anywhere, in the three darkest months – November, December and January – Garlands of lights in the form of flowing drops, flying birds and water lilies hung on the streets. You could walk along the streets of Georgian cities at night as during the day, it was so beautiful. The trees stood drenched in these lights, with luminous figures of animals between them. It was clear that Saakashvili loved Georgia very much. A blue bridge was built, very beautiful for pedestrians. Glass stations for police officers, transparent so that passers-by can see that the Georgian police do not beat those they arrest. To become a police officer, you had to pass a very difficult exam. The police were very polite, they received a thousand dollars, in my opinion, a good salary for Georgia at that time. In Tbilisi, old streets were being repaired, in different colors were painted, and at the same time the historical appearance was respected. On Rustaveli Avenue, an old city of medieval stone construction was found underground. They didn’t bury it, but thoroughly cleaned it, and it was like the bottom floor for tourists in the center of Tbilisi. Exhibitions, galleries, conferences, cultural figures and historians were invited from all the republics of the Caucasus. Our channel was engaged in this work, I broadcast with these guests from all over the Caucasus. People even came to us from Moscow by invitation, Valeria Novodvorskaya, for example, came, artists came, poets – it was broadcast throughout Russia. Our programs were peaceful; we showed that, despite the five-day war, Russians have nothing to fear, Georgia’s borders are open to everyone. Mikheil Saakashvili had such a very honest and kind policy.
– Now he is trying to carry out reforms in Odessa. Do you keep in contact with him?
– No, I don’t maintain contact, but I closely monitor everything that happens there.
– I see that you miss Tbilisi. Are you thinking about returning?
I lived the happiest and most difficult years with the Chechen people
– I think that in the future I will come to Georgia and the Caucasus in general. I like it in Europe too, I am amazed at the kindness of Europeans, how they accept so many Muslim refugees, with what kindness they treat them. I actually traveled to many countries, after the first Russian-Chechen war I was in Azerbaijan, Turkey, Lithuania, Germany, France with an exhibition of my paintings and a presentation of a book. When I lived in Turkey, I was amazed by the kindness of Turkish women who spent six months sewing, embroidering, knitting wonderful transparent tablecloths or silk towels, children's clothes, and Turkish sellers gave their goods for free to women to sell at charity bazaars after marking them down three times. Once every six months, in autumn and spring, they gathered at these bazaars, laid out these goods on the shelves in the most beautiful place in Istanbul, and sang beautiful songs. The mayor of Istanbul came and solemnly opened a charity fair, these things were bought, and it all went to pay for the refugees’ apartments. I sold my paintings there and the book “The First Million” in Turkish, which was read by the Turks. And I was surprised that they perceived the book like children. Such a huge man could, with tears in his eyes, bring me a piece of paper on which he wrote a letter in Turkish after he read my book, expressing his feelings for the Chechen people. In general, Turkish people are very sentimental. When my book was translated into Turkish, I asked the translator: “How did the poems turn out?” He says with this smile: “Better than the original.” I felt a little offended. He explained that in Turkic languages – this is the birthplace of poetry – the poems sound much better. In general, you can learn something good from all nations. Among European peoples – kindness and tolerance. They walk down the street, without even knowing the person, smiling towards him.
– Do you live in Stockholm?
– No, in one of the small towns. They don’t know me, but that’s just the way it is. People live modestly; there are no palaces like those that appeared in Russia among the nouveau riche. They live modestly, but very clean apartments, beautiful houses, but without unnecessary decorations on the outside. There is good plumbing inside, doors, windows, radiators under the windows, so that everything is clean, beautiful, really high level. People dress simply, not at all like in Russia or Ichkeria, without unnecessary decorations. Probably, they are decorated with the kindness of their souls more than all these decorations. And many people ride bicycles. Have expensive car It's considered unsightly here. And somehow show off your wealth. You will never know the difference between a rich person and common man, he also works on his farm. Many people have farms: three days on the farm, three days in the city, rich people live in harmony with nature and with all life.
– Do you also have a bicycle?
– Yes, I go in for sports, ride in the forest, through fields and meadows. It’s very good, fresh air blows across my face, I admire the well-groomed fields: the work of these kind hands, those who live here, is visible everywhere, there are no fields overgrown with weeds or broken roads. Great workers – they get up early in the morning with the sunrise, catch the sun, as they say, go to bed very early, around 9-10 o'clock.
– Alla Fedorovna, you were born in the Moscow region. Do you have a desire to visit there or do you want to have nothing to do with Russia?
The Russian people have been living in a state of war for 25 years, they only bury and send their sons to war
– I have more friends and relatives in Ichkeria, because for the last 40 years I have lived among the Chechen people, my children and grandchildren – Chechens. I miss these friends more; there are very few left in Russia. Unfortunately, the mentality of the Russian people has changed a lot. I lived the happiest and most difficult years together with the Chechen people; we were as one during the war, when we prayed together and asked Allah to send us victory, buried those who died together, and cried together. The Russian people were on the opposite side. Many of its best representatives, who saw the injustice of the Russian-Chechen war, gave their lives so that this war would end, spoke the truth about the Chechen people. The whole world knows the names of these people – this is Anna Politkovskaya and many others, I don’t even want to list them all for you, because there are so many of them. What is in the Russian people, – people who are willing to give their lives or freedom in the fight against an aggressive criminal government. The Russian people are not building new cities now, they are not planting gardens, there are no roads like in Georgia, healthcare and hospitals, education – This is all at the lowest level, all funds are invested only in the military industry. The Russian people have been fighting for 25 years already, the war was in the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, then in Georgia, in Ukraine, and now in Syria. The Russian people have been living in a state of war for 25 years, only burying and sending their sons to war. Therefore, I think the mentality of the majority has changed. As a result of this rule of the most cruel, criminal and aggressive regime in the world, Russia is gradually shrinking, the people are dying out at a rate never before dreamed of, the number of street children is growing, people are living in poverty. But advertising is completely different.
– Now many in Russia are thinking about emigrating. You have a lot of experience, you have lived in many countries, what advice do you have for those who are hesitant to make a choice?
I read articles on the Internet and am horrified by what the world has come to.
– If they are young, it is easier for young people to settle down abroad and get an education abroad. Change homeland – It's always very difficult. We were forced to leave because we were threatened with destruction. But in Russia itself there is no such war going on internally, although public figures are threatened. I think that this is their personal matter, a matter of their conscience. If they leave, they will not come back, because their homeland will no longer exist. I would simply advise, perhaps, to hide for a while, but not to leave your homeland, because changes will come very soon, big changes. I can read you my poem, it’s about how I miss you.
Ichkeria, my love!
To where there is no return,
My soul, fly...
Where every leaf and stone is holy
Bow your knees.
Having corrected thousands of deaths,
You were coming out of the lights
Earthly hell... And they left.
And we're halfway there again...
Those mountains are cool even in the night
I see streams flickering...
And the sounds of hundreds of voices,
Shells whistling
And the clang of trunks
I hear again with a sensitive heart.
In the Lezginka of young men flying,
The reach of eagle arms, their gaze!
Masses of mountains
The pupils shifted,
And going out into the open
Freedom to infect slaves,
And to frighten enemies with death!
Ichkeria, my love,
How I miss you!
What should I tell you?
I didn’t live in exile for even a minute.
I live by your hope,
I'm dying every moment
When you go to the slaughter...
Evil does not last forever, it will go away
And with it all your suffering.
Take a deep breath, and then
Russian troops will leave,
All predictions will come true...
The snow will melt, spring will come,
Scattering thousands of signs,
Happy life for generations,
taken from the fire by you,
Ichkeria, my love!
– Alla Fedorovna, do you consider yourself, first of all, a poet, an artist, or does politics occupy you most?
– I never considered myself a politician. I had exhibitions, presentations of my book – it was my cultural information work in all countries, just to talk about what I witnessed. She got involved in politics unwillingly. Because when my husband Dzhokhar Dudayev was elected president, we were asked questions about politics, we had to read and think a lot. I still read articles on the Internet and am horrified by what the world has come to. Back in 2007, I wanted to create a union of cities around the world, I wrote appeals, people responded to me from different countries, so that all wars on this earth would stop. It didn’t work out, now with one click of a button you can destroy an entire city. The development of weapons is making huge strides. It seems to me that people need to be changed morally, because their appearance does not correspond to this progress, modern technology. People must learn kindness, must learn to love each other and understand that every nation has its own heroes, that every nation wants to be free. For this, of course, there must be communication. The Chechen people have never wanted harm to the Russian and other peoples. In the Caucasus, all the peoples lived in peace and harmony, just as peoples now live in Europe who do not even have strong armies, because they are unaccustomed to fighting. Only Russia is at war, its aggressive government, which sends Russian sons to war. This means that this government needs to be changed.
– February 23 is Defender of the Fatherland Day in Russia and the day of deportation of the Chechen-Ingush people...
– Dzhokhar, speaking on the 50th anniversary of the deportation in Ichkeria, made a wonderful speech. He said that he would stop grieving and crying, as the Chechen people were accustomed to on this day, the day of remembrance of the victims of deportation. Then half of the Chechen people were exterminated in camps or burned in their houses, as in the village of Khaibakh. He said: stop shedding tears, let's make this day the day of the revival of the Chechen nation. And I also don’t like that it’s Soviet Army Day. There is war all around, and here is a military holiday, and in Chechnya it is a day of grief. Let's better make sure that this is a day of revival for all peoples, a revival of kindness, peace, and an end to wars on our planet. It may be a naive utopian dream, but if you really believe in it, maybe it will come true.
The marriage of Dzhokhar and Alla Dudayev produced sons Avlur (Ovlur) and Degi, as well as daughter Dana.
Avlur became a citizen of Lithuania in 2002 under the Russian name Oleg Davydov. He moved to the Baltic states before his father’s death, after being wounded in a clash with federal troops. Subsequently, he left for Sweden, where he prefers to live as a non-public person.
35-year-old Degi, who has Georgian citizenship, lives in Lithuania and runs the VEO company, which works in the field of alternative energy. In 2012, he participated in the Georgian TV show “Moment of Truth”, where he stated on a lie detector test that he does not hate the Russian people, but if he could, he would avenge his father. Also in an interview, the son of Dhokhar Dudayev stated that he lives in Vilnius, because in this city he can hear Russian speech.
In 2014, Degi was fined in Lithuania for falsifying documents; this case received resonance in the press. When crossing the country's border, he had with him 7 fake passports, apparently intended for members of the Chechen diaspora who wanted to move to Europe. The widow of the first president of Chechnya saw in this fact “the machinations of the Russian special services.” Degi Dudayev maintains an Instagram account with more than 1,700 subscribers - a significant part of the publications on it are dedicated to his father. In addition, he is friends with the youngest son of the first president of Georgia, Zviad Gamsakhurdia.
Dana and her husband Masud Dudayev also lived in Lithuania for some time, but then left for Turkey. In 2010, she unsuccessfully tried to settle in Sweden. As of 2013, she lived in Germany, separately from her husband, who settled in the UK. It is known that former militant Akhmed Zakaev provided assistance to this family.
Living in different countries the general’s children are raising five grandchildren of Dzhokhar Dudayev.
In addition to his immediate family, the Chechen president had 12 brothers and sisters, all of whom were older than him. As Alla Dudayeva said, a significant part of the Dudayev family died in the war, and the younger generation of the family numbers more than a dozen people.
Recently, the widow of the first president of Ichkeria, Alla Dudayeva, presented her book about her husband. Russian by origin, she clearly positions herself as a Chechen. The fate of this absolutely creative woman - artist, poetess, writer - is filled with political struggle, hardship and pain, because she gave her soul and heart to Chechnya in the midst of it tragic story. About what is happening in her life now.
“Not a single Chechen will touch a girl before marriage”
— What does Chechnya mean to you and how did you manage to become part of it?
— The Chechen people are unique. It still preserves ancient legends that teach young people to act according to honor and conscience. These customs are passed down from mouth to mouth, from generation to generation, and the unforgettable voice of the ancestors resounds in them.
The Chechen people have preserved their traditions, despite 73 years of Soviet rule, despite today's occupation - the soul of the people has always lived in their customs. First of all, this is unconditional respect for elders: young people always stand up when an elder enters.
The second is a decent attitude towards a woman. Not a single Chechen will touch a girl before marriage. Special attention to guests, their protection and respect. And also - blood feud, which can be expected for years, but even after half a century it will catch up. The Chechen people value Honor most of all, and then everything else. As for me, I didn’t make any special efforts to become part of this people, it happened by itself.
— How can you explain the image of Chechnya now, because the world, mainly thanks to Kadyrov, considers Chechens to be aggressive people. What are they really like and how to overcome these ideas?
— After three years of temporary truce, Russian special services tried to split the Chechen people on the basis of Islam and did everything to start a second revanchist war.
To incite hatred, two houses with sleeping people in Moscow and one in Volgodonsk were blown up. For the second time, the skating rink of war went through, destroying the population with bombs and “cleansing operations.”
The Chechen people offered resistance in the mountains and forests, but more than fifty filtration death camps worked tirelessly; as a result of the struggle, four presidents and 300,000 Chechens, including 43,000 children, died.
The survivors were forced to leave the territory of the ChRI. And those who are now next to Ramzan Kadyrov are children of these wars, most of them did not receive an education. They are grateful to Kadyrov because he protected them from the feds, from “clean-ups” and theft.
For them, one “one of their own”, Kadyrov, whatever he may be, is better than the Russians. These “pro-Russian Chechens” have now chosen the lesser evil and obey only Kadyrov.
They were forced to become “Mamluks” on Russian soil while Putin was there, who made them “scapegoats” for his crimes in Russia.
When Russia’s aggressive policy towards other states changes, then these “pro-Russian Chechens” will also change.
As for the Chechens who left for Europe, as soon as big changes begin in Russia, they will return to their homeland to continue the fight for its independence.
“The Russian Empire is doomed to collapse”
—What do you think will be the fate of this great people?
- I have no doubt that the Chechen people will be independent!
He became the first “stumbling block” over which the three hundred thousand Russian army broke its steel teeth for decades, and he will definitely win. Now it is only temporarily occupied.
But as soon as the wind of Freedom blows over Russia and the Caucasus Mountains, the people will certainly rise up!
- How creative person You are prone to deep philosophical reflection. Why do you think Russians are so aggressive and expansive? What's next for their empire?
— The best part the Russian people are in prison or have gone abroad, others are silent, fearing new repressions. Now we can see Russians who benefit from supporting Putin’s aggressive policies, who are profiting from these wars.
But these are temporary workers, they are very ignorant and corrupt, and as soon as the government changes, they will run away or change their colors again. Their time is already running out, and there is no escape from it. The Russian Empire is doomed to collapse, and Russia’s “funeral team” will be the “yellow race.” Dzhokhar spoke about this, and we are now seeing his predictions come true.
— Tell us a little about yourself now—in what direction is your creativity developing?
— After a small collection of my poems “At the Turn of the Century,” published in Lithuania in 1993, in 2002 I wrote a book dedicated to Dzhokhar Dudayev and his amazing people — “The First Million.”
In addition, I have many paintings in the style of romantic impressionism - paintings about war and peaceful landscapes, portraits.
But the most amazing thing is that in my paintings, completely unexpectedly, incomprehensible signs appear that other people see and then show to me.
For example, during an exhibition in the center of Istanbul, people came up to me and began to thank me for the painting “Sea Fantasy”, only they said that it should have been called “Sky Dance”. I was told that with this painting I gave hope that “the Mevlevis will return to Istanbul.”
And it was all like that. I asked to remove the bronze high relief of Ataturk’s head, which was in the center of the hall, and instead hung a large canvas, three quarters of the surface of which was occupied by the blue sky, and on one fourth there was Coast with several bays that flow into it.
At first I didn’t understand why they were thanking me for until people showed the flight of a Turkish Mevlevi in the very center of the picture.
A man in long white robes “flew” across the entire sky, among the clouds, with his arms and legs spread out in flight, and the bays formed the outline of the name of Allah. But the most interesting thing was in the history associated with Ataturk... The Turkish Mevlevi were Sufis, their schools were widely known in the East in the Middle Ages.
When Ataturk’s rule began in Turkey, he evicted the Mevlevi from Istanbul, and they huddled on the outskirts of Turkey. And now a painting of my Mevlevi has taken the place of a high relief of Chairman Ataturk. These random Turkish acquaintances invited me to attend a Mevlevi performance in a secret mosque.
The most unexpected thing for me, since I always admire the signs that come in dreams, was the knowledge of Sufi schools in which teachers asked their students about the dreams they had at night. They interpreted such dreams and lived in full accordance with these signs.
Prospects for Chechnya
— How, with the subtle creative mental organization of an artist and poet, did you become a Great Woman of a Great Fighter? How did you withstand all this, survive and not break?
— Dzhokhar always supported me, he was such a multifaceted personality, he managed everything and pushed me to action. When he served in Siberia, he agreed with the head of the House of Officers to organize an exhibition of my paintings in the garrison, but such a prospect inspired me little.
Years later, during a meeting with the chairman of the Union of Artists, in 1989, Dzhokhar agreed that I would be invited to the Anniversary Exhibition of Artists in the city of Grozny. Here I tried very hard not to lose face, and my painting “Abrek” took second place.
In 1991, immediately after Dzhokhar’s inauguration, our house was filled with journalists. Dzhokhar did not have time to give interviews to everyone, and separating some of them, he brought me to them.
“I can’t,” I said, but he supported: “You will succeed!” Just don’t forget, tell us, our descendants will appreciate us.” That’s what I did. My interview then happened in the largest newspaper “Voice of Checheno-Ingushetia”, and these words of Dzhokhar turned out to be the best of all that I said, it was their editor who made the headline: “Our descendants will appreciate us.”
Dzhokhar had a very keen sense of painting and knew how to stop me in time when I began to “record” the picture. He was well versed in music and appreciated poetry. He liked my poems and even tried to write them himself.
He loved to learn and quickly grasped everything new that happened in the world and brought him life. When I started writing a book about him, I was amazed at how much he managed to do, despite the rallies of the armed opposition and in defiance of everything that Russia was preparing in Ichkeria.
I met many people who were his associates, and they said that they could not have done all this if Dzhokhar had not pushed them. He believed in them, and this faith inspired them to do great things. The Chechen people and Dzhokhar found each other, and this love became eternal.
— Your children and grandchildren are scattered all over the world. Is there anything from you and Dzhokhar in their worldview?
— All children share Dzhokhar’s desire for Freedom and are confident that the sovereignty of the Chechen people is only a matter of time. They read articles, communicate with their peers on the Internet and see what is happening in Russia now.
The time of empires has passed, and the Russian Empire is doomed - it is simply living out its life. All post-Soviet republics and autonomies, like the Russian people, will be free. Coming new era; a world full of unknown possibilities opens its arms to man!
— Do you and your family participate in political and public life?
— In 2007, after Dokka Umarov’s statement about the creation of the Emirate, former Foreign Minister Akhmed Zakayev proclaimed himself “Prime Minister” and created his own “Cabinet of Ministers” in exile.
He violated the basic principle of the CRI Constitution: “No person or group of people has the right to seize power without the choice of the people.” And he immediately began negotiations, unprecedented in terms of the level of political cynicism, with the Kremlin puppet Ramzan Kadyrov.
As a sign of protest, we were forced to create our own government and presidium, which included Chechens who took part in hostilities and continued to work in their positions abroad. It included Akhyad Idigov and many others.
We have not violated the constitution, no one holds any positions - everyone is equal and we resolve issues during collective discussion. If Akhmed Zakayev hopes to replace Kadyrov's cabinet with his own in the future, our task is to preserve the democratic will of the Chechen people and organize free elections for the future government of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.
Perhaps new people will appear, younger, more worthy - time will tell, but the Chechen people have every right to choose their government. The choice is in full accordance with your constitution.
There is as little evidence of the death of the first Chechen president as in 1996
20 years ago, the rich history of Chechnya underwent a new sharp turn: the first president of the unrecognized Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Aviation Major General Dzhokhar Dudayev, gave his last order on April 21, 1996 - to live long. In any case, that is what is commonly believed. Those chroniclers who talk about the “official version” of Dudayev’s death are either mistaken or disingenuous. Because in fact, there is no official version. The compilers of the Bolshoi are much more honest with readers. encyclopedic dictionary, which capped the article dedicated to the rebel general with an impeccable phrase from a fact-checking point of view: “In April 1996, his death was announced under unclear circumstances.”
Exactly. It is still not known where Dudayev’s grave is located, if there is one at all. We know that the general lost his life on April 21, 1996, as a result of either a missile or bomb attack, solely from the words of representatives of his inner circle. Even less official are the sources of information about the operation of the Russian special services, which allegedly caused the death of the general. The reliability of this information is, however, supported by the fact that since then there has been no word or breath about Dudayev. “If I had been alive, wouldn’t I have shown up?!” - opponents of alternative versions are seething. The argument, needless to say, is weighty. But it does not close the topic at all.
Dzhokhar Dudayev.
Version No. 1
The main witness in the case of the death of the President of Ichkeria is, of course, his wife Alla Dudayeva - nee Alevtina Fedorovna Kulikova. According to Dudayeva’s “testimony”, recorded in her memoirs, the commander-in-chief of the separatist army, constantly moving around Chechnya, on April 4, 1996, settled with his headquarters in Gekhi-Chu, a village in the Urus-Martan region of Chechnya, located approximately 40 kilometers to the southwest from Grozny. The Dudayevs - Dzhokhar, Alla and their youngest son Degi, who was 12 years old at that time - settled in the house of the younger brother of the Prosecutor General of Ichkeria, Magomet Zhaniev.
During the day, Dudayev was usually at home, and in dark time I was on the road for days. “Dzhokhar, as before, traveled around our Southwestern Front at night, appearing here and there, constantly being close to those who held positions,” Alla recalls. In addition, Dudayev regularly traveled to the nearby forest for communication sessions with outside world carried out through the installation of Immarsat-M satellite communications. The Ichkerian president avoided calling directly from home, fearing that Russian special services might detect his location using an intercepted signal. “In Shalazhi, because of our telephone, two streets were completely destroyed,” he once shared his concern with his wife.
Nevertheless, it was impossible to avoid risky calls. Chechen War was entering a new phase these days. On March 31, 1996, Yeltsin signed a decree “On the program for resolving the crisis in the Chechen Republic.” Its most important points: the cessation of military operations on the territory of the Chechen Republic from 24.00 on March 31, 1996; gradual withdrawal of federal forces to the administrative borders of Chechnya; negotiations on the peculiarities of the status of the republic between the authorities... In general, Dudayev had a lot to chat about on the phone with his Russian and foreign friends, partners and informants.
From one of these communication sessions, which took place a few days before Dudayev’s death, the general and his retinue returned earlier than usual. “Everyone was very excited,” Alla recalls. - Dzhokhar, on the contrary, was unusually silent and thoughtful. Musick (bodyguard Musa Idigov - “MK”) took me aside and, lowering his voice, excitedly whispered: “One hundred percent they are hitting our phone.”
However, as presented by the general’s widow, the picture of what happened looks, to put it mildly, fantastic: “The starry night sky opened up above them, suddenly they noticed that their companions were above their heads like on a “New Year’s tree.” A beam stretched from one satellite to another, crossed with another beam and fell along a trajectory to the ground. Out of nowhere, the plane emerged and struck with a depth charge of such crushing force that trees around them began to break and fall. The first was followed by a second similar blow, very close.”
Be that as it may, the incident described above did not force Dudayev to behave more carefully. On the evening of April 21, Dudayev, as usual, went to the forest for telephone conversations. This time he was accompanied by his wife. In addition to her, the retinue included the aforementioned Prosecutor General Zhaniev, Vakha Ibragimov, Dudayev’s adviser, Hamad Kurbanov, “representative of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria in Moscow,” and three bodyguards. We drove two cars - a Niva and a UAZ. Having arrived at the place, Dudayev, as usual, placed the diplomat with satellite communication on the hood of the Niva and removed the antenna. First, Vakha Ibragimov used the phone and made a statement for Radio Liberty. Then Dudayev dialed the number of Konstantin Borovoy, who was at that time a State Duma deputy and chairman of the Economic Freedom Party. Alla, according to her, was at that time 20 meters from the car, on the edge of a deep ravine.
She describes what happened next: “Suddenly, from the left side there was a sharp whistle of a flying rocket. An explosion behind me and a flashing yellow flame forced me to jump into the ravine... It became quiet again. What about ours? My heart was pounding, but I hoped that everything would be okay... But where did the car and everyone who stood around it go? Where is Dzhokhar?.. Suddenly I seemed to stumble. I saw Musa sitting right at my feet. “Alla, look what they did to our president!” On his knees... lay Dzhokhar... Instantly I threw myself on my knees and felt his whole body. It was intact, no blood flowed, but when I reached the head... my fingers got into the wound with right side back of the head My God, it’s impossible to live with such a wound...”
Zhaniev and Kurbanov, who were next to the general at the time of the explosion, allegedly died on the spot. Dudayev himself, according to his wife, died a few hours later in the house they then occupied.
Alla Dudaeva.
Strange woman
Konstantin Borovoy confirms that he spoke with Dudayev that day: “It was around eight in the evening. The conversation was interrupted. However, our conversations were interrupted very often... He sometimes called me several times a day. I am not one hundred percent sure that the missile attack occurred during our last conversation with him. But he didn’t contact me anymore (he always called, I didn’t have his number).” According to Borovoy, he was a kind of political consultant to Dudayev and, in addition, played the role of an intermediary: he tried to connect the Ichkerian leader with the administration of the Russian President. And some contacts, by the way, began, although not direct, “between Dudayev’s entourage and Yeltsin’s entourage.”
Borovoy is firmly convinced that Dudayev was killed as a result of an operation by Russian special services that used unique, non-serial equipment: “As far as I know, specialist scientists took part in the operation, who, using several developments, were able to identify the coordinates of the source of electromagnetic radiation. At the moment when Dudayev got in touch, the electricity was turned off in the area where he was in order to ensure the isolation of the radio signal.”
The words of an irreconcilable critic of the Russian special services are almost identical to the version that appeared several years ago in the Russian media with reference to retired GRU officers who allegedly directly participated in the operation. According to them, it was carried out jointly by military intelligence and the FSB with the participation of the Air Force. Actually, this version is considered to be official. But the sources of information themselves admit that all materials from the operation are still classified. And they themselves, there is such a suspicion, are not completely “deciphered”: it is doubtful that the real participants in the liquidation of Dudayev would begin to tell the truth, calling themselves by their own names. Risk, of course, is a noble cause, but not to the same extent. Therefore, there is no confidence that what was told is the truth and not misinformation.
Nikolai Kovalev, who held the post of deputy director of the FSB in April 1996 (two months later, in June 1996, he headed the service), in a conversation with an MK observer, which took place several years after those events, completely denied the involvement of his department in the liquidation Dudayev: “Dudayev died in the combat zone. There was quite a massive shelling. I think there is simply no reason to talk about some kind of special operation. Hundreds of people died the same way.” At that time, Kovalev was already retired, but, as we know, there are no former security officers. Therefore, it is likely that Nikolai Dmitrievich did not speak from the bottom of his heart, but what his official duty dictated.
However, on one point Kovalev completely agreed with those who claim that Dudayev was eliminated by our special services: the ex-head of the FSB called the assumptions that the Ichkerian leader could have survived completely frivolous. At the same time, he referred to the same Alla Dudayeva: “Is your wife an objective witness for you?” In general, the circle is closed.
The version presented by Alla, for all its external smoothness, still contains one significant inconsistency. If Dudayev knew that the enemies were trying to find the direction of the phone signal, then why did he take his wife on that last trip to the forest, thereby exposing her to mortal danger? There was no need for her presence. In addition, many note oddities in the widow’s behavior: she did not seem at all heartbroken in those days. Well, or, at least, she carefully hid her experiences. But such composure is extremely unusual for a person of her psychological make-up. Alla is a very emotional woman, which is already clear from the memoirs dedicated to her husband: the lion's share of them is devoted to prophetic dreams, visions, prophecies and various kinds of mystical signs.
She herself offers the following explanation for her reticence. “I officially, as a witness, stated the fact of the death of the president, without a single tear, remembering Amkhad’s request, old Leila and hundreds, thousands of weak and sick old people and women in Chechnya like her,” Alla says about her speech at the press conference. conference held on April 24, three days after her husband's death was announced. - My tears would kill their last hope. Let them think that he is alive... And let those who greedily hang on every word about Dzhokhar’s death be afraid.”
But what happened a few weeks later can already be explained by the desire to encourage friends and scare enemies: in May 1996, Alla suddenly appears in Moscow and calls on Russians to support Boris Yeltsin in the upcoming presidential elections. A man who, based on her own interpretation of events, sanctioned the murder of her beloved husband! Then, however, Dudayeva stated that her words were taken out of context and distorted. But, firstly, even Alla herself admits that speeches “in defense of Yeltsin” did take place. The fact that the war brought nothing but shame to the president and that the cause of peace is being hampered by the “war party” that is substituting him. And secondly, according to eyewitnesses - including, for example, political emigrant Alexander Litvinenko, who in this case can be considered a completely objective source of information - there were no distortions. Dudayeva began her first Moscow meeting with journalists, held at the National Hotel, with a phrase that did not allow any other interpretation: “I urge you to vote for Yeltsin!”
Nikolai Kovalev does not see anything strange in this fact: “Perhaps she considered that Boris Nikolaevich was an ideal candidate for solving the Chechen problem peacefully.” But such an explanation, even if one wants to, cannot be called exhaustive.
One of the main visual evidence that Dzhokhar Dudayev did pass away is photo and video footage depicting Alla Dudayeva next to the body of her murdered husband. However, they do not convince skeptics at all: there is no independent confirmation that the shooting was not staged.
Operation Evacuation
The MK columnist had even greater doubts about the generally accepted interpretation of the events that happened on April 21, 1996, after a conversation with the late President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, Arkady Volsky. Arkady Ivanovich was the deputy head of the Russian delegation at negotiations with the Ichkerian leadership that took place in the summer of 1995, after the Budennovsky raid by Shamil Basayev. Volsky met repeatedly with Dudayev and other separatist leaders and was considered one of the most knowledgeable representatives of the Russian elite in Chechen affairs. “I immediately asked the experts then: is it possible to point a missile weighing half a ton at a target based on a signal mobile phone? - Volsky said. - I was told that it is absolutely impossible. If the rocket even felt such a subtle signal, it could turn to any mobile phone.”
But the main sensation is different. According to Volsky, in July 1995, the country's leadership entrusted him with a responsible and very delicate mission. “Before leaving for Grozny, with the consent of President Yeltsin, I was instructed to offer Dudayev travel abroad with his family,” Arkady Ivanovich shared the details of this amazing story. - Jordan gave consent to accept him. An airplane and the necessary funds were provided at Dudayev’s disposal.” True, the Ichkerian leader then responded with a decisive refusal. “I had a better opinion of you,” he told Volsky. - I didn’t think that you would offer me to run away from here. I'm a Soviet general. If I die, I’ll die here.”
However, the project was not closed at this point, Volsky believed. In his opinion, the separatist leader subsequently changed his mind and decided to evacuate. “But I do not rule out that along the way Dudayev could have been killed by people from his entourage,” added Arkady Ivanovich. “The way events developed after Dudayev’s announced death, in principle, fits into this version.” Nevertheless, Volsky did not rule out other, more exotic options: “When they ask me how likely it is that Dudayev is alive, I answer: 50 to 50.”
A striking example of a not very skillful fake. According to the American magazine that first published this photo, it is a frame from a video filmed by a camera mounted on the rocket that killed Dudayev. According to the magazine, American intelligence agencies received a picture from Russian missile in real time.
President of the Club of Military Leaders of the Russian Federation Anatoly Kulikov, who headed the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs at the time of the events described, is also not one hundred percent sure of Dudayev’s death: “You and I have not received evidence of his death. In 1996, we talked about this topic with Usman Imaev (Minister of Justice in the Dudayev administration, subsequently dismissed - “MK”). He expressed doubts that Dudayev died. Imaev said then that he was at that place and saw fragments of not one, but different cars. Rusty parts... He was talking about simulating an explosion.”
Kulikov himself tried to understand the situation. His employees also visited Gekhi-Chu, and at the site of the explosion they discovered a crater - one and a half meters in diameter and half a meter in depth. Meanwhile, the missile that allegedly hit Dudayev carries 80 kilograms of explosives, Kulikov notes. “The rocket would have torn up a much larger volume of soil,” he believes. - But there is no such funnel there. What actually happened in Gekhi-Chu is unknown.”
Like Volsky, former head The Ministry of Internal Affairs does not rule out that Dudayev could have been liquidated by his own people. But not on purpose, but by mistake. According to the version, which Kulikov considers very probable and which was once presented to him by employees of the North Caucasus Regional Department for Combating Organized Crime, Dudayev was blown up by fighters of the “leader of one of the gangs.” Actually, just this one field commander and should have been in the place of the leader of the separatists. Allegedly, he was very dishonest in financial matters, deceived his subordinates, and embezzled money intended for them. And he waited until the offended nukers decided to send him to his forefathers.
A remote-controlled explosive device was installed in the commander's Niva, which was detonated when the avengers saw that the car had left the village. But as luck would have it, Dudayev took advantage of Niva... However, this is only one of the possible versions, and it explains, Kulikov admits, not all of them: “Dudayev’s funeral was observed simultaneously in four settlements... One cannot be convinced of death of Dudayev until his corpse is identified.”
Well, some of the mysteries of history were resolved after much longer than 20 years. And some remained completely unsolved. And it seems that the question of what really happened in the vicinity of Gekhi-Chu on April 21, 1996, will take its rightful place in the ranking of these puzzles.
In 1994, on December 11, Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed a decree “On measures to ensure legality, law and order and public safety on the territory of the Chechen Republic,” which provided for the disarmament of detachments of supporters of Dzhokhar Dudayev. Troops were brought into Chechnya, and then there was something that would be difficult to call anything other than shameful. Interviews and memoirs of direct participants in those dramatic and bloody events appear in the media. The weekly Sobesednik also did not stand aside, whose correspondent conducted a long interview with the widow of the “first president” of the Chechen Republic, Dzhokhar Dudayev.So, Alla Dudayeva(nee Alevtina Fedorovna Kulikova). Daughter Soviet officer, former commandant of Wrangel Island. Graduated from the art and graphic department of the Smolensk Pedagogical Institute. In 1967 she became the wife of Air Force officer Dzhokhar Dudayev. She gave birth to two sons and a daughter. She left Chechnya with her children in 1999. Lived in Baku, Istanbul. Now he lives with his family in Vilnius. According to the latest information, he is preparing to obtain citizenship of Estonia, a country where Dzhokhar Dudayev is remembered from Soviet times, when he headed an air division near Tartu.
Interlocutor correspondent Rimma Akhmirova first asked Dudaeva a question about Litvinenko. Still, before his death, he had close contact with the Chechens and called Akhmed Zakayev his friend. This is what Alla Dudayeva answered: “I think that Alexander converted to Islam before his death in order to be close to his friends in the next world. In recent years, he walked along and managed to tell the world a lot of truth about the KGB, FSK, FSB. And that’s how we met. Dzhokhar had just been killed, and we were planning to fly with the whole family to Turkey, but we were arrested in Nalchik. I was interrogated by a specially arrived young officer who introduced himself as “Colonel Alexander Volkov.” He also joked that this was not a random surname.”
“After some time,” Dudayeva continues, “I saw him on TV next to Berezovsky, and recognized him real name- Litvinenko. And that time, television reporters did an interview with me, from which they aired only the piece “Yeltsin is our President” taken out of context, and played it throughout the election campaign. I wanted to make a refutation, but Volkov-Litvinenko then told me: “Think: anything can happen to your bodyguard, Musa Idigov.” Musa was then kept in isolation. Litvinenko was interested in the truth about the death of Dzhokhar. The intelligence services were afraid that he could survive and escape abroad."
The journalist also asked what Alla Dudayeva thought about the rumors and versions according to which Dzhokhar Dudayev was alive. There are even those who claim: Dudayev had doubles, and Alla Dudayeva married one of these doubles. It is clear that the widow denies all these rumors. She spoke in some detail about how, in her opinion, the leader of the Chechen separatists was killed.
“Dzhokhar was given a satellite telephone installation by the Turkish Prime Minister Arbakan. The Turkish “leftists” associated with the Russian intelligence services, through their spy, during the assembly of the phone in Turkey, installed a special microsensor in it that regularly monitors this device. In addition, at the Singnet Super Computer center , located in the Maryland region, USA, a 24-hour surveillance system was installed to monitor the phone of Dzhokhar Dudayev. The US National Security Agency transmitted daily information about the whereabouts and telephone conversations Dzhokhar Dudayev. Türkiye received these dossiers. And Turkish “leftist” officers handed over this dossier to the Russian FSB. Dzhokhar knew that the hunt had begun for him. When the connection was interrupted for a minute, I always joked: “Well, are you connected yet?” But I was still sure that his phone wouldn’t be detected.”
Alla Dudayeva also reported that Dudayev’s burial place is still kept secret. According to her, she believes that someday the former general and former leader of the anti-constitutional regime in Grozny will be buried in the ancestral valley of Yalkharoy. The widow accuses Russian authorities The fact is that the war is still going on over control over oil flows, since the Chechen land is very rich in non-oil reserves. Here is a very remarkable excerpt from her interview, which talks about how Dudayev offered the Americans the right to 50 years of Chechen oil production.
"...The Americans offered to take an oil concession for 50 years for $25 billion. Dzhokhar named the figure of $50 billion and managed to insist on his own. For a small country, this was a huge amount. Then, in one of Dzhokhar’s speeches on television, his famous phrase “oh camel milk, which will flow from golden taps in every Chechen home." And then, according to Dudayeva, there was a leak of information, allegedly, Kremlin proteges, former Minister of the Oil Industry Salambek Khadzhiev and the head of the government of the Chechen Republic Doku Zavgaev, themselves offered the Americans same fifty years, but for only $23 billion. Because of this, the widow said former general, and the first Chechen campaign began.
In the process of preparing the material for publication, the author turned to Ytra military observer Yuri Kotenko for comment.
He noted, after reading the interview, that this was a classic female perspective on the political and military events of those years. And the first thing I noticed was who Dudayeva calls “her own.” Especially in light latest events With former officer FSB Litvinenko. "My friends" last years he walked along straight path", etc. – even then Litvinenko was one of the Chechen militants.
It is also important to note that Alla Dudayeva again says that her husband is dead. As Yuri Kotenok said, many people in Chechnya believe that Dudayev was not liquidated, that he is alive and hiding in a safe place. Actually, the same thing is now being written in the press, which cannot be convicted of loving Russia, and they are also talking about Basayev. They say that Shamil did his job, he was undercover.
This is not true, and here's why. Such eccentric and narcissistic people as Dudayev and Basayev were cannot lead a quiet secret life, hiding in some quiet place. People who developed grandiose military-terrorist operations against Russia (we are not talking about the possibility of implementation), who claimed to be the leaders of the nation, cannot vegetate in some Turkey, for them this is tantamount to physical death.
And one more remark was made by our military observer. We must never forget that Dudayev openly opposed Russia, it was with his knowledge that genocide was committed in Chechnya against the Russian, Armenian, Jewish and other peoples, and it was under his leadership that multinational Grozny turned into the capital of one nation. He placed himself outside the Constitution of the Russian Federation, in fact, outside the law. And Dudayev was not going to hand over the oil to the Americans for the notorious “milk taps”; in the head of the former Soviet Army general, grandiose military plans to combat Russian Federation. He is an enemy, and they treated him like an enemy.