The contents of this article are written with authoritative materials and personal opinions. The source of the literature has been marked at the end of the article, so please know.
Recently, the Russian State Duma met to discuss a proposal from Chechnya to change the names of three cities.
As a result, Senator Shamanov, the veteran who participated in two Chechen wars, stood up directly against it.
He had personally experienced those wars, how did those place names come from, He knew everything in his heart and couldn't forget it。
He said that those places used to be Cossacks, but now they have changed their names. Isn't this an attempt to erase that history?？
He also said that now Russian-speaking people are soon expelled, and now even the names of the place are moving.
Although he didn’t say his name directly, everyone knows that he was talking about Kadrov.
This matter is not as simple as changing a place name casually. What is conveyed behind it is a signal, not only for the Chechen parliament, but also for the Kremlin.
Speaking of which, this name change has already startedThe parliament, like the parliament on the Yerskaia side, already in 2024 passed a resolution to change the name to "Nevre", saying that this would be more in line with Chechnya's language customs and local geographical characteristics.
There is another place called "Terek", which comes from the Turkic language and was originally the name of a river. By September, the State Duma had completed its first review at a rapid pace and encountered little resistance.
Kadrov also expressed his support directly, not hidden, and said that he did so in order to regulate the Russian grammar and respect the local language traditions.
You see, he spoke very level and also stable. But in fact, he was thinking about more than just grammar issues。
Besides, this is not the first timeSeveral neighborhoods in Grozny have changed their names, and some are directly named after the Kadrov family.
These movements, which appear to be all local things, are actually engaging in a larger movement.
You can say that this is a “cultural reconstruction”, and you can also say that it is a “localization of Chechnya”, but the direction is clear, and it has been moving forward.
Moscow is no fool and is starting to be a little vigilantDeputy Grazkova said that Chechnya every year runs on central financial allocations, changing a name costs manpower and material resources, and needs to change stamps and maps, which is not a small money.
This money, in the final analysis, didn't come from the purse of the Russian Federation?
More importantly, it feels a little wrong, and the familiar taste of "de-Russification" is coming out again. It's not like Moscow has never seen such a thing.
Take Ukraine, where place names have been changed, statues have been demolished, teaching materials have been revised, and Russian media have been banned. These are all regarded by the Kremlin as strategic threats and are facing a great enemy.
Putin has emphasized, Language and culture are not fun, they affect a person’s sense of identity.If the culture is weakened, the country is weakened.
He also said that sending troops to Ukraine is to protect Russian-speaking people and preserve Russian culture.
Ukraine is an opponent and Chechnya is part of the Federation, but the reason is the same, but the means are not very different.
Therefore, these actions of Chechnya cannot simply be described as "de-Russification", it is more like "Chechenization".
Besides, this didn't just start recently.As early as 2000, after Putin won the Second Chechen War, this model was established.
The principle is simple, that is, As long as you listen, you can relax a little in culture.The government is yours, the custom is yours, the religion is yours, and the Federation’s orders are yours.
The Kadyrov family developed through this exchange mechanism.
The premise of stability is that there are clear rules. But this rule is actually not so solid.
By May 2025, things are starting to change a bit. Kadyrov said he wanted to retire and recommended his son Adam to take over, but this kid is only 17 years old.
Putin did not agree. It is said that the Kremlin wanted to put Alawdinov, the commander of the “Akhmat” special forces, in the position. This was seen as a personal adjustment and a re-evaluation of Kadrov’s power.
In this case, Chechnya suddenly accelerated the speed of the name change. Although the scale is not large, the movement is not great, but the rhythm is obvious.
It’s a bit like a response: since I didn’t choose my successor, I expanded my cultural space.
This approach will not touch Moscow's bottom line for the time being, but it will indeed make you more politically proactive.
Putin is in a bit of a dilemma nowThe unity of the country may be weakened if it is allowed no matter what, if it is directly vetoed, it is fearful that it will cause internal dissatisfaction in Chechnya and affect the image of national unity.
The war is still ongoing, and there are Chechen troops on the frontline, and now it is not possible to lessen the delusion.
Kadyrov still controls the army and security, but the level of trust has slowly declined.
This is not just a question of Kadyrov's personal fate, but a test of power, culture and boundaries between the federation and the republic.
Chechnya wants to test where the central bottom line is, while Moscow is considering when to intervene.
Therefore, this battle will continue.The real question is who will determine the boundaries of the cultural space and who will write the history of the republic.
Kadyrov wants to retire, but he wants to leave his name and influence behind. The Kremlin wants to change people, but it doesn't want to mess up the situation.
If Chechnya continued to approach the red line in a cultural way, the end would not be good. Everyone still remembers the fate of Dudayev and Basayev.
References:
1. "Odessa Street Name" Go to Russia ", Half of Residents Oppose" 2024-08-05 08:37 | Source: Global Times
2. "Putin held an informal meeting with Kadyrov's 17-year-old son Adam and sent him wedding blessings" 2025-06-29 13:08| Source: Observer Network
3. "Will there be major changes in the Russia-Ukraine conflict? What does Zelensky want to do?" 2025-09-25 10:14 | Source: Xinmin Evening News