Chechnya - Background

General information

The autonomous Russian Republic Chechnya is situated in the North of the Caucasus, bordering Georgia, Dagestan, Ingushetia and Stavropol. Most of the approximately one million inhabitants adhere to the Sunni-Islamic faith. The Chechen economy is dominated by agriculture.

Chechnya’s decline under the influence of the wars

The 1991 declaration of independence from Russia was followed by two wars between the Russian army and the separatists which took place from 1994-1996 and from 1999-2001. About 200.000 people – i.e. almost a quarter of the entire population - died during the wars and the subsequent anti-terror operation. One tenth of the casualties were children.

Before the wars, Grozny was seen as the cultural centre in the Northern parts of the Caucasus. The famous Chekhov Library as well as the world's biggest petroleum institute were part of Grozny’s significant cultural and academic institutions. After the wars, Grozny was almost completely destroyed. Chechen companies were closed down, agricultural areas were mined and 80 percent of the infrastructure (housing space, hospitals, schools, canalization and water supply) was destroyed.

Limited Normalisation

Meanwhile, the Russian government is pursuing a policy of “normalisation“. Under the lead of the authoritarian president Ramsan Kadyrow, who came into power in 2007, calm has returned and the reconstruction is making progress. While many people in Chechnya are still waiting for their living standards to improve, the progress in Grozny can already be conceived. Nevertheless, public life is far from having returned to normality. People still keep disappearing - more than 3000 are reported missing. Also, the turn to the Islamic faith is increasingly reaching out to public life. This majorly impinges upon woman rights, as for instance women who refuse to wear a headscarf will have to fear punishment by their male fellow citizens.

Consequences of the wars: the bad state of education

In spite of the reconstruction efforts, the overall study situation at the Chechen State University in Grozny remains problematic.

Limited study offers and corruption are currently the greatest obstacles that hinder students to pursue their desired studies. Moreover, the availability of indispensable tools and equipment for the studies such as computers, teaching material and libraries is very limited. In addition, studies in Chechnya underlie specific restrictions and can therefore only to a certain degree be referred to as free.

Since qualified and experienced instructors are rare because of the wars, the majority of the classes is being taught by young graduates without teaching experience. This circumstance results in courses of low educational standards. Academic contacts abroad are scarce.

The lack of qualified personnel impedes self-help

The lack of well educated workers and intellectuals after the devastating wars is further increased by bad study conditions and transitional shutdowns of universities. These conditions have caused many students to drop out of their studies or even kept them from starting a college career in the first place.

The past of today’s Chechens in their twenties, the potential shapers of a long-term reconstruction Chechnya, has been fundamentally characterised by their fighting for survival. Their experiences with the war and its aftermath has widely led to psychological problems as well as to educational shortcomings.

We want to support the shapers of Tomorrow

Our organization does not judge the ongoing political friction in Chechnya. We consider our support of the Chechen youth as an act of solidarity with people who can develop a positive impact on the future of Chechnya.