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A portrait of Russia’s prime minister, Vladimir Putin, in central Grozny, Chechnya. Image by Musa Sadulayev, Chechnya, Russia, 2009.
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The Akhmad Kadyrov Mosque in Grozny, Chechnya, which was completed in 2008, and is said to be the biggest mosque in Europe. Image by Musa Sadulayev, Chechnya, Russia, 2009.
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Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya, in front of an image of his father Akhmad Kadyrov, the former president of the republic who was assassinated in 2004. Image by Musa Sadulayev, Chechnya, Russia, 2009.
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In a sign of Kadyrov’s flourishing personality cult, a young woman in the capital of Chechnya walks in front of a sign reading, “Ramzan, thank you for Grozny!” Image by Musa Sadulayev, Chechnya, Russia, January 2010.
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Young men carry a portrait of Kadyrov during Russia’s May 9 Victory Day celebrations in Chechnya. Image by Musa Sadulayev, Chechnya, Russia, 2009.
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Members of the Ramzan Patriot Club gather in Grozny, Chechnya, to praise their hero. Image: Musa Sadulayev by, Chechnya, Russia, December 2010.
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Two Russian special forces soldiers carry flowers on International Women’s Day, March 8, in Grozny. Image by Musa Sadulayev, Chechnya, Russia, 2009.
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A singer performs in front of a poster of Chechnya’s leader, Ramzan Kadyrov. Image by Musa Sadulayev, Chechnya, Russia, April 2010.
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Women in Grozny, Chechnya, march in favor of wearing headscarves, which is obligatory in some state buildings and educational establishments. Other young women are vehemently opposed to the conservative dress code. Image by Musa Sadulayev, Chechnya, Russia, September 2010.
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Workmen erect a billboard welcoming former Brazilian soccer stars to a match with Chechen government officials and Russian players in Grozny. Image by Musa Sadulayev, Chechnya, Russia, March 2011.
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Ramzan Kadyrov (in red) plays in the match with Brazilian stars. Image by Musa Sadulayev, Chechnya, Russia, March 2011.
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Published June 8, 2011

A decade ago, Russian federal forces were at war with separatists in the internal republic of Chechnya. Grozny, the capital, was battered by artillery strikes and aerial bombing. Today the republic is undergoing a renaissance. Much of Grozny has been built anew. The rebels long ago retreated from the city and their guerrilla war from safe-houses and mountain hide-outs has dwindled.

Yet this semblance of peace has been achieved at a cost. Militia loyal to Chechnya’s Moscow-backed leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, are frequently accused of torturing and kidnapping suspected rebels or their relatives. And the 34-year-old Kadyrov has fostered a personality cult that sees his face beaming from countless billboards, and dominating TV news bulletins.

Critics say the impulsive young leader runs Chechnya like his own personal khanate and is encouraging a moral conservatism that oppresses women and contradicts Russian law.

Project

A woman in Sernovodsk, Chechnya, holds a picture of her brother, allegedly killed by Russian security forces in 2004. Image by Tom Parfitt, Chechnya, 2004.

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