Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
The Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (/ɪtʃˈkɛriə/ itch-KERR-ee-ə; Chechen: Нохчийн Республик Ичкери, romanized: Nóxçiyn Respublik Içkeri; Russian: Чеченская Республика Ичкерия, romanized: Chechenskaya Respublika Ichkeriya; abbreviated as "CHRI" or "CRI"), known simply as Ichkeria, and also known as Chechnya, was a de facto state that controlled most of the former Checheno-Ingush ASSR.
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| 1991–2000 2000–present: Government-in-exile | |||||||||
Coat of arms
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| Motto: Маршо я Ӏожалла! (Chechen) Свобода или смерть! (Russian) Freedom or Death! | |||||||||
| Anthem: Ӏожалла я маршо Joƶalla ya marşo "Death or Freedom" | |||||||||
Location of Chechnya (dark green) | |||||||||
| Status |
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| Capital | Grozny 43°18′45″N 45°41′55″E | ||||||||
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| Religion |
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| Government | Unitary semi-presidential Islamic republic | ||||||||
| President | |||||||||
• 1991–1996 | Dzhokhar Dudayev | ||||||||
• 1996–1997 | Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev | ||||||||
• 1997–2000 | Aslan Maskhadov | ||||||||
| President-in-exile | |||||||||
• 2000–2005 | Aslan Maskhadov | ||||||||
• 2005–2006 | Abdul-Halim Sadulayev | ||||||||
• 2006–2007 | Dokka Umarov | ||||||||
| Prime Minister | |||||||||
• 1991–1996 (first) | Dzhokhar Dudayev | ||||||||
• 1998–2000 (last) | Aslan Maskhadov | ||||||||
• 2007–present (in exile) | Akhmed Zakayev | ||||||||
| Legislature | Parliament | ||||||||
| Historical era | Dissolution of the Soviet Union | ||||||||
• Proclaimed | 8 June 1991 | ||||||||
| 1 November 1991 | |||||||||
| 11 December 1994 | |||||||||
• Moscow Peace Treaty signed | 12 May 1997 | ||||||||
• Second war started | 26 August 1999 | ||||||||
| 6 February 2000 | |||||||||
• Emirate proclaimed | 31 October 2007 | ||||||||
| Area | |||||||||
• Total | 15,300 km2 (5,900 sq mi) | ||||||||
| Currency |
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| Today part of | Russia | ||||||||
| History of Chechnya | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The First Chechen War of 1994–1996 resulted in the victory of the separatist forces. After achieving de facto independence from Russia in 1996, kidnappings and violence between gangs plagued the region, which the government was unable to control. In November 1997, Chechnya was proclaimed an Islamic republic. The Second Chechen War began in August 1999, with Ichkeria falling and subsequently being forcibly subsumed back under the control of the Russian central government in 2000. An insurgency followed soon thereafter, officially ending in April 2009 after several years of conflict. Since 2000, the Ichkerian government has continued its activities in exile.
In September–October 1991, Dudayev's supporters seized power in Chechnya in the Chechen Revolution. Dudayev was subsequently elected as Chechnya's President and in this new position, he proclaimed Chechnya's independence from Russia. The move was welcomed by Georgia's President Zviad Gamsakhurdia. Gamsakhurdia was one of the first to congratulate Dudayev with victory and attended his inauguration as president in Grozny. While Chechnya did not receive backing from the international community, it received support and attention from Georgia, which became its only gateway to the outside world that was not controlled by Moscow. Close ties between Gamsakhurdia and Dudayev led to Russian officials, including Alexander Rutskoy, accusing Georgia of "fomenting unrest in the [Chechen autonomous] republic". In October 2022, the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada voted to recognize the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria as "temporarily occupied" by Russia.