11:01, 18 December 2019

Netizens note Chechen authorities' manipulation in dispute with Sokurov

Alexander Sokurov. Screenshot from the interview with the "Dozhd" TV Channel

Ramzan Kadyrov and Djambulat Umarov claim that Alexander Sokurov said about the Chechen people; however, such words were not present in his interview. Sokurov's words referred only to Chechen leaders, netizens (social network users) have indicated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the Alexander Sokurov's proposal to review the status of the title of Hero of Russia caused a resonance in Chechnya. Ramzan Kadyrov and Magomed Daudov, the speaker of the Chechen parliament, another Hero of Russia, accused Alexander Sokurov of provocation. On December 12, almost two dozen Chechen scientists and workers of culture signed an angry appeal to Alexander Sokurov. They believe his doubts that Ramzan Kadyrov was worthy of the title Hero of Russia are unreasonable.

On December 10, film director Alexander Sokurov invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to "review the status" of the title of Hero of Russia. The film director noted that both the leader of Chechnya and the Pskov paratroopers killed in a battle with Basaev's militants were awarded the status of Hero of Russia. The Russian President objected that a person who "sided with Russia" deserved the Hero of Russia award. Alexander Sokurov admitted that he was upset by the President Putin's response.

On December 17, the "Dozhd" (Rain) TV Channel, which posted an interview with the film director, Alexander Sokurov, on December 14, opened its full version to all readers, "because of the great resonance" caused by his words about the revision of the status of the title of Hero of Russia in relation to Ramzan and Akhmat Kadyrov, says the publication of the "Sokurov Island" community on the Facebook.

Netizens have noted that Sokurov gave no offensive characteristics to the Chechen people. "Not towards Chechnya, but towards the rk (Ramzan Kadyrov, – note of the "Caucasian Knot"), don't generalize; he said nothing about the nation; he criticized rulers not people," the user _.gorec._ wrote.

"Sokurov was not talking about Chechens, but specifically named two persons surnamed Kadyrov. Immediately, Umarovs begin speaking on behalf of the whole nation," the user Anvar Derkach wrote in "The Other Nalchik" community on the Facebook.

"Kadyrov raises this question to the rank of the all-Chechen one, while the filmmaker had in mind Kadyrov himself and his minions. This suggests that Sokurov is right in essence, and Kadyrov himself is hiding behind the people, because he has nothing to answer," Shkhanokov, a Beslan resident, believes.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 17, 2019 at 11:39 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.