Residents of Chechnya rebuke authorities for opening restaurant instead of library

The eldest daughter of the head of Chechnya has opened her "Paris" restaurant in the building of the closed city library of Grozny, where NGO activists used to gather in early 2000s, local residents told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. Instagram users have noted that the restaurant was opened amid unemployment and money deficit in Chechnya.

The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, has called the opening of the "Paris" restaurant in Grozny a "landmark event." "The Fashion House 'Firdaws' has opened the 'Paris' restaurant in Vladimir Putin Avenue; and it will become a favourite vacation place for creative intelligentsia, numerous guests and tourists from different countries," Ramzan Kadyrov wrote in his page on the VKontakte social network on December 30, 2019.

The "Firdaws" Fashion House is owned by Aishat Kadyrova, the eldest daughter of the head of Chechnya.

This use of the library premises had been planned initially, Lechi, a local resident, believes. "Even when the city authorities began removing the library from the building in Putin Avenue, it was speculated that someone from big bosses had his eye on this object," he told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"In my opinion, this is a vivid example of real attitude of our authorities towards culture and cultural objects," Rosa, an employee of one of local agencies, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The opening of the restaurant has reminded social network users about social problems in Chechnya.

"There are so many restaurants. It would be better if some confectionery factories opened, or something like that, so that the youth don't go outside [Chechnya] to find jobs," the user dengizovadiana95 has written.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 2, 2020 at 11:56 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.