Groznyy, Chechnya, Russian FederationDays 6: Grozny (Chechnya)
Continue into Chechnya and spend some time i the private open-air ethnographic museum Dondy-Yurt, with its founder, Adam Satuyev.
The former policeman has spent years collecting historic artifacts from around Chechnya and helping to launch a cultural revival. Defense towers, costumes, weapons, musical instruments, and early beehive village homes are displayed here.
The Chechen Republic, or Chechnya as it is commonly referred to, is sandwiched between Ingushetia in the west and Dagestan to the east. An incredibly beautiful region, with craggy mountains and steep-sided gorges cut by glacier-fed rivers, its mountain culture is chivalric, hospitable, and fiercely protective. Its people have historically been drawn towards the relatively moderate Sufi Islam, with its mystical component, and this has been reinforced by Chechnya's Russian-appointed president, Ramzan Kadyrov.
Grozny, capital of the Russian Republic of Chechnya, has had a short and brutal life, but today it's looking more stable and prosperous. :Grozny" is a Russian word that means "fearsome" or "awe-inspiring," though it's translated as "terrible" from the Russian name of Ivan the Terrible. Founded in 1818 as a Russian fort occupied by Cossacks, Grozny was immediately fired upon by the local Chechens. The Chechens continued their struggle against the Russians for close to 200 years.
In 2003, the United Nations named Grozny "the most destroyed city in the world," bombed into submission by Moscow, but by 2007, it was being rebuilt by Kadyrov. The bright new city features a handsome new mosque, a renovated church and a pleasant downtown filled with shops and restaurants.
Visit Grozny's central mosque, named in honor of Akhmad Kadyrov, the first President of the Chechen Republic, assassinated in 2004. Its design is based on the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, and includes four 203-foot minarets. The mosque was officially opened in 2008 in a ceremony attended by the current president - Akhmad's son and Vladimir Putin, who is a supporter of Kadyrov's regime.
After dinner at a local restaurant, take a night walk around the
modern city, enjoying the lights and the strolling local people.
Driving time today for this variant in total will be 6-7 hours, including winding mountain roads with rough surfaces.
Meals: B,L,D
Grozny City Hotel
I don't know what, if anything, happened to my personal blog for today, as I explained in the Ingushetia blog for today.
We had had a full day exploring the watch towers of Ingushetia. We were now in Chechnya and I can remember feeling less than enthusiastic when Michel announced that we had one more stop before we reached our hotel in Grozny. It turned out to be quite special and I am glad we did not miss Adam Satuyev's Dondy-Yurt, a private open-air museum.
The owner and founder of this private open-air museum was there to greet us in traditional garb and so were his wife with video camera and his young daughter. He showed us all of his treasures and this was a man after my own heart - a real collector. He had all sorts of stuff - from a pile of fossils to buildings, to clothes and all sorts of old tools. I did enjoy it.
On this trip, there have been numerous occasions where we have seen ethnographic collections in people's homes, or in craft workshops. This was probably the largest collection and it contained lots of large objects, including a replica of a watchtower. But it was interesting to note that individuals have made it a priority to save and display these historical artifacts.
We were quite near Grozny at this point. We had dinner at a rooftop restaurant next door to our high-rise hotel. We arrived with daylight still outside the glass walls and before we left we had time to see the area all lit up in the darkness. Grozny does it up big time in this new area - the buildings flash with alternating light schemes and the mosque is all lit up too. One building had "I love Grozny" in Russian like our "I love = heart New York." Michel invited us to take a walk and visit the Akhmad Kadyrov Mosque at night to see it all lit up. I wasn't sure since we had it on the agenda for tomorrow's city tour but I went and it was great to wander around with local people and enjoy the celebratory feel of all those lights - like the Fourth of July.
MIR Web Site: The Chechen Republic (Chechnya)
The Chechen Republic, or
Chechnya as it is commonly referred to, is sandwiched between Ingushetia
in the west and Dagestan to the east. An incredibly beautiful region,
with craggy mountains and steep-sided gorges cut by glacier-fed rivers, its mountain culture is chivalric, hospitable and fiercely protective.
Alpine Lake Kezenoy-am,
just one of the region’s treasures, is set at 6,000 feet, and shared by
Chechnya and Dagestan. Reflecting the surrounding mountains when the
sky is clear, the lake is sometimes enveloped in fog. It is the largest
lake in the North Caucasus.
Chechnya’s people have historically been drawn towards the relatively
moderate Sufi Islam, with its mystical component, and this has been
reinforced by Chechnya’s Russian-appointed president, Ramzan Kadyrov.
Grozny,
capital of the Russian Republic of Chechnya, has had a short and brutal
life, but today it’s looking stable and prosperous. The
bright, rebuilt city features a handsome mosque, a renovated church and a
pleasant downtown filled with shops and restaurants. Schools and
cultural organizations teach Chechen traditions to the next generation.
2025-05-22