September 2004

World View

Chechens of Russia

By Chuck Satterwhite

They’ve been in the news this week for possibly murdering an American journalist and earlier this month for holding children hostage in a Russian school, a standoff that ended in a bloodbath. The clan-oriented Chechens are strongly rooted in their land and known for fighting for their independence. Living in a small territory of the Caucus Mountains between the Russian and Georgian republics, they are a very proud people who want their freedom from the Russian government, but they have no one to lead them to spiritual freedom in Christ.

In 1859, the Chechens were made part of the Russian Empire. Along with their neighbors, the Ingush, the Chechens created the Chechen-Ingush Empire in 1936. This empire ended in 1944 when many of then were sent to Kazakhstan and Siberia by the Soviet Union. They returned in 1957 only to find that others had moved into their territory. Being tied to their land, the Chechens fought to regain what they had lost.

The Chechens again announced their independence in the early 1990s when the Soviet Union broke apart. The Chechen claim of independence led to a devastating war with Russia that killed many people and devastated the Chechen’s land.

Despite many attempts of assimilation by the Russians, the Chechens have managed to keep their traditional customs for thousands of years. Much of Chechen tradition was passed down orally from generation to generation. A written Chechen language was not developed until the early 20th century.

The Chechen language is unique to their region. Only the Ingush language is similar. Other languages outside the region are not related to the Chechen language. Until 1991, when the war with Russia began, Chechens had two official languages — Chechen and Russian. After 1991, with a move resulting from anti-Russian sentiment, there was an increase in the use of the Chechen language.

Religion for the Chechens has also survived assimilation attempts. During the seventh and eighth centuries, the Chechens adopted Eastern Orthodoxy. Since the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries they have been practicing Muslims. The controlling nature of atheistic Russia sought to get rid of Islam. Under Russian rule, Chechens began to subscribe to a sect of Islam known as Sufism. Sufism emphasizes secrecy and mysticism, which is what the Chechens needed under opposition rule.

Chechens are by tradition cattle-breeders and farmers. Recently they have begun to work in mining and oil refining. Before the war, Chechens were attempting a market society. More and more Chechens were pursuing higher education and moving to urban areas for nontraditional occupations. Because of the amount of devastation from the 1991 war with Russia, the new growth was slowed.