L | A (Translated with ChatGPT)
In March, the Norwegian authorities began forcibly deporting Chechen emigrants from the country. Fifty families, including women and children, have already been sent back to Russia. A year ago, Austria took similar action.
One of the reasons for the deportation is the aggressive behavior of the migrants toward the native residents of the country that gave them refuge. Similar complaints are directed at people from southern regions within Russia itself. Why do fiery Caucasian men, who pride themselves on strict moral codes at home, behave like they're in chaos when they are “guests”?
"Childish" Mischief
— German, Chechen guys in Russian cities behave, to put it mildly, provocatively. Why?
— It's the Chechen "golden youth"—the spoiled sons of high-ranking officials and wealthy people, cruising around in jeeps and Lamborghinis—who push the limits. They’re always in the spotlight and act rudely.
How does a 20-year-old afford such a car? Who is he? Most likely the son of some important figure. He’s used to having no limits back home, and when he comes to Russia, he continues living by his own rules—or rather, without any rules at all.
Why? Because he knows that if something happens, his dad, his dad’s friend, or a relative will show up, flash some official credentials, make the necessary calls, pay off whoever needs paying, and make the problem disappear.
Everyone sees that if something happens to a Russian, no one will help him. But if a young man from the Caucasus gets into trouble, all possible resources will be mobilized to protect him. This creates a sense of exclusivity and immunity from Russian laws.
These untouchables are the ones most often seen in Moscow. A guy from a poor Chechen family can't afford Moscow. But those who do make it to the capital are drawn, almost childishly, to the spoiled elites: riding down Tverskaya Street in the backseat of a jeep, trying to feel like a big shot.
The elites turn them into their entourage—a crew of lackeys. They can’t outright say, "My father is a hundred times richer than yours, so you have to serve me."
Instead, they say, "We’re from the Caucasus, we’re brothers, the Caucasus will conquer everyone, Russia is beneath us." They use these slogans to craft an image of themselves as heroes. Naive guys from poor clans fall for this. And then comes: "We are Islam, Allahu Akbar!"
What "Allahu Akbar" are you talking about if you’re drinking vodka? If you’re causing drunken mayhem and harassing other men’s wives? What kind of Muslim are you, and what does religion even have to do with it in this case?
None of this would happen if the authorities implemented strict policies—not against nationalities, but against all citizens equally.
If you break the law, you should be held accountable—who your father is shouldn’t matter. But in reality, cases are often swept under the rug based on ethnicity. Not long ago, even official figures, such as Chechen Ombudsman Nurdi Nukhazhiev, were involved in such matters.
On multiple occasions, he and his team would rush to incidents where, in their view, the honor of Chechen youth had been slighted. This deeply angered the local population and fueled tensions.
The underlying message of these intervention teams was: "Our boys couldn’t have done anything wrong!" Why not? Let’s say the "boy" in question caused trouble while living in the Stavropol region. So what if he’s Chechen? There are local Russian law enforcement agencies, and they can handle it.
Who authorized the ombudsman to shield individuals on behalf of an ethnic community? And why involve ethnic structures at all? If some young men have committed offenses, the conversation should be with the police and the prosecutor’s office, not with ethnic organizations or associations.
— Everyone was outraged by the story of a student, the son of a businessman, driving an SUV around the Eternal Flame in Moscow. Was he trying to offend someone or just show off?
— It’s the same spoiled rich kid antics. He was driving an SUV, not some old “Zhiguli.” Another "daddy’s boy," one of those who come to Moscow supposedly to study. These guys race around, party, and then approach their professors with lines like, "Listen, if you don’t give me a good grade, my dad will make a call, and you’ll lose your job."
The more they’re allowed to get away with, the bolder they become. They don’t want to do anything themselves—neither study nor work. Why bother? If daddy gives them $10,000 a month for pocket money, there’s no problem.
Slave or Highlander?
— You said, “Chechnya is the last remaining truly masculine society in Russia. It’s a world of men.” Why does Chechnya today produce men who destroy rather than those who build and develop ideas?
— Today, labor itself has lost its value in Chechnya. Half of the working-age population is unemployed, and there’s extreme inequality everywhere. The mindset is: no matter how hard you work—even if you toil day and night—you won’t earn enough to buy schoolbooks for your child.
Meanwhile, your neighbor, the one you grew up with on the same street, has multiple cars, a two-story house, and 40 bodyguards. He buys a jeep for each of his sons on their 16th birthday. He’s a government official, and he’s untouchable. And you’re left with nothing.
This kind of social stratification is not inherent to Chechens—there was never such a stark divide between the rich and the poor in traditional highland societies. For people, it’s a cruel psychological shock to now be seen as a nobody, a slave, while your neighbor is a master who treats you like dirt under his feet. Few are willing to become hired laborers in such a reality.
— Russia is home to more than 180 nationalities and ethnic groups, and somehow people manage to coexist. Why is it that only Chechens set themselves apart from everyone else? Why are they "outside the system"?
— It’s often said that Chechens struggle to find common ground not only with Russians in Russia and within Chechnya itself but also with their neighbors—Ingush, Dagestanis, Kabardians, and Ossetians—that they supposedly have conflicts with everyone. But this is a myth.
The term “Caucasian” is a collective label, but there is no unified “Caucasian community.” Yes, in the Caucasus, people of different cultures and faiths often fail to find common ground. However, Chechens are not unique in this regard.
The same is true, for example, in Ingushetia or in the multicultural Dagestan, where each district has its own ethnicity—Avars, Laks, Kumyks—and in some neighboring villages, even different dialects are spoken.
— What’s happening with Chechen culture? The Ossetians have Valery Gergiev and Kosta Khetagurov, the Abkhaz have Fazil Iskander and Ksenia Georgiadi. Dagestan has Rasul Gamzatov, and Kabardino-Balkaria has Yuri Temirkanov. What about Chechnya?
— Chechnya has cultural and ethnic insularity. Although there have been famous Chechens—dancer Mahmud Esambaev, composer Adnan Shakhbulatov. There are still notable figures today—writers Kanta Ibragimov, Sultan Yashurkaev, poet Apty Bisultanov. However, the latter two are now working in exile—in Europe.
And this is not surprising: out of 3 million Chechens, only 1 million live in their homeland. The rest are either in Russia or abroad. Being a national writer in Chechnya, or even a Chechen writer in Russia today, is difficult: some things are forbidden, others are restricted—there is no freedom of speech.
Everyone’s to Blame
— "You have to be rich, not smart. If you have money, you can buy everything else." Is this the mentality of the entire North Caucasus?
— It’s the mentality of much of Russia as well. But the shock reforms of the 90s affected Chechnya in its own way. In Chechen society, there’s no mechanism to resist the "charming appeal" of capital. People lack immunity to the power of money. This is a problem for all the peoples of our country, but especially for smaller, peripheral groups.
All moral guidelines have been lost. There’s only one thing left: "Money is everything, not work." That means you don’t need to work, you don’t need to study, you don’t have to be moral or follow the laws. In this sense, we are like the Chukchi: we brought in vodka, and now we have widespread drunkenness. Luxury has the same effect on us.
— So who is oppressing whom now: are Russians oppressing Chechens, or the other way around?
— Everyone has their own truth. There are rich Russians too, who, though, don’t come from Moscow to Grozny. But the questions remain. Why do Chechens always have complaints about Russia, sometimes about the government in their own republic, but never about themselves? This applies to the entire Russian people, who are forever oppressed by some malevolent historical forces.
We share a common problem: it seems like everyone around us is to blame—we are wronged, while we are the good ones. It’s psychological compensation as a reaction to an unjust life. And it’s a sign that it’s time to shed our infantilism.
Profile
German Sadulaev was born in 1973 in the village of Shali, Checheno-Ingush ASSR, to a Chechen father and a Terek Cossack mother.
He graduated from the Law Faculty of St. Petersburg University. He is the author of seven books, including the autobiographical I Am Chechen! and The Pill.
He is married and lives in St. Petersburg.
Basic Rules of Chechen Ethics
1. A girl should not meet a boy alone. A date between a boy and a girl can only take place in the presence of relatives.
2. A girl is inviolable to Chechens, as reflected even in the national dance, where the partners never touch. That is, no one outside the family should touch the girl.
3. A husband and wife should not speak in the presence of relatives.
4. One should not sit in the presence of elders.
5. It is always necessary to stand when greeting one another or when an elder enters the room.
6. The daughter-in-law should always be the first to get up in the house and the last to go to bed.
7. A son returning from work must first go to his parents and inquire about their affairs, health, etc.
8. Smoking is not allowed in the presence of elders.
9. It is strictly forbidden to cross the path of an elderly man or woman. You must stop and let them pass.
10. If a pregnant woman is walking, you must also stop and let her pass.
11. Women should not eat in the presence of men.
12. A man should walk ahead of a woman, as if clearing the way for her.
13. The groom never attends his own wedding.
14. A man who has married should not be seen by his parents for several days after the wedding.
15. A girl who has married should not be shown to the male side of her close family until her father, brother, etc., call for her or enter the room where she is.
16. A pregnant woman should not be seen by her male relatives.
17. One should not express emotions too openly, such as laughing loudly, squealing, or admiring the opposite sex in each other's presence.
18. On public transport, a man must give his seat to any woman, regardless of age. Even elderly men give their seat to young girls so that no one can touch her inappropriately.
19. A father should not wear a sleeveless shirt in front of his daughter, and a brother should not in front of his sister, mother, or father.
20. Girls should not speak loudly.
21. When visiting, girls should never sit. They must assist in the kitchen first, such as washing dishes or setting the table.
22. When meeting a boy, a girl should never look him in the eye. She should look away (not from side to side) or lower her gaze. It is also inappropriate to speak much.
23. In the presence of their relatives and generally any adult men from the husband's side, a woman should not take children in her arms, caress them, or even scold them.
In March, the Norwegian authorities began forcibly deporting Chechen emigrants from the country. Fifty families, including women and children, have already been sent back to Russia. A year ago, Austria took similar action.
One of the reasons for the deportation is the aggressive behavior of the migrants toward the native residents of the country that gave them refuge. Similar complaints are directed at people from southern regions within Russia itself. Why do fiery Caucasian men, who pride themselves on strict moral codes at home, behave like they're in chaos when they are “guests”?
"Childish" Mischief
— German, Chechen guys in Russian cities behave, to put it mildly, provocatively. Why?
— It's the Chechen "golden youth"—the spoiled sons of high-ranking officials and wealthy people, cruising around in jeeps and Lamborghinis—who push the limits. They’re always in the spotlight and act rudely.
How does a 20-year-old afford such a car? Who is he? Most likely the son of some important figure. He’s used to having no limits back home, and when he comes to Russia, he continues living by his own rules—or rather, without any rules at all.
Why? Because he knows that if something happens, his dad, his dad’s friend, or a relative will show up, flash some official credentials, make the necessary calls, pay off whoever needs paying, and make the problem disappear.
Everyone sees that if something happens to a Russian, no one will help him. But if a young man from the Caucasus gets into trouble, all possible resources will be mobilized to protect him. This creates a sense of exclusivity and immunity from Russian laws.
These untouchables are the ones most often seen in Moscow. A guy from a poor Chechen family can't afford Moscow. But those who do make it to the capital are drawn, almost childishly, to the spoiled elites: riding down Tverskaya Street in the backseat of a jeep, trying to feel like a big shot.
The elites turn them into their entourage—a crew of lackeys. They can’t outright say, "My father is a hundred times richer than yours, so you have to serve me."
Instead, they say, "We’re from the Caucasus, we’re brothers, the Caucasus will conquer everyone, Russia is beneath us." They use these slogans to craft an image of themselves as heroes. Naive guys from poor clans fall for this. And then comes: "We are Islam, Allahu Akbar!"
What "Allahu Akbar" are you talking about if you’re drinking vodka? If you’re causing drunken mayhem and harassing other men’s wives? What kind of Muslim are you, and what does religion even have to do with it in this case?
None of this would happen if the authorities implemented strict policies—not against nationalities, but against all citizens equally.
If you break the law, you should be held accountable—who your father is shouldn’t matter. But in reality, cases are often swept under the rug based on ethnicity. Not long ago, even official figures, such as Chechen Ombudsman Nurdi Nukhazhiev, were involved in such matters.
On multiple occasions, he and his team would rush to incidents where, in their view, the honor of Chechen youth had been slighted. This deeply angered the local population and fueled tensions.
The underlying message of these intervention teams was: "Our boys couldn’t have done anything wrong!" Why not? Let’s say the "boy" in question caused trouble while living in the Stavropol region. So what if he’s Chechen? There are local Russian law enforcement agencies, and they can handle it.
Who authorized the ombudsman to shield individuals on behalf of an ethnic community? And why involve ethnic structures at all? If some young men have committed offenses, the conversation should be with the police and the prosecutor’s office, not with ethnic organizations or associations.
— Everyone was outraged by the story of a student, the son of a businessman, driving an SUV around the Eternal Flame in Moscow. Was he trying to offend someone or just show off?
— It’s the same spoiled rich kid antics. He was driving an SUV, not some old “Zhiguli.” Another "daddy’s boy," one of those who come to Moscow supposedly to study. These guys race around, party, and then approach their professors with lines like, "Listen, if you don’t give me a good grade, my dad will make a call, and you’ll lose your job."
The more they’re allowed to get away with, the bolder they become. They don’t want to do anything themselves—neither study nor work. Why bother? If daddy gives them $10,000 a month for pocket money, there’s no problem.
Slave or Highlander?
— You said, “Chechnya is the last remaining truly masculine society in Russia. It’s a world of men.” Why does Chechnya today produce men who destroy rather than those who build and develop ideas?
— Today, labor itself has lost its value in Chechnya. Half of the working-age population is unemployed, and there’s extreme inequality everywhere. The mindset is: no matter how hard you work—even if you toil day and night—you won’t earn enough to buy schoolbooks for your child.
Meanwhile, your neighbor, the one you grew up with on the same street, has multiple cars, a two-story house, and 40 bodyguards. He buys a jeep for each of his sons on their 16th birthday. He’s a government official, and he’s untouchable. And you’re left with nothing.
This kind of social stratification is not inherent to Chechens—there was never such a stark divide between the rich and the poor in traditional highland societies. For people, it’s a cruel psychological shock to now be seen as a nobody, a slave, while your neighbor is a master who treats you like dirt under his feet. Few are willing to become hired laborers in such a reality.
— Russia is home to more than 180 nationalities and ethnic groups, and somehow people manage to coexist. Why is it that only Chechens set themselves apart from everyone else? Why are they "outside the system"?
— It’s often said that Chechens struggle to find common ground not only with Russians in Russia and within Chechnya itself but also with their neighbors—Ingush, Dagestanis, Kabardians, and Ossetians—that they supposedly have conflicts with everyone. But this is a myth.
The term “Caucasian” is a collective label, but there is no unified “Caucasian community.” Yes, in the Caucasus, people of different cultures and faiths often fail to find common ground. However, Chechens are not unique in this regard.
The same is true, for example, in Ingushetia or in the multicultural Dagestan, where each district has its own ethnicity—Avars, Laks, Kumyks—and in some neighboring villages, even different dialects are spoken.
— What’s happening with Chechen culture? The Ossetians have Valery Gergiev and Kosta Khetagurov, the Abkhaz have Fazil Iskander and Ksenia Georgiadi. Dagestan has Rasul Gamzatov, and Kabardino-Balkaria has Yuri Temirkanov. What about Chechnya?
— Chechnya has cultural and ethnic insularity. Although there have been famous Chechens—dancer Mahmud Esambaev, composer Adnan Shakhbulatov. There are still notable figures today—writers Kanta Ibragimov, Sultan Yashurkaev, poet Apty Bisultanov. However, the latter two are now working in exile—in Europe.
And this is not surprising: out of 3 million Chechens, only 1 million live in their homeland. The rest are either in Russia or abroad. Being a national writer in Chechnya, or even a Chechen writer in Russia today, is difficult: some things are forbidden, others are restricted—there is no freedom of speech.
Everyone’s to Blame
— "You have to be rich, not smart. If you have money, you can buy everything else." Is this the mentality of the entire North Caucasus?
— It’s the mentality of much of Russia as well. But the shock reforms of the 90s affected Chechnya in its own way. In Chechen society, there’s no mechanism to resist the "charming appeal" of capital. People lack immunity to the power of money. This is a problem for all the peoples of our country, but especially for smaller, peripheral groups.
All moral guidelines have been lost. There’s only one thing left: "Money is everything, not work." That means you don’t need to work, you don’t need to study, you don’t have to be moral or follow the laws. In this sense, we are like the Chukchi: we brought in vodka, and now we have widespread drunkenness. Luxury has the same effect on us.
— So who is oppressing whom now: are Russians oppressing Chechens, or the other way around?
— Everyone has their own truth. There are rich Russians too, who, though, don’t come from Moscow to Grozny. But the questions remain. Why do Chechens always have complaints about Russia, sometimes about the government in their own republic, but never about themselves? This applies to the entire Russian people, who are forever oppressed by some malevolent historical forces.
We share a common problem: it seems like everyone around us is to blame—we are wronged, while we are the good ones. It’s psychological compensation as a reaction to an unjust life. And it’s a sign that it’s time to shed our infantilism.
Profile
German Sadulaev was born in 1973 in the village of Shali, Checheno-Ingush ASSR, to a Chechen father and a Terek Cossack mother.
He graduated from the Law Faculty of St. Petersburg University. He is the author of seven books, including the autobiographical I Am Chechen! and The Pill.
He is married and lives in St. Petersburg.
Basic Rules of Chechen Ethics
1. A girl should not meet a boy alone. A date between a boy and a girl can only take place in the presence of relatives.
2. A girl is inviolable to Chechens, as reflected even in the national dance, where the partners never touch. That is, no one outside the family should touch the girl.
3. A husband and wife should not speak in the presence of relatives.
4. One should not sit in the presence of elders.
5. It is always necessary to stand when greeting one another or when an elder enters the room.
6. The daughter-in-law should always be the first to get up in the house and the last to go to bed.
7. A son returning from work must first go to his parents and inquire about their affairs, health, etc.
8. Smoking is not allowed in the presence of elders.
9. It is strictly forbidden to cross the path of an elderly man or woman. You must stop and let them pass.
10. If a pregnant woman is walking, you must also stop and let her pass.
11. Women should not eat in the presence of men.
12. A man should walk ahead of a woman, as if clearing the way for her.
13. The groom never attends his own wedding.
14. A man who has married should not be seen by his parents for several days after the wedding.
15. A girl who has married should not be shown to the male side of her close family until her father, brother, etc., call for her or enter the room where she is.
16. A pregnant woman should not be seen by her male relatives.
17. One should not express emotions too openly, such as laughing loudly, squealing, or admiring the opposite sex in each other's presence.
18. On public transport, a man must give his seat to any woman, regardless of age. Even elderly men give their seat to young girls so that no one can touch her inappropriately.
19. A father should not wear a sleeveless shirt in front of his daughter, and a brother should not in front of his sister, mother, or father.
20. Girls should not speak loudly.
21. When visiting, girls should never sit. They must assist in the kitchen first, such as washing dishes or setting the table.
22. When meeting a boy, a girl should never look him in the eye. She should look away (not from side to side) or lower her gaze. It is also inappropriate to speak much.
23. In the presence of their relatives and generally any adult men from the husband's side, a woman should not take children in her arms, caress them, or even scold them.
