Chechnya's expectations of Putin

In May the inauguration of President Vladimir Putin will take place. In the March elections 99.76% of Chechen voters voted for Putin and are now expecting the new president to solve basic problems of the region. Grozny recognizes that the fate of the republic depends on the policy of the federal government, especially on the Kremlin.

Grozny considers the renovation of industrial facilities, as well as creation of new jobs for the population, as the most important priorities. Local authorities believe that in solving the economic problems, the new president will eliminate the consequences of the 1990s in the republic. By voting for Putin, the residents of Chechnya voted for the further development of the socio-economic sphere, hoping that the new president would solve the housing issues for people who lost their homes during the wars, and find the missing and abducted people. The housing problem is rather acute. In December 2011 there were 11,629 families awaiting public housing. Among these families, 10,486 had lost their homes during the war period, while 1143 are on low incomes. As for the kidnapped residents of the republic, their numerous relatives turn to the European Court of Human Rights, and in almost all cases, they win those cases.

Chechnya welcomes the development of the tourism industry, including the construction of resorts, although it stresses the need to develop the current industries. According to experts, nowadays Chechnya does not only need to renovate the old model of the economy, but also to create a new model of a competitive economy. However, in order to accomplish this task, it is important to clearly define what is needed to be done at this stage and what areas should be in the focus of development. Chechnya realizes that many production niches on the world and even on the domestic markets are already occupied. While local experts have been talking about the need to restore the economy for the past 20 years, the world industry has largely advanced. At some point in history, Chechnya had a strong oil industry, including the industrial production of oil equipment. The strongest professionals in the field of oil production and processing equipment worked in Chechnya. The oil production equipment built in Chechnya and Ingushetia was exported to over 70 countries worldwide.

According to the Minister of Industry and Energy of Chechnya, the main objective of the industrial policy of the republic is to secure a 150% to 200 increase in production by 2015. In order to achieve this, the ministry plans to restore and develop the industrial potential of the republic, as well as increase the level of development of innovative technologies. However, material well-being is far from being the only focus of the Chechens. Grozny believes that it is fundamentally important to consider the national priorities, which were passed over the centuries from one generation to another. One can hear more and more often  calls for the revival of national identity, traditions and culture, in particular in society. Some are afraid of Russian assimilation and base their concerns on the example of the Kalmyks, 40% of whom do not know their native language. A similar situation can be seen in North Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria and Chuvashia. Others continue to advocate the revival of the Ministry of National Policy in Russia and expect its head to know the problems of every particular region, as well as their cultures and the specifics of their ethnic composition. The Chechens have always sought to be financially independent and self-sufficient. Among the population there is a strong desire to follow the common morals and values shared by the whole of humanity, which are also reflected in Islam. However, a part of the society believes that today these things are becoming forgotten. People are trying to follow their centuries-old traditions, sometimes unconsciously and in spite of the socio-economic formation.