Grozny immortalizes its patriots

After a capital reconstruction of the Chechen capital, Pervomayskaya Street – the largest and oldest street in Grozny and the main traffic artery of the city - has been renamed after sheikh Ali Mitayev. Before receiving its Soviet name, it was called Alexandrovskaya Street, to commemorate Alexander II’s visit to Grozny. Now the street has been named after Ali Mitayev, who was born in 1881 into the family of the famous religious figure, Bamat-Girey-Khadji Mitayev. Being well educated (he knew the Russian, Chechen and Arab languages and was a connoisseur of history, philosophy and politics), Ali founded the first Muslim school in his home village.

In the course of two military campaigns the street was almost totally destroyed, as it was one of the most vital strategic objects of the whole city. It has now been fully restored. Over the past few years, dozens of streets have been renamed in the Chechen capital. Their Soviet names were changed to those

commemorating prominent Chechen figures, especially enlighteners and religious leaders. Not only religious and scientific figures are honoured by these renamings, some streets have been named after Chechen (and Federal) heroes, for example, Colonel Gennady Troshev, who tried to avoid civilian casualties and unnecessary destruction during the war. He and many other heroes of Chechen wars are immortalized in the rebuilt capital’s street names.

Timur Utsaev, exclusively to VK