Today in Chechnya the Day of Memory and Grief is marked by the peoples of the republic. Previously, it was celebrated on February 23, the day of Stalin's deportation of Chechens in 1944.
In April 2011, the republic's authorities moved the date to May 10, the day after the terrorist attack on Grozny's Dynamo stadium, when the former Chechen leader Akhmad Kadyrov was buried.
In his address to the citizens of the Chechen Republic, the head of the Republic Ramzan Kadyrov said that "today, the Day of Memory and Grief, we remember the tragic events that befell the suffering of the Chechen people. We had to go through a series of tough tests – deportation, war and terror. Hundreds of thousands of dead and missing, wiped out towns and villages were the result of the sorrowful dates, which our history is full of. We deeply mourn the victims of those events."
According to him, "the Chechen people for a long time needed a real leader, who with courage and determination, heart and soul cared for his people, ready to give their lives for the common good."
"And that a man became our first President, the Hero of Russia Akhmat-Hadji Kadyrov. He took responsibility for Chechnya and its people, to rally the people and led them to a peaceful future. His feat put an end to our troubles and tragedies," the press-service of the Head of the Chechen Republic quotes Kadyrov.
The chairman of the Parliament of the Chechen Republic, Dukuvakha Abdurakhmanov, addressed a message to the people of the Chechen Republic.
He stressed that "this day we remember all those who died defending their homeland, in the name of its freedom and prosperity. We remember those who survived the difficult years of deportation. Hundreds of thousands of people died in Siberia and Central Asia, from hunger, cold and serious diseases."
"After half a century, the two military campaigns left deep wounds on our land. Destruction, blood, irreparable loss. We have repeatedly approached the brink of extinction as an ethnic group, but in similar ages born heroes, outstanding personalities, the ability to save their people and keep their land," he said.
According to him, "the first President of the Chechen Republic, Hero of Russia Akhmad Kadyrov, became the savior, who, according to the will of God, brought the nation out of the horrible chaos that reigned in Chechnya. At the cost of his life, he stopped the war and brought the republic to the path of peace and creativity. The only regional leader, he died at his post, disregarding mortal danger, sharing with his people the Day of the Great Victory over fascism. His death, contrary to the expectations of our enemies, even more united our peoples on the path of consolidating peace."
