The Federal Agency for Nationalities Affairs (FANA) expressed its disagreement with the Chechen government's plans to rename the Cossack villages of Naurskaya and Shelkovskaya to Nevra and Terek. FANA head Igor Barinov stated at a State Duma committee meeting that the agency had not been informed of this initiative and considered it untimely.
Earlier, State Duma deputy General Vladimir Shamanov categorically criticized the renaming idea, prompting a sharp reaction from Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. He stated that the opinions of representatives of all nationalities living in the villages in question, including Russians and Cossacks, were taken into account when making the decision.
"I am addressing you personally, Shamanov. If the word 'patriot' is not an empty phrase for you, gather your fellow supporters and head to the front lines in the SVO zone. Let's see what you can do." "Your 'wealth of experience,' which you've accumulated by tormenting civilians, is well known to us. Therefore, you have no moral right to sit in the Duma and pose as a 'people's defender.' Stop hiding behind your parliamentary mandate and grandiose rhetoric. You publicly defended Budanov, the murderer of a defenseless Chechen girl. For us, he will forever remain a symbol of the atrocities and shame of that time, and your name now stands alongside his. You must kneel and ask the Chechen people for forgiveness for the murder of civilians, looting, and destruction," Kadyrov wrote on his Telegram channel.
Following the head of Chechnya, State Duma deputy Adam Delimkhanov responded to Shamanov's criticism. He said the general insulted the region's residents and Chechen soldiers in the "SVO."
"It was precisely false patriots and hypocrites like Shamanov who unleashed the carnage and utter chaos in the Chechen Republic. It's enough to recall his subordinate, the war criminal Budanov, who massacred a Chechen girl. Moreover, we are well aware of all his crimes against the Chechen people: the murder of civilians, robberies, and destruction," Delimkhanov stated.
He added that Shamanov "must beg forgiveness from all our people, and then sit in prison and answer for his war crimes."
As a reminder, the State Duma passed bills assigning new names to three cities in the Chechen Republic. According to them, the city of Sernovodskoye will be renamed Sernovodsk, the city of Shelkovskaya will be renamed Terek, and Naurskaya will be renamed Nevre. Vladimir Shamanov opposed the bill.
"They are proposing to rename Cossack villages that have historical names." "Not only did you kick out the Russian-speaking population, but now you're erasing their names," the general-deputy lamented at a Duma session. "This is the history of our state. What are you doing, I ask you?!"
Vladimir Shamanov became notorious during both Russian-Chechen wars for the 58th Army units under his command, which were distinguished by their particular cruelty toward civilians, violations of the rights of the local population, and looting. In Chechnya, he is called a "murderer" and a "war criminal." It was under his command that Colonel Yuri Budanov, who in March 2000 abducted Elsa Kungayeva, an 18-year-old resident of the village of Tangi-Chu, in an armored personnel carrier, subsequently brought her to his unit, raped, and murdered her. Shamanov, however, defended the killer in every way, calling him a "true officer" and "a treasure of Russia."
