Following the wounding of Chechen MMA fighter Ibragim Islamov—known by the nickname "Nikarkho"—residents of Chechnya and North Ossetia have been discussing the circumstances of the incident. While accounts of what transpired vary, many public figures, bloggers, and social media users are urging against framing the conflict in terms of interethnic tensions.
Risan Saralieva from the village of Geldagan mastered welding and artistic metal forging—traditionally considered a male craft in Chechnya—and turned it into her own business. Today, she makes furniture, railings, swings, and decorative structures, with some orders costing up to 700,000 rubles.
According to Chechnya Today, Saralieva started working in the workshop while helping her husband. At first, she prepared metal items for painting and observed the process, but then decided to master the welding machine herself.
Her first independent order was three metal hangers. She earned nine thousand rubles for their production. After that, her clientele grew, and today, according to the craftswoman, she is rarely out of work. Smaller pieces take about a day, while larger ones take two or three.
Her portfolio currently includes furniture, shelves, railings, swings, and other metal items. Saralieva considers a three-meter-long decorative carriage to be one of her most unusual works. She considers a brazier in the shape of a ship, almost four meters long, to be her crown jewel. According to the craftswoman, it costs around 700,000 rubles.
The craftswoman's name became known far beyond her home village after her youngest daughter posted a video from her workshop on social media. After that, Saralieva says, the number of orders increased significantly.
"Yes, it's not exactly a woman's job, but I believe I can no longer do ordinary women's work. I don't work only by the hour: I'm in the workshop almost from morning until night. I don't know what will happen next. Everything is by the will of the Almighty," she says.