Two detained in Daghestan after dancing lezginka on car roofs

Two young men in Kaspiysk, Daghestan have been detained after being filmed dancing a lezginka on top of moving vehicles as part of a wedding convoy.

The incident occurred on Sunday at around 16:00 on Lenin Street in Kaspiysk. According to Daghestan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, two local residents — 23-year-old Islam O. and 19-year-old Nakhid A., whose full names were not disclosed — climbed onto the roofs of two VAZ-21140 cars participating in a wedding convoy and danced while the vehicles were in motion. The regional police highlighted that this act ‘put themselves and other road users in danger.’

Footage of the incident quickly spread on social media, sparking widespread discussion and criticism.

Once the identities of the young men were established, the police filed ten administrative reports against them, including violations of passenger transport rules, driving without compulsory insurance, failure to use seat belts, and driving a vehicle without the right to do so. The vehicles were confiscated and taken to a specialised impound lot.

Daghestani wedding convoys — long lines of cars, often festooned with ribbons and balloons — have often featured risky driving. Drivers frequently speed, block traffic, ignore road rules, and, as recent incidents have shown, climb onto moving vehicles to dance or perform stunts. These behaviours are often fuelled by a desire to showcase bravado and demonstrate social standing.

In June 2024, a crash involving a wedding convoy in Dagestan resulted in the deaths of three people.

Besides driving incidents, wedding celebrations are often accompanied not only by merriment but also by public disorder violations. One tradition involves firing guns into the air, which historically was practiced to ward off evil spirits. However, in the modern context, this practice has resulted in numerous incidents and even tragedies.

In 2023, a man who fired shots at a wedding accidentally wounded an elderly woman, with the bullet grazing her face.

In 2013, during a wedding in the village of Ibragimotar, a guest — a police officer — began shooting into the air with his service weapon to announce the arrival of the wedding convoy. However, the bullet changed trajectory and struck a passing driver, who died on the spot.

In 2012, during a wedding convoy in Moscow, guests began firing shots into the air. A fragment from a shattered car headlight, broken by a stray bullet, struck a three-year-old child in the face, causing injuries.

Daghestani authorities have been trying to take steps to prevent such incidents at weddings. Police have increased enforcement of traffic regulations during wedding convoys and are conducting outreach efforts to educate the public about the dangers of using firearms and engaging in other hazardous behaviours during celebrations.

However, despite these efforts, violations continue to be regularly reported.

​​One killed and three wounded in a shootout in Makhachkala

The cause of the conflict was a financial dispute between the owner of a shopping centre and its tenants.

OC MediaElizaveta Chukharova