Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov was awarded the title Hero of the Chechen Republic for a second time on his 49th birthday. The award was presented by the Head of the Chechen Government, Magomed Daudov, at the opening ceremony of a new government complex in Grozny.
As Daudov noted at the award ceremony, ‘Kadyrov’s hard work, dedication to the people, and tireless care for every resident of the republic have become a symbol of revival and unity’.
Daudov said that Kadyrov has managed ‘not only to preserve the spiritual and cultural traditions of the Chechen people, but also to give a powerful impetus to the development of the economy, education, sport and culture’.
‘Thanks to your leadership, the republic is now moving forward with confidence, strengthening its position within a united and strong Russian state’, Daudov said.
Under a decree signed by Kadyrov himself on 31 October 2022, the title Hero of the Chechen Republic is the highest award in the region and is granted for ‘outstanding services to the Chechen Republic and its people associated with the performance of a heroic deed’.
The document specifies that only the Head of the republic can confer the award and does not specifically state that the title may be awarded to the same individual more than once.
Kadyrov first received the title Hero of the Chechen Republic exactly one year after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, on 24 February 2023.
On the occasion of Kadyrov’s 49th birthday, officials and government representatives began posting congratulations from the first minutes of 5 October.
Daudov highlighted that ‘a distinguishing feature of the Head of the Republic is his care for ordinary people, assistance to those in need, and attention to every individual’.
Russian MP Adam Delimkhanov, who is from Chechnya and is a close ally of Kadyrov, stated that Kadyrov had ‘completely eliminated terrorism and extremism, established law and order, and the rule of law’.
Chechnya’s Minister for Nationalities Affairs, Ahmed Dudaev, said that ‘Kadyrov’s name has become widely known beyond the republic and is a symbol of a principled and firm position across the whole of Russia’.
The Chechen Commissioner for Human Rights, Mansur Soltaev, described Kadyrov as ‘the guarantor of the Constitution of the Chechen Republic, the rights and freedoms of individuals and citizens, and the protector of the traditions, spiritual and cultural values of the people’.
According to Chechen state media, congratulations were also sent by Tatarstan’s Head Rustam Minnikhanov, actor Vladimir Mashkov, and TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov. No official reports indicated that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally congratulated Kadyrov on his birthday.
Kadyrov holds a number of titles, including honorary academic of the Academy of Sciences of the Chechen Republic. He is an honorary professor at several Russian universities, a distinguished worker of physical culture, and the honorary president of the movement of Afghan war veterans in the Southern Federal District. He has also been awarded the Order of Akhmat-Haji Kadyrov, the Order ‘For Merit to the Fatherland’ IV class, the Order of Courage, and a series of medals, including ‘For Distinction in Public Order Protection’, ‘For Distinction in Conducting the All-Russian Population Census’, ‘For the Liberation of Crimea’, and ‘For the Development of Parliamentarism in the Chechen Republic’.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Kadyrov has received at least 25 different awards, medals, and titles, Russian independent media outlet Vertska reported.
Kadyrov received the honorary Centaur badge from the Council of Chief Architects of Russia in June 2024 and an award for Outstanding Contribution to the Development of the Kurchatov Institute in May 2022. He also received 10 awards from various ministries and agencies, among them the titles Honoured Worker of the Agro-Industrial Complex and Excellence in Ambulance Services, both awarded within two days in October 2024.
Kadyrov has also been honoured with two state awards — the Order of Aleksander Nevsky and the Order For Services to the Fatherland Second Class. His regional honours include the title of Hero of the Chechen Republic. Three awards were granted by Russian-installed administrations in occupied Ukrainian regions; the Order of Friendship and the Hero Medal from Luhansk, and a medal for the ‘Liberation of Mariupol’.
Elizaveta Chukharova
