Ramzan Kadyrov’s eldest son awarded title of Honorary Citizen of Grozny

On Friday in the Chechen capital of Grozny, Akhmat Kadyrov, the eldest son of the Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov, was granted the title of ‘Honorary Citizen of the City of Grozny’.

The award ceremony took place during the opening of the Republican Centre for Wrestling named after Buvaisar Saitiev. The award was personally presented to Akhmat Kadyrov by his father, who highlighted his contribution to the development of the region’s sporting sector, according to the Russian state-run news agency TASS.

The specific achievements for which Akhmat Kadyrov received the award were not detailed in official communications.

The annex to the regulations on conferring the title of Honorary Citizen of Grozny lists several criteria, including ‘wide public awareness among Grozny’s population of the citizen’s specific merits’, as well as ‘high moral character and authority’.

Akhmat Kadyrov, who holds the post of Minister of Physical Culture and Sport of the Chechen Republic, as well as serving as the president of the football club Akhmat, received the title for his ‘significant contribution to the development of sport’, according to a statement from the Chechen Minister for National Policy, External Relations, Press, and Information, Akhmed Dudaev.

In his Telegram channel, Dudaev noted that, despite his young age, Akhmat Kadyrov had demonstrated the qualities of a leader capable of effectively carrying out objectives in the field of sports policy.

‘In a short period, he has achieved impressive results’, Dudaev wrote, adding that Akhmat Kadyrov’s work would benefit not only Chechnya but the whole of Russia.

The decision to award the title was made by deputies of the Grozny City Hall, although the corresponding document was not published on the official website of the city parliament.

Instead, the website featured a decision dated 17 April on awarding the title of Honorary Citizen of Grozny to the mayor of Kazan, Ilsur Metshin. Additionally, the website contains a draft decision to refuse benefits and compensations to honorary citizens of Grozny, such as full exemption from taxes contributing to the city budget.

The award ceremony for Kadyrov’s son was accompanied by the presentation of awards to other members of Chechnya’s sports community. According to TASS, Ramzan Kadyrov honoured members of the regional wrestling federation, coaches, and athletes for their contributions to the development of sport in the republic.

Akhmat Kadyrov, who turned 19 in November 2024, holds several significant posts in Chechnya. In addition to his ministerial position, he heads the football club Akhmat and ‘actively participates in the public life of the republic’.

Earlier, in November 2023, he was awarded the Order of the Parliament of the Chechen Republic ‘Daimekhan Siy’ (‘Honour of the Fatherland’) together with his brothers Adam and Eli.

In recent years, the title of honorary citizen of the republic or the city of Grozny has been awarded to various public and sporting figures. For example, in 2018 it was conferred to UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov, and in 2024 to boxer Artur Beterbiev.

Kadyrov takes part in talks between Putin and the Qatari Emir

Kadyrov’s role in the negotiations was not mentioned in any official statements.

OC MediaElizaveta Chukharova