Grozny
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Grozny (Russian: Гро́зный) is the capital of the Chechen Republic in Russia. Located at 43°19′ N 45°41′ E
"Grozny" means "terrible" or "threatening" in Russian. The city may sometimes be referred to as Dzhokhar or Djohar (Chechen: Djovkhar Ghaala); it was named so after the first president of the separatist Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Dzhokhar Dudaev.
In 2002 the city had a population of 210,720 people.
History
The Groznaya fortress was founded in 1818 as a Russian military outpost. It was turned into the town of Grozny in 1870. Most of the residents there were Terek Cossacks. (The change of the name ending follows the rules for adjectives when the modified noun was changed from the feminine gender ("threatening fortress") to masculine ("threatening town").) The town grew slowly until the early 20th century. It then became a major industrial centre and one of the Soviet Union's first oil production centres. In addition to the oil drilled in the city itself, it sits in the geographical centre of Russia's network of oil fields.
In 1922 it was capital of Chechen Autonomous Oblast (Chechen AO), at this time most of the population was still Russian, but of Cossack descent. As Cossacks were viewed as potential threat to the Soviet nation, Moscow actively encouraged the migtation of Chechens into the city from the mountains. In (1934) Chechen-Ingush AO was formed and then grew into the Chechen-Ingush ASSR (1936). In 1944 the whole population of Chechens and Ingushs was deported after the asserted collaboration with the Nazis, and the massacre of Russians. Grozny became capital of the Grozny Oblast of RSFSR, and the city once again became wholly Russian. In 1957 Chechen-Ingush ASSR was restored, and the Chechens were allowed to return, once again migration of non-Russians into Grozny continued whilst the Russian population, in turn, moved to other parts of the USSR, notably the Baltic. By the late 1960s Chechens and Ingush outnumbered the Russians.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Grozny was the seat of a separatist regime led by Dzhokhar Dudaev at this time of anarchy a genocide was unleashed on the remaining Russian minority and many were ruthlessly murdered, robbed and raped. In 1995 the Russian Army, after an intense battle, re-took the city, during the First Chechen War. Guerrilla units operating from nearby mountains managed to harass and partly demoralize the Russian Army, leading to political and public pressure for a Russian withdrawal. The army withdrew in 1996 and Grozny was once again in the hands of Chechen separatists.
Intense fighting and carpet bombing by the Russian Air Force caused much of the city to be destroyed. Numerous buildings, including the Presidential Palace, were reduced to a burnt shell, and debris littered the streets.
The name was changed to Djohar in 1997 by the president of the separatist Ichkeria republic, Aslan Maskhadov. By this time the Russian minority fled completely.
Grozny was once again the scene of fighting after the outbreak of the Second Chechen War in 1999. This time however the Russian Army carefully retook the city with few losses. The federal government representatives in Chechnya are based in Grozny; their headquarters building was blown up on December 27, 2002 by Chechen suicide bombers, leaving 72 people dead and 200 injured. Most of the city's infrastructure is slowly being restored but the fate of the Russian refugees is still at question as hardly any have returned.
Features
The city is divided into four administrative city districts: Leninsky, Zavodskoy, Staropromyslovsky, and Oktyabrsky. All districts are residential, but Staropromyslovsky district is also the city's main oil drilling area, and Oktyabrsky district hosts most of the city's industry. However, nearly all of Grozny was destroyed or seriously damaged during the Chechen Wars.
Grozny was also known for its modern architecture and as a spa town. It had a university and was home to FC Terek Grozny. The city lies on the Sunzha River.
Notable people from Grozny include Lyudmila Turishcheva.
