Bislan Gantamirov: a famous Chechen politician of the nineties

In 1991, Dzhokhar Dudayev announced the independence of Chechnya from Russia, which caused further bloody wars in that republic. Initially, among his supporters was a young ambitious Bislan Gantamirov. However, he then changed his views and devoted the next ten years of his life to fighting the separatists, taking part in hostilities and holding various posts in the government of the republic.

The beginning of the political career and the alliance with Dudayev

Biography of Bislan Gantamirov initially did not differ from the biographies of thousands of such Chechens. He was born in the village of Gakhi of the Urus-Martan district in 1963. After graduating from an eight-year school, he studied at the Rostov Road Technical School, got a correspondence legal education.

After passing an urgent military service, Bislan Gantamirov decided to link his life with the security forces. Returning to his homeland, he worked for several years in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Chechen-Ingush Republic. However, with the beginning of the restructuring, Bislan Gantamirov realized that in today's realities business activities that were now permitted to have much greater prospects promised in life.

In 1990, the political career of an energetic co-worker began. He founded and headed the party "Islamic Path", joined the executive committee of the so-called "National Congress of the Chechen people."

The nationalistic sentiments of those years did not bypass the former militiaman. He actively participated in the autumn events of 1991, which led to the actual separation of Chechnya from the Russian Federation. Being one of the companions of the rebellious general Dudayev, Gantamirov was promoted to the mayor of Grozny, and in 1992 he was elected to the post of head of the city assembly.

Break with Dudayev

Idyllic relations with the first president of "independent Ichkeria" did not last long. In 1993, there was a break in relations between Gantamirov and Dudayev. The republic, embroiled in fire, was rich in oil deposits, the size of illegal trade reached huge sums. According to rumors, the conflict between the two powerful figures arose precisely because of the division of income from the export of "black gold".

Be that as it may, after the dispersal of the city assembly and the storming of the administration of the Grozny police, Bislan returned to his native Urus-Martan, where he gathered around him loyal comrades-in-arms, ready to fight Dudayev with weapons in his hands.

Participation in the first war

In 1994, he joined the Provisional Council of Chechnya, which united the opponents of the president of Ichkeria and began to actively cooperate with the federal authorities.
The uncomprehending politician entered the government of Salambek Khadzhiyev, to which Moscow's bid was made.

However, the bloody massacre into which the Chechen military operation of the Russian army turned out could not add authority to Bislan Gantamirov in the eyes of other Chechens. The competent ideological work of the separatists, their active cooperation with the media, all led to the demonization of the Russian armed forces. The terrible storm of Grozny also poured into the fire, which cost both sides enormous losses.

After the ruins of the capital of Chechnya were taken over by the federal center, Gantamirov again headed the city assembly, but practically lost credibility and influence among the residents. Soon the Khasavyurt agreements were signed, according to which the Russian Federation practically capitulated to the separatists.

Prisoner of the Caucasus

A feature of Gantamirov was that he could not get along with any ally. In 1993, he left Dudayev, and in 1995 again threatened his relations with the feds. Unexpectedly for Moscow, their ally in the fight against Dudayev made a sharp criticism of the actions of the Russian armed forces. Bislan Gantamirov accused the military of killing civilians, attacks on "neutral" settlements, and hard strikes.

He was deprived of his post in the Territorial Administration of Chechnya, after a conflict with Prime Minister Nikolai Koshman, resigned as vice prime minister.

Finally, in 1996, after the end of hostilities, Bislan Gantamirov, whose photo flashed in all the newspapers, was arrested and charged with embezzling more than 20 billion rubles allocated for the reconstruction of the destroyed facilities in Chechnya. He spent three years in the pre-trial detention center, after which the court was held, as a result of which he was sentenced to six years in prison.

However, in 1999, the second Chechen campaign was planned, and the opposition Chechen politician needed a federal center. In connection with the fact that Gantamirov spent more than half the term in custody, he was pardoned by a presidential decree and released.

The Second War and Work in the Government of Chechnya

An unreliable ally of the federal government took an active part in the second Chechen war. He headed the pro-Russian militia, and later took an active part in the formation of the Chechen police. Together with federal troops, Gantamirov stormed Grozny in 1999-2000, after which he became deputy representative of the Russian government in Chechnya.

Once again, the obstinate oppositionist could not get along with his superiors.
He made loud statements, he wanted to resign, but to calm down a difficult ally, he was given the rank of lieutenant colonel.

After the appointment of Akhmad Kadyrov as the head of Chechnya, Bislan Gantamirov also became a leader in the republic's leadership. He oversaw the power structures, served as the mayor of the capital. In 2002, the politician became the minister of press and media of the republic.

However, the relations between Bislan Gantamirov and Kadyrov were far from ideal. Sometimes it came to armed clashes between militiamen and supporters of the head of Chechnya, the house of a native of Urus-Martan was attacked.

Gantamirov's political career ended in 2003. Unexpectedly for all, he announced the support of Dzhabrailov in the struggle for the post of president of Chechnya. This did not remain forgotten, and the obstinate Bislan was sent into retirement.

Care in the shade

The ability to make compromises necessary for a politician was never a strong quality of a veteran of the two Chechen wars. Having realized this, he left the troubled republic and moved to Stavropol, where he began organizing farming.

The family of Bislan Gantamirov is quite large, a faithful wife during his years of marriage gave him six children.