September 6 — Independence Day of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
Thirty-five years ago, on September 6, 1991, power in Chechnya passed to the Executive Committee of the National Congress of the Chechen People. Six months later, parliament adopted a Constitution enshrining independence. Why this date also matters for Tatarstan.
Statement by the Government of Independent Tatarstan in Exile
Thirty-five years ago, on September 6, 1991, a national liberation revolution took place in Chechnya, becoming one of the key milestones in the restoration of Chechen statehood. This is an important and significant historical date for the Chechen people.
On that day, the Executive Committee of the National Congress of the Chechen People, headed by Dzhokhar Dudayev, took control of the principal government institutions in Grozny, while the activities of the former Supreme Soviet of the Chechen-Ingush Republic were terminated. September 6 subsequently came to be observed as State Independence Day.
On October 27 of the same year, presidential and parliamentary elections were held, and Dzhokhar Dudayev became the first president of the Chechen Republic. On November 1, 1991, Dudayev issued the decree “On the State Sovereignty of the Chechen Republic,” and on March 12, 1992, parliament adopted a Constitution enshrining the Chechen Republic as an independent sovereign state.
Independence Day
During the presidencies of Dzhokhar Dudayev and Aslan Maskhadov, September 6 was observed as a state holiday — State Independence Day.
Every year on this day, military parades, public celebrations, rallies, marches and other large-scale events were held in Grozny.
Chechnya’s Independence Day was first celebrated in 1992. Guests of honor included Georgia’s first president, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, as well as leaders of socio-political organizations from countries of the former Soviet Union.
Following the Russian occupation of the Chechen state, Independence Day commemorations have continued in European countries and elsewhere, where representatives of the Chechen political emigration, public organizations and movements continue informational and political activity for the de-occupation of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.
We are convinced that sooner or later Russian forces will be compelled to leave Chechen land, after which the legitimate authorities of Ichkeria should be restored with the participation of international observers and free democratic elections should be held.
For Tatarstan, the Chechen experience has particular significance. It reminds us that a people’s right to determine its own political future does not disappear merely because the central authorities refuse to recognize it. The Tatar people, like other peoples, have the right to self-determination and the restoration of their own statehood.
For your freedom and ours!
Signatories
Leadership and advisers
Rafis Kashapov — Prime Minister
Vil Mirzayanov — Honorary Adviser
Nafis Kashapov — Deputy Prime Minister for Sports and Physical Culture
Marat Akhmerov — Deputy Prime Minister for Legal and Legislative Affairs
Diplomatic and regional representatives
Kamil Sukaev — Ambassador to the United States of America
Nurmukhamet Yunusov — Representative for Relations with the Peoples of the Lower Volga Region
Raushan Gizatullin — Representative in Bavaria
Baatr Pyurbeev — Representative for Relations with Mongolic Peoples
Isa Sadykov — Honorary Consul; area of representation — Azerbaijan
Zufar Zainullin — Ambassador in the Republic of Latvia
Vyacheslav Sivchik — Honorary Consul; area of representation — Belarus
Dmitry Kuznetsov — Representative in Finland
Activists, public figures and participants
Zilya Usmanova — Activist of the Government of Independent Tatarstan in Exile
Alina Koltsova — Activist of the Government of Independent Tatarstan in Exile in Sweden
Roza Kurban — Tatar researcher, writer, translator and civic activist
Rakhima Akhmerova — Head of the Zaporizhzhia Tatar Cultural Center “Altyn Ay”
Guzaliya Daudova — Tatar civic activist
Tatyana Zhuridova — Writer and author of the documentary book “The Invasion of Crimea. 2014”
Nurmukhamet Biktashev — Civic activist in Georgia; participant in public initiatives of the Government of Independent Tatarstan in Exile
Sources and publications
- Chechen Republic of Ichkeria government — September 6, 1991 and the restoration of Chechen statehood
- Dzhokhar Dudayev’s decree of November 1, 1991 on state sovereignty
- Constitution of the Chechen Republic, March 12, 1992 — Refworld
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria — historical chronology
- ChechenPress — publication of the statement
- TOC Blog — publication of the statement
- Telegram — Independent Tatarstan