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13 Jul, 2007 02:50

The Media Mirror. What’s in the Russian newspapers today?

The Russian press looks into Ramzan Kadyrov’s Chechen presidency and what challenges the troubled republic faces today. It also writes about the execution of the Romanov royal family 89 years ago.

President Ramzan Kadyrov of Chechnya has been in power for exactly 100 days. Izvestia daily published an interview with the youngest regional leader in Russia, who is quite sure that he is doing the right thing and is looking into the future with optimism. Mr Kadyrov has every reason for that, as just a list of all city areas, separate buildings, bridges, roads, villages and single houses rebuilt and restored during his presidency takes up half of a newspaper page.

Safety and security in the Republic – the president estimates these as perfect:

“Look, our Minister of Interior walks the Grozny Market in full dress uniform and no bodyguard these days.”

“We don’t have army check-points on the roads anywhere in the Republic any more, just the regular traffic police posts.”

Asked of the fate awaiting Chechen «émigrés», Akhmad Zakayev and Movladi Udugov, Ramzan Kadyrov says that Zakayev, a famous drama actor before the war, is free to return to the National Theatre as soon as he clears his record with the Federal Authorities of Russia. Of Udugov he says:

“He is not a Chechen. He is the one who started all kidnappings here. It was Berezovsky’s idea: he said, he couldn’t give them money without justification, so they should kidnap people and he would pay ransom. Basayev and others also kidnapped, but it was Udugov who turned kidnapping into a business.”

The paper also writes that Ramzan Kadyrov’s favourite pets are panthers and bears, and he loves to swim with them in a mountain stream near his country home.

Vremya Novostei publishes a Portrait of the Imperial Family.

On the night of July 16 comes the 89th anniversary of the tragic death of the whole Russian Imperial Family, writes the newspaper. On that night in 1918, in the city of Ekaterinburg, Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra, Heir-Apparent Prince Alexey and his five sisters were executed in the basement of the Ipatiev House.

A bronze sculpture slightly larger than life-size, has just been completed by Zurab Tsereteli, a well-known artist of Moscow. It depicts the very moment between life and death of the Romanovs. The eyes of every figure are shut but the body stands erect, while bullet holes can be seen in the wall behind them.

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