How Dagestan called Kadyrov’s bluff after his ‘blood feud’ threat against a billionaire lawmaker
On October 9, Chechnya Governor Ramzan Kadyrov threatened to declare a “blood feud” against Dagestani Senator Suleiman Kerimov. In the days that followed, dozens of people in Kerimov’s home republic posted video messages expressing solidarity with the lawmaker. According to experts who spoke to RFE/RL’s North Caucasus service, Kavkaz.Realii, the regional authorities orchestrated this show of support in an effort to deescalate the dispute. At the same time, since Kerimov is a key part of Russia’s political establishment, it’s unlikely that the Kremlin would allow Kadyrov to make good on his threats. Meduza shares the main insights from Kavkaz.Realii’s reporting.
In a filmed meeting with security officials on October 9, Chechnya Governor Ramzan Kadyrov threatened to declare “blood feuds” against Dagestani Senator Suleiman Kerimov, as well as State Duma deputies from Ingushetia Rizvan Kurbanov and Bekhan Barakhoyev. Kadyrov vowed that the threats against Kerimov and Kurbanov would go into effect if they failed to prove they weren’t involved in taking a hit out on him; his threat against Barakhoyev, meanwhile, came without conditions. Both Kubanov and Barakhoyev have denied playing any role in ordering a contract killing, while Kerimov has not commented publicly on the governor’s statements.
Kadyrov’s threats came amid the ongoing conflict surrounding the Russian online retailer Wildberries, whose merger with the advertising firm Russ Group was announced by CEO Tatiana Kim in June. Both Kadyrov and Kim’s estranged husband, Vladislav Bakalchuk, opposed the deal, saying that Kerimov would be the main beneficiary.
On September 18, Bakalchuk led a group of men in storming the Wildberries headquarters in Moscow. A shooting broke out, leaving two of the office’s security guards dead. Both of the men were from Ingushetia, and Bekhan Barakhoyev attended their funeral. Like Kerimov, the parliamentarian has his own ties to Russ Group: he previously served as vice president of one of its subsidiaries.
Thus, the Wildberries dispute drew in not just Chechnya and Ingushetia, but also Dagestan, where Kerimov remains the region’s largest philanthropist and the most prominent political figure at the federal level.
More on the clan warfare behind the Wildberries shootout
‘Purely a symbolic gesture’
For several days after Kadyrov’s issued the threats, the Dagestani authorities kept silent. Then, on October 12, Governor Sergey Melikov declared his support for Kerimov, saying, “Suleiman should know this: Dagestan will always support him in difficult times.” He made the statement at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new park in Makhachkala, a project funded by the billionaire senator.
According to a Dagestani political scientist who spoke to Kavkaz.Realii on condition of anonymity, Melikov worded his statement carefully, wary of provoking his own conflict with Kadyrov. The expert also noted that since his time serving as the presidential envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District in the mid-2010s, Melikov has maintained good relations with the Chechen leader.
After Melikov’s statement came similar messages of support for Kerimov from Zaur Askenderov, the head of the Dagestani parliament, as well as from federal lawmakers from Dagestan Khizri Abakarov and Nurbagand Nurbagandov. On October 12, Dagestani MMA fighter Ilyas Magomedov dedicated his victory in a boxing championship to Kerimov.
At the same time, dozens of videos of ordinary people expressing support for the senator began appearing online. These included clips from schoolteachers, airport employees, professional soccer players, doctors, and soldiers, among others. Many of them referenced the senator’s contributions to the republic, including building hospitals, funding medical treatment for children with disabilities, and renovating public spaces.
This flood of messages was “hastily organized,” according to the political scientist. In his view, the campaign’s goal was less to demonstrate Kerimov’s popularity to Kadyrov than to signal the public’s support to Kerimov himself. “Questions were brewing in Dagestani society — why were the authorities, the muftiate, the deputies all silent? Officials needed to speak out publicly to show both Kerimov and the public whose side they’re on. This was purely a symbolic gesture, simply to check a box and say, ‘We didn’t stay silent.’”
Notably, independent bloggers and popular athletes who aren’t aligned with the regional authorities ignored the campaign. Meanwhile, popular Dagestani blogger Bulach Chankalaev said that after he posted a video statement calling for Kerimov and Kadyrov to reconcile (instead of declaring his unwavering support for Kerimov), he received calls from disgruntled local officials.
‘The Kremlin would never authorize that’
Kadyrov will only see the “outpouring of support” for Kerimov as the work of the senator himself, North Caucasus analyst Harold Chambers told Kavkaz.Realii. According to him, the video campaign signaled to the Kremlin that Kerimov has not just the backing of the regional and federal authorities but also broad public support.
“The videos from Dagestan emphasize Kadyrov’s lack of support within the country. Though the clips might not be of any real help, they still point to an important aspect of the conflict with the Chechen leader. If Kadyrov wants escalation, Kerimov is consciously trying to resolve the dispute — at least publicly — through civil means,” Chambers told Kavkaz.Realii.
The most likely way for the situation to be resolved, according to Chambers, would involve Vladimir Putin’s direct intervention, though the Kremlin hasn’t shown support for either side so far. Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov has declined to comment on Kadyrov’s “blood feud” threats, advising the governor to contact law enforcement if he fears for his life.
Sign up for The Beet
Underreported stories. Fresh perspectives. From Budapest to Bishkek.
According to economist Sergey Zhaboronkov, a board member at the Liberal Mission Foundation, Kerimov’s most important resource is his good relationship with Russian federal officials and security forces, while the show of support from the public means little. In Zhabaronkov’s view, the entire “blood feud” episode will gradually be forgotten, just like Kadyrov’s past attempts to interfere in economic conflicts.
Declaring a blood feud against a businessman of Kerimov’s stature goes beyond Kadyrov’s unofficial authority, notes Marat Ilyasov, a visiting scholar at George Washington University. He doubts the Chechen leader got the Kremlin’s approval:
Unlike human rights advocates and journalists who have been killed, Senator Kerimov is part of Putin’s system; he’s not in the opposition, so Kadyrov wouldn’t be given permission to kill him. And Kerimov knows that. Trying to intimidate Kerimov — the Chechen leader’s usual tactic — didn’t work. And this is reflected in Dagestan’s response, even if it was orchestrated from above.
“Killing the senator after this threat would destabilize the political hierarchy, as it would affect key players inside the system,” Ilyasov said. “The Kremlin would never authorize that.”
Sign up for Meduza’s daily newsletter
A digest of Russia’s investigative reports and news analysis. If it matters, we summarize it.
Reporting by Semyon Reshetilov. Abridged translation by Sam Breazeale.