Ramzan Kadyrov appoints daughter as Chechnya’s first deputy culture minister

Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Chechnya, has issued an executive order making his own 21-year-old daughter, Aishat Kadyrova, the republic’s first deputy culture minister. On his Telegram channel, Kadyrov described his decision as “firmly prudent,” despite his daughter’s youth. “She has extensive experience in managing highly complex and large-scale projects, including in the field of culture,” the Chechen leader explained.

For the past three years, Aishat Kadyrova has managed the fashion company founded by her mother in 2009. Earlier this year, in March, Kadyrov awarded his daughter a medal to honor her for “impeccable, conscientious work and contributions to culture and art.” 

Kadyrov is fond of appointing his relatives to senior government positions. In 2018, the BBC’s Russian-language service estimated that 30 percent of Chechnya’s 50 most influential government jobs belonged to Kadyrov’s family.