Instead of reopening hair salons, Ramzan Kadyrov is urging fellow Chechens to shave their heads — and he's leading by example

Ramzan Kadyrov, that loveable ruler of Chechnya who famously misplaces cats and regularly dismisses allegations of widespread human rights violations, has shaved his head. We know he shaved his head because he shared a video of his new appearance with the Grozny state television network, which promptly published the footage on Instagram.

In the video, Kadyrov speaks Chechen, saying, “All our beauty salons are closed so I decided to shave my head like our ancestors used to do.” According to the website Chechnya Segodnya, Kadyrov also reminded viewers that Islam welcomes men with shaved heads and he urged fellow Chechens to follow his example. 

Kadyrov’s new attitude about male hairstyles comes a day after a local resident publicly asked Chechnya’s coronavirus task force if hairdressers might soon be able to return to work. “The holy month of Ramadan is approaching. I can advise men to shave their hair and give their heads a little rest,” Kadyrov answered.