Russia: Information on the culture, language, religion and history of ethnic Chechens, and whether one can infer Chechen ethnicity from the physical appearance of Chechens

In telephone interviews on 2 and 3 June 1997, a professor of history at the City College of New York in New York provided the following information. The professor specializes in ethnic relations in Eastern Europe and the countries that arose out of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, wrote a book in 1990 on Soviet nationality policy and was most recently in the Caucasus in 1995. The professor stated that Dagestan and to a lesser extent Ingushia (regions that border Chechnya) contain substantial Chechen communities consisting of Chechens who are indigenous to the regions and refugees who have fled the recent conflict in Chechnya. There are small numbers of Chechens in many Russian cities but the only Russian city outside of the Caucasus that has a substantial Chechen population is Moscow. That population consists of Chechens who have been living in Moscow since the Soviet era and who possess Moscow residence permits, as well as Chechens who lack residence permits and who are primarily residing with relatives or friends there. The bulk of the latter group arrived in Moscow after the dissolution of the USSR. The Chechen community in Moscow is not concentrated in one district, but is scattered throughout the city.

The professor added that most  Slavs (mainly ethnic Ukrainians and Russians) in Russia are unable to infer Chechen ethnicity solely from the physical appearance of Chechens. Most Slavs in Russia would not be able to distinguish the Chechen-Ingush language from other languages of the Caucasus.

Corroborating information on whether Chechen ethnicity can be inferred from the physical appearances of Chechens could not be found among the additional sources consulted by the DIRB. For information on Chechen culture, language, religion and history, please consult the attachments.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Professor of history, City College of New York, New York. 3 June 1997. Telephone interview.

_____. 2 June 1997. Telephone interview.

Attachments

Caratini, Roger. Dictionnaire des nationalités et des minorités en U.R.S.S. 1990. Poitiers: Aubin Imprimeur, pp. 184, 185.

Ethnologue: Languages of the World. 1992. Twelfth Edition. Edited by Barbara F. Grimes. Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics, Inc., p. 477.

Katzner, Kenneth. 1977. The Languages of the World. 1986 Revised Edition. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd., p. 132.

Minority Rights Group International. 1994. No. 94/5. The North Caucasus: Minorities at a Crossroads. London: Minority Rights Group, pp. 18, 20.

News from Helsinki Watch [New York]. September 1991. "'Punished Peoples' of the Soviet Union: the Continuing Legacy of Stalin's Deportations," pp. 21-25.

Wesselink, Egbert. November 1995. The Russian Federation: Dagestan. Writenet (UK), pp. 2, 18, 19, 21, 22.

Additional Sources Consulted

CSCE Digest [Washington]. Monthly.

Transition [Prague]. Twice monthly.

Uncaptive Minds [Washington]. Quarterly.

Unsuccessful attempts to contact other oral sources.