In 1991, Dzhokhar Dudayev declared the independence of Chechnya from Russia, which caused further bloody wars in this republic. Initially, among his supporters was the young ambitious Bislan Gantamirov. However, he then changed his views and devoted the next ten years of his life to the fight against the separatists, participating in hostilities and holding various positions in the government of the republic.
The beginning of a political career and an alliance with Dudayev
The biography of Bislan Gantamirov initially did not differ from the biographies of thousands of the same Chechens. He was born in the village of Gakhi, Urus-Martan District, in 1963. After graduating from an eight-year school, he studied at the Rostov Road Technical School, received a correspondence legal education.
After completing military service, Bislan Gantamirov decided to connect his life with law enforcement agencies. Returning to his homeland, he worked for several years in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Chechen-Ingush Republic. However, with the beginning of perestroika, BislanGantamirov realized that in today's realities, entrepreneurial activity, now allowed, promised much greater prospects in life.
In 1990, the political career of an energetic cooperator began. He founded and headed the Islamic Way party, joined the executive committee of the so-called National Congress of the Chechen People.
Nationalist sentiments of those years did not bypass the former policeman. He actively participated in the autumn events of 1991, which led to the actual separation of Chechnya from the Russian Federation. As one of the associates of the rebellious General Dudaev, Gantamirov received the post of mayor of Grozny, and in 1992 was elected head of the city assembly.
Break with Dudayev
Idyllic relations with the first president of "independent Ichkeria" did not last long. In 1993, there was a break in relations between Gantamirov and Dudayev. The republic, enveloped in fire, was rich in oil deposits, the size of illegal trade reached huge sums.
According to rumors, the conflict between the two strong figures arose precisely because of the division of income from the export of "black gold".
Be that as it may, after the dispersal of the city assembly and the storming of the Grozny police headquarters, Bislan returned to his native Urus-Martan, where he gathered around him loyal comrades-in-arms, ready to fight Dudaev with weapons in their hands.
Participation in the first war
In 1994, he became a member of the Provisional Council of Chechnya, which unitedopponents of the president of Ichkeria and began to actively cooperate with the federal authorities.
The intractable politician entered the government of Salambek Khadzhiev, on which Moscow staked.
However, the bloody massacre that the Chechen military operation of the Russian army turned into could not add authority to Bislan Gantamirov in the eyes of other Chechens. The competent ideological work of the separatists, their active cooperation with the media - all this led to the demonization of the Russian armed forces. The terrible assault on Grozny, which cost both sides huge losses, added fuel to the fire.
After the ruins of the capital of Chechnya came under the jurisdiction of the federal center, Gantamirov again headed the city assembly, but he practically lost his authority and influence among the inhabitants. Soon the Khasavyurt agreements were signed, according to which the Russian Federation practically capitulated to the separatists.
Prisoner of the Caucasus
The peculiarity of Gantamirov was that he could not get along with any ally. In 1993, he left Dudayev, and in 1995 he again threatened his relations with the federals. Unexpectedly for Moscow, their ally in the fight against Dudayev came out with a sharp criticism of the actions of the Russian armed forces. Bislan Gantamirov accused the military of killing civilians, attacks on "neutral" villages, and harsh cleansings.
He was deprived of his post in the Territorial Administration of Chechnya, after a conflict with Prime Minister Nikolai Koshman, he left forresignation from the post of Deputy Prime Minister.
Finally, in 1996, after the end of hostilities, Bislan Gantamirov, whose photo flashed in all the newspapers, was arrested and accused of embezzling more than 20 billion rubles allocated for the restoration of destroyed objects in Chechnya. He spent three years in a pre-trial detention center, after which a trial took place, as a result of which he was sentenced to six years in prison.
However, in 1999, the second Chechen campaign was planned, and the federal center needed an opposition Chechen politician. Due to the fact that Gantamirov spent more than half of his term in prison, he was pardoned by presidential decree and released.
Second war and work in the government of Chechnya
The quarrelsome ally of the federal government took an active part in the second Chechen war. He led the pro-Russian militias, and later took an active part in the formation of the Chechen police. Together with federal troops, Gantamirov stormed Grozny in 1999-2000, after which he became deputy representative of the Russian government in Chechnya.
Once again, the obstinate oppositionist could not get along with his superiors.
He made loud statements, tried to resign, however, in order to calm down a difficult ally, he was given the rank of lieutenant colonel.
After the appointment of Akhmat Kadyrov as the head of Chechnya, Bislan Gantamirov also received a post in the leadership of the republic. He oversaw the power structures, acted as the mayor of the capital. In 2002year, the politician became the Minister of Press and Media of the Republic.
However, the relationship between Bislan Gantamirov and Kadyrov was far from ideal. Sometimes it came to armed clashes between policemen and supporters of the head of Chechnya, the house of a native of Urus-Martan was attacked.
Gantamirov's political career ended in 2003. Unexpectedly for everyone, he announced his support for Dzhabrailov in the struggle for the presidency of Chechnya. This did not remain forgotten, and the obstinate Bislan was dismissed.
Fade into the shade
The ability to compromise, necessary for a politician, has never been a strong quality of a veteran of two Chechen wars. Realizing this, he left the troubled republic and moved to Stavropol, where he started organizing farms.
Bislan Gantamirov's family is quite large, his faithful wife gave birth to six children during the years of marriage.
