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Kadyrovism: Hardline Islam as a Tool of the Kremlin?

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Russie.Eurasie.Visions
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This paper analyses the phenomenon of “Kadyrovism” as a relatively coherent ideology which possesses its own internal logic and propaganda tools and which reflects the reality of Ramzan Kadyrov’s rule, based on submission to Vladimir Putin while also being marked by provocative acts directed at the paternal figure of the Russian President.

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Kadyrovism is defined by two major appropriations: first, of the anticolonial Chechen narrative and its transformation into a Russian patriotic ideology which portrays the Chechens as harbingers of Putin’s successes; second, of a hardline, puritanical, version of Islam inspired by the Gulf States and its inter-breeding with traditional Chechen Islam. Putin’s regime is not a political monolith: many ideological entrepreneurs develop in the “ecosystem” created by the Kremlin, taking advantage of a certain room of manoeuvre whose limits are never clearly defined. Ramzan Kadyrov is one of these entrepreneurs. Thus, like all other ideological constructs in Putin’s Russia, Kadyrovism is in flux, casting uncertainty over the future of the regime and its ideology.

Marlène Laruelle is Research Professor at the George Washington University, Washington DC, Director of GW’s Central Asia Program, Associate Director of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES), and co-director of PONARS-Eurasia.

 

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978-2-36567-681-6

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Kadyrovism: Hardline Islam as a Tool of the Kremlin?

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Author(s)
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Marlène LARUELLE

Intitulé du poste

Former Associate Research Fellow, Russia/Eurasia Center, Ifri

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Russie, Eurasie, Carte
Russia/Eurasia Center
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Founded in 2005 within Ifri, the Russia/Eurasia Center conducts research and organizes debates on Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the South Caucasus. Its goal is to understand and anticipate the evolution of this complex and rapidly changing geographical area in order to enrich public discourse in France and Europe and to assist in strategic, political, and economic decision-making.

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dimitri_minic_journal_of_strategic_studies_volume_47_2024

How the Russian Army Changed its Concept of War, 1993-2022

Date de publication
23 May 2023
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The traditional and high-intensity war that has occurred in Ukraine since Russia decided to invade raises a key issue: did post-soviet Russian strategic thought really prepare Russia for waging this war?

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Russia's Nuclear Deterrence Put to the Test by the War in Ukraine

Date de publication
06 October 2025
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From the outset of its “special military operation” (SVO) against Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Russia, which possesses one of the world’s largest nuclear arsenals, has adopted aggressive deterrence measures and a resolutely menacing rhetorical stance.

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Moldova's Crucial Parliamentary Election. What's at Stake?

Date de publication
22 September 2025
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On the occasion of Moldova’s National Day, August 27, 2025, Chișinău hosted a high-level European delegation composed of Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz and Donald Tusk, who sought to reaffirm their support for the country’s sovereignty and pro-European course. This unprecedented and highly symbolic visit took place at a pivotal moment. Moldova is preparing for decisive parliamentary elections on September 28, whose stakes extend far beyond the national framework.

Florent PARMENTIER
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War as Social Elevator: The Socioeconomic Impact of Russian Military Keynesianism

Date de publication
19 June 2025
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In order to finance its war effort, the Russian state has spent substantial sums of money and implemented a form of “military Keynesianism” that is transforming society at both the socioeconomic and cultural levels. This has partially rebalanced the wide disparities in wealth, levels of consumption, and social prestige in Russian society by granting significant financial and symbolic advantages to peripheral Russia, which has long been overlooked by the central government. 

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Kadyrovism: Hardline Islam as a Tool of the Kremlin?