Imam Alimsultanov
Encyclopedia
Imam Alimsultanov (1957 – November 10, 1996) was a popular Chechen
bard
and folk singer
.
in 1957 to Chechen parents, who had been relocated as a result of the forced deportations of most Chechens and Ingush to Central Asia
on February 23, 1944. He returned to Chechnya
and would graduate from a secondary school
in the Chechen capital Grozny
. Alimsultanov would later graduate from the Polytechnic Institute in Rostov
, and work as a land reclamation
expert.
Alimsultanov started his musical career in the mid-1980s, where he would pass on music folktales and tales of Chechen heroes with his songs. He also wrote songs to poems written by Umar Yarycheva, Musa Geshaev
, and other prominent Chechen poets. Unlike fellow Chechen bard Timur Mucuraev
's songs, Imam's music tended to be closer to traditional
Chechen music
. Some of his most popular songs include "Gazavat", "Dagestan", "Distant Homeland Anthem", and "Chechnya".
With the start of the First Chechen War
in December 1994, Alimsultanov spoke to Chechen fighters, and at the request of Chechen President
Dzhokar Dudayev, accompanied injured fighters to Turkey
. Imam performed extensively in Istanbul
, collecting money for injured Chechen fighters.
After returning to Chechnya, as a chief negotiator Alimsultanov helped secured the release of 25 builders from Odessa, Ukraine, who were held hostage. After securing their release, Odessa Mayor
Eduard Gurwits
opened the Imam Music Hall Theatre, where Imam would be invited to perform five times.
On the night of November 10, 1996, three men in police uniform burst into the Odessa house where Alimsultanov and his artistic team were staying, shooting Imam and two colleagues at close range. All three died, but one witness, who was in the bathroom at the time of the murder, survived. The murder remains unresolved. In one version of the Ukrainian law enforcement, the murder had no political motive; however, an investigation by Chechen special services implicated the Russian FSB for the murder.
Imam Alimsultanov was buried near his hometown of Khasavyurt
, Dagestan
, and a street in the same city was renamed in his honor.
Chechen people
Chechens constitute the largest native ethnic group originating in the North Caucasus region. They refer to themselves as Noxçi . Also known as Sadiks , Gargareans, Malkhs...
bard
Bard (Soviet Union)
The term bard came to be used in the Soviet Union in the early 1960s, and continues to be used in Russia today, to refer to singer-songwriters who wrote songs outside the Soviet establishment, similarly to beatnik folk singers of the United States...
and folk singer
Folk Singer
Folk Singer is a 1964 album by Muddy Waters. Waters plays acoustic guitar, backed by Willie Dixon on string bass, Clifton James on drums, and Buddy Guy on acoustic guitar...
.
Biography
Imam was born in KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
in 1957 to Chechen parents, who had been relocated as a result of the forced deportations of most Chechens and Ingush to Central Asia
Population transfer in the Soviet Union
Population transfer in the Soviet Union may be classified into the following broad categories: deportations of "anti-Soviet" categories of population, often classified as "enemies of workers," deportations of entire nationalities, labor force transfer, and organized migrations in opposite...
on February 23, 1944. He returned to Chechnya
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
and would graduate from a secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in the Chechen capital Grozny
Grozny
Grozny is the capital city of the Chechen Republic, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the preliminary results of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 271,596; up from 210,720 recorded in the 2002 Census. but still only about two-thirds of 399,688 recorded in the 1989...
. Alimsultanov would later graduate from the Polytechnic Institute in Rostov
Rostov
Rostov is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, one of the oldest in the country and a tourist center of the Golden Ring. It is located on the shores of Lake Nero, northeast of Moscow. Population:...
, and work as a land reclamation
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
expert.
Alimsultanov started his musical career in the mid-1980s, where he would pass on music folktales and tales of Chechen heroes with his songs. He also wrote songs to poems written by Umar Yarycheva, Musa Geshaev
Musa Geshaev
Musa Bautdinovich Geshaev is a Chechen poet, literary critic, songwriter, and historian who has written extensively on the culture of the Chechen and Ingush people.-Biography:...
, and other prominent Chechen poets. Unlike fellow Chechen bard Timur Mucuraev
Timur Mucuraev
-External links: Digitized with audiocassettes albums in mp3 192 * * -References:...
's songs, Imam's music tended to be closer to traditional
Traditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
Chechen music
Music of Chechnya
The music of Chechnya has a long history.-Native musical instruments:*The pondur is the oldest of musical instruments of the Chechens, consisting of three strings and a wooden casing...
. Some of his most popular songs include "Gazavat", "Dagestan", "Distant Homeland Anthem", and "Chechnya".
With the start of the First Chechen War
First Chechen War
The First Chechen War, also known as the War in Chechnya, was a conflict between the Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, fought from December 1994 to August 1996...
in December 1994, Alimsultanov spoke to Chechen fighters, and at the request of Chechen President
President of Ichkeria
This is a list of Presidents of the unrecognised Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, a pro-independence movement that controlled most of Chechnya from 1991 to 1999...
Dzhokar Dudayev, accompanied injured fighters to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. Imam performed extensively in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, collecting money for injured Chechen fighters.
After returning to Chechnya, as a chief negotiator Alimsultanov helped secured the release of 25 builders from Odessa, Ukraine, who were held hostage. After securing their release, Odessa Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Eduard Gurwits
Eduard Gurwits
Eduard Yosipovich Gurvits is a Ukrainian politician, Mayor of Odessa in 1994–1998 and from 2005 - to November 6, 2010, when he lost his office to Alexei Kostusev.-Biography:...
opened the Imam Music Hall Theatre, where Imam would be invited to perform five times.
On the night of November 10, 1996, three men in police uniform burst into the Odessa house where Alimsultanov and his artistic team were staying, shooting Imam and two colleagues at close range. All three died, but one witness, who was in the bathroom at the time of the murder, survived. The murder remains unresolved. In one version of the Ukrainian law enforcement, the murder had no political motive; however, an investigation by Chechen special services implicated the Russian FSB for the murder.
Imam Alimsultanov was buried near his hometown of Khasavyurt
Khasavyurt
Khasavyurt is a city in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia. Population: It was founded in 1846 and granted town status in 1931. The main local industries are food processing, brick making and garment making....
, Dagestan
Dagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the North Caucasus region. Its capital and the largest city is Makhachkala, located at the center of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea...
, and a street in the same city was renamed in his honor.