Kadyrov's popularity in Kaluga caused by all-Russian support of Stalin

The tough methods of ruling used by Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Chechnya, do not make him an outsider of the popularity rating among Russians, since the society have a demand for a "strong hand" in dealing with problems. This is confirmed by the appeal of Kaluga traders for help to Kadyrov, said the experts, interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot".

The entrepreneurs, working in the marketplace in the city of Kaluga, have recorded an appeal to Kadyrov, complaining that local authorities allocate urban land for business projects and want to make a park instead of the central marketplace. According to their story, people can lose their workplaces as a result.

The authors of the appeal explain that they want to reach Russian President Vladimir Putin via Kadyrov.

Speaking about possible reasons for the traders' appeal to Kadyrov, Alexei Levinson, the head of the Socio-Cultural Research Division of the "Levada Centre", pointed to a certain image of a ruler, who managed to restore order by using tough methods.

"To some Russians, this approach seems most adequate for address all-Russian problems as a whole. It's the so-called 'strong hand'," Alexei Levinson told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

In general, as he continued, now Kadyrov is ranked about eighth among those political and public leaders, in whom Russians feel confidence.

"He is ranked somewhat close to Patriarch Kirill; they both have about 5%. It's quite interesting, because Kadyrov does not hide his Muslim faith; however, his personality attracts not only Muslims, and, perhaps, not so much Muslims, but many atheists and Orthodox Christians. It's something similar to the phenomenon of Stalin: his non-Russian ethnicity didn't stop Russians from adoring his power. But if you compare the scale, of course, for Russians, Stalin's value id incomparably higher than Kadyrov's one," said Alexei Levinson.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.