List of Chechen people
This is a partial list of notable Chechen people.
Politics and military
- Ilyas Akhmadov, former foreign minister of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.
- Alu Alkhanov, Russian politician, former president of Russia's Chechen Republic
- Arbi Barayev, nicknamed "The Terminator", founder and first leader of the Special Purpose Islamic Regiment
- Movsar Barayev, militia leader during the Second Chechen War, who led seizure of Moscow theater that led to deaths of 170 people
- Shamil Basayev, militant Islamist and leader of the Chechen rebel movement
- Dzhokhar Dudaev, Soviet Air Force general and Chechen leader, first President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
- Ruslan Gelayev, commander in the Chechen separatist movement
- Abukhadzhi Idrisov, Chechen sniper who had 349+ confirmed German kills.
- Hasan Israilov, prominent leader in the 1940-1944 uprising against Soviet rule
- Akhmad Kadyrov, Chief Mufti of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
- Ramzan Kadyrov, Head of the Chechen Republic and a former Chechen rebel
- Ruslan Khasbulatov, Speaker of the RSFSR Supreme Soviet, 1991-1993
- Sheikh Mansur, led the resistance against Catherine the Great's imperialist expansion into the Caucasus during the late 18th century
- Aslan Maskhadov, leader of the Chechen separatist movement and the third President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
- Khanpasha Nuradilov, machine gunner who fought in World War II on the Soviet side
- Abdul-Halim Salamovich Sadulayev, fourth President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
- Mairbek Sheripov, prominent leader in the 1940-1944 insurgency against Soviet rule.
- Beibulat Taimiev, 19th century warlord
- Tapa Tchermoeff, Prime Minister of the Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus
- Dokka Umarov, Islamist militant in Russia
- Movlid Visaitov, Chechen commander of 255th Chechen-Ingush regiment, and the first one to shake hand with Americans on Elbe river
- Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, writer and a politician, served as acting president of the breakaway Chechen Republic of Ichkeria between 1996 and 1997
- Akhmed Zakayev, leader and prime minister of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.
Sports
- Islambek Albiev, Russian wrestler, won gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Greco-Roman wrestling
- Adlan Amagov, mixed martial artist from Russia, first Chechen MMA fighter in UFC
- Artur Beterbiyev, amateur boxer
- Mamed Khalidov, Polish MMA Fighter of Chechen origin
- Islam Matsiev, judoka
- Dzhamal Otarsultanov, wrestler, won the gold medal in men's freestyle 55 kg at the 2012 London Olympics
- Adam Saitiev wrestler, on gold at the 2000 Olympics
- Buvaisar Saitiev, Russian wrestler of Chechen heritage, has won nine world-level gold medals in freestyle wrestling
- Mairbek Taisumov, Austrian mixed martial artist of Chechen heritage, currently fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
The arts
- Abuzar Aydamirov, novelist and poet
- Said Dimayev, orchestral music composer
- Umar Dimayev, legendary accordionist and folk music composer
- Sultan Islamov, Russian actor and singer
- Timur Mutsurayev, bard
- Makka Sagaipova, popular singer.
- Xava Tashaeva, popular singer
- Pyotr Zakharov-Chechenets, Russian painter of Chechen origin
Other
- Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, perpetrators of the Boston Marathon bombings
- Abdurakhman Avtorkhanov, Chechen historian of the communist period
- Khassan Baiev, Chechen-American trauma surgeon
- Milana Bakhaeva (nom-de-plume Terloeva), journalist and author
- Hadijat Gatayeva, Muslim humanitarian activist
- Kunta-haji, Muslim preacher of the Sufi Qadiriyyah sect
- Zelimxan, Legendary Chechen folk hero