Chechen Republic of Ichkeria

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The Chechen Republic of Ichkeria ( itch-KERR-ee-ə; abbreviated as "ChRI" or "CRI"), known simply as Ichkeria and colloquially as Chechnya, was a de facto state in the North Caucasus region. It controlled most of the former Checheno-Ingush ASSR from 1991 to 2000 and has been a government-in-exile since. In September–October 1991, supporters of Dzhokhar Dudayev seized power in Chechnya during the Chechen Revolution. Dudayev was subsequently elected president of Chechnya and, in this new position, he proclaimed Chechnya's independence from Russia. The move was welcomed by Georgia's president, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, who was one of the first to congratulate Dudayev on his victory and attended his inauguration as president in Grozny. While Chechnya did not receive backing from the international community, it received support and attention from Georgia, which became its only gateway to the outside world that was not controlled by Moscow. Close ties between Gamsakhurdia and Dudayev led to Russian...

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