List of Chechen people

This is a partial list of notable Chechen people.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Military personnel

13th–19th century

Sheikh Mansur

• Aguk Shagin, 8th-century Chechen commander from Aukh, participant in the Arab–Khazar wars on the side of the Khazar Khaganate
• Khasi I, prince of Durdzuketi and king of Alania, participant in the Mongol invasions of Durdzuketi
• Khour I, son of the previous, self proclaimed king of Alania and Durdzuketi, leader of the Insurgency in Durdzuketi
• Botur, participant in the Mongol invasions of Durdzuketi on the side of the Mongols, servant in the Mongol army, king of Boturcha
• Ors Ela, participant in the Mongol invasions of Durdzuketi, ruler of the pro-Mongol Durdzuketi
• Chakhig, son of Khour I, leader of the Dedyakov rebellion
• Khour II, 14th century Chechen prince that ruled the Princedom of Simsim
• Surakat, 14th-15th century Chechen prince that ruled the Princedom of Simsim and the Avar Khanate, brother of Khour II, defended Simsim against Timurid Empire
• Aldaman Gheza, elected leader of Chechnya in the 17th century, protected the Chechen borders against several foreign invasions
• Sheikh Mansur, led the resistance against Catherine the Great's imperialist expansion into the Caucasus during the late 18th century
• Beibulat Taimiev, Chechen military leader and diplomat
• Isa Gendargeno, Chechen military leader during the Russo-Caucasian War
• Gubash of Gukhoy, Chechen elder who was known for being anti Caucasian Imamate
• Baysangur of Benoa, Chechen governor and military leader
• Uma Duyev, Chechen military leader during the Russo-Caucasian War. Leader of the uprisings in Chechnya in 1860–1861 and 1877
• Alexander Chechenskiy, Russian major general and participant in the Napoleonic wars
• Talkhig of Shali, governor of the province of Shali in the Caucasian Imamate
• Tovbolat Kurchaloevsky, Chechen abrek
• Shuaib-Mulla of Tsentara, commander in the Caucasian War
• Zelimkhan, legendary Chechen folk hero and abrek

World War II

• Kanti Abdurakhmanov, Red Army master sergeant, Hero of the Russian Federation
• Dasha Akayev, commander of the 35th Assault Aviation Regiment; also was the first Chechen pilot
• Mahmud Amayev, Soviet junior sergeant and sniper
• Irbaykhan Baybulatov, Red Army battalion commander, Hero of the Soviet Union
• Khansultan Dachiev, Red army Junior lieutenant and Hero of the Soviet Union
• Duda Enginoev, full bearer of the Order of Glory
• Abukhadzhi Idrisov, Red army machine gunner and sniper, Hero of the Soviet Union
• Khasan Israilov, leader of the 1940–1944 uprising against Soviet rule
• Khavazi Muhamed-Mirzaev, Red army senior sergeant and Hero of the Soviet Union
• Khanpasha Nuradilov, highest scoring machine gunner of the Red Army, Hero of the Soviet Union
• Lyalya Nasukhanova, the first Chechen woman pilot and the first Soviet woman to command a fighter jet echelon
• Mairbek Sheripov, prominent leader in the 1940–1944 insurgency against Soviet rule
• Movldi Umarov, Red army lieutenant and Hero of the Russian Federation
• Movlid Visaitov, commander of 255th Chechen-Ingush Cavalry Regiment, and the first one to shake hands with Americans on Elbe river; posthumous Hero of the Soviet Union

Chechen-Russian war period and after

Dzhokhar Dudayev

Aslan Maskhadov

• 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 participant of the Chechen resistance movement
• Dzhokhar Dudayev, Soviet Air Force general and Chechen leader, first President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
• Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, writer and a politician, served as acting president of the breakaway Chechen Republic of Ichkeria between 1996 and 1997
• Ruslan Gelayev, commander in the Chechen separatist movement
• Aslan Maskhadov, leader of the Chechen separatist movement and the third President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
• Abdul-Halim Sadulayev, fourth President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria

Diaspora

• Ahmad Aladdin, Jordanian Major general, two time Hero of Jordan
• Mümtaz Çeçen, Ottoman officer
• Ahmad Ramzi, general in the Jordanian Armed forces, minister of interior of Jordan, he was also a friend of the first Jordanian King
• Mahmud Shevket, Ottoman Grand vizier known for the founding of the Ottoman airforce
• Muhammed Bashir Ismail ash-Shishani, major general in the Jordanian Army, former minister of Agriculture, mayor of Amman and director of Military intelligence

Politicians

Akhmad Kadyrov

Ramzan Kadyrov

Soviet Union

• Ruslan Khasbulatov, Speaker of the RSFSR Supreme Soviet, 1991–1993
• Doku Zavgayev, Russian ambassador to Slovenia

Russian Federation

• Alu Alkhanov, Russian politician, former president of Russia's Chechen Republic
• Vladislav Surkov, Businessman and Politician, former advisor to the President of Russia
• Ramzan Kadyrov, Head of the Chechen Republic
• Akhmad Kadyrov, First president of the Pro-Russian Chechen republic

Chechen Republic of Ichkeria

• Ilyas Akhmadov, former foreign minister of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
• Akhmed Zakayev, leader and prime minister of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria

Diaspora

• Abdul Baqi Jammoh

Business

Ruslan Baisarov

Musa Bazhaev

• Ruslan Baisarov, Chechen entrepreneur and businessman
• Musa Bazhaev, president of Alliance Group
• Malik Saidulaev, businessman and politician
• Tapa Tchermoeff, politician and oil magnate
• Ziya Bazhayev, founder of Alliance group and a philanthropist
• Umar Dzhabrailov, businessman and politician

Sports

Footballers

Zaur Sadayev

Rizvan Utsiyev

• Zaur Sadayev, attacking Midfielder for Turkish club Ankaragücü
• Dzhabrail Kadiyev, plays for FC Legion Dynamo Makhachkala
• Adlan Katsayev, attacking midfielder who plays for FC SKA-Khabarovsk
• Magomed Mitrishev, striker, attacking midfielder and winger for FC Akhmat Grozny
• Khalid Kadyrov, left winger for the Russian Premier League team FC Akhmat Grozny
• Rizvan Utsiyev, captain of FC Akhmat Grozny
• Lechi Sadulayev, plays for FC Akhmat Grozny
• Mohammad Omar Shishani, striker for Al-Faisaly
• Murad Tagilov, plays for FC Druzhba Maykop
• Sergei Tashuyev, currently a coach, he is of Chechen and Belarusian descent
• Rassambek Akhmatov, Chechen football player from France

Wrestlers

Buvaisar Saitiev

Islambek Albiev (Right)

Ramazan Şahin

Zagir Shakhiev

• Islambek Albiev, Russian wrestler, a gold medalist at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Greco-Roman wrestling
• Buvaisar Saitiev, Russian wrestler of Chechen heritage, he is a six-time world champion and a three-time Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling
• Adam Saitiev wrestler, a gold medalist at the 2000 Summer Olympics
• Dzhamal Otarsultanov, wrestler, won the gold medal in men's freestyle 55 kg at the 2012 Summer Olympics
• Anzor Boltukaev, accomplished wrestler, beat Kyle Snyder in 2016
• Albert Saritov, bronze medalist of the 2016 Olympics
• Adlan Varayev, freestyle wrestler, won a silver medal at the 1988 Olympics
• Rasul Dzhukayev, won a silver medal in the 66 kg. division at the 2009 FILA World Championships
• Bekkhan Goygereyev, freestyle wrestler, won the gold medal at the 2013 World Wrestling Championships
• Salman Hashimikov, freestyle wrestler, won two European and four World Championship gold medals in freestyle wrestling (1979, 1981, 1982, 1983)
• Bekhan Tungaev, wrestler who won the European championship back in the 1970s
• Elmadi Zhabrailov, won silver in freestyle wrestling at the 1992 Summer Olympics
• Chingiz Labazanov, Greco-Roman wrestler and world gold medal holder
• Ramazan Şahin, a gold medalist in freestyle wrestling at the 2008 Summer Olympics
• Zelimkhan Huseynov, silver medalist at the 2009 World Wrestling Championships
• Lukman Zhabrailov, gold medalist at the 1994 World Wrestling Championships
• Zagir Shakhiev, gold medalist at the 2021 World Wrestling Championships
• Akhmed Chakaev, two time bronze medalist at the World Wrestling Championships
• Alikhan Zhabrailov, bronze medalist at the 2019 World Wrestling Championships
• Roland Schwarz, bronze medalist at the 2021 World Wrestling Championships

Boxers

Artur Beterbiev

Zaurbek Baysangurov

• Artur Beterbiev, Unified light-heavyweight boxing champion
• Umar Salamov, professional boxer who held the IBO light-heavyweight title in 2016
• Zaurbek Baysangurov, professional boxer and former WBO and IBO light middleweight champion
• Khuseyn Baysangurov, professional boxer who held the WBA Continental (Europe) and the IBF International light-middleweight titles from 2017 to 2018
• Apti Davtaev, Professional boxer
• Imam Khataev, Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist

Mixed martial artists

Mairbek Taisumov

Khamzat Chimaev

• Adlan Amagov, formerly competed in the UFC, where he is the first Chechen mixed martial artist to compete
• Mamed Khalidov, currently competing in the KSW
• Mairbek Taisumov, formerly competed in the UFC
• Zubaira Tukhugov, currently competing in the UFC
• Ismail Naurdiev, formerly competed in the UFC
• Khamzat Chimaev, currently competing in the UFC

Weightlifters

• Apti Aukhadov, weightlifter, 2013 World Champion and silver medalist at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Judo practitioners

Bashir Varaev

Tamerlan Bashaev

• Hüseyin Özkan, gold medalist at the 2000 Summer Olympics
• Bashir Varaev, bronze medalist at the 1988 Summer Olympics
• Shamil Borchashvili, Tokyo 2020 Olympics bronze medalist
• Tamerlan Bashaev, Tokyo 2020 Olympics bronze medalist
• Yakub Shamilov, bronze medalist at the 2021 World Judo Championships
• Salamu Mezhidov, 2007 european champion
• Islam Matsiev
• Bektaş Demirel
• German Abdulaev
• David Margoshvili

Musicians and dancers

Makhmud Esambayev

• Said Dimayev, orchestral music composer
• Umar Dimayev, accordionist and folk music composer
• Ali Dimayev, musician and composer
• Sultan Islamov, actor and singer
• Timur Mutsurayev, musician and bard
• Makka Sagaipova, popular singer
• Xava Tashaeva, popular singer
• Makhmud Esambayev, actor and dancer, was regarded as one of the most famous dancers of the Soviet Union
• Imran Usmanov, folk singer
• Ramzan Paskayev, accordionist and folk musician
• Imam Alimsultanov, folk singer

Writers and poets

Abuzar Aydamirov

Writers

• Azdeen Vazar, writer and historian
• Musa Geshaev, writer
• Abuzar Aydamirov, novelist and poet
• Abdurakhman Avtorkhanov, Chechen historian of the communist period

Poets

• Magomet Mamakaev, one of the founders of modern Chechen literature
• Raisa Akhmatova, poet
• Yamlikhan Khasbulatov, writer and poet. Brother of Ruslan Khasbulatov

Scientists

Historians

• Ibragim-Bek Sarakaev, writer and historian
• Khozh-Akhmed Bersanov, ethnographer and author
• Aslanbek Khasbulatov , historian and director at University of Grozny, brother of Ruslan Khasbulatov
• Zulay Khasbulatova , ethnographer and historian, sister of Ruslan Khasbulatov
• Dalkhan Khozhaev, historian and field commander

Physicist

• Akhmed Tsebiev, Physicist and inventor

Medicine

Surgeons

• Khassan Baiev, Chechen-American trauma surgeon

Activists and journalists

Natalya Estemirova

• Natalya Estemirova, human rights activist
• Salavdi Gugaev, activist for the rehabilitation of Chechens from Aardakh
• Oyub Titiev, human rights activist
• Hadijat Gatayeva, humanitarian activist and nurse
• Amina Okueva, deceased Euromaidan activist and soldier in Ukraine conflict

Journalists

• Musa Muradov, journalist
• Milana Bakhaeva (pen name Terloeva), journalist and author
• Adlan Khasanov, photographer and journalist

Artists and painters

• Pyotr Zakharov-Chechenets, first professional painter of Chechen origin