howth yacht club marina office

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Further useful numbers and emails -

Administration:                 01 8322141     [email protected]  

Bar:                                  01 8320606                           

Marina:                             01 8392777      [email protected]

Sailing (Matthew Cotter):  083 8819083    [email protected]

Membership inquiries:       01 8322141     [email protected]  

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Howth Yacht Club Marina

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Contacts:  Howth Marina VHF #80    tel  +353 (0)1 839 27777   

Howth (the "o" is short as in "hope") is a harbour about five miles north of Dublin on the north side of the Ben of Howth and a mile west of the Nose of Howth.  It’s tucked in behind Ireland’s Eye and is well protected from winds in most quarters except that when the wind is in the East the swell in the East Channel has a chance to build up so that the turn to port to enter the harbour will be across the swell and quite exciting! The harbour is home to both leisure sailors and fishing vessels but their use is delineated by a central pier; fishing vessels use the Western Basin and leisure craft the Inner and Outer Eastern Basins.  The channel in to the Marina in the outer basin has been well dredged but at LWS may not be deep enough for deep drafted boats; there have been reports of a mud bank close the channel within the harbour with depths of as little as 1.2m (so with MLWS at 0.5m, if you have a draft of 1.8+, you do the maths!)   The marina here is, along with Malahide Marina, one of Ireland’s finest yachting facilities and a popular spot for yachtsmen from Dublin.  It is a top of the range marina and offers sheltered berths and access to all the services you would normally expect of a top class marina but at a cost marginally less than Malahide.  The Marina here is owned by the Howth Yacht Club who must be congratulated on the development; along with the marina they have an impressive Club house which is open to all visiting yachts. The Yacht Club is housed in quite a large building and has all the usual facilities, in spades; a large bar with several seating areas, an a la carte restaurant, modern changing rooms including a laundrette; it has to be seen to be believed.  Obviously such facilities come at a price and if you clew up here you must expect to pay for it, admittedly not quite as much as up the road at Malahide but certainly as much as one would expect in the marinas in the Solent.

The Marina website is at   http://hyc.ie/marina

If you come up from the South entry is simple;

....... you will presumably be running up with the flood so depth is not a real problem. Leave the Nose of Howth three or four hundred yards to port, head NW for the Howth SHM and when the end of the pier bears just south of West turn towards it; you will have both the old pierhead lighthouse (quite substantial) and the mast light on the pier extension in sight to its right; give the mast light which is lit at night at least fifty yards offing to avoid the boulders around it and when the harbour entrance is well open turn towards that. From the North you have the choice of coming round to seaward of Ireland’s Eye or popping down through Howth Sound to the West of it. If coming round the outside don’t turn towards the harbour too early; stay outside the Rowan Rocks ECM and the Howth SHM unless you are very familiar with these waters.  The course to the inside of Ireland’s Eye is not a problem as long as you remember the Baldoyle Spit and keep within 2 cables of the Martello Tower on the North end of the Eye until it is well astern and then pass to the West of the South Rowan SHM (the flood is north here so the buoy should be left to port). If you are deep draft and you are coming down on the ebb you need to be careful of the depths, especially if your final run in is from the east and there is a heavy swell developed where you could find yourself bouncing off the bottom in the troughs as you get in close.

You might consider dropping the pick in Carrigeen Bay (West side of the Eye) to wait for deeper water

It’s here that the fun could start; ahead of you, to the right of the West pierhead, you will see the red marked end of the central pier dividing the commercial harbour from the leisure harbour; that is not red for your benefit, it’s for the fishing vessels; your marks are the green poles ahead to the left of that, you leave them to starboard (and the red poles, even further to the left, to port). At the same time be aware that at any time (and normally at the narrowest bit when Murphy is operating) a fishing vessel could appear leaving harbour on your starboard bow; and guess who the burden vessel is?!!  If you are lucky you may have noticed his masts moving over the harbour wall and adjusted accordingly; if not, be prepared to alter to starboard to cross his stern and be aware of the small reef extending out from the west pier before resuming your course into the marina.  The channel into the marina is well marked and the fingers are labelled alphabetically (A/B being the first you come to). Once through the channel stay to the marina side of the red poles surrounding it as outside them the harbour dries at low water.

Berthing, Mooring & Anchoring

The small craft moorings in the outer harbour are all allocated

...... and there’s a waiting list so your only option here is the marina unless you anchor off Ireland’s Eye in Carrigeen Bay. 

Advanced bookings are required

If you haven't been given a berth by radio or phone, tie up to the nearest hammer head to port or, if they are all occupied, tie up under the crane and walk ashore to get instructions.

We have added a new enlarged plan of the marina with the berth numbers. Note that J1 thro' J9 are narrow berths and may not be suitable for beamy boats.  Howth Yacht Club is extremely active and on big racing weekends visiting berths are at a premium and, unless you are involved in the racing, you may well find that there’s no room in the inn so it would be wise to book ahead.  Their charges for 20212 remain at 3.96 Euros per meter/day with a minimum of 23.76 Euros ( includes free shore power unless staying for a week). 

Note our members note re the security arrangements where you need separate security for the Marina at night.

As you would expect the marina has every facility you could want and has attracted ancillary engineering services galore. Diesel and petrol is available but you’ll have to pick up the petrol in cans from the marina office.

Eating, Drinking & Entertainment

There is, of course, the Yacht Club restaurant and bar but there are also a good few eateries, bars and fast food outlets just outside the harbour on the shore road. 

Those of you who prefer the bright lights will find a good bus and rail service into Dublin and all it has to offer.

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Howth Marinas

Please note some marinas have displayed their services/facilities on Blue Pages and Marine Services. If there are no marinas in the area we will show details of the harbour authority and/or moorings.

Address: Harbour Road, Howth, Co. Dublin

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The popularity of Howth's sailing events can often result in the club’s visitor berthing capabilities being overwhelmed. It is therefore advisable to get in touch with the club in the days preceding any planned visit.

Keyfacts for Howth

Protected sectors.

Position and approaches

Haven position, what are the initial fixes.

Initial fixes only set up their listed targets. Do not plan to sail directly between initial fixes as a routing sequence.

Step 1: What is the Dover High Water for the target date?

Step 2: Input the target date's Dover High Water

What are the key points of the approach?

• Ireland’s Eye's north and east sides are are steep-too but not the southern end. Vessels must keep to seaward of the Rowan Rocks east cardinal, Q(3) 10 sec.
• Make for the Howth Buoy, Fl.G5, that is the 'Howth Fairway initial fix'.
• Then steer to pass the South Rowan, Q.G.
• Then steer to round the head of the breakwater extension marked by a conspicuous beacon, Fl. (2) W.R. 7.5 sec 13m W12M.
• Enter taking a central path, standing 50 metres off the head of the East Pier extension.

Not what you need?

• Balscadden Bay - 0.5 nautical miles SSE
• Carrigeen Bay - 0.6 nautical miles NNW
• Malahide - 4.7 nautical miles NW
• Talbot’s Bay - 5.7 nautical miles NNE
• Seal Hole Bay - 6.1 nautical miles NNE
• The Boat Harbour - 6.1 nautical miles N
• Dublin Port - 6.2 nautical miles WSW
• Dún Laoghaire Harbour - 6.2 nautical miles SSW
• Saltpan Bay - 6.4 nautical miles NNE
• Rogerstown Inlet - 7.2 nautical miles NNW
• Balscadden Bay - 0.5 miles SSE
• Carrigeen Bay - 0.6 miles NNW
• Malahide - 4.7 miles NW
• Talbot’s Bay - 5.7 miles NNE
• Seal Hole Bay - 6.1 miles NNE
• The Boat Harbour - 6.1 miles N
• Dublin Port - 6.2 miles WSW
• Dún Laoghaire Harbour - 6.2 miles SSW
• Saltpan Bay - 6.4 miles NNE
• Rogerstown Inlet - 7.2 miles NNW
• Carrigeen Bay - 0.4 miles NNW
• Malahide - 2.9 miles NW
• Talbot’s Bay - 3.5 miles NNE
• Seal Hole Bay - 3.8 miles NNE
• Saltpan Bay - 3.9 miles NNE
• Balscadden Bay - 0.3 miles SSE
• Dublin Port - 3.8 miles WSW
• Dún Laoghaire Harbour - 3.9 miles SSW
• Dalkey Island - 4.6 miles S
• Sorrento Point - 4.7 miles S

What's the story here?

How to get in?

• • South of Ireland’s Eye, via the Howth Fairway, which is available for boats approaching from all directions.
• • West of Ireland’s Eye, via Howth Sound, which is an alternate option available to vessels approaching from the north.

A speed limit of 4 knots is in force in the Harbour and Marina area.

Why visit here?

What facilities are available?

Any security concerns, with thanks to:.

About Howth

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• Committee Members & Class Captains

Howth Yacht Club clg

Further useful numbers and emails -

Administration:                 01 8322141     [email protected]  

Bar:                                  01 8320606                           

Marina:                             01 8392777      [email protected]

Sailing (Matthew Cotter):  083 8819083    [email protected]

Membership inquiries:       01 8322141     [email protected] 

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Vallejo Yacht Club Maintenance Dredging Project (Notification of Lake or Streambed Alteration, No. EPIMS-SOL-47772-R3)

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7 things to know prior to coming to Chechnya (even if you don’t go)

1) Is it safe to go to Chechnya ?

Yes , it is. But remember that this is a conservative region with an Islamic population. You can’t misbehave as if on some island getaway - drunken brawls and outbursts are simply unacceptable.

Local police officers will always be polite to you, but they won’t hesitate to twist your arm behind your back and slap on the handcuffs if you overstep the line. They can also be pretty quick to reach for their guns. In Chechnya, the police are armed with AKs and handguns and they know how to use them: For years the region was ravaged by war as terrorists and Russia went head to head.

So it’s a trade-off: No college-like drunken parties in exchange for total safety. Anyway, alcohol is banned.

2) How to get to there?

There are two ways to get there. You can take a direct flight from Moscow to Grozny from Vnukovo Airport, and planes fly there and back twice a day.  

Or you can fill up the car with fuel and embark on a road trip. Grozny is 1,850 km south of Moscow and unlike much of the country, the route is paved with new roads. The trip will take you through cities like Voronezh and Rostov-on-Don, and you’ll also see provincial Russia in all its glory.

3) How to communicate with the locals ?

Residents of the region, which was a war zone only a decade ago, are sociable and curious people. They don’t get to see a lot of tourists as people are still afraid to visit due to Chechnya's history - but the locals really are very welcoming.

One small warning: If you get to know a family, you should never reject their offer to come for dinner. If you can’t go right away, schedule it for another day. Otherwise, they’ll feel offended and any friendship could be ruined.

People are extremely eager to show how much their world has changed since the war, which can result in sometimes excessive demonstrations of hospitality. Our advice, just enjoy the ride.

As a region with a dominantly Islamic population, Chechnya has some specific rules for clothes. A girl in should never expose her bare legs and arms.

As for the men, keep one thing in mind; No shorts or fancy T-shirts.

5) Where to go and what to see

You won’t find any booze, pot, or anything of that kind in Chechnya. Not even cigarettes or hookah. Such things can’t be found even in fancy hotels and restaurants – again, because of Muslim traditions. Having no other options, locals tend to lead a healthy lifestyle and enjoy sports, culture, guns and traveling.

Sports are sacred for them as they traditionally see their mountain region as the homeland of warriors. Every man in Chechnya has tried his hand at martial arts at least once in his life. The first thing our guide showed me was his son wrestling in a local Judo tournament. The venue for this event - a dilapidated sports gym with frayed walls - was swarming with people. Locals enjoy watching sports and there are a number of big arenas recently built for such events. The most impressive is the Ahmat Arena.

If you enjoy cultural events then head to the Center Theater and the largest mosque of the region - The Heart of Chechnya. Both are situated in Grozny.

You’ll love Chechnya if you’re a gun enthusiast. The region’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov personally oversees the ongoing construction of the Russian University of Spetsnaz . It’s situated 33 km outside of Grozny near the city of Gudermes.

Some parts of the center are under construction but the shooting ranges are open, where you can literally shoot anything you want from pistols to heavy machine guns and grenade launchers (yes, you read it right). In 2020, once construction is complete, you’ll be able to go underwater shooting and even defuse mines (if you are crazy).

Besides shooting and blowing things up, I would recommend going on a hike. If you’re into camping, walking through forests, and mountaineering, this is the place to go. Start in Grozny and travel in any direction you like - the countryside is stunning.

You won’t find any pork here. That’s for sure.

Try the local shashlik and kebab, especially the mutton . There are numerous cafes serving local cuisine and any local taxi driver will get you to whichever joint in 20 minutes max - Grozny is a small city compared to Moscow.

7) What else should you know before going to Chechnya

Exchange dollars (or whatever currency you have) for rubles prior to traveling there - doing this will save you time as you don’t want the hassle of having to look for a local bank in Chechnya to change money.

You’ll also need cash as you won’t be able to pay with your credit card (except in big fancy restaurants and hotels where you won’t be spending time if you wish to get stuck into the local culture).

You should not also avoid conversing with the local girls as you might in another big city. Different rules apply here, trust us, don’t make any moves.

But my main advice to you would be to remain open-minded and outgoing. Chechnya turned out to be totally different from what I’ve seen on the TV or horror stories I’d heard from friends. Chechnya is definitely a place to go.

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Chechnya’s Fight Club Joins Putin’s War

Ramzan kadyrov, the republic’s pro-putin leader, has spent years transforming his war-torn region into a place for teaching mixed martial arts fighters — and loyal soldiers.

At the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ramzan Kadyrov — the tyrant at the helm of Russia’s Chechnya region and ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin — gathered his troops in the main square of the region’s capital Grozny in a show of combat readiness.

With Kadyrov dressed in a khaki-green outfit with a matching tactical belt and a pair of military-themed Prada boots, a menacing smile crept across his bearded face as he made a defiant promise to seize Kyiv.

“We once again gathered to show that we fully support the decision of the supreme commander-in-chief [Putin]. And we will not let you down. We will fulfill any order. [We] have prepared, are preparing and will always prepare,” Kadyrov said in his address on Chechen state TV.

The footage showed Kadyrov flanked by some of the most powerful men in Chechnya, including Adam Delimkhanov, a member of the Russian Parliament and formerly on Interpol’s wanted list for plotting an assassination, and Abuzayed Vismuradov, a decorated general and Kadyrov’s right-hand man, who was sanctioned by the United States government in 2019 for his role in Chechnya’s purge of sexual minorities. He is also in charge of Kadyrov’s mixed martial arts (MMA) empire.

MMA is a full-contact, combat sport that incorporates techniques from various martial arts, including striking, kicking and grappling. Once a fringe and unregulated activity, MMA has emerged as one of the fastest-growing sports in the past two decades, with a global audience, mainstream attention and a multimillion-dollar industry.

Known by his nom de guerre “Patriot,” Vismuradov is the president of the Akhmat MMA fight club — a combat sports training facility and fight organization funded by Kadyrov — and the man responsible for overseeing thousands of Chechen men as they train to become professional fighters.

Behind Vismuradov stood Abdul-Kerim Edilov, a former MMA fighter who competed for the popular U.S.-based Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) before becoming the vice premier of Chechnya. And though Edilov was not among those deployed to Ukraine, he stood armed with a machine gun and a tactical vest packed with extra ammunition.

“Proud to die in this path,” he later wrote on Instagram.

Vismuradov’s and Edilov’s prominent positions alongside Kadyrov underscore the important role that MMA plays in cementing the dictator’s totalitarian rule in Chechnya, as well as a farming system for his private army. It also sheds light on how Kadyrov’s obsession with the violent sport helps bolster the republic’s war machine.

Situated in the mountainous landscapes of the North Caucasus along the Caspian Sea, Chechnya has been invaded numerous times throughout history, most recently during two brutal wars with Russia in the 1990s.

When the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991, Chechnya seized its opportunity to declare independence from Russia, which had occupied the republic since 1859. Dzhokhar Dudayev, a Chechen politician and former Soviet general, toppled the local communist government and became the first president of the free Chechen Republic. By 1994, Russian President Boris Yeltsin launched the first Chechen war — an effort to bring the rebellious republic back under Russian control — which cost the lives of more than 5,000 Russian soldiers and more than 50,000 Chechen civilians over the two years until a peace treaty was signed.

Following the war, which ended with Russian troops withdrawing from the republic, Chechnya descended into a state of turmoil. Dudayev had been killed before the war ended in 1996, and the ensuing power vacuum led to violent struggles between Islamic extremists and the Chechen nationalists who led the republic during the first war. Kidnapping became a fruitful business, and more than 1,300 people were abducted and held for ransom in the years leading up to the second Chechen war.

In September 1999, a month after Putin became prime minister, there was a series of apartment bombings in Moscow and two other cities, resulting in the deaths of more than 300 people. Putin accused the Chechens, who denied any role in the explosions, and ordered airstrikes on Grozny, which launched the second Chechen war. What followed was a vicious military campaign and the destruction of the region’s capital.

Following the end of the second Chechen war in 2000, the Kremlin reached an agreement with Chechnya that gave the republic increased financial support and resources in exchange for its complete loyalty to the Russian Federation. Putin placed Akhmat Kadyrov — a mufti and militia leader who switched sides to fight alongside the Russians during the war— in charge of the republic. Akhmat was then assassinated in a bomb blast in 2004, paving the way for his son to ascend to power three years later.

Endowed with economic support and a hefty budget in exchange for the continual suppression and pacification of Chechnya, Kadyrov took the reins of a semi-autonomous republic and transformed it into his own personal fiefdom, which he rules with an iron fist.

Kadyrov molded Chechen society in his ideal image, encouraging displays of religious piety and military might while orchestrating extrajudicial killings and abductions targeting those who opposed him. He built a cult of personality around himself and his late father while defining hypermasculinity and sporting prowess as highly valued in Chechen society.

Much like other strongmen before him, Kadyrov uses sport to distract from well-documented human rights abuses, a process known as sportswashing. In Kadyrov’s case, these alleged crimes include a deadly crackdown on LGBTQ+ people in Chechnya that resulted in torture and summary executions, as well as a recent string of assassinations and abductions targeting Chechen dissidents living abroad.

Kadyrov also uses sport, and especially combat sports, to socialize Chechen youth. By elevating Chechen fighters to an elite social status, lavishing them with luxury goods and cars, and propagating the idea that proficiency in combat sports such as MMA is part of the ideal Chechen manhood, Kadyrov has popularized the sport and created a pool of fighters, ready at his disposal for combat.

In 2015, Kadyrov launched his own gym franchise and fight league, now known as Akhmat MMA.

Fitted with a gladiatorial name, the Coliseum Sports Hall serves as Chechnya’s combat sports stage — a platform for ambitious fighters to represent their republic while pledging allegiance to the man seated on a raised dais overlooking them: Kadyrov.

Surrounded by his closest henchmen, bought celebrities and an entourage of obedient yes-men committed to entertaining his every whim, Kadyrov admires the sea of “Akhmat MMA” shirts and flags emblazoned with pictures of his late father and Putin. Chants of “Akhmat Sila” (a battle cry popularized by Kadyrov that translates to Akhmat Power) reverberate throughout the arena as thousands of young Chechen men cheer on their republic’s new national pastime and the leader who championed it.

According to Mansur Sadulaev, the founder of the Chechen human rights organization Vayfond, such scenes are commonplace in Chechnya and encapsulate the hypermasculine society that Kadyrov has gradually imposed upon his people over the past 15 years.

“Sports have always been very popular among Chechen youth, especially combat sports,” Sadulaev told New Lines . “Kadyrov, of course, did not miss the chance to use this for his own selfish purposes.”

By weaponizing combat sports such as MMA, Kadyrov has been able to propagate new societal ideals that have eroded longstanding traditions within Chechen society, including Islamic traditionalism. Chechnya, a Muslim republic, has a lengthy history in Sunnism and Sufism, and held strict rules about how men should act and what was permissible. Over time, these rules gave way for Kadyrov’s sports-driven and performative masculinity, where Chechnya’s proud warrior class was replaced with modern-day prizefighters. This form of sports institutionalization helped Kadyrov shape Chechen society while also cementing his legitimacy.

The Akhmat MMA fight club consists of an MMA organization and several training facilities throughout Chechnya and various other post-Soviet states. The fight club is sponsored by Kadyrov himself through his government’s budget and bears the name of Kadyrov’s father, Akhmat Kadyrov. Fighters who are signed to the fight club’s official roster are paid monthly stipends that cover medical expenses, training costs and travel fees in exchange for them representing the club wherever they compete.

Through his fight club, Kadyrov was able to establish relationships with a seemingly endless list of celebrities, including the likes of former martial artist turned D-list actor Steven Seagal and boxing legends like Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather. He has also invited more than half-a-dozen past and current UFC champions to hold training seminars at Akhmat MMA. These associations serve the dictator’s soft power strategy to enhance his public image as a benevolent patron of sports.

“When young people see their idols in the arms of Kadyrov and hear how they praise him, they begin to believe that Kadyrov is a good, generous person,” Sadulaev said. “They do not understand that the money that he generously gives to athletes is the money of the inhabitants of the republic, taken from their salaries.”

Several fighters affiliated with Kadyrov’s Akhmat MMA have also competed for the UFC over the past few years, which has furthered Kadyrov’s sportswashing ambitions since he can now boast about his fighters’ success competing for the world’s leading MMA organization. One of Kadyrov’s fighters, Magomed Ankalaev, even headlined a recent UFC show in Las Vegas, emerging victorious while edging closer to a potential championship opportunity. For Kadyrov, this highlights his growing influence in the world of combat sports.

Indeed, Kadyrov’s MMA empire has not gone unnoticed. On Dec. 10, 2020, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued its latest round of sanctions targeting Kadyrov for “serious violations of human rights.” Additionally, the OFAC sanctioned Kadyrov’s Akhmat MMA fight club for providing the dictator with “pride and profit.” This official designation cemented Kadyrov’s fight club as an extension of his oppressive government.

While the OFAC sanctions theoretically could hinder the dictator’s sportswashing ambitions in the U.S., they have little impact on his actions in Chechnya. MMA continues to be a source of influence and image laundering for Kadyrov, while his fight club has evolved from a vanity project into a breeding ground for soldiers looking to prove their loyalty to the Chechen leader.

Of the thousands of Chechen men who train at Kadyrov’s Akhmat MMA facilities, only a handful go on to become full-fledged professional fighters representing their republic.

Many of those who don’t make the cut go on to join military and police regiments in Chechnya, including the Terek SWAT forces (controlled by Vismuradov), as well as the so-called Kadyrovtsy paramilitary units infamous for committing widespread human rights abuses such as kidnapping, forced disappearances and murder. And while the Kadyrovtsy are mostly used as tools of domestic oppression, they are occasionally deployed to war zones such as Syria and Ukraine, where they go on to commit countless war crimes.

Known as Kadyrov’s private militia, the Kadyrovtsy is considered to be one of the most feared organizations in Russia. The militia has previously worked as death squads to eliminate Chechen dissidents, opposition members and Kadyrov’s enemies. At Kadyrov’s discretion, the Kadyrovtsy also act as an extension of Putin’s military forces, having previously been deployed to fight alongside pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine’s Donbas region following the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and in Syria in 2016.

The Kadyrovtsy are also believed to be behind the intimidation and assassination of several of Kadyrov’s critics in Russia and across Europe. Kadyrov’s former bodyguard Umar Israilov, who made the shocking revelation that he had been personally tortured by Kadyrov, was murdered in Vienna in 2009. Later that year, Chechen rebel commander Sulim Yamadayev was shot dead in Dubai, for which Delimkhanov was put on Interpol’s wanted list. Several Chechen dissidents have been assassinated in Istanbul over the past few years, each killing believed to have been ordered by Kadyrov or the Russian security services. In 2020, outspoken Chechen blogger and opposition leader Imran Aliev was found dead in a hotel room in the northern French city of Lille after being stabbed repeatedly.

In July 2017, HBO Real Sports released a documentary that revealed how Kadyrov uses Akhmat MMA as a farming system for his private militia. More than 5,000 Chechen men trained at Kadyrov’s MMA facilities at the time, though only a handful of them went on to become professional fighters. The rest are funneled into various military and police regiments, where their hand-to-hand combat training can be applied elsewhere.

Kadyrov has gone out of his way to elevate athletes who moonlight as soldiers. Among them is Beslan Ushukov, a former champion in Kadyrov’s organization who is also a member of the Special Chechen Forces unit. Ushukov competed as recently as February 2022, earning a decisive victory at an Akhmat show in Moscow, boosting his professional record to 18 wins and five losses.

Ushukov has emerged as a household name in Chechnya, primarily thanks to Kadyrov’s continued support for the fighter. Prior to being suspended from Instagram for his inclusion in the Global Magnitsky sanctions list, Kadyrov’s social media profile was filled with posts celebrating Ushukov’s skills, as well as his “achievements in sports, modesty and decency.” The fighter could regularly be seen alongside Kadyrov, whether dressed in military garb or in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt following a training session.

As someone who fights both inside the cage and on the battlefield, Ushukov is the embodiment of Kadyrov’s ideal Chechen man.

“I want to congratulate my brother on his victory,” Kadyrov said following Ushukov’s recent win. “I am sure that a huge army of MMA fans is already waiting for more beautiful performances and bright victories.”

While Ushukov continues to fight professionally, it is possible that several of his Akhmat MMA training partners will be utilized as soldiers in Russia’s war in Ukraine. Kadyrov has allegedly deployed thousands of troops to Ukraine and promised that another 70,000 “volunteers” are ready to join the fray. Among those who are reportedly tasked with selecting troops for deployment is Vismuradov, in yet another connection between Kadyrov’s MMA institution and his state-funded war machine.

Even Kadyrov’s MMA “Akhmat Sila” battle cry is now regularly used by his soldiers in videos posted from the battlefield in Ukraine.

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The Batsbi?

Other peoples, resources & links, the pagan religious practices of the chechens and the ingush.

The following article on the pagan religious beliefs and practices of the Chechens and the Ingush was copied from the December 2010 edition (Vol. 8, No.3) of Interreligious Insight ( link ) — "a journal of dialogue and engagement" published by the World Congress of Faiths. The article was written by Dr. Michael Berman, a teacher and writer whose publications include The Shamanic Themes in Armenian Folktales , Shamanic Journeys through the Caucasus , Georgia through its Folktales and Shamanic Journeys Through Daghestan (please see my short Caucasian bibliography for full bibliographical information). "Michael originally trained as a Core Shamanic Counsellor with the Scandinavian Centre for Shamanic Studies, but these days his focus is more on the academic side of shamanism, with a particular interest in the folktales with shamanic themes told by and collected from the peoples of the Caucasus. For more information: www.Thestoryteller.org.uk". Dr. Berman's article is of great interest, for it contains many quotations from Bashir Dalgat's remarkable "Pervobytnaia religiia chechentsev" ("The aboriginal religion of the Chechens"), first published (in abriged form) in 1893 in Vladikavkaz in Terskii Sbornik , the journal of the "Terskii Oblastnoi Statisticheskii Komitet" ("Terek oblast Statistical Committee"). Dalgat's book is one of the earliest sources of information on the traditional i.e. pagan religious beliefs and customs of the Nakh peoples, and is a highly-valued "primary" source of information for any student of such matters.

Before considering the religious practices of the Chechens and Ingush, it might be best to start with some background information on the region. The Chechens live in a small territory called Chechnya bordered by Daghestan to the east and northeast; Ingushetia and north Ossetia to the west; Russia‘s Stravrapol Province and Cossack region to the north; and Georgia to the south and southwest. The Caucasus Mountains, which stretch along a line 1,100 kilometres long between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea, protect the people not only from enemies but from outside influences in general. The Chechens therefore have retained many traditional customs and practices. As for Ingushetia, it was created in June 1992 as a result of the secession of the Ingush from Checheno-Ingushetia, where the Ingush had been very much in the minority. The decision to break away followed the declaration of independence by the Chechens in 1991 (see Matveena, 1999, pp. 91 & 92). The Chechens and Ingush have lived where they are now since prehistoric times, and while the Mesopotamians, Persians, Turks, Mongols, Slavs and others have greatly influenced the region with their wars, conquests and trade, being fiercely proud and protective of their roots and background, the inhabitants of Chechnya have remained ethnically the same for thousands of years. As for the languages spoken by the peoples, both Chechen and Ingush belong to the nakh branch of the nakh- Daghestanian, or northeast Caucasian, language family and they can both understand each other. Although the current generation of Chechens and Ingush are Muslims and what they practise is a localized Sufi tradition, they still preserve remnants of their pagan past in both their traditions and their folktales. Like many other tribal peoples, the Ingush and the Chechens believed in existence beyond the grave and this was reflected in their burial practices: The belief was based on the evidence of eye-witnesses, of people who have visited the other world – very typical of many other peoples of the world. The other world is similar to this one; it is constructed with the imagination of the Ingush and Chechens by analogy with their native land, the mountain region... The other world is under the ground. It is ruled by the underground God, Eshtr or Eter. A man dies only when that God wishes to take him. The other world is called in Ingush Deli-Ailli, while this present world is Deli-Malkhli. The Ingush say, Deli-Malkhli was built in three years, Deli-Ailli was built in seven years. (Dalgat, 2004, p. 25) This, no doubt, partly explains why the numbers three and seven feature so prominently in the folktales from the region. (The fact that traditionally an Ingush or Chechen man is expected to know the names and birthplaces or origins of his paternal ancestors going back seven generations is yet another indication of the importance attached to this number). These peoples did not view death as going to one’s eternal rest, since the deceased in the other world were believed to do “all their work just exactly as in this world, and moreover simultaneously with the latter: when haymaking or harvesting finishes in this world, the work ceases simultaneously in the other world. The only difference is that the dead people work at nights, when the sun leaves the world of the living for the land of the dead” (Dalgat, 2004, p. 26). According to folk belief, at the moment of death, on the boundary between this world and the other one, when the divine Eshtr has already taken half of a man’s soul for himself, the dying man sees the other world with all those who have died before him. Those around him... pose him questions like: “How is such and such a dead person living?”... If the deceased had not been buried in the proper manner... [in a burial vault that was regarded as the necessary dwelling for a dead person], then the dying man would usually reply that the dead man was troubled without a roof. If a memorial feast had not been made for the deceased, then the dying man would say that the deceased had no food and was living on charity. The dying man would be given various errands to perform in the other world too. (Dalgat, 2004, p. 27) As for the burial of a dead person, he was buried along with everything it was thought he might need on the road to, and in, the other world. And at one time in the distant past, this would have included both his horse and his wife (see Dalgat, 2004, p. 32). The Chechen and Ingush concepts of the soul had much in common with those of other tribal peoples, as we can see from the following tale. One day lame Temir, whose son had been lost, called into a smithy. At that time the blacksmith was sleeping, and Temir, not wanting to interrupt his sleep, sat down next to him and began waiting for him to wake up. He noticed that a fly came out of the blacksmith’s nose, crawled along the tongs across a basin to the anvil. Beyond the anvil there was a huge fissure; the fly descended into this fissure and stopped there quite a long time. Then it crawled back out and, after passing the anvil, crossed the basin by the same tongs, but while crossing it fell into the water. For a long time it was struggling in the water, with difficulty it crawled out on to the tongs, and went back into the nose of the blacksmith. “It seems I have been asleep for a long time!” “Yes, and I was sitting here all the time you were asleep”. Temir replied. Temir said to the blacksmith, “Amuse me. I have lost my son, and I am in great grief. Tell me something”. “But what can I tell you. After all, we cannot reach what I have just seen in my dream”. Temir started asking him to relate his dream. The blacksmith began, “In my dream I crossed a big river and an iron mountain and went down into a large cave, where there was treasure of gold and silver; for a long time I stood there, not having the strength to tear my eyes away from the brilliance and the splendour. But being conscious that I had to return, I climbed out of the cave. On the return journey when I was crossing the river, I fell off the bridge and almost drowned”. Temir realised that the soul of the blacksmith had come out in the form of a fly. And guessing that there had to be a treasure in the smithy, he persuaded the blacksmith to give the place up to him. Then after digging up the place where the soul of the blacksmith had crawled, Temir exposed untold wealth, with which he collected an army and subjugated the whole world. (Dalgat, 2004, p. 39-40) This traditional folktale illustrates the ancient Ingush belief in the reality of dreams and that the soul for them was something material rather than an abstract spiritual concept. In fact, it demonstrates an understanding of the soul that is remarkably similar to that of the Siberian Buryats. There is a parallel Buryat tale in which the soul takes the form of a bee when it crawls out of someone’s nose for an out-of-body experience (see Dalgat, 2004, p. 40). What the people practised can be described as a form of polytheism. Among the Chechens there were two systems of gods – a cult of ancestors and folk heroes and the worship of the deified powers of nature. The High or Supreme God, the King of all creation and the Father of all other gods is called Dela, Dyala or Deyla... The relation of Dyala to the other gods is like that of a father to his children: everything of course depends on Dyala; what He wants, that has to happen; but the other gods also act independently, each in his own sphere. (Dalgat, 2004, p. 98) The Chechens also had great respect for the one-eyed god Elta, the patron of hunters, who rules over the forests and the wild animals. He is the king of the forests and of all its inhabitants, both the forest people and the beasts. Success in hunting completely depends on Elta... In translation Elta means corn (breaded grain), and actually he performs two functions in parallel – the god of hunting and the god of the harvests. (Dalgat, 2004, p. 91) The Sun and the Moon are also anthropomorphised in Chechen folklore. The Sun and the Moon have mothers; the mother of the Sun, or Malkh-Nana, is called Azoy, and the mother of the Moon, or Betti-Nana, is called Kinch. The Chechens say that the Sun comes out of the sea in the morning, and sinks into it once more in the evening; when it comes up on to the horizon, something black separates from it; the people say that it is the sea pouring off the Sun. (Dalgat, 2004, p. 92) The Mother of the Winds was important as well. At the god’s command she would raise a terrible storm to blow away the goods of the dead who had sinned before God. For mediation between the gods and people the Chechens developed a special type of priest or shaman known as a tsaynsag. In order to become a tsaynsag , besides intelligence and good conduct and the respect of the population, the man also required the ability to interpret his dreams and to tell fortunes – qualities required from the Roman augurs, Siberian shamans and Indian priests. These qualities make the priest a real mediator between God and the people... The priest learns the cause of bad fortune and the will of the gods by means of divination, and several methods of divination exist among the Chechens... In former times there were very many sorcerers and sorceresses throughout Chechnya; everybody treated them with respect and resorted to their mediation in every difficult situation such as illnesses or general misfortunes, asking them to find out the cause of the misfortune and advise them how to be saved from it. “They were the mentors of the people and, like the gods, faithfully gave interpretation of dreams and explained illnesses”, said Ganzyh; they were called dzyry. (Dalgat, 2004, pp. 84, 85) Various forms of divination were practised, including the measuring of a shawl with the elbow, winding cotton wool round a spoon, making use of stones, mirrors, sheep’s bones and also by consulting Arab books (see Dalgat, 2004, p. 86). Of all the Chechens’ gods, the most mighty and honoured was Seli the Thunderer. In the Caucasus Mountains, the land of thunderstorms, this god found suitable soil for himself. In the mountains the most terrible phenomenon is the thunderstorm with thunder and lightning from them the Chechen has to suffer many problems of all kinds; every minute both his field and his very life suffer dangers from them. It is not surprising that Seli is held in such honour by the Chechens. He is the most terrible and most capricious god for them, and he has to be propitiated more then the others. But at the same time he is just, and punishes only those who deserve it... All the Chechens honour him equally, and one could say that even all of the inhabitants of the Caucasus Mountains (of course under various names) he is a god, not of one community or tribe, but of them all … One can judge the strength of the cult of Seli by the fact that they consider a man killed by lightning (Seli’s firebrand) as blessed, and he is buried quite separately from other dead people” (Dalgat, 2004, pp. 94, 95). A sacred place for the Chechens was the domestic hearth, believed to be chosen by God himself and so inviolable. A terrible retribution follows any insult or disrespect towards it. The fire, the chain, the cauldron and hearth enjoy the highest respect in the home: the chain and the cauldron are respected as symbols of the domestic hearth, while the fire [whose deity is known as Seli] is an indissoluble component of it. Even the ashes, and soot on the ceiling, are considered sacred, thanks to its connection with the hearth. (Dalgat, 2004, p. 53) Apart from the fact that it was considered to be sacred, the family hearth, in concentrating the members of the family round itself, also had an “organising” importance: Its cult sanctifies the power of the head of the family, as a devotee who brings sacrifices to the gods. Its influence [helps to explain] …the sacred character of the family as a community..., and the sanctity and inviolability of a guest as a temporary member of the family. (Dalgat, 2004, p. 55) And anyone who visits Chechnya will have the opportunity to experience firsthand the people’s legendary hospitality. In view of the fact that the peoples clearly believed in the existence of at least one other reality, that it was possible for adepts to undertake soul journeys, and in the efficacy of divination, to regard what was practised by the priests as a form of shamanism would surely be a reasonable assumption to make, even though the term itself would of course have been totally alien to them. As to whether the priests actually entered trance states in the course of their work, though, remains unclear. However, given the popularity of the mystic dance among followers of the Sufi tariqat or religious path, it would seem that people in the region have a natural propensity for doing so, which would suggest that even though we lack concrete evidence, it was very likely to have been the case. BIBLIOGRAPHY Dalgat, B. K. (2004) The Aboriginal Religions of the Chechens and Ingush , Moscow: nAUKA. (Translated from the Russian by David Hunt October 2009, and kept in the British Library. The book was first published in an abridged form in 1893). Jaimoukha, A. M. (2005). The Chechens: A Handbook . new York; London: Routledge Curzon. Matveena, A. (1999). The North Caucasus: Russia’s Fragile Borderland . London: The Royal Institute of International Affairs. Smith, S. (2006). Allah’s Mountains: The Battle for Chechnya . London: Tauris Parke Paperbacks.

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