Presidential Palace, Grozny
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The presidential palace in Grozny was the building in Grozny, capital of Chechnya, which became a world-famous symbol during the early conflict in Chechnya, in which it became the key terrain symbolizing victory.[1]
Originally the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic headquarters of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, the structure was adopted as the presidential palace of Gen. Dzhokhar Dudayev, the first leader of the separatist Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, and the main seat of his government (the actual office of Dudayev was on the eight floor of the building[2]). The palace was the target of the abortive attacks by the Russia-supported Chechen opposition forces through the 1994.
[edit] Chechen War
During the early phase of the 1994-1995 battle of Grozny the palace was the primary objective of the disastrous New Year's Eve assault by the Russian forces.[3] The soldier who would raise the Russian flag over the building was promised to have become the Hero of the Russian Federation.
The massive concrete building turned into the main Chechen stronghold in the city, while the nuclear shelter under the palace became the battle headquarters of Aslan Maskhadov, the Chechen Chief of Staff, and an improvised POW camp for the captured Russian soldiers (many of whom were killed by the Russian bunker buster bomb).[4] The badly-damaged palace was abandoned on January 18, 1995, after three weeks of bombing and two weeks of fierce fighting, and captured by the Russians the next day.
In February 1996 the site was a scene of a massive peace demonstration which ended in bloodshed when the Russian government forces fired on the demonstrators.[5] The empty shell of the building was demolished by the Russian forces soon afterwards.[6]
