Russia's troubled Republic of Chechnya is to have a new flag, national anthem and coat of arms, officials of the pro-Moscow administration said on Monday, against a backdrop of continued deadly fighting. Council chairman Shaid Zhamaldayev told the Interfax news agency that submissions for the new symbols of statehood had already been received, with an advisory council under Akhmad Kadyrov, the administration chief, to make the final choice.
Proposals for a new anthem have been received in both the Chechen language and in Russian, Zhamaldayev said, stressing that the text should refer to Chechen people as a warrior nation with an eventful and creative history. Six submitted sketches for a coat of arms are variations on that of the Soviet-era Chechen-Ingush autonomous Republic, he said, adding that the council has also been drafting chapters of a new constitution. Bureau Report