Experts on Caucasus regard laying flowers to Akhmat Kadyrov's obelisk alien to Islamic traditions

Some rituals of honouring the dead, for example, laying flowers on graves, date back to Soviet times, but are alien to the Islamic and Chechen traditions, Caucasian scholars have noted in their comments on the celebrations of the 69th birthday of Akhmat Kadyrov, the ex-head of Chechnya.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 23, Chechnya celebrated Akhmat Kadyrov's 69th birthday, who perished in 2004 as a result of a terror act.

Zura, a woman from Urus-Martan, has noted that an unattended grave is rarely seen in Chechen cemeteries.

According to Ruslan Kutaev, the President of the Assembly of Caucasian Nations, the laying flowers and placing photos on gravestones is "an imposed Russian tradition, dating back to the Judeo-Christian one, which has nothing to do with Chechen ones."

On the other hand, according to Adats, every person is obliged to look after relatives' graves, Mr Kutaev has noted.

Akhmet Yarlykapov, a Caucasian expert, has noted that outwardly Akhmat Kadyrov's cult enjoys noticeable support.

Alexei Malashenko, a political analyst, has added that Akhmat Kadyrov is a major figure not only in the Chechen, but also in the whole Caucasian and even in Russian history.