Commentators found Umar Dzhabrailov's actions contradictory

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Facebook* users and "Caucasian Knot" commentators noted the controversial nature of businessman Umar Dzhabrailov's business and political activities, recalling his charity work and scandalous actions.

According to "Caucasian Knot," on March 2, Umar Dzhabrailov was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the head and died there. He was admitted to the hospital as an unknown person, but was identified by security guards who arrived. According to sources, the businessman committed suicide; a pistol was found near him. However, the daughter of the late Alvin Dzhabrailov suggested that her father was killed because of his friendship with American businessman Jeffrey Epstein. On March 3, Dzhabrailov was buried in his ancestral village of Novye Atagi in the Shali district of Chechnya.

Facebook* users, commenting on the "Caucasian Knot" article about doubts about Umar Dzhabrailov's suicide, shared their opinions of him as a public figure. "He did a lot of good. And many remember him and are very grateful," noted Natasha Pridatrko.

"An educated man with a capital "E"! He loved life and helped everyone! Have you forgotten?" writes Evgenia Kapi. In another publication, she also reported that Dzhabrailov "graduated from the Institute of International Relations with a gold medal" and "helped everyone."

"He overcame addiction; his face was pieced together after an accident," noted Madina Shah. She also noted that she doesn't believe the suicide theory: "A man who overcame addiction and began rebuilding his business couldn't. Many of his acquaintances write about this."

"Despite all the nuances, he was an interesting person who always aroused the interest of others," believes Tatyana Zakirova-Mazlova. "What good has he done for Russia? Has he glorified it? No. He's contributed to the image of Russia, where anything goes and nothing happens," retorts Elena Ivanova.

Commentator rob on the "Caucasian Knot" noted under the article "Facebook* users find the circumstances of Dzhabrailov's death strange" that, according to one social media post, he sold his Moscow mansion for 1.2 billion rubles earlier this year. "So he had money: for luxury apartments, security, and the launch of new projects. And his latest video message, in which he expresses concern for the plight of Russians who have found themselves in a difficult situation due to the outbreak of the war in Iran and wishes everyone 'love and happiness,' also doesn't raise any suspicions that Dzhabrailov was preparing to commit suicide. Overall, there are far more questions than answers regarding the death of the businessman and one of Kadyrov's former close friends," he wrote.

User Edie.mraz noted that no one from the Chechen leadership attended Dzhabrailov's funeral. "But at one time, it was he who financially helped Akhmat and Ramzan Kadyrov consolidate their power. Plus, in one of his interviews, he said that back in the early 2000s, he and Ramzan swore an oath of eternal friendship, and sealed it in the presence of some elders. Furthermore, Dzhabrailov, like Kadyrov, was from the Benoi teip. And in Chechnya, it's customary to attend the funerals of fellow teip members, especially famous figures. There's a rather murky story surrounding Umar Dzhabrailov's death," the user noted.

Under the post "Umar Dzhabrailov buried in Chechnya" on the "Caucasian Knot," user Sidney recalled how "this elderly 'comrade' in shorts and a T-shirt strolled around Moscow, accompanied by security, handing out flowers to girls." "People his age in Chechnya, as a rule, lead a sedate lifestyle - they participate in various events as elders, teach the youth, give instructions, engage in religious studies, etc. But this guy behaved more like a teenager gone crazy, with his pockets stuffed with money. Disrespectful and frivolous, to put it mildly," he noted.

User Fredericka also believes that Dzhabrailov "did not resemble a Muslim or a Chechen in either his moral qualities or his actions."

Dzhabrailov helped museums, fellow villagers, and veterans of the SVO [Russian Military District]

Umar Dzhabrailov donated 180 works from his collection to the Moscow Museum of Modern Art. The works were donated back in 2014. A publication on the museum's website notes that "the core of the Dzhabrailov collection consists of works by major Russian and international artists, demonstrating a wide range of artistic movements, interests, and mutual influences from the 1990s to 2010s. These include lyrical abstraction and contemporary forms of realism and academicism, ironic variations on the theme of grassroots culture, and works of late conceptualism."

This includes works by contemporary artists such as Pavel Pepperstein, Veronika Ponomareva, Leonid Rotar, Konstantin Khudyakov, and others.

Art historian Ksenia Korobaynikova also recalled the donation of the paintings on her Telegram channel. "He collected top names, from Anish Kapoor to Pavel Pepperstein. So he also made history as a patron of the arts," she wrote.

Describing the "New Element" exhibition, which ran from April to July 2014, the museum's management notes that Dzhabrailov donated 180 works from his collection. "This gift (paintings, photographs, graphics, and videos) can be considered a crucial 'new element' in the museum's collection." Describing the businessman's personal collection, the exhibition description notes that Dzhabrailov began assembling it in the late 1990s. "When acquiring works from artists and galleries, the collector was guided by his own taste and knowledge. At the same time, Dzhabrailov always viewed contemporary art not simply as a profitable investment, interior decoration, or prestigious social attribute, but as a necessary, natural element of modern life, shaping their everyday environment," the museum reports.

It should be noted that in the early 1990s, Dzhabrailov, who worked for about a year as an art inspector at the Moscow cooperative gallery, was quoted in a biography of the businessman published on the RBC website.

Fellow villagers of Dzhabrailov from the village of Novye Atagi reported after his death that the businessman had helped low-income families, according to RIA Novosti.

According to Isa Elikhanov, Dzhabrailov "built a large fence around our cemetery." "No matter what issue was approached regarding our village, he always resolved it. In a word, he helped," the publication quotes him as saying. Comments from other villagers were not included in the publication's article.

Umar Dzhabrailov founded the "Power of Reason" foundation. The foundation's official VKontakte group claims that it provides assistance to "injured and wounded servicemen who fought and are fighting in the SVO zone. We believe that it is our duty as conscientious and responsible citizens of Russia to support our defenders and their families."

The foundation's description lists Dzhabrailov's phone number and email address, allegedly belonging to him. The last post in the group was made on February 22, 2024.

Dzhabrailov's business activities have been marred by several criminal scandals.

Dzhabrailov's activities have also been accompanied by a number of scandals. In mid-1996, Paul Tatum, head of the Intourist-RadAmer Hotel and Business Center joint venture and US citizen, claimed that Dzhabrailov had threatened to kill him in order to remove him from the list of founders of the joint venture. In November of that year, Tatum was shot dead in an underpass near Kievsky Station. Dzhabrailov's involvement in the incident could not be proven, according to RBK.

In 2002, at the intersection of Rublevskoye Highway and Krasnye Zori Street in Moscow, shots were fired at the car of Moscow Deputy Mayor Iosif Ordzhonikidze. According to law enforcement, the deputy mayor's security guard managed to wound one of the attackers. The body of Umar Dzhabrailov's cousin, Salavat Dzhabrailov, was later discovered. The businessman himself denied his relative's involvement in the assassination attempt and claimed he was killed to frame him. No charges were brought against Dzhabrailov.

In 2017, Dzhabrailov opened fire at the Four Seasons Hotel in Moscow. He fired into the ceiling with his award pistol. Police arrived at the scene and asked Dzhabrailov to surrender his weapon, but he refused to give up without a fight. It was discovered that he was under the influence of drugs. He was fined 500,000 rubles for hooliganism and expelled from the United Russia party "for actions discrediting the party and damaging its political interests."