Kadirovs un Kerimovs: Samierināšanās, “Wildberries” un Kremļa spēles

A surprising handshake between Ramzan Kadyrov and Suleiman Kerimov has sparked speculation in Russia. “Let’s live in peace,” Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov wrote in a January 30 post on his Telegram channel, accompanying a photo with Dagestan billionaire and Senator Suleiman Kerimov, who had been subject to a blood feud declaration earlier in 2024. The unexpected display of unity comes amid reports of a potential power shift in Chechnya and concerns over Kadyrov’s health, raising questions about the motivations behind the apparent reconciliation.

“I had a productive meeting with my brother, Federation Council Senator Suleiman Kerimov in Moscow. I consider the people of Chechnya and Dagestan to be brothers, just like the two of us. I wish him success in all his endeavors!” Kadyrov wrote alongside the image of the two men shaking hands and smiling. The gesture of reconciliation follows media reports that the Kremlin had “strongly advised” Kadyrov to resolve all conflicts and address the root causes of interregional and ethnic tensions, according to the Telegram channel “Temporary Government 2.0”.

This marks the first time Kadyrov has mentioned Kerimov on his social media channels since a conflict erupted over the online retail platform “Wildberries” on September 18, 2024, when a shooting occurred near the company’s Moscow office.

The photo of Kadyrov and Kerimov was taken in the Kremlin, most likely in the office of Anton Vaino, the chief of staff of the presidential administration, according to investigative outlet “Agentstvo.” Hours before the post, Kadyrov shared a photo on his Telegram channel “Kadyrov 95” (with approximately 2 million followers) of himself with Vaino in his office, with a portrait of Vladimir Putin with daisies visible in the background. Sources for the investigative publication “Proekt” claim Vaino and Kerimov have a close relationship. On January 29, Kadyrov participated in talks between Putin and UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the Kremlin, where the Chechen leader was dressed similarly to how he appeared in the recently published photos.

The “Wildberries” Dispute

In 2024, Kerimov and Kadyrov became embroiled in a battle for control of “Wildberries.” Tatiana Bakalchuk-Kima, co-founder and CEO of the company (ranked 34th in Forbes’ 2025 list of Russia’s 146 richest people with a capitalization of $4.6 billion), came under the influence of Kerimov and brothers Robert and Lev Mirzoyan. Allegedly, individuals associated with them removed the other co-founder, Bakalchuk-Kima’s then-husband, Vladislav Bakalchuk, from his position (the couple divorced in February 2025). Bakalchuk then sought help from Kadyrov, which led to an armed attack on the “Wildberries” Moscow office and Kadyrov’s public declaration of a blood feud against Kerimov. Bakalchuk claimed that Kerimov and Russian State Duma deputies Bekhan Barakhoyev and Rizvan Kurbanov were representing the Mirzoyan brothers, the new business partners of her ex-husband. “Proekt” identified Robert Mirzoyan as Bakalchuk-Kima’s “new admirer.” On October 10, 2024, Kadyrov declared a blood feud against Kerimov and two State Duma deputies – Barakhoyev and Kurbanov – alleging they had attempted to order his assassination for 100 million rubles. The retaliation was in response to Kadirov’s intervention in a business dispute following the merger of “Wildberries” with outdoor advertising operator “Russ,” where Kerimov was the ultimate beneficiary. Kadyrov accused the senator and deputies of “stealing the business” from Tatiana Kima and urged them to prove his claims to avoid the blood feud.

Kadyrov’s Influence Wanes

The relationship between Kadyrov and Kerimov had been strained even before the “Wildberries” dispute, dating back to the early 2010s. “Proekt” reported that Kadyrov once helped Suleiman Kerimov become a co-owner of potash fertilizer producer “Uralkali” when Kerimov asked Kadyrov to “persuade” Pyotr Kondrashev, a co-owner of Russian fertilizer producer “Silvinit,” to sell his shares so Kerimov could merge the companies. Kadyrov fulfilled the request in 2013, expecting a 20% stake in the combined company, but Kerimov sold the shares without his knowledge, leaving Kadyrov empty-handed, according to “Agentstvo.”

However, Kadyrov proved unable to prevail against Kerimov and “Wildberries,” and the plan for retaliation was quickly annulled by the Kremlin. Kadyrov announced on his Telegram channel that he had discussed the shooting at the “Wildberries” office with Chechen security officials, and in a video posted with the message, he threatened in Chechen: “They ordered my murder. To kill me… I officially state, I officially declare a blood feud against Barakhoyev, and if his guilt is not proven, also against Suleiman Kerimov and Rizvan Kurbanov. Because I am a Caucasian, I am a Chechen. I return what belongs to me,” as quoted by “Proekt.” During the height of the conflict, Kerimov took refuge in his private residence in the Zviriny Hills area of southwestern Moscow, within a Federal Protective Service (FSO) compound adjacent to the residence of Anton Vaino, Putin’s chief of staff. Kadyrov’s “protection” failed to shield Bakalchuk, who ultimately lost control of “Wildberries.” The alleged “intermediary” in the conflict, fugitive billionaire and State Duma deputy Magomed Gadzhiev, was identified as having spread rumors about an assassination attempt against Kadyrov, allegedly due to a personal dispute with Kerimov.

A Pragmatic Approach

Kadyrov announced the blood feud “in the Caucasian manner” in October 2024 and rescinded it in January 2026, shortly before reports surfaced regarding his health and a possible power transition in Grozny. This shift in events was seemingly prompted by a photo taken in the Kremlin chief of staff’s office, a handshake, and a few lines about the brotherly ties between Chechnya and Dagestan. This isn’t necessarily a display of cynicism from the Kremlin elite, but rather a pragmatic approach to the rules of the game within what is often described as Putin’s “power vertical.” The development underscores growing regional tensions and the Kremlin’s efforts to maintain control. In 2024, Kadyrov intervened in a business deal involving individuals with significantly more wealth, connections, and influence than his own clan. The shooting at the “Wildberries” office, the deaths of security guards, and the public threats and 100 million ruble bounty were dramatic, but the outcome was predictable: Bakalchuk lost the company, Kadyrov was “checked,” and Kerimov retained his billions and his home near Anton Vaino. Once personal scores are settled or postponed, the priority is to demonstrate loyalty and resolve differences with Putin’s inner circle, as well as long-term regional and ethnic conflicts that could complicate a potential “transfer of power,” according to the Telegram channel “Plavilny Kotel.”

“A well-staged meeting, a publicly declared blood feud rescinded – this is not weakness, but a strength of the Kremlin system, where ‘expediency and pragmatism’ are chosen over ‘honor’ long ago. The audience is treated to a classic plot of the Putin era: yesterday you were ‘enemy number one,’ today you are ‘brother.’ And tomorrow, if necessary, you can declare anything again. The main thing is to take a photo with the leader’s ‘daisy portrait’ in the right place. Everything else is just decoration,” the channel ironically noted.

“Wildberries” Under Putin Allies

The clan conflict concluded with the combined company “RWB” (“Wildberries & Russ”) falling under the control of a group close to Yuri Kovalchuk, an associate of Putin. While Kerimov and Kadyrov threatened each other, the deal was structured to align with the interests of the Kremlin’s “chief ideologue of the Ukrainian war and a new world order.” “Russ Outdoor” group, now a business structure within “RWB,” is not merely an outdoor advertising operator but a powerful tool for controlling the urban information space. Yuri Kovalchuk, through his media assets (National Media Group and others), now fully controls the advertising and ideological content of the holding company. All advertising visible in Russia, both on billboards and smartphones, will now be coordinated in Kovalchuk’s office.

“With an invitation to the Kremlin, Kadyrov and his clan received guarantees of power in compensation for their loyalty. This is also a guarantee that no one will dare to challenge the interests of the Kovalchuk clan in the ‘Wildberries’ business. Billionaire Suleiman Kerimov is an experienced manager and the ultimate beneficiary of the project, but he no longer makes strategic decisions. His task is to ensure financial stability under the supervision of Yuri Kovalchuk,” commented the Telegram channel “Insider-T.”

Migrant Labor Concerns

“Wildberries” co-owner, billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, is a strong advocate for cheap migrant labor, which could prove costly for Russia and its society in the long run. In addition to Tajik migrant workers, often influenced by Islamist propaganda, women from North Korea work in “Wildberries” warehouses. They live in a barracks-like regime and remain quiet, earning even less than Tajiks, but a portion of their income ends up in the DPRK state budget through Kim Jong-un. Soon, Indian migrant workers are expected to arrive, from whom it will be difficult to expect such humility.

The billionaire even allocated funds for a “public relations campaign” to silence the incident involving one of his company’s migrant workers, 19-year-old Imomali Turdiev from Tajikistan, who was arrested near Moscow on January 21 for a fight with neo-Nazis and is accused of murdering a member of a radical group, according to a source close to him. Following Kerimov’s intervention, Russian media began publishing stories about how the suspect saved several women from a skinhead attack on a bus. However, after his defeat in the battle for “Wildberries,” Ramzan Kadyrov can only rejoice at Kerimov’s troubles. But if Kadyrov had won, he would have continued to import cheap labor, contributing to the criminalization of society and the level of crime, including terrorist threats, according to the Telegram channel “Red Binder.”

“The root causes of the problem must be sought in the contradictions of Russian domestic policy. The economy needs hundreds of thousands of workers – cheap, mobile, ready to fill vacancies in construction, agriculture, utilities, and many other areas. At the same time, political rhetoric needs an ‘internal enemy’ to ‘channel’ public tension,” commented the Telegram channel “Kritik novostnoy lenty.”

“Russian authorities have been deliberately and systematically fueling xenophobia for years. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the contradiction became obvious. Demographic losses, emigration, mobilization, and personnel shortages have made migration not only desirable but vital for survival. At the same time, the chauvinistic patriotic audience, which is the mainstay of Putin’s regime, is least willing to accept the idea that the rear is being provided by labor from ‘friendly republics.’ The Kremlin has fallen into a trap: migrants are needed like air, but their public defense is politically toxic.”

The Kremlin’s New Ideology

Within Putin’s “power vertical,” a new and Russia’s foreign policy-aligned concept of “orda” (horde) has been accepted, no longer a swear word and openly discussed in the Kremlin corridors. The essence of the concept: Russia will no longer be built as a “European empire,” but as a Eurasian civilization with a cult of “horde heritage,” a vertical power structure, and a multi-national “ulus” (a centralized, clan- or tribe-based union among Mongols and Turkic peoples – ed.), which everyone must join – from Chechens and Dagestanis to diasporas from Central Asia and the Caucasus. The implementation of the new political course has been entrusted to Igor Barinov, head of the Federal Agency for Nationalities Affairs (FADN). The Russian Ministry of Finance allocated 9.3 billion rubles (~$120 million) to the agency in 2024-2026 for the implementation of the “state national policy program.” Barinov personally promotes the idea of the “Russian nation” as a synthesis where Russians are just one of 190 ethnic groups, without any dominance. Barinov’s deputy, Arina Yamkova, oversees propaganda events, such as the All-Russian project “EtNik,” which promotes “harmony in interethnic relations” and the fight against “ethnonationalism.”

“The ideological basis is Alexander Dugin’s ‘Eurasianism,’ whose ideas about Russia as a ‘continental civilization with the heritage of the Golden Horde’ form the basis of new narratives: the Golden Horde allegedly provided a vertical power structure, tolerance for tribes, and immunity to the West. Dugin currently has significant influence among high-ranking officials in Putin’s administration and the Security Council and in the minds of his followers,” claim sources at “Insider-T” within the Kremlin. Simultaneously, Alexander Shchipkov is active in the World Russian People’s Council (VRNS), publishing texts for three years on “ethnic Russian and Russian unity,” avoiding emphasis on ethnicity and the concept of the “elder brother” role of the Russian nation. Another activist and publicist is Irina Tatarskaya, a historian and passionate supporter of the “Rus-Orda” symbiosis. In her view, the “Tatar-Mongol factor is at the foundation of the empire,” and the main beneficiaries will be precisely the “multinational communities” and diaspora representatives.

The Foundation for Supporting Compatriots Abroad, created by Putin’s decree in 2011, already spends millions on programs to support Russian-speaking and ethnic communities, but now the emphasis will be on “feedback” – to diasporas from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan in Russia. Using non-governmental organizations, diaspora organizations donate to festivals, schools, and media outlets. The Federal Agency for Nationalities Affairs is promoting the legalization of this approximately $20 million in funding if it is channeled into “ethnic cultural diversity.” Corporate money for Dugin’s “Eurasianism” projects comes from “Gazprom,” “Rosneft,” and Russian Railways. “The management of the companies – Alexei Miller, Igor Sechin, and Vitaly Saveliev – are interested in a stable flow of migrant labor without ethnic conflicts,” writes the Telegram channel “Insider elites.” Diaspora entrepreneurs in Russia, such as Uzbek magnate Alisher Usmanov or Azerbaijani trading clans, are trying to demonstrate loyalty to the Kremlin by financially supporting “people’s friendship” narratives through various funds. The beneficiaries are regional leaders such as Ramzan Kadyrov and, for example, Sergei Menyailo, head of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, where the “orda” ideology model allows bypassing the dominance of the “elder brother” representatives of the Russian nation in the power vertical.

China’s Junior Partner

This is particularly beneficial for China: in the process of “the Chinese dream – the great rejuvenation of the nation,” Beijing has assigned Russia the role of a “junior cooperation partner.” From China’s point of view, “orda” Russia belongs not to European, but to Eurasian civilization. Russian structures, such as the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), also position Russia as a “civilization of the Asian vector” in analytical reports.

Russia is involved in ambitious information technology cooperation projects, creating a joint digital identity with China, such as the “Molniya” messaging application with Chinese technologies for electronic user identification. “It is expected that China will flood funding through the ‘New Silk Road’ initiative, grants to ‘Eurasian’ centers at universities, media outlets, and cultural forums, where Russia will be presented as a ‘bridge to Asia,’” commented “Insider elites.” Russian history is being rewritten and will become a “triumph of the horde.” In the long run, this could change everything – from textbooks to foreign policy. The Kremlin’s room for maneuver is shrinking, and vulnerabilities are becoming an object of the geopolitical market.