Dzhokhar Musayevich Dudayev (1944-1996) was a prominent political and military figure and the first President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. Born in the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, he was deported with his family to Kazakhstan during the Stalinist repressions in 1944. Dudayev later returned to the Caucasus and pursued a career in the Soviet military, eventually becoming a major general in the Soviet Air Force.

In the early 1990s, as the Soviet Union began to collapse, Dudayev emerged as a leader in the Chechen independence movement. In 1991, he declared Chechnya's independence from the Russian Federation and was elected the first president of the self-proclaimed Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. His administration sought to establish a sovereign Chechen state, which led to escalating tensions with Moscow.

Dudayev's presidency was marked by the outbreak of the First Chechen War (1994-1996), during which Russian forces attempted to regain control of the region. Despite his limited resources, Dudayev led Chechen resistance efforts and became a symbol of the Chechen struggle for independence.

On April 21, 1996, Dudayev was killed in a Russian missile strike, reportedly after his satellite phone signal was intercepted. His death further fueled the conflict but also cemented his legacy as a central figure in Chechen history and the fight for self-determination. Today, he remains as a hero and freedom fighter.

Банер до свята 1 травня на Куликовому полі навпроти Будинку профспілок в Одесі, 1980-ті