Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has called on the residents of the volatile southern Russian republic to take part in restoring medieval towers in the region.
There are over 850 architectural monuments in Chechnya, including over 100 tower settlements, 15 temples and 2 necropolises, considered to be amongst the largest in the world. Only three battle flag towers have been restored recently.
Kadyrov, who has pledged to turn Chechnya into a popular tourist destination, told a government session on Tuesday that citizens as well as local authorities should make efforts to preserve their national heritage.
"Every citizen of the republic can take part in preserving and restoring the historic towers," Kadyrov said. "We must save our history and keep these unique architectural masterpieces for the next generation so that they can be proud of their past and their ancestors."
Kadyrov also called on the Chechen population to stop hunting in the region's vast forests and mountain ranges, in order to save endangered species living in the area.
"Many species of animals, birds and fish are on the brink of extinction or have migrated to nearby territories," he said. "The war has affected the whole fauna; we must restore and save our nature."
The Chechen president said earlier in the year that the republic intended to create a large ski resort in its southeastern Argun Gorge.
Kadyrov has been credited with bringing a level of stability to the region, which saw two brutal separatist wars in the 1990s and early 2000s. However, terrorist attacks and police shootouts with militants are still common in Chechnya and its neighboring regions, especially Dagestan and Ingushetia.
The Kremlin announced the end of a decade-long counter terrorist operation in the republic last year.
GROZNY, November 9 (RIA Novosti)
