Sheikh Mansur and Imam Shamil are symbols of the struggle of free nations against the Muscovite imperial yoke.
The new location in the capital has become a symbol of the unity of the Ukrainian people and the nations of the Caucasus in the fight against Russian imperial aggression
Today, 4 February 2026, the grand opening of the Imam Shamil Square took place in the capital. The event is timed to the 155th anniversary of the death of the outstanding spiritual leader and symbol of the resistance of the nations of the Caucasus. This was announced by the Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, Refat Chubarov, reports Glavkom.
Who initiated the opening of Imam Shamil Square in Kyiv?
According to Chubarov, the opening of the square was preceded by two years of active work by the World Congress of the People of Dagestan under the leadership of Akhmed Akhmadov, a participant in the Russian-Ukrainian war, president of the All-Ukrainian Congress of the People of Dagestan, and president of the Ukrainian Professional Kickboxing Federation K-1.
The green zone, named after the national hero of the North Caucasus, is located between Hertsena and Ovrutskaya streets. The decision to name the square after Imam Shamil was supported by 75 deputies of the Kyiv City Council on 4 December 2025. As noted by the Deputy Mayor and Secretary of the Kyiv City Council, Volodymyr Bondarenko, the name passed public discussions and an online rating in the Kyiv Digital application, where Kyiv residents expressed their support.
Why the figure of Imam Shamil is important for Ukraine and the Caucasus
“Imam Shamil, just like Ukraine now, once fought against the Russian occupiers. We stand in solidarity with him. Today, naming the square in his honour is a symbol of honouring a figure who embodies the desire for freedom,” Volodymyr Bondarenko emphasised during a meeting of the Kyiv City Council.
During the ceremony, the Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, Refat Chubarov, emphasised that the decision of the Kyiv City Council to name the square after Imam Shamil is an expression of deep respect for the nations of Dagestan and Chechnya. He emphasised that the figure of Imam Shamil draws a direct parallel between the historical resistance of the people of the Caucasus to the Russian Empire and the modern heroic struggle of the Ukrainian nation against racism, which is trying to revive the empire.
Chubarov’s statement on victory in the war with the Russian Federation
Chubarov noted that today, representatives of various nationalities of the enslaved people of Russia are fighting side by side with Ukrainians in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. “There is no doubt: Ukraine will win, the enslaved nations will gain freedom, and the Russian barbarians will retreat to their swamps, where they will remain until they learn to live in peace and harmony with all nationalities,” he added.
Recall that Chechnya and Dagestan are very promising regions in terms of secession from the Russian Federation and civil war. Ukrainian political scientist Taras Zagorodny noted that Moscow itself is doing everything to destabilise the situation with national minorities.
