The capital of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria is Dzhokhar Ghala (Grozny). The city lies on the Sunzha River. Dzhokhar Ghala is divided into four administrative city districts: Leninsky, Zavodskoy, Staropromyslovsky and Oktyabrsky.

The city was founded in 1818 as a fortress. The Groznaya Fortress was a Russian military outpost on the Sunzha River by Terek Cossacks which was a prominent defense centre during the Caucasian War. It was built on the site of six leveled Chechen villages. After the annexation of the region by the Russian Empire, the military use of the old fortress was obsolete and in December 1869 it was renamed Grozny. In Russian “Grozny” means “fearsome”, “menacing”, or “terrible”.

Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, who was the Vice-President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, renamed the city Dzhokhar Ghala in 1996. After the assassination of Dzhokhar Dudaev by Russian terrorists 1996, Yandarbiyev became the acting President.

Major Settlements of Chechen Republic of Ichkeria:chechnya-administrative-divisions1

1. Znamenskoye (red #1 on the map)
2. Naurskaya (red #2 on the map)
3. Achkhoy-Martan (red #3 on the map)
4. Urus-Martan (red #4 on the map)
5. Dzhokhar-Ghala (Grozny) (red #5 on the map)
6. Shali (red #6 on the map)
7. Gudermes (red #7 on the map)
8. Shelkovskaya (red #8 on the map)
9. Itum-Shale (red #9 on the map)
10. Shatoy (red #10 on the map)
11. Vedeno (red #11 on the map)
12. Nozhay-Yurt (red #12 on the map)

Districts of Chechen Republic of Ichkeria:

1. Naursky (black area #1 on the map)
2. Shelkovskoy (black area #2 on the map)
3. Nadterechny (black area #3 on the map)
4. Groznensky (black area #4 on the map)
5. Gudermessky (black area #5 on the map)
6. Sunzhensky (black area #6 on the map)
7. Achkhoy-Martanovsky (black area #7 on the map)
8. Urus-Martanovsky (black area #8 on the map)
9. Shalinsky (black area #9 on the map)
10. Kurchaloyevsky (black area #10 on the map)
11. Itum-Kalinsky (black area #11 on the map)
12. Shatoysky (black area #12 on the map)
13. Vedensky (black area #13 on the map)
14. Nozhay-Yurtovsky (black area #14 on the map)
15. Sharoysky (black area #15 on the map)

*Blue lines show the rivers of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria on the map. Blue line number 1 is the Argun River; line 2 is the Sunzha River and line 3 is the Terek River.