About Daimohk

Daimohk’, meaning ‘ancestral land’ in Chechen, is a dance group comprising 33 dancers (aged 6 to 16) and five musicians from Grozny, who together perform the traditional acrobatic dances and musical mantras of their homeland.

Daimohk was founded in 1998 by Ramzan Akhmadov - former star of the Chechen National Ballet and Celebrated Artist of the Russian Federation - and his wife Aiza, a dancer and choreographer. Ramzan saw dance as a way to give a generation of children surrounded by violence and aggression a positive creative focus and emotional self-expression. Only 6 months later, Daimohk’s breathtaking and varied programme - from energising acrobatics and sword-throwing, to graceful formations and mesmerizing instrumental numbers - won the Chechen Republic’s Competition for Artistic Excellence.

In early 1999, Ramzan converted a disused building into a dance hall. Relatives and friends helped clear the rubble and put exercise bars and mirrors on the walls. With the launch of the second offensive later that same year, the children and their families were dispersed throughout the North Caucasus. Looking to reunite the company Ramzan approached UNICEF for assistance, and was put in touch with Chris Hunter of CPCD, one of few NGOs operating in the region at that time.

Daimohk Dance Hall, Grozny

Since 2006, Peacebuilding UK has been working with Daimohk to provide the group with a permanent dance hall in Grozny. The children of Daimohk and the inspiring people working with them form a unique cultural project, which since 1999 has inspired audiences in Chechnya, all over Russia and in twelve European countries with their excellent displays of traditional Chechen culture. They regularly take part in Russian dance and cultural competitions and in the last year have travelled to Sochi, Moscow and Rostov-on-Don to participate in such events. In Sochi they won first prize. Their participation in such well publicized events plays an important role in the vital reconciliation process between Chechens and Russians, whose relations have been severely damaged following 13 years of warfare and conflict. The children of Daimohk show a very human face to the Chechens, which helps to deconstruct the stereotype of fighters that remains in the minds of many Russians. Similarly, the friendship between Chechen and Russian children and accompanying adults at such events helps to bring out the humanity and warmth on both sides. It is vital for everyone in Russia that such reconciliation occurs if the country is to overcome the hatred and fear that remains following the Chechen wars.

This project will provide Daimohk with a permanent venue to rehearse and come together. Until now, the group uses the sports hall of a school in Grozny, which has holes in the roof and no heating, making rehearsals in winter difficult and a threat to the children’s health.

Conducting a project of this kind in today’s Chechnya is complicated and fraught with difficulties. The original plot of land near the centre of Grozny that Daimohk purchased for the dance hall was cleared in late 2006 of land mines, as well as extensive debris from the former building that had occupied the site before it was bombed during the war (see left). The construction of the new dance hall was due to start here in earnest in early spring 2007 once the harsh winter weather had abated. This work was delayed and thwarted however due to new directives of the Chechen government on building regulations in the centre of Grozny. Red tape surrounding this question meant that the building work could not start until all the necessary documentation had been obtained.

Ramzan Akhmadov, the director of the Daimohk Chechen childrens’ dance ensemble was engaged for many months in trying to obtain this documentation. Having expended considerable effort and made some progress in doing so, he came to understand that what was being demanded of him by the authorities was simply too much and not viable for a non-governmental organization such as Daimohk with limited resources. He therefore reluctantly and sadly concluded that building the new dance hall at this site would no longer be possible. Other colleagues of Peacebuilding UK on the ground confirmed that this was no longer viable.

Ramzan subsequently managed to exchange the plot of land in the centre for another plot of land further from, but not too far from, the centre of Grozny. This new site is also advantageous in that it is easily accessible from the areas where many of the Daimohk children dancers live. Mr Akhmadov was able to confirm that the very stringent, and in many ways unrealistic, new building regulations being imposed on construction work in the centre of Grozny, were not being imposed in this slightly more outlying area. More freedom in building design and the absence of demands to provide plans to the authorities conforming to rigorous planning regulations, which would have led to soaring and unviable costs, mean that building the dance hall at this new site is far less problematic.

Building work has been progressing intensively over the last year . Plans for the new plot were drawn up, the land of the plot was been cleared and the foundations for the building laid. The walls up to roof level have also been completed. This new dance hall has two halls, where boys and girls will rehearse separately – one in the basement and one on the ground floor, with changing and wash rooms. The roof space will contain several smaller rooms for storage of costumes, an office and small staff room.

Mr Akhmadov reports that in 2007 and 2008 the price of building materials continued to increase significantly in Russia. The funds spent on the initial work at the old site, where progress became unviable due to the problems described above, and this rise in the cost of materials in Russia, mean that the funds received to date have been used in full in building the foundations, floors and walls to roof level. Approximately $40,000 will be required to complete the building, providing a roof, internal finishing, heating, electrical and water. Peacebuilding UK is actively searching for more funds to enable this to happen, although no confirmed funding has been receive to date. We very much hope that it will be possible for the building work to be completed during 2009, which is Daimohk’s tenth anniversary year.

Looking Forward

The Daimohk ensemble has almost completely renewed itself over the last couple of years, and the new intake of young dancers is busy training and learning. Daimohk has been in great demand over the last few months, performing at various events. They also took part in an all-Russia talent competition ‘Delfiskie Igri’ in the city of Novosibirsk, Siberia in May 2008, where they won first prize. 3000 children from 74 regions of the Russian Federation took part, including 31 ensembles. Daimohk received the highest number of gold medals - 31 in total! Russian speakers, please see the link:  http://www.grozny-inform.ru/main.mhtml?Part=12&PubID=7054 . This was a remarkable achievement considering the group has had so many new children join it in the preceding 12 to 18 months. Many of the older boys and girls have left Daimohk to join the adult Chechen ensembles, which are keen to recruit Daimohk youngsters.

Daimohk has been invited to perform a 50-minute concert as part of the main event on the Saturday evening (11th July) at the International Eisteddfod in Llangollen in 2009, during Daimohk’s 10th anniversary year. Daimohk has also been entered into several of the competitive events at the Eisteddfod. The group may also perform in London and elsewhere in the UK. Peacebuilding UK is currently working with partners to enable this to happen - details of the visit will be posted here on this website once arrangements have been confirmed.