As world governments plan financial relief to expedite the economic recovery after Covid-19, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov is wedded to an unusual aid initiative. Chechnya is helping cash-strapped grooms to pay for their brides, Russia Today informed.
According to a press release from the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Chechnya, Kadyrov will provide fiscal support to 207 grooms who do not currently have enough money to pay for their future wives.
“On behalf of the head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, lists of people who want to get married but have financial difficulties have been made in all areas of the region. All of them will receive 50,000 rubles ($730) for the bride,” the statement said.
According to tradition, the groom pays a ‘kalym’ to the bride’s family – a form of dowry. Nowadays, the price is typically around 50,000 to 60,000 rubles ($730-$870), according to local media.
At the beginning of April, Chechen weddings following Islamic traditions were banned due to Covid-19. The ban was lifted on May 25, but certain restrictions remain in place, such as limiting the number of guests.
According to the latest official figures, 1,365 people in Chechnya have been diagnosed with Covid-19, and 15 people have died. The majority of those infected have already recovered.
