The streamer from Moscow apologized on his knees for insulting the residents of Chechnya.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot" on September 27, a video circulated on social media in which a resident of Moscow, who had previously insulted a girl from Chechnya in the metro, apologized again to her and the residents of Chechnya while kneeling.
In general, the apology aligns with Chechen reconciliation traditions; however, the demand to kneel is foreign to Chechen adat. In traditional practice, the guilty party must seek reconciliation with the relatives of the offended and offer sincere apologies, noted on September 30 by experts interviewed by "Caucasian Knot." Milan Magomedova, a representative of the Chechen diaspora in Europe, called the demand to apologize on knees a modern practice of ostentatious submission and emphasized that the Chechen tradition of reconciliation is not based on publicly humiliating a person.
The video, in which the Moscow streamer initially insulted the residents of Chechnya and then apologized to them while kneeling, was published on October 4 by the Instagram*-public chechnyatut. In the video, the Moscow streamer walks down the street filming himself, loudly expressing insults towards Chechens. Then, in the recording, the same young man is in a room, kneels down, and reads a text of apology from the screen of a phone he is holding.
"I want to sincerely apologize for my words to Chechnya. At that moment, I was drunk and said too much, but that is no excuse for my behavior. I understand that my words could be perceived as disrespect towards you and your people, Chechnya. I did not intend to show disrespect and now sincerely regret what I said. I ask for your forgiveness! I respect you and understand that I should have been mindful of my words, regardless of my state. This will not happen again from my side. With respect to you, Chechnya, this will not happen again. I drank, got drunk, and I regret it," he said.
This video on the Instagram*-public chechnyatut, which has about 122,000 followers, had garnered 394 likes and 260 comments by 08:50 MSK on October 5.
Some users noted the repetitiveness of such public apologies. "What is this trend of online apologies? This won't do, guys," wrote ramzan_akaev095.
"I've lost count of how many this is," stated prilivpozitiva.
Other commentators pointed out the humiliating nature of kneeling apologies and the need to think about the consequences of insults in advance. "Before apologizing, can't they think that insulting any people will end badly? Or is this some new trend? First, insult, then kneel to apologize. To avoid kneeling and humiliating oneself, no, no, connect your tongue to your brain, if you have one, of course," pointed out shamil_aliev_90.
"We're fed up already! They get drunk, say everything they think, and then sober up and kneel. Who is this for? We're fed up already. Watch your tongue or your thoughts," wrote ma._.dya.
The practice of public apologies initiated by Ramzan Kadyrov has gone beyond Chechnya and spread to other regions of Russia. More about this practice can be read in the "Caucasian Knot" reference "The Fashion for Apologies: From Chechnya to the Outskirts". "Caucasian Knot" also maintains the "Chronicle of Public Apologies in the Caucasus".