United Russia State Duma deputy Sultan Khamzaev arrived in Dagestan on April 10, when residents were already dealing with the aftermath of severe flooding that killed seven people. He visited the village of Mamedkala in the Derbent district and posted on social media that he had brought building materials to one of the victims. Local residents, however, said they saw no real help from him, while his security detail, camera crew, and highly publicized walk through the village drew more attention.
Further irritation was caused by a video in which Khamzaev pulls a kitten from a ditch and pours cold water over it, allegedly to clean it. Social media users treated the scene as staged, and parody videos later appeared online. One Mamedkala resident told the outlet that he did not know a single person whom the deputy had actually helped.
At the same time, blogger Mikhail Litvin was also in the village and, according to the article, donated 2 million rubles to the Tooba foundation to assist flood victims. In a widely circulated video, Khamzaev approached him and said the tragedy should not be used as a “springboard for advertising,” criticizing the promotion of energy drinks and outreach to a child audience. He did not stay to hear Litvin’s response and walked away after his monologue.
“If you came to help, then help. The flood should not become a laundry for whitening the reputation of individual bloggers,” Khamzaev later wrote, calling some bloggers people who advertise “casinos, energy drinks, and other filth.”
The post was also taken personally by Chechen blogger Askhab Tamaev, who came to Dagestan after the flood and gave apartments to several affected families. He said a developer had been ready to provide 20 apartments worth a total of 100 million rubles in exchange for publicity, and that this was why he had asked followers to leave likes. After Khamzaev’s remarks, Tamaev said he would not argue with an older politician, but added: “I hope he buys these 20 apartments himself and gives them away.”
This prompted another wave of criticism against Khamzaev. Local residents accused him of self-promotion and inaction, while former State Duma deputy Dmitry Nosov said the issue of stripping him of his mandate over “rudeness and provocations” should be considered. A petition demanding that outcome also appeared online. The article notes that Khamzaev had already become known for previous controversial initiatives and public statements, and sources in Dagestan linked his activism to possible political ambitions in the republic.