Russian Community Calls Elbrus–Grozny Banknote Vote an Ideological Diversion

The “Russian Community” organization has condemned the proposal to feature Grozny-City or Mount Elbrus on Russia’s new 500-ruble banknote as an “ideological diversion,” Orda.kz reports, citing The Caucasian Knot.

The Russian Community is a nationalist civic organization that advocates for the protection of Russian identity and traditional values within Russia.

The controversy began after blogger and MMA fighter Max Divnich, a longtime critic of Akhmat special forces, urged followers to vote for Elbrus instead of Grozny.

The public vote, which runs until October 14, will decide the final design for the note dedicated to the North Caucasus Federal District. As of early October 6, Elbrus leads with over 430,000 votes, ahead of Grozny-City with about 352,000.

The group also accused the redesign effort of serving a “pan-Islamist lobby,” while Divnich called on supporters to “vote against Grozny” and preserve traditional Russian imagery.