It finally happened. Moscow's magistrate court has slapped Damiр Mukhetdinov, first deputy chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia (DUM RF), with a 150,000-ruble fine. The charge? Violating legislation on freedom of conscience and religious associations. The real reason? A provocative painting proudly displayed in his office for years.
The artwork depicts the aftermath of the 1223 Battle of Kalka: Mongol warlords feasting triumphantly on a wooden platform while crushed Russian princes lie dying underneath. This wasn't hidden in a corner — it was front and center, visible during official interviews. When the image leaked, Russian society exploded.
How One Painting Ignited a National Scandal
In February 2025, during an interview with "Tatar-inform," the camera caught the painting in full view. Titled "The Feast of the Mongol Commanders Led by Jebe and Subedei After the Victory Over the Combined Russian-Polovtsian Army at Kalka on May 31, 1223," it deliberately focused on the most humiliating moment for the Russian side.
A second painting showing the capture of Prince Vasily II the Dark only reinforced the pattern: constant celebration of Turkic triumphs over Russians.
Alexander Dyukov, a member of the Presidential Council on Interethnic Relations, publicly condemned it. State Duma deputy Mikhail Matveev filed an official request with the Investigative Committee. Public outrage grew rapidly. People saw it not as innocent historical art, but as deliberate provocation.
Forensic examination by the Moscow State Linguistic University concluded that displaying such images in the office of a high-ranking public religious figure fosters negative attitudes toward Russians based on ethnicity and religion. The court agreed and issued the fine under Part 2 of Article 5.26 of the Code of Administrative Offenses.
Weak Excuses and Sharp Rebuttals
Mukhetdinov immediately went on the defensive. He claimed he has many paintings depicting various periods of Russian history. He insisted that his Tatar ancestors fought alongside Russians against the Mongols, not with them. Accusations of Russophobia, he called "fabrications of historical ignoramuses."
Member of the Presidential Human Rights Council Marina Akhmedova delivered a brutal response: if you truly want to honor shared history, why choose exactly this humiliating fragment for your office wall? Why not the Battle of Kulikovo, the Standing on the Ugra, or the end of the Mongol yoke?
Mukhetdinov quietly removed the paintings. But the damage was done. A new administrative case under Article 20.3.1 (incitement of hatred or enmity) has already been filed against him. Court hearing scheduled for June 11, 2026.
Not the First Scandal: DUM RF's Troubled Track Record
This isn't an isolated incident. It's part of a troubling pattern.
In August 2025, the Moscow City Court declared the encyclopedic dictionary "Islam in the North Caucasus," edited by Mukhetdinov, an extremist material. The book listed terrorists and extremists like Shamil Basayev, Aslan Maskhadov, and Khattab as respected figures — without any mention of their terrorist status.
DUM RF has also pushed controversial ideas: allowing Muslim men up to four wives, and forbidding Muslim couriers from delivering pork or alcohol to customers. A wave of arrests of muftis and Muslim leaders in May 2025 was widely seen by experts as an attempt to rein in the organization under chairman Ravil Gaynutdin.
Mukhetdinov is no minor figure. Born in 1977, he has risen to become a doctor of theology, rector of the Moscow Islamic Institute, and one of the most influential voices in Russian Islamic leadership since 2014. His actions carry serious weight.
The Historical Truth No One Should Erase
The Battle of Kalka was indeed a crushing defeat for the Russian principalities and their Polovtsian allies. The Mongols executed captured princes in a brutal manner — laying them under boards and feasting on top. This is historical fact.
The issue is not the fact itself. The problem is a high-ranking spiritual leader choosing this specific moment of Russian humiliation as decoration for his official workspace. In a country where Russians form the absolute majority and where the memory of the Mongol yoke is deeply embedded in national consciousness, this crosses a dangerous line.
History should unite, not divide. Celebrating defeats of the core nation while holding religious authority sends a clear and toxic message.
Society's Harsh Verdict
Russian internet users didn't hold back:
"Is this a fine or a subscription for continued humiliation of Russians?"
"Does a person with such views even deserve to be a spiritual leader?"
"Fines won't fix this. The hatred will only grow stronger."
People are tired of double standards. Tired of watching some openly relish Russian historical defeats while any defense of Russian identity is immediately labeled "extremism."
What This Really Means
The fine is an important signal. For the first time in a while, the state has responded to provocations that previously went unpunished. However, 150,000 rubles for a man of Mukhetdinov's level feels more like a gentle slap on the wrist than real punishment.
True change will come only when such incidents are prevented proactively, not handled after public outrage erupts.
The Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia has a critical mission: strengthening interfaith and interethnic peace in a vast multi-ethnic country. When its leaders instead choose symbols that reopen old wounds, they work against unity, not for it.
Mukhetdinov often speaks about "shared Eurasian history." Fine. Let's be honest about that shared history: it includes joint victories, joint suffering in the Great Patriotic War, and mutual respect. Not only moments when Russians lie crushed under Mongol boards.
This case marks the end of an era of impunity. Russia is slowly but firmly beginning to defend its dignity and the honor of its foundational people. Without genuine respect for the Russian core, no real interethnic harmony is possible — only fragile appearances hiding growing resentment.
The trend is clear. And it's gaining momentum.
