Groznyy, city in southern European Russia, capital of the Republic of Chechnya, located on the Sunzha River. Groznyy is situated in the northern foothills of the Caucasus Mountains in one of the richest petroleum-producing areas of Russia. Pipelines and railroads link the city with the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. Manufactured goods have included oil-field equipment, refined petroleum, and chemicals.
Groznyy was founded as a fortress in the early 19th century. In early 1995 the city became the focal point of a war between the Russian government and the secessionist Chechen leadership. Nearly the entire city was destroyed by the fighting, and tens of thousands of residents were forced to flee their homes. By April 1995 the population of the city had been reduced to an estimated one-third of its prewar total. In May 1997 Chechen and Russian leaders signed a peace agreement in which both sides agreed to postpone a decision on Chechnya's political status until 2001.
