Chechnya dictator Ramzan Kadyrov's Instagram becomes web hit Mr Kadyrov's face is already inescapable in Chechnya itself: buildings are plastered with portraits of him and his father, who was assassinated in 2004. Critics accuse him of building a personality cult while crushing any sign of political dissent, while his public persona is that of a munificent khan who has presided over Chechnya's renewal following two devastating wars in the 1990s and early 2000s. The online album - which runs to several hundred images - gives a more intimate glimpse of the Chechen leader, who is known for his love of fast cars, guns and predator pets. It has been widely speculated that the Instagram account was run by Kadyrov himself. Tina Kandelaki, a Russian TV presenter and friend of the leader, referred to him as alihan777 on her micro-blog. Mr Kadyrov, whose paramilitaries have been accused of abducting and torturing suspected Islamist rebels, appears keen to project his sensitive side. Many of the pictures show him with his seven children, or with animals. Vladimir Putin, Russia's president, also makes an appearance, holding the hand of a small child - possibly one of Mr Kadyrov's sons - while the wife of Russian filmmaker Fedor Bondarchuk is seen grasping a gold pistol, a weapon associated with the Chechen ruler.