‘Silicone scandal’ in North Ossetia: MP angers women drivers
Sexist scandal in North Ossetia
Soslan Didarov, a 30-year-old MP in North Ossetia and head of the A Just Russia – Patriots – For Truth faction, sparked outrage after calling local women drivers “silicone chicks and airheads.”
The row quickly spread beyond the republic after blogger Ksenia Sobchak picked it up, growing into a near-national scandal. Several members of Russia’s State Duma condemned Didarov – though he still found far more supporters than critics.
“I’m not a sexist, but…”
“Buying driving licences for your wives, daughters, silicone chicks and airheads — at least make them learn the basic traffic rules and road signs! Or maybe you don’t have enough brains yourselves to understand they’re a danger not only to themselves but to everyone around them!?
This goes for men too! In Vladikavkaz it’s become impossible to drive without stress and constant manoeuvring — you end up breaking the rules yourself just to offset the danger from others!” Didarov wrote on his Telegram channel.
The post caught the attention of Russian TV personality and socialite Ksenia Sobchak, who urged him to apologise to women and lamented that, unlike in the US, there is no “cancel culture” in Russia — meaning the MP would not face a ruined career over his words.
Didarov hit back, insisting he would not retract his statement, but claimed he was one of the first to defend women and was not a sexist. He dismissed Sobchak’s criticism as either “a silly accident” or a “set-up” — one that backfired, he said, because many locals rallied to his defence.
Nina Chiplakova, head of North Ossetia’s Civic Chamber, also called on Didarov to issue a public apology:
“Soslan Didarov made unacceptable remarks ‘in the heat of the moment,’ insulting women. I advise him to apologise for his inappropriate words, and I hope he learns to control himself and his emotions. I also hope this incident will be a lesson for him.”
But local journalists were quick to remind Chiplakova that, unlike the young MP known for his interest in social issues, she has never spoken out about the republic’s pressing socio-economic problems.
Spin-offs of the scandal
The controversy sparked fresh disputes beyond politics after Ossetian designer Zita Kodzati joined the fray. Kodzati said she counted herself among the “silicone drivers” insulted by Didarov and could not understand how having silicone implants was supposed to affect women’s intelligence.
Her comments, however, prompted a backlash from fellow designers, who criticised her for the “inappropriate” use of elements of the national Ossetian costume. In particular, they objected to her most recent collection, in which traditional motifs were paired with “semi-naked outfits.”
“End this circus!”
The scandal rumbled on and branched out for several days until senior party colleagues Arsen Fadzaev and Dzambolat Tedeev stepped in.
They defended the young MP, saying that while Soslan Didarov had gone too far, this did not justify the harassment of someone who, unlike many of his critics, “always speaks out and cares about the Ossetian people.”
“Where are you all when we raise the most pressing issues facing Ossetia? Why do you stay silent when one of us takes the podium to draw attention to problems in transport, healthcare, culture, education and so on?
If you defended citizens’ rights with the same eagerness and zeal, the republic would be living in a completely different way today! Let’s end this circus already!” Arsen Fadzaev told officials and MPs who had criticised Didarov.
And with that, the “circus” really did come to an end — whether because the words of the heavyweight deputies had an effect, or simply because the scandal faded away in the usual way.
Still, the incident is not over and could even escalate after Kermen Berdiev, chair of the North Ossetian parliament’s ethics committee, announced a special commission meeting to decide on sanctions against Didarov for insulting women.
Under the law, the MP faces up to 15 days of administrative arrest. Some lawyers, however, have already offered to defend him free of charge.
Sexist scandal in North Ossetia
