[2] On 6 September 1991, supporters of the All-National Congress of the Chechen People (NCChP) led by Dzhokhar Dudayev, stormed a session of the Chechen-Ingush ASSR Supreme Soviet, killing the Soviet Communist Party chief for Grozny, Vitaly Kutsenko, severely injuring several other Soviet members, and establishing the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.

Trying to avoid further bloodshed he was compelled to leave the republic, publicly announcing that he would return.

Zavgayev was appointed a pro-Moscow head of state on 24 October 1995, and was elected in December the same year with 96% of the votes.

On 8 December 1995, Zavgayev and Viktor Chernomyrdin signed an agreement as a basis for a Russian-Chechen federation treaty which would give Chechnya broad autonomy akin to that of Tatarstan.

After the 1996 withdrawal of the Russian forces from Chechnya, Zavgayev was appointed Russia's ambassador in Tanzania.