The Information Channel Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Issue 26 17.09.02 Chechen culture Education Grozny Music College Opened in 1937, the college has since spawned several generations of pianists, violinists, singers, accordionists, conductors and music critics. Most of these people graced the citys musical life and were known far beyond the borders of their native Chechen-Ingush Republic. During its heyday in the Seventies and Eighties, the college had seven departments - piano, singers, strings, winds, conductors, folk music and of music theory. The applicants held their breath hearing the names of Ogarkova, Snitko, Milhailov, Nikogosov, Bezuglov, Sudenko, Voit, Lukinov, Vysotskaya and other leading teachers each boasting a school and style all his own Many graduates of the colleges piano department subsequently went on studying at the Gnessins Music Institute in Moscow and the Leningrad Conservatory. Once studying here, in the class of Merited Artist of the Chechen-Ingush Republic, Maina Snitko, was Ali Dimayev who, carrying on a family tradition, is now a popular pianist and singer. The singers department was equally renowned, its graduates very successfully working with opera companies across the former Soviet Union, including the Lunacharsky Opera and Ballet Theater in Saratov and the Yerevan Opera Company.The conductors and choir department was always the most populous, its teachers much credited for promoting the art of Chechen choir singing.The folk music department was equally famous providing excellent training on traditional folk instruments including, of course, dechik-pondur , concertina and other traditional Chechen instruments. The department of wind instruments was hugely popular among the students, especially during the Sixties when their jazz orchestra was a major city highlight playing in the style of the Glen Miller Orchestra, which was very hip back in those days. A. Edisultanov was the pride and glory of the winds department, setting up a big band at the republican circus and conducting the symphony orchestra of the local philharmonic society. Composer Said Dimayev once also studied there. Many graduates of the music theory department are equally admired in Chechnya, especially Adnan Shahbulatov , a well-known composer and public figure whose name is now borne by the music college he once attended. The Grozny Music College has at various times been led by a constellation of talented musicians and managers, among them Leonid Brailovsky. A Merited Artist of the Chechen-Ingush Republic and a graduate of the conductors department of the Gnessins Music Institute in Moscow, he once led a childrens choir at the citys Music School No 1, trained would-be students and did a lot of educational work in the republic. He put together a team of excellent teachers and developed a highly successful teachers training course there. The students regularly took part in all kinds of music competitions occasionally teaming up on stage with their teachers performing in Grozny and elsewhere in the republic. Teachers working at the Grozny Music College remain true to the lofty traditions of their much-respected institution. Those of them who stayed on keep working on, never losing hope that, someday, orchestras will be playing there again (more... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=eng§ion=cteacheng&row=0) Famous Chechens Cultural figures Muslim Magomaev Sr. The prominent Russian singer and composer Muslim Magomaev, who enjoyed tremendous popularity with the young for years, has won recognition in and far outside Russia. Few know, however, that the singer was named after his grandfather, Muslim Magomaev Sr., an outstanding musician of his time. Muslim Magometovich Magomaev, a Chechen from Stary Atagi, lived and worked in Azerbaijan, where he settled at the beginning of the century. That is why he is considered an Azerbaijani composer, a classic, who raised a whole generation of musicians. It is hard to say what kind of fate he would have found in Chechnya. The larger than life talent of Magomaev Sr. ran well ahead of its time. He was programmed for symphony music, big pieces. But this kind of work could hardly be in demand in Chechnya in the early 20th century for the absence of any knowledge of European music. Hence it is safe to claim that Chechen culture has gained a lot from the fact that its brilliant representative acquired a second homeland in another Caucasus republic. Magomaev Sr. is the author of the widely-known Shakh Ismail and Nargiz opera productions, which have been on in opera-houses for years. He has written symphony pieces on Azerbaijani material On the fields of Azerbaijan and A liberated Azeri womans dance. Nevertheless, the artistic legacy of Magomaev Sr. shows that native Chechen tunes never ceased playing in his heart. They inspired him to compose such outstanding symphony pieces as A Chechen Dance and Songs and Dances of Chechnya. The talent of Magomaev Sr. was genuinely multinational, yet its roots go back to the remote Chechen village of Stary Atagi (more about famous chechens... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=§ion=famouseng) Chechen cuisine Grain dishes Chepalgash - pancakes (serves 1) Dough: wheat flour - 100 g , yogurt - 100 g , baking soda - 0.2 g , salt - 0.5 g Filling: cottage cheese - 75 g , egg - a quarter , salt - 0.5 g , butter- 20 g To make dough, combine flour with warm yogurt, add salt and baking soda, blend thoroughly. Mix cottage cheese with egg and salt. Cut batter into pieces of 200 to 230 grams each. Roll out until they are 0.3 centimeters thick. Place filling in center of each piece of dough, roll over and press to seal and roll out until they are 1 to 1.5 cm thick. Bake in ungreased griddle turning them over at regular intervals. When ready, brush both sides with hot water to make chepalgash soft and to remove burnt flour. Brush with butter, put pancakes one on top of another. To serve, cut each chepalgash into 4 to 8 pieces and sprinkle these with melted butter. Potatoes may be used instead of cottage cheese for filling. Pumpkin Khingalash (serves 1) Dough: wheat flour - 120 g yogurt - 100 g baking soda - 0.2 g salt - 0.5 g Filling: pumpkin - 128 g (more ... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=eng§ion=kitcheneng&row=4) Chechen diary 17 September 2002 Russian Security Council is due to discuss the situation in Chechnya Russias Security Council is slated to discuss at a session on September 27-28th how to return the situation in Chechnya to normal. The announcement came in a statement by deputy envoy of the Russian President in Russias southern federal entity Mikhail Fetisov coordinating the military. High on the agenda there will be coordinating actions of the state bodies in compliance with the federal target program for reviving the Chechen social infrastructure, the antiterrorist operation, actions to bolster domestic political structure and creating a legal basis for Chechnya to function as a Russian entity. Documents for the upcoming meeting have been drafted at a session in Rostov-on-Don, attended by representatives of the working group of the Russian Security Council, the Russian Presidents envoy in the southern federal entity and his assistants, and the top military. Speaking at the session Mr. Fetisov stressed the life in Chechnya is gradually stabilizing in many aspects, for one, oil output is increasing. The oil sector is the second (after the federal budget) source of financing restoration of the Chechen economy. The session also considered preparations for adopting Chechen constitution, which is of crucial importance for bringing about a life of peace in Chechnya. (more from Chechen diary http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=§ion=diaryeng) 16 September 2002 Chechnya gives background for new films Todays Chechnya has emerged as a plot-builder for new films being a guts-checking stage that reveals human relations amid hair-raising situations. Caucasian roulette (Kavkazskaya ruletka) is a maiden directors film by Feydor Popov premiered in late August in Moscow. The film based on the script of Viktor Merezko offers neither combat scenes nor stunts, nor special effects, all part and parcel of action movies. The Chechen conflict serves as just a backdrop to unveil the rivalry of two heroines for their sons. The action rolls out in a mail carriage bound from Chechnya to Moscow, which brings together Maria, mother of a captured soldier (Nina Usatova) and Anna a Russian girl, sniper for Chechen rebels (Tatiana Mecherkina). Our movie is very high-pitched. This is a hard film. But still its about history, our life, said Nina Usatova in an interview with the press. The house of fools (Dom Durakov) by a famous director Andrei Konchalovsky, awarded the Grand Prix at the Venice movie festival. This is a story about patients of an asylum on the border of Chechnya and Ingushetia who found themselves on the loose without wards amidst raging hostilities. According to the director, he has drawn such a plot on a TV skit about real-life story that occurred in an asylum several years ago. This story seemed interesting to me since a war is a deviation of sorts itself Are people saner outside or inside the asylum?, wonders A. Konchalovsky. The picture starring Konchalovskys wife Yulia Vysotskaya and a famous British pop-star Brian Adams was shot in the 26 asylum in Moscow. The two films are about human feelings, love, and hatred. They do not offer ready-made answers, but rather encourage the audience to reflect. (more from Chechen diary http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=§ion=diaryeng) 15 September 2002 An upcoming referendum on Chechen constitution and governmental elections According to the Chairman of Russias Central Elections Commission Alexander Veshnyakov, a national referendum on Chechen constitution can be united with parliamentary elections, slated for December 2003. At the moment there are no political, social and economic conditions for conducting a referendum, he says. But both the federal and local governments must bend every effort to create them. Mr. Veshnyakov stressed the referendum should take place before elections to the Lower House of the Russian Parliament (the State Duma) or at the same time if possible. The main election laws should be adopted at the referendum and only after a date for governmental election in Chechnya is to be fixed. It would be more expedient to hold them in late 2003 or early 2004. The Chechen national constitution referendum will be conduced in line with the Russian Presidents referendum decree. A member of the Election Commission Sergei Danilenko who coordinates commissions cooperation with the Chechen Government told our correspondent that for the first time in history the decree paved the way to conducting referendum and election in Chechnya. He also believes the most convenient terms for the referendum is late 2003 or early 2004. It would be correct, he noted, to elect Republics Parliament after a constitution is adopted, and a new Parliament, in turn, would elaborate and adopt a law on elections of head of executive power. About six months break between the elections is quite sufficient. Mr. Danilenko stressed it would be better if elections to the State Duma, slated for December 2003 and presidential elections for March 2004 in Russia fall on elections in Chechnya. This would help to save money and better organize all the procedures. (more from Chechen diary http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=§ion=diaryeng) 14 September 2002 Anatoly Kvashnin instructs military commandants offices to improve life of the local residents The Russian Chief of Staff General Anatoly Kvashnin has chaired a governmental session in Grozny. The head of the Chechen administration Akhmad Kadirov, Prime Minister Stanislav Ilyasov, the head of the Russian command Vladimir Moltenskoy, top military and heads of the local administrations attended the session to define joint tasks of civil and military authorities to stabilize the situation in the republic. The main decision reached at the meeting was to make military commandments bear responsibility for the situation in Chechen regions and subdue all the military bodies in regions territory. General Kvashnin pointed out the priority tasks the top military chiefs will be facing as ensuring security for local residents, creating proper conditions for social and economic development, continuing operative and searching operations and tracking down rebels. Appearing before the session, he stressed the republics population is in the severest situation, and military and civil authorities must everything in the power to improve their life. On the eve of the session he met with residents of the Oktabrsky district of Gorzny and after took several of them to the meeting. He came to checkpoints in an inconspicuous car to examine their activity. The General said he saw for himself how drivers had to pay to pass a checkpoint, and demanded that strict measures be taken to step up activity of military commandments officers and local authorities. He also remarked he is ready to order at any moment to withdraw military units deployed in population centers if the heads of administration will take responsibility for the situation in their regions. He informed the session that the 42d motorized infantry, military registration and enlistment offices, a regiment in the village of Kalinovskaya in the Shevkovskaya region, a military unit in Khankala, a military town in the city of Shali will remain in Chechnya permanently. One detachment will be deployed in the village of Dachu-Borzoi to protect the border with Georgia. (more from Chechen diary http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=§ion=diaryeng) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chechen history Awards from Imam Shamil in the collection of the State Military History Archives of the Russian Federation All date from the 1840s and relate to some of the most heroic episodes of the Great Caucasus War (1817-64). An old research paper on them at the Archives says this: "... initially, Shamil presented best performing fighters with arms, equestrian items, clothing, horses, sheep and sometimes even cash. Indeed, it was considered a great honour to receive 30 roubles worth of silver coins from the Imam. But after creating a force of personal guards in 1841, Shamil instituted medals and honorary badges of all kinds." Remarkably, the collection contains antiawards for cowardice in battle -- usually in the form of bright pieces of cloth to be worn on the right sleeve or on the back pending commendable battlefield feats by the wearer. Not only Shamil himself, but also many of his Naibs, or Generals, enjoyed the right to give out awards. Many of the badges and medals in the collection are from Naib Daniyal Sultan, a former Russian General who changed sides. An order badge won by Daniyal himself carries a carved inscription on it: "This order was given to a courageous man who attacks. Allah lends his support to Daniyal and his men. He bestows courage, power and victories on them." Most of the badges and medals are anonymous. Some, however, carry the names of their winners on them. A medal to the Chechen Naib Djavat Khan carries not only his name but also his entire track record as a victorious military leader. Most of the badges and medals are convex round plaques, sometimes adorned with silver grains and/or embossed hemispheres and/or stars. Some have small seals on them, in the form of a broad crescent with the name 'Shamil' on it, in Arabic characters. An inscription, if there is any. praises the courage of the award winner. Ornamentation, if any. consists of 'shashka' swords or, rarely, pistols. There is also a collective award, in the form of a rather big silver crescent showing a picture of a 'shashka' sword and carrying an inscription in Arabic: "These brave men live amid dangers and never flee the battlefield." Experts believe a detachment of Shamil's fighters carried that crescent on their battle flag. After failing to establish a viable theocracy in the North Caucasus, Shamil surrendered to Russian troops in 1859, was brought before the Russian Emperor and swore allegiance to him. Memorabilia from his short-lived Imamate provide valuable insights into key chapters of this country's history in the century before last. Known awards from Shamil are spread among the Military History Archives (Moscow), the Dagestani Regional Geography and History Museum (Makhachkala), the State Hermitage (St Petersburg), the State History Museum (Moscow) and a number of private collections. (in detail... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=eng§ion=historyeng&row=6) Copyright CHECHNYA FREE.RU http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=eng -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: http://felist.com/member/unsub?grp=news.media.chechnyafree http://felist.com/ mailto:ask@felist.com