The Information Channel Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Issue 61 21.01.03 Actual News from Chechnya News update A session of local governments will be held in Grozni in the framework of the following referendum Today a special session-seminar dedicated to the organization of the referendum will be held in Grozni. According to ITAR-TASS news agency quoting the head of the Chechen election committee Arsakhanov, local heads, local election committees representatives, and representatives of the Chechen government will take part in the following session. They are going to discuss work of the committee to give people their right to express their own opinion during the referendum. The representatives of the central election committee and the representatives of Russian government are expected to participate in the current session. more... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=§ion=Moseng) The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe makes more constructive moves for a political accommodation in Chechnya An engineering company has been redeployed to mountainous Bamut district to rebuild and mend the ravaged highway. According to Interfax quoting the representative of the 58th army staff, the engineering company will build roads on that territory. According to the recent decision several companies will carry out such construction works. The staff representatives stressed that all the necessary vehicles will arrive to Chechnya on time. (more... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=§ion=Moseng) Religion in Chechnya Paganism and Christianity in Chechnya At different times forefathers, forebears and ancestors of Chechens and Ingushes (Veinakhs, Nakhs) had different religious beliefs. Apparently, male and female names Khalad, Anu, Ashura, Alalu, Ashtati, Nanna, Diki, Kibela, Nuba-dit, Aruba and Kuzhukh date back to early paganism, the times of Hurri-Urartu states. Between 3000 and 1000 B.C. the names were used to call various gods. As a rule, every natural phenomenon or heavenly body had ts own god. Depending on the nature of the wish offerings were made to this or that god, be it the god of sun, rain, war, love or fertility. Religious traditions are the most lasting ones in the culture of an ethnic group. They stay on even after conversion to another faith. In the Chechen community you can still hear vows such as Tsu dashochu malkhor (Swear by golden sun), Tsu lyattor (Swear by earth), Tsu byapkor (Swear by bread). People pronouncing vows of this kind will be deeply hurt if they are told that by doing so they depart from Islam and commit a grave sin. The pagan and Christian past of ancestors and forefathers of Chechens and Ingushes is reflected in legends, folklore, ancient and medieval cultural monuments and archaeological discoveries. The Assinovsky gorge is known to have three Christian temples (Tkhaba-Yerda, Albi-Yerda and Targimsky). Similar temples and churches, according to legends, were also in other parts of the mountain chain but Tkhaba-Yerda was the biggest, occupying more than 100 square meters. Rich Christian burial places were discovered under the churchs floor and by its walls. The temple, experts say, was built no later than the 10th century A.D. by Georgian architects, who wanted it to be the biggest church in Central Caucasus. According to researchers (M.B.Muzhukhoev. The Spread of Christianity among Veinakhs), Tkhaba-Yerda Temple was erected on the site of a heathen temple devoted to Tkhaba deity. Today the name is etymologized on the basis of Nakh languages and is compared to the ancient pagan deity Tkhya.The process of christianizing Chechens and Ingushes got further development during the reign of the Georgian Tsarina Tamara. Indications of that were the appearance of two new churches around Tkhaba-Yerda. Evidence of the Christian past of Chechens and Ingushes is seen not only in churches, burial places and folk legends. In many areas Christian crosses have been discovered. The Chechen name for the cross Zhaar is similar to the Georgian Dzhavari, which testifies to Christianity penetrating the North Caucasus through Georgia. There are a lot of written monuments of the Christian period, such as handwritten psalm-books, where the Georgian alphabet was used. In addition, Chechens still use notions borrowed from the Georgian Christian calendar to denote some days of the week. All that is evidence of the time (10th-13th centuries), when Georgia actively spread the new religion among mountaineers of the Caucasus. Another confirmation of christianization of Veinakhs living in the mountains is psalm-books discovered on the territory of Chechen-Ingush Republic. One of the psalm-books, kept in Tkhaba-Yerda Temple, was discovered in the late 19th century. Another manuscript of this kind was discovered in Mago-Yerda sanctuary in the mountain part of Ingushetia in the early 20th century. The influence of Christianity is felt through a number of words borrowed by Veinakh languages from Georgian Orthodox religious terminology: Cross Dzhavavar, Hell Dzhozhakhati, Paradise Yalsamani. In addition, names for days of the week, such as Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, were borrowed from Georgian too. Apparently, that took place when Christianity came to the territory of Chechen-Ingush Republic. There is an assumption that the names of Adam, Haron and Hava (Eve) made their way into the Veinakh society under the influence of the religion. During the christianization of the region local masters built sanctuaries in honour of local saints (for one, Tamysh-Yerda, which bears some of the features of St.George). Their design carries a clear imprint of the influence of Christian architecture. But traditional pagan beliefs were never abandoned completely. The bulk of mountaineers were slow to pick up the ideas of Christian Church. Besides, the spreading of Christian dogma from Georgia was short-lived. In the 13th century Tatar hordes struck a crushing blow on Georgia. The missionary activity of Georgian church among Caucasian mountaineers was temporarily suspended. The newly-built churches were left to the mercy of fate. The Tatar invasion had a negative effect on other peoples of the Caucasus, including Chechens and Ingushes. Locked in difficult of access mountain gorges, they found themselves cut off from flat country and the whole of the outside world and were doomed to hard labour in the mountains in overcrowded conditions. The Chechens and Ingushes were thrown back in their historical development. It was then that they returned to the former pre-Christian beliefs, which lived on and were historically relevant. Paganism came to life again in the mountains of Chechen-Ingush Republic. Temples were rebuilt and Christian symbols acquired a difference meaning.Another reason for the departure from Christianity was perseverance of pagan beliefs and ancient deities in the peoples minds. Testifying to that are sanctuaries in honour of patron gods, erected, which is very important, during the intensive spread of Christianity in the 12th-13th centuries. Pagan deities remained all-powerful. The pantheon of medieval deities fell into tribal deities, honoured by all (Dela, Tusholi, Myatzil, Sieli, Yerdy, Molyz-Yerdy etc.), district deities (a group of villages Tkhaba-Yerdy, Dzorakh-Deala, Gurmet-Tsuu, Itaz-Yerdy, Dolge etc.), village deities (Erdzeli, Tumgoi-Yerdy, Morch-Sieli, Beini-Sieli, Mago-Yerdy etc.) and family deities(Dik-Sieli, Ausha-Sieli, Amgali-Yerdy, Tamyzh-Yerdy etc.) The supreme deity of the Veinakh pantheon was Dela. This is indicated by the secondary role of the other tribal deities, which is reflected in prayers, and preservation of the supremacy of the deity following the adoption of Islam (the name of Dela in prayers in Chechen is identified with Allah). (in detail ... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=eng§ion=religioneng&row=1) Chechnya: news | arguments | facts 21 January 2003 Labor and Social Development Ministry helps Chechen children Chechnya's Labour and Social Development Ministry paid the delayed children's allowance by the end of the last year. The money from the federal budget was transferred to each district's social service departments that paid off the arrears for October and November or deposited for the recipients. Children's allowance in Chechnya, like in Russia, is 70 rubles per child per month. Lonely mothers get 140 rubles per month. Russia's Social Insurance Ministry is expected to carry out "present" payments since January. Every mother will get 4 500 rubles when a child is born. Under law parents must draw up papers concerning children's allowance and other payments before the child is six months. At present there are six orphanages in Chechnya. Three out of them, one in Ahalinsky for 90 children and another in Kurchaloevsky for 50 and the third in Gvardeisky for 90 were opened last year. The children at the Gvardeisky orphanage in the district of Nadterechny attend a school in the village of Gvardeiskoe. This has a favourable effect on their psyche. A rehabilitation centre for disabled children is expected to open in Argun shortly. Qualified doctors will work at the centre. The Labour and Social Develop Ministry registers disabled children and give them pension allowances. After the completion of the 9th class these children are sent to technical training collages as their desire. The disabled teenagers from Chechnya now study at the boarding-technical-collage in Kalachaevsky, Volgograd region, boarding-economic-college in Mikhailovsk, Ryazansky region, and in the inter-regional rehabilitation centre for deaf. All these disabled children get passage free-of-charge to travel to and from Chechnya for treatments. They and their parents are guaranteed free-of-charge traveling in city transport service. (more News from Chechnya http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=§ion=diaryeng) 20 January 2003 Children of Chechnya need special care a fact that cannot be disputed Russian organizations and citizens are rendering all sorts of assistance to Chechen children. Many regions across Russia grant health-building holidays to children from Chechnya, mainly in summertime, when schools are on holiday. But in winter too, people concerned do their utmost to take care of Chechen children. Women employees of the Beslansky textile mill in North Ossetia have prepared a special gift 4 thousand warm overcoats. On New Year Eve, the Association of Social Assistance to Children, set up by the Russian Education Ministry, presented a Grozny orphanage with a television and a video. 50 orphans between 4 and 17 have been living and studying at the Elbrus sanatorium in Nalchik since 2000 because the orphanage is now being overhauled. The presents are bound to create a homely atmosphere in the orphanage. On initiative from the Volgograd Museum of Fine Arts local students collected sweets, books, paints, crayons and drawing albums and sent them to Grozny as New Year presents. Besides, an exhibition of drawings by Volgograds young artists was dispatched to the Chechen capital. The federal center allocated 35 million rubles in 2002 to purchase New Year presents for about 400 thousand children. New Year trees greeted children on Groznys streets, in all district centers of the republic, in schools and three orphanages. A New Year charity action for Chechen children was on in Moscow from December 27th through 30th. The Marching Together youth organization invited 50 orphans and high-achieving school students between 7 and 12 to Moscow. The children, who stayed with the families of the organizations employees, visited a cinema, a circus and a dolphin show, went on a tour around Moscow and took photos at the Ostankino TV Tower. On December 29th the children enjoyed the New Year show in the Kremlin. 5 children from camps of Chechen displaced in Ingushetia will be in Moscow until the end of the academic year. They will stay with families of Moscow residents and continue their studies at schools. Here you can get to know the families the children will be staying with. (more News from Chechnya... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=§ion=diaryeng) 20 January 2003 Chechen Policemen are being attested All Chechen policemen recruited into the staff will undergo attestation. According to the Republican Interior Minister Ruslan Tsakaev, as a result professionally trained policemen with high moral and trustworthy people will remain in service. The deputy prime minister in charge of law enforcement agencies Movsar Khamidov considers that last year Chechen policemen worked quite effectively. They captured more than ten militant leaders and seized hundreds of firearms, grenade launchers, air defence complexes and satellite telecommunication equipment. Recently set up Interior Ministry coordinates its actions actively with other power structures, including the Federal Security Service. But there are problems, of course. During the attestation each policemen will be tested for his possible links with bandits. Ruslan Tsakaev said that five policemen were arrested in December alone for actively cooperating with militants. Unfortunately, owing to the leakage of information operations against separatists often end infailure. Before the operations the bandits mange to leave their hiding places since they were informed about the planned act in advance. The Interior Minister said he had issued orders to kill bandits in view of the fact that militants had stepped up their attacks. The attestation of Chechen policemen will end shortly. The tasks before policemen are very serious. They must maintain law and order during the referendum on the draft constitution and draft laws on presidential and parliamentary elections. The referendum is expected to hold on the 23rd of March. (more News from Chechnya... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=§ion=diaryeng) 18 January 2003 Chechen children engage in sport Chechnya is vigorously working to engage the young in sports. Youth sport schools have a big role to play in this regard. One of such schools was opened in 2001 in Vedensky district. 448 children are training there now. The school has no own premises and workouts are held in several rural schools after classes. The trainers are proficient and have expertise for the job. The school specializes in free-style wrestling, football, volleyball and checkers. Despite poor facilities, the personnel hope to see sports successes of their pupils. Shelkovskoi district also has a youth sport school teaching football, volleyball, basketball, boxing, free-style wrestling, sambo, arm wrestling, chess and checkers. The school is stationed in the district center on the premises of the district public education department and it has branches in rural secondary schools. 700 children are training in the school across the district and this number may grow for there are plans of expansion. Staroshedrinskaya stanitsa has lately started the repair of the culture hall to make it a sports complex. (more News from Chechnya http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=§ion=diaryeng) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chechen ethnos Back to the flatland In the 15th century, highland Chechens started building villages on the outskirts of the Nakh kingdom of Simsim (Simsir.) The Chechens were then locked up in fierce fighting with the Horde-backed Kumyk, Noghai and Kabardian Princes and Khans who used as their own the flatland fields and pastures the Chechens had been forced to cede to the nomads.What is known as the heroic Illi - epic legends and ballads - date back to that period. Farming and livestock breeding reach a qualitatively new level. The Chechens get to know more about metals and start manufacturing household utensils and weaponry of copper, zinc and silver, as well as iron. Village artisans work wonders. Weapons, jewelry, various kinds of household utensils are made for sale. Oral and literary sources make mention of streets and even villages populated entirely by blacksmiths, gunsmiths, makers, jewelers.Things manufactured in that period have been found all over Chechnya and Ingushetia. Remnants of potmakers' ovens, smithies and artisans' shops date to the Middle Ages. The potmaker's oven found near the village of Duba Yurt has been almost undamaged by time. It was made in the 13th, if not 11th, century. Certain cross sections of society could read and write. The Nakh tribes, larger communities and khanates maintained diplomatic correspondence with neighboring nations, like Georgia. (more ... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=eng§ion=etneng&row=12) Chechen culture Traditional Folk Arts THE HISTORY OF CHECHEN WEAPONS THE AUTHOR IS ISA ASKHABOV, AND THE TITLE IS CHECHEN ARMS Unveiling the book, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Culture and Tourism in the Russian Lower House G.Omarov had this to say: ... the freshly published book Chechen Arms symbolizes the historical and cultural unity of all peoples in the Caucasus. It calls for peace, ethnic harmony and neighbourhood in the Caucasus area. Archives contain next nothing on the subject and previous publications are sketchy. A whole body of facts concerning Caucasus arms and history would almost certainly have sunk into oblivion if I. Askhabov had not defied the difficult war conditions of the 1990s to collect memories and material evidence of old arms smithies in highland villages around Chechnya. His work boosted the list of known Chechen arms smiths from 14 to 162. Dr E.Astvatsaturian of Russia's State History Museum wrote a preface to Askhabov's book. She says the author's success in identifying people behind signatures and brands should enable Russian museums to correctly attribute hundreds of Chechen swords and daggers in their collections. One fine Chechen dagger at the State History Museum has been proven to be a creation of the famous arms smith Makhmad from the village of Dzhugurta. The Chechen writer A.Aidamirov praises the author for shedding light on forgotten chapters of the Chechen history as well as adding to the knowledge about traditional Chechen arms. The federal law-maker from Chechnya A.Aslakhanov says Isa Askhabov discovers dozens of new names and examines the traditional armoury as an aspect of culture rather than a collection of weapons of war. The Chechen poet M.Geshayev, member of Russia's National Writers Union, writes about his joy at encountering a work which brings to light the names of people who excelled at crafting traditional arms. Doctor of History S.Umarov says Askhabov's book is very enthralling despite a severe-sounding title. It concentrates not so much on arms as on the stories of people who made and carried them. The Chechen ethnologist S.Hasiyev hopes the book will contribute to the universal heritage by revealing new facts about the Chechen people. The author I.Askhabov will be thankful to everyone, who will submit additional information on the matter. You can send your proposals to our Website . (in detail ... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=eng§ion=ctradeng&row=3) 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