The Information Channel Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Chechen Republic: official site.| | |All aboutChechnya| news| history| Actual News from Chechnya | || traditions| music | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------| | News update | # # Issue 166 | | | 13.02.04 | |Russia and the USA cling to | | |shared stances on anti-terror |Chechnya: news | arguments | facts | |cause | | | |[489] 13 February 2004 Sernovodsky agricultural technical | |Russia and the USA cling to |school trains cadres for Chechen agricultural sector | |shared stances on the |The Sernovodsky school is one of the oldest of such schools in| |anti-terror cause, says Mikhail |Chechnya and has just marked its 75th founding anniversary. | |Margelov. He leads the Foreign |The technical school is turning out experts in 4 disciplines: | |Affairs Committee of the |mechanization of agriculture, economics and accounting in | |Federation Council, Russia's |rural economy, legal business management and land and property| |upper parliamentary house. |relationship. The school has a strong team of teachers, two of| |Alexander Vershbow, US |whom in 2003, were awarded merited teacher of Russia medals, 4| |Ambassador to Russia, has |- the merited teacher of Chechnya medals and 3 of the honoured| |highlighted a link between |worker of the professional technical education medals. Until | |Chechen terrorism and the |recently the average length of service of the teacher was 20 | |Al-Qaida. "Unlike the European |years but last year with the opening of a new branch of the | |Union, the USA remains at one |school, young teachers- graduates of institutions in Grozny, | |with Russia in stances on key |Nalchik, and Vladikavkaz, were hired. The teaching staff | |anti-terror issues, including |number 85, comprising Chechens, Russians, Osetians and | |what the Ambassador terms 'the |Dagestamis, i.e., an international team, said proudly the | |Chechen movement' and |headmaster of the school, Alautdin Chilayev. There are about a| |post-Soviet Muslim countries' |thousand students in the school, including 539 on | |modernisation drive," Mr. |correspondence tuition. Classes are conducted in two campuses | |Margelov said, by way of |and students live in a hostel, eat in me school dining hall, | |comment. After an appalling |complemented by several cafeterias. The headmaster of the | |blast in the Moscow metro, |technical school regards the continuing occupation of the | |February 6, President Vladimir |school's dormitory by refugees, as one of the institution's | |Putin said Russia was firmly |main problems, forcing students from neighbouring regions to | |determined to carry on its |rent rooms an d flats at exorbitant rate. That in turn has a | |combat on terrorism, stressed |most negative effect on students' concentration For several | |the Senator, RIA Novosti |years the school has helped compatriots without a shelter over| |informs. "The Russian top has |their heads, revealed Mr. Chilayev but students require a | |never doubted international |conducive and calm environment for academic work, for in a few| |terrorist involvement in |years time the level of their education will have an influence| |Chechnya. It repeatedly offered |on the success or failure of Chechen agriculture. The relevant| |irrefutable proof of Chechen |republican department should tackle and solve the problem | |rebel connection with |urgently, said Mr. Chilayev. | |international terrorist centres,|[http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=§ion=diaryeng] | |which unblushingly carry on |(more News from Chechnya...) | |their activities in Europe's | | |principal metropolitan cities |13 February 2004 Vladimir Putin: Separatist processes | |and elsewhere," he added. |continued in Russia for years | |Another evident conclusion can |Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that the countrys | |be drawn from Mr. Vershbow's |authorities had for a long time failed to give an adequate | |statement-as they recently |rebuff to separatist trends and Russia at a certain point | |received Ahmad Zakayev, Chechen |began to lose the attributes of a united state. Separatist | |separatist emissary, German MPs |processes continued in Russia for years and the authorities | |were shaking hands with an |failed to provide an adequate response, Putin said at a | |Al-Qaida envoy, said Mikhail |meeting with his electioneering agents. Those separatist | |Margelov. |processes received the backing of international extremist | |([http://www.chechnyafree.ru/ |organizations and eventually developed into terrorism in the | |index.php?lng=§ion=Moseng] |North Caucasus, Chechnya first and foremost, Putin said. After| |more...) |the conclusion of the Khasavyurt deal Chechnya and the Chechen| | |people were left at the mercy of their fate and it might seem | |Igor Ivanov: criticism of |to some that the nightmare of the civil war was over. It was | |Russia's "Chechnya policy" |not, Putin said. Having felt our weaknesses, the authorities | |conditioned by insufficient |negligence and the low morale of society large gangs of | |knowledge of subject |international terrorists in the summer of 1999 went as far as | | |to openly attack Dagestan, Putin said. As a matter of fact it | |The criticism of Russia's |was an aggression to annex territories from Russia and make | |"Chechnya policy" on the part of|these territories subordinate to criminal influences. It will | |the European Parliament is often|be redundant to explain how dangerous it was for the Caucasus | |conditioned by insufficient |and Russia in general. It will be enough to recall the tragedy| |knowledge of the subject, |of Yugoslavias breakup to make all necessary conclusions. | |believes Russian Foreign |Russia has always been a very complex state structure and it | |Minister Igor Ivanov, RIA |required cautious and professional treatment, Putin said. By | |Novosti reports. Speaking before|the late 1990s Russia had begun to lose the fundamental | |the members of the State Duma |properties of an integral state. The authorities have since | |international committee, the |had to spend much time and effort to clear away the piles of | |minister said he does not |problems and protect the countrys territorial integrity. | |believe such statements are "a |[http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=§ion=diaryeng] | |deliberate anti-Russian action."|(more News from Chechnya...) | |"Somebody acts deliberately, but| | |many deputies just don't have |12 February 2004 US Ambassador: There is a certain link | |enough information," the |between Chechen terrorism and Al-Qaeda | |minister said. In Ivanov's |There is a certain link between Chechen terrorism and | |opinion, only cooperation |Al-Qaeda, US Ambassador Alexander Vershbow said to Itar-Tass. | |between different departments |Al-Qaeda has managed to recruit the Chechen movement and use | |and structures, through active |it for the fight against the world civilisation," he said to | |efforts, can change such an |students of the International University in Moscow. According | |attitude toward Russia. "I don't|to the diplomat, the money, weapons and technologies of | |think diplomacy alone can |producing dangerous poisons were delivered to Chechnya from | |fulfill this important mission,"|abroad, in particular Al-Qaeda. | |the minister said. In his | | |opinion, the creation of an | ------------------------------------------------------------ | |objective idea of a new | | |democratic Russia, is possible | Russia - Chechnya | |with the help of representatives| | |of civil society, due to | The pre-islamic customs, manifest in farming festivals | |expanding contacts. Ivanov said | | |the Russian foreign ministry |New year's eve | |intends to contribute to | | |expansion of youth exchanges, |[223] | |contacts between the scientists |The traditional way to celebrate New Year's eve goes way back.| |of different countries. "We have|The kindling of a new flame was a matter of utmost importance.| |a big reserve for joint work," |A new flame was to be burning in the fireplace when New Year's| |Ivanov stressed. In his words, |meal was cooked. A long log was put in the fire. Its length | |mass media, non-governmental |determined how long the family would be celebrating. As soon | |organizations and |as the log allowed the door to close, a New Year's party, with| |parliamentarians must take part |many good things to eat and drink, with dancing and jesting, | |in such work. ([http:// |could begin. Sooner or later, all logs got shorter, so that | |www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php? |every family would sooner or later start celebrating . New | |lng=§ion=Moseng] more...) |Year's logs were prepared in advance: a standing tree, most | | |often an oak, was put to dry. It was a great sin to use fruit | | Chechen history |trees for this purpose. The ancestors of today's Chechens | | |believed that the forces of evil stepped up action on New | |Chechnya | Questions and answers|Year's eve. They would, for protection, scatter things made of| | |steel in the cattle-sheds and their living quarters. A | |To Reader |plentiful meal offered guarantees for the family's wellbeing | |All about Chechnya, chechens. |in the year to come. All creatures, including mice, were to | |ChechenRepublic | news| history||have their bellies full on New Year's eve. Wheat breads were | |traditions| music |baked. The head, ritual bread was shaped as a circle, with | | |lines radiating from its center. Breads with all kinds of | |This pamphlet is about Chechnya |filling in them were baked in addition to the magic one. The | |, a Russian territory which has |eldest member of the family got a square-shaped one while the | |witnessed the most tragic events|guests were treated to round breads. Coins, grains of wheat or| |over the past decade. The book |a spool of yarn might be hidden, for fortune-telling purposes,| |is the latest update on the |inside fancy breads. Other fortune-telling methods were | |Chechen Republic . And this is |applied on New Year's eve. A man was, for example, chosen to | |very important, since a lack of |spend the night in the sanctuary. He would lie face down and | |fresh and accurate information |keep his ear pressed to the dirt floor and would, in the | |about events in Chechnya |morning, try to interpret what he had heard. The same kind of | |generates many distorted |fortune-telling is known in Russia. A Russian village-dweller | |conceptions and rumours - both |would go to a crossroads, mark a circle and press his ear to | |within and outside Russia . For |the ground. If he heard a loaded sleigh swish heavily by, next| |example, that Chechen society is|year's harvest would be good. If the sleigh seemed to be | |allegedly inherently alien to |empty, the harvest would be poor. Chechens knew a very special| |Russia , that pro-Russian |method of fortune-telling. They would hold to light a ram's | |elements in the republic are |shoulder blade. Spots on the shoulder blade predicted whether | |marginalised; and lastly, that |next year's harvest would be good, what kind of weather they | |Russian power structures are |were to expect and even family developments. A similar method | |fighting the Chechen people, |of fortune-telling is known in China. Young girls took | |rather than armed bandit groups.|advantage of New Year's eve in an effort to find out something| |The reality, however, is that |about their future husbands. A Chechen girl would bake three | |only with the return of the |very salty little breads. She would put two of them under her | |legitimate authorities are |pillow and eat the third. The person who gave her, in a dream,| |villages and towns being |a drink of water, was to become her husband. Young people or | |restored, children going to |teenagers would put on their sheepskin coats the wrong side | |school for the first time in |up, and either wear felt hoods decorated with horns or paint | |many years, and pensioners |their faces black with chimney soot. Such dress parades, as | |receiving long-forgotten |well as the custom of singing carols and begging for penny | |pensions, i.e. a social rebirth |gifts, are, incidentally, known, till this day, in many | |is underway. Lying ahead are a |countries of Europe and America. But horse races on the third | |referendum on a new Chechen |day of a new year are held in Chechnya only. The three winners| |constitution, and parliamentary |should be given a horse, a saddle, a bridle, a whip or a piece| |and presidential elections. |of clothing. Nowadays, New Year's eve has nothing to do with | |These votes will be held, |farming. Neither does it with Islam. People simply get | |despite continued attempts by |together on New Year's eve to say good-bye to the outgoing | |bandit groups and their leaders |year and to welcome in a new and, hopefully, much better year.| |to scupper the process of |([http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?section=traditionseng& | |normalisation in the republic, |lng=eng] in detail ...) | |the latest terrorist act being | | |the bombing of the republican | Chechen tarditions | |government building. The war | | |being waged by Chechen |The book "Vainakh Ethics" by Edi Isaev | |separatists against federal |Edi Isaev on Customs and Traditions of Chechens The book" | |forces and more often than not |Vainakh Ethics " by Edi Isaevthe chechen character | |against their own co-citizens is| | |by no means a "national |The book "Vainakh Ethics" by Edi Isaev is an utmost important | |liberation struggle of the |work at a time when the life in Chechnya is returning to | |Chechen people", but an episode |normal. Edi Isaev is a historian, Professor at the Chechen | |in the overall offensive by |State University, writer and publicist directs his book to | |international terrorism on the |youth. In introduction he emphasizes: "The norm of Vainakh | |fundamental principles of modern|ethics is the code of wise truths of people that reflects | |civilisation. The facts show |their ideals." The book is educational. It contains the ideas | |that being a part of the Russian|on ethics by thinkers of various people and various times from| |Federation in no way threatens |Epicurus and Confucius A.S. Makarenko and L.N.Toltoi. The | |the Chechen Republic 's cultural|second chapter is devoted to ethic norms of Chechens. The | |identity, the free use of its |third chapter considers in detail traditional family ethic | |own language, and preaching |code. The final chapter is devoted to Islamic ethic norms. | |Islam. On the contrary, it was |Materials from the book Vainakh Ethics by Edi Isaev is devoted| |during de facto "independence" |to customs and traditions of Chechens. | |from Russia that the Chechen |[http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=eng§ion= | |people suffered a humanitarian |bookvaineng&row=0] (more about chechen traditions...) | |tragedy on an unprecedented | | |scale. Hostage-taking, the slave| Chechen cuisine | |trade and plundering came to | | |form the economic basis of the |All about Chechnya, chechens. ChechenRepublic | news| history|| |new regime, while chaos and war |traditions| music | |became the form of its political|"The Chechens, like the rest of the highlanders, avoid | |existence. We want to emphasise |extremes in their eating and drinking habits. What they | |once more: Chechnya is part of |usually eat is chureks or corn bread with mutton lard spread | |Russia , geographically, |on it, and wheat stew with lard in it; water is their basic | |politically and |refreshment." "...Unleavend wheat or barley bread baked on | |civilisation-wise. So a |charcoal, milk and cheese constitute their daily menu; meat is| |hypothetical triumph of radical |eaten, very rarely, by the richest of the Chechens." That was | |Islamism on its territory would |written about the Chechen eating habits in the 19th century. | |be anti-historical. Such a |And it was not until the late 19th century that many | |development would signify the |vegetables grown in Europe - tomatoes, cabbage, radish - had | |establishment in the midst of |found their way to the kitchen gardens of mountainous | |Europe of a Taliban-like regime,|Chechnya. Chechen farming units have, since times immemorial, | |with all ensuing consequences |been self-sufficient, with only spices and sweetmeats being | |for the international community.|bought at the market. And, although they have become familiar | |The corporate author - |with the cuisines of many other ethnic communities, the | |journalists of the Russian |Chechen women cherish the very special culinary traditions of | |Information Agency Novosti - |their own. | |have attempted to be as brief as|([http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?section=kitcheneng&lng=| |possible on providing answers to|eng] in detail ...) | |the most-often aked questions | | |(above all posed by a foreign | - | |audience) about the Chechen | | |issue. Hence the book's title: "|## | |Chechnya : Questions and | | |Answers". It draws heavily on | Copyright [http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=eng] | |information provided by various | CHECHNYA FREE.RU | |Russian ministries and | | |departments that in one or | | |another way are involved in | | |normalising life in the | | |republic. | | |Russian Information Agency | | |Novosti | | |([http://www.chechnyafree.ru/ | | |index.php?section=answerseng&lng| | |=eng] in detail ...) | | | | | | Chechen economics | | | | | |Chechnya revives its small | | |businesses | | | | | |[4597] The growing business | | |activity is a sign that shows | | |the situation in Chechnya is | | |stabilizing. In 2000 there were | | |300 companies that were engaged | | |in small businesses. Next year | | |the number exceeded 2000 and | | |last year 3180 small enterprises| | |and more than 10 000 businessmen| | |were registered at the state | | |statistical committee of | | |Chechnya. Their role in the | | |republic's economy has grown in | | |the past years. Farmers produce | | |35% grain and 80% meat. Small | | |enterprises perform 90% of | | |services and 70% of construction| | |and restoration works. Private | | |companies provide two thirds of | | |passenger and cargo transport. | | |New laws introduced in Russia to| | |promote small businesses also | | |stimulate activity in this area.| | |The registration of enterprises | | |in Chechnya is being carried out| | |at a taxation office as else | | |where in the country. The | | |businessmen get certificate of | | |registration six days after they| | |submitted their documents and | | |permissions to open a bank | | |account. A simplified procedure | | |of taxation has been introduced | | |for small business. A Chechen | | |government committee set up in | | |June 2000 to promote small | | |business and business | | |undertakings realizes the state | | |policy in this area. Republican | | |business center is functioning | | |in Grozny under the aegis of the| | |committee. It helps first and | | |foremost unemployed and trains | | |them how to carry out business | | |undertakings. Last year 780 | | |people completed management and | | |accountancy courses. The | | |government plans to open | | |business centers in rural areas.| | |To train teachers for district | | |business centers, Russia's small| | |business promoting fund has | | |given 300 000 rubles. The | | |republican business center plans| | |to move into a new 260-square | | |meter building in the city | | |center early next month from a | | |rented office. It hopes to help | | |young people who desire to start| | |their own business. Business | | |skills have been highly valued | | |in Chechnya. This is of utmost | | |important since the republic has| | |chosen the creative development | | |path. | | |([http://www.chechnyafree.ru/ | | |index.php?lng=§ion= | | |economeng] more...) | | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------| | [http://www.chechnyafree.ru/ | | |index.php?section=projectrus&lng|[mail][mailto:info@chechnyafree.ru] [mailto] | | =eng] [about] | | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: http://felist.com/member/unsub?grp=news.media.chechnyafree&email= http://felist.com/ mailto:ask@felist.com