Actual News from Chechnya

News update

The Russian Defense Ministry perceives a statement about the complicity of this country's Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov in the assassination of Yandarbiyev as completely absurd. This was disclosed to RIA Novosti today by Vyacheslav Sedov, chief of the national Defense Ministry's press center. Chechen bandit leader Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev died February 13 when his car exploded in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Some Arab newspapers claimed April 12 that Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov was involved in Yandarbiyev's assassination.
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Easter liturgies were served in the capital of the Chechen Republic, Grozny, for the first time in recent years, reported the press-service of the Stavropol diosese of the Russian Orthodox Church. By blessing of Bishop of Stavropol and Vladikavkaz Feofan, Easter services to mark the Great Saturday and Resurrection were conducted by Hegumen Filaret and a group of seminarists of the Stavrolpol Theological Seminary, who had arrived in Grozny on April 10. Celebrations took place in the Archangel Michael Church, for the time being adapted to services following its destruction during military hostilities. In his message to the laity of Chechnya, Feofan said: "Visiting parishes in restive Chechnya gives rise, although the heart is painful, to the hope and firm expectation that the Lord will send peace to these blood-drenched places, for our God is God of peace and love, God of unity and accord". (more...)

Chechen history

Chechnya | Questions and answers

This pamphlet is about Chechnya , a Russian territory which has witnessed the most tragic events over the past decade. The book is the latest update on the Chechen Republic . And this is very important, since a lack of fresh and accurate information about events in Chechnya generates many distorted conceptions and rumours - both within and outside Russia . For example, that Chechen society is allegedly inherently alien to Russia , that pro-Russian elements in the republic are marginalised; and lastly, that Russian power structures are fighting the Chechen people, rather than armed bandit groups. The reality, however, is that only with the return of the legitimate authorities are villages and towns being restored, children going to school for the first time in many years, and pensioners receiving long-forgotten pensions, i.e. a social rebirth is underway. Lying ahead are a referendum on a new Chechen constitution, and parliamentary and presidential elections. These votes will be held, despite continued attempts by bandit groups and their leaders to scupper the process of normalisation in the republic, the latest terrorist act being the bombing of the republican government building. The war being waged by Chechen separatists against federal forces and more often than not against their own co-citizens is by no means a "national liberation struggle of the Chechen people", but an episode in the overall offensive by international terrorism on the fundamental principles of modern civilisation. The facts show that being a part of the Russian Federation in no way threatens the Chechen Republic 's cultural identity, the free use of its own language, and preaching Islam. On the contrary, it was during de facto "independence" from Russia that the Chechen people suffered a humanitarian tragedy on an unprecedented scale. Hostage-taking, the slave trade and plundering came to form the economic basis of the new regime, while chaos and war became the form of its political existence. We want to emphasise once more: Chechnya is part of Russia , geographically, politically and civilisation-wise. So a hypothetical triumph of radical Islamism on its territory would be anti-historical. Such a development would signify the establishment in the midst of Europe of a Taliban-like regime, with all ensuing consequences for the international community. The corporate author - journalists of the Russian Information Agency Novosti - have attempted to be as brief as possible on providing answers to 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 information provided by various Russian ministries and departments that in one or another way are involved in normalising life in the republic.
Russian Information Agency Novosti
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Chechen economics

Urus-Martna district prepares for fieldwork in the spring

State farms in the Urus-Martan district have prepared tractors and other agricultural machinery for fieldwork in the spring. Only Gekhinsky, Alkhanyurtovsky and Solnychny farms have sufficient seeds. But the rest have between 50and 60 percents only. The neighbours have helped the farms in the Urus-Martan district to solve this problem. They offered seeds and the directors of the state farms will organize transport to bring them. The state farms in the district will grow grain only because they have no watering systems for growing vegetable. This problem will be solved shortly. According to the head of the agricultural department of the local administration Khodzh-Akhmed Khachukaev believes that the district will gather a good harvest since all farmers are determined to do so. He hopes that many farms will excellently fulfill this years target.
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Issue 181
12.04.04

Chechnya: news | arguments | facts

12 April 2004  Grozneftegas increases oil production in Chechnya
The Grozneftegaz Company of Grozny, which is a subsidiary of Rosneft, produced 473,000 tons of oil between January and March, 2004 4 percent up against the similar period of 2003, Grozneftegaz Director-General Baudin Khamidov told PRIME-Tass. He attended on a meeting of senior executives of Rosneft and its subsidiaries, which was chaired by Vladimir Yakovlev, official representative of the President in the Southern Federal District. According to Khamidov, Grozneftegaz, which is the only oil producing company in Chechnya, exceeded the plan for the first three months by 3,000 tons. Khamidov believes that Grozneftegaz will produce in 2004 1.96 million tons of oil as against 1.78 million tons in 2003, which will bring them close to the reaching of the key target two million tons of oil annually for the coming several years. The average daily oil production of Grozneftegaz is 5,400 tons. Three oil well, which were blown up as a result of acts of terrorism last March, will be put out within two months, Khamidov added. More money should be invested in the modernization of Grozneftegaz enterprises, the struggle should be stepped up against oil losses through stealing from oil wells and through unsanctioned pumping of oil out of pipelines, and oil revenues to the republic budget should be increased, Viktor Krokhmal, deputy representative of the President in the Southern Federal District, told journalists. The remaining extractable oil reserves of Chechnya amount to 30 million tons, which permits to extract oil until 2022. Prospected oil reserves, whose presence should be confirmed by the drilling of oil wells, were estimated late in 2003 only at 14 million tons. Grozneftegaz was created in accordance with Government Resolution No. 844, dated November 4, 2000, entitled On priority measures for restoring the oil and gas complex of the Chechen Republic. Its main spheres of operation include the production, storage, preparation and transportation of oil and gas. A total of four million tons of oil were produced between 2000 and 2003.
(more News from Chechnya...)

10 Mart 2004  Suicide bomber trainer killed in Chechnya
Abu Bakar Visimbaev, a suicide bomber trainer who trained the terrorist who attacked the Dubrovka Theater Center in Moscow, was killed in Chechnya, the official spokesman of the Regional Headquarters for antiterrorist operations in the North Caucusus, Colonel Ilya Shabalkin, told RIA Novosti. "Visimbaev, the personal bodyguard of Shamil Basaev [a militants leader, who according to Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov, fears Aslan Maskadov, the leader of the Chechen resistance], recruited suicide bombers for terrorist attacks in the North Caucasus and Russia. He personally trained the Ganiev sisters, who committed the terrorist attack on Dubrovka [129 people were held hostage on October 23-26, 2002]," the colonel said.
(more News from Chechnya...)

09 April 2004  Interior minister reports to President on fighting crime
Russian President Vladimir Putin had a working meeting with Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev. At the presidents request, the minister reported to him about the state of things with fighting crime in Russia, specifically work to prevent and reveal crimes on racial basis. They also discussed consolidating interior bodies in the Chechen Republic. Nurgaliyev said work in the first quarter was at the same level as last year, adding that there are problems with crimes for mercenary purposes, including thefts, robberies, crimes against property. He said the effectiveness of revealing crimes for mercenary purposes was raised four percent. Regarding the investigation of terrorist acts, the minister said it should be borne in mind that deeply camouflaged bandit rings function in the country. As regards economic crimes, the minister pointed out to crimes in the area of the fuel and energy complex and said more attention should be given to fighting these crimes. Following the conference of chiefs of the interior bodies in the Southern Federal District, which was held under the presidents guidance, special attention in the ministrys activity was given to the problem of fighting economic crimes in the district. Regarding the establishment of interior bodies in the Chechen Republic, Nurgaliyev said that their work in the first quarter of this year was more effective than last year. He said there is more interaction between departments of the interior bodies of Chechnya and federal departments. There are serious results in revealing economic crimes, grave and particularly grave crimes. The minister said one of priorities in this area is enhancing the level of professionalism of staffers of interior bodies in the Chechen Republic. Over 2,000 people acquired initial professional skills and will be using these skills in restoring police in the republic. Nurgaliyev said personnel for interior bodies of Chechnya is trained in 29 special higher educational establishments of the country. The branch of the Krasnodar Academy of the Interior Ministry opens from September 1 in Grozny. Nearly 100 specialists will be trained there. Putin stressed in this connection that interior bodies of the Chechen Republic should gradually assume full responsibility for the maintenance of security and law and order in the republic. I do mean all responsibility, including the responsibility now borne by anti-terrorist units and staffs, the president said. Nurgaliyev said in this connection that with active role of the republics Interior Ministry as many as 145 bandits were put out of action and more than 60 bandits laid down arms.

Russia - Chechnya

Chechen traditions

A legend says that the ancestor of all Chechens - Nokhchuo - was born with a piece of iron in one hand and a piece of cheese in the other. "Grace seldom rests on places unfrequented by guests," "a guest brings joy,""the longer the guest's way to your house, the more respect you owe him..." Many sayings, legends and fables focus on the sacred law of hospitality. The villagers are most hospitable. Every coutryside family has a special guest room that is always kept clean, with clean bed linen, in a word, ready for a visitor. No one makes use of this room. Even the children are forbidden to play or do anything else in this room. Every family must be ever ready to serve the guest a meal. Chechens used to set aside a special stock of food supplies for this purpose. No questions are to be asked of a guest in the first three days of his visit... He is considered a privileged member of the family. In the olden day, the daughter or daughter-in-law of the head of the family would even help him to take off his shoes and overcoat. The guest enjoys the warmest reception at meal times. A Chechen must risk his own life to protect the life, honor and property of his guest. This is one of the basic rules of Chechen hospitality. The Chechen code of conduct says guests should offer no payment to the family they stayed with. A guest may only make a present to the children of that family. The ancient rules of hospitality were obeyed regardless of circumstances. Any good man, regardless of his ethnic roots, merited a warm reception. There is a direct connection between hospitality and greetings. To greet someone, Chechens open up their arms, that is bare their heart for us to see that they neither hide mean intentions nor plan any evil.
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Chechen tarditions

The book "Vainakh Ethics" by Edi Isaev is an utmost important work at a time when the life in Chechnya is returning to normal. Edi Isaev is a historian, Professor at the Chechen State University, writer and publicist directs his book to youth. In introduction he emphasizes: "The norm of Vainakh ethics is the code of wise truths of people that reflects their ideals." The book is educational. It contains the ideas on ethics by thinkers of various people and various times from Epicurus and Confucius A.S. Makarenko and L.N.Toltoi. The second chapter is devoted to ethic norms of Chechens. The third chapter considers in detail traditional family ethic code. The final chapter is devoted to Islamic ethic norms. Materials from the book Vainakh Ethics by Edi Isaev is devoted to customs and traditions of Chechens.
(more about chechen traditions...)

Chechen cuisine

"The Chechens, like the rest of the highlanders, avoid extremes in their eating and drinking habits. What they usually eat is chureks or corn bread with mutton lard spread on it, and wheat stew with lard in it; water is their basic refreshment." "...Unleavend wheat or barley bread baked on charcoal, milk and cheese constitute their daily menu; meat is eaten, very rarely, by the richest of the Chechens." That was written about the Chechen eating habits in the 19th century. And it was not until the late 19th century that many vegetables grown in Europe - tomatoes, cabbage, radish - had found their way to the kitchen gardens of mountainous Chechnya. Chechen farming units have, since times immemorial, been self-sufficient, with only spices and sweetmeats being bought at the market. And, although they have become familiar with the cuisines of many other ethnic communities, the Chechen women cherish the very special culinary traditions of their own.
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