Actual News from Chechnya

News update

The Interior Ministry boards of Chechnya and Daghestan-neighbouring North Caucasian republics-had a joint session in Daghestan's Khasavyurt. They discussed law-enforcement team efforts with an emphasis on organised crime, gangs and religious extremism. District and municipal Interior boards of the two republics' borderline areas will bear the greatest responsibility to meet posed objectives, determined the conferees. Prominent at the conference were republican Interior Ministers-Lieutenant-General Azilghirei Magomedtaghirov of Daghestan and Major-General Alvu Alkhanov of Chechnya. Information of the conference reached Novosti from Colonel Abdulmanap Mussayev of the police, chief of PR for the Daghestani Interior Ministry.
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About 1,600 Chechen refugees are staying in the last tent camp in Ingushetia. The chief of the Chechen governments representative office in Ingushetia, Sharap Beldurov, told Itar-Tass that 345 tents remain in the camp where 387 families live. The population of the tent camp at the beginning of this year was 3,000. Most of refugees are still waiting for notices for getting compensation for destroyed housing and property, Beldurov said. Notification and payment of travelling expenses, 1,000 roubles to a family, were stopped because of the change of the government in Chechnya, he explained. He expressed hope that the process would resume soon. Beldurov said the last refugee camp was bound to be closed in May. (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 182
16.04.04

Chechnya: news | arguments | facts

16 April 2004  Murat Chunkayev wants to be world champion
Murat Chunkayevs cherished dream is to become world champion in combat without rules sport. Aged 25, he does not just dream but is working hard to reach that goal. He started his sporting career at 8 when his family lived in South Suhokumsk. There he enrolled in the free wrestling section. In 1998 he together with his family moved to Hasan-Yurt where he continued his sport training and in 2001, Chunkayev moved to Belgium and got acquainted with a coach in jiu-jitsu. He immediately took a liking to the combat sport. He started training simultaneously in both free style wrestling and jiu-jitsu. In his first competitions in jiu-jitsu, he won all and became two - time champion of Europe. He began taking part in combat without rules quite recently and was only 18 when he first saw the sport. Then he didnt think that one day he will be a participant in that sort of competition. Murat Chunkayev was urged by the jiu-jitsu coach to try his prowess in that sport and he readily agreed Together with the coach he went to Holland to watch professionals in training. For about a month he trained in the Golden- Glory club and after evaluating Murat Chunkayevs potential chiefs of the club signed a contract with him and thus began his new sporting career. His records so far are 8 fights, 7 victories, 6 by knockouts and one loss. His most important victory was in Rotterdam on October 13 2002 over two-time world champion in the sport of combat without rules, Andrei Semenov. Despite his height of 183 centimeters and 90 kilogrammes weight, in the ring Murat Chunkayev demonstrates amazing maneuverability, dexterity and quickness. He believes that in his new sport it is vital to be a universal sportsman and hence he now has three coaches: one in kick boxing, one in wrestling and the 3rd in jiu-jitsu. Murat Chunkayevs goal today is to become world champion in combat without rules and on retiring from professional sport he would like to open his own club to train the younger generation. Hopefully such a club will be established in Chechnya..
(more News from Chechnya...)

16 Mart 2004  UN should reconsider its human rights protection strategies Russian Ombudsman
In the face of modern threats and challenges, the United Nations should reconsider the entire practice of applying the international law, argues Ella Pamfilova, Chair of the Russian President's Human Rights Commission. Speaking at the 60th session of the UN Commission for Human Rights in Geneva, Pamfilova said that more often than not now, the international law fails to protect the weak from the mighty. "The crisis in the application of the international law, the ambiguity and heterogeneity of approaches to solving international problems, the clash between geo-strategic interests, and the pressure of the political situation to the detriment of the principles of human rights protection have made all the more difficult the activity of human rights institutions in many countries across the world," Pamfilova said at the conference. She also urged the UN Human Rights Commission to review "the mechanisms for adopting its resolutions and the implications of their adoption, " analyzing "what they [resolutions] give in today's situation-whether they really help solve a problem or only drive it deeper into the system, alienating some nations from the ideals of human rights protection." Pamfilova told about the activity of the Russian President's Human Rights Commission, which, according to her, had become a liaison agency between civil society and the Kremlin. As for Chechnya, "Russia's most acute problem," the humanitarian situation there has changed dramatically in the past year, Pamfilova assured. It is still far from safe there, people go missing, and rights of civilians are infringed upon, but human rights are no longer violated on a mass scale, as was the case just a year ago. Western countries sometimes use alleged human rights abuses as a pretext to bring pressure to bear on Russia, and put spokes in her wheels instead of offering a helping hand. Those who know a better and faster way of restoring peace to Chechnya should suggest it to Russia, but with due account taken of the nation's distinctive features, she said, citing the recent flareups in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq as experiences that give ample food for thought to "those accustomed to boss the entire world around."
(more News from Chechnya...)

16 April 2004  UN Rights Commission votes down Chechnya resolution
As things really are, Chechnya has no burning problems with human rights, whatever attempts might be made to misrepresent the situation, Sergei Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister, said to the media. He was commenting a resolution on Chechnya, which the United Nations Human Rights Commission turned down. The document was alleging rights violations. The resolution scored 23 "no" votes-in particular, Chinese, Cuban and Indian, as against 12 "yes", 18 abstaining. European Union countries made a majority of resolution supporters. A total 53 countries were voting.

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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