Actual News from Chechnya

News update

A UN delegation arrived in Chechnya on April 22 to see the humanitarian situation in the republic, the chief of the Chechen presidents press service, Abdulbek Vakhayev, td Itar-Tass. He said the eight-member delegation includes a representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Office, Kasidis Rochancorn, and Canadas Ambassador to Russia Christopher Westdal. The delegation is going to discuss assistance to the restoration of Chechnyas social facilities. The members of the delegations have visited a centre accommodating people whose houses were damaged by the last years floods, a centre of psychological rehabilitation and several schools. The delegation will meet President Akhmad Kadyrov later in the day. Vakhayev said two million dollars had been issue through the UN to Chechnya since the beginning of this year for restoration programmes. We welcome any help, accept it with gratitude, and are ready to help the development of such cooperation in every way he said. We would want that the foreign guest make sure that Chechnya is firmly on a footing of peaceful building at present and that we are open to humanitarian cooperation, he said. In November 2003, the UN and 20 non-governmental organizations, including the World Health Organization, the World Food Program and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, called on the world community to issue to Chechnya 62 million dollars in aid this year. Half of the funds is to go into a food programme for residents of Chechnya and refugees and another 18 million into housing, education and health sectors. UN Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egelund first visited Chechnya in January 2004. He then assured that the UN is interested in activation of cooperation with Russia and would send a major part of the humanitarian aid to Chechnya.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree "On competent body of the Russian Federation responsible for holding joint antiterrorist actions on the territory of the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) member-countries," the Russian President's press-service disclosed. The role of the competent body was assigned to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). The decree comes into force starting from the day of its signing. (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
(in detail ...)

Chechen economics

Grozny's waterworks are rebuit

Quality potable water is what life depends on. The World Health Organization says, however, that about 2 billion people experience shortages of potable water. The Chechens, of all people, do not go thirsty. And, what sounds even better, they draw clear and sweet water from their mountainous brooks. And yet, some Chechens have a reason to be displeased. People get next to no water from their hissing kitchen faucets in some neighborhoods of Grozny. Frequent repairs are to blame for the absence of water, and it is technically unfeasible to pump water to the upper stories of high-rise projects. Although they are in the habit of lodging complaints against the metropolitan waterworks, people admit that the delivery of potable water has improved. As many as 85 percent of the residents of Grozny, which used to bring all its water from far away, are provided with tap water whose quality is monitored by the Chechen center of the Federal Epidemiological Service. Water is tested twice a week, and the medical workers have lodged no major complaints against the water authority of Grozny. Three water supply stations - Starosunzhensky, Gitinsky, and Checrnorechensky - have, over the past three years, been put in operation in Grozny. The distribution system is being rebuilt (don't forget that the waterworks run for 2,023 kilometers, and the sewage system has 510 kilometers of fifty-year-old and, naturally, worn-out piping!) The mid-90's brought more trouble: as their seams were strained by the bomb blasts, the pipes started leaking. The sewage system presents fewer problems. Occasional obstructions are written off as easy-to-be-eliminated. There are 471 people on the staff of the metropolitan waterworks; there must be three times as many. Over the past few years, the water authority had barely enough money for run-of-the-mill repairs. But major repairs have been scheduled for this and next year. The allocations will come from the federal government. And, more good news for Grozny: all neighborhoods of the Chechen capital will be provided with tap water as soon as the Samashkinsky water supply station is put in operation, sometime this fall.
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Issue 183
21.04.04

Chechnya: news | arguments | facts

21 April 2004  Grozny's waterworks are rebuit
Quality potable water is what life depends on. The World Health Organization says, however, that about 2 billion people experience shortages of potable water. The Chechens, of all people, do not go thirsty. And, what sounds even better, they draw clear and sweet water from their mountainous brooks. And yet, some Chechens have a reason to be displeased. People get next to no water from their hissing kitchen faucets in some neighborhoods of Grozny. Frequent repairs are to blame for the absence of water, and it is technically unfeasible to pump water to the upper stories of high-rise projects. Although they are in the habit of lodging complaints against the metropolitan waterworks, people admit that the delivery of potable water has improved. As many as 85 percent of the residents of Grozny, which used to bring all its water from far away, are provided with tap water whose quality is monitored by the Chechen center of the Federal Epidemiological Service. Water is tested twice a week, and the medical workers have lodged no major complaints against the water authority of Grozny. Three water supply stations - Starosunzhensky, Gitinsky, and Checrnorechensky - have, over the past three years, been put in operation in Grozny. The distribution system is being rebuilt (don't forget that the waterworks run for 2,023 kilometers, and the sewage system has 510 kilometers of fifty-year-old and, naturally, worn-out piping!) The mid-90's brought more trouble: as their seams were strained by the bomb blasts, the pipes started leaking. The sewage system presents fewer problems. Occasional obstructions are written off as easy-to-be-eliminated. There are 471 people on the staff of the metropolitan waterworks; there must be three times as many. Over the past few years, the water authority had barely enough money for run-of-the-mill repairs. But major repairs have been scheduled for this and next year. The allocations will come from the federal government. And, more good news for Grozny: all neighborhoods of the Chechen capital will be provided with tap water as soon as the Samashkinsky water supply station is put in operation, sometime this fall.
(more News from Chechnya...)

20 Mart 2004  A branch of Rosselhozbank opens in Achxoi-Martan
The opening ceremony of a branch of the Rosselhozbank was recently held in Achxoi-Martan region in Chechnya. The administration head of the region, regional commandant, chief of the field section of the bank as well as captains of companies and organizations located in Achxoi-Martan took part in the opening festivities. The event brought happiness to local residents. Firstly, it represented one more evidence that Chechnya is living in a normal financial regime and secondly, Achxoi-Martan residents will now find it easy to carry out financial operations in the area without having to travel to a neighbnouring region carrying a large sum of money exposing themselves to great danger. The Achxoi-Martan branch of Rosselhozbank will offer the following services to residents: attracting companies money to the on demand deposit account and for a fixed period of time on the banks lending rates, the opening and operating of a banking account by firms, bills and account settling on behalf of companies and individuals, collecting and encashment of money for companies and individuals. In addition, the branch will also pay compensation to residents for damaged houses and lost property. The branch has the technical possibility of effecting payments and to carry out money transfers on a daily basis. Chief of the Chechen branch of Rosselhozbank, Usman Yerihanov, has said that the opening of Achxoi-Martan branch will help in the development of both small and medium scale businesses and that is because the branch plans to give credits to local enterprises. On the whole Achxoi-Martan has mainly agriculture based companies and that will most favourably help accelerate an increase in agricultural production in the region. Rosselhozbank is so far the only bank functioning in Chechnya and as at today 5 branches of the bank have been opened including the Achxoi-Martan one All the branches are connected to a single system, enabling any monetary operation to be carried out with ease.
(more News from Chechnya...)

20 April 2004  The Task of Electrical Engineers in Chechnya
Engineers of the Nurenergo company are completing the work at the main substation that has two 25 000 kva-transformers. The substation links all 110 kilovolt power lines in the republic. This makes it possible to distribute electricity evenly among cities and villages. The substation reduces the time of blackouts in case of breakdowns. It also reduces the over loading of the power systems in Grozny and Grozny region. It will supply electricity to lkhankala, Alkhaniyurt, Kulary, Samashka, the first state farm and the village of Oktyaberskoe. The company gives priority to supplying electricity to villages and settlements in the mountainous regions, including the Sharoi district. Dagenergo Company is expected to supply energy to these settlements. Electrical engineers in Chechnya have tested a turbine and a generator at the Argun thermal power station under no load conditions after reconstruction. The capacity of the power station is 6 megawatt. 72-hour testing showed that technological parameters and vibration characteristics are within the limits. This will be the first power facility that will be reconstructed. The reconstruction was started in 2002. Unified Energy Systems of Russia spent 487 million rubles for this purpose last year and another 300 million rubles will be allocated this year. The capacity of the power station will be increased to 18 megawatt when the construction work ends. The power station will supply heat and electricity to Argun and several other districts. Since it creates many jobs unemployment will be resolved significantly. The commissioning of the power station makes it possible for the sugar factory, meat processing plant and reinforced concrete making factory to work in full capacity. The first block is expected to commission on the inauguration day of the Chechen President.

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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