Actual News from Chechnya

News update

Police have seized 1,000 projectiles for a VOG-17 grenade launcher in the Staropromyslovsky district of Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, a source at the Russian Interior Ministrys temporary press center in the North Caucasus told Tass. The cache with ammunition was hidden from view in a semi-destroyed basement of a dwelling house. Police are currently looking for people having links to the cache. The same source said another, better equipped cache was found during a police raid in a woodland where two assault rifles, two pistols, a landmine, three hollow-charge projectiles, six projectiles for a grenade launcher and 2,600 cartridges had been hidden. The owner of the weapons, bandit group commander Khalidov had been killed by federals in 2003, the press center source said. The base of a bandit group led by Denilbek Alkhazurov, 28, was found in the woodland near the Kurdyukovskaya village, Shelkovskoi district, a source at the headquarters of the federal forces in the region told Tass correspondent Yuri Safronov in Grozny. Russian border guards uncovered a cache containing 20 hand grenades, a large amount of fuses and cartridges for small arms near the village Ushkaloi in the republics Itum-Kale district, head of the press service of the Stavropol-based North Caucasus Border Troops Headquarters Sergey Livantsov told Tass correspondent Nikolai Styazhkin in Stavropol. According to Sergey Livantsov, the seized weapons have been handed over to the Itum-Kale police station.
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Presidential aide for ties with the EU Sergei Yastrzhembsky intends to clarify Russia's policy on Chechnya during his work with European partners, Sergei Yastrzhembsky said in a RIA Novosti interview. "I'm ready to allay concerns of our European colleagues over the situation in the republic and arrange trips there for European commissioners if need be," said the presidential aide. "There are problems in Chechnya, including with human rights," Mr. Yastrzhembsky acknowledged. "But the situation is changing for the better day by day." "If we compare Chechnya today and three years ago, these are completely different situations," said the presidential aide. The fact that people are voluntarily returning to Chechnya testifies to the considerable progress in the republic, he noted. "Three years ago, 500,000 people lived in Chechnya. Today the population of the republic has exceeded one million. The 500,000 people could not have been forced to come back," said Mr. Yastrzhembsky. "People who had left for Moscow and other cities are now returning home." "Of course, people have many difficulties there but life has become far better than in 2000," he added. The presidential aide also noted that over 3,000 businessmen are working in Chechnya at the moment, and in 2000 there were only 300 of them. According to Mr. Yastrzhembsky, 30,000-40,000 refugees are now living outside Chechnya. But most of them are living in the private sector of Ingushetia. No more than 2,000 people are accommodated in camps. "Nobody is forcing them to go back. They are provided with explanations and conditions for the return," said Mr. Yastrzhembsky. (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

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 185
26.04.04

Chechnya: news | arguments | facts

26 April 2004  Gas will be supplied to foothills and mountain villages in Chechnya
Gas is being supplied to all mountain regions in Chechnya and among them is Urus-Martan. Gas is being given to the village of Alhazurovo in the region and the connection of local residents houses to the gas pipeline is in progress. In the next 2 to 3 months, natural gas will be burning in the houses of Alhazurovo villagers. Another mountain village- also in the region- Shalazhi, is equally being supplied with gas and work is ending on the design of gas delivery system to the foothills village of Martan-Chu. The laying of gas pipeline to populated areas in Urus-Martan is included in the plan of the gasmen. According to the director of the Urus-Martan branch of the state unified enterprise-Chechengas Apta Avtayev, the gasmen team is good and friendly and they all work honestly. Many of them are veterans of labour haven worked for ten and some for even thirty years and hence thanks to their professionalism residents of Urus-Martan will not be left without gas.
(more News from Chechnya...)

26 Mart 2004  Qatari court continues to hear Yandarbiyev murder case
A Qatari court will continue to hear the case of two Russian citizens charged with the murder of Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, a Chechen separatist leader on April 26. Cross-examination of prosecution witnesses began on April 25 , the press service of the law firm that is representing the Russians along with local lawyers, Yegorov, Pugachinsky, Afanasyev and Partners, told RIA Novosti. According to Ilya Levitov, the law firm's press secretary, the session will continue on April 26. A civil court in Qatar is hearing the Russian citizens' case. "At the moment the conditions of the Russian citizens are normal," Mr. Levitov said. At the request of the defence the court hearings on Sunday were held in a closed session with members of Mr. Yandarbiyev's family and representatives of Russia's Embassy in Qatar present. Dmitri Afanasyev (a partner at Yegorov, Pugachinsky, Afanasyev and Partners) told the Vesti Nedeli (a news program on the Rossia television channel) on Sunday: "we received about 1,000 pages of hand-written text in Arabic on approximately April 13. The translation took a certain amount of time and the defense received the materials in Russian literally 4-5 days ago. Despite this, we familiarized ourselves with these material and, in my opinion, they do not contain any proof of our defendants' complicity in the crime they are charged with." "According to our defendants' testimony which has already been read in the Qatari court, they were beaten, deprived of sleep, and in some cases special dogs were set on them," the lawyer said. "Under Qatari law and in accordance with the New York anti-torture convention of 1984, confessions received through torture cannot be used as evidence." Mr. Yandarbiyev, a Chechen separatist leader who lived in Qatar for the past three years, died on February 13, when a bomb exploded in his Toyota Landcruiser. On the night of February 18 in Doha, the Qatari secret services arrested three Russian citizens who were in Qatar on a business trip. They were accused of being involved in Mr. Yandarbiyev's assassination. One of the detainees, First Secretary of the Russian Federation's Embassy in Qatar Aleksandr Fetisov who had diplomatic immunity, was released and returned to Russia on March 24. On February 26, official charges of premeditated murder were brought against two Russian citizens. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that everything necessary was being done to free the Russian citizens in Qatar. Russia will continue making efforts to bring the Russian diplomats, detained in Qatar, back to their homeland, Aleskandr Yakovenko, a spokesman for Russia's Foreign Ministry, stated.
(more News from Chechnya...)

--> 25 April 2004  Naur Forest Farm
Naur forest farm was founded in 1922. It is one of the oldest farms in Chechnya. Despite many problems the staff of the farm keeps it in good condition. Oak, acacia, poplar, aspen, pear, walnut and alder grow on the 11 425-hectare territory in the Naur and Nadterechny districts. The staff of the farm consists of 48 regular and 28 casual workers. They carry out sanitary felling in 200 hectares and prepare 2800 cubic meters of wood, plant young trees in 30 hectares and monitor natural renewal in 400 hectares a year. They protect the trees from illegal felling and pest. The wood is used for heating schools, hospitals and administrative buildings in the two districts. The forest farm supplies state farms with acacia stakes for vineyards. The farm has two tractors and two cars though it needs four tractors and six cars. But its director Vakha Tsuntsaev has big plans. The farm plans to conclude an agreement with the Forest Ministry to carry out work to strengthen sand in an area of 600 hectares and increase the territory where young trees are planted to 50 hectares, the sanitary felling to 250 hectares and the volume of wood to 3000 cubic meters. The director is proud of the farm's nursery where ash and red cedar trees grow. The farm plans to grow pine, spruce and larch. This will make it possible for people to get plants to decorate their villages, streets, and gardens.

Russia - Chechnya

Chechen culture

It was not until the late 19th century that the Chechens started using other than wooden, brass and earthen tableware. Village artisans had polished their skills to perfection in making household utensils. Glazed crockery featured geometric or floral designs. Bowls were usually big. And the shape of a bowl depended on what they would put into it. A pitcher with a narrow neck contained melted butter. A pitcher with a wide neck was meant for milk and sour milk. The neck of a water pitcher was so narrow that only a child's fist could fit in. Water pitchers had big handles and wide circle-shaped bottoms: they would be carried on the shoulder from the river that could flow far enough from home or in a canyon. A special kind of earthenware held grain. Demand was high for the well-made Chechen pottery.Wooden tableware was made with a lathe. The hardest sorts of timber - oak and maple - went for tableware. Some household utensils were also made of wood: barrels, wheel spikes and other parts of wheelcarts. Cradles were made of wood in such a way as to enable a Chechen mother to strap it to her back and carry it out to the field. Its accommodating design and loyalty to the national tradition explain why some Chechen women still put their babies in such cradles. Other things made of wood: trays, mugs, spoons, churns - have also survived till nowadays. 19th century brass washbowls, mugs, tubs and pots are still used by the Chechens. The Chechen home looks traditionally simple, if not ascetic. There was an absolute minimum of furniture: portable wooden beds and small tables. But household utensils that do credit to the village artisans adorned the rooms. There were things made of wood and brass, crockery and, in addition to all that, things made of wool and felt. Felt was indispensable. Chechens used it for mattresses, blankets and wall rugs and as insulation lining. Multicolor Chechen rugs are usually decorated with red and blue fringework.
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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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