Actual News from Chechnya

News update

Federal forces eliminated a group of militants in Chechnya on Thursday and found a big amount of explosives sufficient to stage two dozen terrorist acts. The regional headquarters for the anti-terrorist operation in North Caucasus said six militants were killed in Nozhai-Yurt district of Chechnya and two of them were believed to be Arab mercenaries. The militants were killed in a mountain base where numerous explosives were kept. Their amount allows to believe that the military had averted some two dozen terrorist acts, the headquarters said. The base was used to train explosion experts and to supply explosive devices to various parts of Chechnya and neighboring republics. The headquarters said the base was found by army commandos in the mountains and the militants offered fierce resistance. The commandos found at the base over two kilos of plastid, 400 grams of trotyl, as well as 55 cartridges for portable grenade launchers, hand grenades and numerous detonators. Besides, the ammunition dump contained an automatic grenade launcher, five portable grenade launchers, six machine guns, 17 submachine guns, a snipers rifle and some 1500 cartridges. Federal forces are currently identifying the militants.
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The Russian Interior Ministry sets up a special group for protecting oil pipelines in Chechnya, the Russian Interior Ministry's Department for the state protection of property told RIA Novosti. The group will focus on operational search for and elimination of criminal groups engaged in unlawful oil business, the head of the department Mikhail Sukhodolski said. Moreover, oil pipelines will have special sensors, which will signal attempts of criminals to approach them. The group is made up of private security agents and State Traffic Inspection, transport police and anti-economic crimes officers. According to the statement from the department, in 2004 federal interior officers discovered 56 oil pipeline cutting-ins, destroyed over 2,000 improvised oil refineries and storage tanks, detained 65 trucks carrying stolen oil, prevented 96 oil theft attempts, over 628 metric tons of oil products were seized from illegal turnover. According to the federal Interior Ministry, 119 criminal cases were initiated. (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

Russian savings bank is restoring its branches in Chechnya

TheNorth Caucasus branch of the Russian savings bank was opened in the middle of December in prospect Pobedy, house number 5 in Grosny, where all existing 40 banking operations can be carried out. Money can be received and sent to any part of Russia, payment for communal services and other financial operations can be effected. In addition to the Grozny branch another one has been operating for 3 years in the Naursk settlement, serving in the man, private individuals and enabling residents to keep money safe in the bank. It also pays compensation for depreciated savings and accepts payment for communal services. In an interview for the free Chechnya radio chairman of the North Caucasus subsidiary of the Russian savings bank Viktor Gavrilov has said that among the functions of the banks branches in Chechnya is paying both state and local compensations to Chechens, including for lost and damaged property and house arising from the fighting in Chechnya. They equally pay compensation to former account holders as well as pay out states pension and benefits. The recently signed agreement between the Chechen prime minister, Sergei Abramov and the chairman of the Russian savings bank, Andrei Kazymin on compensations payment envisages the orders of remittance and payment into special account of residents as well as payouts and accounting. The agreement lists out affiliates of the North Caucasus savings bank in which a special account can be opened. Apart from the branches in the Nausk village and Grozny 6 other branches are also to pay out money. They are located in the border regions of Chechnya: two are in the Dagestani branch in the town of Kizlyar, pereulok Rybni, house number 4-A and the town of Hasav-Yurt, Daibova street, house number 8. In Ingushetia; the town of Malgabek, Gardanova street number 27; in the village of Ordzhonikidzovskaya, Oskanova street number 34; the town of Nazran, prospect Bazorkin, 10; and in the town of Mozdok, Kirov street, house number 61. The Russian savings bank is to enlarge services to clients in Chechnya with the granting of loans to buy goods, building materials as well as give out mortgage credits. The participation of the savings bank in economic projects in Chechnya is under active consideration and an agreement is to be signed with republican leaders on the construction of apartment buildings. In 2005 the 3rd branch of the North Caucasus subsidiary of the Russian savings bank will be commissioned in Gudermes and the opening of other branches in several parts of Chechnya will follow.
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Issue 258
28.01.05

Chechnya: news | arguments | facts

28 January 2005  Chechnya will form a guard unit
Chechnya will form a guard unit that will be responsible for the protection of President Akhmad Kadyrov, the head of the Interior Ministry's home security department in the Southern Federal district, Vladimir Savchenkov, told journalists at a press conference Thursday. According to Mr. Savchenkov, the detachment is currently 50% manned. "At present we are checking candidates for service in the unit," he said. Officers in the unit will be drafted for a three-year period instead of contract-based service. "It must be a very strong detachment," Mr. Savchenkov said. According to the plan, experienced officers from OMON (special purpose police detachment), SOBR (special rapid deployment detachment) and qualified operative law-enforcers will be drafted for service in the detachment. The head of the department noted that the new detachment would exist along with the home security service, which currently protects Mr. Kadyrov.
(more News from Chechnya...)

27 January 2005  Kadyrov accuses administration heads of paying guerillas
Chechen First Deputy Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov has alleged that certain administrations chiefs in the Vedeno district pay kickbacks to members of illegal armed units. Speaking at a meeting with district administration heads in Grozny on Thursday, Kadyrov also charged that certain policemen from Vedeno district are collaborating with the guerillas.
(more News from Chechnya...)

27 January 2004  Two Caches Located in Chechenya
Yet another weapon and ammunition cache has been destroyed by law enforcers near the village of Lakha-Varanda, Grozny district, Chechnya, according to the Northern Caucasus Counter-Terrorist Regional Operations HQ. The hoard was discovered thanks to the information revealed by two militants, who had been detained a while before. There had been stashed two RPG-26 antitank grenade launchers, three F-1 hand grenades, two UZRGM igniters, a Kenwood radio and an ammunition vest. The cache appeared to be mined so as soon as the scene was filmed, the weapons and ammo were blown up. The other depot was discovered in the village of Aiti-Mokh, Nozhai-Yurt district, reported the HQ, adding that it was unearthed after militants in custody disclosed its whereabouts. Almost a kilo and a half of TNT, detonators, more than six hundred 5.45 and 7.62-mm cartridges and twenty-six VOG-17 rounds lay their waiting for their time to come. According to the HQ, the investigations are ongoing.
(more News from Chechnya...)

Russia - Chechnya

Chechen culture

The modern-age Chechen literature started in the 1920s when writers and poets in Chechnya established contacts with colleagues in other parts of the Soviet Union. It was a close concern of such great founding fathers of the Soviet literature as A.Serafimovich, M.Gorky and M.Golodny. A.Serafimovich was a frequent visitor to Chechnya at the time. In 1929, he attended an executive meeting of the Grozny Association of Proletarian Writers. In an address to the gathering, he called on the Chechen writers 'to move as one into real life'. In 1930, he sponsored the publication of a Russian version of the poem 'To the Time of the Tsars' by the Chechen poet Said Baduyev. The poem was published in the opening issue of the NA PODYEME ('On the Rise') literary journal. In the late 1920s and in the opening half of the 1930s, M.Gorky was in overall charge of inter-ethnic literary exchanges within the Soviet Union. His favourite method was dispatching writer support brigades to outlying Soviet republics and regions. Said Baduyev in 1932 responded to this by publishing an essay entitled 'Maxim Gorky is Our Teacher'.
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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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