Actual News from Chechnya

News update

Chechnyafree.ru Internet-portal took part in the second International festival of non-commercial internet projects, which was held from 2003 by the Web-masters Union of Russia and sponsored by the Federation Union, the State Duma, the Moscow City Government. Taking part in it were state, commercial and public organizations. The festival is aimed at spreading Russias non-commercial internet space and supporting youth initiatives dealing with social problems, reducing extremist tendencies in our society and strengthening international ties. More than 3,000 people representing 468 data resource managers from Russia, the Commonwealth countries, the Baltic states and other foreign countries participated in the festival in 2004. The final program of the festival took place in Moscow from January 18 through January 23, 2005 and it featured seminars, instruction and master-classes with leading IT experts. The festival declared Chechnyafree.ru the winner in the Best Information Regional Project nomination. On January 20 at a ceremony in the Smaller Hall of Russias Federation Union, an official of the information policy committee of the Federation Union presented it with an honorary diploma. Video ...
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ROH reported that a local man had helped law enforcers to find an arms cache. "A shepherd, who is a resident of the village of Alkhan-Kala, informed law enforcers that he had seen a few strangers in the vicinity of the village on the previous morning," RIA Novosti's source said. According to the shepherd, he "grew suspicious of them hiding in the tree belt area and stashing something into the ground". At the place indicated, law enforcers found an arms cache containing a rocket launcher with ammunition, a hand grenade, two artillery rounds and grenades for underbarrel grenade launchers, doctored to be used in IEDs, three antipersonnel mines and a lot of small-arms ammunition. A 35-year-old militant was arrested in the Shelkovskoy District. He is a member of the gang led by Lecha Eskiyev, a henchman of terrorist Shamil Basayev. According to a ROH spokesman, the detained militant confessed that, while with his gang, he had been to the fortified militant hideouts in the woods situated near two villages of the Shelkovskoy District. "The detainee has named sidekicks and accomplices of Eskiyev. Law enforcers are searching for the rest of Eskiyev's gang," the officer said. (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 261
07.02.05

Chechnya: news | arguments | facts

05 February 2005  UN humanitarian service in Chechnya
In January officials of the UN humanitarian service visited Chechnya to study the humanitarian situation as well as to get acquainted with human rights position. At their request there was a meeting with the prime minister of Chechnya, Sergei Abramov at which urgent issues concerning details about the sitting of the UN humanitarian services in the republic were examined. At the moment the offices and technical service of the UN organ are in other parts of North Caucasus. The chairman of the Chechen committee on human rights of Russian nationals who is also the chairman of the republican legal Council, Nurdi Nukhazhiyev, represented the Chechen human rights bodies at the meeting. Speaking he said that there were examples of the effectiveness of the UN humanitarian service in different conflict regions and hot spots in the world but that in Chechnya the UN organs work is not visible. There are favourable conditions for such activity in Chechnya, said Mr. Nukhazhiyev. Security concerns cannot prevent such activity for even during the most difficult period, 3 to 4 years ago, UN experts worked successfully in the republic and since then the situation in Chechnya has significantly stabilized. From the economic angle a permanent presence of UN services could be a good signal for foreign investors. Mr. Nukhazhiyev has said that on visiting some regions, places for the temporary settlement of displaced people, schools and hospitals the UN officials saw the positive changes in Chechnya and that there is free movement. They moved about in the republic without armed escort. They were satisfied with what they saw and talked about it at the meeting with the head of government, in talks with Russian and foreign journalists. According to Nurdi Nukhazhiyev the UN officials were convinced about the need to enlarge the humanitarian activities of international organizations precisely in Chechnya, promising to brief UN chiefs about all they had seen as well as their own thinking about the need to broaden the humanitarian services in Chechnya.
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04 February 2005  D.Kozak: Maskhadov orders ceasefire. Goodwill act?
Aslan Maskhadov, Chechen separatist leader, has ordered unilateral cessation of combat operations. He actually means the move to remind the public of his existence, holds Dmitri Kozak, presidential envoy plenipotentiary to the Southern federal district. Maskhadov and Shamil Basayev, are alleged to have ordered combat operations suspended to February 22 as a goodwill act. The information comes from Chechen separatist web sites-Kavkaz-Center and Chechenpress. "Maskhadov has often made such attempts. In fact, he no longer has the say-so in Chechnya, so we don't pay too much attention to his move. To all appearances, he just doesn't want to go into oblivion," said Mr. Kozak. He was addressing newsmen during a break in a business development conference in district South, underway in Volgograd. The North Caucasian regional anti-terror HQ previously denied the authenticity of Maskhadov's and Basayev's statements. "Whatever references to the bandit underground chieftains are false, and the statements fruit of Movladi Udugov's imagination," the HQ says in a press release.
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04 February 2004  T.Dzhabrailov: Maskhadov will surrender if Basayev is dead
Rumors about the death of separatist leader Shamil Basayev are being circulated in Chechnya, but this information will be confirmed only after law enforcement agencies produce evidence proving his death, the republic's State Council Chairman Taus Dzhabrailov told Interfax by phone on Friday. "Rumors about Basayev's death are being spread in Chechnya. But only law enforcement agencies can confirm his death by showing this man's body or some video tapes to the public," Dzhabrailov said. Basayev's death would deliver a blow to all remaining guerrilla groups in Chechnya, he said. "He is such a major figure that in the event of his death, any vigorous terrorist activities on the territory of the republic or outside it will be out of the question. If Basayev's death is confirmed, [separatist leader] Aslan Maskhadov will take rapid steps to search for various opportunities to surrender to law enforcement agencies," the official said.
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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.
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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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