Actual News from Chechnya

News update

Prominent Chechen guerilla leader Rizvan Chitigov has been killed in a special operation in the Shali district, the headquarters of the Russian Combined Federal Forces in the North Caucasus told Interfax.
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A total of 4,500 policemen and servicemen of interior troops ensure security on the administrative border between Chechnya and Ingushetia, Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev said. He said in parliaments upper house on Wednesday that the 640-kilometer border between the two republics is divided into four operational areas. Special attention is given there to crime detection. Nurgaliyev said the 126th regiment of interior troops handled tasks to localise possible armed intrusions and terrorist acts jointly with groups of operational control. Such groups, whose total strength is 19,000 servicemen, have been set up in 12 regions of the Southern Federal District. As for the appointment of Ingushetias interior minister, Nurgaliyev said the decision would be made after the completion of a parliamentary probe into Septembers hostage-taking raid of a school in Beslan. Terrorists then entered the city from Ingushetia. (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

Italy shows interest in Achxoi-Martan Company

The Achxoi-Martan company Teplostroiproekt-S or Heat creation project-S is a private firm that has for ten years now been producing heating systems of international standards. Many regions in Russia are showing interest in the companys products and the activity of the enterprise has been praised by the Chechen Prime Minister, Sergei Abramov. Officials of the firm have recently taken part in an international exhibition held in Moscow in one of the pavilions of the Exhibition center. The exhibition was devoted to climate equipment and apart from Achxoi-Martan several other countries in the business of producing heating systems like Sweden, Germany, Spain and Italy took part in the exhibition. After winning the 2003 competition called 100 best goods of Russia the Achxoi-Martan company was invited by officials of the Exhibition center to take part in the above mentioned exhibition. At the exhibition officials from Siberia and the Far East showed interested in the products of the firm from Achxoi-Martan and want to establish a branch of the company in their regions to complete the building of their boilers. Representatives of the company from Achxoi-Martan briefed them about the technical details of their project. Soon a programme based on those technical details will begin to be realized. Kazakhstan has also displayed interest in the products of the Achxoi-Martan firm since Italy has supplied similar items to Kazakhstan. After studying technical details of the Heat creating project-S Italy changed its investment plans and now want to supply complete parts to the Chechen Company which in turn will assemble module boilers to be sent to Kazakhstan. The investor and main contractor is Italy while Kazakhstan is the client.
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Issue 274
24.03.05

Chechnya: news | arguments | facts

24 Mart 2005  Chechen official praises successful operation against militants
Chechnya's First Deputy Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov said the destruction of gang leader Rizvan Chitigov is a serious blow to the whole criminal underworld and, foremost, to the Arab mercenaries still operating in the republic. "Chitigov was closely connected to well-known Arab mercenaries, such as Khattab and Abu al-Walid. In his actions, he was free from Maskhadov and Basayev, both in financial matters and decision-making; he received funding directly from abroad and therefore could talk with the chief separatists as an equal, Kadyrov told Itar-Tass in comments on the results of the police operation. To a certain extent, their relations were hostile. At one point, Chitigov tried to assassinate Maskhadov, but both attempts failed. According to Kadyrov, the destroyed militant was a top demolition expert. He instructed Arabs and was involved in almost 90 percent of high profile bomb attacks in Chechnya. He commanded a large group of militants. It included the gang which joined him after federal forces destroyed their chief Arbi Barayev. Rizvan Chitigov offered resistance to law-enforcement bodies and was destroyed in his house in the town of Shali on Wednesday afternoon, in a joint operation by Chechen police and the presidential security service.
(more News from Chechnya...)

24 Mart 2005  Six Chechen militants detained over past day
Chechen law enforcement agencies detained six militants in the republic over the past day. Target operations have been carried out in the Shali, Urus-Martan, Nozhai-Yurt and Gudermes districts. Four out of six detained militants have already confessed that they have been involved in terrorist acts and attacks on military columns, the operational department of the republican Interior Ministry told Itar-Tass. Two detained residents of Goity in the Urus-Martan district were militants. During a search in the yard of the house where the detainees lived caches with arms and ammunition were found.
(more News from Chechnya...)

24 Mart 2004  Talks with separatist leaders impossible - Chechen president
Chechen President Alu Alkhanov stated that he is prepared to deal with anyone advocating a peaceful solution to the conflict in Chechnya, but said he opposes dialogue with Shamil Basayev and Akhmed Zakayev. "I'm not ready to talk with Basayev and did not plan to deal with Maskhadov. These people will not assume any tasks that would benefit our people. It would be an empty talk," Alkhanov told a news conference at the Interfax main office in Moscow on Wednesday. He said proposals for negotiations with the guerilla leaders is a trite subject. "Some profit from it, while others use it to make money," the Chechen president said.
(more News from Chechnya...)

Russia - Chechnya

Chechen culture

The fifth filial of Mikhail Y. Lermontov - the great Russian poets museum opened in an ancient house in the village of Paraboch of the Shelkovki Region in Chechnya . The house is nearly 250 years old and it belonged to a local landlord, retired general Akim Khastatov whose wife Yekaterina Stolypina was a distant relative to Lermontovs grandmother Yelizaveta Arsenyevna. The latter visited Khastatovs estate several times. And she took along young Mikhail, whom she raised after his mothers death. In 1837 during his exile to the Caucasus, Lermontov revisited the home of his relatives. In 1841, he went there for the last time shortly before his death. The building has been well preserved. In 1990 restoration work was begun to make a museum of the great poet. But the events of the past decade postponed all restoration work. Fortunately the building wasnt damaged in the course of hostilities. But it is in need of maintenance. The most important thing that its internal architecture, the living room, window shutters and certain items that the poet may have touched, have all been preserved. In 2004 museum personnel was formed. Svetlana Temirbulatova a learned person and a known philologist in Chechnya was appointed the museums director. The employees will be allocated part of the museum as a working area. The employees will engage in search of items and materials of Lermontovs time and complete the museums exposition. As soon as the building is passed over into the Chechen Culture Ministry care, restoration and maintenance work will get underway. Later on it will receive its first visitors.
(chechen culture ...)

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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