Actual News from Chechnya

News update

Chechen militants continue to use explosive devices, camouflaged as the objects, which could be an attraction for children. Two children were injured by such explosive devices last Sunday, a representative of the Regional Operational Staff for control over the counterterrorist operation in the Northern Caucasus told Itar-Tass. Arbi Arsanukayev, nine years old, from the Staropromyslovsky District of Grozny, got numerous shrapnel wounds. According to the information of the boy, he found a thing on the road, which he could not identify. When he picked it up, it exploded right in his hands, said the officer of the Regional Staff. Another incident took place in the village of Makhkety, Vedeno District, with Ilyas Gatsayev, 15 years old. The boy was injured by the explosion of the bomb laid by terrorists, when he and other children were playing in the building of an abandoned farm. The terrorists found out well in advance that the building was often visited by children, who came there to play, he continued. Both boys are staying in hospitals. Search groups are looking for the terrorists, who committed those crimes.
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A delegation from the European Commission will visit the North Caucasus region early next week, a source in the European Commission's office in Moscow told Interfax on Friday. "The EC mission is planning to visit the North Caucasus on April 11 to study the situation in the region in order to provide EU aid to the region's social and economic restoration," the source said. He said that EU representatives are planning to visit Chechnya, North Ossetia and 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
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Chechen economics

The Red Cross is to help small business in Chechnya

For several years now the Red Cross has been engaged in various works in Chechnya and according to a Red Cross official there are plans to start micro-economic projects in the republic and involved in the projects will be families who have benefited from humanitarian help. There are some 50 thousands of such in Chechnya. Residents are to submit business plans, describing details of projects relating to the setting up of a mini private enterprise that will bring them regular income and a long term support. The Red Cross plans to give 100 grants to families having their own business plans and projects, thus making the Red Cross help in Chechnya more effective. This much has been said by an official of the Red Cross, Marco Alter, speaking at a meeting with the first deputy to the presidents envoy in the Southern Federal District, Victor Anpilogov during his visit. The project relates to the rendering of help to Chechen citizens, a project which the Red Cross has begun in Chechnya since November of last year. It involves helping the small businessman or woman and its essence is that Chechens will apply to the Red Cross giving details of business plans for the setting up of a private enterprise. Last year, under a pilot scheme, applications were received for the provision of a pop corn making machine and for a device for gas welding. If a business plan is considered promising the appropriate equipment are given out. If a family decides to engage in private business and its business plan is endorsed, such a family is removed from the list of recipients of humanitarian assistance after three months. The Red Cross has been operating that scheme in different countries, like Bosnia. The Red Cross humanitarian efforts are currently concentrated in North Caucasus and the Society is this year spending 26 million dollars, with the lion share of the money being spent on humanitarian help to that region.
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Issue 279
11.04.05

Chechnya: news | arguments | facts

11 April 2005  Two guerrilla leaders killed in Chechnya
Two militant leaders were eliminated in the suburbs of Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, on Sunday. "Dzhambulat Chedayev, the emir of the Vedeno region, who arrived in Grozny to stage terrorist attacks and acts of sabotage, and Artur Barsunkayev, the emir of Chernorechye, were eliminated when they opened fire on law enforcement units trying to detain them," Chechen Interior Minister Ruslan Alkhanov told Russia's NTV television. The anti-guerrilla operation was carried out by Chechnya's regiment named after the republic's late President Akhmad Kadyrov. "The militants were preparing a series of terrorist attacks in Grozny on Shamil Basayev's orders," Alkhanov said.
(more News from Chechnya...)

11 April 2005  Chechen government delegates to visit Germany next month
A Chechen government delegation will visit Germany, May, to discuss tentative joint ventures for German participation in rehabilitating the Chechen economy, republican President Alu Alkhanov said in Hanover today. A European Union delegation will visit Chechnya, April 13-14, to discuss European countries' contribution to Chechen rehabilitation, he said to Russian journalists. Chechnya is not represented at the current Hanover industrial fair, but his visit to it is useful, nevertheless, what with future-oriented economic contracts budding at this major event, said President Alkhanov. Chechnya intends to start a pavilion at the Moscow-based All-Russia Exposition Center, and related talks are well underway, he added.
(more News from Chechnya...)

11 April 2004  European Commission to allocate funds for aid to NCaucasus
The European Commission will allocate 22.5 million euro as the first tranche of aid to the North Caucasus this year, Marc Franco, the head of the European Commissions mission in the Russian Federation, told a news conference devoted to humanitarian activity of the European Commission in the North Caucasus. He said a large part of the funds allocated for the North Caucasus would go to Chechnya. This aid will be meant for refugees and the most vulnerable sections of the population, Franco said. It will comprise every area: legal and psychological aid, supplying food products and means of hygiene, giving temporary shelter and education, he said. The programme will be implemented by specialized United Nations agencies and some non-governmental organizations. Philippe Royan, the European Unions top aid official in Moscow, said a delegation of the European Commission would visit Chechnya next week to study the scope in which the European Unions contribution is required. He said it would help establish the needs and priorities. The possibility of additional programmes outside the framework of humanitarian aid will also be considered.
(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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