Actual News from Chechnya

News update

Illegal armed units cannot change the Chechen situation, First Deputy Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov told Interfax. "If this summer is hot, we will go on vacation to Sochi. There is nothing that can influence the situation in Chechnya," he said. "The Chechen president's security service and law enforcement departments have nearly caught Basayev. We have his personal weapon and the German-made prosthetic appliance he left behind in his escape. We have given his prosthetic appliance to a handicapped man," Kadyrov said.
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Chechen policemen have captured five active members of unlawful armed gangs in the course of the past twenty-four hours. Two of them were members of the gangs, which were subordinated to Maskhadov and Basayev. Itar-Tass was told at the Regional Operations Headquarters, directing the counter-terrorism operation in the Northern Caucasus, that the whereabouts of the bandits was learned from local the population. For instance, 21-year-old local resident was arrested in the village of Yandy of the Achkhoi-Martan District of Chechnya. A submachine-gun with 150 cartridges was found during the search of his house there. (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 280
15.04.05

Chechnya: news | arguments | facts

15 April 2005  In Nazran a UN Seminar Was Held on the Protection of the Populations' Rights
The United Nations continues its humanitarian activity in the North Caucasus. This prestigious international organization tries to help Russian federal structures to satisfy essential requirements of the local population that suffered during the military conflict and to resolve the problem of its legal protection. Earl} in March a seminar was held in Nazran to discuss plans for the activity in human rights protection in the North Caucasus. The seminar was sponsored by employees of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refuges. The concept o] protecting the population has been worked out and tabled by the UN Secretary, General. The need of conducting a seminar was voiced at the round table held in February 2003. Participating in the round table were various UN organizations international and national non-government organizations, the International Red Cross, donor-countries, federal government structures and the local authorities. One of the subjects under discussion at the seminar was direct contacts o: humanitarian organizations working in the North Caucasus with the recipients o: aid. Security considerations do not allow many organizations to open their offices there. During the seminar plenary sessions were held at which all participants in the seminar, over 60 persons, discussed things together. In general, discussion: were held of the following subjects: requirements of displaced persons, the population and receiving communities, needs of children and women in the domain of human rights, justice and supremacy of the law, access of humanitarian organizations to recipients of aid and security of those organizations' personal. The seminar worked out recommendations on how the United Nations humanitarian community as a whole and non-government organizations should ac to supplement the efforts of the government to protect the population. No doubt the main responsibility of protecting the population rests with the country' government and all government agencies.
(more News from Chechnya...)

14 April 2005  Guerilla base eliminated in Chechnya - Shabalkin
A guerilla base has been eliminated in the mountains near the village of Serzhen-Yurt in Chechnya's Shali district, spokesman for the federal forces in the North Caucasus Maj. General Ilya Shabalkin told Interfax. Information about the base was provided by a former member of Magomed Baisultanov's guerilla group, who had surrendered to the authorities, Shabalkin said. The base was comprised of two dugouts and a plastic barrel dug into the ground that was used to store ammunition.
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14 April 2004  Two guerillas killed in Grozny
Two guerillas were killed in a clash with police on the site of a ruined canning factory in Grozny's Leninsky district on Wednesday evening, Chechen law enforcement sources told Interfax on Thursday. "Policemen came under fire during a search operation. They retaliated, killing two militants. The killed militants' bodies are being identified," a source said. A pistol, eight blasting cartridges and an electric detonator were discovered at the scene, he said.
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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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