Actual News from Chechnya

News update

The Russian Economic Development and Trade Ministry plans in 2005 to open centers of public access to Internet in every district of Chechnya, deputy minister Andrei Sharonov has said. "Our ministry has agreed on this project with the government of Chechnya", Sharonov told the joint press conference of the economic development and cultural ministries on the conclusion of the cooperation and interaction agreement within the framework of the federal target program Electronic Russia. Such centers will open in the Chechen populated places, which presently have no access to Internet. Citizens will get free access to the law, educational and cultural resources, Sharonov specified. They are being set up in public places, such as schools and libraries, Sharonov added. The two ministries plan interaction in opening and digitizing archives to make them accessible in electronic form. "Archives should serve the public", Sharonov said. "This is why we will open archives for all users without doing harm to state secrets or security". Last year such centers opened in Kalmykia, Buryatia and Daghestan, which before then had no public access to the world web.
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A cache containing one kilogram of TNT and literature of extremist content was eliminated in Chechnya. The cache was discovered as a result of special operative and searching measures following the information obtained from residents of one of the dwelling houses in the Zavodskoy district of Grozny, a source in the regional headquarters for the antiterrorist operation in the North Caucasus told RIA Novosti. "According to the current data, the cache belonged to Artur Basnukayev and Dzhambulat Kharikhanov, the active participants of the illegal armed formations eliminated in April 2005," the source noted. According to the source, the cache contained an AKS-74 assault rifle, six grenades, five rounds for under-barrel grenade launcher as well as approximately 300 cartridges for firing arms. "Moreover, one kilogram of TNT and literature of extremist content in the Arab language were also discovered in the cache," the source stressed. The confiscated arms were sent for the criminal investigative examination, he added. Furthermore, a large arms-cache was eliminated on Friday in the district center of Shali. The cache in one of the houses of the local residents contained three RPG-26 grenade launchers, seven Kalashnikov assault rifles, 39 rounds for grenade launchers, 12 grenades, a MON-50 mine as well as approximately 11,000 cartridges of various gauges. "Moreover, it contained approximately 2.5 kilos of TNT, 500 grams of plastic explosives, 11 portable radio stations, 10 sets of winter and summer army outfits as well as masks," the source noted. The arrested owners of the house are being interrogated. (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 Kurchaloi Region Is to Cultivate Flax

Flax cultivation for Chechen farmers is a novelty. Never before it was practiced on Chechen soil. But now they decided to try it. Seeds and farming capacities are available but only the autumn will show whether this novelty is successful. If so, flax cultivation will be practiced on a permanent basis. This crop is quite profitable, according to Mansur Varayev chief of the regional agricultural department because demand for flax is quite high, particularly in the textile industry. There are also ideas in the region to restore cattle-breeding. Agriculture without it is nothing. But after the hostilities in the republic, there is only one remaining and unrepaired facility of a cattle farm. The local leadership discussed the situation with the republican agriculture minister and he gave assurances that next year the decision to restore Kurchaloi cattle-breeding will be adopted. But right now its harvest time on the fields in the region. Thousands of hectares of tillage fields for spring crops have been prepared. Fuel , lubricants, as well as seeding machines are in sufficient supply. The situation is much worse with heavy machinery, which according to Mansur Varayev, is in a sorry state. The heavy machinery park has never been renewed for three years. This year some of it will be supplied but deliveries are behind schedule. The ageing machinery needs spare parts, which come at a heavy price on the black market. But Mansur Varayev believes that despite all difficulties, the seeding will go on without a hitch. The important thing is that there are people willing to work.
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Issue 282
22.04.05

Chechnya: news | arguments | facts

22 April 2005  Two guerillas detained in Chechnya
Two guerillas, one of them a subordinate to field commander Timur Abubakarov and the other a member of Rizvan Chitigov's guerilla unit, have been detained in Chechnya, a spokesman for the federal forces in the North Caucasus told Interfax on Thursday. The guerillas are suspected of murdering and attacking servicemen and administrative buildings in Chechnya, he said. A terrorist attack has been prevented in the Itum-Kale district of Chechnya, where guerillas were supposedly preparing to attack the Argun border detachment.
(more News from Chechnya...)

22 April 2005  Maskhadov buried as required by law on terrorism - prosecutor
Slain separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov has been buried as required by the law on terrorism, Russia's deputy prosecutor general Nikolai Shepel said at a press conference in Nalchik on Friday. "Maskhadov's place of burial will not be announced," Shepel said.
(more News from Chechnya...)

22 April 2004  Local helps to seize terrorist
A terrorist involved in killing several police officers has been seized in Chechnya, the North Caucasian anti-terror operation HQ reports in a public statement. The bandit, aged 34, would have escaped if not for a local man informing on him, the HQ points out. The arrested man was active, 1997 into 99, on an anti-terror center capture crew of Aslan Maskhadov's regime. Once President of independent Ichkeria-the name under which Chechen separatists refer to the republic, Maskhadov was killed by federal forces, March 8, 2005. After 1999, the man joined Albek Bugayev's gang under warlord Doku Umarov, to involve in many heinous crimes against civilians in the Urus Martan District. He was on a crew that booby-trapped a police Volga car in 2000 to kill five officers. In 2003, the man shot dead police divisional inspector Ruslan Satobayev in the same district's village Roshni Chu. Two homemade hand grenades were found on the bandit after he was seized. Another bandit, aged 26, has been captured, adds the press release. A Dyshne-Vedeno villager, he had been with the gang of warlord Rizvan Bachagayev who was eliminated in July 2002. The gang was under direct supervision of notorious warlord Hattab, and was making terror acts against Chechen civilians on his orders. Mercenary Hattab, of Jordanian extraction, was even higher on the Chechen terrorist hierarchy than Shamil Basayev, also of great cruelty and notoriety. A go-between to pass money to Chechnya from international terrorist donors, Hattab was long hiding in the highlands. It took close on a year to prepare an operation to seize or kill him, and he eventually met his violent death, March 2002. Another man, 30-year-old villager of Khacharoi, Vedeno District, has surrendered. He led one of the gangs under Shamil Basayev, 2001-02, which was active in his village vicinity, and was member of Basayev's own gang, 2003. The repentant bandit is anxious to help police detect his bandits' crimes, says the HQ release.
(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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