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You can listen to Free Chechnya Radio station from 6 AM to 12 PM Moscow time on a frequency of 594 kHz on the medium wave band and on a frequency of 171 kHz on the long wave band. The programme is created with the involvement of the Ministry for culture and mass communication of the Russian Federation.
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Chechen culture

The Etiquette of Chechen Marriage Customs

The traditional Chechen marriage ceremony, like their other folk customs has always been in its secretive cohesion. It included sing-songs, dance, music, pantomime and narration, which altogether produced a whole spectacle. The elements of the Chechen nuptial ceremony, including horse-riding, bridal introduction into the grooms home, acquaintance with the bride, her movement to a river, a visit of the future groom to the brides relatives and others represent the main features of the Chechen folk theatrics, which manifest a mass creativity, originality, multi-faceted national forms, breadth, and depth of popular fantasy. In general, the playful element spectacle and facial expressions are well developed in the images of a Chechen marriage. This is evident from the very notion of the Chechen marriage known as lovzar which means play. Nuptial ceremonies among Chechens and Ingushis have some differences. With Ingushis it is considered a calamity that s girl gets married without the parents blessing, while Chechens see nothing wrong in that. Sometimes, her relatives go this way in order to avoid extra expenses involved in marriage ceremonies. At the appointed time, a groom with friends would go to an appropriate place (the exit spot for the bride) and take away the girl and this is considered to be getting married (marie yakhar) or nuptials (zuda yalor). The bride is taken to the home of a friend, or brother-in-law or a grooms relative (zuda yossar the brides sojourn) to settle certain formalities. It is necessary to dispatch a man (stag vakhiitar) in order to inform her relatives about her voluntary decision to get married, reconciliation (tam bar), redemption payment (yoikhana or kyovlam) to the girls relatives, preparation of the bride for her nuptials (nuskal kechdar) when the parents send her clothing, sow or buy whatever she needs. This lasts for a week or sometimes longer. And all this time the marriage (lovzar)is being prepared. A retinue (zamuoi) is sent for the bride on the marriage day, including the grooms friends (nevzan nakyosk or best men). On the way to the bride and back the nuptial procession throw up a merry-making. They play harmonica, fire guns and previously Chechen equestrians displayed their shooting prowess, fencing and equestrian skills. While on the way, the brides relatives or her fellow villagers can halt the procession by a burka (shipskin overcoat) or a rope strung across the street and demand a redemption fee. The fee is demanded on the brides exit from her parents home (Ney lazar meaning to hold a door). The bride is taken to the grooms home and is placed fully dressed in a nuptial costume in an honorary spot in a room, usually in the opposite corner from the entry near a window covered in a nuptial curtain (kirkhya).
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Chechen history

The history of Russian-Chechen relations

The current conflict in Chechnya is largely rooted in the history of Russian-Chechen relations, which include six stages. The first stage The first stage, which started in the middle of the 16th century and lasted until the end of the 17th century, was marked by a peaceful colonization of the region. That period is characterized by vassal-allied forms of relations between Moscow tsars and elders of Chechen communities. Moscow was trying to expand its influence in the region by political and economic means mainly. The policy was a success and Chechen communities voluntarily (by signing agreements) announced recognition of the supreme power of the Moscow state. The second stage The second stage, which lasted almost throughout the 18th century, marks the beginning of Russia's open military expansion to the North Caucasus. Under Peter I and then Catherine II the doctrine of colonizing the mountain areas prevalent. (more...)

Issue 449
17.04.07

Chechnya: news | arguments | facts

17 April 2007 Blood-Donor Center in Grozny Doubles its Blood Donation Target
Last years results show that Groznys blood donation program exceeded its original target two-fold. It handled 10,000 donors instead of the expected 5,000 thus fully ensuring Chechnyas medical facilities with all necessary blood components. And this years results are expected to be even higher by comparison with the year before, since four more subsidiaries of the center are planned to open in other regions of the Republic. Last years blood output exceeds that of several years ago several-fold. In 2006 the centers blood bank collected 5,267 liters of conserved blood and 4,214 liters of non-conserved blood, which is 3 to 4 times higher than in the past. All blood donated, in keeping with an order of Russias Health Ministry, must be processed for its various components, since pure and untreated blood is banned from distribution at medical facilities. Generally, the storage of blood when treated with various preservatives, lasts from 21 to 31 days. Blood plasma, however, in deep freeze of about 40 degrees Celcius can be conserved for up to 12 months. In these conditions there should be no shortage of any blood components for use by medical establishments in Chechnya in emergency situations. But theres a blood type that is known as type 0, Rhesus factor negative, which is rare among donors: approximately 10 donors out of a hundred have it. All donors with this rare genotype are put on an emergency list in Chechnya. Thus, if theres urgent need at a medical facility, the donor station will handle the case as an emergency and rare blood-type donors will always come to the rescue of patients who happen to be in trouble.
(more News from Chechnya...)

16 April 2007  First vice-premier Medvedev praises positive changes in Chechnya
First Vice-premier Dmitry Medvedev believes the situation in Chechnya has changed for the better. "It is obvious everything has been changing for the better, and I can see that myself," Medvedev declared at a meeting with students of Chechen State University on Monday. "Naturally there is much work to do yet, but if no work is done there will be no headway," Medvedev said. University Rector Anzor Muzayev said that the university resumed its work in April, 2000. Today, there are 803 teachers on staff of the university that has 72 chairs. The overall number of students, including students from the extra-curriculum departments, is 15,000. The University has more than 2,000 graduates annually. Dmitry Medvedev talked to students from the university medical department and asked them if they liked studying there. "There is a shortage of doctors, and therapeutists, in particular, he said. "Such specialties are a deficit," he added. "Just wait, in a couple of years we shall graduate," a student said in reply. Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, who is accompanying Dmitry Medvedev on the visit, said that the regional authorities were step-by-step restoring the social sector and peaceful life in Chechnya. After the visit to the University Medvedev went to Argun to visit a secondary school there. Itar-Tass
(more News from Chechnya...)

16 April 2007  Three defendants in Chechnya murder case ordered into custody
Three defendants in a long-running case on the alleged murder of six civilians by Russian army officers in Chechnya have been put on a wanted list after they failed to appear in court. Captain Eduard Ulman and three other servicemen have been accused of attacking a vehicle and killing its driver and passengers during a reconnaissance raid in the troubled North Caucasus republic in January 2002. The judge ordered Ulman, Voyevodin, and Kalagansky into custody after they failed to show up in court. Their defense lawyer said he had been unable to get in touch with them. The judge did not impose a restraining order on the fourth defendant, Alexei Perelevsky, who appeared in court. The court adjourned till May 24. The defendants earlier admitted involvement, but denied the charges against them. North Caucasus Military Court juries twice acquitted Ulman, Perelevsky, Lieutenant Alexander Kalagansky and Warrant Officer Vladimir Voyevodin on charges of murder and abuse of office. But the Supreme Court upheld an appeal filed by prosecutors and backed by lawyers acting for the victims, and ruled that a professional non-jury court should hear the case. The Constitutional Court ruled last year that serious crimes committed in Chechnya could be tried without a jury. The ruling came following an inquiry made by then-Chechen President Alu Alkhanov concerning the legality of several articles in the laws on military courts that he said gave the military rights not enjoyed by ordinary citizens. RIA Novosti
(more News from Chechnya...)

Russia - Chechnya

Chechen history

Chechens (self-assumed name " nokhchi" ) are the world" s most ancient people with unique anthropological type and culture. They are the largest ethnic group in the North Caucasus (more than 1 million people). The neighbouring Ingush people are very similar in genotype, culture and religion. Together they form the Vainakh people related by blood, common history, territorial, economic and cultural links and language. Vainakhs (Chechens, Ingushes) are aborigines of the Caucasus and speak Nakh, a language that belongs to the Iberian-Caucasian language family. The Vainakh (Chechen) ethnic and cultural complex was formed on the basis of various aboriginal people. Historically the Chechen community was formed as multi-ethnic and it kept absorbing ethnic elements of nomadic people and neighbouring high-landers, the evidence of which being the non-Vainakh origin of many Chechen clans. The history of Chechnya can be described as a continuing struggle for freedom and independence against outside enemies, in which periods of prosperity alternated with defeats and new attempts to revive the statehood. In the early Middle Ages (4th-12th centuries) Chechens had to take up arms to defend themselves against invaders from Rome, Sasanid Iran, Arab Caliphate and Khazar Kaganate. The centuries-long struggle forged a military union of highlanders and laid the foundation for their statehood.
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