Beslan

Travel Stories - Russia


Beslan-School-Monument-Flowers-Roses-Cross-Russia

introduction


The road is reasonable, sometimes two and sometimes four lanes, flanked by two long rows of trees, sometimes a stall selling fruit under a tree, a police car, corn fields, some hills on one side, the other side is flat and it is hot - very hot in the bus. I have seen twice a horse and a carriage and for the rest it can be as if you are traveling everywhere in Eastern Europe.

 

I ask myself if there is a checkpoint at the border between the two federal republics but none of this. Of course I made it clear to the driver that I do not speak Russian and that I would like to go to school in "Beslan" which was the scene in 2004 of that terrible hostage drama that ended in a bloodbath. I keep an eye on the signs (as far as that goes) and I know that when we stop about 1.5 hours later, we will be in the city where I want to go. The driver is already on his way to the bathroom when I follow him and ask if I should get out of here.

 

He does not know the school but I’m sure it’s here. Yesterday evening I made a small piece of paper with Beslan - school - hostage - 2004 written on it in Cyrillic and show this to a couple of men at a garage. They show me the way. I walk through a city in Northern Osetie and I do not feel like something bad can happen here, but I've experienced that before.

The hostage in Beslan (I) 

On the day of the hostage, 1 September, every school in the Russian Federation celebrates annualy a festival called the Day of Knowledge. The children wear their finest clothes and are accompanied by their parents and other family members.

 

In 2004, terrorists were deliberately attacking this day and hosted the children and adults of School Number One in the city of Beslan. They tried with this action to force the withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya and the arrival of several high politicians to the school. However, the action turned out to be a bloodbath.


The ruin


I have walked about 20 minutes through some broad streets in this almost 40,000-person city before I start to ask people the direction to the school. Two women know where I want to go and the elderly woman (the mother I guess) makes clear she wants to take me there. It all sounds very mysterious like it’s forbidden to go there and/or even dangerous.

 

I hear the words death, taxi and airport but have no idea what this all means. And suddenly I see the school in the distance and I make clear that I’m oke now. But the woman doesn’t leave at all and walks with me like she’s afraid to leave me alone here. I look at the school with disbelief. There are wreaths against what the gym must have been and behind it stands the windowless school.

 

This part has been blocked by a ribbon and the school appears to have been locked with some enormous locks. The round gym is open and covered by a glass dome so that it’s blocked against rain. The baskets are still hanging there and there is a large wooden Orthodox cross in the center spot. The walls are covered with dozens of photos of victims and there are hundreds of toy animals. The bulletholes in the wall and floor are also clearly visible.

The hostage in Beslan (II) 

Day 1

On September 1, 2004 at 09:30 local time, a group of around thirty armed men and women, driving in GAZ-66 military trucks, stormed the middle classes of Beslan “Number One” school. Most attackers wore black balaclavas and some wore belts with explosives attached to them.

 

After a shooting with the police, in which five agents and one attacker were killed, the hostage takers took control of the school and held more than 1100 people. About fifty people were fortunate enough to escape the chaos of the first attack. Most of the hostages were between seven and eighteen years young.

 

Initially there was a lot of confusion about how many hostages there were in the school. Soon after the assault, bystanders heard a shooting in the school. It turned out later that the hostage-takers had killed twenty adult male hostages and had removed their bodies from the buildings. A security cordon was soon installed around the school, consisting of Russian police and army units, security services, etc. The terrorists forced the hostages to go to the gym, and provided the building with improvised explosive installations.

 

They threatened to blow up the school as soon as government units attacked the school. The Russian government initially said that it would like to prevent its military means from being used to rescue the hostages; she hoped that a peaceful resolution could be drawn up through negotiations. Later, however, the government had to give up this solution because the hostage-takers refused to negotiate. In the evening of the first day of the hostage, the Security Council of the United Nations was convened. Council members demanded "the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages from the terrorist attack". US President George W. Bush gave Russia unconditional support in resolving the crisis.

 

Day 2

On September 2, 2004, negotiations between the hostage takers and Russia turned out to be unsuccessful. The terrorists even refused to provide food, water and medicines to the hostages and did not allow authorities to remove the dead from the building.

 

Many hostages, mostly children, undressed to endure the extreme heat in the buildings. This led to rumors of sexual abuse by the hostage takers, but these later turned out to be unfounded. In the afternoon, the armed fighters agreed to the release of 26 women with babies. Around 15:30 two explosions took place in the school, about 10 minutes apart. These later turned out to be explosions of rocket-propelled grenades.

 

Day 3

In the afternoon of 3 September 2004, the hostage takers agreed to the arrival of medical authorities to remove the bodies from the schoolyard. Reaming units entered the school grounds, but after a few seconds the hostage takers opened fire on them, after which two explosions were heard. Two aid workers were killed; the rest could flee. As a result of the explosions a part of the gym collapsed, allowing a group of about thirty hostages to escape. The group was shot at by the armed hostage-takers, killing some of the fleeing prisoners.

 

Others managed to escape. This was probably the moment when Russian special forces set in motion their action plan to storm the school to save all possible survivors. A chaotic struggle broke out when the special units tried to enter the school and let the hostages escape. A large group of soldiers stormed the building, as did special units, national army units, armed helicopters and at least one tank.

 

Even local citizens started the attack with their own weapons. The hostage-takers let the gym explode and a large part of the rest of the building. A big fire broke out. Special commands made man-made-holes in the walls to allow hostages to escape. Around 15:00, two hours after the attack began, Russian troops claimed control for most of the school. Yet the fighting continued. In the basement three armed men were detected together with a number of hostages. They were all killed.

 

Reportedly, two female hostage-takers, who were supposedly disguised as aid workers, got out.


Beslan-School-Monument-Flowers-Roses-Cross-Russia

I walk around with a lump in my throat and walk to the school itself. Through the windows I see a coat hanging on the coat rack and on a blackboard something is written as if it happened yesterday. I am still swarming around followed by the woman who looks around like we’re doing something that’s forbidden.

 

After walking a few more rounds, I walk to the woman and say that I walk back to the bus station. Again the words that I have to watch. I thank the woman although it’s very frustrating not to know what she meant all the time. Near the cultural center I find a local restaurant where I order lunch.

The hostage in Beslan (III) 

Aftermath:

According to official data, 331 civilians died during the attack. At least one surviving female hostage committed suicide. Many other survivors were in shock. Others died in the hospital from their injuries. During the operation, 11 fighters from the special divisions Alfa and Vympel were killed, including the commander of Alfa.

 

Responsibility for the terrorist act was claimed on 17 September 2004 by the Chechen resistance fighter Sjamil Basajev and his companion Magomet Jevlojev. The identity behind the terrorists, however, was not immediately clear. Many believed it should have been separatists from nearby Chechnya, but Aslambek Aslachanov had denied this: he claimed they were not Chechens.

 

The Russian government declared that the group consisted of an international group of Arabs, Tatars, Kazakhs, Chechens, Uzbeks and even a local resident, the Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maschadov denied that his troops were involved in the siege, condemning the hostage and all attacks against civilians through a statement issued by his envoy Ahmed Zakayev.Finally, the identity of 32 hostages was announced Among them were 5 women.

 

In May 2005, the only known accused terrorist of the massacre, which was still alive, Noer-Pasji Kulajev was tried in a Russian court in North Ossetia. All local lawyers refused to defend Kulaev. Albert Plijev was eventually appointed as a lawyer. There was great anger among the locals: they wanted to either lynch the accused, or they would have condemned him to the death penalty. Kulaev was officially accused of murder, terrorism, kidnapping and other crimes and was found guilty on seven charges.

 

On May 26, 2006, he was sentenced to life imprisonment, although according to the judge he deserved the death penalty. But in Russia the death penalty was abolished, so his sentence was converted. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced two days of national mourning, namely 6 and 7 September. On September 7, 135,000 people took part in an anti-terror demonstration on the Red Square in Moscow.

 

The bus station is closed and I ask local people where buses go to Vladikavkaz. A young boy with a friend of his take me to a bus stop just around the corner and a few minutes later a minibus is indeed there with a board in front of the window saying Vladikavkaz.

 

In the bus I serve as a conduit for the money and I watch the road for something nobody is paying attention to - at about 15 kilometers in front of the city Vladikavkaz it was that the Germans stopped their march towards the Caucasus (hence also that the capital of North-Osetie is not ruined); here no monument or sign but it is unbelievable that the Nazis have come so far.

 

In Moscow, by the way, you can see a set of rails that indicate the farthest line of the Germans. As I get closer to the city, I suddenly see a first mosque - it seems that more and more are built here after the collapse of the Soviet Union.


Vladikavkaz


It is very hot in Vladikavkaz when I walk through the busy and crowded shopping street, cross the river and ask in a cafe where the hostel is that I wrote down on a piece of paper. Kinda relieved I see the hostel and walk inside but it’s clear that is something is wrong. Inside, the woman starts to make phone calls. I found the hostel on the internet and it now appears that it is a residence for soldiers and not for tourists.

 

Another man tries to arrange a place for one night but the big boss is against it. I have to leave. Standing on the street again I decide to go to Hotel Vladikavkaz first - that seems to be the most reliable place to get information regarding the current state of affairs with the border with Georgia and the border region. The girl there speaks fluent English which I am very happy with but I am less pleased with her news - you can not go to Dargavs, the city of the dead, without a license and invitation from the government. Last week, a Canadian was directly arrested and had to pay a very high fine and was detained for a day at the police station before they let him go.

 

The good news is that the border is "just" open (even in the weekend) and that there is a bus from here (at the hostel where I just being kicked out of). This bus goes towards Kazbegi in Georgia. The last question for her is whether she might have a reasonably affordable place to sleep for me in the city. Three women search the internet, call around and I crash on the very comfortable chairs in the lobby. It takes a very long time and I’m getting kinda nervous because it’s getting also pretty late. She has great news - the cheapest room in this hotel normally costs 1800 Rubles - I can stay free today (after consulting with the director) and may also join the breakfast tomorrow.

 

I can hardly believe it and thank the girls and of course the owner of the hotel. I first do my shopping in the neighborhood and then crash into bed. Internet, e-mail and some diary work, then showering and cleaning up the bag a bit. I go to bed and put my alarm early - tomorrow I hope to cross the border to Georgia.


Beslan-School-Monument-Flowers-Roses-Cross-Russia-Pictures

tips & advice (2014)


Nalchik - Beslan - Vladikavkaz: For 330 Rubles you can go directly from Nalchik to Vladikavkaz (1.5 hours) with a quick marshrutka (minibus). But you can also decide to go to Beslan (1,5 uur – 140 R) and then from there to Vladikavkaz (25 Rubles).

 

From the center in Nashik you can go to the bus station with marshrutka 9 or 19. You have to go to "Vokzal 1". You are dropped off on a main road in Beslan which continues to Vladikavkaz. Here or just around the corner is a bus stop to Vladikavkaz. Ask the local people here.


  • Name: Hotel Rossiya (Nalchik)

Address: Pr. Lenina 32

Price: 800 rubles (single)

 

Content:

The hotel is centrally located and looks fine from the outside and when you enter. Unfortunately, only a woman speaks poor English and there is no information at all for you as a tourist. The room is simple and does not have a toilet or shower.

 

If you want a toilet and shower you have to pay 50 rubles extra. There is a sink, a small TV and WIFI (does not work too well). There is a towel but toilet paper and soap are absent. It is somewhat noisy but OK for a night or two.


Beslan-Shutters-Russia

see also: