THE PLACE, WHERE THE PLANET WAS DESTROYED

Novaya Gazeta ^ | October 14th, 2004 | Yuriy SAFRONOV

[struwwelpeter]

Original Title:

BESLAN'S FORTY DAYS. THE PLACE, WHERE THE PLANET WAS DESTROYED

       

     
       Those who perished on September 1st were remembered over the weekend. Tuesday will be 40 days since September 3rd, but people will be holding their memorials on other days, on Wednesday and Thursday. Everyone has many relatives, and one must go to every home to express sympathy.
       
       During the Great Patriotic War, Beslan lost 357 people, but now Beslan has lost everything. Each day the Rostov laboratory sends another list. On Tueday the number of the dead grew by another seven names: Milena Gachikovna Grigoryan, Miranush Gachikovna Grigoryan, Naira Yurikovna Grigornyan, Soslan Alanovich Tokmayev, Irina Sergeevna Khadikova, Anna Batrazovna Tsaikhova, Ol'ga Nikolaevna Soskiyeva, Alla Evgen'yevna Smirnova.
       From morning until night, there is wailing in the destroyed school.
       
       * * *
       On Saturday the 'Russian social committee for support of persons suffering from terrorist acts in the city of Beslan' came to town. The committee went to the regional administration center. Primakov, Zurabov, Karelova, were among the committee members. The first to speak was the Northern Ossetian president, Aleksandr Dzasoxov. He did not show his suffering, and his high voice rang out as if at a party meeting: "The initiative for this committee's creation is from the president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin! We agreed that Dmitriy Nikolaevich Kozak shall chair this committee. <…> Today, in our grief, we must examine the events, as it is our responsibility to those who have suffered, and solve these problems once again."
       "The people all want to know, will the political leadership and armed forces be brought up on criminal charges. Not just in Ossetia, but on the federal level as well," Mairbek Tuayev said to the committee. He is a representative from a committee distributing humanitarian assistance in Beslan. "I was at the school for those 3 days, and not once did I see anyone from the leadership come and find out the situation, or determine where to station the special forces. That 50 to 100 of the dead are on the consciences of the armed forces leadership, that is what the people would like to know." It is not understood, with what exactly did the general staff occupy itself, other than refusing to negotiate.
       
       * * *
       Svetlana Peliyeva-Dzodziyeva had just returned from Sochi with the first group of Beslan children. She has recovered a bit. On September 1st, Svetlana took her children to Beslan School #1. She thought that she was combining the pleasant with the useful: she would send Zarina (Zayka), her fourth-grader, and Gregoriy, her seventh-grader, off to school, then do an article on the first day of class for the local paper, 'Life on the Right Bank'. Now she cannot talk her children into going back to school. Zayka is very scared, though by nature she is a brave little girl. After being freed from captivity, a 27 year-old friend of Svetlana's was sobbing continuously, but 9 year-old Zayka calmed her down. From Zayka's fourth-grade class, only 20 of the 32 childen survived. Her teacher Roza Cherdzhiyeva also died.
       If Svetlana manages to talk Zayka into returning to classes, she will likely attend School #6. Carol Bellamy, managing director of UNICEF, was there on Tuesday. Everyone wants to help the Beslan children these days. Two schools and three kindergartens are to be built. School #4 has been holding classes in three shifts, though no one knew about this until recently. Twenty-seven children from School #1 are already attending School #6. On Monday, Volodya Dyukov did not attend classes - his home was holding a wake for his father. On Tuesday, 7th grade student Dzerassa Dzestolva was taken out of class for a television interview. They wanted to film her with School #1 in the background.
       
       * * *
       Ruslan Kokov lives on Komintern street no. 126, right across from School #1. Ruslan built his home in 1983, and, by himself, he raised two children - Uruzmaga (born in 1988) and Oksana (born in 1989). The family lived in the front rooms while construction materials were in the back ones.
       Oksana finished 9th grade with almost perfect grades, all A's and only 3 B's. She used to practice Akido. In a small room, which Ruslan had not quite managed to finish flooring, her things lay on the bed. Blouses, dolls. An unopened pack of stockings. Her orange roller skates still lay in the corner where she tossed them. On the walls hang award certificates. Uruzmag, Oksana's brother, has gone to Sochi, to the sanitorium, and Ruslan is quite alone. He makes a hard-boiled egg, but eating is but a formality. Ruslan found a cassette with a recording of his daughter's voice. Oksana had been reading from 'A History of Russia', and in order to better remember her assignment, she had put the lesson on tape. Ruslan sat listening to his daughter, writing verse.

       I'll put my granddaughter on my knee,
       I'll tug at her fat little cheek,
       And in the features of the new generations,
       I'll see my own daughter.
       <…>
       Papa
       
       * * *
       Relatives of those who perished, chased scientologists out of the city on Monday. For three weeks, these scientologists had been operating out of the second floor of the city cultural center. The center's kind-hearted director, Rimma Tuayeva, had let them in without any argument after glancing at a xeroxed permission slip, which they had received from the regional directorate of education. They found it pleasant to come to the scene of a tragedy, to help the suffering with their Ron Hubbard brochures. Proudly, they showed me a photograph they had taken from the ruins of School #1: '18, 19, 20. Scientologic priest Tat'yana Akhal'tseva and a group of scientologists conduct a scientology church funeral service in the gymnasium of the school, the scene of the tragedy'.
       Antonina Anufriyeva, who was responsible for the volunteer priests, said: "During these three weeks we helped a thousand people" and "many of the sufferers have already made significant advances towards success." Evidently, the zenith of 'success' would come with the distribution of money which was to be put in a special account for the suffering people. The little brochure 'Road to Happiness', among its simple wisdoms ('If you clean your teeth everyday after meals, they will not be destroyed') contains a terrible warning: 'A recent discovery found during an investigation of Venus showed that our planet can be destroyed. <…> And it may happed during our century'. In confirmation of this truth, the scientologists have moved from the hostel to the hotel 'Flight'. Sunday evening, Mairbek Tuayev entered the culture center and found two hypnotized teenagers, above whom fluttered an old woman wearing the yellow t-shirt of a scientologist. On Monday, the scientologists were asked convincingly to remove themselves from the city.
       "Why do you write that the Ossetians are going to go beat up Ingush after the 40 days of mourning? Why put a match to a powder keg?" the correspondents were asked by residents of Beslan. Others added: "If the government doesn't find the guilty ones, we'll have to hold our own court. It won't be revenge, but defense of the state."
       "It's not necessary to talk about Ingushi, Chechnyans, and Ossetians. We're all the same to you - the Caucasian nationality," said Aza T. "I could spit on the integrity of the Russian Federation! I could spit on you imperial ways! If the government can't defend us, why do we need the government?!".

"They come to work at the federal attorney general's office at 11 O'clock, and at 2 or 3 O'clock they're already driving back to Vladikavkaz to rest. At this rate, how are they ever going to find the guilty ones?!" worried Mairbek Tuayev.
       Ruslan Kokov said: "It wasn't Maskhadov and not Basayev. I don't believe it was. It's all money. Let's not turn into warring nationalities. Imagine that we start to fight. Up above sits two people: one for the Ingush, the other for the Ossetian, and they're making bets. And making money."
       
       Yuriy SAFRONOV, our spec. corr. in Beslan
       We would like to thank Murat Kaboyev for his help in preparing this material.
       
       14.10.2004
       

From Novaya Gazeta

[struwwelpeter]

From an earlier post, 'Teacher Day' in Beslan, a little information about one of the seven recently identified victims:

Ol'ga Nikolayevna Soskiyeva. Elementary class teacher. Tried to protect children from the guerillas' aggression and calm them down. Took upon herself the care of a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, veteran of labor and retired history teacher Zaurbek Kharitonovich Gasiyev, who traditionally came to the school on the first day of class. She literally carried the old man from the gym to the restroom, because he had difficulty moving. Gasiyev survived. When the explosion boomed out, Ol'ga Nikolayevna did not concern herself with saving herself or her own daughter. She pushed children to safety though windows.

...and Zayka's teacher:

Roza Timofeyevna Cherdzhiyeva. Until the last minute she remained a teacher. She saved her students and showed rare courage. Remained a teacher of teachers. On the last surviving blackboard in the school her rescued students wrote: 'Roza Timofeyevna! We will never forget you'.

[risk]

What does the title mean?

[struwwelpeter]

(Courage)

[struwwelpeter]

In the text: the scientologists were giving out brochures on how the world would be destroyed (and this would help the people in Beslan how?). Also, in the Orthodox religion, there are 40 days of strict mourning before certain acts - dancing, singing, listening to music... revenge, can occur.

Or conversely, it's obvious.

[struwwelpeter]

Perhaps the 40 days is better described here.

[bd476]

The Church of Scientology continues it's quest in the midst of great tragedy:

"...Relatives of those who perished, chased scientologists out of the city on Monday. For three weeks, these scientologist had been operating out of the second floor of the city cultural center. The center's kind-hearted director, Rimma Tuayeva, had let them in without any argument after glancing at a xeroxed permission slip, which they had received from the regional directorate of education.

They found it pleasant to come to the scene of a tragedy, to help the suffering with their Ron Hubbard brochures. Proudly, they showed me a photograph they had taken from the ruins of School #1: '18, 19, 20.

Scientologic priest Tat'yana Akhal'tseva and a group of scientologists conduct a scientology church funeral service in the gymnasium of the school, the scene of the tragedy'.

Antonina Anufriyeva, who was responsible for the volunteer priests, said: "During these three weeks we helped a thousand people" and "many of the sufferers have already made significant advances towards success." Evidently, the zenith of 'success' would come with the distribution of money which was to be put in a special account for the suffering people.

The little brochure 'Road to Happiness', among its simple wisdoms ('If you clean your teeth everyday after meals, they will not be destroyed') contains a terrible warning: 'A recent discovery found during an investigation of Venus showed that our planet can be destroyed. <…> And it may happed during our century'. In confirmation of this truth, the scientologists have moved from the hostel to the hotel 'Flight'.

Sunday evening, Mairbek Tuayev entered the culture center and found two hypnotized teenagers, above whom fluttered an old woman wearing the yellow t-shirt of a scientologist. On Monday, the scientologists were asked convincingly to remove themselves from the city..."

[bd476]

Ping.

[Diogenesis]

In return for these murders, the Russians have nuclear-armed the Iranian mullahs
who support the Chechens against them. Idiots.

[struwwelpeter]

Here is the Russian webpage for sayentologiya.

They look every bit as deranged as ours do.

[jrpascucci]

>On Monday, the scientologists were asked convincingly to remove themselves from the city.

Good, and good riddance. These guys really get up my nose (it must be their liberated Body Thetans, looking for a new home). As a Catholic, I can't think of any pseudo-religious group I hold in lower esteem than Scientologists (and that includes both satanists): I've met several, and pitied all. (A good Scientology-critical site).

[nw_arizona_granny]

Ping

[risk]

and this would help the people in Beslan how?

Indeed. If the story about them driving out the cultists was heartwarming.

I hope Russians and Americans find their common enemy and destroy it together. A new day of peace will dawn when we are finished. After all, we have managed for 45 years not to let our fears of each other trigger a nuclear holocaust between ourselves. This makes us blood brothers of sorts. It's time now to eradicate mutual foe.

What I hear is that anti-Americanism has been on the rise in Russia, as it has been around the world. Isn't it Saudi propaganda that's been funding the hate? Now that Russia has chosen freedom, isn't this a victory for peoples in both countries? This is a war between east and west. Russia should see itself with America, in the west. Putin has gone to China recently; we can only hope that closer ties among us all will in the end help. I have my doubts, but I fear that America's State Department is the cause of a tragic lost opportunity, once again.

There is a lot in the balance today. Our State Department should have sent condolences to Putin and asked if he wanted help in taking retribution.

[atomicpossum]

I can't stand Scientologists. Hubbard was a shyster, and not even a very good one.

[bd476]

Thanks for posting that link, Jrpascucci.

[bd476]

Wow, Scientologists have a translation for every language. How disappointing to see that Scientologists took advantage of yet another very tragic event to recruit new members.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Isn't John Travolta part of this cult?

Buncha nutjobs...

[struwwelpeter]

A Russian friend and I were arguing about what I saw as rising anti-American sentiment over there. Her take was:

Interesnaya situatsiya! Stereotip 'Bush Durak' tebe ne nravitsya, a vot stereotip 'Putin vse sdelal pravil'no vpolne ustraivaet. Vot kogda vy, amerikantsy, perestanete myslit' stereotipami, togda i my ne budem! :-^ Nu, a esli ser'ezno, to ya tozhe protiv takogo stereotipa, chto Bush-durak. Prosto russkiy chelovek po nature svoey zavistliv, a potomu u soseda chto-to dolzhno byt' khuzhe. Zhivete vy luchshe, bogache, i zhizn' vasha dlinnee, i mashiny u vas luchshe... Nu pust' khot' prezident durak budet :-)

"Interesting situation! You don't like the 'Bush is a fool' stereotype, but you're okay with the 'Putin did everything right' stereotype. Well, when you Americans cease thinking in stereotypes, we will too! :-^ Well, to be serious, I'm also against this stereotype, that Bush is a fool. It's just that a Russian is by nature envious, because his neighbor should always have it worse. If you live better, richer, and your life is longer, and you have a better car... Well at least let the president be a fool :-)"

[DanTheAdmin]

My humble opinion is that as an author he was terrible - as a shyster, it appears he’s done a damn good job.

[DanTheAdmin]

WOW - that's very interesting. Thanks!

[risk]

I'm also against this stereotype, that Bush is a fool. It's just that a Russian is by nature envious, because his neighbor should always have it worse

I'm not much good as an international diplomat, but I do appreciate this Russian's point of view. Yesterday, the Whitehouse sent out Ramadan greetings. Maybe his strategy of trying to isolate the extremists is more effective than other solutions, but I have my doubts. I think we're far too overconfident.