Russia observes national day of mourning after Crocus City Hall attack

Read on the website Vestnik Kavkaza

On Sunday, March 24, in Russia nationwide mourning began for those killed in the terrorist attack that occurred on Friday at the Crocus City Hall.

In Moscow, the Moscow region, St. Petersburg and other regions of the country, all public events have been cancelled. The friendly match between the Russian and Paraguay national football teams, which was supposed to take place in the capital on Monday, has also been cancelled. State flags were lowered at half-staff at all government institutions.

© Photo: Elizaveta Perelygina/Vestnik Kavkaza

Liturgies will be held in churches in memory of the terrorist attack's victims. Celebrations for the Jewish holiday of Purim will not take place. In turn, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims in Moscow announced the suspension of the Ramadan Tent.

Federal television channels have temporarily changed their broadcast schedule, removing entertainment programs and advertising from the air.

In a number of cities, commemorative events began to be held on March 23. In particular, such actions took place in Makhachkala, Nalchik, Pyatigorsk, Cherkessk and Beslan, where in September 2004 there was a terrorist attack at school №1.

Spontaneous memorials appeared in Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, Petrozavodsk, St. Petersburg, Ufa and other cities.

As a sign of solidarity with Russia, mourning was declared in the Republika Srpska (entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Nicaragua.

Terrorist attack on March 22
On Friday evening, a group of armed men in camouflage and without masks broke into the Crocus City Hall in the Moscow region before a concert by the Picnic group. The militants shot people at point-blank range, and then set the building on fire using incendiary mixtures and fled.

The fire area was almost 13 thousand square meters. The roof of the hall collapsed completely, and the hall itself burned out.

According to the latest information from the Investigative Committee, at least 133 people became victims of the terrorist attack. There are over 100 victims in hospitals.

The Vestnik Kavkaza team expresses condolences to all the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured.