Beslan. 11 years later

11 years ago, the name of the small Ossetian town of Beslan became world known. On September 1st a terrorist group captured 1128 people during the opening ceremony of the school. Children, their parents and school № 1 staff were kept in inhumane conditions for two and a half days. On September 3rd a chaotic offensive started, resulting  in the elimination of the terrorists and freeing of the hostages. But not everyone was saved. 186 children did not return home from school. In total, including rescue workers, 333 people were killed and over 800 were injured with varying degrees of severity.

Today, in the center of Moscow the victims of this terrible tragedy were commemorated.

A mourning ceremony was held in the center of the city on the Alanian Compound. People were carrying flowers, toys and water, which was essential for those people, at the monument to the children of Beslan. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin took part in the event.

Earlier, representatives of the Ossetian community and simply indifferent people visited the cemetery, where the fighters of the Alpha and Vympel units who saved children at the cost of their lives are buried.

“They say that time heals, but I am deeply convinced that it will take another 20, 30 or 40 years, and as in the biblical story of the massacre of the innocents, history, the tragedy in Beslan will remain forever in the memory of any normal person,” Alexander Totoonov, member of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, told Vestnik Kavkaza.

Bela Ikoeva, Plenipotentiary Envoy of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, said that “annually for 11 years people, NGO’s children, students, who are united in one movement ‘No to Terror!’ have been coming to the resident mission of North Ossetia in Moscow. They come with their water, toys and talk about what we know, and this memory will live with us forever. This memory helps us to unite and tell the terrorists: "You cannot break the fragile lives of children! You cannot attack defenseless people."