Today more than two thousand people are attending the mourning events devoted to the tragedy which happened in the 1st Beslan school in 2004 (North Ossetia), the administration of the local government said.
At 08.00 Moscow time the bell in the schoolyard announced the beginning of the 'Memory Watch'. Mourning events will last until September 3.
Those present at the memorial event will lay wreaths at the Tree of Sorrow monument. After that, the procession will go to the gym with candles, where 12 years ago terrorists held hostages.
The event will be attended by the acting head of the North Ossetia, Vyacheslav Bitarov, as well as the heads of ministries, districts, the deputies of the republican parliament, representatives of the administration of Vladikavkaz, members of youth, political and social organizations.
From August 31 to September 6 the personnel of the Russian Interior Ministry in North Ossetia will move to enhanced working mode. 1,5 thousand of law enforcement officers ae protecting public order in Beslan, ambulance on duty are gathered at the school outfits.
On September 3rd at 13:05 Moscow time, when the first explosion was heard, schoolchildren of Beslan will release 334 white balloons into the sky - one for each and every victim. Under the metronome will read out their names.
In addition, flowers will be laid and candles will be lit at the memorial cemetery in Beslan where most of the victims were buried.
Commemorative events will take place in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladikavkaz and the Italian town of Castelnovo di Sotto, Izvestia reports.
Beslan's Secondary School No. 1 was seized by a group of terrorists at 09.15 (MSK) on September 1, 2004. Extremists captured more than 1,200 people, including teachers, parents and children who the Day of Knowledge. Terrorists kept the hostages locked up in the school gym with no food and no water for three days. Casualties included 334 people, including 186 children. 126 others were disabled, including 70 children.
