“Everything is in order”: how Beslan lives 15 years later

It is very hot under the southern sun. On the grass a black cat dozes, impudently squinting into the sky. Very, very thirsty. In this place everyone is thirsty. I am in the courtyard of the former school No. 1 of the city of Beslan.

Beslan is a very small town about 20 km from Vladikavkaz along the highway. Here, as elsewhere in North Ossetia, they like to build red brick houses, only occasionally using stone. School number 1 was also made of red brick. Fifteen years after the tragedy, there was only a skeleton left that was slowly crumbling, and a gym covered with a “sarcophagus” - a golden memorial fence.

The flow of people is small, but does not dry out. It is customary to bring flowers, children's toys and water here, many pray at the entrance.

“So, we write,” the operators command.

"Children were dying here ... Children were dying here."

Fifteen years ago, the country hoped that all children would be saved, without cost. Hope did not come true.

They say that over the years the pain is forgotten and becomes weaker. In Beslan this is not so: there is pain, you physically feel it in the air. But only the former hostages and their relatives pay less and less attention every year. In the early years, it was not only the state that provided them assistance - large companies, banks were included, and private donations were made. Now, strong, courageous people, in fact, are left with their troubles one on one. The small budget of North Ossetia-Alania cannot meet all their needs, and there are no long-term federal programs for the rehabilitation and assistance to victims of terrorist attacks and their relatives in Russia.

• Church of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia in Beslan
• RT

An orthodox church of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia is being built near the former school No. 1. In Beslan, the truth is very necessary: ​​half of the population of the republic are Orthodox Christians. That's just the work is going slowly, because even after the church 15 years later, donations, apparently, prefer to do on more “fashionable”, “hype” occasions. Therefore, battles are going on at various points in the country about where temples are needed, and in Beslan, the unfinished bell tower still looks at us with silent bells.

"City of Angels"

The cemetery where the dead hostages are buried is located on the way from Beslan to the airport. Only the word "cemetery" is not spoken here. That's right - "City of Angels."

• "City of Angels" in Beslan
• RT

Smooth rows of very similar red marble tombstones. Children who remain small forever are smiling at us from photographs. Next to them are adults, forever young. At the fence, those who come here put small figurines of angels, as is customary here. And again, water bottles. Those who were thirsty in that gym.

“Hello,” a beautiful woman calls me, cleaning the grave of a girl who will always be 14 years old. To my daughter.

Fatima Kelekhsaeva herself works at school, only in another. For many years, she has been asking the Department of Education to transfer her from school work - anywhere, even to a kindergarten in the village (which formally is a decrease). But no - failure, year after year. The son grew up and went to work in Magadan. The husband also takes up any work wherever possible.

“Our men are experiencing harder things. We women can at least cry, and they keep everything in ourselves, ”Fatima says, without ceasing to tear out the smallest weeds between the slabs of red marble.

Kelekhsaeva several times during the conversation utters what many former hostages will repeat to me later: they feel abandoned. In the city, a full-fledged psychoneurological care service did not work, and a psychologist is actually needed not only by former hostages - the whole city needs it. But no. Mourning ceremonies are held annually; once a few years, former hostages are offered trips to neighboring resort towns and ... they are forgotten until the next year.

“Here the little one“ lives ”here. And here is the whole family, the Totievs, ”Kaspolat Ramonov, overseer of the cemetery, has learned every grave over the past years. He speaks of those who are here as living, and calls them affectionately: my children. His daughter Marianne is also here.

“She loved animals so much, constantly fed street animals. And now, believe it or not, I came here to the "City of Angels", a kitten: I came - and lay down here, to her. Beasts, they feel everything, says Caspolat. - What good children stayed here. Here is a girl from a very poor family. Every morning in front of the school, she helped her mother revenge the street. And here, you see, the teacher is lying. She stood in front of the gym window on all fours, and the children jumped from her back. She saved many children, she herself stayed here. ”

Mother Beslan

In Beslan, more than 800 hostages and residents, as well as FSB special forces, police and military personnel, were injured.

In the very first years after the tragedy, the organization “Mother of Beslan” appeared, it was headed by Susanna Dudieva, who lost her son Zaur in school No. 1. Her daughter Zalina was injured. The Beslan Mothers demanded an independent investigation of all the events, and also decided to seek the allocation of assistance to the victims and their relatives. After a short time, the organization split. Now, along with it, the “Voice of Beslan” also acts. A lot has been written about the reasons for the split, the official version - was the visit of Dudieva and other mothers to the session of the “psychic” Grigory Grabovoi. Many say that the “Mothers" were actually split by politicization.

During filming, we are stopped on Rosguard Street.

“Susanna Petrovna is aware of what you are shooting here?” - “Of course, of course ...”

Dudieva now works in Vladikavkaz in the GBU “My Family Center”, where they help children who find themselves in difficult life situations and left without parental care. At the entrance we are deafened by a children's screech.

“These are my grandchildren,” smiles stately Dudieva.

She seems to be aware of how the life of each former hostage and each family has developed. With many she calls up with us, tells who had children, who went to college, who moved where. For example, Mikhail Mkrtychan never received Russian citizenship. When he was taken hostage, he was ten years old, his 11-year-old sister Satenik stayed at school forever. And citizenship is also the right to compensation, an apartment, help.

The heaviest are a few wheelchairs. They need paid rehabilitation, which the budget of North Ossetia cannot pull. We need either federal quotas or private donations - after 15 years, their flow has almost stopped.

Moreover, I’ll explain specifically for our federal departments. Residents of Beslan are really very strong and proud people. Once they are refused, they simply will not apply again for quotas for the same treatment abroad. The state itself must find them, help them themselves. Private donors themselves must remember them. In the meantime, they are forgotten.

• Marina Duchko hides from her little niece that she suffered in a terrorist attack; says she had an accident
• RT

Marina Duchko lives in the private sector. Her mother raises roses, Marina herself was carried away by violets. Brown hair, a sincere smile. As we speak, her niece is playing with a black kitten, despite the cries of "Silence!"

“We tell her that I had an accident,” Marina smiles.

We call in the yard of her house. There is no question of any modern stroller, which one they found - and they gave it out. Marina was recently undergoing rehabilitation in a Russian boarding house, but she could not wait for quotas for a serious examination.

To be honest, during my entire journalistic career, Marina Duchko was the brightest person I met.

Natalya Sattsaeva speaks with us at the care institution for the disabled. She is also a wheelchair user. Natalia was at school with her children.

• Natalya Sattsaeva says that they are ready to take her to a clinic in Germany or Israel for treatment, but there is no money
• RT

She herself asked to take care, because her daughters are resting now, and Natalya herself cannot even get out of the house: he is not fit for her. Once the International Red Cross handed over a folding ramp to a woman, but she herself cannot physically install it.

Natalia Sattsaeva also has brown hair and light blue eyes. She also says that the victims are forgotten, that she is ready to be taken for treatment at a clinic in Germany or Israel. A woman would like her leg to work at least a little. To just one day to go out on your own. But these dreams cost a lot of money. But they are not. About ten years ago she was refused a quota. After that, proud Natalia and her family did not ask for quotas.

Gym again

We are again at the gym of the former school number 1. We are meeting here with Aida Sidakova. Her photos once circled the whole world: photographer Dmitry Belyakov photographed a girl thrown out by explosions from the gym and climbed back. Look for mom. Both mother and Aida survived.

Now Aida is studying at the dentist. The girl smiles with a white-toothed smile and says that she is not afraid to even anesthetize. Only when we approach the gym, the smile fades, and the Ossetian beauty begins to stammer.

“I climbed back, then I don’t remember ... And then the commando took me out ... I would like to find him, say thank you ...”

A cheerful girl graduated from a new school No. 1 named after Heroes of special forces of the Central Security Service of the FSB in Beslan. Here it is, five minutes from the same former school, across the rails.

• The memorial on the site of the former school No. 1 of Beslan
• RT

Aida must be helped to complete her residency, to give a place in the hostel. Moscow, Yekaterinburg - anywhere.

In conversations with former hostages, this all the time sounds: “Pass on our gratitude. Say thanks. " By the way, more than once or twice we heard gratitude from Kabardino-Balkaria: it was their doctors, their police, who rushed to Beslan to help their neighbors.

Dr. Alan Adyrkhaev is not tired of thanking neighbors. He has been working with the Mothers of Beslan for many years. He buried his wife, she was all the days in the gym with the girls Emilia and Milan. Girls are smiling at us. They are tall, thin, dark-haired and also extremely beautiful. One learned to be an economist, the second went to study as an architect, likes to draw. Here's a new drawing: a female angel covering her children against a burning building. This is Beslan, of course ...

While we are eating stunning Ossetian pies in the Adyrkhaev’s kitchen, it sounds again and again: quotas are needed, a neuropsychiatric service is needed, ideally anonymous ...

Our shoots are drawing to a close. Before leaving, we again look into the "City of Angels" - and to the school.

We sit on a bench and look at the gym, but in fact - into the void. Suddenly - a children's cry. A lot of children's screams. Children fly into the courtyard of the former school No. 1, they are all five or six years old. Start fiddling with a hose on the lawn. Included. They drink from it, start chasing each other and splashing around. We, sad and very adult, are smiling.

While I am watching the children, I write to officials I know about benefits, compensation, and help with the education and treatment of former hostages. I get predictably indifferent answers: everything is in order on the papers.

Everything is in order: the officials are sitting in warm offices, we are on a bench in the courtyard of the former school No. 1, Marina Duchko is dreaming of a new stroller, Natalya Sattsaeva is that she could walk if there was money for the operation ... That's all All right".

In Russia, there are no comprehensive support programs for victims of terrorist attacks and disasters, as well as their relatives. According to article 18 of federal law No. 35-ФЗ dated 03.03.2006 “On counteracting terrorism”, compensation payments to individuals and legal entities who suffered damage as a result of a terrorist act are carried out in the manner established by the government. But, unfortunately, with one-time payments, everything usually ends, although these people need support throughout their entire future life.

This does not require much effort, but it is necessary that officials stop treating people with indifference.

In the meantime, everyone can help.

To date, the four survivors in Beslan are wheelchair users. Only two of them - Marina Duchkova and Natalya Sattsaeva - can help you. First of all, because they need several rehabilitation programs in Germany - in Russia such programs simply do not exist. At the same time, women themselves do not understand why they should humiliate themselves and ask for something. They are tired and have long been saying that they do not need anything. But they need to.

We decided that we would not name the amount to be collected. Today, there is an urgent need only for a wheelchair for Marina Duchkova. It costs 80 thousand rubles. But in fact, to significantly improve the health and quality of life of women, you need several hundred thousand dollars. And this is just the beginning.

In order to accurately plan the budget for rehabilitation, the “We will continue to act” team will gather all the documents again in September and will help with logistics and treatment costs. Each week we will publish reports on how the fees are progressing and what has already been done.

As always, we collect funds into the accounts of those we help.

Marina Sergeevna Duchkova

Sberbank Card: 4276 6000 1871 0927.

Natalya Sattsaeva

Natalia’s details will be published on September 2, but for now, help for her can be transferred to Marina Duchkova’s card (they are friends) marked “For Natalya”.