The Sensitive Issue of Russia

Wednesday, 27 December 2006

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Exclusive interview of the web-site

GULAG with Ahmad Sardali

 

Alexander Solzhenitsyn in his book "GULAG Archipelago" gave a brilliant characteristic of the Chechen people: "...a nation that did not submit to the psychology of obedience, - not loners, not rioters, but the nation as a whole. These are Chechens".

Really, who ever have these people had to fight against for the independence - against Roman legionaries, against Chingys-khan, Baty-khan, Tamerlan. They had to struggle against Russian tsars for whom the entire colonization of Caucasus was inconceivable without conquering eternally intractable Chechnya, and against soviet leaders who continued the politics of tsar's Russia.

Not unknown general Ermolov uttered ominous words in XIX century yet: "I will appease only providing that not any single Chechen stays alive".

Why has Chechnya still remained the stumbling-block? What is the reason for secular hatred of Russian lords against Chechens and for ineradicable wish for their extirpation?

Irina Svetlaya, editor of the web-site "GULAG - throughout the camps with a photo camera", addressed Ahmad Sardali, Chairman of the Political Council of the Movement for the Decolonization of the Caucasus, with a request to answer a few questions.

- Ahmad, how such a bloody policy, first of tsars, then of the soviet government, toward the Caucasians may be explained?

- Eltsyn's, Putin's, all the others’ policy of Russian genocide against peoples of the North Caucasus never changed. They name different reasons for conquering the Caucasus. They formulated in many ways the aggressive policy of Russian government at the tsar's chancellery - and the questions of economy as well as the political ones were given as the background. It is considered to be the case that our territory became the object of claims due to its geopolitical importance. The historians of the court of Russian tsars did write in this way - The Caucasus is the key to the East.

The Caucasian war hasn't got any historical analogues in its extension, and the pronounced, pointedly antagonistic character of its conquest can be evidently explained by the fact that the empire has not met such a resistance anywhere, even during its wars with strong powers, i.e. Turkey, England etc. The number of the colonialist's troops nowadays, as well as in ancient times, testifies the meaning of The North Caucasian peoples' resistance - the empire has never taken into consideration the cannon-fodder.

In its dispatches to Russian emperor Ermolov noted, that "the peoples of the mountains give rise to passionate spirit and love for independence..." which is in my opinion one of the main reasons for cannibal policy towards our ancestors and us. Ermolov referred to the mountaineers in no other way then as to "brigands" or "villains". During the soviet period the terms of tsars' satraps changed to "bandits" and "reactionaries", and at present the chekists call us "terrorists" and "vahhabits", thus nothing has changed in the policy of the empire except for the labels.

- In the soviet history they used to conceal many troublesome moments or, in case it was impossible to hush them up, to show the facts in the most favorable for the authorities interpretation. In the years of "perestroika" the archives seemed to be opening and revelatory publications seemed to appear, but the following wars shoved back on the second or even the tenth place no less bloody events which were happening in Chechnya after the establishment of soviet power. Let us launch an excursus back to not that distant past. In exchange for the recognition of the soviet authority by the Caucasian peoples The Mountain Soviet Republic was established in 1921. Why did The Caucasians take that step? Did they believe in Lenin or did they have no other option? Was not it a mistake of The Caucasian peoples?

- It is a very interesting question despite the fact that it has been asked somewhat with jaundice towards the White Movement in Russia, since the participation of The Caucasians on Denikin side, who fought in the North Caucasus under the slogan of "united and indivisible", was not a fewer mistake. In order to get more detailed answer let us go back beyond the beginning of the last century.

It is very important for us to understand what is going on in The Caucasus in general, and to what extend the accusations resonant in our direction from the side of neochekists are just. In the entourage of the present day the words of the First Imam of The Caucasus uttered on the day of the starchamber against him sound rather symbolically:

"We understood too late that we had lived in Paradise until the arrival of your army. The peoples of The Caucasus followed me, because they did not have any other hope of salvation. We had no other choice, but to defend ourselves... What ever did your troops come to establish the Russian order in here for?"

The Chechen as well as all The North Caucasian peoples were not only forced to get accustomed to the colonial culture. Introducing its order Russian tsarism utilized the practice of forced christening of Muslims, and first of all they started with the abolishment of religious institutions which led to great rebellions. During the course of colonial policy almost all the social layers formed in The Caucasus, and even more since the time it was involved into the economic system of the capitalistic Russia.

The First World War, in which mountain peoples took active part, nurtured an entire galaxy of White officers, which B. Breshkovsky described very well in his book "The Wild Division". In the meanwhile bolshevist underground organization acting in Chechnya itself utilized the hatred of Chechens towards the "white tsar". It can be said that the October Revolution came to be for all the Mountaineers the continuation of the national liberation struggle against Russian colonialism.

However, the part of Muslims who were against Denikin and other adherents of The Mountaineers' independence in Chechnya and Dagestan did support The Bolsheviks, yet The White officers along with the spiritual leaders seconded the Denikin side. The Bolsheviks came out against hated by The Mountaineers tsarism and promised the land, the preservation of the chapels, and national sovereignty. It happened that it was The Bolsheviks who turned the scale.

That was why The Caucasians took this step, and it is clear that it was a mistake and all the promises of The Bolsheviks having Lenin at the head were merely deceitful. (For instance, it was how Soip-mulla (Haiba) - the cousin of my grandfather who had taken the side of The Bolsheviks - was mistaken). The so-called Mountain Soviet Republic (within the limits of Russian SFSR) turned out to be fiction under the victory of the soviet authority conditions, and from the mid 20th , Chechens fought against the red pest.

- Ahmad, it is known very little about the events of the 30th in Chechnya. What was the main reason for the armed rebellions in The Chechen-Ingush Republic? After all, as You have said, it was The Bolsheviks who turned the scale.

- The Chechens are extremely pious people. Let us go back to Imam Mansur statement during the course of the starchamber mentioned:

"What me and my compatriots can be blamed for is only the defense of our lives, which God had blessed us with, and our land. Your God is your tsar. His word means more for you than the one of God. Life of any creature is in the hands of the Lord, and the Lord alone has the right to take human's life. Yet your solders believe that they are permitted to do so. Life of a human is meaningless for you. Hence your actions are directed not only against humans, but against God as well. Thus you spread evil on earth. Yet fighting against you we defend not only ourselves, but the laws of God either".

I will cite also a passage from the story "Hadji-Murad" by L. Tolstoy:

"Having returned to his aul, Sado found his saklya destroyed - the roof was brought down, the door and the columns of the gallery were burnt, and the interior was befouled. His son, who was a handsome blue-eyed boy, was pierced through his back with a bayonet. The oldman - grandfather - was sitting at the wall watching blankly the void. He had just returned from the apiary. Two little haystacks lying there were burnt, the apricot and cherry trees were broken and half-burnt, and to make matters worse, all the beehives and the bees were storched. It was obvious that the fountain was befouled intentionally, so that it was impossible to take the water from it. The mosque was befouled as well. The oldmen masters gathered on the square and having squatted were discussing their state. No one spoke about the hatred towards The Russians. The feeling all The Chechens both young and old had towards The Russians was larger than hatred. This was not hatred, but non-recognition these Russians to be humans and such a disgust, loathing and bewilderment at the absurd cruelty of these creatures that the want for their extirpation like the want for the extermination of rats, poisonous spiders was as natural feeling as the instinct of self-preservation".

The passage from the story of the Russian classic serves as a bright illustration for the following events too. I should note that it was written before the revolution, which didn't bring any changes regarding The Chechens. The conduct of The Russians on the conquered territories changed neither in 50 years, nor in 100, nor today, nor in 147 years since the incorporation of The Caucasus into the structure of The Russian Empire. Take a look at what the offsprings of those who were bringing to the Caucasus the "light of the civilization" and in the 30th started the general construction of pig farms in Chechnya write at forums. "The Chechens are not humans, but beasts; they belong to the work camps and canned goods for animals... The Earth is suffering from overpopulation, and they are multiplying like cockroaches, absolutely wrong creatures, freaks of evolution... I can see only one way out for all the peoples of Russia, Chechnya must be extirpated entirely, it must be done in the name of the good, to overcome the bigger evil by means of the fewer one... Pigsties must be constructed and swine must be raised on the site of Chechnya, I like swine much more that The Chechens, they are much more delicious in pilau and many other dishes..."

Is not it a quite eloquent confession? The Bolsheviks continued the policy of The Russian tsar. Under the pretext of liquidation of the "cultural backwardness", Chechens were imposed with laws and rules alien to their mentality and upbringing. The Bolsheviks destroyed everything that served as a base to the spirit of the nation, everything that was connected with its culture, history, and religion.

It was only once that The Bolsheviks "made concessions" so to say. January, 14 1930 having listened to the issue of the closing of mosques, the bureau of The North Caucasian Regional Committee of The Communist Party took the following decision word for word: "Strongly prohibit raising the question of the closing of mosques in the national regions for the period of collectivization. Make it incumbent upon the secretaries of Regional Committees and District Committees to carry out this directive and to take strong measures in keeping it discharged".

Pay attention to the words "for the period of collectivization".

Depreciatingly boorish attitude towards the very representatives of the people, prohibition of using the native language in public places, of churching and so on so forth... It goes without saying that such an attitude could not but produce counteraction, men went to the mountains from which they took revenge upon the Russians and black sheep of The Chechen environment who served the former. The regime itself inspired the hatred towards the people of colonizers, people who brought to Chechnya hard drinking and debauchery rather that progress and civilization.

Dispossession of kulaks and collectivization of farming led to major riots. In 1923 there was a wave of large scale rebellions under the national and religious slogans in Chechnya, Dagestan, Osetiya, Kabarda, Balkariya and Karachay. Tens of thousands of people died taking part in those actions.

Mutinies were suppressed in a very cruel way. Repressions passed in three stages: the first - 1929-1930, the second - 1937 - 1938, and the third passed in the 40th.

Barbarities of the chekists were keen in Chechnya. A giant slaughter-house into which the prisoners were thrown alive was situated in the basement of The United State Political Administration, later People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs, in the capital of Chechnya on the bank of Sunzha; and the diesel engine was turned on so that the screaming voices could not be heard. Minced meat was dropped right into the river fattening cat-fish.

The chekists instilled terror, but Chechens could never be subdued by force of horror.

After the deportation of Chechens all mosques were turned into warehouses and barns, and gravestones were used in construction of pavements in the capital of Chechnya. These gravestones can be still met in different courtyards where the colonists who fled from the military operations used to leave.

- Indeed, the words of general Ermolov were assumed by soviet chekists as the guide to action... During 100 years of tsar colonization the population of Chechnya decreased 4 times. And what were the consequences of the soviet colonization?

- I have already said that the Bolsheviks didn't invent anything new. They just continued policy of Russian tsarism. The Special Committee - The United State Political Administration - The People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs - The Committee of State Security - The Federal Service of Counterespionage - The Federal Service of Security are the successors of Oprichnina and tsar's security. However, the consequences of soviet colonization were more terrifying on their scale than the crimes of Russian tsarism. During the deportation 70 % (!) of The Chechens died. Moscow has always controlled our "livestock". The Chechens had managed to restore its population to 1 million only by the end of 90th, and right after that new bloody reckless scheme began.

- Unfortunately the press do not pay much attention to the history of Chechnya, but it has been written and said a lot about the latest two wars. You were the witness of these events. So how much does the information given by Russian and Western mass media correspond with the reality? How do you assess it?

- I assess the Western one in no way. They do not have their own information and refer only to Russian sources, thus they pick up and embroider total lie. There is no objectivity in coverage of what is happening, and we stuck to the opinion of collusion between them long ago. The Caucasian sources of information are evidently ignored by Western mass media. There is no reason to talk about Russian newspapers at all. There is no free press in Russia, only liars, cowards and lickspittles. Almost all Russian editions vowed to Putin to say no word of truth about the events in Caucasus.

- Ahmad, how did Chechens take the appearance of the project "Nuernberg of Russia"? How do You personally assess the prospects of this project?

- "Nuernberg of Russia" is remarkable for its outstanding courage, as we had not heard anything except for renting the air before it appeared. The ideas were perfect, but the matters didn't change. It can be said that practical work of bringing the military criminals to International tribunal began with this project. In one of our letters to its developers we compared it to the egg of Kaschey, which he held in his hands. Taking into consideration that the author of "Nuernberg of Russia" possesses enormous energy, and his words do not disagree with his deeds, I am sure that Russian fascist junta and its chieftains will become clients of Carlo del Ponte in the nearest future.

- Thank You for the interview.

- All the best.

Deportation of the Chechens

A supplement by Lyoma Usmanov

In the frosty morning on February 23, 1944, all adults (there were few men, the war was still on) were summoned to the places of mass assembly: clubs, schools, town and village squares. That was the Red Army Day and, being still unaware, people were in a festive mood. But the blasphemy of Soviet authorities was so jesuitical that the state holiday was used as a pretext for the bloody crime. So, the monstrous action began with perfidy and meanness. Across the whole territory of Checheno-Ingushetia, against the background of machine-guns, the decree-sentence about the deportation of Chechens and Ingushs was announced. Then a 100,000 strong contingent of specially trained for such actions Russian soldiers began breaking into houses of the peaceful, unprotected and armless Chechen and Ingush population. Victims of these barbarian actions were given only 10-15 minutes to get ready! After that all those who were unable to quickly obey the order, i.e. weak elderly, children and women were forced outside, the ill were thrown down from hospital beds. Any manifestation of resentment was punished with death! An attempt to escape - execution! Misunderstood order - execution! All orders were given in Russian, although many Chechens did not understand it.

After the carnage of the deceived, they hunted for the rest of Chechnya residents. Russian soldiers, well-trained by the state, hunted about in order to humiliate and kill civilians. After the first days of the barbarian action most mountains and plains, towns and villages were covered with dead bodies. They were discovered everywhere: in deserted houses, in beds, in inner yards, along roads, paths, in the vicinities of villages, in precipices, in forests. Russians killed Chechens everywhere: they blew them up with mines, impaled, beheaded, burnt, drowned, poisoned. Most food products were poured with kerosene and burnt, instead poisoned food was scattered about, and mostly starving children fell victims - they did not understand why they could not eat clean and good looking food products. More than 7,000 Chechens were killed during the action in the Galanchozh district alone.

«The movable," according to Russian terms, part of the population was convoyed to railway stations and then loaded into cold train carriages for cattle. Overcrowded carriages were filled with men, women, children, elderly, regardless of their gender, age and cultural traditions of Chechens and Ingushs. And beginning from the evening of February 23 overcrowded trains - filled with people destined to inhuman sufferings - headed east: to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Western Siberia.

The snow-covered «Road of Death," which lasted up to 20 days, was dotted with thousands of corpses. Within the first frosty weeks of the deportation more than 70,000 people died from starvation, cold and diseases. The rest were out of the law. After the deportation most prisons and concentration camps in the USSR were filled with Chechens.

In total, some 200,000 Chechens and 30,000 Ingushs died in exile. Almost every second Chechen and Ingush died. Out of 29,000 Chechens-Akkins, who used to live in Dagestan, about 20,000 perished.

The people was exterminated not only physically. All memories about Chechens, who lived on their land for centuries, were destroyed. Ancient manuscripts, religious-philosophical treatises, ancient manuscripts of Chechens and Ingushs about their origin, literature from private libraries and archives was brought to Grozny from all corners of Chechnya. For several days all these valuable documents were burnt in the city center in an attempt to burn the historical memory of the Chechen people.

Ancient ethnographic monuments in the mountains, cemeteries, hundreds of thousands of grave steles were destroyed, mercilessly broken and taken for construction of roads, bridges and buildings. Even steles with antique Greek inscriptions on them were ruined. Special NKVD squadrons were sent into the mountains to destroy national monuments of Chechen architecture. One shall know the contents of Chechen architecture and its origins in order to evaluate its significance, place in the history of world culture! For example, back in Middle Ages in difficult mountainous conditions Chechens and Ingushs built 6-7 storied guard towers, 4-5 storied dwelling stone constructions with a developed, for that time, system of ventilation and heating, with complex aseismic knots. A surprising for that time level of combination of rationality, elegance and stability of national Chechen architecture was discussed at a number of international engineering forums. The author of the given essay, in 1990 - the chairman of the subcommittee for culture of the Chechen-Ingush Parliament, together with a group of experts, studied the results of the barbarian actions to destroy these historic monuments. On the territory of the prominent Argun gorge alone some 250 ancient and Middle Age stone towers and castles were destroyed! A little more than 50 monuments of Chechen history remained intact. There were three reasons which did not allow Russians to destroy them completely 60 years ago. First - a brave defense struggle by those Chechens who stayed in the mountains, second - a number of historic monuments were unknown to the enemy, i.e. they were not in historic atlases. And third - paradoxically, it was impossible to destroy some monuments using traditional methods - they proved too firm and solidly built.

There is another fact which characterizes Russia's policy towards Chechens. Documents, books, materials relating about «the people's enemies» - Chechens and Ingushs - were withdrawn from libraries and burnt. Entire archives were destroyed. Across the whole territory of Checheno-Ingushetia names of settlements, streets, squares and different bodies reminding of the Chechen-Ingush people were renamed. A civilized nation respecting its dignity will never become so mean. For example, over its history the USA has never practiced such renaming! All historical-geographic names of native Americans as well as Mexican toponyms in the southern part of the USA - are respected and remain invariable!

Crimes Never to be Forgotten

As a result of archive and field studies, questioning witnesses and participants of the resettlement action, outrageous war crimes of 1944 and the consequent period of the deportation became known. Facts show that mostly women, children, elderly and ill people, in other words - «the immovable» from the Russian point of view - were exterminated on the spot.

Dziyaudin Malsagov, born in 1913, served in NKVD from 1944 to 1957. He testifies:

«Even at that time I found out that the order to cut off «the immovable» was signed by Kruglov (Sergei Nikiforovich Kruglov - Second Rank State Security Commissar of the USSR - L. U.). During the investigation of these events in 1956 (by N. Khruschev's order - L. U.), when it was proved that Kruglov had given the order to kill «immovable» Chechens, Kruglov committed suicide."

Below are documented and widely publicized data about Russia's atrocities against the civilian Chechen population. Obviously, the discovered facts - is only a minor part of the large-scale Russian massacre which took place 60 years ago. However, even these facts - widely known in Chechnya and unknown in the West - provide an exhaustive picture why Chechens cannot forgive and will never forget, moreover, will never forgive these crimes. Anyway, that is unlikely to happen until Russia is properly condemned at the international level as a state responsible for these crimes!

1. Mountainous settlement of Yalkharoy.

Russian soldiers killed 86 Chechens convoyed to the assembly point for further deportation.

2. Mountainous settlement of Khakhilge of Ahkkha community.

In February 1944 in the settlement between Zingala and Biytsy Russian soldiers killed weak elderly, men, women and ill villagers separated by force from their family members, who carried them on themselves instead of food products. In total, 32 people were executed.

3. The Cheberloyevsky district. Kezenoi-Am Lake.

The «immovable» part of the population was drowned there. The exact number of victims is not known.

4. The Itum-Kalinsky district.

In this district Russian soldiers threw grenades and Molotov cocktails into the houses with ill people to free themselves from the transportation issues and just for «fun." The exact number of victims is not known.

M.A. Amirov, a resident of the settlement of Alkhazurovo testifies:

«In summer 1944 abrek Ib Alkhastov from Khildekharoy of the Itum-Kalinsky district together with his comrades Zhabrail, Kabi Mussa and other people crossed the mountains of Peshkhoy. Suddenly they came across traces of crimes by Soviet troops: on the bottom of a deep precipice they discovered 12 bodies of peaceful residents with signs of firearm and bayonet wounds. Including a woman with a girl of 3 years old. A bayonet entered the woman's back and came out through the back of the girl."

5. Mountainous district of Malkhista

There Russian soldiers used to force Chechens into mountain caves for further extermination. The exact number of Russian atrocities is not defined.

6. The Nozhai-Yurt district

In this district Russian soldiers preferred to put Chechens into corn cribs, pour them with gasoline and burn alive. The exact number of burnt victims is not known.

7. Mountainous settlement of Peshkha, not far from Nashkha

During frosty February days of 1944 Russian soldiers killed 80 people - children, women and elderly - in the cave of Tsyen Avlakh Hyekh.

8. Mountainous settlement of Malkhisty

More than 300 people of the «immovable» category were executed.

9. Urus-Martan. The regional hospital. February 23, 1944

On that tragic day many patients from the nearby settlements were taken to this central hospital of Urus-Martan. In total, 72 patients who were thrown down the precipice some 10 meters away from the hospital and covered with rubbish alive.

10. Community of Tierloy, the settlement of Arstakh

Russian soldiers exterminated a group of weak elderly. The exact number of victims is not known.

11. Achkhoi-Martan district, south of settlement of Valerik

Vissita Anzorov, who went into hiding trying to find his 10-year old son, was brutally killed there. Russian soldiers beheaded Vissita and captured his son. Then they brought Vissita's head to the mosque in Shalazhi and played football using the head instead of a ball. The desperate 10 year old son attacked Russian soldiers trying to take away the father's head, but then Russians played football using the boy instead of a ball.

12. Galayn Chozh, not far from the settlement of Iamiye

Here, not far from the Galayan-Chozh Lake, during the deportation, some 600 children, women and elderly were mercilessly executed and thrown into the lake.

13. The district of Galayn Chozh, the settlement of Nashkha

From March to April cadets of the 61st training-infantry regiment killed more than 80 people - ill and invalids, on March 22 by the order of lieutenant Struyev and sergeant Sidorov in the settlement of Gelichi cadet Sisnitsa killed disabled D. Zhabiyev and bayoneted patient I. Gaisultanov and his son Umar Gaisultanov, 8. Five aged women stayed in the settlement of Amki, they could not move. Just for fun, members of the same regiment threw down the chimney grenades and ammunition thereby killing the miserable people.

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