In September 2004, 13 years ago, the whole worldshuddered from the terrible tragedy in the city of Beslan. Back in August, many had never even heard the name of this town once in their lives, and after September 3 it was on everyone’s lips. Beslan became associated with misfortune, tragedy, grief. No one could remain indifferent to this terrifying event. In memory of the victims of the terrorist attack, monuments and memorial signs were erected in many cities around the world. What are the most significant of them? What do they look like and who is the author of monumental buildings?
The story of the Beslan tragedy
1 сентября 2004 года боевиками была захвачена Comprehensive School in the city of Beslan. They held hostages in a mined school, the number of which reached 1,128 people (children, parents, teachers of the school). On September 3, a series of explosions thundered at the school, a building collapsed, and a fire broke out. After the explosion, some hostages began to run out of the building, the FSB special forces decided to storm. As a result of the terrorist attack, more than 330 people died, including 186 children. More than 850 people were injured, 10 officers of the special forces of the FSB died.
Monuments to the victims of the tragedy
In memory of the victims of the tragedy, a huge number of memorials were installed both in Russia and abroad:
- in 2005, a monument to children, victims of the terrorist attack - the Tree of Grief was installed in Beslan;
- in 2005 in Beslan - a monument to children, victims of the terrorist attack - khachkar;
- in 2005, in Vladikavkaz, a monument to the dead children was erected according to a sketch of Beslan schoolchildren;
- in 2005 in the village of Muranovo - obelisk;
- in 2005 in Florence - "Area of boys and girls of Beslan";
- in 2005 in Castelnovo di Sotto - a monument to the Children of Beslan;
- in 2006 in San Marino - a monument to the "Victims of the Beslan tragedy";
- in 2007 in St. Petersburg - a monument to the Children of Beslan;
- in 2010 in Vladikavkaz - “Monument to the victims of terror”;
- in 2010 in Moscow a monument to the Children of Beslan;
- In 2011, a red-black obelisk was opened in Karachay-Cherkessia in the village of Costa-Khetagurov, dedicated to the victims of the Beslan terrorist attack;
- in 2011 in Beslan - the monument “Good Angel of the World”;
- In 2012, a memorial complex on the territory of a former school was built in Beslan.
Monuments to the victims of the terrorist attack in Beslan
Погибшие в теракте нашли вечный покой на Beslan Memorial Cemetery, which was called the "City of Angels". Before the tragic events, it was called “Children's”, but since 2008 it has been officially renamed. 226 people are buried here, of which 186 are innocent children. There is one more terrible grave - the mass grave, in which the unidentified parts of the bodies are buried. Everyone has different birth years, but the date of death is the same for everyone. There are angels everywhere.
On the territory of the cemetery there is a monument “The Tree of Sorrow”, the Poklonny cross, a monument to the special forces, khachkar.
A year after the tragedy at the memorialBeslan cemetery was opened a monument to the children of the victims of the terrorist attack in Beslan "The Tree of Sorrow", which is about 9 meters high. It is a tree, its trunk consists of four female figures, the crown is formed by their outspread hands holding angels, personifying children. At the opening of the monument were attended by relatives and parents of dead children, victims, as well as residents of Beslan and other areas of the republic, the president of North Ossetia Mamsurov Taimuraz. During the opening after the strike of the bell, the names of all those killed in the school were listed, after which pigeons were released into the sky, which very symbolically sat on a bronze tree.
Khachkar is a type of Armenian architectural monument, which is a stele with a carved cross on it. The monument is installed in honor of all those killed in the terrorist attack.
Not far from the monument "Tree of Sorrow" installeda memorial to the special forces, who died during the liberation of the hostages. It is a helmet with a bullet-proof vest, which lie on a spread military cloak and cover the children's book and toy.
The worship cross was installed at the initiative of local residents as a sign of a memorable prayer for the innocent children who passed away from life, teachers and special forces performing their military duty.
Monument to the dead children of Beslan in Moscow
At the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin in the centerthe capital in 2010 was installed a memorial sign to children who died during the terrorist attack in Beslan. The author of the monument is the famous sculptor Zurab Tsereteli. The monument is a memorial with a height of 5 meters, which symbolizes the souls of children who died in a terrible tragedy, the angel carries them to heaven. The composition is complemented by scattered toys around the monument: a bicycle, a train, a teddy bear, Pinocchio.
The initiators of the construction in Moscow of a monument to the children of Beslan were made by the leadership of North Ossetia, which was supported by the Moscow government.
At the grand opening of the monument "ChildrenBeslan ”on Solyanka was attended by the President of North Ossetia, representatives of the State Duma of Russia, the released hostages of the school, their parents and relatives. During the ceremony, it began to rain as a symbol of memory and grief for those who are no longer alive.
Monument in St. Petersburg
The monument was installed in 2007 at the templeAssumption of the Blessed Virgin. It is a dilapidated arch, from under which the mother comes out with a child in her arms. The inscription: “To the children of Beslan” is engraved on the pedestal. The arch is made of granite, and the sculpture itself is made of bronze. The total height of the monument is 5 meters.
The monument to the Children of Beslan in St. Petersburg was established on the initiative and at the expense of the association Ost-West. Authors: sculptor Shuvalov V.M. and architect Mednikov V.V.
Monument in San Marino
Памятник детям Беслана в Сан-Марино – это дань In memory of the dead innocent souls who suffered at the hands of ruthless militants. At his own expense, the Italian sculptor Renzo Wendy created a bronze monument, which was installed in 2006 on one of the squares in the center of San Marino. Thousands of kilometers from the city where the tragedy occurred, ordinary people empathized with the terrible and boundless mountain of the Ossetian town. The monument is a sculpture of a child, scared half to death, who froze in a silent scream. Looking at him, an ardent desire arises to do everything so that such cruelty and heartlessness towards children and little lives will never happen again.
Monuments to fallen special forces officers
В нашей стране с уважением относятся к памяти о dead and honored the names of those who lost their lives in the performance of their duties, freeing hostages in the school of Beslan. In honor of the dead FSB special forces officers, memorials were installed:
- В Ульяновске открыт памятник подполковнику Razumovsky Dmitry, Hero of Russia, who died in Beslan. He commanded one of the assault groups, personally destroyed two terrorists, diverting attention to himself, was killed by a militant sniper. The initiators of the installation of the memorial was the family of the deceased and his colleagues.
- In Yurovo, a monument to a native of the village, Major Mikhail Kuznetsov, has been erected. He evacuated about 20 wounded hostages, was mortally wounded and died in the hospital the same day.
- In Orsk, a monument to Lieutenant TurkinAndrei, he participated in the operation in the assault group. Bursting into the dining room, where the militants held hostages, Turkin himself covered a grenade thrown by a terrorist into a crowd of children. He was awarded the title "Hero of Russia" posthumously.
- In Vasilyevka a monument was opened to Oleg Loskov, who at the age of 23 participated in an assault operation in Beslan and died.
Attitudes towards terrorism at the state level
State law established the Day of Solidarity in the fight against terrorism, which since September 2005 is celebrated on September 3.
On this day, all of Russia remembers the tragic anda terrible event unfolding in the secondary school of Beslan and killing more than 300 people. The capture of children as hostages was condemned by the entire world community. Monuments were erected in memory of the tragedy around the world, and at the Beslan school (now the memorial complex) candles are lit every year, which burn for exactly 51 hours and 50 minutes - that’s the amount of time the terrorists held hostages. Candles are lit on September 1 at 09:15 and they are burning until September 3 at 13:05 (the time when the explosions thundered and the school began to storm).
