Residents of Karachay-Cherkessia commemorate Beslan victims

The village of Costa Khetagurov in Karachay-Cherkessia has hosted actions in memory of the victims of the terror act committed in Beslan in September 2004 and opened a monument.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on the initiative of the head of the Karachay-Cherkessian Republic (KCR) Rashid Temrezov, a memorial to Beslan victims was built in Costa Khetagurov.

The monument is made of red and black granite and embodies a leaned mother grieving for her perished children. It also bears poetry in the Russian and Ossetian languages, which conveys the pain and sorrow of all living humans over the tragically killed children of Beslan.

Alexander Ivanov, Chairman of the National Assembly (Parliament) of the KCR, has reminded the audience of the tragic events in Beslan, which took away 334 lives, 186 of them - children's lives.

Theophylact, Bishop of Stavropol and Vladikavkaz, hallowed the monument and conducted a memorial ceremony.

Ismail-Haji Berdiev, Chairman of the Coordinating Centre of North-Caucasian Muslims, conducted a dua rite for the innocent victims of Beslan.

"I was there on the day when they buried the victims in Beslan. It was painful to watch. Normally, we're used to seeing large coffins, but when they carried small coffins - it was really awful. The only thing that we - the living humans - can do for those who have left us is to pray, asking the God not to admit such terror acts any more," said the Mufti.

The leader of the region Rashid Temrezov has noted that combating terrorism should be a priority not only for law enforcement bodies and the authorities, but for the whole multinational people of Karachay-Cherkessia and the whole of Russia.

Taimuraz Mamsurov, the head of North Ossetia, thanked the leader and the people of Karachay-Cherkessia for their memory about the victims of the Beslan tragedy.