10:18, 29 January 2014

MIA: Olympic Torch Relay passed peacefully in Chechnya

Welcoming the Olympic Flame in Grozny. January 28, 2014. Photo by the "Caucasian Knot"

As reported by the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), all the events dedicated to welcoming the Olympic Flame in Grozny, the Chechen capital, passed in a calm atmosphere; no accidents or serious incidents have been recorded.

"In total, the welcoming ceremony of the Olympic Flame was attended by about 70,000 people. Most of them gathered in the vicinity of the Akhmad Kadyrov Stadium and in the 'Akhmad Arena' – at least 30,000," a source from the Chechen MIA told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The Olympic Torch Relay was held in Grozny in the afternoon on January 28; and the Olympic Flame was brought to Chechnya from Dagestan, and then passed over to Ingushetia. Meanwhile, employees of state-run institutions and students claimed that they had been involved in the activities under compulsion.

Some residents of Grozny told about the serious problems they faced during the relay, in particular, traffic jams and blocked motor roads.

Let us remind you that the route of the Olympic Torch Relay in Grozny was more than halved – from the initial 34 down to 16 kilometres. The same was done in Dagestan; and the "Caucasian Knot" told about the event in its video report.

Author: Muslim Ibragimov, Aleksandr Ivanov

Source: CK correspondents