Chechnya to celebrate the 420th anniversary of relations with Russia till the end of the year

The events dedicated to the 420th anniversary of neighbourhood relations between the peoples of Russia and Chechnya will continue in the Chechen Republic till the end of the year.

"From October 5 on, the Republic will start celebrations on the 420th anniversary of establishment of good neighbourhood relations between Russia and Chechnya. The official date of setting up contacts between Chechens and Russian government was year 1588, when the first Chechen embassy headed by Batai-Murza arrived to Moscow," a source from the governmental office told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Within the agenda of celebratory events dated to this anniversary, on October 5 Grozny will host a solemn meeting in honour of the 420th anniversary of establishments of good neighbourhood relations between Russia and Chechnya; the reconstructed Victory Avenue will be opened in the capital of the Republic, and a Concert of Friendship will be given by Russian variety stars and local groups. Tomorrow's events will be finished by celebratory fireworks.

Meanwhile, not all the residents of the Republic are positive to the authorities' actions to celebrate the 420th anniversary of establishing relations with Russia. "Needless to say that in 1588 there were no 'good neighbourhood' relations between Russian authorities and Chechens. From the moment of appearance of Russians in the Caucasus, they only brought distress to our people. In fact, Moscow has ever needed Chechnya without Chechens, and it was permanently eliminating us under various pretexts," former history teacher Said has shared his vision of this date.

"Starting from Romanov tsars and ending with Bolsheviks, communists and current 'democrats', Kremlin leaders permanently unleashed wars here, sowed death and ruins," he said. "Moscow never sought good neighbourhood here, its aims were only humility and allegiance."