03 September 2008, 15:39
Russian cities hold mourning in memory of Beslan victims
The action in memory of the victims of Beslan tragedy was held in the centre of St-Petersburg. In the corner of Malaya Sadovaya Street and the Nevskiy Avenue, 335 candles were lit up on the sidewalk in memory of the victims.
We remind you that the mourning ceremonies started in Beslan on September 1. On that day, the human rights organization "Voice of Beslan" started bagging subscriptions under the demand to launch an international investigation of the events that happened four years ago. Today at 1:05 p.m., the whole North Ossetia held one minute's silence in remembrance of Beslan victims.
The action in St-Petersburg was organized by democratic parties and movements, but they urged the participants to refrain from political slogans.
Traditionally, people brought water in bottles with them to remind that Beslan hostages were dying from thirst (for three day bandits gave them no water to drink), flowers and soft toys, the "Echo Moskvy" Radio reports.
Memory actions were also held today in other cities of Russia.
Deputies of the Russian State Duma paid tribute to victims of terror in Russia by one minute's silence.
Hundreds of memory candles were lit up today in Khabarovsk at the rally held on the Solidarity Day with war on terrorism. A flock of snow-white pigeons was let into the sky, the ITAR-TASS reports.
Moscow has also hosted today a number of rallies in memory of terror acts' victims. During the action entitled "Memory Day of Beslan Victims" representatives of the authorities of the Russian capital and Moscow Ossetian community laid flowers to tombs of the officers who died when rescuing the hostages, and then held a mourning ceremony.
The "Caucasian Knot" reported earlier that residents of Pyatigorsk (Stavropol Territory) had also paid tribute to Beslan victims. In Pyatigorsk, at 10:00 a.m. Moscow time, a rally began at the Memorial "Flame of Eternal Glory" with participation of the city administration, territorial branches of Russian political parties, public organizations, veterans, schoolboys and students.
