Chechnya, Chechen Republic. Chechen mountains

Although the mountains occupy only 1/3 of the territory of the republic, all the most beautiful is located there and, accordingly, the concentration of natural beauties is the largest there. Among nature, there are also man-made beauties and miracles. If you came to Chechnya and did not go to the mountains - consider that you did not come! :)
We spent almost the whole day out of 3 in the mountains, of course I would like to spend all 3 there, but there was only one in the plan. They promised to take us to the famous Argun Gorge. What it is famous for, I really did not know before; it was only heard from the news and other things. The news was not always pleasant, but what happened, I hope it passed. Now this gorge is just a monument of nature, and the towers along its banks and mountains, in my opinion, are one of the most interesting architectural structures, in my opinion even Grozny City is inferior to them, they look so organic here and it’s not even clear what it would be like without them . :)
Believe me, I selected the photos quite carefully and specially selected almost everything without people, mountains without people have always been good, and even in the mountains without people it’s safe!

In the morning, having plunged into 2 Shnivy and one Ford with the most important representatives of the Beeline company in Grozny, they moved south.

2.

Despite the fact that in the republic the roads are in fair condition, we managed to find something very suitable for the fields, but not very pleasant for the Ford Focus. :)

3.

The mountains here are not only for beauty, but also for work. Here on the mountain there is a quarry of a cement plant, they are crushed and poured through a pipe, it is dusting specifically.

4.

The further we go, the higher the mountains, but the highest ones are not yet visible, although there are peaks over 4000 m high, but we most likely will not reach them, it was promised to take us to the village of Veduchi, in any case, I sincerely believed in this and how I really wanted to see where a super-duper ski resort would be built there.

5.

The end of the "Zone" zone, but not the end of the Beeline mobile network coverage area. Surprisingly, in many places Beeline worked better than Megafon guarded this area, probably because they are now very actively increasing their presence here, installing BS-ki and promoting 4G Internet.

6.

Who can be surprised by a spring along the road? But its design is quite possible for those who understand.

7.

We drive into Shatoi, here we will need to buy a little in the market. Shatoy is also a well-known name, it is a regional center in the valley between two gorges through which the river flows. Argun.

8.

After Shatoi, the gorge narrows and the asphalt disappears, not forever, of course, but it is better to close the windows and turn on the air conditioner. Despite the fact that we are already warm here in the mountains - spring is smoothly turning into summer :)

9.

I apologize for any artifacts in the photo, I shot through the glass, but in my opinion the photo fully reflects the places where we were driving.

10.

They didn't hold back - they stopped. :)

11.

The gorge is quite narrow, the river is down there somewhere!

12.

Proper transport does not drive, but flies.

13.

Very pretty mountains. It's good that we hit before everything was completely green, so the terrain is much better visible.

14.

It just becomes somehow narrow, which means something interesting is close :)

15.

Yeah, here are the famous Ushkaloy twin towers.

16.

These two battle towers reliably blocked the passage here before they cut a wide road. It was impossible to enter or leave without permission :)

17.

Now the towers are easier than ever to cross the bridge.

18.

And hide between them in their shadow.

19.

Suddenly, the roar of engines, the dust column. There is equipment: armored personnel carriers and fuel trucks. They go most likely to the outpost, which is located upstream. The Argun Gorge leads strictly to the border with Georgia, and we have it under lock and key!

20.

Warriors distracted from the towers, but not for long. Want to see what's inside?

21.

I climbed into the "window" and made sure that nothing, these were practically replicas of trumpet towers, no one had spared them before, and when they captured they most likely destroyed them so that the highlanders could not use them again.

22.

View from the lower window of the tower. Mountains with snow are already visible. :)

23.

24.

Fortunately, you won’t get bored here, there is something to see, a whole museum has been reclaimed!

25.

The tower is also available, but it looks new, although it is located on the old foundation. In 50 years it will be like the old one :)

26.

27.

In addition to combat towers, there are also residential ones, they are not so high, but more solid with rooms.

28.

You can immediately see where is new and where is the original.

29.

A rotunda with a view of the village, obviously not in the Vainakh traditions, but Beeline catches it perfectly! Its special design is designed to capture and amplify the signal. Unfortunately for the representatives of VimpelCom, it also strengthened Megafon, but its speed still fell short. :)

30.

All buildings of the architectural monument look very harmoniously surrounded by mountains.

31.

32.

Inside the towers there is a small exposition of traditional local decorations, weapons, clothes and utensils.

33.

34.

35.

36.

37.

There are still empty rooms, it is easy to get lost in them with poor lighting :)

38.

Before leaving for Tazbichi, we found out where all Chechen roads begin :)

39.

To Tazbichi and from the towers from Itum-Kale 10 minutes by car up, and there is also a tower and you can climb inside it. Just what we all missed!

Eskigora - tower of Eskievs.

40.

Another tower is clearly visible from it - Bassara bIav - the tower of the slope - the family tower of the Suleymanovs and Magomadovs.

41.

From the loopholes of the tower, as you rise, views of the distance open up.

42.

Tower veil :)

43.

The ceiling of the tower is completely stone - do not set fire to the enemies!

44.

Time does not spare anything, we have to strengthen and preserve.

45.

Loopholes with an overview and a shooting sector down.

46.

47.

There is a cemetery next to the tower, you can’t climb over the fence, but you can take pictures from afar. It doesn't look like ours at all.

48.

And it's not just crescents and Arabic script.

49.

But also in tombstones in general!

50.

No matter how good it is in the mountains, it's time to start on the way back.

51.

It would seem that everything has already been filmed in the morning, but in the evening the light becomes a little different and it would seem that the same places look different.

52.

Powerful diagonal layers cut by the river converge closer and closer.

53.

Over the cliff, the road is practically without a fence, you should be careful.

54.

There is a place to fly away, below the Argun stream is as powerful as in the morning, the water is of a dirty color. It is warm, the snow in the upper reaches is melting intensively, the river carries a lot of suspensions.

55.

56.

Go bulls! :)

57.

And while the bulls are moving forward, we are going towards Grozny, the mountains are ending for today, but there are no excursions yet. :)

To be continued.

Thanks to everyone who read to the end, sorry for the many photos, but I already chose, chose, chose and only showed a little.

IGOR PIKHALOV. LOCAL PASSIONS IN THE CHECHEN MOUNTAINS

Why did Stalin deport Chechens and Ingush in 1944? There are two widespread myths about this today. According to the first of them, launched back in the time of Khrushchev and happily picked up by today's liberals, there were no objective reasons for the eviction at all. Chechens and Ingush fought bravely at the front and worked hard in the rear, but as a result they became innocent victims of Stalin's arbitrariness: “Stalin counted on pulling up the small peoples in order to finally break their desire for independence and strengthen his empire”

The second myth, nationalistic, was put into circulation by the professor of the Institute of Language and Literature Abdurakhman Avtorkhanov. This pundit, when German troops approached the borders of Chechnya, went over to the side of the enemy, organized a detachment to fight the partisans, and after the end of the war he lived in Germany and worked at the radio station "Freedom". Avtorkhan's version of events boils down to the following. On the one hand, the scale of the Chechen "resistance" to the Soviet authorities is inflated in every possible way, for the suppression of which entire divisions were allegedly thrown together with aircraft that bombed the "liberated areas" controlled by the rebels. On the other hand, cooperation between the Chechens and the Germans is completely denied:

“... even being right at the borders of the Chechen-Ingush Republic, the Germans did not transfer a single rifle, not a single cartridge to Chechen-Ingushetia. Only individual spies and a large number of leaflets were transferred. But this was done wherever the front passed. But the main thing is that the Israilov uprising began in the winter of 1940, i.e. even when Stalin was in alliance with Hitler"

This myth is primarily adhered to by the current Chechen "fighters for independence", as it amuses their national vanity. However, many of those who approve of the deportation are also inclined to believe in it, since at the same time it looks justified. And absolutely in vain. Yes, during the war years, Chechens and Ingush committed crimes, and much more serious than the story of the notorious white horse allegedly presented by Chechen elders to Hitler. However, one should not create a false heroic halo around this. The reality is much more prosaic and uglier.

MASS DESERTERS

The first accusation that should be brought against the Chechens and Ingush is mass desertion. Here is what was said on this occasion in a memorandum addressed to People's Commissar of Internal Affairs Lavrenty Beria "On the situation in the regions of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic", compiled by Deputy People's Commissar of State Security, Commissar of State Security 2nd rank Bogdan Kobulov based on the results of his trip to Checheno-Ingushetia in October 1943 and dated November 9, 1943:

“The attitude of the Chechens and Ingush towards the Soviet government was clearly expressed in desertion and draft evasion in the Red Army.

During the first mobilization in August 1941, out of 8,000 people to be drafted, 719 deserted.

In October 1941, out of 4,733 people, 362 evaded the draft.

In January 1942, when completing the national division, only 50 percent of the personnel were called up.

In March 1942, out of 14,576 people, 13,560 deserted and evaded service, went underground, went into the mountains and joined gangs.

In 1943, out of 3,000 volunteers, the number of deserters was 1,870 people ".

In total, during the three years of the war, 49,362 Chechens and Ingush deserted from the ranks of the Red Army, another 13,389 brave sons of the mountains evaded the draft, which in total is 62,751 people.

And how many Chechens and Ingush fought at the front? Defenders of the "repressed peoples" compose various fables on this score. For example, Doctor of Historical Sciences Hadji-Murat Ibrahimbayli states: “More than 30,000 Chechens and Ingush fought on the fronts. In the first weeks of the war, more thanmore than 12 thousand communists and Komsomol members- Chechens and Ingush, most of whom died in battle"

The reality looks much more modest. While in the ranks of the Red Army, 2.3 thousand Chechens and Ingush died and went missing. Is it a lot or a little? The Buryat people, twice as small in number, which was not threatened by the German occupation, lost 13 thousand people at the front, one and a half times inferior to the Chechens and Ingush Ossetians - 10.7 thousand.

As of March 1949, among the special settlers there were 4248 Chechens and 946 Ingush who had previously served in the Red Army. Contrary to popular belief, a certain number of Chechens and Ingush were exempted from being sent to the settlement for military merit. As a result, we find that no more than 10 thousand Chechens and Ingush served in the ranks of the Red Army, while over 60 thousand of their relatives evaded mobilization or deserted.

Let's say a few words about the notorious 114th Chechen-Ingush cavalry division, about the exploits of which pro-Chechen authors love to talk about. Due to the stubborn reluctance of the indigenous inhabitants of the Chechen-Ingush ASSR to go to the front, its formation was never completed, and personnel, who managed to be called up, in March 1942 was sent to spare and training units.

BANDITRY

The next accusation is banditry. Starting from July 1941 to 1944, only in the territory of the Chi ASSR, which was later transformed into the Grozny region, 197 gangs were destroyed by state security agencies. At the same time, the total irretrievable losses of the bandits amounted to 4532 people: 657 were killed, 2762 were captured, 1113 turned themselves in. Thus, in the ranks of the gangs that fought against the Red Army, almost twice as many Chechens and Ingush died and were captured than at the front. And this is not counting the losses of the Vainakhs who fought on the side of the Wehrmacht in the so-called "Eastern battalions"! And since banditry is impossible without the complicity of the local population in these conditions, many "peaceful Chechens" can also, with a clear conscience, be attributed to traitors.

By that time, the old "cadres" of abreks and local religious authorities, through the efforts of the OGPU, and then the NKVD, were basically knocked out. They were replaced by a young gangster growth - Komsomol members and communists, brought up by the Soviet authorities, who studied in Soviet universities, clearly showed the validity of the proverb "No matter how much you feed the wolf, he always looks into the forest."

Its typical representative was Hasan Israilov, mentioned by Avtorkhanov, also known under the pseudonym "Terloev", taken by him from the name of his teip. He was born in 1910 in the village of Nachkhoi, Galanchozh region. In 1929 he joined the CPSU (b), in the same year he entered the Komvuz in Rostov-on-Don. In 1933, to continue his studies, Israilov was sent to Moscow, to the Communist University of the Workers of the East. I.V. Stalin. In 1935 he was arrested under Art. 58-10 hours 2 and 95 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR and sentenced to 5 years in labor camps, but already in 1937 he was released. Returning to his homeland, he worked as a lawyer in the Shatoevsky district.

1941 UPRISING

After the start of the Great Patriotic War, Khasan Israilov, together with his brother Hussein, went underground, developing a stormy activity in preparation for a general uprising. To this end, he held 41 meetings in various villages, created battle groups in Galanchozhsky and Itum-Kalinsky districts, as well as in Borzoi, Kharsinoe, Dagi-Borzoi, Achekhna and other settlements. Representatives were also sent to the neighboring Caucasian republics.

Initially, the uprising was scheduled for the autumn of 1941 in order to coincide with the approach of German troops. However, as the Blitzkrieg schedule began to crack at the seams, its deadline was moved to January 10, 1942. But it was too late: due to low discipline and the lack of a clear connection between the rebel cells, it was not possible to postpone the uprising. The situation got out of hand. A single coordinated action did not take place, resulting in scattered premature actions of individual groups.

So, on October 21, 1941, residents of the Khilokhoy farm of the Nachkhoevsky village council of the Galanchozhsky district plundered the collective farm and offered armed resistance to the task force trying to restore order. An operational detachment of 40 people was sent to the area to arrest the instigators. Underestimating the seriousness of the situation, his commander divided his men into two groups, heading for the Khaibakhai and Khilokhoy farms. This turned out to be a fatal mistake. The first of the groups was surrounded by rebels. Having lost four people killed and six wounded in a skirmish, she, as a result of the cowardice of the head of the group, was disarmed and, with the exception of four operatives, was shot. The second, having heard the skirmish, began to retreat and, being surrounded in the village of Galanchozh, was also disarmed. As a result, the performance was suppressed only after the introduction of large forces.

A week later, on October 29, police officers detained Naizulu Dzhangireev in the village of Borzoi, Shatoevsky district, who evaded labor service and incited the population to do so. His brother, Guchik Dzhangireev, called on fellow villagers for help. After Guchik's statement: "There is no Soviet power, you can act" - the gathered crowd disarmed the policemen, defeated the village council and plundered the collective farm cattle. With the rebels from the surrounding villages who joined, the Borzoevites offered armed resistance to the NKVD task force, however, unable to withstand the retaliatory strike, they scattered through the forests and gorges, like the participants in a similar performance that took place a little later in the Bavloevsky village council of the Itum-Kalinsky district.

However, Israilov did not study at the Communist University in vain! Remembering Lenin's statement "Give us an organization of revolutionaries, and we will turn Russia over," he actively engaged in party building. Israilov built his organization on the principle of armed detachments, covering a certain area or group of settlements with their activities. The main link was the village committees, or troikas-fives, which carried out anti-Soviet and insurgent work in the field.

Already on January 28, 1942, Israilov held an illegal meeting in Ordzhonikidze (now Vladikavkaz), at which the "Special Party of Caucasian Brothers" (OPKB) was established. As befits a self-respecting party, the OPKB had its own charter, a program providing for "the creation in the Caucasus of a free fraternal Federal Republic of the states of the fraternal peoples of the Caucasus under the mandate of the German Empire", as well as symbols:

"The coat of arms of the OPKB means: EAGLE

a) the head of an eagle is surrounded by an image of the sun with eleven golden rays;

b) on its front wing, a scythe, a sickle, a hammer and a handle are drawn in a bunch;

c) in his claws of his right foot, a poisonous snake is drawn in a captured form;

d) a captured pig is depicted in his claws of his left foot;

e) on the back between the wings are drawn two armed men in Caucasian uniforms, one of them is shooting at a snake, and the other is cutting a pig with a saber ...

HERB's explanations are as follows:

I. The eagle as a whole means the Caucasus.

II. The sun stands for Liberty.

III. Eleven sunbeams represent the eleven fraternal peoples of the Caucasus.

IV. The scythe denotes a cattle breeder-peasant; Sickle- farmer-peasant;

Hammer - a worker from the Caucasian brothers; Pen- science and study for the brothers of the Caucasus.

V. Poisonous snake - denotes a defeated Bolshevik.

VI. Pig - denotes a Russian barbarian who has been defeated.

VII. Armed people - the brothers of the OPKB are designated, leading the fight against Bolshevik barbarism and Russian despotism" .

Later, in order to better cater to the tastes of future German masters, Israilov renamed his organization the National Socialist Party of Caucasian Brothers (NSPKB). Its number, according to the NKVD, soon reached 5,000 people. This is quite similar to the truth, given that in February 1944, the NKVD task force captured lists of members of the NSPKB in 20 villages of Itum-Kalinsky, Galanchozhsky, Shatoevsky and Prigorodny districts of the Chechen Republic of Chechen Republic of the ASSR with a total number of 540 people, despite the fact that only in Chechnya (without Ingushetia) then there were about 250 auls.

UPRISINGS OF 1942

Another large anti-Soviet group on the territory of Checheno-Ingushetia was the so-called Chechen-Mountain National Socialist Underground Organization, created in November 1941. Its leader Mairbek Sheripov, like Israilov, was a representative of a new generation. The son of a tsarist officer and younger brother of the famous commander of the so-called "Chechen Red Army" Aslanbek Sheripov, who was killed in September 1919 in a battle with Denikin, was born in 1905. Just like Israilov, he joined the CPSU (b), was also arrested for anti-Soviet propaganda - in 1938, and in 1939 he was released for lack of evidence of guilt. However, unlike Israilov, Sheripov had a higher social status, being the chairman of the Forestry Council of the Chi ASSR.

Having gone underground in the autumn of 1941, Mairbek Sheripov united gang leaders, deserters, fugitive criminals hiding in the territory of Shatoevsky, Cheberloevsky and part of the Itum-Kalinsky districts, and also established ties with the religious and teip authorities of the villages, trying with their help to persuade population to an armed uprising against the Soviet regime. Sheripov's main base, where he hid and recruited like-minded people, was in the Shatoevsky district. There he had extensive family ties.

Sheripov repeatedly changed the name of his organization: the Society for the Salvation of the Highlanders, the Union of Liberated Highlanders, the Chechen-Ingush Union of Mountain Nationalists, and, finally, as a logical result, the Chechen-Mountain National Socialist Underground Organization. In the first half of 1942, he wrote the program of the organization, in which he outlined its ideological platform, goals and objectives.

After the front approached the borders of the republic, in August 1942, Sheripov managed to establish contact with the inspirer of a number of past uprisings, mullah and associate of Imam Gotsinsky, Dzhavotkhan Murtazaliev, who since 1925 was with his whole family in an illegal position. Taking advantage of his authority, he managed to raise a major uprising in the Itum-Kalinsky and Shatoevsky regions.

The uprising began in the village of Dzumskaya, Itum-Kalinsky District. Having defeated the village council and the board of the collective farm, Sheripov led the bandits rallied around him to the district center of the Shatoevsky district - the village of Khimoi. On August 17, Khimoy was taken, the rebels destroyed the party and Soviet institutions, and the local population looted and plundered the property stored there. The capture of the regional center was successful thanks to the betrayal of the head of the department for combating banditry of the NKVD of the Chi ASSR, the Ingush Idris Aliyev, who kept in touch with Sheripov. A day before the attack, he prudently recalled from Himoy the task force and the military unit, which were specially intended to protect the regional center in case of a raid.

After that, about 150 participants in the rebellion, led by Sheripov, set off to capture the Itum-Kale regional center of the eponymous district, joining the rebels and criminals along the way. One and a half thousand rebels surrounded Itum-Kale on August 20. However, they failed to take the village. The small garrison stationed there repelled all attacks, and two companies that approached put the rebels to flight. The defeated Sheripov tried to unite with Israilov, but the state security agencies were finally able to organize a special operation, as a result of which on November 7, 1942, the leader of the Shatoev bandits was killed.

The next uprising was organized in October of the same year by the German non-commissioned officer Reckert, who was abandoned in Chechnya in August at the head of a sabotage group. Having established contact with the gang of Rasul Sakhabov, with the assistance of religious authorities, he recruited up to 400 people and, having supplied them with German weapons dropped from aircraft, managed to raise a number of auls in the Vedensky and Cheberloevsky districts. However, thanks to the operational and military measures taken, this armed uprising was liquidated, Reckert was killed, and the commander of another sabotage group, Dzugaev, who joined him, was arrested. The asset of the rebel formation created by Reckert and Rasul Sakhabov, in the amount of 32 people, was also arrested, and Sakhabov himself was killed in October 1943 by his bloodline, Ramazan Magomadov, who was promised forgiveness for this bandit activity.

HADDING saboteurs

After the front line approached the borders of the republic, the Germans began to throw intelligence officers and saboteurs into the territory of Checheno-Ingushetia. These sabotage groups were extremely well received by the local population. The following tasks were set before the thrown agents: to create and maximally strengthen bandit-insurgent formations and thereby divert units of the active Red Army; conduct a series of sabotage; block the most important roads for the Red Army; commit Act of terrorism and so on.

Reckert's group achieved the greatest success, as described above. The most numerous reconnaissance and sabotage group in the amount of 30 paratroopers was abandoned on August 25, 1942 on the territory of the Ataginsky district near the village of Cheshki. Chief Lieutenant Lange, who headed it, intended to raise a mass armed uprising in the mountainous regions of Chechnya. To do this, he established contact with Khasan Israilov, as well as with the traitor Elmurzaev, who, being the head of the Staro-Yurtovsky regional department of the NKVD, went underground in August 1942, along with the district authorized procurement office Gaitiev and four policemen, taking 8 rifles and several million rubles of money.

However, Lange failed in this endeavor. Having failed to fulfill the planned and pursued by the Chekist military units, the chief lieutenant with the remnants of his group (6 people, all Germans) managed with the help of Chechen guides led by Khamchiev and Beltoev to cross the front line back to the Germans. Israilov did not live up to expectations either, whom Lange described as a dreamer, and called the program of the “Caucasian brothers” written by him stupid.

Nevertheless, making his way to the front line through the villages of Chechnya and Ingushetia, Lange continued to work on the creation of bandit cells, which he called "Abwehr groups." He organized groups: in the village of Surkhakhi, Nazranovsky district, in the amount of 10 people, led by Raad Dakuev, in the village of Yandyrka, Sunzhensky district, numbering 13 people, in the village of Srednie Achaluki, Achaluki district, in the amount of 13 people, in the village of Psedakh of the same district - 5 people. In the village of Goity, a cell of 5 people was created by a member of the Lange group, non-commissioned officer Keller.

Simultaneously with the Lange detachment, on August 25, 1942, the Osman Gube group was also abandoned on the territory of the Galanchozh region. Its commander Osman Saydnurov (he took the pseudonym Gube while in exile), an Avar by nationality, was born in 1892 in the village of Erpeli, now the Buynaksky district of the Dagestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, in the family of a manufactory merchant. In 1915 he voluntarily joined the Russian army. During civil war served with Denikin in the rank of lieutenant, commanded a squadron. In October 1919, he deserted, lived in Tbilisi, and since 1921, after the liberation of Georgia by the Reds, in Turkey, from where he was expelled in 1938 for anti-Soviet activities. After the start of the Great Patriotic War, Osman Gube completed a course of study at a German intelligence school and was placed at the disposal of naval intelligence.

The Germans pinned special hopes on Osman Guba, planning to make him their governor in the North Caucasus. To raise his authority in the eyes of the local population, he was even allowed to impersonate a German colonel. However, these plans were not destined to come true - in early January 1943, Osman Gube and his group were arrested by the state security agencies. During the interrogation, the failed Caucasian Gauleiter made an eloquent confession:

“Among the Chechens and Ingush, I easily found the right people who were ready to betray, go over to the side of the Germans and serve them.

I was surprised: why are these people unhappy? Chechens and Ingush under Soviet rule lived prosperously, in abundance, much better than in pre-revolutionary times, as I was personally convinced after more than four months of being on the territory of Checheno-Ingushetia.

Chechens and Ingush, I repeat, do not need anything, which caught my eye, recalling the difficult conditions and constant hardships in which mountain emigration found itself in Turkey and Germany. I did not find any other explanation, except that these people from the Chechens and Ingush, with treacherous moods towards their homeland, were guided by selfish considerations, the desire to preserve at leastthe remnants of their well-being, to render a service, in return for which the invaders would leave them at least part of the available livestock and products, land and dwellings.

Contrary to the assurances of Avtorkhanov, the Germans also widely practiced parachuting weapons for Chechen bandits. Moreover, in order to impress the local population, they once even dropped a small change of silver coin of the royal coinage.

THE RAYKOM IS CLOSED - ALL GONE TO THE GANG

A reasonable question arises: where have the local internal affairs bodies been looking all this time? The NKVD of Checheno-Ingushetia was then headed by State Security Captain Sultan Albogachiev, an Ingush by nationality, who had previously worked as an investigator in Moscow. In this capacity, he was particularly cruel. This was especially evident during the investigation into the case of Academician Nikolai Vavilov. It was he, together with the former executive secretary of Moskovsky Komsomolets Lev Shvartsman, who, according to Vavilov's son, tortured the academician for 7-8 hours in a row.

Albogachiev's zeal did not go unnoticed - having received a promotion, he returned to his native republic on the eve of the Great Patriotic War. However, it soon became clear that the newly minted People's Commissar of Internal Affairs of Checheno-Ingushetia was by no means eager to fulfill his direct duties to eradicate banditry. This is evidenced by the numerous minutes of the meetings of the Bureau of the Chechen-Ingush Regional Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks:

- July 15, 1941: "People's Commissar Comrade. Albogachiev did not strengthen the People's Commissariat organizationally, did not rally the workers and did not organize an active struggle against banditry and desertion" .

- early August 1941: "Albogachiev, heading the NKVD, by all means dissociates himself from participation in the fight against terrorists".

- November 9, 1941: “The People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs (People’s Commissar Comrade Albogachiev) did not comply with the decision of the Bureau of the Chechen-Ingush Regional Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks of July 25, 1941, the fight against banditry was based on passive methods until recently, as a result, banditry has not only not been eliminated, but, on the contrary stepped up its activities.

What was the reason for such passivity? During one of the Chekist-military operations, servicemen of the 263rd regiment of the Tbilisi division of the NKVD troops, Lieutenant Anekeyev and foreman Netsikov, discovered Israilov-Terloev's duffel bag with his diary and correspondence. These documents also contained a letter from Albogachiev with the following content:

“Dear Terloev! Hello to you! I am very sorry that your highlanders started an uprising ahead of time.(Referring to the uprising of October 1941. - I.P.). I am afraid that if you do not listen to me, and we, the workers of the republic, will be exposed...

Look, for the sake of Allah, keep the oath. Don't call us to anyone.

You exposed yourself. You act while deep underground. Don't let yourself be arrested. Know that you will be shot. Keep in touch with me only through my trusted accomplices.

You write me a letter of a hostile bias, threatening me with possible ones, and I will also begin to persecute you. I will burn down your house, arrest some of your relatives, and I will speak out against you anywhere and everywhere. By this, you and I must prove that we are implacable enemies and are persecuting each other.

You do not know those Ordzhonikidze GESTAPO agents through whom, I told you, all information about our anti-Soviet work should be sent.

Write information about the results of the real uprising and send it to me, I can immediately send it to the address in Germany. You tear up my note in front of my messenger. Times are dangerous, I'm afraid.

To match Albogachiev (whose request for a hostile letter Israilov faithfully complied with) were his subordinates. I have already mentioned the betrayal of the head of the department for combating banditry of the NKVD CHI ASSR Idris Aliyev. At the district level, there was also a whole galaxy of traitors in the internal affairs bodies of the republic. These are the heads of the district departments of the NKVD: Staro-Yurtovsky - Elmurzaev, Sharoevsky - Pashaev, Itum-Kalinsky - Mezhiev, Shatoevsky - Isaev, the heads of the district police departments: Itum-Kalinsky - Khasaev, Cheberloevsky - Isaev, the commander of the fighter battalion of the Prigorodny district department of the NKVD Ortskhanov and many others.

What can we say about ordinary employees of the "organs"? Documents are full of phrases like: “Saydulaev Akhmad, worked as an operative of the Shatoevsky RO of the NKVD, in 1942 he went into a gang”, “Inalov Anzor, a native of the village. Gukhoy of the Itum-Kalinsky district, a former policeman of the Itum-Kalinsky district branch of the NKVD, released his brothers from the penal colony, who were arrested for desertion, and fled, seizing weapons. and so on.

Local party leaders did not lag behind the Chekists. As it was said in this regard in the already cited note by Kobulov:

“As the front line approached in August-September 1942, 80 members of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks quit their job and fled, including. 16 heads of district committees of the CPSU (b), 8 executives of district executive committees and 14 chairmen of collective farms.

For reference: at that time, the CHI ASSR included 24 districts and the city of Grozny. Thus, exactly 2/3 of the first secretaries of district committees deserted from their posts. It can be assumed that the rest were mostly "Russian-speaking", such as, for example, the secretary of the Nozhai-Yurt RK of the CPSU (b) Kurolesov.

The party organization of the Itum-Kalinsky district was especially “distinguished”, where the first secretary of the district committee Tangiev, the second secretary Sadykov and other party workers went underground. On the doors of the local party committee, it was just right to post an announcement: "The district committee is closed - everyone has gone to the gang."

In the Galashkinsky district, after receiving summons to appear in the republican military registration and enlistment office, the third secretary of the district committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks Kharsiev, an instructor of the district committee and a deputy of the Supreme Council of the Chechen Republic of the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic Sultanov, deputy. chairman of the district executive committee Yevloev, secretary of the district committee of the Komsomol Tsichoev and a number of other senior officials. Other employees of the district, such as the head of the organizational and instructor department of the district committee of the CPSU (b) Vishagurov, the chairman of the district executive committee Albakov, the district prosecutor Aushev, remaining in their places, entered into a criminal connection with the already mentioned head of the reconnaissance and sabotage group Osman Gube and were him recruited to prepare an armed uprising in the rear of the Red Army.

The local intelligentsia behaved just as treacherously. An employee of the editorial office of the Leninsky Put newspaper, Elsbek Timurkaev, together with Avtorkhanov, went to the Germans, the People's Commissar for Education Chantaeva and the People's Commissar for Social Security Dakaeva were connected with Avtorkhanov and Sheripov, knew about their criminal intentions and provided them with assistance.

Often, traitors did not even try to hide behind lofty words about the struggle for freedom and frankly flaunted their selfish interests. So, Mayrbek Sheripov, going underground in the fall of 1941, cynically explained to his followers: “My brother, Sheripov Aslanbek, in 1917du foresaw the overthrow of the tsar, so I began to fight on the side of the Bolsheviks, I also know that the end of Soviet power has come, so I want to go towards Germany ”.

Similar examples can be cited endlessly, but it seems that the above is more than enough to make sure of the mass betrayal of the Chechens and Ingush during the Great Patriotic War. These peoples fully deserved the eviction. Nevertheless, despite the facts, the current guardians of the “repressed peoples” continue to repeat how inhuman it was to punish the entire nation for the crimes of its “individual representatives”. One of the favorite arguments of this public is the reference to the illegality of such collective punishment.

HUMANE ILLEGALITY

Strictly speaking, this is true: no Soviet laws provided for the mass deportation of Chechens and Ingush. However, let's see what would happen if the authorities decided to act according to the law in 1944.

As we have already found out, the majority of Chechens and Ingush of military age evaded military service or deserted. What is due in wartime for desertion? Execution or penal company. Were these measures applied to deserters of other nationalities? Yes, they have been applied. Banditry, organization of uprisings, cooperation with the enemy during the war were also punished to the fullest extent. As well as less serious crimes like membership in an anti-Soviet underground organization or possession of weapons. Aiding in the commission of crimes, harboring criminals, and finally, failure to report, were also punished by the Criminal Code. And almost all adult Chechens and Ingush were involved in this.

It turns out that the accusers of Stalin's arbitrariness, in fact, regret that several tens of thousands of Chechen men were not legally put up against the wall! However, most likely, they simply believe that the law is written only for Russians and other citizens of the "lower class", and it does not apply to the proud inhabitants of the Caucasus. Judging by the current amnesties for Chechen fighters, as well as calls to “solve the problem of Chechnya at the negotiating table” with gangster leaders that are heard with enviable regularity, this is so.

So, from the point of view of formal legality, the punishment that befell the Chechens and Ingush in 1944 was much softer than the one that was due to them according to the Criminal Code. Since in this case, almost the entire adult population should have been shot or sent to camps. After that, children would have to be taken out of the republic for reasons of humanity.

And from a moral point of view? Maybe it was worth "forgiving" the traitor peoples? But what would the millions of families of the dead soldiers think at the same time, looking at the Chechens and Ingush who sat in the rear? After all, while the Russian families left without breadwinners were starving, the “valiant” highlanders traded in the markets, speculating agricultural products without a twinge of conscience. According to intelligence data, on the eve of the deportation, many Chechen and Ingush families accumulated large sums of money, some - 2-3 million rubles each.

However, even at that time the Chechens had “protectors”. For example, the deputy head of the Department for Combating Banditry of the NKVD of the USSR R.A. Rudenko. Having left on June 20, 1943 on a business trip to Checheno-Ingushetia, upon his return, he submitted on August 15 to the name of his immediate superior V.A. Drozdov's report, which stated, in particular, the following:

“The growth of banditry must be attributed to such reasons as the insufficient conduct of party-mass and explanatory work among the population, especially in high-mountain regions, where many auls and villages are located far from regional centers, the lack of agents, the lack of work with legalized bandit groups ... the allowed excesses in conducting Chekist-military operations, expressed in mass arrests and murders of persons who were not previously on operational records and who do not have compromising material. So, from January to June 1943, 213 people were killed, of which only 22 people were on operational records ... "

Thus, according to Rudenko, it is possible to shoot only at those bandits who are registered, and with others - to carry out party-mass work. If you think about it, the report follows the exact opposite conclusion - the real number of Chechen and Ingush bandits was ten times greater than the number of operational records: as you know, the core of the gangs were professional abreks, to which the local population joined to participate in specific operations .

Unlike those who complained about "insufficient conduct of party-mass and explanatory work" Rudenko, born and raised in the Caucasus, Stalin and Beria quite correctly understood the psychology of the highlanders with its principles of mutual responsibility and collective responsibility of the whole clan for the crime committed by its member. Therefore, they decided to liquidate the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. The decision, the validity and fairness of which was fully realized by the deportees themselves. Here are the rumors circulating at that time among the local population:

“The Soviet government will not forgive us. We don’t serve in the army, we don’t work on collective farms, we don’t help the front, we don’t pay taxes, banditry is all around. Karachays were evicted for this - and we will be evicted” .

OPERATION LENTIL

So, the decision to evict the Chechens and Ingush was made. Preparations began for the operation, which received the code name "Lentil". The Commissioner of State Security of the 2nd rank I.A. was appointed responsible for its implementation. Serov, and his assistants were commissars of state security of the 2nd rank B.Z. Kobulov, S.N. Kruglov and Colonel General A.N. Apollos, each of which headed one of the four operational sectors into which the territory of the republic was divided. L.P. personally controlled the course of the operation. Beria. As a pretext for the introduction of troops, exercises were announced in mountainous conditions. The concentration of troops at their starting positions began about a month before the start of the active phase of the operation.

First of all, it was necessary to make an accurate population count. On December 2, 1943, Kobulov and Serov reported from Vladikavkaz that the operational-Chekist groups created for this purpose had begun work. At the same time, it turned out that over the previous two months, about 1,300 bandits hiding in forests and mountains were legalized in the republic, including the “veteran” of the bandit movement Javotkhan Murtazaliev, the inspirer of a number of past anti-Soviet speeches, including the uprising in August 1942. At the same time, in the process of legalization, the bandits handed over only an insignificant part of their weapons, while the rest was hidden until better times.

“17.11 - 44 years old Comrade Stalin

Preparations for the operation to evict Chechens and Ingush are coming to an end. After clarification, 459,486 people subject to resettlement were registered, including those living in the regions of Dagestan bordering Checheno-Ingushetia and in the city of Vladikavkaz. On the spot, I check the state of affairs on the preparation of the resettlement and take the necessary measures.

Considering the scale of the operation and the peculiarity mountainous areas, it was decided to carry out the eviction (including the boarding of people in echelons) within 8 days, within which, in the first 3 days, the operation will be completed in all lowland and foothill areas and partially in some settlements in mountainous areas, covering more than 300 thousand people. The remaining 4 days will beevictions were carried out in all mountainous regions, covering the remaining 150 thousand people.

During the operation in low-lying areas, i.e. in the first 3 days, all the settlements of the mountainous regions, where the eviction will begin 3 days later, will be blocked by military teams already in advance brought there under the command of the Chekists.

There are many statements among the Chechens and Ingush, especially those related to the appearance of troops. Part of the population reacts to the appearance of troops in accordance with the official version, according to which training maneuvers of the Red Army units are allegedly being carried out in mountainous conditions. Another part of the population suggests that the Chechens and Ingush will be evicted. Some believe that bandits, German accomplices and other anti-Soviet elements will be evicted.

There was a large number of statements about the need to resist the eviction. We have taken all this into account in the planned operational-Chekist measures.

All necessary measures have been taken to ensure that the eviction is carried out in an organized manner, within the above time limits and without serious incidents. In particular, 6-7 thousand Dagestanis and 3 thousand Ossetians from the collective farm and rural assets of the regions of Dagestan and North Ossetia adjacent to Checheno-Ingushetia, as well as rural activists from among the Russians in those areas where there is Russian population. Russians, Dagestanis and Ossetians will also be partially used to protect the livestock, housing and households of the deportees. In the coming days, preparations foroperation will be fully completed and the eviction is scheduled to begin on 22 or 23 February.

Given the seriousness of the operation, please allow me to remain in place until the operation is completed, at least in the main, i.e. until February 26-27.

An indicative moment: Dagestanis and Ossetians are involved to help in the eviction. Previously, detachments of Tushins and Khevsurs were involved in the fight against Chechen gangs in the adjacent regions of Georgia. It seems that the bandit inhabitants of Checheno-Ingushetia managed to annoy all the surrounding peoples so much that they were happy to help send their restless neighbors somewhere far away.

Finally everything was ready:

"November 22, 1944. Comrade Stalin

In order to successfully carry out the operation to evict the Chechens and Ingush, following your instructions, in addition to the Chekist-military measures, the following has been done:

1. I called the chairman of the Council of People's Commissars Mollaev, who was informed of the government's decision on the Chechens and Ingush and the motives that formed the basis of this decision. Mollaev shed tears after my message, but pulled himself together and promised to fulfill all the tasks that would be given to him in connection with the eviction.(According to the NKVD, on the eve of the wife of this "crying Bolshevik" bought a gold bracelet worth 30 thousand rubles. - I.P.). Then, in Grozny, together with him, 9 leading officials from Chechens and Ingush were scheduled and convened, who were informed about the progress of the eviction of Chechens and Ingush and the reasons for their eviction. They were invited to take an active part in bringing to the population the decision of the government on eviction, the procedure for eviction, the conditions for settling in places of new resettlement, and the following task was set:

In order to avoid excesses, call on the population to steadily comply with the orders of the workers in charge of the eviction.

The workers present expressed their readiness to make their efforts to implement the proposed measures and have already practically started work. We assigned 40 republican party and Soviet workers from Chechens and Ingush to 24 districts with the task of picking up 2-3 people from the local asset in each settlement, who will have to speak on the day of the eviction before the start of the operation at the gatherings of men specially assembled by our workers to speak with an appropriate explanation government eviction decisions.

In addition, I had a conversation with the most influential clerics in Checheno-Ingushetia Arsanov Baudin, Yandarov Abdul-Hamid and Gaysumov Abbas, who were also informed about the decision of the government and, after appropriate processing, it was proposed to carry out the necessary work among the population through those associated with them. mullahs and other local "authorities".

The listed clerics, accompanied by our workers, have already started working with the mullahs and murids, obliging them to call on the population to obey the orders of the authorities. Both Party and Soviet workers and clerics used by us are promised certain benefits for resettlement (the norm of things allowed for export will be slightly increased). The troops, operatives and transport necessary for the eviction were pulled directly to the places of operation, the command and operational staff was accordingly instructed and ready for the operation. The eviction starts at dawn on February 23rd. From two in the morning on February 23, all settlements will be cordoned off, pre-planned places for ambushes and patrols will be occupied by task forces with the task of preventing the population from leaving the territory of settlements. At dawn, the men will be called by our operatives to gatherings, where they mother tongue the government's decision to evict the Chechens and Ingush will be announced. Gatherings will not be convened in mountainous regions due to the large dispersion of settlements.

After these gatherings, it will be proposed to allocate 10-15 people to announce to the families of those gathered about the collection of things, and the rest of the gathering will be disarmed and taken to the places of loading into trains. The confiscation of the anti-Soviet elements scheduled for arrest has been basically completed. I believe that the operation to evict the Chechens and Ingush will be carried out successfully.

Each operational group, consisting of one operative and two soldiers of the NKVD troops, was supposed to evict four families. Operational group action technology was as follows. Upon arrival at the house of the deportees, a search was carried out, during which firearms and cold steel, currency, and anti-Soviet literature were confiscated. The head of the family was asked to extradite the members of the detachments created by the Germans and those who helped the Nazis. The reason for the eviction was also announced here: “During the period of the Nazi offensive in the North Caucasus, Chechens and Ingush in the rear of the Red Army showed themselves anti-Soviet, created bandit groups, killed Red Army soldiers and honest Soviet citizens, sheltered German paratroopers.” Then property and people - primarily women with babies - were loaded onto vehicles and under guard went to the place of assembly. It was allowed to take food, small household and agricultural equipment with you at the rate of 100 kg per person, but not more than half a ton per family. Money and household jewelry were not subject to seizure. For each family, two copies of registration cards were drawn up, where everyone, including those who were absent, household members, things found and seized during the search, were noted. For agricultural equipment, fodder, cattle, a receipt was issued for the restoration of the economy at a new place of residence. The remaining movable and immovable property was rewritten by representatives of the selection committee. All suspicious persons were arrested. In case of resistance or attempts to escape, the perpetrators were shot on the spot without any shouting or warning shots.

“23.II.1944 Comrade Stalin

Today, February 23, at dawn began an operation to evict Chechens and Ingush. The eviction is going well. There are no noteworthy incidents. There were 6 cases of attempts to resist by individuals who were stopped by arrest or the use of weapons. Of the persons scheduled for seizure in connection with the operation, 842 people were arrested. At 11 am, 94,741 people were taken out of settlements, i.e. more than 20% of those to be evicted were loaded onto railway trains out of this number of 20,023 people.

Despite the fact that the preparations for the operation were carried out in the strictest secrecy, it was not possible to completely avoid the leakage of information. According to intelligence data received by the NKVD on the eve of the eviction, the Chechens, accustomed to the sluggish and indecisive actions of the authorities, were in a very militant mood. So, the legalized bandit Iskhanov Saidakhmed promised: “If you try to arrest me, I will not surrender alive, I will hold on as long as I can. The Germans are now retreating in such a way as to destroy the Red Army in the spring. You have to hold on no matter what." A resident of the village of Nizhniy Lod, Jamoldinov Shatsa, stated: “We need to prepare the people to raise an uprising on the very first day of the eviction.”

In today's publications, no, no, yes, and an admiring story will flash by about how freedom-loving Chechens heroically resisted deportation:

“I talked with my good friend, a former border guard officer, who in 1943 participated in the deportation of Chechens. From his story, I, among other things, for the first time learned what losses this action cost “us”, what a courageous struggle the Chechen people waged, defending every house, every stone with weapons in their hands..

In fact, these are just fairy tales designed to amuse the wounded pride of the “warlike highlanders”. As soon as the authorities demonstrated their strength and firmness, the proud zhigits obediently went to the assembly points, not even thinking about resistance. With those few who resisted, they did not stand on ceremony:

“In the Kuchaloy district, legalized bandits Basaev Abu Bakar and Nanagaev Khamid were killed during armed resistance. The dead were seized: a rifle, a revolver and a machine gun.

“During an attack on a task force in the Shali district, one Chechen was killed and one was seriously wounded. In the Urus-Mordanovsky district, four people were killed while trying to escape. In the Shatoevsky district, one Chechen was killed while trying to attack sentries. Two of our employees were lightly wounded (with daggers)."

“When sending echelon SK-241 from st. Yany-Kurgash of the Tashkent railway special settler Kadyev tried to escape from the train. During the arrest, Kadyev tried to strike a Red Army soldier Karbenko with a stone,as a result of which the weapon was used. Kadyev was wounded by a shot and died in the hospital..

In general, during the deportation, only 50 people were killed while resisting or trying to escape.

A week later, the operation was largely complete:

“29.II. 1944 Comrade Stalin

1. I am reporting on the results of the operation to evict Chechens and Ingush. The eviction began on February 23 in most areas, with the exception of high-mountain settlements.

By February 29, 478,479 people were evicted and loaded into railway trains, including 91,250 Ingush and 387,229 Chechens.

177 echelons have been loaded, of which 159 echelons have already been sent to the place of the new settlement.

Today a train with former Chechen-Ingushetian leaders and religious authorities, who were used by us during the operation, was sent.

From some points of the high-mountainous Galanchozh region, 6,000 Chechens remained undelivered due to heavy snowfall and impassability, the removal and loading of which will be completed in 2 days. The operation proceeded in an orderly manner and without major incidents of resistance or other incidents. Cases of attempts to escape and shelter from eviction were isolated and without exception were suppressed. A combing of forest areas is being carried out, where up togarrison troops of the NKVD and the task force of the Chekists. During the preparation and conduct of the operation, 2016 people of the anti-Soviet element from among the Chechens and Ingush were arrested, 20,072 firearms were seized, including: 4868 rifles, 479 machine guns and machine guns.

The population bordering on Checheno-Ingushetia reacted favorably to the eviction of Chechens and Ingush.

The leaders of the Soviet and party bodies of North Ossetia, Dagestan and Georgia have already begun work on the development of the areas that have ceded to these republics.

2. All necessary measures have been taken to ensure the preparation and successful conduct of the operation to evict the Balkars. The preparatory work will be completed by March 10, and from March 10 to 15 the Balkars will be evicted.

Today we are finishing work here and leaving for one day to Kabardino-Balkaria and from there to Moscow.

Noteworthy is the amount of seized weapons, which would be more than enough for an entire division. It is easy to guess that all these trunks were by no means intended to protect the herds from wolves.

BATTALION STUFFED IN THE STABLE

Of course, regardless of the real guilt of the Chechens and Ingush, in the eyes of the current champions of democracy, their deportation looks like an unheard of atrocity. Alas, the era of "perestroika" with its bacchanalia of unbridled anti-Stalinism is gone forever. Again, the "feats" of the current fighters for "independent Ichkeria" do not at all add to their popularity. All large quantity of our fellow citizens begins to lean towards the idea that the eviction at that time was fully justified.

In an effort to prevent such a shift in public opinion at any cost, liberal propaganda resorts to writing all sorts of horror stories about the crimes of Stalin's guardsmen. So, a heartbreaking story about the brutal extermination of the population of the Chechen village of Khaibakh is regularly thrown into the pages of newspapers:

“In 1944, 705 people were burned alive in the stables of the high mountain village of Khaibakh.

The old people, women and children of the high-mountainous village of Khaibakh could not come down from the mountains and thus frustrated the deportation plans. Stepan Kashurko, head of the Podvig search center of the International Union of War Veterans and Armed Forces, who headed the emergency commission to investigate the Khaibach genocide in 1990, tells about what happened to them afterwards..

Before puzzling over the question of how the executioners from the NKVD managed to push a whole battalion of Chechens into the wooden stable of a small mountain village, let us recall the situation in which the “extraordinary commission” headed by Mr. Kashurko operated. 1990, the eve of the collapse of the Union, an unprecedented surge of nationalism ... Everywhere "popular fronts" are being created, real, and often fictitious, grievances are diligently recalled. The nationally preoccupied public is enthusiastically digging up nameless corpses, declaring them "victims of Stalin's repressions." Is it any wonder at the obvious absurdities and absurdities, especially since the main ones are yet to come:

“We rushed to the ashes. To my dismay, my foot fell into the chest of a burnt man. Someone shouted that it was his wife. I had a hard time getting out of this trap. An eyewitness to the burning, Dziyaudin Malsagov (former Deputy People's Commissar of Justice), told the weeping old people what he experienced at this place 46 years ago, when he was seconded to help the NKGB. People broke through. They talked about burned mothers, wives, fathers, grandfathers ...»

What, from the point of view of common sense, should any Chechen do, knowing that his wife was burned in this village? Especially considering the attitude of the inhabitants of the Caucasus to family ties? Naturally, at the first opportunity, that is, immediately after returning from exile, go to Haibach to find her remains and bury her humanly. And not to leave them for several decades unburied in the ashes, so that then all sorts of idle journalists trample on them.

It is no less interesting how it was possible at first glance to identify so confidently the burnt corpse, which had lain under fire for almost half a century. open sky? And could Kashurko, with his knowledge of forensic science, on his own and without prompting, distinguish the skeleton of a Chechen woman who burned down more than forty years ago from, say, the skeleton of a Russian slave burned a week ago?

By the way, the biography of the chairman of the "extraordinary commission" himself also looks very suspicious.

“On the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Victory, Marshal Konev was appointed chairman of the Central Headquarters of the All-Union campaign along the roads of war, I was a lieutenant commander of the Navy in reserve, a journalist”.

So, in Kashurko's own words, in 1965 he was in the reserve, with the rank of lieutenant commander. However, in subsequent years, Stepan Savelyevich made a downright enchanting career. In 2005, according to the Novaya Gazeta certificate, he was already a retired captain of the 1st rank. Next year we meet him already in the rank of admiral. The “great and sincere friend of the Chechens and Ingush” completed his life with the rank of colonel general.

Thus, before us is either an impostor, or a person of dubious mental health. Nevertheless, the nonsense stated by him is seriously replicated by the current media.

KIDNAPPING FROM THE OTHER WORLD

However, let's continue Kashurko's story:

“The Chechens asked to bring Gvishiani to them, let him look people in the eyes. I promised to fulfill the request.

– Incredible. Were you going to invite Gvishiani to Khaibach?

- We decided to steal it. With the help of Zviad Gamsakhurdia, they arrived at a luxurious house. But fate saved the executioner from answering - we were too late: paralyzed, he died. We returned to Haibach three days later. The highlanders said only: "Jackal jackal death!" To the beat of a drum, we burned at the place where he commanded: “Fire!”, His one and a half meter portrait”.

If you think that Mr. Kashurko sincerely admitted to committing a crime - preparing to kidnap a person, and now he can be held accountable in accordance with the current Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, then you are deeply mistaken. Any lawyer will prove in no time that in fact his client is incriminating himself. It is possible to kidnap a person who has already been dead for 24 years, except by digging him out of the grave or flying to the next world. The fact is that Mikhail Maksimovich Gvishiani, who in 1937 was the head of Beria's personal bodyguard, to whom the Chechen-loving public attributes the burning of Khaibach, died back in September 1966. Moreover, he was the most famous person in Georgia - Kosygin's matchmaker and Primakov's father-in-law. Gamsakhurdia simply could not not know that he had died long ago. Therefore, we are dealing with outright lies.

By the way, in order to evict or destroy a small village, a company is enough, which, logically, should be commanded by a captain. However, according to modern storytellers, the "executioner of Haibach" bore a much higher rank. According to the book "Unconquered Chechnya", written by a certain Usmanov, at the time of the commission of his atrocity, he was a colonel: “For this “valiant” operation, its leader, Colonel Gvishiani, was awarded a government award and promoted.”. Another "human rights activist" Pavel Polyan has him as a colonel-general - according to his version, Khaibach was burned "internal troops under the command of Colonel General M. Gvishiani".

True, two years later, Polyan, presumably, still bothered to read the reference book compiled by his colleagues at Memorial and found out that at the time described, Gvishiani held the rank of Commissar of State Security of the 3rd rank. In a Radio Liberty broadcast dated August 3, 2003, he puts it this way:

“There is evidence that in a number of auls, the NKVD troops actually liquidated the civilian population, including in such a barbaric way as burning. Relatively recently, such an operation in the village of Khaibakh, covered with snow, received wide publicity. Not being able to ensure the transportation of its inhabitants, the internal troops, and they were commanded by the Commissar of State Security of the third rank Gvishiani, drove about two hundred people, and according to other sources, about six hundred or seven hundred people into the stable, they were locked there and set on fire ... And it was introduced into the literature, though without reference to sources, a top secret letter from Gvishiani Beria:

“Only for your eyes. In view of the non-transportability and in order to strictly comply on timeOperation "Mountains" was forced to liquidate more than seven hundred inhabitants in the town of Khaibach. Colonel Gvishiani.

It must be assumed that the "Mountains"- it is a sub-name of a sub-part of the operation, which was generally called "Lentils".

FAKE BRIGHTONIAN

Well, let's analyze the text of this "letter of Gvishiani Beria". His very first sentence evokes a feeling of deep bewilderment. Indeed, the words "only for your eyes" are appropriate in a love note from some operetta, and by no means in an NKVD document. Everyone who served in the army or at least attended classes at the military department knows that the following secrecy marks were used in our country: “secret”, “top secret”, “top secret of special importance”. However, the label “For Your Eyes Only” does exist in nature. It is used in classified documents in the United States of America.

Thus, it can be safely assumed that the said "letter" was fabricated in the USA, and it was originally written in English and only then translated into Russian. In this case, other inconsistencies in it immediately become clear.

So, Haibach for some reason is called a "town". Meanwhile, in all the documents I have seen, Chechen settlements are designated as auls, farmsteads, villages, but the term "town" is nowhere to be found. Gvishiani himself, a native Georgian, could hardly use such a word. Another thing is if the author of the “document” about the burned Khaibach is some Zhmerinka native living on Brighton Beach.

It is quite natural that the title of “commissioner of state security of the 3rd rank”, mysterious to the American layman, turns into “colonel”, although in fact it corresponded to the rank of lieutenant general. In addition, the writer of the "letter" did not know that the operation to evict the Chechens was called "Lentil", and therefore came up with the name "Mountains" for it.

The most important thing is that there is no other documentary evidence of the destruction of the inhabitants of Chechen villages during deportation, except for this silly letter. Even if the main "rehabilitator", former secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU Alexander Yakovlev, having access to all archives with the right to publish the contents of any of them, declares that there are documents on the burning of Chechen villages, but does not cite either them or even links, then it is clearly about the fruits of his sick imagination.

However, all these arguments will not convince the defenders of the rights of humiliated and insulted peoples. Is the main propagandist of the myth about the burnt Khaibach not in trouble with his head? It's OK. No documents? So much the worse for documents! They have, of course, been destroyed or are still kept in a top-secret special folder.

IN A NEW PLACE

But back to the fate of the deportees. The lion's share of the deported Chechens and Ingush was sent to Central Asia- 402,922 people to Kazakhstan, 88,649 - to Kyrgyzstan.

If you believe the accusers of the "crimes of totalitarianism", the deportation of Chechens and Ingush was accompanied by their mass death - almost a third, or even half of the deportees allegedly died during transportation to a new place of residence. This is not true. In fact, according to NKVD documents, 1,272 special settlers, or 0.26% of their total number, died during transportation.

Allegations that these figures are underestimated, since the dead were allegedly thrown out of the cars without registration, are simply not serious. In fact, put yourself in the place of the head of the echelon, who received one number of special settlers at the starting point, and delivered a smaller number to their destination. He would immediately be asked the question: where are the missing people? Dead, you say? Or maybe they ran away? Or released by you for a bribe? Therefore, all cases of death of deportees on the way were documented.

But what about those few Chechens and Ingush who really honestly fought in the ranks of the Red Army? Contrary to popular belief, they were by no means subjected to wholesale eviction. Many of them were exempted from the status of special settlers, however, they were deprived of the right to reside in the Caucasus. So, for example, for military merit, the family of the commander of the mortar battery, Captain U.A. Ozdoev, who had five state awards, was deregistered for special settlements. She was allowed to live in Uzhgorod. Similar cases there were many. Chechens and Ingush women who were married to persons of other nationalities were also not evicted.

Another myth related to deportation is associated with the allegedly courageous behavior of Chechen bandits and their leaders, who managed to avoid deportation and partisans almost until the Chechens returned from exile. Of course, some of the Chechens or Ingush could have been hiding in the mountains all these years. However, even if this is so, there was no harm from them - immediately after the eviction, the level of banditry in the territory of the former CHI ASSR decreased to that characteristic of "calm" regions.

Most of the gang leaders were either killed or arrested during the deportation. Khasan Israilov, the leader of the National Socialist Party of the Caucasian Brothers, hid longer than others. In November 1944, he sent V.A. A humiliated and tearful letter to Drozdov:

"Hello. I wish you, dear Drozdov, I wrote telegrams to Moscow. Please forward them to the addresses and send me receipts by mail with a copy of your telegram through Yandarov. Dear Drozdov, I ask you to do everything possible to get forgiveness from Moscow for my sins, because they are not as great as they are portrayed. Please send me through Yandarov 10-20 pieces of carbon paper, Stalin's report of November 7, 1944, at least 10 pieces of military-political magazines and brochures, 10 pieces of chemical pencils.

Dear Drozdov, please inform me about the fate of Hussein and Osman, where they are, whether they have been convicted or not.

Dear Drozdov, I need a cure for the tubercle bacillus, the best remedy has arrived.

With regards - wrote Khasan Israilov (Terloev)".

However, this request remained unanswered. On December 15, 1944, the leader of the Chechen bandits was mortally wounded as a result of a special operation. On December 29, former members of Hasan Israilov's gang handed over his corpse to the NKVD. After identification, he was buried in Urus-Martan.

But perhaps providing minimum losses Chechens and Ingush during the eviction, the authorities specially starved them in a new place? Indeed, the death rate of special settlers there was very high. Although, of course, not half or a third of those deported died. By January 1, 1953, there were 316,717 Chechens and 83,518 Ingush in the settlement. Thus, the total number of evicted people decreased by about 90 thousand people. However, it should not be assumed that they all died. First, some of the deportees were counted twice. Because of this, their numbers were overestimated. By October 1, 1948, 32,981 of those evicted from the North Caucasus were excluded from the lists as having been counted twice at the time of the initial resettlement, and another 7,018 people were released.

What caused the high mortality? There was no deliberate extermination of Chechens and Ingush. The fact is that immediately after the war, the USSR was struck by a severe famine. Under these conditions, the state had to take care of loyal citizens first of all, while the Chechens and other settlers were largely left to their own devices. Naturally, the traditional lack of diligence and the habit of getting food by robbery and robbery did not contribute to their survival at all. Nevertheless, the settlers gradually settled down in a new place, and the 1959 census already gives a larger number of Chechens and Ingush than it was at the time of the eviction: 418.8 thousand Chechens, 106 thousand Ingush.

The highest and most beautiful mountains are located in the south of Chechnya - this is part of the Caucasus Range. Most of them are very difficult to get to, but those who succeed will be rewarded with the opportunity to see magnificent landscapes and be alone with nature.

There are several mountain systems in Chechnya, which were formed from the rapid flow of rivers. Four mountain ranges Caucasus mountains run almost parallel. These are the Black Mountains, and Pasture, Lateral, Rocky Ranges.

The Black Mountains are covered with black soil, they are low, up to 1200 meters. Forests, fruit trees, flowers, herbs grow in fertile land, cattle graze in water meadows.

The ridges that are located to the south are much higher. The pasture range runs through the central part of the republic. And along the southern border of Chechnya, on the territory of the Itum-Kalinsky and Sharoysky districts, the Side Range stretches, the peaks of which are the most impregnable and highest. This part of the Chechen mountains is especially appreciated by climbers, and it is here that the most beautiful places are located.

Mount Tebulosmta

The most high point Chechnya and in general the entire North and Eastern Caucasus - Mount Tebulosmta. Almost four and a half kilometers is the height of this mountain, the very top of which is covered with snow all year round. It is several tens of meters higher than the Ingush mountain Shuan. In the old days, rock crystal was mined here.

Mount Ashenete

This mountain is not the highest - just over 1250 meters, but very beautiful. It is located in the Nozhai-Yurtovsky district, not far from the border with Dagestan. Gorya is popular with tourists, as beautiful landscapes open up from its top to other mountains in the neighborhood. According to legend, mountain Christians used to live on this mountain.

Mount Amir Kort

It is also located in the Nozhai-Yurtovsky district, on the very border with Dagestan. The mountain is just over one kilometer high. As the legends say, the mountain got its name after the name of the mythical warrior Amir, who was the Caucasian prototype of Prometheus. Mount Amir Kort has a very rich flora and fauna. Wild boars, chamois, golden eagles live on its picturesque emerald slopes, beautiful and rare plants grow.

Mount Komito

Located on the border with Georgia. One of the highest peaks and much loved by climbers. Although gorges and cliffs are often found on the mountain, there are routes here. This mountain is over 4200 meters high. Throughout the year it is covered with snow, there are glaciers on the slopes.

There are two types of mountains in Chechnya - green and blue. That's what the locals call them. The blue ones are so called because of the glaciers that cover the tops with huge and insanely beautiful snow caps. good sunny weather when visibility, in the language of pilots “million-on-million”, “blue mountains” are visible from the upper floors of Grozny apartments (you can’t even imagine how great it is to drink coffee in the morning, looking at the glaciers spread out at arm’s length). Green (in the words of the war times of the two Chechen campaigns - "green") mountains take the republic into a kind of pincers. It was the "zelenka" from March to October that was best place for militants to live: very dense vegetation makes it possible to equip convenient temporary huts, dugouts and caches; it perfectly masks any movements. All this was true 10 years ago. But the sticky, viscous fear is still no-no yes seeps into the media so far. Although it no longer refers to the Chechen Republic, but to neighboring Dagestan, nevertheless, the mountains in the understanding and imagination of the layman still remain a source of increased danger.

However, the danger of these mountains is not at all in militants, terrorism or some other hardened horror stories. Life and health are threatened by nature itself - too beautiful and too ruthless. Like a soaring eagle - an unofficial symbol of mountainous Chechnya.

Contrary to a ton of rotten comments on previous posts, I responsibly report that I did not come to Chechnya at the invitation of Kadyrov or any of the Chechens. In principle, no one called me there, despite the large number of friends and acquaintances gathered during my blogging life. Everything is much simpler - Highscreen offered to test the camera of their phone Highscreen Bay , and I chose the Chechen Republic as a field test of this smartphone. Therefore, all the photos of this and previous posts are taken on 13 megapixel camera very cool 5.5 inch phone. And not processed by Photoshop or any other improvised means.

So, mountainous Chechnya. Many, succumbing to the slight hypocrisy of postcard photographs and logos of Grozny, believe that the capital of Chechnya is located in the mountains. However, this is misleading. In fact, Grozny stands on a plain with a height of only 130 meters above sea level and there are no mountains in the city itself and even around it. However, only 80 kilometers - and the amazing alpine landscape begins, which you are waiting for in Chechnya at the very least.

In general, going up the serpentine to the very top, you increasingly compare mountainous Chechnya with the Swiss cantons - the same amazing carpet of herbs of various shades, softly laid on the rocks.

The same peacefully grazing cows and lambs, scattered in pastures in moving dots.

The same formidable ice peaks, sternly considering from the height of their years and kilometers all this mouse fuss under them.

The higher you rise above the world, the scarier it becomes. The serpentine winds, climbing tens of meters in a second and falling down in the same time. A 90-degree turn immediately changes to a sharp turn in the other direction, and even with an almost vertical take-off up - a real rollercoaster on a mountain road. One thing pleases - the amazing quality of the roadway. Where a few years ago snow, sand and large stones were mixed under the wheels into one deadly mess, excellent asphalt has now been laid. Locals say they laid 2 kilometers a week. Markings, signs, fenders - civilization has clearly come here (the road is so good that individuals manage to scorch on it - on the way back they met a shifter, near which horsemen who had miraculously not flown into a kilometer-long abyss sparkled excitedly. The car was crushed, but I hope they , the awareness of the frailty of this world and such a short path to another world will come).

But you can fly into the abyss at low speed. The avalanche season has already passed, but the rockfall season has happily jumped onto the road to replace it. Imagine where such a pebble will send you from the road

And even higher you have to wade through a very dense snow porridge. Graders, as you understand, do not go through the mountains.

We go down below, and from the harsh snowy and windy winter we find ourselves in a warm and friendly spring. Here it is, the purpose of our trip - Lake Kezenoy-Am. It is a natural border between Chechnya and Dagestan. Its name is translated in different ways. Wikipedia mentions "Blue" or "Trout" lake. The Chechens themselves call it the "Cruel Puddle". According to legend, a village rests at its bottom, flooded by the Almighty along with all the inhabitants for disobedience and slander. This version, by the way, in a certain (non-religious) sense, is confirmed by geologists who claim that the lake was formed as a result of an earthquake that blocked the path of the Kharsum and Kaukh rivers. We arrived at that rarest moment when the lake had just thrown off its ice shell, but the mountain peaks that squeezed it from all sides had not yet had time to free themselves from the snow.

And here is our hotel - "Kezenoy". Made "in the image and likeness" of large and beautiful alpine chalets. Outside - very nice.

Inside the hotel - like a hotel. Nothing outstanding or out of the ordinary. Ordinary "kopeck piece" according to the international star classification. The price tag is democratic (by the standards of Chechnya) - from 2500 for a simple room to 4000 for a suite. A private chalet costs 10,000 per night from all.

View from the room (you can enlarge the photo)

Breakfast is included in the price, but you should not seriously count on it - nothing befitting a hotel" smorgasbords"will not. For breakfast, the widest choice of scrambled eggs and oatmeal with butter. The restaurant in which the meals are held is not bad in itself - everything is decent, neat. The tables, of course, are richly packed - plates, glasses, napkin holders and other belongings are patiently waiting when they are removed immediately after the seating of visitors.

According to the same long-standing Soviet tradition, the staff is trying its best to spoil your appetite with a sour mine. In general, the restaurant in this hotel is the only place in all of Chechnya where we did not see a single smile. At all. On the other hand, this is a rare place in Chechnya where you can pay with a card (keep in mind when you go - Chechens love cash). Also keep in mind that the nearest village is 30 kilometers along a mountain serpentine, and the store is even further away. So the price tag for all sorts of dishes for Chechnya is more than high. But there you can buy wine, vodka and whiskey. Ask the waiters.

And now - attention! There is no entertainment in Kezenoy at all. Well, that is, during the day you can go to the "ancient city of Khoy" and look at the houses and graves of the ancient Chechens (there you, by the way, will learn that the Vainakhs adopted Islam only three hundred years ago, and before that they were ordinary pagans). But, in fairness, the version of the antiquity of these buildings did not convince me personally, and in general this is, perhaps, not my subject. At all.

The remaining time after the tour is supposed to be spent watching TV or walking to the lake. There is also such an observation pseudo-Greek gazebo. I did not catch its semantic meaning, but it is beautiful.

There is also a water bike park.

Well, a little more on the little things

More, alas, there is nothing to do in Kezenoy. And this once again shows how difficult the road ahead for the development of tourism in the republic is. Russian tourist spoiled by Turkey and Egypt, rolled on the expensive Alpine and already Krasnopolyaninsky routes, and even the now Russian Crimea may well provide more than sane service at very affordable prices in the current crisis. Chechen resorts are still very far from this.

But here you should understand one very important thing. Chechnya is perhaps the only region I have visited where you can feel with your skin how local not all the same . National pride, Caucasian maximalism, coupled with the natural thirst for brilliance, fame and recognition - all this is an incentive for growth. It is important that the leadership of the republic understands that the construction of majestic boxes does not surprise tourists. That a tourist will not go to landscapes alone. What the hell, people who know how to do this should glue wallpaper in a hotel - and then it won’t work out of the blue.

Much attention has always been riveted to Chechnya. Last years Kadyrov is doing a lot of work to popularize the republic, to qualitatively cut out the brains of ordinary inhabitants of Chechnya in the form of an enemy. But for this it is not enough to build huge glass towers in the mountains. First of all, we need to raise the level of service, make it so that travelers are not only beautiful and tasty, but also interesting.

However, I cannot fail to note the huge contribution to this work of my friends from the company "Vizit Chechnya". It is with great pleasure that I recommend that readers, when planning a visit to Chechnya, contact

Village Tazbichi Itum- Kalinsky district located V three kilometers To east from district center, on most alpine V Chechnya road Itum- Calais - Sharoy. Thisperfect place For near walks from upper Argun in neighboring, lateral gorge. TOak And described village, itSame called Tazbichi. Story about him will go in two parts: first we will get there, and then - just as slowly - we will walk.)

Along with the Daryal, the Argun Gorge passed from Russia to Transcaucasia and Asia Minor; since ancient times it has been the most important transit road from Chechnya to Georgia, Dagestan and Ossetia. The times when it was possible to go through the entire gorge are gone together with the USSR, and then with the "independent Ichkeria". In December 1999, the Russian military blocked the Chechen section of the state border. Open checkpoints, even for local residents, here in not going to in the foreseeable future.

On Argun you can see natural beauty Chechnya and mountainous Georgia, and many surviving monuments ancient architecture Vainakhs and Khevsurs, and traces of two Chechen wars. Of the documents, you only need to have an internal Russian passport for Chechnya (if your route does not include the border zone, south of the Itum-Kale regional center) and a foreign one for Georgia. The journey through the gorge will have to be divided into two parts - Chechen and Georgian.

From Grozny bus station "Minutka"(not far from the square with the same name) buses and minibuses go to the village of Shatoy on the northern outskirts of the Argun Gorge. To the village of Itum-Kale - the southernmost regional center of Chechnya - the only minibus for the day leaves around noon .

2.

From Grozny to about the village of Varanda, the route runs along the plain. In the village of Starye Atagi, the mountains are just beginning to approach, in Varandy it already seems that you can reach them with your hand, and further, somewhere in the Shatoi region, you will find yourself among the peaks overgrown with forests, over an abyss with a raging river.

3.

Around the village Yaryshmardy(outside the village of Chishki) on the side of the road there is a wooden Orthodox cross one and a half human height, at the foot of the cross lies a shot through soldier's helmet. At this place on April 16, 1996, the "black Arab" Khattab destroyed a column of the 245th motorized rifle regiment Russian army killing about 100 people.

4.

Photo 2007.

At the entrance to the district center Shatoy, fifty kilometers from the Chechen capital, there is a 22-meter combat tower with a pyramidal-stepped roof characteristic of the Vainakhs and machicols - balconies for shooting. You can get to it by making a detour through the entire Shatoi, moving to the opposite bank of the Argun and turning onto the dirt road towards the village of Bolshie Varanda. Stairs and interfloor ceilings have been restored inside the tower, so... well, you understand. ;-)

5.

6.

7.

8.

On the northern outskirts of the village Ushkaloy, in the narrowest part of the gorge, the traveler will be met by two watchtowers, as if soldered into a rocky niche. The towers were built in the XIV-XVI centuries, and in 1944 one of them (the one on the left) was destroyed. The second was badly damaged during the shelling of the Second Chechen, but a year and a half or two years ago it was restored, and the first was generally rebuilt.

9.

Each of them has only three walls, the fourth is rock (in photo 10 - on the left side).

10.


Photo Welran

From the road through There is a strong footbridge along the river, through which it is possible to reach the towers.

11.

12.

Photo Welran

At the entrance to Itum-Kale, 75 kilometers from Grozny, the mountains diverge again, giving way to a small valley for people. The main street in the village bears the name of Magomed Uzuev, an Itum-Kalinian, hero of the defense of the Brest Fortress. Houses - entirely private sector, mostly red brick, all new. The former, say the locals, were bombed during the war.

13.

14.

15.


These are chimney tops made of painted tin. Tin decorations are one of the characteristic features of any Chechen or Ingush house, because every owner wants his home to be elegant.

On the southern, most ancient outskirts of Itum-Kale, there is a mosque and a small medieval Pacoch castle. In August 2007, when I was here for the first time, the military had recently left the fortress, leaving in some places brickwork for firing points, rotten sandbags and rusty prickly wire.

16.

The battle tower next door stood dilapidated from time and war.

17.

A couple of years ago, perfectionist restorers gave A the lobe has an almost European gloss, and along the way, the mosque was rebuilt beyond recognition.)) Now they look stern and at the same time smart:

18.

Now the castle houses a very pleasant local history museum named after Khusein Isaev - a famous fellow countryman, an associate of Akhmat Kadyrov, who died with him in an explosion at the Dynamo stadium in Grozny on May 9, 2004 of the year.

19.

20.

At castle-museumwill fork. D oroga straight through bridge to the right of the tower will lead V village Veduchi (8 km, There is pointer), Where With Martha 2012 of the year goes construction ski complex. Doroga to the left, between the beehives and the house with a green roof, goes into Tazbichi And Sharoy. Yes, we're almost there!

21.

( By the way, from photos 17, 19 and 21 it is clearly seen that the tower next to the castle also experienced a rebirth - decades or even centuries later, the top was completed. The masonry intricately combines ancient stones that have darkened with time and light gray new ones. ... It looks like a family reunion after a long separation.)

Mobile connection. Starting from the village of Ushkaloy, Itum-Kalinsky district, the signal on Moscow SIM cards is lost. In Ushkaloy and Itum-Kale, only Chechen sims are caught, and after the outpost "Khacharoy" (where the border zone begins) mobile communications not at all.