DATE=12/23/94

TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT

NUMBER=5-19163

TITLE=CHECHNYA / ETHNIC RUSSIANS

BYLINE=ELIZABETH ARROTT

DATELINE=MOSCOW

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: RUSSIA'S RELENTLESS ATTACK ON THE BREAKAWAY CHECHEN

REPUBLIC HAS RESULTED IN NUMEROUS CIVILIAN CASUALTIES AND GENERAL

TERROR AMONG THE POPULATION. VOA'S ELIZABETH ARROTT WAS RECENTLY

IN THE CHECHEN VILLAGE DALINSKAYA, (DA--LIN--SKAYA) ON THE

NORTHWESTERN FRONT OF THE WAR, WHERE SHE MET WITH ONE FAMILY

UNDER SIEGE.

TEXT: DALINSKAYA IS A FARMING VILLAGE CRADLED IN A VALLEY

BENEATH SNOW-COVERED HILLS. BUT THE LIVESTOCK GO UNTENDED. THE

FEW MEN REMAINING IN DALINSKAYA HAVE NO TIME. THEY ARE TRYING

TO HOLD THE NORTHWEST FRONT IN THE CHECHEN WAR.

RUSSIAN TROOPS LINE THE HILLS ABOVE. THEY TRIED TO COME DOWN,

BUT THE CHECHENS FOUGHT THEM BACK. A CAPTURED TANK SITS AT THE

EDGE OF DALINSKAYA AS PROOF. STILL, THE RUSSIANS KEEP UP

RELENTLESS ARTILLERY AND SNIPER ATTACKS ON THE VILLAGE.

// CHECHEN FIGHTER -- IN RUSSIAN - ESTABLISH AND FADE //

THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE WANTS TO SUBDUE THE SPIRIT OF THE CHECHENS,

SAYS THIS VILLAGER, ARMED WITH ONLY A SHOTGUN. BUT NO STATE,

NO PEOPLE, HAS EVER BROKEN OUR WILL.

IF THERE IS A VILLAGER WHOSE WILL MIGHT BE TESTED, IT COULD BE

NADIA. SHE, HER HUSBAND AND TWO SMALL CHILDREN HAVE BEEN HOLED

UP IN THEIR CELLAR FOR MORE THAN A WEEK, PINNED DOWN BY THE

RUSSIAN BARRAGE. THE ONLY WAY TO GET TO OR FROM THEIR HOUSE IS

ACROSS A FREE-FIRE ZONE.

// RUNNING, GUNFIRE ACT //

THE CELLAR IS COLD, DARK AND DANK. THE FAMILY HAS NO FOOD, LET

ALONE HEAT OR ELECTRICITY. NADIA SAYS SHE IS HAPPY THEY HAVE

SOME PAILS OF WATER.

AS FOR THE WAR, SHE HAS NOTHING BUT CONTEMPT. NADIA SAYS SHE

CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE LEADERS IN MOSCOW ARE DOING THIS, OR

WHY, SHE SAYS, AFTER THE CHECHEN PEOPLE THEMSELVES ELECTED A

PRO-INDEPENDENCE LEADER, MOSCOW NOW ATTACKS THEM IN THE NAME OF

DEMOCRACY.

// NADIA ACT -- IN RUSSIAN, ESTABLISH AND FADE //

I AM NOT A POLITICIAN, NADIA SAYS. BUT, REMEMBER, THE PEOPLE

THEMSELVES WANTED INDEPENDENCE AND IF THE PEOPLE WANTED IT,

RUSSIA SHOULD LEAVE US ALONE.

HERS IS A SENTIMENT SHARED BY MANY CHECHENS. BUT NADIA IS NOT

CHECHEN. SHE IS RUSSIAN -- AN ETHNIC RUSSIAN WHOSE FAMILY HAS

LIVED IN CHECHNYA FOR THREE GENERATIONS.

// NADIA ACT //

THIS IS OUR MOTHERLAND, SHE SAYS. WHERE SHALL WE GO?

LIKE MANY OF THE CIVILIANS CAUGHT IN THIS WAR, NADIA HAS NO

RELATIVES OUTSIDE THE BESIEGED REPUBLIC. THIS IS THE ONLY HOME

SHE KNOWS.

BUT THE LONG-TERM FUTURE OF NADIA'S FAMILY WILL WAIT. FOR NOW,

THEY WILL TRY ONLY TO LEAVE DALINSKAYA AND GET TO HER MOTHER'S

HOUSE, AWAY FROM THE FRONT LINE.

THE FOUR OF THEM CROUCH DOWN, THEIR FOOTSTEPS MUFFLED AS THEY RUN

ACROSS THE SNIPER ZONE -- A RUSSIAN FAMILY THE TARGET OF RUSSIAN

GUNS.

NEAR THE CAR THAT WILL TAKE THEM AWAY, NADIA'S DAUGHTER, 12-

YEAR-OLD KATYA, STANDS DAZED, THE FAMILY CAT TUCKED INSIDE HER

COAT. SHE LOOKS AROUND AT HER DAMAGED VILLAGE.

// KATYA ACT -- IN RUSSIAN, ESTABLISH AND FADE //

I HAVE NO FEELINGS ABOUT ANY OF THIS, SHE SAYS QUIETLY. I'M

SICK OF IT. WE HAVE SUFFERED A LOT, ALL THE VILLAGERS SUFFERED.

IN THE CAR, ON THE WAY OUT, THE FAMILY GASPS AS THEY SEE THE

CAPTURED RUSSIAN TANK. DESPITE ASSURANCES IT IS IN CHECHEN

HANDS, NADIA SAYS SHE STILL WILL NOT REST UNTIL SHE IS AT HER

MOTHER'S HOUSE.

WHEN THEY ARRIVE, THEY DO RELAX SOMEWHAT. THEY THANK THE

JOURNALISTS WHO BROUGHT THEM, ASKING THAT THE STORY OF WHAT IS

HAPPENING IN CHECHNYA BE TOLD. TWO DAYS LATER, ONE OF THOSE

JOURNALISTS, A YOUNG AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER, WOULD BE KILLED

TRYING TO RECORD THE DAMAGE OF THE RUSSIAN ATTACKS.

AS FOR NADIA AND HER FAMILY, THEIR FATE IS UNKNOWN. THE OFFER TO

LEAVE DALINSKAYA, GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED AT THE TIME, MAY NOW SEEM A

MISTAKE. NADIA'S MOTHER'S HOUSE IS IN GROZNY, WHERE THE BOMBS

ARE RAINING DOWN. (SIGNED)

NEB/EA/MH/CF

23-Dec-94 10:45 AM EST (1545 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America