Unfortunately (or fortunately) 1 and 2 of January are total holidays in ex-Soviet Union, because New Year during almost 80 years of Soviet era has replaced the Christmas holidays here, such a tradition we have... Moreover, all enterprises and public offices do not work also on January 3, because 1 of January was Sunday. Of course we differ a little (for instance, our office is open today), but nevertheless we also have spend some time for our families during this days, even if we worked with Olga and Mamuka in New Year's night.

Press release.

Press release with text of the open letter to Eltsin was sent on January 1 to 37 Russian mass media: 24, 2x2 TV, AEN, ANI, Commersant-Daily, Commersant-Weekly, Express-Khronika, IMA-Press, Interfax, ITAR-TASS, Komsomoljskaja Pravda, Kuranty, Moscow News, Moskovskij Komsomolec, New Times, Novaja Ezhednevnaja Gazeta, Novyj Vzgljad, NTV, Ogonek, Open Radio, Photo ITAR-TASS, Pravda, Publicist Agency, Radio Liberty, Radio Majak, Radio Nadezhda, Rossija, Russian American Information & Press Center, Russian TV, Segodnja, Smena, TV & Radio Ostankino, TV VID, TV-6 Moscow, Utro Rossii, Vechernij Peterburg, Za Rubezhom, as well as to the Moscow office of Amnesty International, to Moscow Helsinki Group, to Moscow Human Rights Center, to Memorial Society.

Starting from yesterday night till this morning the press release was automatically processed for faxing also to foreign mass media, having bureaus in Moscow. Unfortunately, less of deposit in Agora doesn't allow to do it through Sprint...

Immediately after receiving our press release through Internet, Express-Khronika information agency has issued in early morning January 1 a special release containing text of our letter. Open Radio has also broadcasted yesterday information about the letter.

What concerns daily newspapers, the last issue of every paper was published on December 31, the next one will be published only tomorrow.

Telegram to General Councillors.

After consultation in the post office we decided to send the telegram only on January 3, because if we send it on December 31, it will reach the addressee to the same date, since New Year's overloading of post and telegraph...

Voyage to Grozny.

For the moment I have nothing to add to the last Mamuka's message, it seems that we have just to reach Nazran, center of Ingushetia, a republic neighboring with Chechnya, and only there we can realize our ways and possibilities.

BUT WHAT IS IMPORTANT: we apparently will need a rented satellite telephone there with us, otherwise we will not be able to connect neigher with Moscow, nor with Rome.

Julia Kalinina, it seems, will also join us in the trip, both as Radical and correspondent of Moskovskij Komsomolec newspaper (but payed only by the paper).