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Moscow mourns victims of Beslan terrorists attacks

2010-09-04 10:18

 

Moscow mourns victims of Beslan terrorists attacks
Students attend a memorial event in front of a monument for victims of the deadly terrorist attack in Beslan, during the national anti-terror day to commemorate the terrorism victims, in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 3, 2010. [Photo/Xinhua] 

MOSCOW - Hundreds of Moscow pupils laid flowers in the rainy Friday to a monument for victims of the deadly terrorist attack six year ago in Beslan that killed 334 people.

Despite the nasty weather, the pupils staged a scene reminding the terrible days of the Beslan school siege.

Their voices became louder as each of them shouted out the words -- "Grief," "Happiness," "Childhood," "Life."

The children's voices were piercing more than the strong wind that forced passers-by to stop and stand still.

Some mourners said the nightmare could happen to anybody.

"I have come to commemorate those who died as we could be in their places ... I feel sorrow and grief because it is very hard," said Vika Pushkina, a Moscow pupil, who came to participate in the memorial event.

Dressed in a blue jacket, she was keeping the flowers in her hand and tried to hold back tears for those who never came out of the gym of Beslan's No. 1 School.

On September 1, 2004, Chechen separatists herded more than 1,100 teachers, parents and children into the gym at Beslan's No. 1 School. The gym was rigged with explosives and a total of 334 hostages, including 186 children, lost their lives when the siege came to a bloody conclusion three days later.

The terrorists kept the hostages for several days without food and water. To commemorate the victims who died of thirsty, glasses of still water were put in front of the monument.

People also left toys, flowers and candles near the monument depicting angles. Some down-dressed teachers shed tears in the crowd.

"I would like to escape from that (deadly) feeling, but every time we take our children somewhere, we always order them not to go far from us. Anything can happen," Evgenya Malakhova, deputy director of a Moscow school said.

She said she could hardly imagine what had happened to the children victims in the Beslan attack.

"It is a terrible tragedy for all of our nation. As a teacher I have no idea on what people had felt at that place, especially those who were waiting for their children at that school," she added.

Teachers said the Beslan tragedy changed the tone and color of each September 1, the start of a new school year. Most teacher said they hoped security measures could be tightened especially for the day.

"That was a bloody lesson for each of us," said Evgenya Malakhova.

She said teachers would tell the new pupils about the tragedy, but those who never suffered it could hardly feel the same.

Another large public gathering took place near the Dubrovka theater in southeast Moscow, where some 40 terrorists took hostage an audience of over 900 people in October 2002. The siege and subsequent police operation left 130 people dead.

Memorial events were also held at the Park Kultury and Lubyanka metro stations, where the first major terrorist attack in the Russian capital for six years happened this March. Two blasts hit one of the busiest subway lines during the morning rush hour, killing 40.

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