In September 2004, 13 years ago, the whole world shuddered at the terrible tragedy in the city of Beslan. Back in August, many did not even hear the name of this town in their life, and after September 3, it was on everyone’s lips. Beslan became associated with misfortune, tragedy, grief. No one could remain indifferent to this terrifying event. In memory of the victims of the attack in many cities around the world, monuments and memorial signs were erected. What are the most significant of them? What do they look like and who is the author of the monumental structures?
The history of the Beslan tragedy
On September 1, 2004, militants captured a secondary school in the city of Beslan. They held hostages in a mined educational institution, the number of which reached 1, 128 people (children, parents, school teachers). On September 3, a series of explosions thundered at the school, the building collapsed, and a fire broke out. After the explosion, some hostages began to run out of the building, the FSB special forces decided to storm. As a result of the attack killed more than 330 people, including 186 children. More than 850 people were injured, 10 FSB special forces were killed.
Monuments to the victims of the tragedy
In memory of the victims of the tragedy, a huge number of memorials were installed both in Russia and abroad:
- in 2005, a monument to children, victims of the terrorist attack - “The Tree of Sorrow” was erected in Beslan;
- in 2005 in Beslan - a monument to children, the victims of the attack - Khachkar;
- in 2005 in Vladikavkaz, based on the sketch of Beslan schoolchildren, a monument to the dead children was installed;
- in 2005 in the village of Muranovo - an obelisk;
- in 2005 in Florence - “Beslan Boys and Girls Square”;
- in 2005 in Castelnovo di Sotto - a monument to the "Children of Beslan";
- in 2006 in San Marino - a monument to the victims of the tragedy in Beslan;
- in 2007 in St. Petersburg - a monument to the "Children of Beslan";
- in 2010 in Vladikavkaz - “Monument to the Victims of Terror”;
- in 2010 in Moscow a monument to the "Children of Beslan";
- In 2011, a red-black obelisk dedicated to the victims of the Beslan terrorist attack was opened in Karachay-Cherkessia in the village of Kosta-Khetagurova;
- in 2011 in Beslan - the monument "Good Angel of the World";
- In 2012, a memorial complex was built in Beslan on the territory of the former school.
Monuments to the victims of the terrorist attack in Beslan
Those who died in the attack found eternal peace at the memorial Beslan cemetery, which was called the "City of Angels." Before the tragic events, it was called "Children's", but since 2008 it has been officially renamed. Here 226 people rest, of which 186 innocent children. There is one more terrible grave - a fraternal one, in which unidentified parts of the bodies are buried. Everyone has different years of birth, but the date of death is the same for everyone. There are figures of angels everywhere.
On the territory of the cemetery there is a monument "Tree of Sorrow", a bow of worship, a monument to commandos, a khachkar.
A year after the tragedy at the Beslan memorial cemetery, a monument to the victims of the Beslan terrorist attack "Tree of Sorrow" was unveiled, whose height is about 9 meters. It is a tree, its trunk consists of four female figures, the crown is formed by their outstretched hands holding angels representing children. At the opening of the monument was attended by relatives and parents of the dead children, the victims, as well as residents of Beslan and other regions of the republic, the president of North Ossetia Mamsurov Taimuraz. During the opening, after the bell struck, the names of all the dead at school were listed, after which pigeons were released into the sky, which very symbolically sat on a bronze tree.
Khachkar is a type of Armenian architectural monument, which is a stele with a carved cross on it. The monument was erected in honor of all those killed in the terrorist attack.
Not far from the "Tree of Sorrow" monument, a memorial monument has been erected for special forces who died during the hostage release. It is a helmet with body armor, which lie on an outstretched military cloak and cover a children's book and a toy.
A worship cross was established at the initiative of local residents as a sign of a memorable prayer for innocent children, teachers and special forces who are fulfilling their military duty.
Monument to fallen children of Beslan in Moscow
At the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the center of the capital in 2010, a memorial sign was installed to children who died during the terrorist attack in Beslan. The author of the monument is the famous sculptor Zurab Tsereteli. The monument is a memorial 5 meters high, which symbolizes the souls of children who died in a terrible tragedy, they are carried away by an angel to heaven. The composition is complemented by scattered toys around the monument: a bicycle, a train, a teddy bear, Pinocchio.
The initiators of the construction of a monument to the children of Beslan in Moscow were the leadership of North Ossetia, which was also supported by the Moscow government.
The President of North Ossetia, representatives of the State Duma of Russia, the released school hostages, their parents and relatives attended the inauguration of the monument to the Children of Beslan in Solyanka. During the ceremony, it began to rain as a symbol of memory and grief for those who are no longer alive.
Monument in St. Petersburg
The monument was erected in 2007 at the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a dilapidated arch, from under which comes a mother with a baby in her arms. An inscription is engraved on the pedestal: "To the children of Beslan." The arch is made of granite, and the sculpture itself is made of bronze. The total height of the monument is 5 meters.
The monument to the Children of Beslan in St. Petersburg was erected on the initiative and at the expense of the Ost-West Association. Authors: sculptor Shuvalov V.M. and architect Mednikov V.V.
Monument in San Marino
The monument to the children of Beslan in San Marino is a tribute to the dead innocent souls who suffered at the hands of ruthless militants. At his own expense, the Italian sculptor Renzo Wendy created a bronze monument, which was erected in 2006 in one of the squares in the center of San Marino. Thousands of kilometers from the city where the tragedy occurred, ordinary people empathized with the terrible and boundless grief of the Ossetian town. The monument is a sculpture of a child, scared half to death, who froze in a silent scream. Looking at him, there is an acute desire to do everything so that such cruelty and heartlessness towards children and small lives will never happen again.
Monuments to the fallen special forces
In our country, they respect the memory of the dead and honor the names of those who lost their lives in the exercise of their official duties, freeing hostages in the Beslan school. In honor of the dead FSB special forces, memorials were installed:
- A monument to Lieutenant Colonel Razumovsky Dmitry, Hero of Russia, who died in Beslan, was unveiled in Ulyanovsk. He commanded one of the assault groups, personally killed two terrorists, diverting attention to himself, was killed by a sniper militant. The initiator of the installation of the memorial was the family of the deceased and his colleagues.
- In Yurovo, a monument was erected to a native of the village, Major Mikhail Kuznetsov. He evacuated about 20 wounded hostages, was mortally wounded and died in a hospital on the same day.
- In Orsk, a monument to Lieutenant Turkin Andrei was erected; he participated in the operation as part of an assault group. Bursting into the dining room, where the militants held hostages, Turkin covered himself with a grenade thrown by a terrorist into a crowd of children. He was awarded the title "Hero of Russia" posthumously.
- In Vasilievka, a monument was unveiled to Oleg Loskov, who at the age of 23 participated in the assault operation in Beslan and died.
