The Zar tragedy of May 20, 1992. Witnesses' memories.
Zoya Bitarti, Candidate of Philology, an associate professor:
The Zar tragedy – is the day, which should be remembered by everybody. It was a mass extermination of the Ossetian people. There were children, old people, and women among the victims.
The Zar tragedy of May 20, 1992. The witnesses' memories.
Zamira Dzhioeva, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of South Ossetia:
The Zar tragedy of 1992 cannot be explained. Defenseless children, women and the old people were killedthat day. Could a normal person do so? And one has got upon the idea that they were monsters, because they had not spared even babies.
Fatima Kisieva, born in 1981, an inhabitant of Tskhinval:
We live in the nine-storey building in Roza Kochisova Street, on the western suburb of Tskhinval. The building is located directly under the Oak grove, - that is the height from where the Georgian tanks where shooting the town. In the evening of August, 7 the heavy bombardment started, and we were compelled to run downwards as it was very dangerous to stay in our flat on the ninth floor. By that time all our neighbours had already gathered on the ground floor, we were frightened so much, but at the same time we hoped that the fire would stop soon. To our horror the bombardment was becoming stronger, and we had to go down into the cellar. In this damp, cold cellar we spent two days I can`t think about till now without shuddering. Kiddies, among whom there were also babies, were crying uninterruptedly.
Rita Kozaeva, born in 1972, an inhabitant of Tskhinval
I`ll never forget the war in August, 2008. In the night of August, 8, when the massed bombardment of all Republic launched, I was at home with my mother and children. Having heard the first explosion, we rushed for the children, and at full speed ran into the cellar. The electricity was disconnected, it was very terrible. I was calming my children, as I could. None of us could ever think that such things could occur in the 21st century. In the evening before, we had heard the speech of the Georgian president on TV; he said that from that day forward there would be peace between the Georgian and the Ossetian people. Nevertheless, he once again proved that his words cost nothing; the Georgian military men attacked the sleeping Tskhinval at night. The missiles were falling one after another, all the sky was in flame, at each explosion we shuddered and did not know what would happen in a minute. All of us hoped that by the morning the bombardment would stop, but the things became worse. In the morning the Georgian monsters entered the town, crushing everything on their way, sparing nobody.
Bagaeva Elvira Ushangovna, born in 1969, an inhabitant of Tskhinval
Three years have passed after the tragic August events, but time has not cured the war scars remained in our souls forever, despite the restoration works being carried out dynamically in our town. One cannot forget the terrifying ordeals our people have undergone. On August, 8, 2008, when the Georgians attacked the sleeping people of South Ossetia, I was at home with my children. Having heard the explosions, I thought that the bombardment would stop in some hours, that it was the next provocation of Georgia. But in some minutes I completely changed my opinion- I realized that the cruel war had begun. I went down into the cellar with my children. We were so frightened that we could not even speak.
Khozieva Varya Vasiljevna born in1966, an inhabitant of Tskhinval
I live at International Street in Tskhinval. That awful night, from seventh to eighth of August, I was at home. Because of tension reigned in the town I had earlier sent my children to North Ossetia. Early in the morning my husband went to his work. I was alone when the explosions were resounded at night.
Gabaraeva Venera Akhsarovna, born in 1973, an inhabitant of Tskhinva
We`ll never forget that damp horrible cellar where we spent those unforgettable days of August war in 2008 full of horror though we can confidently say that just that war turned out to be our salvation . Before that nightmare our husbands had served in voluntary military forces and had been at their posts on the border with Georgia. We had not practically seen them for twenty-four hours, but that evening my husband returned at 12 in night, having calmed us that we should not expect the war.
Kochieva Diana Akhsarovna, 1978 year of birth, an inhabitant of Tskhinval
My awful dream.
In 1998 I had a dream. I was going on a visit to my grandmother and grandfather at Heroes Street, and, having reached their house, a terrible scene appeared before my eyes - the house was destroyed and burnt. My mother's younger brother Jura was sitting at the dilapidated wall with a brick in his hand, trying to make something. I asked him, crying, what had happened, where my grandmother, grandfather and my uncle were? Jura silently showed me the ashes.
The third anniversary of the Georgian aggression against South Ossetia. The American genie is let out in the Caucasus
Ashraf El Sabbah, the Egyptian publicist, the correspondent of TV channel Russia Today (the Arabian edition)
The western mass-media have tried to represent the war between Georgia and South Ossetia –unrecognized at that moment, -as the war between Russia and Georgia. However, real events from the moment of the arrival of these lines` author on the border of Georgia and South Ossetia in the morning of August, 8 till the moment of his expelling with his colleagues from Georgia to Armenia through the mountains on the night of August, 10 testify that Georgia has begun the war developed by 200 American experts, being then in the Georgian capital. In the morning of August, 8, 2008 more than 50 tanks and 20 APC made their way to the Georgian-South-Ossetian border.
In Russia we were waited by our family and friends, and behind us was the hostile Georgia
Each inhabitant of South Ossetia has his own history of the Five-day war in August, 2008. Our readers are well enough familiar with sequence of the basic events and the main persons involved in the events of the August war, which third anniversary will be marked the next week.
