There were 12 of them. And they also wanted to live. They wanted to rejoice life, each solar day, springtime which has already come. They wanted to see, how their children would grow up, how the life was improving in their native Republic, as it has been gaining independence and liberty, and later on also the acknowledgment. But they did not live till this time. They had been prevented from it. Exactly twenty years ago 12 men were brutally fagged out and buried alive by the Georgian fascists. That was the payment for their ossetian origin. The youngest of them was 17 years old... He had not even time to understand, how strong the hate of our south neighbours to the all ossetian was. He had no time to understand, but had felt on himself, how people, like him, like us, wrested his hand and leg, pricked out his eyes, cauterized his body with blowtorch. Surely he regretted that he had born on this "white" world. The people, who had been thirsting for the ossetian blood so much had not left these 12 ossetians any desire to live ,having had tested on them all the tortures, one only could invented.
In memory of the 12 innocently ruined lives today on the Theatre square of Tskhinval there have been launched skyward 12 white air balls. The whole Ossetia has been remembering them. The whole Ossetia has been mourning on them. Eredskaya tragedy is brightly reflected on the bloody pages of our history. The action of memory gathered hundreds of the inhabitants of South Ossetia at the central square of Tskhinval, which had come in this tragic day to pay tribute to the memory of the victims of the Eredskaya tragedy, and to lay flowers on the Stone memory, light the candles.
There were the President of the South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity, the Premier Vadim Brovtsev, representatives of all the ministries and departments of the Republic, students, relatives and friends of the perished, simple inhabitants, as well as the representatives of the border management of the Federal Security Service (FSS) of Russia in South Ossetia. Under the mourning music people were lightening candles and were praying for the souls of brutally fagged 12 ossetians.
To the left of the Stone of the memory are lonely standing the people, who even in 20 years can not give in with the death of their relatives. One general grief unites them- suddenly in March 18 1991 their fates turned over. Near the village Ered their sons, husbands, brothers, fathers were buried alive.
«The only brother of this woman has been killed then. Here is Venera whose single son has been killed then. It was my husband. I am sorry, I can not speak... For twenty years I have spent all my tears and words, but still have not found the answer for the question - what my husband has been killed for? » - wipes her tears Zarina Tedeeva.
The only son of Venera Bestaeva was killed in that spring day. Thereafter, it seems that she has been not living yet. So today the inconsolable mother came to the square; with the tear-stained eyes she was looking at the people, as if she was searching for and hoping to see the darling face of her ruined son.
"I have been crying for twenty years, for twenty years I have been firing with unbearable desire although afar to look at my son. I have died in that cool march day together with him. Thereafter I have been dragging miserable existence, pining for my darling", - cries the old woman.
Venera does not want even the enemy to try such fate though the enemies had not mercy upon her son, neither one hand shivered, nor one noble thought appeared in the heads of those beasts, when they had been burying the innocent peaceful people. They did not think somebody was waiting for them at home, that for someone these people – are the only hope and support. But Venera did not wish them anything bad. The loving maternal heart has not become stale even of such grief.
She has also found the force in herself along with the others to go to the place of death and burial of the victims of the tragedy, laid flowers. It is a joy for her; - here she can see the face of her son. At least on the monument...
The names of 12 heroes, which even under the terrible tortures did not abandon to the love for their Native land, have taken the death with dignity in the name of future of their Ossetia; will remember each ossetian, young and old. Eternally! And it would be so!
