Tabuev Anatoliy Alekseevich, 1952 d.b., a dweller of Tskhinval.
It is impossible to find the words for describing war, one could only suffered it and feel the whole pain of loss. To my mind, War is the most terrible thing for the whole mankind. At night, when the war started, I was at home as all the other inhabitants of the Republic. I live on Lenin Street, and when the first blast was heard, I apace as it was possible came down into the cellar with my neighbours. The light was switched off instantly; the mobile phones had been disconnected too. Everybody thought that it would become quiet by the morning, it would be silent, but we were wrong, the blasts became only stronger and more terrible. On the eighth of August the georgians have been already in Tskhinval, the local boys were fighting with them on the streets, they tried to expel them from the town, but the forces were not equal. The Georgians were well armed; they were firing us from the reactive volley fire system "Hail", they used all kind of weapon and the large-caliber mortars. Our boys were struggling desperately, defending our lives, but how many women, children, oldsters, young and innocent boys have perished!.. We were hungry and thirsty but, in spite of the concentrated blow for the Georgian side, the town bakery did not stop working. And the town guys were delivering the sacks with bread to the population of the Republic, We are grateful to them for this. The Fire-brigade was also working well in spite of all this horror. They were arriving in the place of inflammation and extinguished the fire. The War lasted five days, the blasts did not fall silent, the only hope was on Russia, we were certain that the Russian army would come and rescue us by all means. One could not describe the happiness, delight, which we have felt, when in August 10 we were informed that the Russian troops were already on the approach to Tskhinval. The waiting was very poignant and long-lasting. GOD forbid somebody else to suffer such grief!
