Flash-poll: Today South Ossetia is celebrating the fifth anniversary of the recognition of its statehood by the Russian Federation. What role, in your opinion this event played in the modern history of South Ossetia?
Vyacheslav Gobozov, Chairman of the State Committee for Information and Press of the RSO:
The Day of recognition of the independence of South Ossetia by the Russian Federation is definitely a landmark date for us. For me, this day means a lot, considering that I was the one who started the movement for the state-building.
For me this day is a visual proof of a fair way I have been following for 20 years. But, at the same time, we must realize that the recognition of the independence - is not the manna from heaven and everybody at once will live well. Independence – is not only a holiday, flags and so on. It is a great responsibility. Recognition of the independence - is the adoption of the decision to solve all problems facing the state. So, August 26 - it's not just a holiday, it is also a reminder that no one, except us, will build our state. If we realize this truth and we will build the normal democratic state, in the near future the independence of South Ossetia will be recognized by the rest of the world community.
Stanislav Kochiev, the Speaker of the Parliament of South Ossetia:
In the contemporary history of South Ossetia, the most important event is the recognition of its independence. If once we could afford some liberties, including in foreign policy, today we do not have the right to do it, as now we are the recognized state, and we cannot let down our partner and savior - Russia. But it happens that the victory has a lot of parents, and the defeat is an orphan.
Vadim Tedeev, the rector of the South Ossetian State University:
Our nation gained the independence in the long struggle with the aggressive nationalist forces of Georgia. The guarantor of the independence of South Ossetia is the Russian Federation - a permanent member of the UN Security Council and one of the leading world powers. The fact that the Russian Federation recognized the independence of South Ossetia has a crucial role for us. I would like the financial assistance of the Russian Federation to be aimed primarily at the development of industry and agriculture, and then South Ossetia will become a self-sufficient Republic.
Konstantin Pukhaev, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of South Ossetia:
August 26, 2008 is the day for which the Ossetian people had been striving about six centuries, following a long thorny path. This day, we have marked a triumph of the South Ossetians, and it was destined to historical course of the national liberation struggle of the South Ossetians. This is the evidence that the will of the people for freedom and independence, the inalienable right to self-determination is truly indestructible that was brilliantly illustrated by the experience of the South Ossetians. Six centuries we had been going to this day, and few people, even our well-wishers, believed in the success of our struggle, but the South Ossetians themselves believed in it. It is only the will of the people and an unwavering belief in the rightness of the chosen path led us to a triumphant victory.
Inga Chekhoeva, a journalist:
The Day of recognition of the independence of South Ossetia is, first of all, a celebration of the victory of fortitude, love of freedom and, to some extent, the victory over the stubborn circumstances. At the same time, this day, for me, is full of unbearable anguish, because too much was sacrificed on the altar of the victory for a small Ossetian nation - too much losses, bloodshed, despair, tears and fear ... the only consolation is that the sacrifice was not in vain. And, of course, this day is the stimulus, the impulse to make a breakthrough and move forward. It has passed the heroic time, it's time to struggle, perhaps even more important - is an everyday hard work, the building of a new peaceful happy life that we have definitely deserved.
