South Ossetia has marked the 25th anniversary of the beginning of the national liberation movement for freedom and independence. November 23, 1989 at the entrance to Tskhinval gathered people's volunteer corps against Georgian nationalists led by Zviad Gamsakhurdia. The entire male population blocked the way to the Georgian armed groups. A small group of ordinary guys of Tskhinval, unarmed, holding hands, blocked the entry to the buses driving from Tbilisi to Tskhinval.
Today in Tskhinval it is difficult to find direct participants in those events. Many of them were killed in military conflicts, some left South Ossetia after the Georgian-Ossetian conflict in 1989-1992; others do not want to look back on a difficult period or completely refuse to tell anything.
The participant and the witness of those events Zarbeg Bibilov said that on November 23, 1989, he with his friend and colleague Leo Bibilov were going after the work when the news spread that to Tskhinval from Tbilisi was going a convoy of buses.
"We immediately went to the Zguder rock, where it was expected the arrival of Georgians. There were gradually gathering the male part of the population. Then no one had weapons, as today. People came with knives, pieces of reinforcing steel and pipes, and the few who had hunting rifles, were the most armed. I, myself had a small hatchet. But then people were guided by the spirit of freedom, one and all became a living wall, blocking the entrance to the Ossetian land, "- he said.
Zarbeg Bibil has recalled that everything was happening spontaneously; no one had a clear plan of actions.
"All men knew that we would not be able to repel the armed groups. And then a couple of guys holding hands, stood across the road, and become a living barrier to the entrance of Tskhinval. I with my friend also stood there. Buses drove up closer. Ahead of the buses were two Georgian generals and Zviad Gamsakhurdia himself, the Georgian priest. By the time behind us already gathered the population of the town, including the local Georgians. The buses stopped right under our nose, "- he recalls.
According to Zarbeg Bibilov, if at that time people had not resisted, the Ossetians would have been destroyed.
"Georgians said that did not come to fight, but to hold a peaceful rally in Tskhinval, we said that it was possible to hold a rally at the entrance to Tskhinval. I remember when Gamsakhurdia shouted out, "It is Georgian land, and we will hold rallies wherever we want." We were standing there until the evening of the next day. The entire population of the town rose up to defend their homeland. Today I understand that those guys were not just doing their duty of defenders, they were true fighters, ideologists, so strong inside, unshakable. It's just inconceivable to stand with pieces of reinforcing steel in hands against the armed enemy. Perhaps, this is fortitude. Then we shared a common idea of freedom. November 24, after lengthy wrangling and negotiations the convoy turned around and went in the opposite direction, "- said Zarbeg.
The women of Tskhinval did not lag behind males in readiness to defend their homes.
"I had two young children. Early in the morning of November 24, my husband took a large kitchen knife, a piece of some pipe and went to the bridge at the entrance to Tskhinval. We were very disturbed by what was happening. Neighbor women packed the most necessary things, documents in case if the Georgians invasion. All the women gathered in the yard and were quietly discussing what would happen next. Suddenly we saw a tall, thin old woman, wrapped in a cloak, going along the deserted street. We began to shout: "You're crazy, where are you going!? Don`t you know what is happening around, come back. "She silently looked at us, and then stopped, opened the cloak and we saw that there was a long kitchen knife on her belt.
More than 20 years have passed since that day. We have seen wars and terrible murders, but this incident was engraved in my memory. After all, she could do nothing. But the knife on her belt ... The then older generation remembered the persecutions of the Georgian Mensheviks in 1920. Even my grandmother told me how in the 20s entire villages -women with children, with home cattle were fleeing into woods from Georgians and on their return they found their burned houses. Probably, that old woman also remembered those days going to the bridge with a knife, "- said a resident of Tskhinval Zema Alborova.
Apparently, everyone who has been living for these 25 years in South Ossetia can tell a lot about that time, when each Ossetian had to fight for freedom, defending his home and children. Of course, they are all heroes and deserve the highest praise, because, despite all the hardships of life, they have remained in their native land, raising children and building their future.
