Exactly 5 years ago, on October 23, 2002, Nord-Ost happened. The terrorists captured the theater center on Dubrovka Street, located eight kilometers from the Kremlin, right during the performance. There was a superpopular then in Moscow the musical “Nord-Ost”-the production of Veniamin Kaverin “Two Captains” on the novel by Veniamin Kaverin. Several dozen terrorists burst into the hall. 912 people - spectators and troupe were hostage. Five militants shot. This tragedy lasted 57 hours - the terrorists demanded that President Putin led the troops from Chechnya and stop the war. At dawn on October 26, the Federal Headquarters ordered to start a gas attack. Poisoning gas was used. The terrorists were eliminated: they were shot during and after a gas attack. During the assault, 67 hostages were killed, another 58 died in buses and hospitals. One of the reasons - the gas was classified, and the doctors were not ready to provide effective medical care. In the days of this tragedy, the private television company Ren-TV maintained a connection with the hostages. The official authorities have long denied that the staff of the liquidation headquarters had contact with people who were in the theater. Meanwhile, Ren-TV all the information that managed to receive immediately transmitted to the headquarters. Today we publish the chronicle of those terrible days based on the decoding of negotiations Ren-TV with hostages
The material was prepared by Tatyana Klokova, Elena Fedorova, Olga Shorina
- October 23, 2002 -
22.45 From a telephone interview with Ren-TV with the producer of Nord-Ost, Alexei Ivashchenko: “They went on stage at the beginning of the second act. The shooting began, not idle, but fighting, because we saw how bullets were beaten into the wall. The actors rushed at the scatter, in dressing rooms. Some managed to get out through the windows. There was a lot of shooting. ”
23.16 Emergency release of news Ren-TV: “According to the latest information, terrorists warn the special services not to storm the building and threaten to shoot 10 people for each victim on their part. This information is confirmed by the Echo of Moscow radio station. The Internet site of the Chechen separatists “Caucasus.ORG” claims that the concert hall captured a detachment of suicide bomber, led by Movsar Baraev, a nephew of the field commander Arbi Baraev, who was destroyed in Chechnya. ”
- October 24, 2002 -
04.11 Emergency release of the RENTV news, the host Anna Fedotova speaks on a mobile phone with a hostage - Maria Schoolnikova called a live broadcast. REN-TV: What happens to you? Hostage: it happens that people are waiting for the government to start negotiations and free people. But not through aggressive actions, as this is impossible. The hall is completely mined. People will suffer if there is a storm. The assault should not be! So it seems to us from the inside. And you, of course, decide, that is, those who make this decision. But there are a lot of people here. About 1000 people. They are all very tired and very alarmed. There are children. Many women. A lot of elderly people. And now we need to do something in order for these people to be released. And we expect from you not a power solution to the issue, but a peaceful solution, because those sitting here in the hall also condemn the war in Chechnya. REN-TV: Maria, are the mood of criminals somehow changing? Hostage: no. Now we hear that according to the “lighthouse” they say that women, children and foreigners will be released. This is not true! This is said only by those who are going to storm this building. Women are here, children here, foreigners here. No need to do the situation not what it is. There are a lot of people and many children. REN-TV: Do relatives have the opportunity to speak on mobile phones? There was information that they were banned. Hostage: relatives had the opportunity to speak on mobile phones, because many have mobile phones. Then the connection was drowned out of the outside. As I understand it, she was drowned out by special services. They didn’t take phones. And now the batteries began to sit down with us, and the phones are out of order. REN-TV: Can you confirm that explosive devices are on terrorists? Hostage: Of course. There are women who left one -year -old children and came here, and men. They are very decisively configured. More than ... Ren-TV: Maria, hold on! Hostage: We really want to prevent the assault on the building. We want this problem to solve this problem through negotiations. And we, as I said, condemn what is happening in Chechnya. REN-TV: Did the terrorists say something to people? Did they talk to you? Hostage: they said that they had lost loved ones, that they have nothing against us personally. It’s just their scream of despair to attract attention and try to solve the problem. REN-TV: I understand that this is a completely impossible situation. But is it possible to talk with one of the invaders now? Hostage: second! (You can hear that he asks: “Do you want to say something on Ren-TV live?”) Now they will pass some numbers through me. (He says under dictation.) Over the three years of the war, 3,000 children under 10 years of age were killed in Chechnya. I repeat this what they say to me. 4500 children under 15 years of age are disabled. 18,000 people were missing. Young people disappear! I repeat the words that they say to me. The stripping that occur: they take the youth, and they disappear. REN-TV: The connection was interrupted. I would like to make a statement that, of course, we have no right to give a word to terrorists according to the law. But since the life of so many people, women and children now depends on this, it seemed to us that in this case it could be possible.
04.30 Communication with Maria Schoolnikova was restored.
REN-TV: Maria, can you try to discuss the issue with any action movie? Hostage: Try it! (You can hear how the REN-TV television group says.) Action: Yes! Ren-TV: Hello! We had a preliminary agreement that you were letting the crew into the building and release part of the hostages in exchange. Is it possible to do it now? We could not find representatives of foreign embassies before. Now we are ready to find them, that is, they are already there, we will call them, and they are ready to drive up. Action: We release foreigners not in return for something, but just let go. It's clear? Because they are foreigners. Because this is not their business. Because this is our business: Russians and Chechens! It's clear? We will let journalists go. (The connection broke.)
06.00 restored contact with Maria Schoolnikova.
Hostage: we need a red cross and “doctors without borders” here, so that the representatives are only of these foreign organizations. Negotiations are possible with them. REN-TV: Seven ambassadors are now standing at the entrance to the building. Hostage: Listen to me carefully, take the paper, write. So, Belarus - two people, Turkmenistan - three people, Germany - seven people, Great Britain - three people, Switzerland - two people, the USA - four people, Ukraine - 18 people. So, further Canada is 1 person, Bulgaria - 1 person, Australia - 2 people, Latvia - 3 people, Netherlands - 2 people, Moldova - 1 person, Yugoslavia - 2 people, add Belarus - one person, Azerbaijan - 5 people, Armenia - 1 person, Georgia - 3 people. Submit that from the UK-very important people, they have a K-2 and K-1 visa, I do not know what this means. REN-TV: Maria, how many children are in the hall? Hostage: a lot. REN-TV: How much? Hostage: Yes, add three Ukrainians, please. REN-TV: Ukraine-21 people. Hostage: please, representatives of these embassies should be, and there should be representatives of “doctors without borders” and a red cross, but only so that there are no people with Russian citizenship, because they will negotiate only with representatives of others ... Ren-TV: So, they want “doctors without borders” and a red cross. Maria, please tell the following: now they are standing, we can give surnames, four ambassadors and two main consuls of some countries, in particular: Great Britain - Consul, Netherlands - Ambassador, Australia - Ambassador. With difficulty gathered these people who are now standing at the entrance with one film crew. So, we can now contact and ask them to join the representatives of the Red Cross and “doctors without borders”. Hostage: representatives of the Red Cross and “doctors without borders”. Call immediately, and maybe you can try to withdraw people who foreign citizens. And then you will simply control it as a film crew. REN-TV: We will do everything, we are in touch with all television companies now. Maria, and such a request: I beg you very much, do not throw the phone if we call you. Hostage: I do not throw the phone, the point is that we have a battery. REN-TV: Tell me, do you have wounded? Hostage: no, there are no wounded. REN-TV: There were no shooting? Hostage: if there was shooting, then only this, for the ostrand. REN-TV: and food, state of people, water, what is happening? Hostage: people ate food, and there was chocolate, and drank water and juice. REN-TV: You, as a doctor there, see what situation, there is, who is bad ... Hostage: yes, and mostly heartfelt funds. And painkillers.
07.00 REN-TV-Maria Schoolnikova:
REN-TV: Maria, we are carrying you a phone, batteries just in case, because the connection only through you can now be carried out. Hostage: now it’s still a question: we really need Aslambek Aslakhanov (at that time the State Duma deputy from Chechnya - The New Times) called me on this phone. REN-TV: Aslambek Aslakhanov will contact you on this phone, now we will do it. Maria, tell me, doctors can carry medicines, do you need any means? Hostage: Yes, mostly sedatives, valerian, that's all. REN-TV: They can carry it, right? Hostage: Yes, we only need nothing superfluous there. Ren-TV: Maria, we all understand. Hostage: painkillers, valerian, cardiac agents. REN-TV: Maria, hold on.
07.30 REN-TV-Maria Schoolnikova:
REN-TV: So, at the moment the situation is this: representatives of the Red Cross are approaching ... arrived. Hostage: Yes. REN-TV: There will be no representatives of “doctors without borders”, they are in the Caucasus, in Moscow they are not. Hostage: Good. REN-TV: Ask them how this procedure can be performed. So the proposal is. Ambassadors ... Maria, could these people pick up the phone? (It is heard that several people say, the voice of a hostage and action movie. Maria Schoolnikova conveys the words of an action movie.) Action: let her alone go without a cell. She will approach, they will open the door to her. REN-TV: Wait, who is she? Hostage: Politkovskaya. REN-TV: Politkovskaya, good, this is new information. As for the ambassadors, representatives of the Red Cross and journalists, the film crews are there. (The militant dictates the hostage.) So, when the Politkovskaya is approaching, she must shout that it was she, and hold her certificate in her hand. REN-TV: As for the ambassadors of foreign states that arrived? They are already waiting from six in the morning. Hostage: Ambassadors must wait. REN-TV: They always change their requirements, we have hardly gathered several ambassadors and representatives of the Red Cross. Hostage: there is an answer to this that everyone has difficult the situation. REN-TV: Okay, I'll try to do it all. Thank you, hold on, hold on again.
07.45 REN-TV begins the search for Politkovskaya: it is in America.
Ren-TV: Hello, Maria ... Hostage: Maria has gone away. REN-TV: We have information for you just very important. Hostage (Anna Andrianova): Which? REN-TV: So, the militants put forward a demand for Politkovskaya to enter the building. Politkovskaya in the USA is currently located. Hostage: We have already learned about this. REN-TV: So, there are ambassadors, representatives of the Red Cross are standing, everything that they demanded. Hostage: you know, there was a conversation that they are ready, in fact, at least some dialogue to lead with Mr. Yavlinsky, if you can somehow ... REN-TV: The fact is that if possible, these people put forward new requirements every 15-20 minutes. I am not a representative of the authorities and a representative of the headquarters, I represent a private television company. Hostage: But if possible, you, like a private television company, have some ways ... REN-TV: Of course, we have outputs, but understand: can you somehow somehow enter the dialogue with them so as not to explain all these things through you? Hostage: I will explain, they behave as if not very interested, they act from the standpoint of strength, they are condescending to the fact that we call you. They make contact, but we must do something so that this contact will not lose. REN-TV: Tell me, are they under drugs or not? Hostage: no. They behave from the perspective ... They have one clear requirement: the withdrawal of troops from the territory of their country. ... I have a request for you, if I can come up with Yavlinsky. REN-TV: Be sure to transfer your request to the headquarters. Hostage: And the request is that no, as it were, power methods. Here they say, let Yavlinsky and Khakamad come, they are ready to talk with a hacamad. REN-TV: I see, I will transfer your request. Hostage: And the old request, we repeated it many times: everything is mined here. That is, no, absolutely ... so as not to scare them with anything. REN-TV: I understand.
REN-TV-representatives of the operational headquarters:
Ren-TV: Mitrokhin and Hakamad. So, I asked in what condition these are, under drugs or not. She says no. They are absolutely tuned from the standpoint of power ... And since she said this with them, that is, they are all around, such a feeling is not very good ... They agreed ... medicines, I see ... So I’m calling Hakamade that she went there ... I agreed, in touch ... well. Could you send someone to our company from you from the headquarters so that a person sits nearby, so that we can coordinate actively actions? (Disconnected.) It means that the headquarters gave good, Khakamad is ready to come, Yavlinsky is not, there will be his deputy, if they agree ... So you are all standing and waiting, and we will send these deputies now ... And Sergey Vladimirovich Yastrzhembsky said that they have a suitcase with medicines, that if they don’t take you there, give the hacamad to the whole suitcase with medicines ... everything, yes, yes, before, before, before connection.
10.00 REN-TV-hostage:
REN-TV: Opposite the buildings are two representatives of the Red Cross, foreign journalist Mr. Francketti and Mr. Kobzon stand next to the building. We are ready to immediately enter into negotiations. Hostage: I handed it over. REN-TV: Can these people enter the building, and how? Hostage: The fact is that when I say that these people enter, there is a person next to me who says that it will be allowed to enter. When this happens in half an hour - this person has already left, now he needs to be found and this order is repeated. Therefore, do everything that they say faster, that's the matter. REN-TV: I see, we are doing everything possible. Hostage: Yes, I understand, you need personalities who can affect politics in the state ... to fight and fight for the liberation of Chechnya. And the opinion of which is important in the country. REN-TV: We do everything possible, everything that you say. The requirements are changing, the surnames are changing. At present… Hostage: this is not a demand, you see, this is the position of people. People want the liberation of their country. The demand is to stop the war, and the rest is just means. What funds ... those funds that will arrange people here, at the moment, because they need people with an unsuccessful, as it were, reputation in this matter. REN-TV: They can enter into negotiations with those people they demanded for negotiations. How can these people, whom they demanded for negotiations, can enter the building? Hostage: those people who have come now - I reported that they have come, and they will go to them now, I think yes. Yes, they will go to them. REN-TV: So they should do something, should they come? Hostage: stand near the building. REN-TV: In what place near the building? Hostage: let them go, rise to the second floor. REN-TV: To go through the central entrance ... Hostage: through the central entrance, hands up, and rise to the second floor. Action: No need - hands up. Let the documents show. REN-TV: Anya, ask if any of them can take a suitcase with the medicines that you asked. Hostage: medicines can be conveyed, but the medicines will be checked.
11.00 from the statement of the mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov: “All night we tried to establish contacts with the bandits, there was one telephone conversation between deputy Aslakhanov and one of the bandits. The conversation first began calmly, then in self -excitation mode, and then the telephone connection was interrupted ... Our attempts to go out by phone, which we know in this theater, and which belong to these bandits, turned out to be unsuccessful. They did not get in touch. "
13.57 from the statement of the head of the FSB Nikolai Patrushev: “During today, a number of conversations took place with the leadership of foreign special services that provided valuable information. The operational headquarters acts confidently, decisively and firmly, clearly predicts its actions. ”
14.00 REN-TV-Maria Schoolnikova:
REN-TV: Masha, what is happening at the moment? Hostage: we provide assistance to people who are worse and worse, there are a lot of them. REN-TV: The Chechen diaspora is ready to negotiate. Who are they ready to let in the building from their compatriots? Action: In order to talk with the Chechen diaspora, it is not necessary to see them here, they can talk to us at any time. Therefore, if people want to somehow prove themselves, then let them come up in an initiative order then. I do not think that they will be caused by some kind of evil. You tell them that it should be authoritative people. REN-TV: I see ... Hostage: We are waiting, because we promised that there will be Nemtsov, and this is our request already - the request of people, because there are a lot of people who voted for Yavlinsky. REN-TV: I beg you very much, pass on to everyone who is next to you, that everything is doing everything possible to help you. Hostage: you understand, there are no results. Therefore, please, we would really like to turn to the people and Putin, maybe there will be such an opportunity that they simply take serious measures. REN-TV: Do they want to see Nemtsov now? Hostage: they do not want to see Nemtsov, they agreed to negotiate with Nemtsov, not negotiations, but to express their requirements to him. Nemtsov, Yavlinsky and Hakamad are people who cause the smallest antipathy. REN-TV: We spoke with Yavlinsky, he crashes, he makes efforts to fly here. REN-TV: Maria, tell me, they gave you medicines? (The connection breaks off.)
15.00 REN-TV-Maria Schoolnikova:
Ren-TV: Hakamada drives up. Hostage: Khakamada drives up, that's good. We want our government to make some decision so that the crowd, if possible, chants the “withdrawal of troops”, they will now shoot us. They said about it. REN-TV: The crowd will not be able to chant it, there is no crowds, everything is very far away, and the fence, they see all this from the building. So, pass on the following, if possible: it means that the hacamad is approaching, she is ready to enter ... Hostage: they will not speak with one woman. REN-TV: I see, just say just what I say, you can just calmly, in the same voice, calmly pass it. Hostage: I just finished the conversation with them. REN-TV: And there is none of them nearby? Hostage: Yes, they are far away now. REN-TV: Very good. Anechka, I beg you very much, I understand everything perfectly. This means that the Hakamad is ready to participate in the negotiations. Yavlinsky in Tomsk is now located, there is his deputy, who is already standing nearby, Mr. Mitrokhin. Here Mitrokhin and Khakamad are ready to enter into negotiations. Hostage: Mitrokhin is not suitable, they do not know Mitrokhin, we need Nemtsov. Ren-TV: Nemtsov? Hostage: Yes. If there is no Yavlinsky, then Nemtsov. Ren-TV: Hakamada? Hostage: without them cannot enter. REN-TV: They are aggressively configured, right? Hostage: now yes, they want to shoot ten people already. They said: start the withdrawal of troops, why does your government do nothing to save you? REN-TV: Now the headquarters carry out actions, are ready to make contact, not through you, because so negotiations are not underway. Representatives of the authorities are now ready to enter into negotiations.
07 07 Joseph Kobzon and Irina Khakamada leave the building. The representative of the terrorists, who called Abu Bakar, spoke with the deputies. He was without a mask. The terrorists do not fulfill the promise to let go of 40 hostages.
16.47 Maria Schoolnikova was released from the theater center with the appeal of hostages to the president:
“We ask you to make a reasonable decision, to stop military operations in Chechnya. You resolve these issues upstairs, but we only see. Enough wars, we want peace. Today we got into a situation of life and death, we have parents, brothers, sisters and children. On your conscience of their life. We ask you to solve the issue peacefully, or will shed too much blood. ”
17.20 Ren-TV-Anna Andrianova
REN-TV: Anya, what is happening at the moment? Hostage: I will not answer the question of what is happening with us ... You can say something-where is Yavlinsky, where is Nemtsov? REN-TV: Yavlinsky in Tomsk, he flies to Moscow, as far as I know. Hostage: when will it be? Ren-TV: at 21.30, according to our information, the plane arrives in Moscow with Yavlinsky. Hostage: You know, from Tomsk to fly for a long time ....
21.17 from reports of news agencies:
Negotiations with terrorists in Moscow are now under representatives of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation. The terrorists refused the proposal to exchange hostages for deputies - volunteers. Earlier, the leader of the terrorists, who called himself Abu Said, got in touch with the operational headquarters and stated that there were 50 terrorists in the building. 25 men and 25 women.
23.00 from news release
REN-TV: by decision of the operational headquarters of the operation to release hostages, Grigory Yavlinsky began negotiations with terrorists. The negotiators ask terrorists to initially release children and foreign citizens. According to the headquarters, there are about 30 children. In the building of the House of Culture there is only drinking water and chocolate.
- October 25, 2002 -
03.00 Director of the Center for Disaster Medicine Leonid Roshal and and who flew from the United States, Anna Politkovskaya, were able to go to the building. Roshal assisted several hostages, said that the situation is calm, there was no panic. Most hostages have health problems. There are serious ailments in four children who remain hostage by terrorists.
09.00 from the news release REN-TV:
Now on Melnikova Street is a rally. Relatives of hostages gathered near the recreation center with the banners “No War in Chechnya”, “Down with the Russian Army”. The desperate relatives of the hostages tried to break through the police cordon and penetrate the building.
Among the hostages held by terrorists, there are many children. Negotiations on their release are constantly underway, but the consent has not yet been achieved.
11.50 Representatives of the Red Cross brought eight children from the building on Dubrovka. They were released without any conditions.
15.04 from the statement of Vladimir Putin: “I am sure that one of the goals of the terrorists is to sow interethnic discord ... We should in no case allow such a development of events. Do not succumb to the provocations on which the criminals pushing us. And we have no right to allow any wrong actions. ”
19.45 from the release of news REN-TV: Evgeny Primakov enters the building. After another half an hour Ruslan Aushev, then Alla Pugacheva. The negotiators refuse to communicate with the press.
23.55 Sounds of shots are heard from the DK building.
- October 26, 2002 -
04.45 Emergency release of news REN-TV: In the area of the House of Culture on Dubrovka, where terrorists have been holding about seven hundred hostages for the third day, intensive shooting is heard. Three powerful explosions were heard. The stupor is strengthened, special forces lined up in front of the building.
05:30 gas is launched.
7:05 The operation is completed.
11.00 from the news release REN-TV: A few minutes ago in the Kremlin the meeting of the President of Russia with the FSB director Nikolai Patrushev and Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Boris Gryzlov ended. The meeting stated that a well -coordinated operation and the work of all structures participating in the release of hostages were carried out was evaluated as competent and agreed. The director of the FSB reported to the president that the operation was not completed on this. The Federal Security Service has a number of developed materials that are preparing for implementation.
***
57 awards were awarded for the assault “Nord-Ost”:
5 stars of the heroes of Russia. Only two stars were received by the fighters of Alpha and Vympel, who participated in the operation to destroy militants. Two more stars went to the headquarters, namely: the head of the headquarters for the release of hostages to the first deputy director of the FSB, General V. Pronichev and the head of the FSB special forces center, General A. Tikhonov. The fifth Golden Star received a chemist who launched gas to the theater center. This was from the open letter of the Alfa fighters, who spoke about the president’s closed decree on the award.
2 Orders of courage - Leonid Roshal and Joseph Kobzon.
50 memorial signs “Nord-Ost” are members of the Moscow Government and deputies of the Moscow City Duma, including those who were on a business trip outside Moscow during the capture of the hostages or on vacation. With the wording "For empathy".
Maria Schoolnikova- Head of the Association of Children's Cardiologists of Russia, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Chief Children's Cardiologist of Moscow, Deputy Director of the Moscow Research Institute of Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery.Maria Schoolnikova was released on the second day of the capture, on October 24, in order to convey the hostage appeal. Now he continues to work as the chief children's cardiologist in Moscow.
Anna Andrianova- chief of the advertising service of the newspaper Moskovskaya Pravda. There was among the hostages all 57 hours, up to the assault. At 05.30 she called to report that the gas was launched. Under the influence of gas lost consciousness. I woke up on the evening of October 26 in the 13th city hospital. Survived. Now he still heads the advertising service of Moscow Truth.
The terrorists took 912 people hostage. 42 was released before the assault. Of these, four - a woman with three children - was brought out by Joseph Kobzon, an Englishman and 8 children - doctors of the Red Cross. The rest of the militants released for various reasons, mainly children and foreign citizens. The last, in the evening on the eve of the assault, four citizens of Azerbaijan left the building.
On July 11, 2007, the Nord-Ost organization sent a request to the criminal case against members of the operational headquarters to save hostages to the Prosecutor General’s Office. In its statement, Nord-Ost notes that the organization of medical care to the victims during the hostage rescue operation was not at the proper level. In particular, there is no antidote for the gas that was used to neutralize terrorists and from which the hostages suffered, according to Nord-Ost. This is not the first claim to the managers of the operation. In November 2002, the first group of plaintiffs filed an application with the Tver District Court, electing the Moscow government as the defendant. They stated that the rescue operation was poorly planned and organized. The court rejected the claims.On April 28, 2003, the Moscow City Court examined the cassation appeal. The court stated that the investigation in the case of events on October 23-26, 2002 continues and the causal relationship between a special operation and the death of people has not been established, as the fault of the persons responsible for the operation was not established. As a result, the claims of the applicants were rejected.The Supreme Court did not find a violation of the rule of law in the actions of paradise and the City Court. Foreign citizens filed applications for the Basmanny Court against the federal government. All instances also rejected their claims.
In early April 2007, the Nord-Ost case began the Strasbourg court. The Russian government has already submitted its objections and comments on the claim. Almost one and a half thousand pages have recently received plaintiffs for familiarization. Until November 12, they must send a response to the arguments of the government to the European Court of Human Rights. At the same time, in Russia, law enforcement agencies refuse the victims to meet criminal cases, examinations, and surveys of witnesses.
