In Ingushetia, on the day of the defender of the Fatherland, events were held in memory of the victims of the Stalinist deportation

In Ingushetia on February 23, when the day of the defender of the Fatherland is celebrated throughout Russia, mourning events were held dedicated to the 68th anniversary of the deportation to Kazakhstan and Central Asia of the Ingush and Chechen peoples. In Nazran, a rally with the participation of the head of the republic UNUS-Bek Evkurov was held at the memorial complex to the victims of political repression. In mosques and in cemeteries, commemorative prayers were held, throughout Ingushetia people distributed sacrificial meat.

Since 2010, on February 23, Chechnya was officially celebrated as a day of memory and sorrows , but by order of the head of the Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, the mourning date was postponed on May 10, and on February 23, as well as throughout the country, the Defender of the Fatherland Day celebrates.

As the Caucasian Knot recalls, the operation, under the code name “Chechevitsa”, during which Chechens and Ingush were massively evicted to Kazakhstan and Central Asia from the territory of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and took place from February 23 to March 9, 1944. The causes of such repressions were announced mass desertion, evasion of draft in wartime and preparing an armed uprising in the Soviet rear.

According to the Memorial International Society, in 1943-44, 485 thousand people were taken from Chechnya and Ingushetia, 101 thousand people were from Kalmykia, 70 thousand from Karachay -Cherkessia in 1943, 37 thousand people from Kabardino -Balkaria. The number of victims of deportation among the Conshetians and other nationalities of the Transcaucasia amounted to 100 thousand.

“The fact that I created with us and other peoples, the terrible regime of that period will never find understanding and excuses in the world. The people are not guilty,” Yevkurov said at a rally. He noted that not only repressed small peoples, but also millions of Russians suffered from the Stalinist regime. “The old people say that in 1944, once again, we checked for persistence. We survived. This terrible tragedy did not break the spirit of our people. We must go forward, not lower our heads,” the Komsomolskaya Pravda quoted him as saying.

He thanked the guests who came from Pskov for bringing the remains of the Yak-7B aircraft to Ingushetia, on which the Hero of Russia Murad Ozdoev made combat flights.

The mourning event ended in reading prayer for those who died during the years of deportation.