How I saved drunken militants. A fragment of the book of Major Izmailov and photographs of Yuri Kozyrev from the Second Chechen

From the editorial office

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The Day of National Unity is not the holiday that we celebrate by the entire editorial office of Novaya Gazeta. Probably, many of the readers have a difficult attitude towards him. In general, we are more supported by the values ​​of diversity and free choice. But the opposite of popular unity, the highest form of disunity is a war. We hate war, and so it was always.

Therefore, on the Day of National Unity, we invite you to read two chapters from Major Izmailov’s book “War and War”. The New Gazeta published it not only because Vyacheslav Yakovlevich is one of our main authors. And not only because it is a wonderful prose. Today, when our country is waging the so -called “hybrid” war on several fronts at once, but still not on its territory, it is important to know what is war.

Therefore, read Izmailov. And see the photos of Yuri Kozyrev from business trips to the second Chechen. They are about what war happens. And that it should not be.

When the Russian military authorities seconded me to the hostage liberation group, I started to work with great enthusiasm. But the technologies of this process did not teach me. And I did everything as I thought it was necessary.

Met with Aslan Maskhadov, spoke about the task that was set before me. Maskhadov gave me Akhaev fell to help.

Once his acquaintance (the former Soviet prosecutor of one of the areas of Chechnya) invited us to his restaurant. The prosecutor has long been engaged in business. Together with us were invited by Ramzan Dzhafarov (secretary of the Ichkeria Security Council under Dudaev), as well as two or three field commanders. On the table in the restaurant "non -alcoholic" Ichkeria stood bottles of vodka. In this company, only I, a Russian officer, was nonsense. As a nonsense to me - perhaps out of politeness - just in case, they put bottles of champagne. But I was absolutely indifferent to champagne.

While the militants drank, I studied them.

The most interesting figure in this company was Ramzan Jafarov. Then he was already hitting 70 years, but he looked very good, was thin and built. In the Soviet years, Jafarov was a dissident, sat in prisons, lived in the settlement ... Ramzan drank vodka with a relish. He drank the most and almost not drunk.

Akhaev, Akhaev tried to keep up with Ramzan, but drinking another glass, always turned. I asked why he was doing this. “I turn away from Allah so that he does not see this disgrace,” said they fell.

... But I noticed us, I am afraid, not Allah. There are informers everywhere, and Chechnya is no exception.

Someone informed the guys from the Ichkeria commandant’s office that in the restaurant pour vodka from under the floor-and this is with a strict dry law in Ichkeria.

Armed militants broke into the room. All drunken people were put in cars and taken to the Lenin commandant’s office of the formidable. The militants said offendedly: "You are our bosses, teach us sobriety, but you yourself drink."

I found myself in a very difficult position: on the one hand, I was not touched as soberly, but on the other hand, I could not stand up for my "drinking companions". Who will help me later in the release of prisoners?

I went to the commandant’s office. Paul, Ramzan and everyone else was put there in a dirty basement. No matter how I begged the bearded deputy commandant, he did not let go of the detainees.

When the commandant of APTI came, I went to him. He recognized me and smiled. I said I feel guilty. I do not drink, but I did not stop people who drink in my presence.

"I will never allow drunkenness in my presence in the future." My argument arranged the commandant.

For two or three hours in the basement, my sad and not quite clean comrades crawled out into the fresh air.

And when they got into the car, they vied with vying that they would immediately take measures against their offenders. I laughed: "What did you not talk about it when you were put in the basement?"

When we returned to the restaurant, “my” militants again poured vodka into glasses. Here I already jumped up:

“I just pulled you out of the dirty basement, I guided for you!”

- Sorry, Vyacheslav, and let's drink so that no one will ever know where we were, even our wives! -someone suggested.

To this, I smiled and said: “No, I don’t give such an oath. I will tell everyone how the sober Russian major pulled out drunk leaders of the militants from the basement, where they were put by subordinates. ”

... In the war, terrible, sad and cheerful was nearby. And if I concentrated only on the terrible, I would have gone crazy, like many Russian military and Ichkeria militants.

Read also

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How the Chechen mother saved the Russian.

Alexander Filippenko reads the book of Major Izmailov. Listen