This book opened my eyes to events taking place in Chechnya, and the attitude of Caucasian countries towards Russia is now clearer to me... Material is wonderfully put together in this book. I recommend it for serious reading!
James Powell – Documentary photographer
To read this book through to the end you will need a very strong nervous system and an empty stomach... However, it is worth the read!.. What I shocked me most of all was that at the very same time as these events the whole world staked huge hopes on friendship with Russia. They were astonishedly listening to the Russian president’s “harsh rhetoric,” not understanding what he was capable of doing to another sovereign state. It is an honest work that should be made into a good film.
Dr. Ron Jon - History professor
This is one of the best documentary books . . . a living illustration of events in the Caucasus that up until now have not been very well known. I recommend it for reading in university Russian history courses.
Evelyn Barnard - Slavic Studies expert
Such documentary books are needed in order to understand the roots of political conflicts… Concealing such information is the same as hiding the cracks in the foundation of history by smearing them with paint.
Mattie Banks - Philosophy professor
This book shakes you to the depths of the soul, the scale of the tragedy as well as the warmth of the Chechen people, and the example of their mutual assistance and support during this great tragedy…
Patrick Newman - Independent journalist
Recommendation of Elena Maglevannaya
I took part in the editing of Mayrbek Taramov’s book, The Chechen Question: the Final Decision, upon his request. Naturally, I read it from beginning to end. Here is my opinion:
Attempts to create documented annals of the events of the two Chechen wars have been undertaken before. However, in my opinion they have, in fact, been essentially spoiled by the authors’ strivings to describe everything with so-called “objectivity” and without bias,” i.e. as an impartial viewer. Most often this delusional “objectivity” resulted in a levelling, and in the hypocritical placement of the criminal and the victim on the same scale. That is to say, such authors placed the imperial Russian monster’s aggression against the independent Chechen state on the same scale as the holy struggle of Chechens to defend their freedom.
What I liked very much in this book was that the author is himself a Chechen, one who does not shy away from naming things as they are – an occupation is an occupation and genocide is genocide – all without any reverence for the rival. Yes, the Chechen land, suffering from wars, needs peace unlike any other. But peace is not possible until those killed are avenged and the perpetrators of all the terrible events of these past years are named and brought to justice.
I also liked that this book is not written in the form of statistical data - the dead count, the scale of destruction, etc. Instead, it is written in the form of actual stories told by participants in and witnesses to the events that took place. As everyone knows, this makes a deeper impression on the reader. Naturally, the readers of the book will be regular people just like those described in it, and therefore it will be easy for them to imagine themselves in their stead. It will be easy for them to imagine what it would be like if war were to suddenly rush into their peaceful lives, destroying everything within an hour, and splitting life into two parts – before and after. Once they have pictured this, it will be easier for them to understand Chechens who grabbed their guns to protect themselves, their homes, and their families. It is simple and natural is it not? If an armed enemy that wanted to kill you and everyone dear to you appeared on your doorstep, would you not resist? And what does this have to do with all those fairy tales about ‘international terrorism’ fabricated by the Kremlin wizards?
This book truly makes a strong impression. When I, as a person who has not seen wars, was editing this book, I would have dreams of bombings and shootings. Everything is so clearly and vividly described in it that it seems as if it happening in front of you.
Thank you, Mayrbek, for this immense work, and of course, many thanks to all of those who were kind enough to share their stories. I can imagine how hard it was for them to recall their sufferings and live through them again. However, it is terribly important. We need such books so people far removed from war can look into its horrible abyss, become terrified, and perhaps look at the tragedy of the tiny nation of Chechnya from a different perspective.
Elena Maglevannaja - Journalist and human rights worker
Recommendation of David Kudikov
It was great joy that I learned of the publication of this book by renowned human rights worker, wonderful person, and my friend through correspondence – Mayrbek Taramov.
It is a very important and undoubtedly timely book, telling the truth about actual events in Russia at the turn of the 21st century. This is a truth that has been carefully concealed by Russian official propaganda. They have concealed it not only by the openly direct lie and by the lie of silence, i.e. the information blockade, but they also conceal it with obvious criminal-political acts.
These include the numerous murders of human rights workers and reporters like Paul Khlebnikov and Anna Politkovskaya. Safeguarding this lie is one of the reasons for the dirty bomb blast in 21st century London, a bomb that was not directly targeted at Alexander Litvenenko but meant also for him. The main goal of this terror act was to sow terror and force human rights workers, witnesses and reporters to remain silent about the crimes perpetrated by the Russian regime in Russia and abroad; to make them know that if they damaged the image of the Russian regime it would snuff them out anywhere.
The Caucasus is not just somewhere outside of Russia not affecting her future. Developments there concern every Russian citizen and will inevitably affect the country’s destiny and future. Developments in the Caucasus will also make an imprint on the countries of the West who are pretending they do not see or understand what is occurring in Russia while sporting shiny smiles and shaking hands with those who commit crimes against humanity. REBOOT. Our grandchildren will have to swallow and suppress this. They will have to live with this in the future and pay for it. I recall a story told by Sasha Litvinenko. His work sent him to the Caucasus and a seventeen-year-old Chechen teenager was brought before him for questioning. To the question, “How did you become a rebel-fighter?” he received the following answer: “Everyone in my whole grade went to the mountains right after the graduation evening.” Sasha understood that an entire class does not just take to banditry, rather, a whole class goes off to support a sacred cause – to defend the homeland, to protect their mothers, brothers, sisters, and loved ones...
The brilliant publicist and dedicated human rights worker, Mayrbek Taramov, has presented an amazing work to the reader. Any crime or wickedness dreads the light of truth…
This book - alongside such works as “Judgement in Moscow” by Vladimir Bukovski, Alexander Livinenko’s books, the materials left behind after Anna Politkovskaya’s death, and many other publications – is not merely evidence for the future court of history or testimony for judgement of the guilty, but it is also an appeal to the conscience of peoples…
President of the “Authors and Publicists International Association,”
writer, and academic David Kudikov
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