On August 20, President Vladimir Putin visited a memorial in the city of Beslan. As he stood at the memorial, tears came to his eyes. He knelt before the memorial and vowed to take revenge.
The memorial honors the 333 people who died in a terrorist attack on a school in Beslan.
What Happened?
On September 1, 2004, a group of Chechen militants took over a school in Beslan. They held over 1,000 people hostage, including children. Despite the government’s efforts to free the hostages, they were unsuccessful. Russian forces later stormed the school, killing all 31 terrorists. However, 333 people, including 186 children, were killed in the attack.
Putin faced heavy criticism for his actions during this crisis. Women who lost their children in the attack formed a group called the “Mothers of Beslan” to seek justice. Putin visited Beslan to meet with these women.
Putin’s Promise and Response
Aneta Gadiyeva, a co-founder of the Mothers of Beslan group, lost her daughter in the attack. She reminded Putin of his promise to provide full information about the investigation, which has not been officially closed. Putin admitted he did not have details and advised the head of the Russian Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, to keep an eye on the case.
Gadiyeva also suggested to Putin that a law be passed to officially recognize the victims of the attacks, allowing them to receive government benefits. Putin said he would consider this proposal.
