A delegation from North Osetia arrived at the memorial ceremony, the 'Mothers of Beslan'.  Also represented were victims from the Moscow apartment blasts of 1999, and relatives of victims of the airliner explosions in August of 2004.

We met Svetlana Nikolaevna Gubareva on the eve of her trip to Moscow.  It has been three years since those terrible three days when the theater was seized by the terrorists, and her daughter Alexandra Letyago and fiancé Sandy Booker perished.  The Karaganda resident has exhausted her appeals in the Russian court system, and now hopes for a hearing in the European Court of Human Rights, hoping that they will require Russia to conduct a normal investigation.

Svetlana Gubareva is a member of the regional public organization for the protection of victims of the 'Nord-Ost' terrorist acts, which obtained official status under Russian law.

«A year after the tragedy we ran into some boys who were at 'Nord-Ost', and they were being called up for military service,» Svetlana Nikolaevna recounted.  «Everyone understands that these are children who cannot be considered physically and mentally fit.  After what they went through in those 57 hours, it's not hard to imagine in what direction these kids will point the weapons the authorities wish to put in their hands.  For two years in a row, the 'Nord-Ost' organizations managed to defend them. By the way, in a year the Beslan people will encounter this same problem, because their children also growing up and reaching the call-up age.  We convinced everyone, except the General Staff of Russia, which asserts that there are no exemptions for 'former hostages'.

»But these exemptions were composed in those distant days when there weren't yet these acts of terror, or at least on such a large scale. For a long time I collected information in publications on the Internet, I decided to find out for myself just how many people had found themselves in similar situations. It turned out that, according to the most conservative estimate, there were about four thousand, not including the latest terror attack in Nalchik. The state often leaves these people to the arbitrariness of fate.  Even if the state can't protect you from an act of terror, it can and is obligated to care for those who suffered.  Right now there is neither moral, nor material, and in general no social support for them, nor are there any normal medical services for them.  People come down with a lot of problems, but have nowhere to turn. Now the 'Nord-Ost' organization is trying to obtain official status for such people as 'victims of an act of terror', so that there would at least be a minimum of social protection allotted to these people."

Svetlana Gubareva stays in contact with many who lost loved ones at 'Nord-Ost'.  We will publish some excerpts from their electronic messages that have been written during the last three years.

Tatiana Lukashova, whose daughter Mariya Panova died at 'Nord-Ost':

«… I am offended that those who took upon themselves the responsibility for hundreds of lives still remain unpunished.  The investigation doesn't go anywhere, they shot those who seized the theater, but those who poisoned people can't be touched.  Here's a line from the judicial examination, JUDGE FOR YOURSELF: 'There is no information about the rendering of medical assistance to M. M. Panova'.  Everywhere they assert that there were enough medics, and medicine, then why wasn't any medical assistance rendered?»

Alena Mikhailova, former hostage at 'Nord-Ost', whose husband perished there:

«… I also want to know WHOLE truth, ANY TRUTH — not just a select tidbit! I want the government (and the people representing it) to apologize, to recognize their unprofessional conduct, their errors and rudeness to those who survived, and to the loved ones of those who died.  I want compensation, pensions, and privileges to be determined at the legislative level, so that it's not necessary to fight it out in courts for three years… So those who come after us have it easier in the courts, at the housing office, and in the hospitals and schools… And most important, I want the average person to understand that we are not splitting hairs, but it's just advantageous for the government to portray us as such.  So that tomorrow the person who was blaming us for 'diverting time and money from universal problems', should he find himself in our shoes, doesn't have to go around in circles like we did.   So that they have it easier than we did…  A little bit.  'Nord-Ost' wrecked the lives of hundreds of people. I want people to understand that something similar can happen to anyone, at any moment, anywhere, that a person can encounter terrorism while sitting at home, on a bus, or in a theater.  One doesn't have to go to Chechnya or even to another city…»

Oleg Zhirov, whose wife and son were among the hostages.  Natalya Zhirova died: 

«In these three years I've tried to learn the truth, to obtain justice. Today I want to ask those who were killed to forgive me, that three years later the guilty parties are still unpunished, that their loved ones are still being humiliated, that terror victims are still deprived medical assistance and material support, and that hundreds of people are still dying from acts of terror.»

Lyubov Burban, whose son Grigori Burban died at 'Nord-Ost':

«…Is it possible to not be terrified of this refined blasphemy — the international image of a nation is supported by a mountain of corpses, the bodies of its peaceful citizens?! … A lie, packed up in a state secret, and privatized by the Kremlin, this is the result of the three year investigation into 'Nord-Ost'.  Not knowing how to prove the absolute necessity for their assault on the theater, the kangaroo court has revealed the senselessness of this 'successful operation', and their monstrous high treason… 'Nord-Ost' and Beslan must become objects of international investigations. Such crimes do not have a statute of limitations!»

Tatiana Karpova, co-chairman of the regional public organization of assistance to victims of the 'Nord-Ost' terrorist acts, whose son Alexander Karpov perished at the theater:

«Three years since the act of terror at Dubrovka. 

»These, perhaps, were the hardest, most terrible years of my life. The years of desperation, limitless humiliation, years of disappointment in our laws and justice, years of faith in the existence of a country that guarantees of a normal, human life destroyed, this is the country in which I live, and for which I have never-ending shame.

«I need to constantly associate with those who suffered from many acts of terror, and, especially recently, I am increasingly forced to avoid their eyes.

»I do not know how to explain to these old men, who are now the guardians of their grandsons, why the courts determined that the pension for a lost  breadwinner is just 250 rubles (about $10) per month?!

«… But we all NEED THE TRUTH, and we will search for it and obtain it through any means.

»We all want to live in Russia and to be proud of it. We want our nation to have working laws and independent courts, but for this to happen we need to air all of the dirty laundry at the International Court of Justice in Strasbourg, where the 'Nord-Ost' case is already registered and has a case number.  And we will do this.

«Let us do this in the name of those whom we lost at 'Nord-Ost'.»

Zoya Chernetsova, one of the founders of the regional public organization for assistance to victims of the 'Nord-Ost' terrorist acts, whose only son Daniel perished at the theater:

Natalya and Vladimir Kurbatov, whose 13-year-old daughter Kristina Kurbatova perished at 'Nord-Ost':

»… A dear girl.  During those minutes when all in the hall were feeling the gas, she tried to save not just herself, but also some nearby children: with her teeth she tore a handkerchief into rags, soaked them in water, and gave them to the children, taking the last one for herself.

«… Kristina was the young actress of the musical 'Nord-Ost', and played the role of Katya Tatarinova.  She will remain as such for us forever. We love her.  We compare all our actions with what she would do, our dear girl.  Forgive us, Kristyusha, that we could not safeguard you.»

Victoria Zaslavskaya, whose 13-year-old son Arseni Kurilenko died at 'Nord-Ost':

 Natalya Fomina

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