North Ossetia–Alania

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Ingushetia

Ingushetia challenges North Ossetian proposal to seize land

by Luiza Mchedlishvili

•3 min read

The authorities in the Russian Republic of Ingushetia have challenged a proposal by the neighbouring republic of North Ossetia — Alania to take control of several areas of the republic. The North Ossetian Ministry of Construction presented the proposal on 30 August, leading to public outcry in Ingushetia. According to Ingush news site Fortanga, the proposal would incorporate part of Ingushetia’s Dzheyrakhsky District — the village of Gorbani, the Stolovaya mountain, and land surrounding t

Ramzan Kadyrov with his family at the polling station. Screengrab from Telegram.

Chechnya

Little change after regional elections across North Caucasus

by Luiza Mchedlishvili

•2 min read

The United Russia party of President Vladimir Putin has won parliamentary majorities in two North Caucasus republics following elections which saw all current regional MPs keep their seats. Voting began on 6 September for local elections throughout Russia, including in several parts of the North Caucasus. These included the election of MPs to the parliaments of Kabarda-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia. Separately, the heads of Kabarda-Balkaria and Ingushetia were elected by the local

Beslan School Siege

‘No-one was held accountable’: Beslan, 20 years later

by Elizaveta Chukharova

•9 min read

Twenty years after the Beslan School Siege, many of its victims continue to seek accountability from Russia’s leaders, who appear determined to ignore their calls. Until 2004, few outside of North Ossetia knew of the existence of Beslan, a town of just 35,000 people a stone’s throw from the regional capital, Vladikavkaz. That changed on 1 September 2004, when more than 30 armed men stormed a local school during a ceremony to mark the beginning of the school year. During a three-day siege, t

Russian President Vladimir Putin visiting the No. 1 School in Beslan, North Ossetia. Image via social media.

Beslan School Siege

Podcast | The Beslan siege: 20 years on

by OC Media

•2 min read

The siege of Beslan has left a scar on both North Ossetia and Russia. Twenty years on, many in North Ossetia still await the results of an investigation into the Russian authorities’ handling of the crisis, which they believe might have contributed to the deaths of over 300 people — among them 186 children. This week, we spoke with Zalina Bogazova, a survivor of Beslan, about how those events have continued to shape the lives of her and hundreds of others, and with Ossetia

Beslan School Siege

Putin visits the North Caucasus

by Luiza Mchedlishvili

•2 min read

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday visited Kabarda–Balkaria, North Ossetia, and Chechnya, reportedly for the first time in over a decade. Putin visited Beslan in the run-up to the 20th anniversary of the Beslan School Siege on 1 September, and the Russian University of Special Forces in Grozny. The Russian president had last visited North Ossetia in 2008, four years after the siege of the No. 1 School in Beslan by a group of armed North Caucasian militants led by Chechen guerrilla

Composite image. Tamar Shvelidze/OC Media, using Midjourney

Georgia

Voice | Growing up queer in the North Caucasus

by Luiza Mchedlishvili

•8 min read

Eric was born and raised in the North Caucasus, but moved abroad after failing to find a sense of safety as a queer person in his home republic. Despite the challenges he faced there, he still dreams of returning home. I was born in Vladikavkaz, the capital of North Ossetia, and grew up there. As the first and favourite child, I was always cared for by relatives and family friends, but a lot of care also meant excessive control. I was raised strictly and at home I always felt unsafe or eve

Feature Stories

Russia’s chief hitman or chief philanthropist?

by Elizaveta Chukharova

•9 min read

Mention Aslan ‘Jacko’ Gagiyev’s name and accounts of the South Ossetian gang leader will vary wildly — a murderer, philanthropist, principled brigand, or secret services assassin. And despite the trail of bodies he left in his wake, some, including Gagiyev himself, insist his crimes were all for the greater good. The man in the ‘aquarium’ — a small cage surrounded by bulletproof glass in which the defendant stands — smiles and jokes. Between court sessions, he talks to those present in the roo