Keystone Global Vision
Keystone Supporting Beslan:
The Beslan School Siege
Until one tragic week in September of 2004, the Russian town of Beslan – situated in the North Ossetia-Alania republic of the Russian Federation's North Caucasus region – was little-recognized by most of the Western World. Beslan became a tragic monument to the continuing impact of terrorism and violence on the innocent when, on September 1, the plight of School Number One held the world breathless. While the horrors of the ensuing two days may be fading from global perception today, the Beslan school hostage crisis undoubtedly remains etched in the minds of the people of the region – and should not be forgotten in a world ravaged in every corner by war and misunderstanding.
As students and their parents of School Number One in Beslan gathered on the playground to celebrate the "Day of Knowledge," the first day of the Russian school year, a group of separatist terrorists laid siege on the school and took the over 1,200 children, parents and teachers hostage. Over 1,300 hostages were held in the school's small, unventilated gymnasium for three days with almost no food or water, witnessing the murder and torture of any dissenters, until a chaotic gunfire exchange between the hostage-takers and Russian forces prompted the storming of the school. Bombs detonated in the gymnasium triggered fires and structural collapse, as hostages tried to escape and both troops and armed civilians ran to the burning gym. 334 hostages, including 186 children, were killed in the massacre, with almost 400 total casualties and over 700 injured.
Exact statistics and details of the Beslan school siege are still unknown: discrepancies between eye-witnesses, reporters and government officials make conclusive data inaccessible, as the event continues to have international ramifications, both social and political. The hostage-takers are believed to have been separatist terrorists from Chechnya, a republic to the west of North Ossetia. The Russian military has fought two wars with separatists over the past 10 years in Chechnya, and the hostage-takers demanded the withdrawal of Russian forces from the republic. Soon after the siege, Chechen terrorist Shamil Basayev claimed responsibility for the attack. Officials from Russia attributed the attack to an international terrorist organization connected to al-Qaeda and led by Basayev.
Keystone Human Services extended our deepest condolences to our Russian friends and international partners in the aftermath of the attack – and we recognized how our resources might be of assistance. Access the links below to read how Keystone supported the restoration of community in Beslan and ways we are continuing to lend our support to the ravaged town.
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