During 11 years of war in Chechnya, presidents of Russia never answered a single letter from parents of perished soldiers

Today, the exhibition hall of the Museum of Modern History of Russia hosted, within the exhibition "Human rights in Russia," a press conference of the Fund "Mother's Right" on the topic "Violations of Parents' Rights of Perished Soldiers. War in Chechnya." The press conference gave the floor to Veronika Marchenko, chairperson of the Board of the Fund, Maria Krestianinova, mother of the Hero of Russia who died in Chechnya, and Anna Kashirtseva, press secretary of the Fund "Mother's Right."

"Suddenly, our press conference was attended by L. Prudnikov, worker of the Administration of Information and Public Relations of the Ministry of Defence of Russia. However, to our regret, the audience failed to use the chance and establish those very "public relations" with Mr. Prudnikov, and to know his personal opinion or the opinion of his ministry about the war in Chechnya and the situation with the families of perished soldiers. When the journalists tried to retrieve his comments to the speeches of the participants of the press conference, he kept silent or gave incomprehensible answers, except saying that he was at work and not authorized to give comments, and that he came there just to listen and write down," Anna Kashirtseva, press secretary of the Fund "Mother's Right" told the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot."

At the press conference, the Fund "Mother's Right" acquainted the journalists with the stories of soldiers who perished in Chechnya and further toils and sufferings of their parents, their open appeals to President of Russia Vladimir Putin. "Not a single letter during the 11 years of the first and second wars in Chechnya was answered by the presidents. Our Fund only keeps several dozens such letters," Anna Kashirtseva said.

"Esteemed Vladimir Vladimirovich! The Board of Voronezh Regional Public Organization "Association of Families of Soldiers Perished in Chechnya" is addressing you, on behalf of mothers, fathers, widows and children, as to the united representative of our authorities, asking not to forget us, people who remained without their breadwinners, without those of our relatives who lay down their lives with honour for the sake of their Fatherland for the wellbeing of a "handful" of oligarchs and their retinue. While the families of perished servicemen, despite their high governmental rewards, are forgotten!" runs the address to Putin, signed by Svetlana Ivanova, head of the Voronezh Association of Families of Soldiers Perished in Chechnya," mother of the soldier who perished in Chechnya, who learnt about the death of her son only on the 41st day after his death, who managed to sue the state and win 10,000 roubles of moral damage compensation for the losses caused by a delayed notification about his death.

"Any reasonable person knows from the papers and TV broadcasts that Chechnya is "a black hole" for laundering of stolen money. We believed (although disagreed with the start of the war) Yeltsin, Grachov and you that the war is a must, and it will be short and under skilful command - with minimum casualties, that is, losses of our sons, husbands and fathers. Yes, they took the oath for the faith and service to the Fatherland. Their patriotism in incompatible with the further treachery of Yeltsin as the Supreme Commander and Grachov as the Minister of Defence, and their impunity for stupid command of combat operations, which resulted in massive massacre of our relatives-soldiers. How many of them, of those who loved the life and who were loved, who were imprisoned against their will, who disappeared and were murdered, how many of them were swallowed by the first Chechen slaughter?! Give us an answer to this question, and make this bloody figure public," the parents of Voronezh natives who perished in Chechnya demand from the president of Russia.

"What sort of "constitutional ruling" had been restored, when in 1999 another slaughter was launched under the name "fight on terrorism"? This time you - Supreme Commander - confidently promised to defeat illegal bandit formations in the shortest time. Now, for 11 years in a row, bloody rivers are absorbing new human lives. Different names for the wars, but the essence is the same - a chance to get fabulously enriched for those in power at an incommensurate cost - destruction of the nation's gene pool, leaving their families with no material and moral support," mothers and fathers of perished soldiers think.

"Vladimir Vladimirovich! In December 2003, you said in public that the families of perished servicemen will be paid out some 1-1.5 million roubles each. In other performances you said that the families who lost their breadwinners in Chechnya should live a decent life. However, you agreed to the introduction of the RF Law No. 122-FL, which brings the earlier minor privileges that had ensured a sort of decent life in fact to nothing, for example, we had 50%-payment for travel across the RF and CIS to the burial place and relatives once a year both ends in any transport mode. We enjoyed free urban transport in another city, 50% of payment for telephone and housing for every family member (including children). Those in need of improvement of their housing conditions had a chance to get free housing... Now, 150 roubles do not compensate the value of cancelled privileges. Pensions of which a lonely person cannot survive are humiliating... Children - disabled from childhood, from whom they have taken away the pension, are the miserable condition at all. In all the countries of the world, in all times, the families of servicemen, who gave their life for their Fatherland, are under the care of the state. Here, with your silent consent, we have been deprived of everything: our clever, beloved and loving, attentive sons, fathers, grandchildren - breadwinners; the privileges, under which we could visit at least once a year our relatives, the sea and the burial place...," runs the open letter to the leader of the Russian state.