29.04.2009 00:10 | Seven months after the August of 2008

Kozaev Jacob Efimovich, born in 1936, Galuanty-kau village, Tskhinval area

Our village Galuanty-kau is situated near the border of South Ossetia and Georgia. On August, 6 of 2008 Georgia began the shelling of village Khetagurovo, which is located near to us. They began to fire with heavy weaponry, tanks, and mortars. Me and my wife, as well as all the residents of our village had to take cover in a basement. On August, 6-8 there was a mortar-shelling of our village from the direction of nearby Georgian village Nikozi.

A few days before my son Nugzar arrived in village and had been there till 9-th. That day we have learned that during all these days Tskhinval was under heavy bombardment and the town is destroyed. My son said he was going to Tskhinval together with neighbour Atsamaz Gagloev to spy out the land. They moved off at about 11 o'clock in the afternoon on August, 9. It was the last time I saw him.

That very day about 13.00 p.m. heavy mortar-shelling of our village began. The mines landed and exploded right next to our house. It’s a miracle that we didn’t suffer. There were five mines landed near to our house in all, a number of big cones ​formed as a result of it. Splinters and shock waves smashed the windows and perforated a roof in several places.

29.04.2009 00:04 | Evgeny Poddubny: “Nobody could imagine such war is possible in the modern world”

August, 2008. Three days of war. 100 days later. The journalists, who were in South Ossetia, tell. Evgeny Poddubny, correspondent for TV Center​

(the fragments).

Without right to live

In the Morning of August, 8 it was already clear that Georgian generals and authorities made war not against their Ossetian colleagues, but against civilians of South Ossetia. The night bombardment of Tskhinval doesn’t give a handle to doubt in this statement. Nobody could imagine such war is possible in the modern world. It’s cruel to attack the night city with “Grad”, to shoot at the people, who were sleeping just because the president of Georgia bluffed them having said that the war wouldn’t be. In no case would such atrocity be justified. It’s a crime. Georgian authorities denied the citizens of South Ossetia the right to live long before the first shot. 

28.04.2009 23:55 | Azamat Dzhioev`s life was cut short at the age of 25

Azamat Dzhioev`s life was cut short at the age of 25. Dischargeehe Azamat Dzhioev continued his service in the Ministry of Defence. He was in the capacity of the commander of Armored Cavalry group. He was in the rank of captain.

Thetroops gained ground and filled a place near the filling station. Having seen that Azamat Dzhioev knew what to do at once, but the concretebarriers in front of five-storey building did not let him shoot. He ran out into the street and shot from a grenade launcher at the filling station, it exploded and lighted up. Later they found here four burnt corpses of Georgian soldiers. Just then Georgian tank aimed the muzzle at the direction of the buildings. Azamat managed to load his grenade launcher and ran out into the road again. He shot at the tank, hit it, but could not put it out of action.

This time the tank aimed the muzzle at the corner of the house, where Azamat was. He load his grenade launcher fast and shot again - at the same time the tank shot. It was the last shot of this tank, because the shell hit its target. Azamat was killed on the spot, but the tank was damaged too. 

22.04.2009 00:18 | They died in result of artillery bombardment

The scale of August tragedy horrifies: more than thousand civilians became the victims of the monstrous military action which had been organized by Georgian army against South Ossetian people.

Those bloody August days became fatal for Avetik Tedeev and Garik Gubieva, the neighbours lived at Alan Dzhioev Street, 187.

Both of them lived peaceful life with their families. As the neighbours say, Avetik Tedeev was about sixty years old. For a long time he worked at “Emalprovod” factory in Tskhinval. In his youth he also worked for “Dzau” newspaper as a reporter. He wrote articles for the regional newspaper “Soveton Iriston”.  He was many-sided personality and showed his talent in other creative profession – the choreography. For some years he danced in the state ensemble “Simd”. Avetik Tedeev was held in high respect. As a honest worker of “Emalprovod” factory he was twice elected to the City Council.

His younger neighbour 31-year-old Garik Gubiev for many years carried out his service in a home guard. He got married not long ago and was happy with his wife Madina Tshovrebova. They were bringing up the 2-year-old son and 6-month-old doughter.

22.04.2009 00:14 | Tragedy of South Ossetia. Gatikoev Tolik Yakovlevich

Gatikoev Tolik Yakovlevich, born in 1956, resident of village Hundisuban, Znaursky area of RSO, On August, 8 he was captured by Georgian soldiers

On August, 7, I grazed the cattle. In the evening I was going home, but it was already impossible. They were shooting, the war was already in full swing. We spend the night somehow. In the morning I went to search for my son, he wasn’t at home for nine days. I was going to the district center - settlement Znaur. On my way there I met my acquaintance, who said that Georgians were already running riot in the settlement: they beat the natives up unmercifully and killed one person – Ioseb Odikadze. My acquaintance suggested me to try to bury him in order that his body was not eaten by dogs. We went together to a place where Ioseb was killed. We reached Znaur but didn’t find the body.

There, in Znaur, I was captured by Georgians. They tied my arms to the right knee with a wire. Then they brought one more person. When the darkness fell, they took us somewhere. I did not know where we were going, but they wanted to kill us. “Well, with whose head shall we play football” - They were saying to each other.  I have already said goodbye to my life. One of them wanted to slaughter us. But the other man answered that it would be too easy. He wanted to bury us alive. They tortured us so that I can not even tell about it. They didn’tgiveuswateroranythingelse.