09.05.2009 20:09 | The war in August, 2008. The survivors tell as it was.

Dzhidzhoeva Yulya Georgievna, born in 1944, the resident of Tskhinval, RSO

In the night of August, 7, when the explosions occurred from the direction of Georgia, we couldn’t imagine such large-scale hostility would begin. It was 11.30 p.m. and we were going to bed when the neighbors began to shout in the hall: “Run to the basement, quick!” On the way to the basement I thought: “God be thanked, the children are in Vladikavkaz”

In was dark and very damp in the basement. We brought the blankets and mattresses. We spread them on the wet boards. We were in the basement with our neighbors till the August, 11. We felt sorry for the children, who stayed with us in the basement. Sometimes we managed to cook hot food by help of the oil stove. Our soldiers often ran in the basement and told about what was happening in the city. When we learnt that the Georgian soldiers were killing the civilians in the city, it seemed to us they would kill all of us too.

I constantly prayed to God for the rescue. They say, many people saw Mother of God walking along the Tskhinval`s streets. I believe in it because there are so many sacred places in Ossetia. Our Saints would not let them destroy Ossetians. Our Saints protected and saved us. In fact, practically everybody who had been in the basement had nothing to do but to pray and trust in God only.

On August, 11 I left for North Ossetia with my neighbors, we went to Fiagdon ravine. We spent several days there. They treated us very kindly. On August, 17 we returned home.

Such atrocities will never repeat in our ancient land, God willing.

cominf.org

Translated by Tatiana Inozemtseva