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Remembering Beslan

On 1 September 2004, armed fighters stormed Beslan school in Russia taking over 1,000 children their relatives and teachers hostage. The hostage crisis lasted for three days and it claimed the lives of 338 people, including 172 children, and affected 578 families. Since September 2004, the Russian Red Cross, with support from the International Federation, has been providing essential psychosocial support to individuals and families traumatized by the Beslan tragedy, mainly through its visiting nurses.

Press releases

	1 September 2005 Beslan - learning to cope
	19 November 2004 Russia: revised appeal to extend psychological support to Beslan victims
	17 September 2004 Beslan: Russian Red Cross says thousands of people need long-term psychological support
	7 September 2004 Russia: appeal launched for essential support for Beslan hostages and their families
	2 September 2004 Russian Red Cross offers support to families of Beslan hostages

Related news

Lena and Alexandra in their apartment with photos of Inna and Alla, who died during the siege. (p14552)

1 September 2006
The Beslan tragedy: the Smirnov family
Alexandra Smirnova was 62 when the first war in the Chechen Republic broke out. The family had to leave Groznyi in 1993. With one of her daughters, Lena, and granddaughter, Inna, they settled down in Beslan, North Ossetia. In 1998, a terrible message arrived about the death of her eldest daughter. Alexandra then became mother for the two orphaned girls, her grandchildren, Alla and Tatyana. From then on, the new family of five lived in a small, two-room apartment in the centre of Beslan.

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Writing a letter to Beslan from School No.1, Moscow. (p14547)

31 August 2006
Red Cross bridge of friendship between Moscow and Beslan
It was an unusual lesson for 11- and 12-year-olds sitting in the Moscow school assembly hall. “The two hours we spent with the Red Cross workers became a very important event in our school life,” said Galina. “Through information about Red Cross and Red Crescent history the children learned the simple principles of humanity that are often forgotten in our modern life. Through the life story of a ten-year-old boy, who perished in the fire of a terrorist attack, they were taught how to be compassionate and how to cherish friendship.”

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