Orthodox church to be built on Beslan massacre ground

Moscow (AsiaNews) - A memorial cross, pending the construction of an Orthodox church, will be erected in the courtyard of school No. 1 in Beslan on September 2, the sixth anniversary of the massacre of innocents in North Ossetia. The local administration sources reported the news to Interfax news agency.

The program of commemorations of what is considered the Russian September 11 also includes a Requiem concert, "The memory of the heart", organized by the “Beslan Mothers” Committee. Everything will start on September 1 at 9:15 in the morning: the sounds of school and church bells will mark the first shot fired by terrorists as they took classes’ hostage on the first day of school. Relatives, friends and anyone who wants to, may deposit flowers and candles on the ruins of the building. Until Sept. 3 - the day of the Russian Special Forces raid on the school, which ended in bloodshed - uninterrupted music will be played from what remains of the school.

The approximately 1,200 hostages in the gym packed full of explosives, went three days without drinking, eating or going to the bathroom. The terrorist commando, consisting of Chechens and Ingush rebels, were demanding the independence of Chechnya. According to official estimates, the dead amounted to 331, among them 186 children. The wounded numbered 720, of which 135 are now invalids (NA).