23 February 2004

Motherland Defender's Day and Chechen Deportation Anniversary

The promising new blog SiberianLight notes a poignant pair of anniversaries on 23 February 2004:
Today is the 60th anniversary of Stalin's deportation of the entire Chechen nation. Ingushetians were also deported, along with the populations of 10 other nations (approximately 1.4 million people) thought to be enemies of the state during World War II. Their exile lasted for more than ten years until Khruschev allowed them to return home after Stalin's death....

Today is also Motherland Defender's Day (previously known as Army Day), dedicated to the memories of those who have fought for the Soviet and Russian armies, and their heroic efforts defending the Motherland. Spare a thought for those Chechens who continued to fight in the Soviet Army even after the deportation of their families ...
Read the whole blogpost and check out a bright outlier in the far north.

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