A liturgy was held in memory of the victims of the terrorist attack at School No. 1 in Beslan – Kommersant

A divine liturgy was held in Beslan School No. 1 in memory of the victims of the terrorist attack in September 2004, the newspaper reported. “News”. The service was held within the walls of the destroyed sports hall of the school. The liturgy was celebrated by Archbishop Gerasim of Vladikavkaz and Alania. It was attended by former hostages, relatives of the victims, residents of Beslan and other cities of North Ossetia.

At 13:05 Moscow time, two bells will sound, a minute of silence will be announced in the territory of North Ossetia in memory of those killed in the terrorist attack. Then the schoolchildren will release 334 (according to the number of dead) white balloons into the sky. At 13:20, a religious procession will begin from the school yard to the City of Angels, where a funeral service will be held.

Flowers will also be laid in Moscow in memory of the victims of terrorism. Commemorative events will be held at the metro stations where the attacks took place near the Theater Center on Dubrovka. The representative office of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania under the President of Russia will hold a rally in memory of the victims of the hostage-taking in Beslan near the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Kulishki.

During a demonstration at school No. 1 in Beslan on September 1, 2004, a group of terrorists took 1,128 people hostage. Schoolchildren, their relatives and teachers were kept in the school building from 1 to 3 September. On the first day, the terrorists shot all the adult men and stopped giving water and food to the hostages. On September 2, after negotiations, 26 people were taken out of the building – mothers with infants. On September 3, at about 13:05, explosions occurred in the school gym, after which the special forces began a spontaneous assault on the building. As a result, 334 people died, including 186 children, and another 783 people were injured.

In July 2005, in memory of the victims of the terrorist attack in Beslan, the Day of Solidarity in the Fight against Terrorism was established. It takes place annually on September 3rd.

Olesya Pavlenko