The mountain villages of Dagestan, like those of Chechnya, are an inexhaustible source of inspiration for painters. In the past, of course, they were peaceful places. It would be great to spend a day there, enjoying a barbecue of young lamb. Today, the Andiysky Range, which separates the two republics, is known for its unfortunate reputation. Nearby, there is a peculiarly shaped hill known locally as the Donkey's Ear. The same one that Russian paratroopers fought for in a 12-hour bloody battle with militants in mid-August. The paratroopers were 3 to 4 hours ahead of the multinational armed rabble. The terrorist groups had already concentrated and prepared for a wolf-like leap across the Kharami Pass to the heart of Dagestan, Makhachkala. On the way, near the villages of Chabanmakh and Karamakh, they were supposed to be joined by about 2,000 local Wahhabis. However, the bandits' plan failed. Russian soldiers and officers stood in their way. When the paratroopers' battalion, having fully completed its mission, boarded the train at Manas station, hundreds of local residents gathered for an impromptu rally. There were flowers, sincere words of gratitude from the heart, and a moment of silence in memory of the fallen soldiers. Almost all the soldiers and officers I met in various parts of Dagestan and, later, in Chechnya, noted a significant difference between the current events in the North Caucasus and the failed constitutional restoration campaign of 1994-1996. The main difference lies in the genuine support of both the local population and Russian public opinion. Let's not hide the fact that since then, our army has been burdened with the heavy and undeserved weight of defeat. However, this defeat was not a military one; it was a political battle lost. But for a long time, it wasn't customary to talk about it out loud. Failures were usually attributed to the incompetence of the generals and the infantilism of the "youngsters." This time, the paid-for talkers were ... Читать далее