RUSSIA: SINGERS AND ACTORS TAKEN HOSTAGE BY CHECHEN GUERRILLAS IN A MOSCOW THEATRE GIVE FIRST PUBLIC CONCERT IN HONOUR OF THOSE WHO DIED.

Record ID: 640736

  • Title: RUSSIA: SINGERS AND ACTORS TAKEN HOSTAGE BY CHECHEN GUERRILLAS IN A MOSCOW THEATRE GIVE FIRST PUBLIC CONCERT IN HONOUR OF THOSE WHO DIED.
  • Date: 9th November 2002
  • Summary: VARIOUS: ACTORS SINGING AND DANCING SCENE FROM NORD-OST
  • Embargoed: 24th November 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Crime,Entertainment,General
  • Reuters ID: LVA657JCICK5W0NWWB39UQ602E6Q
  • Story Text: Singers and actors from the ill-fated Russian musical troupe that was taken hostage by Chechen guerrillas along with the entire audience of about 800 people in late October have given their first public concert in honour of the more than 130 people who died during a special-force rescue operation that ended their three-day ordeal.
    The crowd rose to its feet on the first note of this special performance of the Nord-Ost theatre.
    The gala concert had been scheduled to mark the one-year anniversary of the successful Russian musical production, but it was changed into a memorial service by the events of October 23.
    On that night, about 50 Chechen armed Chechen guerrillas seized the theatre in mid-performance, threatening to kill all hostages and blow up the theatre if their demand to end Russia's military crackdown in the breakaway republic of Chechnya was not met.
    Russian forces surrounded the theatre in a tense three-day seige that ended with a shoot out and the use of nerve gas by Russian special units which left all guerrillas and at least 120 hostages dead.
    The theatre was slightly damaged, but tainted by the deaths and horror of the ordeal.
    Now, the actors, musicians, directors and stage hands gathered to declare their return to the stage.
    "We simply want to show with this concert that Nord-Ost is alive. If we are able to gather some donations for restoring the musical, then that would be another blessing," said theatre director Georgi Vasilev who was one of the hostages.
    "Our concert is in honour of those who died, were injured, or are in the hospital. Nord-Ost will return, that is certain and tonight's concert is the first sign of that," said Ekaterina Guseva, who performs the lead female role.
    It was a triumphant moment for the theatre after a harrowing ordeal and bitter revelations about how the hostages were rescued and harmed by Russian forces.
    A debate continues in Russian society about the government's use of a secret nerve-gas during the operation which apparently caused most all the deaths, but may have saved the lives of the remaining hostages.
    The final death toll from the Nord-Ost theatre incident is still unknown.
    The government has insisted on an official number that Russian media notes is lower than the list of known dead - 137 people. Another 80 people are still registered as missing.
    Among the dead and missing were eight musicians of the theatre's orchestra.
    Their chairs were left empty in the centre of the stage.
    The managers of Nord-Ost have yet to set a particular date or location for the return of their near-daily musical hit, but this performance can be taken as a declaration that they firmly intend to keep their show running.
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