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Exploring the Caucasus
Madina Kochenova
Madina Kochenova is an RT correspondent working in Russia`s North Caucasus. In her blog she tells of life’s mysteries down in Russia’s own Deep South. From the secrets of traditional cuisine to the echoes of recent conflicts, no stone is left unturned. As she travels across the region with an RT film crew, she challenges many of the stereotypes that persist – both within and outside Russia – leading, hopefully, to an increased understanding of this wonderful and fascinating part of the country.
31 October, 2011, 14:53
Caucasian holiday?
The mountains catch your eye wherever you are in the Caucasus. Even when you travel from one region to another, the picturesque view of Mount Elbrus and Mount Kazbek hardly leaves the horizon. Sometimes on a clear day, even the small hills that flank these mountains are visible from far away. Right now it’s raining in the lowlands, and the peaks are already covered with white snow. The beauty...
15 October, 2011, 21:25
Can modern art find its place in Chechnya?
Getting to know interesting people – well, that’s the most amazing part of my work. And so far this region of Russia, the North Caucasus, still surprises me with the people I meet. Last time that happened in Grozny. I went there for “City Day” but I also wanted to meet a girl many people told me about. She managed to open the first modern art gallery in the city. You would think now, “and what’s...
7 October, 2011, 19:47
‘The Dubai of the Caucasus’
The rumors that the leader of Chechnya planned to throw another extravagant party on the capital’s City Day began to appear on the local news a month before the actual holiday. Locals as usual were waiting for some kind of big show, and indeed a star-studded party it was. On the day of the holiday Grozny looked prepared. At the entrance to the city we were met by huge portraits of Ramzan...
29 August, 2011, 02:03
Stone-cold mothers
Embraced by trees and barely noticed, a sculpture stands on top of a hill and something about it takes your breath away and makes you wonder how it came to be here. The first thing you notice is a hunched woman bending over a hill. Her face exudes grief and sorrow. Above her a flock of seven cranes flies into the sky. These seven cranes are the images of the seven souls of the sons she lost. The...
16 August, 2011, 18:17
A war without end
I wonder if anyone believes that there are cursed places in the world – places full of sorrow and devastation the existence of which has no tangible explanation. On my journey I found one such place, and it is the region of South Ossetia. Three hundred years ago the area that is now known as South Ossetia was territory of North Caucasian tribes. At that time there was no border between North and...
15 July, 2011, 20:05
Pies and high heels shatter North Caucasus stereotypes
The further south you get, the more energetic, active and open the people you meet will be. Well, that's a well-known stereotype, but here in the Caucasus it has proved to be true. And it really works. Let's start from the way people drive here – I've traveled to many places, but here the situation in the streets is just insane! At first it seems they are not driving a car but riding a horse....
10 July, 2011, 09:40
Walking a kilometer with no shoes on
The city of Vladikavkaz was completely deserted today. At first, I thought maybe something happened – why are the streets so empty? Locals helped me again, they told me that every second Sunday of July almost everyone leaves for the small village of Alagir to celebrate the Day of Khetag. A man carrying special festive food – Ossetian pies and mutton meat According to Ossetian legends, Khetag...
15 June, 2011, 13:50
Monastery in the mountains
It's been two months since we have been traveling across the North Caucasus. On our way we have met a number of interesting people, heard a lot of intriguing stories and legends that resemble more of a fairytale then a true story. Once, in a small village, we met an old lady who told us about a monastery which locals believe to be a blessed place. The location of this monastery is unique – it...
4 June, 2011, 16:02
Women of the North Caucasus
Perhaps the main aim of our trip over here, down to Russia`s North Caucasus, was breaking the stereotypes and revealing the deep hidden secrets of this area. But the story we came across here in Vladikavkaz surprised us all. Few people are going to believe this, but officially the strongest women in our county live here in one of the smallest regions of the Caucasus – the North Ossetian...
30 May, 2011, 23:00
The 176
It is just a blank figure – 176. But beyond that lies the lives of the 176 children that were killed almost seven years ago. Beslan is a small town near the capital of the republic of North Ossetia, Vladikavkaz. Perhaps the most noteworthy thing about it is that the region’s airport is located there. Otherwise it looks just like all the other small cities in this area, with one or two central...
