Visitors to Beslan School find it necessary to preserve terror act memory

It is hard to visit Beslan and reminisce about what happened 20 years ago, but it is a must in order to preserve the memory of the victims and support their relatives, visitors to Beslan School No. 1 have stated, stressing that the new centre built in the school territory reminds that the inquiry into the tragedy has not yet been completed.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on the 20th anniversary of the terror act in Beslan, the cultural and patriotic centre for the prevention of terrorism "Beslan. School No. 1" was opened. The school territory had to be preserved untouched, Emma Tagaeva believes.

On the third and final day of the memorial vigil, many people gathered in the former school gym. Candles were lit; flowers were laid out on the floor. Many could not hold back their tears, looking at children's photographs.

The ceilings in the corridors and offices were completely repaired, but the walls remain untouched – with bullet holes and inscriptions that people left here all these years.

A new building was added to this one – the above centre is located here. Now, visitors can see archival footage taken during the terror act and the assault of the building; the exhibition presents graphics, paintings and objects found in the school: textbooks with bullet holes, children's shoes, and a broken disc.

Svetlana came to the former school with her nieces. "This is the most terrible day for our family. My nieces spent all three days there in hell. Their mother was a teacher, she perished," the woman said.

Zarina Dzampaeva, a Svetlana's niece, was eight years old when she was taken hostage, her sister was seven. "I was lucky to get out of there without serious injuries, unlike my sister, whose half face was covered in blood – a piece of shrapnel went through her cheek," she said.

Azamat, a culture worker, finds it necessary to come to Beslan on each terror act anniversary. According to his version, the story of the Beslan terror act has not been closed because the inquiry is on for 20 years, and the victims are not satisfied with the answers that investigators gives them.