Beslan Terrorist Attack Remembered 22 Years On: Russia Honors 334 Victims, Including 186 Children

Dragon Media News Desk

Russia has commemorated the 22nd anniversary of the Beslan school terrorist attack, one of the deadliest terrorist incidents in the country’s modern history. The attack, which unfolded from September 1 to 3, 2004, at School No. 1 in Beslan, North Ossetia-Alania, claimed 334 lives, including 186 children.

Armed terrorists seized 1,128 hostages, including schoolchildren, parents and teachers, during a ceremony marking the beginning of the new academic year. The hostages were forced into the school gymnasium, which had been rigged with explosives, and were held for nearly three days without food or water.

According to Russian official accounts, 811 people were rescued during the counterterrorism operation and subsequent rescue efforts. Hundreds were injured, while members of the security and emergency services also lost their lives during the operation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin described the attack on September 4, 2004, as an inhuman terrorist crime of unprecedented cruelty and a challenge to the whole of Russia. He emphasized moral strength, courage and human solidarity as essential foundations in confronting terrorism.

Russia observes September 3 each year as the Day of Solidarity in the Fight Against Terrorism. The day commemorates not only the victims of Beslan but also those killed in other major terrorist attacks, including Dubrovka, Budyonnovsk, the apartment bombings in Moscow, Buynaksk and Volgodonsk, and the Crocus City Hall attack.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has reiterated its commitment to combating international terrorism and strengthening international counterterrorism cooperation. Moscow also classifies a number of violent incidents linked to the war in Ukraine as acts of terrorism, although their political and legal interpretation remains contested between Russia and Western governments.

Twenty-two years after the tragedy, Beslan remains a powerful symbol in Russia of the human cost of terrorism, the vulnerability of civilians and children in mass-casualty attacks, and the importance of national remembrance. Memorial ceremonies are held annually at the former school site and at the City of Angels memorial cemetery.