Video RUSSIA: CHECHNYA: RUSSIAN SOLDIERS BEGIN TO RETURN HOME

Russian/Nat


After nearly two years of bloody fighting in Chechnya, Russian soldiers are starting to return home.


Tens of thousands of young men, exposed to the most gruesome war scenes, are bringing their experiences back to their hometowns all across Russia.


Veterans of the war in Chechnya face a difficult transition to civilian life.


The cash-strapped Russian military provides little financial or medical support to veterans of the Chechen conflict and no help in dealing with the psychological effects of war.


Many soldiers suffer from a psychosis which is now being called the \"Chechnyasyndrome\".


Thousands of soldiers and civilians were killed in Chechnya and even more were wounded.


Officially, financial compensation to an injured soldier is only about twenty dollars (US).


Servicemen receive free medical care, but only until the end of their military term, and the problems faced by these soldiers could last a lifetime.


It is common for soldiers to feel isolated at home and misunderstood by friends and family who cannot begin to fathom the horrors they witnessed.


SOUNDBITE: (Russian)

\"It's best to just be quiet and not even speak about it. If you do meet people who were there, who fought there, only then can you begin to discuss it. With the others it's impossible, they will never comprehend it. It's useless, they can never understand.\"

SUPER CAPTION Dimitry Turta, veteran of Chechen War


Andrei Ivashkovsky was just beginning his mandatory military service when war began in Chechnya.


Born in Kireyevsk, a small town four hours from Moscow, the war has had an enormous effect on him.


His family is just now beginning to cope with a son they no longer recognise.


SOUNDBITE: (Russian)

\"He has changed immensely since he returned. He has become hot-tempered and rude. He even yells a lot. Dare I say, he is even inclined to drinking. A completely different person returned from the war.\"

SUPER CAPTION: Nadezhda Ivashkovsky, Andrei's mother.


Andrei was a prisoner of war for seven months until he was finally released in a P-O-W exchange.


He believes the training he received in Chechnya is best suited for crime.


SOUNDBITE: (Russian)

\"Those who have been in Chechnya know how to shoot and kill with any kind of weapon. I admit that I myself have thought about it, if I can't find work, perhaps joining-up with some bandits. It's something I have considered.\"

SUPER CAPTION: Andrei Ivashkovsky, veteran


The Russian government has no programs to help soldiers adjust to civilian life.


Psychologists believe that many soldiers feel that their lives

ended in Chechnya.


SOUNDBITE: (Russian)

\"The problems are not only that soldiers will return and will end their confusion with suicide. Or that many are returning with very aggressive behaviour. But there is a bigger problem and that is they don't see any kind of future for themselves.\"

SUPER CAPTION: Din Magomed-Eminov, Psychologist, Specialist in war psychosis


Andrei and his mother hope that time will help Andrei forget the

images of war.


But he is clearly having difficulty adjusting to civilian life.


Andrei often longs to return to Chechnya where, he says, \"things were much simpler\".




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