[ Arsen Kachmazov ] A siren sounds, I put one on like this...
Like that
And the other, like this
[ Arsen Kachmazov ] I was born on the 8th, when a grenade
blew up outside the hospital and filled it with smoke
[ VO ] Arsen was born on August 8, 2008 - the day Georgia started a war against South Ossetia
Residential areas were shelled by howitzers and Grad multiple rocket launchers
It was how Georgia tried to regain control over the rebellious republic
We were here at the height of that war, and we’ve returned after 10 years
We’ll meet people whose stories we told, and we’ll learn how their lives changed
GEORGIA’S GAMBLE REVISITED
[ Shorena Kachmazova ] I was pregnant when the war broke out
An ambulance came to take me to the hospital
There was heavy gunfire
When I reached the city, it was burned out and lay in ruins
There were burnt-out cars everywhere
That's how I got to the maternity hospital
[ geotitle ] Tskhinval, South Ossetia
[ Mels Pliev ] Lots of residents from the neighbouring streets came here,
because it was scary to stay at home
[ Mels Pliev, Medical chief, Maternity Hospital ] That's how bad the shelling was
Our building was damaged
We had to set up in here
She says she slept over there!
[ Shorena Kachmazova ] We had nothing, not even water
Whenever there was gunfire, we'd cower in fear
'Don't be afraid, don't be afraid,' they'd say, and I'd calm down
There was, what's it called..?
A chair? There was a chair
[ Mels Pliev ] We had a special chair set up here
We would have delivered the baby here if we had to...
But it was quiet when she went into labour,
so we went upstairs
[ Mels Pliev ] This is the bed Shorena lay on
Everything was quiet
Suddenly there was a massive bombardment
We saw an aerial battle
A Georgian plane flew past,
followed by a Russian one
All the windows were shattered
You were born to the sound of an artillery barr
[ nurse ] Hi, Shorena! Let me give you a hug
[ nurse ] My handsome little boy!
[ VO ] Do you remember her? [ nurse ] Of course. How could I forget?
[ Nelli Khugaeva ] We delivered him as the shells came down!
It was terrifying! We were shaking!
[ Nelli Khugaeva, nurse ] We were being tossed from one wall to the other
[ Mels Pliev ] And so a war child was born
[ VO ] It wasn’t the first military conflict between Georgia and South Ossetia
Things started to heat up in the late 1980s
The Soviet Union was falling apart and the republics were striving for the right of self-determination
The nationalists even came up with a slogan: ‘Georgia is for Georgians!’
Schools were forbidden to teach in the Ossetian language
South Ossetia rebelled, declared independence and war broke out
In 1992 the warring parties signed a peace accord, but failed to come to an agreement
Russia brokered the peace talks
Since then Russian peacekeepers have been helping to keep order
8 August 2008 Russian peacekeepers’ base
[ man 1 ] What are they shooting at? [ man 2 ] The building
[ Maya Bestaeva ] It's so painful to come back and remember it all
Such young kids, 18-year-olds
[ man ] A couple of tanks are firing at us. Georgians
They f***ing razed everything to the ground!
[ VO ] In 2008 Maya Bestaeva worked as a nurse at the Russian peacekeepers’ base
It stood in the way of the Georgian army
The base came under massive shelling from the Georgians for many hours
[ Maya Bestaeva ] There were sleeping quarters for soldiers on either side
There was a TV on the wall here
The second floor collapsed, and the third, obviously
It all caved in
They were shooting everywhere
The drill square across from me was like a death strip
[ Maya Bestaeva, Medical Sergeant, Russian Military Base ] It was too dangerous to cross,
but I still made a few trips back and forth to help the wounded
[ Maya Bestaeva ] There were about 50 wounded
We sent the worst cases to Vladikavkaz in an armoured truck
No one there believed it until they saw the true horror of it for themselves
[ VO ] 'Where are these wounded from?' [ Maya Bestaeva ] 'Tskhinval'
[ Maya Bestaeva ] They didn't believe there was a war here
[ VO ] Maya was also seriously injured
She was unaware that the reinforcements were fighting their way
through to the peacekeepers, and that her son was with the military
He would run into an ambush near the peacekeepers’ base and be badly wounded.
[ VO ] The peacekeepers couldn’t hold the Georgian troops back for too long,
and by the afternoon of August the 8th Georgian tanks already entered Tskhinval
[ man ] Shoot that way!
Fire towards the houses!
[ Soslan Kvezerov ] Two girls were out walking and Georgian tanks ran over them
Even their heads were flattened
[ VO ] We met Soslan when he was 9
His house was hit by a shell, which caused the wall to fall down and the roof to cave in
[ Soslan Kvezerov ] They fired at everything with rockets and mortars
A Grad rocket landed here
[ Soslan Kvezerov ] This side of the house was worst hit
There was another room here,
but it was so badly damaged that we demolished it
We shortened the house, so to speak
[ VO ] Soslan’s village came under shelling for a few days
After the war there were no houses left undamaged here
[ Soslan Kvezerov ] These kids live there
A shell landed there
It broke their dad's legs
[ Soslan Kvezerov ] Here are the kids you filmed playing
Come out, come on
[ Soslan Kvezerov ] Hi, don't be afraid
Let's say hello
Already a teenager!
He used to play here
There's his sister, Alana
[ VO ] And their dad was injured in the war? [ Soslan Kvezerov ] Yes
[ Soslan Kvezerov ] His legs?
[ VO ] How’s he doing now? [ Soslan Kvezerov ] Doing good
[ Soslan Kvezerov ] Working, providing for his family
[ VO ] The kids still go to play at the place that once was their home
Even though a new house was built for their family
[ Soslan Kvezerov ] Everyone whose house was destroyed got a new one
They repaired the nursery, built a school
So, they help those in need
[ VO ] Soslan and his parents managed to flee the village just in time and avoided the oncoming Georgian army
They didn’t know the road was under the control of Georgian troops
We walked down the road
Behind us was gunfire, we were scared
My brother was crying, my sister got a nosebleed
[ VO ] Thousands of civilians fled to Russia.
But not everybody managed to get there unharmed. Many were killed on the way.
[ VO ] Why are you crying? [ woman ] My husband was killed.
[ VO ] The Ossetians were incapable of defending themselves on their own against the well-trained Georgian army
People died in Tskhinval
The peacekeepers were surrounded, and couldn’t help
Russia launched the “Operation of Forcing Georgia to Peace”
The military were fighting their way through to relieve Tskhinval
Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili claimed that Russia attacked Georgia
[ Saakashvili ] My country is in self-defense against Russian aggression
Russian troops invaded Georgia
They’ve been bombing Georgia from numerous war planes and specifically targeting civilian population
[ CNN news anchor ] Did you take a gamble?
Your government launched its own attempt to retake South Ossetia
[ Saakashvili ] We didn’t. We didn’t.
[ Joe Mestas ] In the morning of the 8th she calls me, and says
that they bombed a couple hundred meters away from her mother's house
[ Joe Mestas, photographer ] I remember I was actually crying and afraid, and thinking that
if anything happens to my family I'm gonna kill Saakashvili,
and I meant that
[ VO ] We met Joe Mestas 10 years ago
He’s an American who lives in Florida His wife Zhanna is Ossetian
In August 2008 she and her daughter were on holiday at her parents’ place in South Ossetia
[ Zhanna Mestas ] The situation was escalating
[ Zhanna Mestas ] In '89-'91 things were really bad
And in 2008, we really hit bottom
Bombs and Grad rockets?
What next? A nuke?
I knew something was coming to a head
Either independence or enslavement, one or the other
[ Joe Mestas ] Saakashvili says that Russia attacked Georgia
Later you find out through the European commission that in fact it was Georgia that attacked South Ossetia
Here the mainstream media that reported that Russia started the conflict,
and said nothing about Saakashvili opening fire on the night of the beginning of the Olympics in Beijing
I’ve talked to many people, I've posted many things on the Internet,
letting people know the truth about what really happened
[ Sandra Mestas ] When I was in South Ossetia, there were planes, dropping the bomb
And I was sleeping and I ran to mother And mother grab me
We run to the basement And there were shooting
[ Sandra Mestas ] I don’t remember much of that
But I know that I wouldn’t want to sleep alone There was one window in my room
When I used to sleep and there was a crack and I remember: «Oh! That’s from the war»
[ Joe Mestas ] Sandra was afraid
She was saying, she was afraid that Saakashvili was gonna be there,
and he was gonna send the soldiers after us
Every year when we went back for several years she had thоse feelings
[ Joe Mestas ] A couple of years after the war I believed that eventually other countries would learn to recognize
that Georgia was at fault in this war
Especially after the European Commission came out, and said that Georgia started the war
I thought for sure that other countries will follow Russia to recognize the independence of South Ossetia
and I was very disappointed that they didn't
[ Joe Mestas ] People have to understand that when you're attacked so many times
Brutally attacked, and people murdered, you know,
how can you expect a republic to go back to those people open arms?
You can't
[ Nazyrat Bekoeva ] We were at home
We sent the grandchildren to Vladikavkaz, but we stayed
Then they started shooting
The gunfire was so heavy we couldn't even go out
Somehow, we managed to save ourselves
We went down to the cellar and stayed there
[ Valik Chibirov ] Now and then a man went to take a look around
But the shooting carried on
[ Valik Chibirov ] We were hungry and our bread was in the house. How could we get it?
We had no water, either
We were scared and couldn't leave, there was shooting all around
The Georgians surrounded us
They said to stay put, that a car would take us away
The Georgian shot his machine gun like this
'I've killed one Ossetian,' he said
I peeped out and saw it was my son
[ Nazirat Bekoeva ] I saw from the cellar our house was on fire,
and I heard someone crying
How could I know it was my son, covered in blood,
his brain leaking out on the doorstep?
He shot my boy almost beside me
Had I known, I'd have torn his throat out with my teeth
[ VO ] Nazyrat later related what happened
Her son had found out that his parents had been captured, and he came to rescue them
It took the Russian army a few days to force the Georgians to retreat
Many Georgians who had been living in Ossetia, left for Georgia with the military
[ Soslan Kvezerov ] The Georgian Army destroyed everything,
even houses of Georgians living here
They just bombed randomly
After the war, the Georgians left, abandoning their houses
[ Soslan Kvezerov ] They still ask people they know:
'How are our houses? If things get better, we'll come back'
[ geotitle ] TSEROVANI, GEORGIA
[ VO ] Tserovani in Georgia was built as a special refugee settlement for those who came from South Ossetia
Cookie-cutter houses accommodate 2,000 people
Most Tserovani residents refer to South Ossetia as occupied territory
For them, it’s Georgian land
Elnara fled to Georgia with her children
Her house was burnt down, so she’s got nowhere to go back to
Elnara’s granddaughter was born already in Tserovani
She’s never been to South Ossetia and only heard about it from her grandma
[ Elnara Beruashvili ] Everyone got along well
We all helped each other, respected each other
Naturally, that all changed during the war
People died, houses were destroyed
The village was abandoned
Everyone left… the men, women, kids
These photos are all we have left
My mother, father and this album
The rest burned with the house
Of course, there’s no comparison to what was before
But we are doing well, it’s quiet, peaceful and calm here
I don’t know whose fault that was…
What matters is having peace,
living together, happily
[ Elnara Beruashvili, refugee from South Ossetia ] I love all nationalities, be it Russian or Ossetian,
there are good people and bad people everywhere, right?
Of course, we want peace, we want to return to our homes, to our land
Of course, it’s Georgia, it’s a Georgian land
Georgians lived there, Ossetians lived there,
there were a lot of nations there, but the land is historically Georgian
[ officer ] Line up!
Eyes right! Attention!
I order Border Patrol 'Dozor' to guard
the borders of the state of South Ossetia in the Tskhinval district from 9am to 6pm
All areas, border fences, and warning signs should be inspected
[ VO ] The construction of this fence between Georgia and South Ossetia started straight after the war
However the border line hasn’t been fully fenced
The Ossetians asked for Russian border guards to be stationed along the border to help with security
[ Inal Dzhioev ] Georgian citizens often cross the border illegally
Either they're unaware of the procedure,
or they cross illegally on purpose
Sometimes herders cross, sometimes smugglers
[ man 1 ] ‘Zarya’, ‘Beryoza’, do you copy? [ man 2 ] ‘Zarya’. Roger.
[ man 3 ] 343, do you copy? [ man 4 ] Copy, over
[ Inal Dzhioev ] The Georgians don't monitor this border in any way
[ Inal Dzhioev, Senior Border Guard Officer, South Ossetia ] It's not in their interests, because guarding it would be
de facto recognition of South Ossetia's independence
So, for them, the border doesn't exist
[ VO ] The border lines were defined by rather old maps, which just didn’t reflect current reality
In Khelchua the border cut the village in two
So, some of the inhabitants remained in South Ossetia, while 22 people found themselves living in no-man’s land
Since then they’ve been living between two checkpoints
They’re not allowed into Georgia, and they need a special pass to enter South Ossetia
This border checkpoint has been set up specially for them
[ Tamaz Bestaev ] You can't just come in whenever you want
What sort of a life is that? I don't even know
[ Tamaz Bestaev, Khelchua Villager ] When a man's sent to prison, he knows how long for
Here, we have no idea
[ Lyudmila Doguzova ] It's very hard to live here
They issue one-day passes:
[ Lyudmila Doguzova, Khelchua villager ] early in the morning, from 8am to 10am,
and from 2pm to 7pm
They won't let children through to visit us
There it is... Straight ahead
That's the Georgian post
We live right behind it
I know a path that gets around it
I always use it to get home
All those houses they burned
they're homes where Ossetians lived
But they can't get passes now
They don't have the right to visit their own homes
[ VO ] Those stranded in no-man’s land have been promised that they’ll be allocated new houses and be moved to South Ossetia
However, that promise was given 6 years ago, when the fence was built
80% of the buildings in Tskhinval were destroyed during the war
Soslan’s school was also badly damaged
10 years ago it seemed to us that it would be impossible to rebuild the place
[ Soslan Kvezerov ] When the Georgians came, they shot at the school, at the roof
There, it was hit by a Grad rocket
[ Soslan Kvezerov ] When the war was over, they started rebuilding the schools
Not just ours, but all of them
As you see, it's much improved now
[ Soslan Kvezerov ] This was an elementary classroom
Kids were in here studying when the shooting began
A mortar hit it
and three children died
The third floor suffered the worst damage
It's been nicely restored
They also added a sports complex, which you can see through the window
[ VO ] As a child Soslan was fascinated by clay modelling
He used to make models of animals and superheroes
As he grew older, he didn’t abandon his hobby
Even though he graduated last year, they still keep his models on display:
not the ones he made as a child, but his more serious work
[ Soslan Kvezerov ] I've sculpted all our best writers and poets
I've finished high school and am now at university in Vladikavkaz
I'd like to become a sculptor, of course
I like busts of people the most
[ Soslan Kvezerov ] As a child, I was drawn to animals,
but now I'm grown up, I want to make more complicated things
I want to come back here too
People are counting on me
'You'll make us new monuments, new sculptures,' they say,
'change our town for the better'
[ VO ] Tskhinval centre has really changed.
Most of the buildings were reconstructed
But many were torn down and rebuilt from scratch
Russia helped to rebuild the destroyed republic and was the first nation to recognize South Ossetia’s independence
Russia now helps to keep the peace
A military base was built in Tskhinval
It’s where Maya Bestaeva serves, in the medical corps
[ Maya Bestaeva ] Hi, guys [ soldiers ] Hi
[ Maya Bestaeva ] Stop, I have questions
No health or medical complaints?
How's the canteen? All good? 00:24:58.203 00:25:00:703 You know who to turn to if necessary
[ Maya Bestaeva ] It changed me a lot, of course
I've aged dramatically
I developed serious health issues after the injury
Others can figure out who was at fault for the war
[ Maya Bestaeva, Medical sergeant, Russian Military Base ] Ordinary people weren't to blame,
I feel that in my soul
Because Georgians and Ossetians weren't enemies
I don't know what happened
We're of one blood, you could say
[ VO ] When Shorena was hiding with her son in the basement of a maternity home, the Georgian army entered her village
Shorena’s husband went off to fight and her parents were left alone in the house
[ Irina Kuzaeva, Shorena's mother ] First, we escaped to the forest, then to Vladikavkaz
When we came back, everything was peppered with bullets
[ VO ] Can we still make peace with the Georgians?
[ Shorena Kachmazova ] No way
[ VO ] Why not?
[ Shorena ] Why not? They've done too much
They killed so many people, so many children
[ VO ] Shorena’s husband died shortly after the war, so, Arsen has no memory of his dad
Shorena remarried and gave birth to a daughter
And… another baby is on the way
The family is poor
So, Arsen makes his own toys, his favourites are a wooden machine gun and a sniper rifle
[ Arsen Kachmazov ] I want to be in the special forces and SWAT.
[ Arsen Kachmazov ] And be a border guard too
[ VO ] Are you afraid of war now?
[ Arsen Kachmazov ] Me?
How can I not be?
If there’s a war, we’re all going to die