A year later, we found ourselves there again.

"There is nothing more alluring in life than returning to places you have already been, walking the same streets, stopping at a house you remember, recognizing in a crowd people with whom you once exchanged at least a word.

When you return, you feel life in its endless flow, and, honestly, you yourself stop doubting your own existence.

With Chechnya—it's a special story.

You return not to life—but to pain.

Exactly a year ago, in the same autumn, we, members of the State Duma's Security Committee, flew to the location of the 46th Internal Troops Brigade to see for ourselves how the President's Decree was being carried out. A decree important and fundamental: people whose military profession is meant to protect what they stand for must be permanently, eternally stationed in Chechnya."

I was in the exact same places.

And I can repeat the same thing I wrote before. More sorrow had been added to the eyes of the officers who had lost their friends and their soldiers over the past year.

The presidential decree, which stated that the military personnel stationed here would receive guarantees for a normal human life, has been annulled by the government. All benefits due to those who risk their lives not once a month, but every minute, turned out to be a simple child's deception.

For Pavel Borodin, several million dollars were instantly found, within twenty-four hours, to release him on bail.

These guys are hostages of a state that rewards them only posthumously.

I repeat, we became ashamed of what we saw again: communal tents where officers' families huddled, APCs long since scrapped, ancient radio sets, meager salaries.

I understand, it's no better for everyone else in Russia.

But here, it's war, here life can truly become a fleeting moment.

Oh, it would be great if not us, but people from the government, from the Ministry of Finance, saw all this.

Perhaps then they too would sign this document, alongside our deputies' signatures:

"For two winters, the brigade's personnel wintered in tent cities; now, in the military camp of Grozny's 'Severny' airport, 1200 servicemen are moving into barracks that have been built. But over 7000 servicemen in this camp and the other five deployment points remain in tents, and the construction of barracks and living quarters for them has not begun due to lack of funds. The program for the permanent deployment of the 46th brigade is planned until 2003; 5.4 billion rubles are needed for its implementation. The MVD has repeatedly appealed to the Government of the Russian Federation to grant the program state status, but has always been refused on various grounds. For 2000-2001, 0.98 billion rubles (18 percent) were allocated from the federal budget; for 2002, 410 million rubles are planned with a need for 1.44 billion rubles.

As of October 1, 2001, 945 families of officers, warrant officers, and contract servicemen in the brigade are on the housing waiting list... For 2002, funds for housing construction for the 46th brigade are not being allocated from the federal budget for this specific purpose.

We are forced to state that the Government of the Russian Federation does not fully understand the danger that this mistake could lead to.

The brigade is still understaffed with command personnel today, and if the housing problem for the families of servicemen who have honestly served for two years in extreme conditions in the Chechen Republic is not resolved, the problem of staffing the brigade will become insurmountable.

The 46th Brigade is an outpost in the fight against terrorism in the North Caucasian region. To strengthen its morale and combat readiness, the personnel must feel the care and support of the authorities."

Excuse me for quoting an official document.

But life is also somewhat official.

Only our people are of unofficial quality and unofficial resilience.

"Living conditions—good," reported the acting battalion commander in Gudermes.

He didn't want to complain.

He wasn't used to complaining.

Yes, he is proud that he insulated the tents, that he built his own bakery and bathhouse.

The only difference from last year