Hostage situation in Moscow
 

There is a front-page breaking news on CNN: 700 actors and audience taken hostage by chechens. Muslims and children were allowed to leave, the rest is held up. <BR><BR>http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe...ege/index.html

I hope a peaceful resolutin can come from all of this. It is looking rather dire as I've heard reports that they've booby trapped the theatre with mines so no rescue attempt can be made without some loss of life.<BR>This world is getting crazier by the day.

I think back to the hostage incident earlier this year, when the Chechen terrorist gave up after taking hostages at the Mamara Swisshotel in Istanbul without any injuries. <BR><BR>Incidently the musical that is playing in the theatre, "Nord-Oust", is quite entertaining and is the first western-style musical to play successfully in Moscow (recently "Chicago" and "42nd Street" opened as well).

Mr. Miller, you continue to be an amazing font of knowledge about all things Russian. I hope this group of terrorists gives up too.<BR>Where, by the way, is the Palace of Culture located in Moscow? What's it near that I might know (having been there five times, and mostly in central part of the city). Is it one of the big old Soviet theatres? Thanks, kk

As events in Moscow, Bali, and other areas show, the mentality of the terrorist world makes it safe for no one. Some people make up an excuse that the Islamic terrorists are mad because we support Israel, which is why we were a target. Others find similar lame excuses in other acts of the United States. The fact is these people attack Hindu, Russian, French, Younameit.<BR>

It is about 1.5 miles south of Taganskaya Metro, near Novospassky Monastery, southeast from the Kremlin. And yes, it is a Soviet-style theater, I think from the 1970's or 1980's. I saw the production in July of this year and often recommend it to people looking for an evening of contemporary entertainment aimed at Russians(althought the producers are trying to capture a western audience, by far the majority of the attendees are Russian, more so than the Bolshoi).