Thoughts on Svetlana's letter?
(Was there a similar outpouring of rubels in the wake of the Moscow Theatre incident so poorly handled, as it turned out, by the FSB?)
Here comes the tinfoil hat brigade.
Ms. Gubareva says she and the other Dubrovka hostages didn't get squat:
Well, in November of 2002 a representative of the industrialist and business union, Mr. Vol'skiy made the official declaration that they would provide for all those who suffered at Northeast. They had a list, and they calculated how much money, 50 thousand (rubles) for everyone who died, 25 thousand for being a hostage, but it all turned out to be a lie. I called and asked about the money, and they expressed their sympathy and at first acknowledged: "Yes, yes, come on over". But later, "Oh, sorry, we don't have enough money, we're going to give only to orphans." I have an acquaitance whose husband died, and is left with two children. She called over there and they also told her: "No, no, we don't have any money, and we can't pay you either". In the end they started in February to pay just those living in Moscow, but there wasn't enough money for everyone. Dasha Frolova's mother, for example, didn't get a thing.