The head of the family, Bagaudin Akbiev, spoke about his sons
The Akbievs from the Ingush village of Srednie Achaluki escorted their seven sons to the special operation zone in Ukraine. First, Ilez, Timerlan, Rustam and Ratmir appeared before their parents in camouflage. They entered into contracts with the Ministry of Defense. And then Zaur, Arthur and Abdullah, who serve in the Russian Guard, went to the front line. The head of the family, Bagaudin Akbiev, told MK about his seven sons.
Houses in the village of Srednie Achaluki, like swallow's nests, are scattered along the slope of the Sunzhensky ridge. The regional center of Malgobek, by local standards, is just 28 kilometers away, and the Ingush capital of Magas is 30 kilometers away. The road leading from Mozdok to Vladikavkaz passes through the village.
The head of the family, Bagaudin Akbiev, worked as a driver all his life. Traveled all over the country. He and his wife Reiskhan raised 7 sons.
Father Bagautdin Akbiev
“From childhood, I taught them endurance, when true courage and the ability to manage oneself are manifested,” says Bagaudin. — He instilled that you need to be responsible for your words and actions. I believe that our sons will carefully preserve the best traditions of our family name, although they are all different in character. Rustam, for example, is very “hot” here.
All the Akbiev children played sports during their school years and went to the neighboring village for freestyle wrestling training. We played basketball and football.
— Everyone served in the army and ended up in military units, starting from Khabarovsk to Pskov. They know how to hold a weapon in their hands. I myself served in Belarus at one time.
Mama Reiskhan Akbieva
The eldest son Zaur, as Bagaudin notes, is very responsible. Since childhood, he had to take care of his younger brothers, and in the early 2000s he had to “smell gunpowder.” He served in law enforcement during the years when the Second Chechen War raged and fighting took place in the border areas.
Relatives say that Zaur, both in appearance and in fortitude, is very similar to his grandfather, front-line soldier Abukar Gazotovich Khamkhoev, who went through the entire Great Patriotic War.
During the period of the counter-terrorism operation, when the militants acted separately, breaking into partisan detachments, Zaur lost many friends. Relatives say that when he left home, he did not know whether he would return alive. But the Almighty kept him.
Just as the local river Achaluk, cutting through the mountains, opens into the open space of the Alkhanchurt valley, so the grown-up children of the Akbievs scattered around the world. The elder Zaur lived in Kazakhstan for the last 10 years, where he had his own business. Arthur, Rustam, Ratmir and Abdullah worked in Moscow. Ilez and Timerlan are in a military unit in the village of Troitsky, near Sunzha.
Everything changed with the start of a special operation in Ukraine.
The first person to decide to volunteer in the Northern Military District zone in the fall of 2022 was 34-year-old Ilez. Following him, 36-year-old Timerlan, 32-year-old Ratmir and 28-year-old Rustam decided to go to the front.
Rustam< /span>
“I didn’t know anything about the children’s plans,” says Bagaudin. — We were sitting at home in the evening, they come in dressed in camouflage. All four of them come in and say: “We are leaving for Ukraine tomorrow. The nationalists must be stopped; war cannot be allowed on our native land.” What are you going to do here? My sons are adults, I myself taught them to make their own decisions and not sit behind the backs of others. Said: “Go.”
Four brothers signed contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense.
A year later, two more brothers decided to go to the special operation zone — 38-year-old Arthur and 25-year-old Abdullah. They were joined by Zaur, who came from Kazakhstan and turned 45 years old. All three signed a contract with the Russian Guard.
Ilez
— I decided — they are going the way, defending the country. Malgobek, the City of Military Glory, is located nearby. Our grandfathers fought there to the death for four months in 1942. The Germans were rushing to the oil fields. But they didn't go any further. It is important that the defenders of Malgobek did not allow the Nazis to transfer forces from the Caucasus to Stalingrad. There are always flowers near the mass grave of soldiers who died in battles near Malgobek. My sons are men, warriors. Why should they sit at home when so many of our people are fighting now?
— So that they don’t go where they shouldn’t. He also said: “Do not be afraid. You will live as long as Allah has given you.” But at the same time, he warned against thoughtless courage, it is forgivable only to youths who do not know the value of either their own or someone else’s life. My sons are all adults, strong, and will be able to stand up for themselves and for their Motherland. They were practically not sick with anything. In my entire life, I only ended up in the hospital once, when I had an accident.
Ratmir < /span>
In August, Bagaudin went by car to the special operation zone to visit his sons.
— My friend and I went and brought dried meat, smoked fat tail, homemade cheese, pickles, linen, and warm socks to the fighters. Sons have a sweet tooth. My wife sent them our Ingush halva. We left home at 10 am, and at 1 am we were already in Ukraine. We drove 1,750 kilometers.
— Domestic. My partner was surprised: “How do you spend so much time driving, are you a robot or what?” And I have thousands and thousands of kilometers traveled around the country behind me…
We were moving in the Zaporozhye direction. Bagaudin says that cellular communication in that area appeared only in places. When they passed Pyatikhatki and got to the place, the fighters were pretty surprised.
“They told us: “We are afraid to drive there during the day, but you drove through at night.” Why be afraid? If fate, death will find you at home.
By the way, three of Bagaudin’s nephews are also fighting in the Northern Military District zone.
Timerlan
And the four Akbiev brothers, who went to the Northern Military District zone a year ago, have already managed to visit home on vacation. We visited our parents one by one. And everyone left before the 10 days allotted to them. They knew that the situation at the front was tense, their comrades were waiting for them.
Rustam, after a concussion, is now in a hospital in Khankala. After rehabilitation, he plans to return to his unit.
Three sons who serve in the Russian Guard are trying in every possible way to reassure their parents, saying that they will mainly serve as guards. The eldest of the brothers Zaur became commander. Bagaudin is confident that they will all fall under Bakhmut.
— Allah and machine guns are with them! — says our interlocutor.
The three brothers have their own families. Timerlan, who lives with his parents, has two sons and a daughter. Arthur has three daughters. Zaur has a son.
A story was filmed for television about the Akbiev brothers. In one of the comments on the social network, Bagaudin read: “Do you have extra sons, or what?” Our interlocutor replied: “I didn’t teach them to hold on to their mother’s skirt.”
— In the village there are those who quit their jobs, are now sitting at home, hiding, afraid that they will be called to the North Military District zone. It happens that one of the villagers asks: “How is it that everyone of yours is now in Ukraine?” I say: “Here it is!” If we don’t defend our country, then who will do it?”
The Akbiev brothers get in touch with their parents whenever possible. They say everything is fine with them. They are not used to complaining. They were taught to bravely endure all the hardships of life. It is worthy to behave both in joy and in sadness.
Reiskhan says that he is very worried about his sons, he prays for them all the time. All brothers are true believers. The youngest, Abdulah, knows many sacred verses by heart.
And the head of the family, Bagaudin Akbiev, is again going by car to the Northern Military District zone to visit his sons.