In exchange, Chechen rebels must disarm. But both sides accuse each other of not living up to those promises. This week the Chechen side refused to hand over heavy weapons after a Russian threat to disarm the rebels by force. It was Chechnya's push for independence that drove Russian forces into the breakaway region last December. As the two sides try to keep a fragile peace in place, hundreds of thousands of people wonder how they will live through the coming winter.
Families live in ruined buildings with no heat or water.
Some 400,000 homes are said to be in need of repair. And while the government has begun rebuilding, restoring the people's faith will take much more than bricks and mortar.