The Khaibakh massacre was the  mass murder of the Chechen civilian population of the aul (village) Khaibakh, in the mountainous part of Chechnya, by Soviet forces during the deportations of 1944 on 27 February 1944. Timeline The massacre  took place on 27 February 1944 during Operation Lentil (the Soviet mass deportation of Chechens to prison camps in Central Asia). Due to inclement weather it was impossible to convoy Chechen deportees to the railway stations by the deadline set by Beria, resulting in over 700 villagers, including "non-transportable" elderly, pregnant women and small children, were locked in a stable fortified with dry hay and burned alive; those who broke from burning stable were shot. One of the witnesses assigned to the military unit, interpreter , recalls that NKVD commander Gvishiani called the two newborn children in the stable "bandits" before ordering to burn the 204 people alive. After the incident, Gveshiani was reportedly congratulated for his success and good work by Lavrenty Beria, who promised him a medal.Gammer, Moshe. Lone Wolf and Bear: Three Centuries of Chechen Defiance of Russian Rule. London 2006. Page 170. Dunlop, John. Russia Confronts Chechnya: The Roots of a Separatist Conflict. Page 65. Denialism In a refusal to permit the release of the 2014 film Ordered to Forget about the massacre, the Russian Ministry of Culture stated that it had searched three Russian state archives, and that "as a result of the investigation, no documents were discovered proving the fact of the mass burning of residents" from Khaibakh. The ministry then claimed that the event was a case of historical falsification. However, the special commission responsible for investigating the massacre in 1990 concluded on 20 August that the massacre had indeed happened. Deniers of the massacre  cite an alleged telegram from Mikhail Gvishiani to Lavrenty Beria as the main documental evidence: Совершенно секретно. Наркому внутренних дел СССР тов. Л. П. Берия. Только для ваших глаз. В виду не транспортабельности и с целью неукоснительного выполнения в срок операции «Горы», вынужден был ликвидировать более 700 жителей в местечке Хайбах. Полковник Гвишиани English translation: Top secret. To L. P. Beria, head of NKVD. For your eyes only. I was obliged to eliminate more than 700 inhabitants of Khaibakh aul, in order to complete in time "Gory" operation and because of inability to convey these people. Colonel Gvishiani  Russian historian Pavel Polyan  considers the telegram questionable on the grounds that  the phrase "Только для ваших глаз" (For your eyes only) was not used in official Soviet documents and that the real name of operation was "Чечевица" (Chechevytsa, Lentil), not "Горы" (Gory, Mountains); Gvishiani was also not a colonel but a 3rd Rank Commissar of State security.  However, in 2003 interview with Radio Svoboda, Polyan acknowledged the existence of the massacre and mentioned several other massacres committed by the NKVD. 
The Khaibakh massacre was the allegedPavel Polian, "Операция «Чечевица»: немцы на Кавказе и депортация вайнахов в марте 1944 г.", p. 646 in mass murder of the Chechen civilian population of the aul (village) Khaibakh, in the mountainous part of Chechnya, by Soviet forces during the deportations of 1944 on 27 February 1944. Timeline The massacre allegedly took place on 27 February 1944 during Operation Lentil (the Soviet mass deportation of Chechens to prison camps in Central Asia). Due to inclement weather it was impossible to convoy Chechen deportees to the railway stations by the deadline set by Beria, resulting in over 700 villagers, including "non-transportable" elderly, pregnant women and small children, were locked in a stable fortified with dry hay and burned alive; those who broke from burning stable were shot. One of the witnesses assigned to the military unit, interpreter , recalls that NKVD commander Gvishiani called the two newborn children in the stable "bandits" before ordering to burn the 204 people alive. After the incident, Gveshiani was reportedly congratulated for his success and good work by Lavrenty Beria, who promised him a medal.Gammer, Moshe. Lone Wolf and Bear: Three Centuries of Chechen Defiance of Russian Rule. London 2006. Page 170. Dunlop, John. Russia Confronts Chechnya: The Roots of a Separatist Conflict. Page 65. Criticism In a refusal to permit the release of the 2014 film Ordered to Forget about the massacre, the Russian Ministry of Culture stated that it had searched three Russian state archives, and that "as a result of the investigation, no documents were discovered proving the fact of the mass burning of residents" from Khaibakh. The ministry then claimed that the event was a case of historical falsification. However, the special commission responsible for investigating the massacre in 1990 concluded on 20 August that the massacre had indeed happened. Proponents of the massacre claim cite an alleged telegram from Mikhail Gvishiani to Lavrenty Beria as the main documental evidence: Совершенно секретно. Наркому внутренних дел СССР тов. Л. П. Берия. Только для ваших глаз. В виду не транспортабельности и с целью неукоснительного выполнения в срок операции «Горы», вынужден был ликвидировать более 700 жителей в местечке Хайбах. Полковник Гвишиани English translation: Top secret. To L. P. Beria, head of NKVD. For your eyes only. I was obliged to eliminate more than 700 inhabitants of Khaibakh aul, in order to complete in time "Gory" operation and because of inability to convey these people. Colonel Gvishiani In 2003 Russian historian Pavel Polyan , who is an expert on deportations and a noted critic of historical denialism, in an interview with Radio Svoboda acknowledged the existence of the telegram, the massacre and mentioned several other massacres committed by the NKVD.. However, now he considers the telegram questionable on the grounds that no source has ever been given for it, that the phrase "Только для ваших глаз" (For your eyes only) was not used in official Soviet documents and that the real name of operation was "Чечевица" (Chechevytsa, Lentil), not "Горы" (Gory, Mountains); Gvishiani was also not a colonel but a 3rd Rank Commissar of State security. Polian points out that in the authentic report by Gvishiani about the whole Galanchozhsky region only a few dozen killed or dead are mentioned. Polian's conclusion regarding the historicity of the massacrePavel Polian, "Операция «Чечевица»: немцы на Кавказе и депортация вайнахов в марте 1944 г.", p. 646 in : However, there is still no clarity. And we, on the basis of currently available sources, are forced to refrain from making definitive judgments. This conclusion is shared by Russian experts on the North Caucasus history A. Bezugolny, N. Bugay and E. Krinko.Безугольный А. Ю., Бугай Н. Ф., Кринко Е. Ф. Горцы Северного Кавказа в Великой Отечественной войне 1941—1945 гг.: проблемы истории, историографии и источниковедения. — M., 2012. — ISBN 978-5-227-03570-7, p. 64-65
A
allegedPavel Polian, "Операция «Чечевица»: немцы на Кавказе и депортация вайнахов в марте 1944 г.", p. 646 in
A
allegedly
R
Denialism
Criticism
R
Deniers
Proponents
A
claim
A
In 2003
A
, who is an expert on deportations and a noted critic of historical denialism, in an interview with Radio Svoboda acknowledged the existence of the telegram, the massacre and mentioned several other massacres committed by the NKVD.. However, now he
A
no source has ever been given for it, that
A
Polian points out that in the authentic report by Gvishiani about the whole Galanchozhsky region only a few dozen killed or dead are mentioned. Polian's conclusion regarding the historicity of the massacrePavel Polian, "Операция «Чечевица»: немцы на Кавказе и депортация вайнахов в марте 1944 г.", p. 646 in :
R
in 2003 interview with Radio Svoboda, Polyan acknowledged the existence of the massacre and mentioned several other massacres committed by the NKVD.
there is still no clarity. And we, on the basis of currently available sources, are forced to refrain from making definitive judgments.
A
This conclusion is shared by Russian experts on the North Caucasus history A. Bezugolny, N. Bugay and E. Krinko.Безугольный А. Ю., Бугай Н. Ф., Кринко Е. Ф. Горцы Северного Кавказа в Великой Отечественной войне 1941—1945 гг.: проблемы истории, историографии и источниковедения. — M., 2012. — ISBN 978-5-227-03570-7, p. 64-65