La 6e compagnie : les interprétations d’une défaite russe en Tchétchénie [The 6th Company: debates around a Russian military defeat in Chechnya]

In February 2000, a company of Russian paratroopers from Pskov was defeated in the Argun Valley in Chechnya: 84 out of the 90 men were killed in combat against outnumbering Chechen fighters. Several questions arise as to the reason why they were not sent any support, but three films or serials have nevertheless been dedicated to their last fight since 2004. This article compares the official discourse, the film plots and the reactions that were stirred by these deaths among Russian veterans and analyses how the paratroopers are made to look like heroes, who fell in the name of Motherland, anti-terrorism and soldier brotherhood. Films to be discussed include Chest’ Imeiu (The honour is mine), Grozovye Vorota (The Storm Gate), Proryv (Breakthrough). [Editor’s note: Please note that countries, places and nouns (for example “Chechnya”) in the text are transliterated according to the French media transliteration, whereas endnotes follow the Library of Congress’ transliteration table.]