South Ossetia 1991. As a result of the war, about 100,000 ethnic Ossetians fled the territory and Georgia proper, most across the border into North Ossetia. A further 23,000 ethnic Georgians fled South Ossetia to other parts of Georgia. Many South Ossetians were resettled in uninhabited areas of North Ossetia from which the Ingush had been expelled by Stalin in 1944, leading to conflicts between Ossetians and Ingush over the right of residence in former Ingush territory. On 29 April 1991, the western part of South Ossetia was affected by an earthquake, which killed 200 and left 300 families homeless. In late
Independence Day (South Ossetia) Council of People's Deputies of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast adopted a declaration of sovereignty of the new republic. In 1992 proclaimed South Ossetia proclaimed independence. In August 2008, South Ossetia was recognized by Russia, Venezuela, Nauru, and Nicaragua, other unrecognized counties such as Artsakh, Abkhazia and Transnistria following the week long Russo-Georgian War of 2008. An annual military parade is held on Theatre Square as the main holiday event. The parade involves the ceremonial review of the troops of the Tskhinvali Garrison by the Minister of Defense, a speech by the President of South Ossetia, the playing of the