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Details of Suspects’ Lives Emerge Far From War-Torn Homeland, Trying to Fit In
(35 minutes later)
One was a boxer who liked Russian rap videos and once said, “I don’t have a single American friend.”One was a boxer who liked Russian rap videos and once said, “I don’t have a single American friend.”
The other, an all-star high school wrestler, listed “Islam” as his worldview on his Facebook page and was described by a neighbor as a “very photogenic kid” who had “a heart of gold.”The other, an all-star high school wrestler, listed “Islam” as his worldview on his Facebook page and was described by a neighbor as a “very photogenic kid” who had “a heart of gold.”
As a picture has begun to emerge of the two brothers, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, who are suspected of carrying out the bombings at the Boston Marathon, it was difficult to distinguish them from millions of other young people who come to the United States to forge a future. The authorities are scrambling to determine how they might have evolved into terrorists who would plant powerful bombs in a crowd of innocent people.As a picture has begun to emerge of the two brothers, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, who are suspected of carrying out the bombings at the Boston Marathon, it was difficult to distinguish them from millions of other young people who come to the United States to forge a future. The authorities are scrambling to determine how they might have evolved into terrorists who would plant powerful bombs in a crowd of innocent people.
The Tsarnaevs are believed to have emigrated with their family to the United States from Chechnya in 2002 after living briefly in Makhachkala, capital of Dagestan in Russia.The Tsarnaevs are believed to have emigrated with their family to the United States from Chechnya in 2002 after living briefly in Makhachkala, capital of Dagestan in Russia.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the younger, graduated from Cambridge Ringe and Latin School in 2011, where he was listed as a Greater Boston League Winter All-Star wrestler. That year, he won a $2,500 scholarship awarded to 35 to 45 promising students by the City of Cambridge. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the younger, graduated from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in 2011, where he was listed as a Greater Boston League Winter All-Star wrestler. That year, he won a $2,500 scholarship awarded to 35 to 45 promising students by the City of Cambridge.
Mahmoud Abu-Rubieh, 17, a student at the high school, said he had known Dzhokar Tsarnaev for almost three years as a friend and a wrestling teammate. Dzhokar Tsarnaev, he said, dressed “like any other student at our school,” favoring jeans or khakis, button-ups and T-shirts. Mahmoud Abu-Rubieh, 17, a student at the high school, said he had known Dzhokhar Tsarnaev for almost three years as a friend and a wrestling teammate. Dzhokhar, he said, dressed “like any other student at our school,” favoring jeans or khakis, button-ups and T-shirts.
“I never heard him talk about politics,” Mr. Abu-Rubieh said. “He didn’t really bring up anything like that.” He said the last time he saw Dzhokar Tsarnaev was about three months ago, when her stopped by wrestling practice. “I never heard him talk about politics,” Mr. Abu-Rubieh said. “He didn’t really bring up anything like that.” He said the last time he saw Dzhokhar was about three months ago, when he stopped by wrestling practice.
“We exchanged a greeting,” Mr. Abu-Rubieh said. “He said it was nice to see that I continued to wrestle. If I wanted to convey any message it would be that he was a kind student, that many people respected him, he had many friends and was active in our school.”“We exchanged a greeting,” Mr. Abu-Rubieh said. “He said it was nice to see that I continued to wrestle. If I wanted to convey any message it would be that he was a kind student, that many people respected him, he had many friends and was active in our school.”
The manager of the volleyball team he played for, Meron Woldemariam, 17, said he was a defensive specialist who left the team midseason to wrestle. He was a normal kid, very sociable, she said, friendly and fun to talk to.The manager of the volleyball team he played for, Meron Woldemariam, 17, said he was a defensive specialist who left the team midseason to wrestle. He was a normal kid, very sociable, she said, friendly and fun to talk to.
Tamarlen Tsarnaev, who died after a shootout with law enforcement officers early Friday morning, was studying engineering at Bunker Hill Community College when a photographer, Johannes Hirn, chose the young boxer as the subject of a photo essay.Tamarlen Tsarnaev, who died after a shootout with law enforcement officers early Friday morning, was studying engineering at Bunker Hill Community College when a photographer, Johannes Hirn, chose the young boxer as the subject of a photo essay.
In the essay, Tamarlan Tsarnaev is quoted as saying he had become devoutly religious, having abandoned smoking and drinking. He sounds alienated from Russia, saying that he would not want to box on the Russian team unless Chechnya achieved independence. In the essay, Tamarlan Tsarnaev is quoted as saying he had become devoutly religious, having abandoned smoking and drinking. The essay shows him as being alienated from Russia, saying that he would not want to box on the Russian team unless Chechnya achieved independence.
“There are no values anymore,” Mr. Hirn quotes him as saying. “People can’t control themselves.”“There are no values anymore,” Mr. Hirn quotes him as saying. “People can’t control themselves.”
Tamerlan Tsarnaev confessed a love for the movie “Borat” in the essay, and showed off his pointed shoes — “I"m dressed European style,” Mr. Hirn quotes him as saying — and spars with his girlfriend, who he says is half Portuguese and half Italian and converted to Islam. “She’s beautiful, man!” he tells Mr. Hirn.Tamerlan Tsarnaev confessed a love for the movie “Borat” in the essay, and showed off his pointed shoes — “I"m dressed European style,” Mr. Hirn quotes him as saying — and spars with his girlfriend, who he says is half Portuguese and half Italian and converted to Islam. “She’s beautiful, man!” he tells Mr. Hirn.
In the caption of one photo, showing his muscled upper body, he says that he does not usually take his shirt off in front of women. “I’m very religious,” he says.In the caption of one photo, showing his muscled upper body, he says that he does not usually take his shirt off in front of women. “I’m very religious,” he says.
Larry Aaronson, a retired social studies teacher at the high school, lived a few houses from the Tsarnaev family on Norfolk Street, on the border between Cambridge and Somerville. Larry Aaronson, a retired social studies teacher, lived a few houses from the Tsarnaev family on Norfolk Street, on the border between Cambridge and Somerville.
He became friendly, with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who he said he saw often around the neighborhood but had not seen recently. He believed that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev might have gone off to college, Mr. Aaronson said. He became friendly with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who he said he saw often around the neighborhood but had not seen recently. He said he believed that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev might have gone off to college.
“He was gracious,” he said of the younger Tsarnaev brother. “He told me he was from Chechnya, and I asked him what that was like and he never expressed any bitterness toward Russia or his situation.” “He was gracious,” he said of the younger Tsarnaev brother. “He told me he was from Chechnya, and I asked him what that was like, and he never expressed any bitterness toward Russia or his situation.”
He added, “This comes as a total shock.”He added, “This comes as a total shock.”
Both young men had a substantial presence on social media. On Vkontakte, Russia’s most popular social media platform, the younger of them, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, describes his worldview as “Islam” and, asked to identify “the main thing in life,” answers “career and money.” He lists a series of affinity groups relating to Chechnya, and lists a verse from the Koran, “Do good, because Allah loves those who do good.”Both young men had a substantial presence on social media. On Vkontakte, Russia’s most popular social media platform, the younger of them, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, describes his worldview as “Islam” and, asked to identify “the main thing in life,” answers “career and money.” He lists a series of affinity groups relating to Chechnya, and lists a verse from the Koran, “Do good, because Allah loves those who do good.”
The family is part of a Chechen diaspora that dates back to 1943, when Stalin deported most of the population of Chechnya from their homeland over concerns they were collaborating with the Nazi German invading army. Most returned to Chechnya in the 1950s, after the death of Stalin and lifting of the deportation order, but some stayed. Kyrgyzstan’s Chechen diaspora is concentrated in a steppe region on the Kazakh border, near the town of Talas.The family is part of a Chechen diaspora that dates back to 1943, when Stalin deported most of the population of Chechnya from their homeland over concerns they were collaborating with the Nazi German invading army. Most returned to Chechnya in the 1950s, after the death of Stalin and lifting of the deportation order, but some stayed. Kyrgyzstan’s Chechen diaspora is concentrated in a steppe region on the Kazakh border, near the town of Talas.
The deportation was a searing, and in some cases, radicalizing experience. Among the former Diaspora in Kyrgyzstan was the first rebel president of Chechnya in the post-Soviet period, Dzhokhar Dudayev, who hailed from the Kyrgyz diaspora villages, Mr. Baisalov said.The deportation was a searing, and in some cases, radicalizing experience. Among the former Diaspora in Kyrgyzstan was the first rebel president of Chechnya in the post-Soviet period, Dzhokhar Dudayev, who hailed from the Kyrgyz diaspora villages, Mr. Baisalov said.
Irina V. Bandurina, secretary to the director of School No. 1 in Makhachkala, Russia, said the Tsarnayev family left Dagestan for the United States in 2002 after living there for about a year. She said the family — parents, two boys and two girls — had lived in the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan previously.Irina V. Bandurina, secretary to the director of School No. 1 in Makhachkala, Russia, said the Tsarnayev family left Dagestan for the United States in 2002 after living there for about a year. She said the family — parents, two boys and two girls — had lived in the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan previously.
She said Dzhokhar Tsarnayev, the younger boy, attended School No. 1 in the first grade, and Tamerlan attended school in Makhachkala through the eighth grade. She said she did not know them personally.She said Dzhokhar Tsarnayev, the younger boy, attended School No. 1 in the first grade, and Tamerlan attended school in Makhachkala through the eighth grade. She said she did not know them personally.
Although the Tsarnaev family is believed to have come to the United States in 2002, they were in Turkey on July 9, 2003, according to Muammer Guler, the Turkish interior minister, and left the country 10 days later from the capital, Ankara. There was no information on the family’s next destination after Turkey, the minister said.
Adnan Z. Dzarbrailov, the head of a Chechen diaspora group in Kyrgyzstan, said in a telephone interview that the Tsarnaev family lived near a sugar factory in the small town of Tokmok, about 70 kilometers, or 40 miles, from Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The last member of the family left years ago, he said. He described them as “intelligentsia” and said an aunt of the suspects was a lawyer.
Sultan Tsarnaev, a grandfather of the brothers, died in an accident in Tokmok in the 1980s, when a propane tank he was carrying exploded, according to Mr. Dzarbrailov and Uzbek Aliyev, a Chechen living in Tokmok. An uncle, Anwar Tsarnayev, studied at a university in Bishkek with Mr. Aliyev.
“They were good students, they were good people,” he said of the uncle and aunt of the suspects. Both brothers eventually emigrated from Kyrgyzstan, he said.

Reporting was contributed by Ellen Barry from Moscow; Serge F. Kovaleski from Boston; John Eligon, Richard A. Oppel Jr. and Dina Kraft in Cambridge, Mass.; and Julia Preston in New York.