Russian authorities moved the local pro-Moscow government in separatist Chechnya back to the shattered regional capital Grozny today, pledging to rebuild homes and encourage exiled residents to return.
Russian television stations showed the new local administration building, which once housed a furniture factory, being formally opened to the sounds of a military brass band.
"I hope this move to the capital will be a step towards stability in our society and provide cohesion for those who want peace in our land," the head of the administration, Mr Akhmad Kadyrov, told the gathering.
"This city has been destroyed. Only we can rebuild it."
Today's ceremony took place exactly five years after Chechnya's first secessionist president, Mr Dzhokhar Dudayev, was killed by a Russian guided missile. It also coincided with the seizure for several hours by pro-Chechen militants of more than 100 hostages in an Istanbul hotel.
NTV television said the new building was strategically located next to a local military commander's office and a helicopter landing pad in a suburb. It would eventually be moved closer to the city centre.
The festivities, which also featured street dancing, gave way to a meeting of the local administration and the state construction authority.