Moscow has been fighting to win the hearts and minds of South Ossetians for years, first by supplying Russian peacekeepers after South Ossetia's first war for independence in the early 1990s and then by giving South Ossetians Russian passports. But Russia truly won the fight for loyalty on Aug. 28, when Moscow recognized the tiny republic's independence. Signs reading "Ossetia is thankful to Russia" and "Thank you Russia!" have appeared all along the road heading north into Russia, though, suspiciously, they all appear painted with the same red paint and seem written by the same person.

"I'm not a nationalist and I'm not interested in politics," says Abubakarov, who has worked in construction for two years. "Everyone has their own beliefs. I am only here to rebuild the city. There is no mixing of nationalism and this work. What I believe is my business."

Most houses did not escape being at least pockmarked（使有凹坑） with bullet holes or have their windows blown out by the concussion of exploding rockets. Although Abubakarov is not certain how much money the reconstruction will require, he is certain that the rebuilding will be done fast — as it was in Chechnya once Russian money started to pour in on the back of high oil prices.

Outside Doguzova's house, locals join the clean-up effort. Doguzova's nephew, who fought against the Georgian army as a tee-shirt-and-camouflage-clad irregular, begins to sweep up a pile of brick and broken glass with a homemade stick broom. In war, fighting can last just moments, but cleaning up the mess — in every sense — takes a lot longer.