Nedkov: Taking no prisoners

Russia's Beslan School Number One, where upward of 335 died in the early afternoon of August 3?

No, one of Moscow's House of Culture theatres on the afternoon of October 25, 2002. However, the similarities between the two Chechen rebel incursions into Russian territory go beyond the unchallengeable brutality of their denouements, and there is perhaps no one in Montreal more acutely aware of that than Bulgarian-Canadian and McGill MBA student Vesselin Nedkov.

Nedkov, 27 at the time and working in Moscow, was in that theatre, one of 800 people taken hostage by a Chechen martyrs brigade, 129 of whom would die in the subsequent rescue attempt by Russian special forces. Nedkov was moved by his experience as a hostage, as well as by the profound deficit of answers afterward, to write a book about his experience, 57 Hours: A Survivor's Account of the Moscow Hostage Drama (co-authored by Paul Wilson, Viking Canada). It is a swift, chilling, and utterly balanced, humanistic view of his shared ordeal that splices political and historical context with an hour-by-hour narrative of the degenerating scene inside the theatre. In short, a helluva read.

I asked the honest and forthright Nedkov about his first thoughts on hearing of the Beslan hostage crisis...

"Whew... I don't know the best word to describe it. I... I was horrified," he says, pausing repeatedly, his loss for adequate words evident. "After what happened with me, I was always hoping that every time there was news from Russia describing events like that - any kind of terrorist event - that this would never happen again, not on such a scale. And the fact that there were so many children involved, and the fact that it was the first day of the school year, which from my childhood was something sacred."

Nedkov reluctantly admits that the similarities between the then ongoing sequence of events in Beslan and his own experience didn't inspire optimism.

"Honestly, from the very beginning I didn't have much hope that, let's say, the conflict was going to be resolved in the best possible way for the hostages," he says, choosing his words carefully. "Especially since the hostage takers had some sort of experience from what happened in Moscow. They were prepared to be stormed by the Russian forces.

"I was on the inside and I know that the Russians would never negotiate with terrorists, even when they're talking about children. And this is what happened in the end."

Though in 57 Hours Nedkov repeatedly questioned the Chechens' willingness to sacrifice themselves at the altar of their cause (this despite their unnerving and oft-repeated mantra, "We want to die more than you want to live"), he now acknowledges their blackly coloured conviction.

"After what happened in Moscow in the theatre I was sure that there would never be a hostage taking like that again," he says, "because obviously the Russians have shown that they're not going to negotiate with these people. So this hostage taking was quite surprising actually, but that led logically, at least for myself, to the conclusion that these people are really ready to die, so they were ready for the outcome."

One might assume that the Kremlin has since benefited from acquired wisdom based on their experience in Moscow. One would apparently, and some might say evidently, be wrong.

"Unfortunately, I don't think the Russians learned anything," says Nedkov regretfully. "When I was analyzing and researching what happened there and how they handled the situation, [I found] that there wasn't even a sound attempt to try to find out more about what happened inside the theatre... Also, they don't try to negotiate - they don't even have official negotiators, which I still don't accept. It's unthinkable. That couldn't happen in North America."

It almost certainly points to a systemic problem within the Russian command structure. In his book, Nedkov lays a portion of the blame squarely at the feet of Russian military authority, not just for the failed response, but for again allowing themselves to be placed in a situation without, as they say, winning conditions.

"It's a really conceptual problem," he states. "I agree that there should be no precedent created for negotiating with terrorists, for sure. But this is one more confirmation of my belief that these types of well-known, hardcore policies that the Russians have for dealing with problems don't work. That doesn't mean that I blame the Russians for the outcome, because it's the terrorists' fault, but the Russians could have done something different to avoid it."

Nedkov pauses when asked if he thinks there are lingering emotional and psychological sticking points stemming from his captivity.

"Ummm, I don't think so, no," he says thoughtfully. "In a sense, the book helped me to overcome these because I had to live again with all the traumatizing memories. And because I had to go through these a lot of times while working on the book, for me they're nothing more than usual memories, they're not painful anymore, and fortunately I don't think there are any long-term effects."

Nedkov has moved on, settled in to his academic life here in Montreal, and feels that in writing 57 Hours he has achieved what he set out to do: pass on a message, one that is particularly poignant in light of the events of Beslan.

"I wanted to show how helpless we are against these people who are willing to die, to sacrifice themselves because they believe in something very strongly. This is something we don't have and that makes us extremely vulnerable."

Hour: Subliminal leftist bullshitting since 1989!

Reader of the Week: "I still just cannot believe that you people haven't written even one single word about the Islamo-fascist massacre in Russia. You [leftists] really are absolutely despicable. And BTW, that was the last drop, after 15 years (since 1989), I am no longer your loyal reader. Actually, it is kinda ironic - it was mainly thanks to the Hour and its non-stop subliminal leftist liberal politically-correct bullshit that I started looking for some Truth and finally found the RIGHT path. So thank you very much and shalom." - Igor

And, uh, you're welcome. Quick note, though: Hour's only been publishing since 1993.

Pier-to-pier artworking

Montrealers shouldn't miss the boat, especially when the boat (titled Les Escales Improbables) is more of a figurative representation that in real life closely approximates the Montreal Science Centre building on King Edward Pier in the Old Port. For two days and nights this weekend, September 18 and 19, this space is being transformed into a MEGA multidisciplinary arts, music, performance, technology and partying/entertainment space that's as functional for cutting-edge aficionados as it is for the family. There are both daytime and nighttime "cruises" available very cheaply, and since there's no way to rattle off all the stimuli on the fly, I will simply direct you to www.escalesimprobables.com.

 
 

		Write your comment on this article!

Babylon, P.Q. & terrorism 101     When I was a kid terrorism was an abstract that I just didn't get. Violence I understood but how was terrorism any different I always wondered. Now, as an adult I still don't get it. I mean, yes, the fundamentals of how terrorism works are clear to me now but the whole crux of the thing still defies logic. I guess it's supposed to, right? Violence is just that but terrorism is violence with a purpose and a whole lot of loaded emotion and strident ideology. Basically you're pissed, you have a target where you can aim that anger and you develop a righteous ideology that allows you carry out your actions with purity of conviction. In a twisted way, it's almost beautiful and simple...if you don't factor in all the violence and death. The world is already a dark place full of that so how adding more to it improves matters just escapes me.
Pedro Eggers	{1 vote}	January 21st, 2005
Let Chechnya Be Free     Because of the escalating violence and brutality that never seemed to end, the English eventually had to get out of Ireland and in similar fashion the French had to get out of Algeria. It is only a matter of time before Russia will be physically and emotionally spent and let the people of Chechnya decide their own destiny. Because the Western powers do not approve of Russian policy in Chechnya, they do not provide them the best in anti-terrorism equipment and manpower that could have saved the lives of many children. When you have resistance fighters ready to die for a cause your options are very limited. Chechnya is a small area of low strategic importance and is not worth the military involvement. Relations with the West will improve when there is an end to hostilities. Military expenditures make less money available to support the day to day needs of Russian citizens. We all want to succeed!
Stephen Talko	{4 votes}	January 4th, 2005
Wow two world Powers now with free rights to get terrorists no matter where they are.     Yes now the Russians can decide to declare war on a country like the Americans did in Irac. Don't get me wrong here I feel alot for the innocent children that died in this school and for the thousands of people that died in the Two towers in New York. But in all this there are alot of puzzle pieces missing. All I see is that they are fighting terrorists and doing alot more on the side. How is it that the Gouvernment of these countries with all there secret intellegance can't find the group responsible for this. Maybe because they have something to do with it . Maybe it is all a cover up to get the world population grieving there dead and fearing for there lives while they continue to create a stronger world power. And this NATO organization what power or say do they have. They just keep the seats warm and get a salary to sit and watch. I believe is that these great powers are running out of resorces and are searching for more amunition for power to rule over the world. And if they do not accomplish this they will definitly drive us into a third world war. The sparks are there and soon there will be a fire. There is so much killing everywhere that we could be very close to that war errupting. This not about the ,could have killed those a long time ago , this is about having motives to over-power or to gain more power . This is WAR coming very soon from two of the world powers.
Maria Cecillia Silva	{32 votes}	September 19th, 2004
Overcoming your greatest fear     I really feel for Vesselin Nedkov and the demons he's had to live with by reliving the traumatic events that occurred during Moscow Hostage Drama. To find the strength to co-write the book and relive the pain and suffering takes alot. I can only begin to imagine what it would feel to not know what is coming next and cope with fear. Once he had gone through the ordeal, he was able to pick up the pieces and come study in Montreal in the McGill MBA program is admirable. My hat's off to Vesselin...
Ronny Pangia	{13 votes}	September 17th, 2004
Impact     After reading this article, I seriously doubted the hard line adopted in Russia. Why? Simply because there will always be more impact for the normally peaceful civilian than for any terrorist after such act. I am sure most parent in Russia are now scared to death of what could happen to their children. As most American wonders where exactly the next terrorist strike will fall. It's not that they would have made it any better by negociation. But every life they could have spare they should have tried to save. No I would never have released the prisoner they asked to be released. But still they should indeed have tried to know what was going on inside. Basically, they should have tryied to win something really precious on such occasion, time. You do have to wonder what these terrorists had been face with to come to such extreme actions. But, no there is no way to understand how they could kill these children. It's not easy to admit it, but civilian will never really be ready for such actions and therefore those who believe everything is already lost will more often seek such final solution. Chaos is getting bigger as the impacts are felt in the population. No matter what kind of war the different government will throw at the terrorists, it will never be succesful as long as their will be such difference between the rich and the poor. Mind me, I don't believe if would be any better if everyone was on the same level and possess the same goods. Human would just try to get a little more, we already know that. It's a sad sad world, but hey, if we look in the past, we may just find that it's getting a little better. Even after such horror.
Nicolas Gauthier	{13 votes}	September 16th, 2004

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