Moscow terrorist attack rekindles personal reflections from my time in Russia
The terrorist attack unfolded just moments away from the place I stayed for a week in Russia back in 2015. Here's my recollection of that time and why it holds significance even nine years later.
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On Friday evening, as hundreds gathered to attend a a sold-out concert by the Soviet-era rock group Piknik, several gunmen opened fire, killing dozens of attendees in what could be the deadliest attack in Russia in decades.
The attack took place at the Crocus City Hall, a popular concert venue in the Krasnogorsk suburb on the outskirts of Moscow. Photos showed the concert hall engulfed in flames, which videos surfaced capturing the chaos of the attack. One particularly distressing video showcased three individuals clad in fatigues, armed with rifles, firing at point-blank range amidst the scattered, lifeless bodies in the concert hall lobby.
At least 133 people have been killed and more than 100 wounded in the terrorist attack, which left the concert venue a smouldering mess. Up to five gunmen are reported to have been involved in the attack, which has since been claimed by the Islamic State.
While this tragic attack has nothing to do with the politics of sports, it resonated with me because it unfolded just moments away from the place I stayed for a week almost nine years ago.
It was April 2015 when I first arrived in Krasnogorsk. I was working as an English commentator for M-1 Global, Russia’s oldest (and now defunct) mixed martial arts organization. M-1 Global was under the ownership of Vadim Finkelchtein, a relatively minor Russian oligarch with a penchant for combat sports and medieval knight fights (no, actually).
I was 23 years old at the time—a young, aspiring journalist still trying to find his place in the digital ecosystem. I had managed to land a job as a staff writer for Bloody Elbow (RIP) but when the opportunity presented itself to work as a commentator—an opportunity that meant regular trips to Russia and its neighbouring countries—I knew I had to take it.
Needless to say, it was a pivotal decision in my life. The three years I spent traveling across the Russian Federation allowed me to develop my knowledge of the region and the inner workings of its sports culture. I uncovered Russian MMA gyms operating as militias in Eastern Ukraine, reported on how Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov’s MMA fight club served as an extension of his private army, and revealed the web of oligarchs buying up combat sports ventures to earn Russian president Vladimir Putin’s favour.
However, all of these events transpired well after April 2015. That particular trip marked the early stages of my explorations in Russia, a time when I viewed each moment through rose-tinted glasses. During that period, I kept a journal and documented many of those experiences, knowing they may serve me in the future.
Today, I've decided to revisit those journals and offer you, my readers, a glimpse into those entries.