[Lightstalkers] Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:59:12 +0000

Terrible news about a friend and fellow photojournalist. News reports claim photojournalist Alexander Klimchuk and journalist Giga Chikhladze were killed in the capital of South Ossetia. Klimchuk is a talented photojournalist who I worked with for many years. He is a member of LIghtstalkers. He will be missed.

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 18:26:03 +0000

Dean, I'm sorry you lost your friends. My prayers are with them, their families and friends. What an awful shame. Stay strong.

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 20:24:53 +0000

So sorry. My prayers are for them and their loved ones also. Take care Dean. Blue.

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 20:57:07 +0000

Journalists killed in South Ossetia Two journalists have been killed while covering the conflict between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia, the Echo of Moscow radio station said on Sunday. The journalists were Alexander Klimchuk and Grigol Chikhladze, the station was told by a journalist for the Russian edition of the US news magazine Newsweek. Both reported victims were thought to be Georgian, with Chikhladze being a journalist for Newsweek. AFP From: http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/journalists-killed-in-south-ossetia/2008/08/11/1218306677380.html Alexander Klimchuk's LS profile: http://www.lightstalkers.org/alexander-klimchuk

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 22:12:38 +0000

I am sorry to hear this. I just looked up Klimchuk`s LS profile. He was born in 1981! So young. It is stupid that the humans are forever trying to solve problems militarily and sacrificing their young! Has anyone read "Mario Rigoni Stern":http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20080723/ai_n27939844? I have only read the Japanese translation of "Il Bosco Degli Urogalli", but my favorite story is about the encounter of an Italian soldier with an old Polish man who had spent some time in the Italian`s home town as a prisoner of war. The polish man was treated well in his hometown to the extent that the old man felt to return the favor to the Italian soldier as someone sharing the hometown. And yet Poland was at war with Italy at that time. The hospitality by the old man to the Italian soldier and his comrades made the soldier think for the first time the futility of war, that forces poor young men to fight and die. You are killing the fellow human beings who share the hometown.

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 23:49:08 +0000

This map from the Daily Mail puts things in perspective. !http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/08/10/article-1043185-023971B100000578-18_468x286.jpg!

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:26:56 +0000

so sad to see this. my prayers goes out to family and friends of them both. here's some detailed coverage from withing georgia/south ossetia from the citizens views, through blogs: http://globalvoicesonline.org/specialcoverage/south-ossetia-crisis-2008/ look under: Global Voices Posts about the South Ossetian crisis

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:15:02 +0000

Hi Dean, Giga was/is very good friend of mine, and we worked together in IWPR. Is it really confirmed that he is dead? I heard conflicting news about him. Marina

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:30:02 +0000

Hello Marina. Sadly it is almost 100% certain that the deaths of Sasha and Giga are true. Thanks everyone for the kind words. Sasha was a great guy. We last worked together in February covering the Georgian elections. And the day I arrived we walked through the city for a few hours talking bullshit and then enjoyed a bottle of his homemade red wine and a pack of cigarettes. News update from Russia's Kommersant: Journalists Suffered Combat Losses Two journalists were killed and eight wounded in three days of fighting in South Ossetia. Commander of the 58th Army General Anatoly Khrulev was wounded as well. Mass media hadn’t suffered the losses of that extent even during the first war in Chechnya. A group of journalists, including Alexander Klimchuk, the owner of Georgia’s sole independent photo agency Caucasus Press Images, who worked under the contract with ITAR-TASS, his colleague Teimuraz Kikuradze, Grigol Chikhladze from Newsweek Russia, as well as the U.S. reporter Winston Faderly, had disappeared in South Ossetia’s capital Tskhinvali far back on Friday. The news on their destiny emerged only yesterday. Klimchuk and Chikhladze were killed, other journalists were wounded. According to Caucasus Press Images, Klimchuk and Chikhladze had been in South Ossetia even before the start of Georgia’s assault. In time of street fighting in Tskhinvali, they were in the area first controlled by the Georgians and then by the Ossetians. In darkness, born and grown up in Tbilisi, Klimchuk greeted in Georgian a group of submachine-gunners and got a fire-burst in return. Once the Ossetians realized that they faced the reporters, they delivered the wounded to the hospital in Tskhinvali, which continued to work in a basement because of the shelling attacks of Georgia. Despite all efforts of doctors, Klimchuk and Chikhladze died of wounds. Other journalists are in Tskhinvali and the condition of Faderly is rather grave. Russia’s reporters – a film crew of Vesti TV Channel of Alexander Sladkov, Leonid Losev and Igor Uklein, as well as Komsomolskaya Pravda reporter Alexander Kots - survived the fire Saturday. They were moving in column of armored vehicles led by the 58th Army Commander General-Lieutenant Anatoly Khrulev when attacked by officers of Georgian riot unit positioned two levels above, at the height of 80 meters and 120 meters. Khrulev was wounded in leg but continued to fire back and command the battle. The fire didn’t spare reporters and the victims were delivered to Vladikavkaz hospital. “Now we are trying to transport the wounded reporters to Moscow,” VGTRK Deputy General Director Dmitry Kiselev said. “It is particularly important to transport cameraman Losev, whose condition is grave after the complex operation.” NTV producer Pyotr Gassiev was also wounded in Tskhinvali, news agencies reported past night.

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:40:59 +0000

Hi Dean, I haven´t known that you were a friend of Sasha (Alexander Klimchuk). I´ve begun one year before to start up an caucasian photo agency http://www.caucasus-images.com/ with him. He had big plans and fantastic ideas... Everytime he was couraged photographer, however he was sometimes to risky while covering the conflict zone, in which we both had worked together. He died in Tshinvali together with his best friend Giga Chikhladze, who was also a friend of mine. Giga leave behind his wife and two children. An other american colleague (I don´t want to publish his name here) has been wounded. As I know his is in safety already. I´ll try do get their bodies out of the hot zone, but it is still impossible. I´ve heart both friends are in the local morgue. I would be glad if anybody of the lightstalker is in Tskhinvali to check out, whether Sasha and Giga are really there. Sashas parents depending from Sashas picture sales. I guess Gigas wife will get support by her family. But, nevertheless I would like to ask this communtiy for support. Hopefully the bodies can be brought back to the relatives. But funerals are also expensive in this poor Georgia. Furthermore, the left families need financial support to manage the daily life without the breadwinners. Me for myself cannot got to Tbilisi, because of the lack of money. I´ll try to do my very best to help from germany. It´s a emotional tough feeling not be be with them right now. Moreover, Friends of Giga and Sasha fleeing already from Tbilisi, because of the russias Invasion. So, If anybody here would like to help a little bit, send me an email for further informations. At latest I will be in Georgia in October. I miss them much! timo

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:47:04 +0000

Hi Dean again, just now I´ve read your story about how Sasha and Giga died. I didn´t know that, yet. Could you please tell me, who have given you these details. You said: "according to CPI", but whom of us give that info? timo

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:00:59 +0000

Hello Timo. The story above is from the the online English language version of Kommersant. So I cannot confirm all of the info of course. I do know that Sasha was in the S. Ossetia region and capital a day before the major Georgian offensive. I was in mobile phone contact with him. EurasiaNet, with whom I work for as photo editor and photojournalist, published some of his photos last Thursday evening. Afterwards I could not longer reach him via email or mobile phone. I should say Timo, when I was in Georgia in February, the first day I arrived Sasha took me to his office and wanted to brag and show off his new Caucasus Images agency. He talked about you a lot, how you helped set up the agency and wanted to help promote his work and that of other photojournalists in Georgia to European news media organizations. He was excited about CPI and we looked over hundreds of images while toasting several times with a bottle of his homemade red wine and filling the cramped office with smoke from a few packs of cigarettes. Sasha was a really decent, super nice guy. I will contact you directly concerning helping out. Dean

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:29:46 +0000

Journalists Suffered Combat Losses Two journalists were killed and eight wounded in three days of fighting in South Ossetia. Commander of the 58th Army General Anatoly Khrulev was wounded as well. Mass media hadn’t suffered the losses of that extent even during the first war in Chechnya. A group of journalists, including Alexander Klimchuk, the owner of Georgia’s sole independent photo agency Caucasus Press Images, who worked under the contract with ITAR-TASS, his colleague Teimuraz Kikuradze, Grigol Chikhladze from Newsweek Russia, as well as the U.S. reporter Winston Faderly, had disappeared in South Ossetia’s capital Tskhinvali far back on Friday. The news on their destiny emerged only yesterday. Klimchuk and Chikhladze were killed, other journalists were wounded. According to Caucasus Press Images, Klimchuk and Chikhladze had been in South Ossetia even before the start of Georgia’s assault. In time of street fighting in Tskhinvali, they were in the area first controlled by the Georgians and then by the Ossetians. In darkness, born and grown up in Tbilisi, Klimchuk greeted in Georgian a group of submachine-gunners and got a fire-burst in return. Once the Ossetians realized that they faced the reporters, they delivered the wounded to the hospital in Tskhinvali, which continued to work in a basement because of the shelling attacks of Georgia. Despite all efforts of doctors, Klimchuk and Chikhladze died of wounds. Other journalists are in Tskhinvali and the condition of Faderly is rather grave. Russia’s reporters – a film crew of Vesti TV Channel of Alexander Sladkov, Leonid Losev and Igor Uklein, as well as Komsomolskaya Pravda reporter Alexander Kots - survived the fire Saturday. They were moving in column of armored vehicles led by the 58th Army Commander General-Lieutenant Anatoly Khrulev when attacked by officers of Georgian riot unit positioned two levels above, at the height of 80 meters and 120 meters. Khrulev was wounded in leg but continued to fire back and command the battle. The fire didn’t spare reporters and the victims were delivered to Vladikavkaz hospital. “Now we are trying to transport the wounded reporters to Moscow,” VGTRK Deputy General Director Dmitry Kiselev said. “It is particularly important to transport cameraman Losev, whose condition is grave after the complex operation.” NTV producer Pyotr Gassiev was also wounded in Tskhinvali, news agencies reported past night. www.kommersant.com From: http://www.kommersant.com/p1010083/r_527/South_Ossetia_journalists/

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:07:57 +0000

!http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/images/georgia-south-ossettia.gif! The above is another map I have looked at from an "article":http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20489.htm I just finished reading, giving us the context in which the two died. Here is a "usefull chronology of events":http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LA334974.htm that in this latest episode, it was the Georgian army which invaded into South Ossetia. The Russian reaction came afterward.

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:29:47 +0000

sorry for your friends lost mate!!:( couple days ago 4 Turkish tv crewmen got hit by bullets for 2 of them wounded though but they recover fast. Hope not to hear any more bad news:!!

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:27:03 +0000

Im so sorry to hear about this. Sasha and Giga were good souls and passionate journalists that cared intensely about their role in this world. They will be missed. Does anyone know how to get in touch with either of their families? Email addresses for Gigas family, maybe a reg post address or phone number for Sashas? Please let me know if you have any information. thanks, andres

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:54:14 +0000

I´m sorry we´ve lost these lads. My condolences to their family and my prayers for them, and the other innocents going down.

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:38:28 +0000

My deepest condolences to the families and friends.. don`t know what to say more about this... Regards Benjamin

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:47:35 +0000

From PDN: Reports: At Least Four Journalists Dead in Georgia Fighting

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:14:37 +0000

I just talked to Giga's family. Families of Sasha and Giga are trying to get their bodies. If they will not manage within this two days they will be reportedly buried in a mass grave. But through Georgia is impossible. Now, Newsweek Russia is trying apparently to get a permission to get them out through Vladikavkaz, but as far as I was told by Giga's brother, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs refuses to give a permission, arguing that Giga and Sasha were 'foreign' citizens. If anyone there can help somehow, PLEASE DO!!!! I believe the best is to try to get in touch with Newsweek Russia and coordinate with them! Marina

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:37:07 +0000

Can we do something like E-Mail "Protest" to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs? Has anybody a contact Mail Adress? There should be something we can do - I wish so...!

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:41:48 +0000

I think it is very important to first get the feedback from Newsweek, and to coordinate with them at this stage. If anyone has contacts there... I will keep you posted on any news I get.

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:59:03 +0000

Please guys, keep cool. Some people are underway to do whatever they can to find a solution. thanks

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:01:10 +0000

yes, it seems there is still hope that they get permit, we need to wait and stay calm, thanks for replies! marina

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:38:06 +0000

Whatever will happen the next days in this incredible tradegy, it´s evident that Sashas (Alexander) and Gigas relative standing alone with all financial difficulties. Both friends were the only breadwinner of their families. Mention that georgia is a poor country. live conditions became worser last year as the prices of groceries increased fatal (in some cases more than 100 percent!), without increasing salaries. Anyway, if anybody wants to help the loved ones of Sasha and Giga, support them by giving a little part of that we all doesn´t have enough - money. 5, 10, 50$? Everything is welcome. Send me a mail if you would like to donate something. I will give you than my account no (until I have the account No. of the relatives) and I will guarantee to transmit it 100%. THANKS a lot!

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:01:49 +0000

Timo, Dean, Marina, so sorry to hear about your friends. I commissioned Sasha once - I didn't really get to know him but he seemed like a really nice guy.

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:43:08 +0000

http://corbettid.blogspot.com/2008/08/another-year-of-living-dangerously.html

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:56:50 +0000

Hi everybody, we´ve installed a website to call for support Sashas and Gias relatives: Please ckeck out: http://www.caucasus-images.com/

Re: Klimchuk killed in South Ossetia

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:59:12 +0000

Just noticed a Flickr account has been created in memoriam of Alexander, with some of his pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/29654399@N05/