Twelve years ago, I worked in the Russian North Caucasus, to create a story about the long history of violence and the gross human rights violations. We considered the region to be the backyard of Sochi, where the Winter Olympics would soon take place. We hoped that these Games would bring some attention for this neglected region.⁠
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Western media rarely report on the ongoing civil war in the North Caucasus, not least because it is complicated for foreign journalists to work there. As a correspondent, you risk having your accreditation revoked if you plan to cover the civil war. Arnold and I are living proof. After our work in the North Caucasus, our next visa was refused⁠.⁠
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Russians knew little about what was happening in the North Caucasus. Our friends in Moscow were less informed than we were about the region, even though they believed they were very well-informed. They thought we were crazy for going to an area full of terrorists. The one-sided reporting in the Russian media (“Russia is being attacked by terrorists on its own soil”) was effective even then. Russian journalists, far braver than we are, paid with their lives for trying to expose the Russian regime’s role in fueling all the atrocities. If not killed, they were mutilated, or placed in prison.⁠
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The story we made back in 2012 can be viewed here. Looking back, I feel that our story, filled with history and misery, did not have enough impact at the time, to bring the horrific human rights abuses of the Putin regime enough into the spotlight.⁠
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As a counterpoint to all atrocities we covered, we also worked on a series about one of the most beautiful sports in the world and the region’s most popular sport: Wrestling. We visited a zillion wrestling schools filled with kids training to follow in the footsteps of their local hero, one of the greatest wrestlers of all time: Buvaisar Saitiev. This series of fifteen portraits is from the book ‘Life Here is Serious’, which is temporarily made available in my shop for 35 euros. Half of the proceeds go to Protect Ukraine, which supplies equipment to the Ukrainian army.

BUY THIS BOOK and we will donate the ENTIRE PROCEEDS (47.50 per book) to the Ukrainian Red Cross. PLEASE HELP US PROMOTING by SHARING this message within your network. Together, we can reach more people and raise more money.

Earlier this month, Arnold van Bruggen and I sold 84 books in just a few days and donated the entire proceeds of €3,990 to the Ukrainian Red Cross. We stopped the campaign because our book stock was running out. After contacting Aperture, they generously decided to replenish our stock free of charge. On top distributor Idea Books offered to take care of the transport from America to the Netherlands. Brilliant! What a generosity in support for Ukraine!

In 2015, the 2nd edition of our book An Atlas of War and Tourism in the Caucasus came out. We used on the cover the quote ‘This is the new face of Russia, our Russia’, from a propaganda speech made by the CEO of Sochi 2014, a Putin-supporting clown, during the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Sochi. The book - released in first printing before the Winter Games - extensively covers the blatant human rights violations under Putin and his regime. We regularly received a frowning look, wondering if we hadn’t exaggerated things. After all, it couldn’t be that bad in Russia, could it? Again and again we explained: The Putin regime violates human rights on a large scale, is corrupt, criminal and dehumanizing. Disguised as a democracy.

Read about it in this book and support the Ukrainian Red Cross at the same time!

One week ago, Arnold and I started our support campaign for Ukraine out of a state of anger and powerlessness. We sold a whopping 84 copies of our Atlas of War and Tourism in the Caucasus for 47.50 euros each and have now donated the total amount of 3,990 euros to Red Cross giro 5125 for aid in Ukraine and the surrounding countries. Thanks to everyone - including Russian online trolls - who helped promote our messages on social media.

We realise that this is a drop in the ocean. We are working on a follow-up action, given that the atrocious war crimes under the leadership of war lord Putin seem to have no end in sight. We encourage everyone - governments and citizens - to continue to support Ukraine so that this huge country is not lost within a free Europe and becomes the domain of a totalitarian regime that runs on oppression and lies.

This war is not a war between Russia and Ukraine. This war is a war between a sickly power-obsessed dictator and Ukraine. We sympathise with the many incredibly brave Russian citizens who dare to speak out against this war on a daily basis. Meanwhile, more than 13 000 people have been arrested all over Russia. These people deserve praise, but instead they face imprisonment and a huge fine.

Humanity is cruel.

Buy this book! We - Arnold van Bruggen and Rob Hornstra - will donate the entire proceeds (€47.50 per book) to the Ukrainian Red Cross. ⁠⁠
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Seven years ago, the 2nd edition of our book An Atlas of War and Tourism in the Caucasus came out. We used on the cover the quote ‘This is the new face of Russia, our Russia’, from a propaganda speech made by the CEO of Sochi 2014, a Putin-supporting clown, during the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Sochi. The book - released in first printing before the Winter Games - extensively covers the blatant human rights violations under Putin and his regime. We regularly received a frowning look, wondering if we hadn’t exaggerated things. After all, it couldn’t be that bad in Russia, could it? Our National Olympic Committee, for example, thought so. Our crown prince and his wife had a nice beer with Putin, the human rights violating ruler, during these very same Games. We were shocked. Again and again we explained: The Putin regime violates human rights on a large scale, is corrupt, criminal and dehumanizing. Disguised as a democracy. Read about it in this book. ⁠⁠
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Like many, we feel powerless in the light of the horrific events in Ukraine. We want to do something, we want to support Ukraine. That is why we decided on this action, buy this book and the entire amount will be transferred to the Ukrainian Red Cross. Do you already have the book? Buy again and give it as a gift to friends or acquaintances.⁠⁠