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Chechnya Diary: A War Correspondent's Story of Surviving the War in Chechnya
Chechnya Diary is a story about "the story" of the war in Chechnya, the "rogue republic" that attempted to secede from the Russian Federation at the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Specifically, it is the story of the Samashki Massacre, a symbol of the Russian brutality that was employed to crush Chechen resistance.
Thomas Goltz is a member of the exclusive journalistic cadre of compulsive, danger-addicted voyeurs who court death to get the story. But in addition to providing a tour through the convoluted Soviet and then post-Soviet nationalities policy that led to the bloodbath in Chechnya, Chechnya Diary is part of a larger exploration of the role (and impact) of the media in conflict areas. And at its heart, Chechnya Diary is the story of Hussein, the leader of the local resistance in the small town that bears the brunt of the massacre as it is drawn into war.
This is a deeply personal book, a first person narrative that reads like an adventure but addresses larger theoretical issues ranging from the history of ethnic/nationalities in the USSR and the Russian Federation to journalistic responsibility in crisis zones. Chechnya Diary is a crossover work that offers both the historical context and a ground-level view of a complex and brutal war.
Thomas Goltz is a member of the exclusive journalistic cadre of compulsive, danger-addicted voyeurs who court death to get the story. But in addition to providing a tour through the convoluted Soviet and then post-Soviet nationalities policy that led to the bloodbath in Chechnya, Chechnya Diary is part of a larger exploration of the role (and impact) of the media in conflict areas. And at its heart, Chechnya Diary is the story of Hussein, the leader of the local resistance in the small town that bears the brunt of the massacre as it is drawn into war.
This is a deeply personal book, a first person narrative that reads like an adventure but addresses larger theoretical issues ranging from the history of ethnic/nationalities in the USSR and the Russian Federation to journalistic responsibility in crisis zones. Chechnya Diary is a crossover work that offers both the historical context and a ground-level view of a complex and brutal war.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2003
9 people are currently reading
238 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Goltz
14 books14 followersThomas Goltz (October 11, 1954 – July 29, 2023) was an American author and journalist best known for his accounts of conflict in the Caucasus region during the 1990s.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 31, 2013
Some guys i guess dream of being ball players or astronauts when they grow up, i wanted to be a conflict correspondent, a war journalist. Conflict zones are the closest this world comes to the "empty spaces on the map" that Conrad mentions in "Heart of Darkness."
I guess that makes me a natural mark for reading Goltz's "Chechnya Diary". Overall i liked the book as it provided a gripping look into both the 1st Chechen war and the all round dysfunction that is most things Russian. Goltz finds himself living in a town called Samaskshi right before the Russians rolled in and slaughtered the town. Goltz shot footage and befriended many in the town including members of the resistance. The footage would win Goltz the Rory Peck Prize and make him unpopular with the Russians and their FSB. Also includes an interesting insight into how foreign correspondents get their assignments done and financed.
The writing is a bit rough and uneven in places and I suspect Goltz aimed for a level of profoundness/literary caliber that he could not reach and that led to problems. This part of the world is fascinating and so is the book.
I guess that makes me a natural mark for reading Goltz's "Chechnya Diary". Overall i liked the book as it provided a gripping look into both the 1st Chechen war and the all round dysfunction that is most things Russian. Goltz finds himself living in a town called Samaskshi right before the Russians rolled in and slaughtered the town. Goltz shot footage and befriended many in the town including members of the resistance. The footage would win Goltz the Rory Peck Prize and make him unpopular with the Russians and their FSB. Also includes an interesting insight into how foreign correspondents get their assignments done and financed.
The writing is a bit rough and uneven in places and I suspect Goltz aimed for a level of profoundness/literary caliber that he could not reach and that led to problems. This part of the world is fascinating and so is the book.
April 8, 2015
My review is not unbiased as I am Thomas' brother. However, I strongly recommend reading his 3 "diaries" if you have an interest in post-Soviet Central Asia!
August 22, 2014
Not as good as Azerbaijan Diary.
November 17, 2021
A very personal account of Goltz's Chechnya misadventures. There's a lot going on in the book, a large part of it dedicated to the ethics of being an observer in a war zone, one that might even influence those around him by his presence. There's dealing with guilt about filming atrocities for prime-time TV, chasing suffering for views, and most importantly of all, becoming too close and too attached to the people you're not supposed to have any investment in.
While Samashki is at the center of a lot of the story, this book itself isn't exactly about Samashki. There's a lot to gleam here about the wider diaspora of the Chechen community and their aid during the war, how the villages function, some Chechen customs (and religious traditions), some interesting bits about international financiers and foreign interests, and an ugly revelation of the corporatism of the news media that was already prevalent in the 1990s.
True to the name of the book, the structure is very much like a diary and this I didn't care for. There's a lot of jumping in and out of the country, a lot of people who fade in and out or just disappear. The format could have been better to cut down on some confusion. The romanized spelling of a lot of names was also pretty bad, though not a problem if you're aware of all the big Chechen players during the war.
Overall a good read, but not as impactful as some of the other works that came out of the two wars. The last quarter of the book deals with making a follow-up video about Samashki, which you can actually see on Youtube on the author's channel. It was nice to be able to put faces to people in the book as well as see the places (which I imagined quite accurately, so kudos to the author for his descriptions).
While Samashki is at the center of a lot of the story, this book itself isn't exactly about Samashki. There's a lot to gleam here about the wider diaspora of the Chechen community and their aid during the war, how the villages function, some Chechen customs (and religious traditions), some interesting bits about international financiers and foreign interests, and an ugly revelation of the corporatism of the news media that was already prevalent in the 1990s.
True to the name of the book, the structure is very much like a diary and this I didn't care for. There's a lot of jumping in and out of the country, a lot of people who fade in and out or just disappear. The format could have been better to cut down on some confusion. The romanized spelling of a lot of names was also pretty bad, though not a problem if you're aware of all the big Chechen players during the war.
Overall a good read, but not as impactful as some of the other works that came out of the two wars. The last quarter of the book deals with making a follow-up video about Samashki, which you can actually see on Youtube on the author's channel. It was nice to be able to put faces to people in the book as well as see the places (which I imagined quite accurately, so kudos to the author for his descriptions).
June 20, 2025
Much weaker than his Azeri Diary.
Understandbly so, since in here Goltz has way less persons and facts to write about, as he was probably involved in about under 10% events compared to Karabah. So the writer Goltz has to fill in, for most of the book, instead of eyewitness Goltz, and writer Goltz proves to be much less talented than journalist Goltz.
On the other hand, still a good book and very good at conveying how murderously evil Russian actively were (and are) and how evil Westerners passively were, by refusing to know what was going on (as usually - as in Rwanda, Congo, Georgia and so on).
Just not Goltz's best (maybe his weakest) and definitely not in top 100 books about Chechnya (of the probably 20-30 existing). No typo, just a pun intended.
Understandbly so, since in here Goltz has way less persons and facts to write about, as he was probably involved in about under 10% events compared to Karabah. So the writer Goltz has to fill in, for most of the book, instead of eyewitness Goltz, and writer Goltz proves to be much less talented than journalist Goltz.
On the other hand, still a good book and very good at conveying how murderously evil Russian actively were (and are) and how evil Westerners passively were, by refusing to know what was going on (as usually - as in Rwanda, Congo, Georgia and so on).
Just not Goltz's best (maybe his weakest) and definitely not in top 100 books about Chechnya (of the probably 20-30 existing). No typo, just a pun intended.
May 3, 2015
Goltz does love what he does and hopefully will survive it. Chris Hedges noted in his book, "War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning", some folks are addicted to war. If they were not, who in their right mind would want to cover these stories. Goltz puts himself in such jeopardy that one wonders if he does not have a death wish. Nevertheless, this account of war in Chechnya is unnerving for its brutality and inhumanity. What is so remarkable is that in the middle of the experience, there was a Mother's March for peace which included mothers of soldier, peace activists, Buddhism monks and others who risked their lives to protest Russian brutality. Amazing... Mr. Goltz gives us a minute by minute look at his job and its frustrations and rewards. God help him.
This book as one review said using Goltz's own words, "a little rusty razor of a book" is quite a statement. I must say that war is not my favorite genre but for the sheer heart-pounding moments with "Toms" I was hooked. Cruelty is never going to go out of style, I am afraid but neither are courageous people like the Samashki villagers.
This book as one review said using Goltz's own words, "a little rusty razor of a book" is quite a statement. I must say that war is not my favorite genre but for the sheer heart-pounding moments with "Toms" I was hooked. Cruelty is never going to go out of style, I am afraid but neither are courageous people like the Samashki villagers.
September 27, 2007
Well worth a read if you're interested in the subject but read Anne Nivat's book first.
October 31, 2013
Felt as the author was pushing his name and the BS that went with it.....
November 13, 2013
Unfocused.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews