Beslan: Six Stories of the Siege - Hardcover

Harding, Sue-Ann

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0719085357 ISBN 13: 9780719085352

Publisher: Manchester University Press, 2012

Synopsis

This book investigates the reportage of the 2004 Beslan hostage-taking published by three very different Russian-language websites: RIA-Novosti, Kavkazcenter, and Caucasian Knot, tracking the ways in which these three sites constructed six different reports in response to what happened at Beslan, even as events were still taking place. By covering both Russian and English reports, the book also considers ways in which translation impacts on the reconstruction of these narratives. Working from the premises that narratives constitute reality and are fundamental to human agency, the book investigates material never before subjected to scholarly analysis in this depth, contributing to an understanding of Beslan in terms of its significance for Russia’s nation building, civil society and responses to terrorism. The book also reflects on the role of narratives in perpetuating or dissolving violent political conflict, a discussion relevant not just for Russia, but for other, seemingly intractable, conflicts across the world. -- .

About this title

About the Author

Sue-Ann Harding is a Research Associate in Russian and East European Studies at the University of Manchester

From the Back Cover

This book is the first, sustained close reading of Russian-language online media accounts of the 2004 Beslan school siege, now seen as a vital turning point in Russia's approach to terrorism and in the Putin/Medvedev presidencies. It investigates the reportage of the hostage-taking published by three very different websites: RIA-Novosti, a large, Russian state-controlled news agency; Kavkazcenter, the major site of the Chechen armed resistance; and Caucasian Knot, founded by Memorial, the internationally acclaimed Russian human rights NGO. By tracking the ways in which these three sites constructed six different reports relating, and responding to, what happened at Beslan, even as events were still taking place, this book is an investigation of material that has never before been subjected to scholarly analysis in this depth and to such a systematic degree. By covering both Russian and English reports, the book also considers issues of translation, particularly in regard to online publishing, and ways in which translation impacts on the reconstruction of these narratives. Working from the premises that narratives do not merely represent but constitute reality, are fundamental to human agency, and are used to account for, legitimise, and challenge behaviour and the practices of institutions, the book also reflects on the potential for certain kinds of narratives to either perpetuate or dissolve violent political conflict, a discussion that is relevant not just for Beslan and for Russia, but for those involved in other violent, seemingly intractable, conflicts across the world, and for those who would undo them.

Edition details

• Publisher: Manchester University Press
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0719085357
• ISBN 13: 9780719085352
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 256