My Hours Inside The Moscow Theatre

By Anna Politkovskaya in Moscow. (This article originally appeared in Novaya Gazeta.)

The main events in my role in this drama began at around 2pm on October 25. Earlier, I had spoken to the hostage-takers for the first time and they agreed to meet me. I arrived at the operation headquarters two hours later.
Around another half hour was taken up agreeing details - an unknown person was deciding something behind closed doors.

Finally, I was taken to the final cordon of trucks. I was told, "Go and try. Maybe it will work." I went with Dr. Leonid Roshal. I don't know how we made our way to the door. It was very frightening. And then we were entering the building, shouting, "Hey! Anyone there?"

The answer was silence. It feels like there isn't a soul in the building. I shout, "Its Politkovskaya! Politkovskaya!" We slowly climb the right-hand staircase - the doctor says he knows the way. In the foyer of the second floor, there's silence again, darkness and cold. Not a soul. I shout again, "It's Politkovskaya!" Finally, a figure moves out from the former bar. His head is covered by a thin black mask, through which all the features of his face can be seen.

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