#12 - JRL 8164 - JRL Home
From: "Jeff Temple" <Jeff.Temple@Dial.Pipex.com>
Subject: re Andrei Grachev: Re: 8155/ 8156

Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2004

I have seen the exchange over the work of Sergey Roy, and just want to add my own personal note here. I do not intend to get involved in the correctness, or not, of the writings, or the corrections, but I do object to the tone of phrase used in the criticism by Andrei Grachev.

I have known Sergey's writing since the early 1990's, when his informative articles caught my eye in the "Moscow Magazine". I learned a lot about Mother Russia from him, and was privileged to meet him once in 1995. In that meeting, I heard of his background, and whilst he is not a professor, nor a confident of Gorbachov, nor a politician, I believe that he has experienced enough to be able to write interesting and informative articles for Moscow News. I do not think that he would claim anything more. He is a modest man, intelligent, with a love for freedom, and has lived through and taken a lively role in "interesting times".

The derogatory comments by Mr Grachev about Sergey Roy, as an example that "as a true scavenger he is attracted by pieces that smell worst but sell best", are a disservice to the writer. I seem to remember that JRL sets standards of etiquette for replies, and this standard was obviously missing in this case. Comment yes. Insult, most definitely NO!