Sergei Kourdakov, a former KGB agent and Soviet naval intelligence officer, defected from the USSR at the age of twenty. A year later we met at my Federal Government office in Washington DC. We were watched and followed. “Even you could be spy,” Sergei whispered. My book, A Rose for Sergei, is the true story of our time together.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Sergei Kourdakov - The Myth


I recently found a retraction notice online concerning an article about Sergei Kourdakov and his book, The Persecutor.  The article was retracted after a friend told the author about the movie, Forgive Me, Sergei.  It’s a documentary film, therefore it must be true.  Right?  Well, sometimes things are not always as they seem.  I was disheartened that the author felt a need to retract his article.  I watched the movie, several times in fact, and I was left with more questions than answers.

My number one concern about the movie is that I truly believe Sergei would never have given anyone the real names of people he knew and associated with in the Soviet Union.  And secondly, if you were involved in unsavory activities for your government, would you name names?  And if anyone asked you, let’s say a movie producer, about said activities, would you admit to knowing anything?  In a movie for everyone to see.  For your government to watch.  Think about it for a minute.  I know what my answer would be.

If you’ve followed my blog you understand my reaction to the movie and the retracted article.  This was the movie which encouraged me to write A Rose for Sergei.  This movie convinced me to tell a story I had always planned to keep to myself.  That by itself is pretty revealing because I’ve never been moved to write or blog about anything before I discovered that movie.

Sergei Kourdakov’s book is controversial, there is no doubt about that.  In my book, A Rose for Sergei, I have tried to show you what Sergei was really like.  His actions and his responses to situations when we were together were real and were very telling. Yes, he believed he was being watched and followed.  I saw how cautious he was, always looking over his shoulder.  That is not a story others have made up to perpetuate the myth about him.

I am surprised, after all these years, to discover that people are so eager to discredit Sergei Kourdakov without having known him.

A Rose for Sergei
A true story of courage, love and destiny.


Click here to purchase from Amazon!

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2 comments:

  1. UnknownApril 22, 2015 at 2:15 PM

    I stumbled across your blog last week and have been fascinated reading your work and story. When I heard about the documentary questioning Sergei's life a week or two ago (before I found your blog), I was very sad that anyone would do that. I for one loved his book and believe his life story very much so. I hope to read yours soon. I will have to get my library to purchase it.
    God Bless,

    Emily McC.

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    Replies
    1. Kolleen KiddApril 24, 2015 at 12:32 PM

      Emily,
      Thank you for your kind words, glad you are enjoying this blog. I would love to hear back from you after you have had the chance to read A Rose for Sergei. You inspired me to contact a few libraries too!

      -Best, K. Kidd

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