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, July 7, 2015

“You Hauled Me Off to Jail….”


The title for this post seems a little out of character for my blog.  After you finish reading everything you’ll understand why I chose it.  Other than the fact that this title makes a very powerful statement, it is also very revealing.

I recently met author Greg Scott on a Goodreads website while following a discussion thread about book advertising.  After volleying ideas on this open forum, Mr. Scott posted a very interesting story he had heard while on a mission trip to Stovpiagy, Ukraine, in August 2005.  His account mirrored what happened to Sergei Kourdakov.  I was momentarily stunned.

Following is an excerpt from this posted discussion:

“It was our last day and we were getting ready to head back to Kiev and the airport and home.  Tima was one of our interpreters and we all bonded during this trip.  Tima’s father was a Christian pastor during Soviet times, when Christianity was illegal.

A former KGB agent visited Tima’s father’s church.  The former agent met Tima’s dad and asked about a young pastor he’d met in the same church 15 years earlier – so that would have been around 1990.  He wanted to meet that pastor and apologize for hauling him off to jail and beating him.

Tima’s dad said he’d been the pastor at that church for the past 20 years.  The former agent said, “This is not possible – I hauled off a young pastor.”  Tima’s dad said, “I was a young pastor 15 years ago.  You hauled me off to jail and beat me.”

The former KGB agent apologized and asked for forgiveness.”
— Greg Scott

* * *

Greg Scott is the Author
of

Bullseye Breach

Anatomy of an Electronic Break-In

A story ripped from the headlines about yet another major data breach.
Except this time, the good guys fight back.


4 comments:

  1. How fascinating. Wow. I really like reading your blog posts. I'm still waiting for your book at the library *runs around the room crazy in anguish* and will let you know when I read it. I read all your blog posts. :)

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    1. Thank you Emily! Mr. Scott shared the story after he learned my book was about Sergei Kourdakov. It was off-topic in our marketing discussion, so I was surprised when I saw it. Hopefully my book will be available for check out at your library soon. I sincerely hope you enjoy it. :)

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  2. Oh wow - I forgot all about this blog post. Kolleen, I hope your book is selling like firecrackers on the 4th of July.

    - Greg

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    1. It's wonderful to hear from you, Greg! I hope your book, "Bullseye Breach," is doing well also. The topic is current, a must-read with all the data breaches we keep hearing about. Thank you so very much for sharing your notes from your trip to Ukraine -- this particular story was fascinating.

      -Kolleen

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