Andrew Shumack
Encyclopedia
Andrew Shumack was an American
freelance journalist who went missing during the First Chechen War
, a month after he'd left St. Petersburg for Chechnya, and is presumed dead.
Shumack, who was 25, was last seen on July 28, 1995 when he left the Chechen
capital, Grozny
, and headed toward the surrounding mountainous area. He is feared to be dead because no one from the newspaper has heard from him since, and U.S. Embassy officials have not been able to locate him despite repeated trips to the region.
On July 20, The St. Petersburg Press, an English language
newspaper, had provided Shumack, a photographer, with a letter of introduction to help him obtain press credentials. In return, Shumack was to give the paper photographs and stories for three months. He had also planned to feed his photos to the Philadelphia Enquirer. It was the first time he had ventured into a war zone
. Journalists in Grozny found his backpack, sleeping bag and documents (including a copy of his passport
) abandoned in his hotel.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
freelance journalist who went missing during the First Chechen War
First Chechen War
The First Chechen War, also known as the War in Chechnya, was a conflict between the Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, fought from December 1994 to August 1996...
, a month after he'd left St. Petersburg for Chechnya, and is presumed dead.
Shumack, who was 25, was last seen on July 28, 1995 when he left the Chechen
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
capital, Grozny
Grozny
Grozny is the capital city of the Chechen Republic, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the preliminary results of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 271,596; up from 210,720 recorded in the 2002 Census. but still only about two-thirds of 399,688 recorded in the 1989...
, and headed toward the surrounding mountainous area. He is feared to be dead because no one from the newspaper has heard from him since, and U.S. Embassy officials have not been able to locate him despite repeated trips to the region.
On July 20, The St. Petersburg Press, an English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
newspaper, had provided Shumack, a photographer, with a letter of introduction to help him obtain press credentials. In return, Shumack was to give the paper photographs and stories for three months. He had also planned to feed his photos to the Philadelphia Enquirer. It was the first time he had ventured into a war zone
War Zone
A war zone is a location of military conflict, but the term may also refer to:* War Zone , a 1998 documentary about street harassment* The War Zone, a 1999 film starring Ray Winstone...
. Journalists in Grozny found his backpack, sleeping bag and documents (including a copy of his passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
) abandoned in his hotel.