Alexander Lomakin

2005 Winner for the Rory Peck Award for Hard News

Russian

Shot in Russia, 3rd September 2004
Commissioned by ITV News for ITN

“Beslan Siege”
Arriving in Beslan the day after terrorists had occupied the local school, the crew were prepared for a long siege. When the storming began Alexander Lomakin, under fire, raced through the gardens and caught the first terrible pictures of half burned bodies inside the gym of Beslan's School Number 1.

“The urge for him to put down his camera and help must have been enormous. Nothing could have prepared anyone for what they were going to see.”
Judge's Comment

Biography
Alexander Lomakin has worked as a freelance cameraman since 1982. For Russian TV and Associated Press, he covered the regional conflicts that erupted after the collapse of the Soviet Union. As a freelance for APTN and ABC News, he covered the destruction of Yugoslavia, the war in Afghanistan and spent the winter of 1994 in Chechnya covering the siege of Grozny for APTN. Over the past 10 years, Lomakin has shot around 500 news stories and 4 documentaries.

 “We were not prepared for the events of 3rd September, but in the chaos I managed to do a bit more and quicker than colleagues from other companies thanks to the support I received from my team on the ground.”
Cameraman's Comment