Tuvanhillbilly 3.0

With this post I am very happy to bring you the next installment in my “get to know the Russian reporter” series. Today, dear reader, you will learn a little bit about Dmitry Chesnokov, a Washington D.C. based freelance reporter with Sovetsky Sport (“SS”).  As a little background information, Sovetsky Sport is the ‘Grand Old Man’ of the Russian sports press, and has been presenting scores and analysis to the Slavic speaking world since 1924. Like all institutions that have survived from the Soviet time into the era of free markets, it has gone through its share of transformations. No longer an official state “organ”, it is now published by a joint venture of the Sovetsky Sport publishing company and the Russian Olympic Committee. Since 2001 it has been printed in color, and although circulation is far from its high of over 5,000,000 during the communist days, circulation has been steadily growing, as attested to by an almost 15% growth from 2007 to 2008. The latest figures from TNS Gallup, (May-October 2008), show a daily average issue readership of over 707,000 for the print edition in Russia.

If the name Dmitry Chesnokov is not familiar to some of you, his work most certainly should be. For the last several years he has been published on various sports blogs such as Puck Daddy, and late last year Dmitry was vaulted into the top levels of sports blogging notoriety when he scored the interview of the year with the normally reserved Alexander Semin. If that article was your first sampling of Dmitry’s interviewing skills, I humbly suggest that you search out the interviews he has done over the past several years. One recurring comment always seems to be along the line of “your interviews put English language interviews to shame”. And I fully concur on that point.

So enough with the background, on to the interview!

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TH:  Dmitry, can you tell us a little about yourself?

DC:  I am a Muscovite, born and bred.  When I was 6 years old my father took me to a hockey game for the first time.  It was an Izvestiya Cup game between Soviet Union and Canada.  I was hooked right there and then.  After training to be a football player, a swimmer and a high jumper, I finally decided to try out in hockey.  The “problem” was that I was 9 by then, and was considered “too old” to start playing hockey, which didn’t stop me playing with my friends every winter as soon as ice was thick enough on the ponds near to my house.

After finishing 9th grade in Russia, I received scholarship for studying in the UK together with 5 other kids from my school.  I received my GCSE’s and A-Levels from a school in London, as well as a high school diploma from my school in Russia.  After being accepted by a Russian university, I also received an “unconditional offer” [those familiar with the UCAS system will know what it means] from a law school in the UK, which I subsequently attended and graduated from in 2000.  I got my second degree in Law after returning to Russia in 2002.  A few years later my wife, who is a Russian-American, and I decided to move to the United States to give my wife an opportunity to attend college.

TH:  How long have you been working with SS, and how did that relationship start?

DC:  I started writing for SovSport quite recently, comparing to Slava Malamud, — only in 2006.  I got to know Pavel Lysenkov, who has editorial responsibilities covering the NHL, and he advised that the newspaper had been looking to fill a “freelance correspondent” position for the DC area.  SovSport has freelance reporters strategically placed in about 16 North American cities.  In 2006 I became one of them.

TH:  Are you covering any other sports for SS?

DC:  Not really.  Every once in a while there is a special request sent from Moscow to report on a particular story, like David Beckham’s arrival in America.  Covering hockey is a handful.

TH:  You seem to have been one of, if not the, first Russian Language reporters to share your work with American sports bloggers (On Frozen Blog and Puck Daddy). What made you decide to do this?

DC:  Back in early 2007 I met Eric McErlain, who is one of the best bloggers in all of sports.  He explained to me what it is he was doing, and I found the idea of blogging very interesting, because bloggers like Eric reach out to millions of people craving for unorthodox and honest hockey coverage.  I thought that writing about Russian hockey and Russian players in the NHL would provide even more information to hockey fans.  Later that same year I started sending certain articles to Eric and Mike Vogel of Dump n Chase, who is another unique hockey writer.  One of my reports, the one about Alex Ovechkin’s Kharlamov Trophy presentation hosted by Sovetsky Sport, even ended up on the Caps official website.  Mike Vogel, Sean Parker of the Caps as well as John Keeley and Mike Rucky of Onfrozenblog visited Moscow in May of 2007 for the World Championships.  It turned out, that they were the only American media covering the tournament.  Thanks to Ted Leonsis, who made it all possible, the guys provided fantastic coverage of the event.  I was covering the Worlds that year for SovSport as well, and sent notes and interviews to the guys to provide them with more content.  Onfrozenblog is arguably the best Capitals oriented blog out there, and I am proud to be friends with the guys.  JP is another blogger whose content is as original as can be.

Hockey bloggers with original content are the future of hockey coverage.  And Greg Wyshinski proved it, after being named in the “100 People of Power and Influence” by the Hockey News.  It’s simply a blessing for the Caps’ fans that some of the best hockey bloggers out there are from the DC area.  And I am proud to consider them my friends.

TH:  I imagine SS is happy about the wider audience for their articles and reporters, but has it ever been an issue when, due to filing deadlines and the time difference between the East coast and Russia,  the English language version comes out a few hours before the Russian language version?

DC:  No problems at all.  I just have to file before I go to bed after the game.  I also always save all audio files with interviews. Due to time difference, out articles are online at about 4pm EST, which is midnight of the next day Moscow time.

TH:  I notice your coworker Pavel Lysenkov has just started his own blog through the SS website. Do you have a blog of your own or plan on doing one? Or are you on any of the social networking sites?

DC:  I do not have a blog of my own.  I am happy to contribute to Onfrozenblog, Fanhouse, Puck Daddy, Japers Rink and other blogs, like Jerseys and Hockey Love.  I do not plan on doing one of my own simply because I don’t believe I should get into something if I feel I cannot dedicate my best efforts to it every day.  As for social networking sites, I am on one of the Russian networking sites, as well as a business networking site.

TH:  With the meteoric rise in popularity that the Caps have enjoyed in the last year and the subsequent jump in media coverage, are you finding it more difficult to get one-on-one time with the guys?

DC:  The Capitals’ award winning PR and media department makes it so easy to work with the Capitals and their players.  The team’s busy schedule is more of a factor when it comes to getting one on one time with the guys.

TH:  You seem to have a very strong bond with the Russian players. Can you tell us what it took to cultivate those relationships to the point where they trust you enough to really open up to you?

DC:  I think it is very individual.  We must remember that they are all human.  That means that after certain games they just don’t want to talk, and it’s better to leave them alone and not bug them.  Then the next day they will be more open and in a better mood to talk.

I remember the first interview I ever did was with Alex Ovechkin, who at the time was in Chicago attending a mini-camp with other Russian NHLers.  And he told me after we were done talking: “Just don’t write something I didn’t say, because I have had similar experience before.”  This is a Rule #1 when it comes to gaining players’ trust: never ever write something that wasn’t said or take sentences out of context.  Also, don’t ask stupid questions.  Read as much information as possible in advance and come prepared with a number of different questions that players themselves would find interesting.  And just overall be positive.

TH:  What exactly is the process for getting one of the guys like Semin to go out to dinner and have a long interview? Do you have to arrange it through the Caps media folks or do you just set it up between the two of you?

DC:  It varies.  I remember last year I just couldn’t catch Alex Ovechkin for a one on one interview due to his busy schedule.  I had to ask the Capitals for their assistance in setting up the interview.  They are always very accommodating.  With Alexander Semin I just asked him after one of the games about doing a long interview, and he agreed.

TH:  Are you sometimes surprised by how popular some of your interviews become, or do you know right away when you have something that is pure dynamite?

DC:  You never know if one interview will become a hit.  Sometimes you interview a player and think the response will be great, and it turns out otherwise.  Other time you think an interview will be just another fairly interesting piece and it creates a storm.

TH:  Do you never, ever, wish to hear the phrase “lost in translation” again?

DC:  I know what you are talking about.  Nothing has been lost in translation in that interview.  Alexander Semin simply didn’t say the things he was accused of saying.  Certain people were interested in creating a “bomb” and then blaming Semin for something he didn’t say.  He did not deserve the attacks he was subjected to.  Semin is a great guy, an honest person; he is someone who never disrespected anyone.

As for some people who questioned my reporting, all I can say is that I stand by my reporting.  I believe that I have built my credibility.  I have never heard one complaint from a player or anyone else, that I had misquoted or misrepresented them in any way.  I treasure my relationship with players and will not exchange it for some “buzz” reporting.

TH:  Of all your interviews, which one was the most exciting or meaningful for you personally?

DC:  Every interview is exciting.  I honestly can’t pick one because they are all special to me and I treasure each one of them simply because each player dedicated their time, effort and honesty.  Meeting Ovechkin or Kozlov for the first time was special, especially because both of them played for Dynamo Moscow, the team I grew up rooting for.  Sergei Fedorov is a legend and meeting him in person for the first time and listening to his wisdom I will never forget.  Alexander Semin is an amazing person whose road to becoming a professional hockey player shows what a determined individual he is.

TH:  Would you say that the Capitals are the most popular NHL team in Russia right now? Are you swamped with requests from friends and family over there to send them Caps logo merchandise?

DC:  Yes, without a doubt, the Caps are the most popular NHL team in Russia right now.  But you also shouldn’t forget that most people in Russia do not follow NHL team, but rather follow Russian players.  With all due respect, I don’t think a lot of people would be interested in Atlanta, if Kovalchuk left.  The Predators are a clear example without Radulov.

As for the merchandise, I do get a lot of requests.  Sometimes very last minute requests.  I remember driving to Dulles Airport one day one my way home to Moscow when I got a call from my parents asking me to buy two Caps jerseys.  It’s a good thing that Kettler is not far from the airport.

TH:  And finally, (if you read my other interview you know this is coming)-Have you ever been to Tuva?

DC:  No, I never have.  Once I attended a concert in Moscow’s Chaikovsky Hall.  The concert featured representatives of various ethnic groups of Russia, including Tuvan throat singers.