Posted on 09/07/2004 7:15:10 PM PDT by NavySEAL F-16
Hebrew Press
Yanis Kanidis -- A Hero
I mentioned this story from the Hebrew press yesterday, hoping that someone would point me to a link where the story was told in English. So far, nobody has found it, so I decided to translate the Yediot Aharonot story myself. This man deserved to be remembered and admired by as many people as possible.
The story was written by Dimitri Prokopiev and Natasha Mozgobia
The Teacher Chose Death
In an act of unlimited devotion and dedication, to the bitter end, an elderly teacher insisted on remaining with his students. He protected them, bandaged their wounds, and with his death, saved their lives.
Children who escaped from the school told of how they owed their lived to elderly Yanis (Ivan) Kanidis, age 74 – a man of Greek origin who worked as a gym teacher at the school. He was among the hundreds of teachers, students and parents taken hostage last week when Chechen rebels invaded the large school.
On Thursday, in what was an unusual humanitarian move in the midst of the horror, the terrorists agreed to allow a group of women and babies to leave the building. The commander of the terrorist squad, saw Kanidis -- a sickly elderly man -- and offered to allow him to walk free as well.
But Kanidis refused. “I will stay with my students till the end,” the teacher insisted.
“Whatever you say,” said the terrorist, dismissing him with a wave of the hand.
“He was just like Janus Korzchak, who accompanied his pupils to Auschwitz,” said one of the students who was saved.
Like Korzchak, Kanidis didn’t just accompany his students, he guarded their lives. On Friday, when the children began to lose consciousness from the stuffy air and their thirst, Yanis went to the terrorists. “You have to give them something to drink, at least to the smallest children,” he insisted angrily. One of the terrorists hit him with the butt of his rifle, but the teacher continued to yell: “How dare you!? You claim you are people of the Kafkaz region, but here in the Kafkaz even a dog wouldn’t turn down the request of an old man!”
His efforts bore fruit. The terrorist allowed the teacher to wet one of the bibs of the children and pass it around to dampen the mouths of the little ones who were choking from thirst.
The hostages who escaped told how the teacher repeatedly risked his own life in order to save the children. He moved explosive devices that the terrorists had placed near the young students, and tried to prevent them from detonating others. When the first bomb exploded next to the windows of the school, parents and children began to run out. The terrorists, trying to prevent their escape, threw a grenade at them. The elderly teacher ran to the grenade to prevent it from exploding on the children. One of the terrorists shot at the teacher to try to stop him and Yanis was wounded in the shoulder – but didn’t give up. With the last of his strength, he continued to run, jumped on the grenade, covering it with his body. The grenade exploded, and the body of the teacher absorbed the explosion, protecting the children around him from injury.
Posted by allisonks at September 7, 2004 02:32 PM | TrackBack
Islam is a great evil.
May G-d reward and bless him.
For George W. Bush, it means putting an end to the pandering to the Muslims here and abroad and telling the Islamic world loud and clear to civilize their extremists, whoever and how many they may be, if it wants to be a part of the civilization of the 21st century.
NOW Here is a HERO! John Kerry, take notes.
This guy deserves all the recognition the Russians can bestow on him.
Oh wow. That teacher showed courage I can only hope I would be able to show in such a situation. That man is a hero, and the story of what he did should be spread so that people can remember his selflessness and maybe learn something from his example. Thank you for posting this, I will forward it to my family and friends with the hope that they will in turn pass it on.
Wait a second...a 74 year old man worked as a GYM TEACHER???????
If Yanis is Jewish, that will never happen.
Indeed this man was a true hero, not some overpriced, overvalued sports star. He deserves the highest honor from Russia.
NavySEAL F-16, please keep us in touch regarding this man.
Greater love has no man than he that will lay down his life for his friends.
You don't believe it?
Did you ever see Jack LaLanne?
A true hero.
Rest in peace, Mr. Kanidis.
Don't miss this one, ping.
Here's a real story of philosophy in action for your ping lists.
RIP
ping
And honour.
Bravo Zulu.
And honour.
Bravo Zulu.
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