Peter d'Hamecourt

Peter d'Hamecourt (1946 – 3 December 2023) was a Dutch journalist, correspondent and writer. He spent most of his career in Moscow, Russia, where he worked from 1988 until his retirement in 2008.

During his time in Russia he made over 3,000 contributions for the NOS News and for many Dutch citizens became the face of Russia. He worked for a long time for newspaper Algemeen Dagblad and made television and radio contributions for Dutch Nova and EenVandaag and Flemish broadcaster VRT. He also wrote several books on Russia.

Early life and career d'Hamecourt was born in Vlaardingen in 1946. His father was a Catholic window-dresser, while his mother was an atheistic manual work teacher. He had an elder sister, Ada. In his youth he played football for RK Willen is Kunnen, where the chaplain encouraged his team to kick the shins of Protestant opponents, Zwaluwen. During his education nuns encouraged him to stop writing left-handed. In 1966 he started working for the Nieuwe Vlaardingsche Courant. He later became a pop-journalist for Haagsche Courant and following this he held the same position at Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad. Upon his arrival he was both shocked and reassured. He found the country being less a police state than expected and encountered a parallel world with a black market from which the state was absent. In the informal economy payments were made with golden, silver and wooden rubles. D'Hamecourt also worked for television programs Nova and EenVandaag. He also reported on the countries of the former Soviet Union and other countries, such as when an earthquake occurred in Afghanistan, stating that he was called by the minister of foreign affairs of the Northern Alliance to report on the matter. He also wrote books on Napoleon and Fyodor Dostoevsky. After his retirement in 2008 he first remained in Russia and later moved to France. At one point he had a tumour from his large intestine removed, he also suffered a transient ischemic attack. On 4 March 2018 he suffered a cerebral infarction, which left him partially paralized and a wheelchair user. He became reliant on his wife during this period, which put stress on the relationship. During his recovery he made notes which with the help of close friend Trix Broekman were developed into the book Een leven op zijn kop. Neuropsychologist Erik Scherder stated that he had never read such an impressive account.

He died of a heart attack on 3 December 2023 at his home in Lot-et-Garonne, France, at the age of 77. His elder sister Ada had predeceased him by four months.

Works Moskou is een gekkenhuis, 2006. Petersburg – Paradijs in het Moeras Leven als God in Rusland Russen zien ze vliegen, 2007. Vladimir Poetin – het koningsdrama, 2012. Rusland in oorlog – 1 Rusland in oorlog – 2 Toen Napoleon Maly verliet In het spoor van de Russische ziel – Dostojevski tussen Rusland en Europa Een leven op zijn kop, May 2021