Alex Serikov died on 2 March 2002 while attempting to summit Mount Kilimanjaro. Although extremely physically fit, his death was caused by High Altitude Pulmonary Edema or HAPE. HAPE resulted from fluid build up in his lungs. The fluid in the lungs prevented effective oxygen exchange. As the condition became more severe, the level of oxygen in the bloodstream decreased and this led to cyanosis, or impaired cerebral functionm, and finally his death. This is the last photo of Alex Serikov before his death. Alex Serikov came to popular attention when his first and only album “One Hundred Beacons” was released in 2001 by the Australian label “Laughing Outlaw Records”. This reflective work was released in Australia, Britain and America. The album became a prestigious recording, taking Serikov’s work into the homes of ordinary people who would never visit the expansive collection of countries and emotions he incurred. Far more than a songwriter, Serikov studied English at Cambridge University in the 1990s and later was recruited for the KGB. His main claim to fame was to be in 1988 where he represented his home country, Russia, as a gymnast in the Olympics. Injury caused his career to end and his lifetime of travel to start. Serikov’s parents were well educated Russians. His father was an architect and his mother a teacher. He grew up with his sister at home in Moscow where he practiced the Catholic culture and religion. During his summers he spent much of time in St Petersburg with his cousin, Vladimir Turin, enjoying the white nights. By his late teens he had adopted the Western way of life due to his father's vast library and beliefs in the Western world. He later explained that his father encouraged him to broaden his horizons by exploring other countries and civilisations. After 19 years in the Russian capital, he left for London to take his place as an English student. He fell in love with the social circle, which included Spencer Jones, later to appear on the album as a double bass player. He read extensively, and as a result ethnic elements from a wide variety of cultures were integrated into his song writing. Serikov began to keep detailed diaries of his experiences, which led him to writing accounts of his teenage life in Russia. This however stopped after 1993 when he returned to his family. There were no more entries of diaries or journals until 2000. Serikov was selected for the KGB on his return to Russia and was initially based in Vladivostok. From Vladivostok he was transferred to Angola & Mozambique acting as ‘technical support’. No one knew of his precise movements over the seven years but one can only speculate that he cultivated his horizons as his father had wished for him to do. What Serikov encountered and achieved is unknown but can only be “coloured” by the content and emotion of the Fortress Madonna album. The Fortress Madonna are currently working on an EP ‘Estonian Female Snipers’ and despite Alex’s death, the remaining eleven members have chosen to complete the project which should be available on release by Laughing Outlaw Records later this year.

Nick Morwood - nick.morwood@btopenworld.com .

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