"Your husband voluntarily went under fire"

As Korolenko was looking for Yevgeny Ivanovich, born in 1967, a resident of Rostov, who died on May 26 in a battle for the Donetsk airport

As Korolenko was looking for Yevgeny Ivanovich, born in 1967, a resident of Rostov, who died on May 26 in a battle for the Donetsk airport

The driver drove into Russia on the night of the 29th to the 30th, on a truck with a freezer, through the borderpost of Assumption. At the border of the driver, he met a black "Landcrose", he led the truck after him. He unloaded somewhere at 4.30 in the morning. Doesn't know where. Some morgue, like on the territory of the military unit, on the outskirts of Rostov.

The border guards on duty on the Assumption that night say: three people came, in camouflage, turned off the outdoor surveillance cameras, demanded to turn off the mobile phones during the passage of the truck simply took away. The border guards did not see any documents on the cargo, they did not look into the car, they did not fix the passage. In the freezer compartment lay 31 bodies-the Russian Russians who died in a battle at the Donetsk airport on May 26.

At the request of the DPR authorities, journalists accompanied to the border. Journalists learned two names: Sergey Zhdanovich and Yuri Abrosimov. Then-two more names arose on social networks: Alexey Yurin and Alexander Efremov, who served in the past in the 45th intelligence regiment of special forces of the Airborne Forces. All.

I phoned all the morgues of Rostov-on-Don. Although it is obvious that the “morgue on the territory of the military unit” is the 1602nd District Hospital in the remote Rostov district of the military. The overgrown officer town, with military units, loading stations, airfield. On the territory of the hospital there is a CPP (a center for receiving and sending the dead) and a huge corpse storage for 400 bodies remaining since the time of Chechen. The CPP is under the head of the headquarters of the North Caucasus Military District, the corpse storage-the military forensic examination (111th state center forensic expertise, 2nd branch).

Tel to the military, as it were, is not. The deputy chief of the Central Department Store Alexei (did not name the last name): “We have only military and only from Chechnya. Here families go, ask, and some kind of paratrooper alliance is asking, we even let some go inside to make sure that we have no one. ” Elena Volkova, head of the administrative department of the administrative department: “I have already called from the city’s administrative department:“ I have already called from the regional forensic medical examinations, they are also looking for, their relatives are cut off. We have no bodies. All bodies according to the court decisions are accepted for examination, I would know, if so. ” The press service of the SKVO says that the military is in the military morgues, and I am looking for civilians, and let me look somewhere else.

Two women and three men are standing not far from a passing hospital on the military, in a narrow shadow of a chapel built from a change house. They leaf through the photo on the iPhone, choose a suitable for the monument. One of the men - clearly a stranger in their company, gray -haired, tall, with a seasoning, steps aside to call a huge tube.

They nod: yes, we came to pick up the deceased, yes, from the Donetsk airport. "Who are you?" They immediately ask to move away "at least ten meters, but better leave, please." “If you have a conscience, you will not shoot anything,” says the exhausted girl in a long turquoise dress. She has a strange face. Then I understand that this is not an irritation of a person who is distracted from grief, but acute fear.

They leave themselves, right under the midday sun. The heat exceeds +30, there is nowhere to sit down - only concrete dusty blocks. Nearby, at 20 meters, there are a passing bureau, with chairs and air conditioning, but they do not approach the hospital. And do not leave. Distance. After 40 minutes, a group of five tanned men appears in stretched and stained T -shirts: they approach the gray -haired, discuss the details. It comes: "We need an order from a person who knows." One of the men in a T -shirt comes up to me: "How did you know that the bodies are here?" He throws the soldiers smoking nearby: "She is a journalist, do not talk to her." The soldiers quickly load themselves into the car, close the doors, sweat, not daring to open the window or start the engine. I'm leaving for the sun, away. The soldiers crawl out, but relatives do not dare to return to the shadow.

An hour later, one of the "stained" shouts from a passing jeep: "Go for lunch, is still being decided." The family is leaving.

Later I find out: they managed to pick up the body. None of the authorities contacted them: they found their own, everything was decided through telephone negotiations with the Donbass, and then Donbass and Rostov, the body was given unofficially. The next day - also secretly - take the body of Sergei Zhdanovich from Elektrogorsk. For this, the head of the Executive Committee of the United Russia party and part -time - the chairman of the local "Battle Brotherhood" Roman Tikunov personally goes to Rostov.

Veteran organizations at my request meet with the leadership of the SKVO. The leadership responds to veterans with all sincerity: there are no bodies in Rostov, this is a duck, there is nothing to look for. The press service of the regional administration, Alexander Titov, bypassing many offices, is confused: “They also do not give me any information. So far, I can say for sure that we are not engaged in sending bodies and do not contact relatives. ”

The shopping center has a girl in a uniform. Silently acquires, leads along the escalator, then to the backyard of the Central Burner. In the back room, the guy is preparing to eat a sandwich, but quickly comes out.

The girl's name is Liang Yelchaninov, on the advice of colleagues placed an ad in VKontakte with the name of the missing husband - Evgeny Ivanovich Korolenko, born in 1967. That day I was informed of his name as the name of the deceased. Donetsk confirmed that Korolenko was dead, that the body - in the same truck - was sent to Rostov.

Liana has no tears.

- I am already glad that he is not there in a heap. There are many bodies left. I was told that they are already decomposed at all. That the Ukrainian military wants to burn them.

Lyana is looking for her husband eighth day. Briefly retells his hell.

- Zhenya left, said nothing to me. I came from work at night, I work until ten, one note lies. The car is somewhere. Wrote: "Andrik's car." On May 30, I find out that this Anrik served with him in Afghanistan. Like there is some kind of friend. And it seems that this Anrik saw a surname in the lists of the deceased. I'm calling. “Yes, that's it, I died, but I haven’t seen my bodies, I’ll call you later, I’ll tell you where and when to take it.” I waited until 11 pm, I'm calling again. “I don’t know where they are, leave me back with stupid questions.” Then he calls himself: "There is no him in Rostov, there is no one in one list, in the other - there is no." Then he says: there is no one to identify anyone, just as it was in Chechnya, he begins to tell any terrible. But my head is already turning on. I will recognize the hands on the legs. On the teeth: you won’t do anything with your teeth, but he has insertions, I can also bring him a dentist, let him look. By genetics. "No, examination is expensive."

Then a post about the truck appeared. How they were taken .

I go to work, but the girls see what I am. They also began to look for friends. Who works in the police, some in the FSB, and no one. It seems that they did not hear that so many bodies were taken to Rostov. The director has one girl in the BSMP-2. She confirmed that the truck came, but they had no place in the morgue, and the bodies were sent to the military.

I call them. I, a fool, said that I had come from Donetsk. They like Donetsk, they heard about Ukraine, all right: "No, no, no ..."

Lyana is calm. Tears instantly appear and dry.

- If you do not take it, then at least see his body. Or photographs of the body.

I call United Russia Tikunov. I know that he right now accompanies the delivery of the body of Zhdanovich to Elektrogorsk. I explain: nearby is the wife of a man who died with Zhdanovich. Tikunov says that I am confusing that a comrade died with him, and our newspaper prints lies and unverified facts. "The widow, the eighth day bypassing the morgue, will be handed over to the phone?" “Do not dare to call me anymore,” the phone turns off.

We call the "Battle Brotherhood", veterans of Afghanistan, the military. They promise to help, but they advise you not to hope much.

Here is a note written inside the Brief Notepad.

“I am sweet!

I could not tell you yesterday, I did not want to upset, because you are not indifferent to me.

You see how it spun it.

It’s very difficult for me to be like that without working without living, just some kind of dead end. In general, I went to the Donbass, they are waiting for me there, there are prospects. Then I will tell you if I stay alive.

Love you.

All.

I'm in roaming, dear. "

They are together for two and a half years. Not painted. At the May, they discussed what we should find out how and where to submit an application. “It was such an absolute happiness. We have never even cursed. "

From May 1985 to May 1987, Eugene served in Afghanistan, motorized rifle parts, and the specialty of the “shooter”. About Afghan said Lyane a little. "He tried to forget more." He burned in armor, lay in the hospital. “During the service of the mother, two funerals came to him. After each - a heart attack. " Now his parents are no longer there. Of the relatives-Lyana and the 6-year-old daughter from her first marriage, cousins.

In the specialty - a locksmith. There is a mark on the criminal record in the military ID. I read a lot, mostly science fiction. Played - World of Tanks, War Thunder, Stalker, World of Warplanet. Tanks, planes, shootings. In recent years, he worked in the company of friends for the repair of computers and office equipment: he took orders. Then friends stopped paying a salary. We needed money for a daughter, we needed money for a living. Lyana says the material situation could push: “They write on the forums, they are paid. Do they pay? " "Why did he go there?" - Lyana asks me.

- There were no fees, nor the mobile vibrated, nothing. He did not talk to me about the war. Only in the fall, when there was still Maidan, when there were the first shots - snipers that were not found later, remember?

If he said: “I am going” ... I would have translated, but the brains would turn on. We would sit down and discuss what to do if such a situation happened. But he is silently. "

Eugene did not leave his profile in VKontakte. Lyana said: he corresponded there, discussed his waste.

The correspondence lasts only a few hours, May 19. Eugene chose the login “Shiva Shiva” (his name in computer games, Lyana explains: Shiva is the god of war). His interlocutor is “Epiphan Girl”, one of the volunteers of the group “Russian Volunteers/Donbass”. Zhenya writes: "They called up about the competition." “Epiphan” asks to fill out the questionnaire: call sign, year of birth, participation, specialty, size, city, equipment, telephone, asks when he can arrive at the “Personal Department in Rostov”. The address is not discussed. “If there is a form - take it,” Epiphan instructs. - We give preference to “slide” and Surpat. The boots are olive cobra. If there are shoes, you do not need to become stuck. The Russian figure should not be taken either. ”

-I wrote to this “Epifan”, and on the 23rd, Zhenya calls me. I started scolding him: where are you, why did you leave me? - "Don’t worry, here I am on the border with Rostov, we are playing sports here, running, everything will be fine." I say: you don’t go anywhere. Generally go home, why did you go there? “Do not worry, I will call, and if I don’t, then we can’t.” And that's it, the phone was disconnected again. And the 26th was bombed.

Now Lyana throws the signs with messages with the messages: “There was an operation on the lens of the eye, the crown on the upper cut, on the middle finger on the middle finger in the form of a crown, tried to remove, the mole under the right armpit with a pea ...” - “accepted,” answers Epifan.

Lyana uploads photos that can be visible.

The VKontakte group “Russian Volunteers/Donbass” has 10 thousand subscribers and a good security system. The leadership of the group is anonymous. Requirements for volunteers are strict: only with experience in hostilities, from 26 years, only certain specialties, without criminal records. Now we need BM crews, operators of the PTRK, AGS, AGS-17, grenade launchers, flamethrower. Volunteers seem to be put at the disposal of the first interbrid of the southeast. Conditionally, civilian specialists are required: driver mechanics, full-time employees of the headquarters of the headquarters, rear services, doctors and paramedics.

In addition to Internet mobilization, the search for volunteers in Rostov-on-Don was carried out directly through the military enlistment offices. Veterans say that a few days before the May holidays they were called from the military commissariats, invited to a conversation - only those who have experience of hostilities, officers and warrant officers. “At the meeting, they said that people are needed to prevent sabotage - such as in Odessa. Just then Odessa happened. Everything is strictly voluntarily. The military enlistment office was given a phone to whom to call. That is, the military registration and enlistment office selected the staff. " “And many have gone. The guys are optimistic about the outcome. Half of the Rostov region has relatives there. There is someone to protect. ”

Rostov region is a really great place for recruiting volunteers. 68 thousand veterans of the latest conflicts live here - from Afghanistan to Georgia, the local Cossacks practically participated in the Transnistrian conflict.

Immunity to the inevitable meanness of any war here seems to be for everyone. Rostovites know: wars are unofficial, can be called very differently-a counter-terrorist operation, the input of a limited contingent, peacekeeping-or at all. Veterans do not approve the search for bodies: “Until the authorities come up with the version, how they were there, everyone will be silent. If it turns out that there are ours - and precisely those who fought, who with experience, with a military man, with a specialty - Pindos will introduce the army. They already say that there are Russian military, but so far unproven. If all this comes up, foreign states will take a clutch. ” The same consciousness is common among civilians - nurses, employees of morgues and officials. Relatives are asked to understand the "political moment."

... The military registration and enlistment office contacted Zhenya before the New Year. "We sent a letter to the old address:" Call this number, we collect information. " He scored: "I am alive, everything is fine." And they: “Oh, how good, we will write down your phone number, call on February 23, there will be a holiday, we will hand over the medal.” And all. Not congratulated later, nothing ... Maybe this does not coincide with these events ... "

Many saw this selection. "Photos of the murdered coloras 18+." Dead faces on the tiles were published on May 31 by a Ukrainian blogger with a preface about a “disgusting sight”. I quickly scroll through the text, but Lyane does not care. Lyana finds Zhenya sixteenth. He inspects the rest of the photos, requires to recalculate - 56 persons. “Here, probably, those who were not taken out. Someone still does not know that their loved one died. "

Returns to Zhenya’s photo.

- Not like it. A chain yes, it seems to be such ... Ears do not stick out. The head does not look at all, the face. But tattoos are similar. Look, everything is as clear here, and he has long -standing, lubricated. No, his eyebrows are not like that. He has small ... all overgrown. Damn, probably yes. Like yes. Chain. He had such a chain. Nostrils, nose. He. All. This is he.

Heat. We stand at the concrete block, a little to the left than that of the other family stood. In the morning, one of the veterans phoned the surgeon of the 1602nd hospital, who promised us to make a pass to the territory. Do not enter the passage: recently, a pass to the morgue is only with the permission of the hospital chief. The head of the hospital in the morgue does not let anyone in.

The surgeon drove off on business, we are waiting. Lyana, her friends Dasha and Igor are stomping at the bloc. A girlfriend retells the news: it turns out that Andrika has accumulated a lot of cars that have left, and he does not want to give the car, “until everything turns out.” “I don't care,” Lyana says. “I, most importantly, get Zhenya back.”

A surgeon comes, with him a middle -aged person in the form with a patch “Rudin” on his chest, appears as an officer on duty. Lyana almost does not move. The surgeon, as if we were not called up in the morning, asks: "Well, what do you have?" In the distance, two guards are watching the conversation.

- My husband died. I need to see, make sure.

- Well, we do not have one hundred percent. Maybe in forensic medical examination?

- asked the forensic experts, they also said that they have no one, ”Rudin answers the surgeon.

- We want to see in the lists.

- I have no lists.

-Go to the morgue somehow. Please.

- Well, right in the morgue? How to go? - It seems like a doctor is surprised. - Who is responsible for penetration into the morgue?

- Penetration? - clarifies Rudin.

- Well, how is it? The head of the department? But he is not there now one hundred percent. There is no one there. I asked.

- In the morgue are only those who died in the hospital. Patients, just sick, ordinary.

“I'm not a pathologist,” says the surgeon. - I do not have any information about the dead. If they were wounded, I would know them.

“But they are dead,” Lyana says and bites his lip.

- There is no laboratory assistant, I called him home. He says there is no one.

- Can we pass?

“I can’t order a pass, girl.” The head of the hospital ... If they give you a phone, call, ask.

“Let's go into the chill,” says Dasha.

We go to the Bureau of Passences, put the lana on a chair. We call - in the Central Pollard Center, the head of the hospital ... Silence. Nearby, the old woman asks for the temple in the territory. The duty officer says: "Everything has changed in connection with Ukraine, we are not allowed out of the temple now, an order."

- Can we climb over the fence? - Lyana asks quietly. Madness splashes in the eyes.

- The pass will be asked at the entrance to the morgue. You will be put in the camera, Liang, and you will not find the body, ”says Dasha.

Two guards pass to the duty officer, mowing at us. Talking. One innocently asks to the lan: "Why did they tell you not to let you go in any case?"

- Bitch! - shouts Liana. Dasha hugs her, tries to quietly close her mouth.

The guard is again talking quietly with the duty officer.

- And you, girls, yourself from Donetsk?

- No, local.

— Вам сейчас дадут номер телефона ФСБ, вы звоните — и решайте вопрос. Потому что нам сказали: не пропускать. Созвонитесь.

— Почему такое отношение к людям? — кричит Ляна. — Если он уже умер, зачем он им нужен!

— Вот сейчас потихонечку объясните, что и как, этому фээсбэшнику, он даст указание начальнику госпиталя, и вы… Я бы от души, но не мое. Мне сказали: не пускать.

Листочек, четыре цифры по внутреннему. Кузнецов Станислав Александрович. Успокаиваем Ляну.

Она уже не плачет. Спокойным голосом говорит в трубку, что муж пропал, есть информация, что тела находятся здесь, и ей надо мужа хоронить. Или хотя бы увидеть. Но начальник госпиталя распорядился ее не пускать.

— И что вы от меня хотите? — слышу я из близкой трубки. — Я даже не военный, что хотите-то от меня? Goodbye.

Дежурная говорит: «Ваша главная ошибка, что вы сказали: начальник госпиталя. А не начальник, а дежурный офицер».

Перезваниваем в безумной надежде. All the same.

Но через три часа после того, как мы встали у Военведа, через 10 минут после того, как мы позвонили Кузнецову, — на мобильный Ляне поступает звонок.

Человек представляется Сергеем.

— Ваш муж погиб. Его тело спрятано в одном месте…

— На Военведе? — говорит Ляна быстро. — Я сейчас здесь.

— Да, тут. Но вас не пустят, Ляна. Из этого сделали военную тайну, понимаете? Но мы завтра вывозим одно тело. Вывезем и ваше. Вам позвонит человек по поводу похорон, мы со всем поможем. Но гроб будет закрытым.

— Я хочу опознать.

— Гроб будет закрытым. Но это точно он. Мы сверяли по татуировкам, которые вы высылали.

Через два часа «Сергей» перезванивает и говорит, что может вывезти тело даже сегодня. Ляна хочет забрать тело немедленно и отдать на сохранение в любой ростовский морг, пока готовятся похороны. Еще Ляна хочет открыть гроб и опознать мужа.

Ни в одном морге Ростова, в том числе в двух частных трупохранилищах при похоронных агентствах, — тело не берут. Сначала все хорошо: называют цены, спрашивают про документы. «Сергей» сказал, что справка о смерти Короленко выдана в Украине, мы передаем эту информацию агентам, агенты и сотрудники моргов реагируют: «Он что, с этой фуры? Мы не возьмем».

Один, правда, проникается сочувствием:

— Поймите, это гражданин России, погибший в боевых действиях. А боевых действий наша страна не ведет. Выслушайте мой совет, я 25 лет работаю. Вы должны добиться официального опознания, вместе с протоколом, а не вскрывать сами. Неизвестно, кто там в гробу. What do they say? «Никаких тел не поступало». Или сразу хороните то, что есть. Мы не будем держать у себя, крайне рискованный вопрос. Фээсбэшники на ровном месте появляются в таких историях. Это может быть даже какой-то провокацией…

Сотрудница одного из городских моргов дает телефон паренька: сегодня дежурит и завтра дежурит, то есть два дня, попробуйте договориться, чтобы по документам тело не прошло. Другой советует обратиться к другу-агенту в Азов: там, возможно, еще не в курсе ситуации.

Звонит агент Олег, которому «неизвестные люди» дали денег и сказали организовать похороны Жени, пообещав привезти тело. Ляна просит Олега обеспечить условия, чтобы вскрыть гроб.

Тут же Ляне звонит некто, представившийся «комиссаром».

— Есть тела, которые лежат с 26 мая у аэропорта, и мы не можем их забрать. А его мы вытащили и доставили в Россию. А вы хотите вскрывать гроб. Но будет ли это этично по отношению к памяти вашего мужа? I think no. Там использовались тяжелые вооружения, понимаете? А так — красный бархат, там все аккуратно упаковано. Выписана справка о смерти, проведено опознание сослуживцами. Конечно, все это в условиях боевых действий. Но опознание есть.

Вы взрослый человек. Россия организованных боевых действий не ведет. Ваш муж добровольно пошел под обстрел на этой улице.

С местом похорон, с телом — мы поможем чем можем. У нас есть в России спонсоры, которые способствуют захоронению. Вы должны понимать, что господдержки мы не получаем. Но похороны мы вам обеспечим.

( Тут «комиссар» сделал паузу: видимо, для слов благодарности. Ляна молчит. )

— До свидания, — говорит «комиссар». — Извините, что так получилось.

— К онечно, я все хочу! — кричит Ляна на подругу. — Хочу экспертизу, хочу опознать, хочу убедиться, что он. But how?

Тело так и не удается пристроить. Забирать некуда. Вскрывать гроб негде. В Ростове стоит +35. Олег информирует «Сергея», что тело сможем принять прямо перед похоронами.

Знакомый Ляны, в поисках гарантий выдачи тела, находит выход на генерала, который не играет в молчанку, а обещает, если тело все-таки не отдадут, поехать на Военвед вместе. «Но только одно тело, понял? — говорит генерал. — Больше ни за каких других родственников не проси. Одно тело могу вынести для тебя!»

Похороны должны были состояться в понедельник. Ляна и Даша собираются за венком.

Ляна смотрит видео из группы добровольцев. Посеченные осколками ветки, раненого тянут за куртку, женщина с оторванными ногами пытается встать. «Он это все видел не по телевизору, понимаешь? Он знал, как это выглядит. Он не мог туда не пойти».

Я уехала в другой город на встречу. Вернулась ночью.

Венки — два, с розами и черными лентами, — стоят на балконе.

Ляна сидит на диване. Лицо как кусок сырого мяса.

— Женю не отдадут. Мне позвонили вечером. Сказали, что не отдадут, — потому что я разговаривала с журналистом. With you.

Я прервала все контакты с Ляной.

Два дня ходила по городу, не созванивалась с источниками, не брала интервью, не строила планов, не ездила к границе. Боялась спугнуть тех, кто прячет тела. Не могла уехать. Ела ягоды на базаре, уворачивалась от детей на роликах, шли грозы. В Парамоновских складах — заброшке без крыши — родники пробили фундамент, и подростки прыгали со стен — внутрь, в здание, в воду, солдатиками, обсыхали на балке. Мужики в антикварной лавке говорили: инаугурация Порошенки прошла, а долбят все сильнее. Рассуждали про крысу, которую сжирают черви, когда она ослабевает, и «с Украиной все по Дарвину». Беженки из Славянска (каждая — с ребенком на руках) в городском автобусе: «Я с мамой по скайпу разговаривала и слышу: бж-бж-бж — и так 16 часов длится». — «Так ваш дом на вершине, просто к вам звук хорошо доходит». — «Нет, они ж прям до заправки дошли». — «Кто дошел?» — «Ну те, которые стреляют. Подорвали баки». Девушки в церкви говорили, что звезды еще два года за Путина, и Америка знает, что еще два года сила не ее, поэтому «броники» украинцам дает, а деньги нет.

Через два дня дошла весть: Женю отдали. Похоронили.

Rostov-on-Don