A documentary was released about the historian Oleg Sokolov, who killed his graduate student - and how important it is not to be silent about violence. Here is his retelling

On the video service, Premier, as part of the documentary cycle “Innformed killers”, was released the film “An invitation to the ball. The victims of the Russian Napoleon ” - about the Petersburg historian, fan of Napoleon Oleg Sokolov, who on the night of November 8, 2019 killed his graduate student Anastasia Eshchenko. For the first time, another victim of Sokolov appears in the film, who tells how relations with the associate professor almost cost her life and why it is so important not to be silent about it. Medusa retells the main thing from a 40-minute film.

Galina Eshchenko, mother of graduate student Nastya, never thought that she would have to go from the Kuban village to St. Petersburg and buy a wedding dress there. Not in order to give a 24-year-old daughter to marry, but to bury her in him. Anastasia Eshchenko studied at St. Petersburg State University at the Faculty of History. Here is her notebook, where on the first page it is bred by pink ink: “I am a talented historian. My articles are in demand and are recognized by the scientific community ... ” There is nothing more in the notebook.

Record from the video surveillance camera: a person goes along the sink embankment. Having reached the parapet, he waves and throws several bags into the river. This is the 63-year-old associate professor of St. Petersburg State University, historian Oleg Sokolov, and in packages-parts of the body of Anastasia Eshchenko, which he killed. Personnel from the court session: Sokolov through tears admits that the girl seemed to him an ideal creation, but “turned into a monster”, which served as the reason for the murder.

The lawyer of the family of YSCHENKO, Alexander Baksheev, says that the associate professor was attracted by young group girls who looked like Napoleon’s wife-it was to them that he showed attention, tried to establish relations. This is confirmed by several girls who studied with Sokolov. According to them, he could easily charm: about his subject - the military history of France - spoke with such a passion that this turned into a whole show. It was impossible to tear up a stately, fashionably dressed, he simply fascinated. And those who he liked, Sokolov invited to participate in the meetings of director historians based on the Napoleonic era and especially in balls. A number of personnel follows: here Sokolov in the costume of Napoleon leaves the army tent. Photo by Sokolov-Napoleon riding on a white horse surrounded by riding "French soldiers." Personnel from the ball: everyone is lying in historical outfits. A girl named Daria tells how Sokolov once invited her to a picnic with his “adjutants”. We rode horses, then he suddenly climbed to kiss - quite aggressively, according to Daria. After that, her trust in Sokolov as a teacher was undermined.

The lawyer of Alexander Baksheev says that in 2008, a statement was received on Sokolov on bodily harm. It was written by the former girl Sokolova named Ekaterina Ivanova. The case took place in Moscow. Ivanova told Sokolov that she was going to part with him, because she found out that he was married. When she came to pick up his things, he met her absolutely calmly. And then he suddenly tied her hands, tied to a chair and began to beat, threatening with a hot iron.

Baksheeva talks with Ekaterina Ivanova - she specially flew from another country, because she believes that her story resembles a case of Nastya and she acts in the interests of the family of the deceased. The girl’s face is not shown. Ivanova adds several bright details to the portrait of Sokolov. For example, his roof “gathered” when he put on the Napoleonic uniform (shots of the Sokolov-Napoleon galloping on the top of a shovel). Immediately felt viscosity in the girl, notorious. And when he converged with her - he imposed his tastes, controlled actions, limited the circle of dating. Both Katya and Nastya Sokolov forced to dress, as he liked, persuaded to stop talking with friends and abandon his previous hobbies.

When Anastasia Eshchenko moved from the hostel to Sokolov’s apartment, her mother tried to convince her, but Nastya was firm: she believed that now she and Sokolov would always be together. She helped him prepare lectures, checked the work of students for him.

In both cases, the intention of girls to part with Sokolov led to an explosion. Sokolov was beaten by Ekaterina Ivanov and tried to strangle, calling her a “monster” (he would call him a “monster who had killed by him”). But in the initiation of the criminal case, Ivanova was refused. Baksheev’s lawyer believes that if then, in 2008-2009, law enforcement agencies dealt with a statement by Catherine properly, it would be possible to avoid Nastya’s murder. Ivanova herself says that she made a big mistake, saying back to eleven years ago.

The brother of the deceased girl says that on the night of November 7 to 8, 2019, Nastya called him in tears and said that Sokolov had just beaten her because a friend had invited her to her birthday. Soon she called back and said that the conflict was settled. And at half -past 3 in the morning Oleg Sokolov shot Nastya Eshchenko from the circumference. There were four shots, and Sokolov reloaded the weapon several times. He hid the body of the graduate student in the next room, and the next evening he invited guests to him. After the party, the assistant professor with a saw revealing the corpse and tried to get rid of the remains. Baksheev’s lawyer says that, according to experts, Sokolov was completely sane and perfectly understood what he was doing.

Nastya’s father says that the family learned about what happened from a relative: he called and asked whether they were killed by Nastya, they write about this on the Internet everywhere. We checked: everything turned out to be true.

During the investigative actions in the apartment where the murder occurred, Sokolov tried to commit suicide. He went to the stand with cold weapons and sharply grabbed the dagger. The attempt failed. The court in the criminal case against Oleg Sokolov was appointed on June 9, 2020.

Watch the movie "An invitation to the ball. The victims of the Russian Napoleon ”can be here .

Rethered by Alexei Yablokov