Why were the guys killed?

In 2016, eight employees of the Ministry of Emergencies died in a fire in Moscow - this was not 70 years old. This is how their leaders are judged. Reporting Christina Safonova

On September 22, 2016, when extinguishing a warehouse in the east of Moscow, eight firefighters were killed at once. Over the past 70 years, the most massive death of the employees of the Moscow Ministry of Emergencies has split the fire fraternity - they have no single view of the situation even after four and a half years. Responsible for the incident investigation (and relatives of the victims) consider the leaders of the extinguishing - Colonel Dmitry Shirlin and his deputy in that fire, Lieutenant Colonel Sergey Barsukov. The prosecutor's office asks for real terms for them, and Shirlin and Barsukov deny guilt - and they say that it was impossible to prevent the death of firefighters. The Special Corps of Medusa Christina Safonova tells how the debate in this case was held in the Preobrazhensky District Court.

EMERCOM employees Dmitry Shirlin and Sergey Barsukov try to stay away from the relatives of the dead firefighters. In anticipation of the meeting, Shirlin and Barsukov stand at the far end of the corridor, and already in the hall - along with lawyers Ruslan Golenkov and Alexei Tarasov - occupy one bench. The bench is small, and sitting on it at once by four large men is not very comfortable. The rest of the places are behind the victims and their representatives.

Now Shirlin and Barsukov are under the subscription about the lower room. They are accused of negligence, which led to the death of eight subordinates (part 3 of Article 293 of the Criminal Code).

At about 5 p.m. on September 22, 2016, a former vegetable warehouse caught fire in the east of Moscow - different companies rented premises for warehouses there. Firefighters quickly arrived at the place, but because of a strong smoke, they could not find a focus of fire for a long time. The fire spread quickly.

At the beginning of the ninth, the Ministry of Emergencies felt the smell of ammonia. Its presence in a warehouse for firefighters was a surprise, but the smell quickly disappeared. The incident was written off that a small amount of ammonia could leave the compressor in the warehouse.

To avoid the spread of fire to this zone, Colonel Shirlin, who at that moment led the extinguishing, and his deputy, Lieutenant Colonel Barsukov decided to send more firefighters to the roof of the warehouse.

At 20:50 she fell upon. Eight people - Alexander Yurchikov, Alexey Akimov, Roman Georgiev, Alexander Korentsov, Pavel Andryushkin, Nikolai Golubev, Sergey Sinelobov and Pavel Makarochkin - burned alive. Before his death, one of them asked his comrades in the radio: "Give water for us!" And "Where is the water?"

The investigation and the prosecutor's office are sure that the defendants could prevent the death of firefighters. The prosecution indicates that another hour before the incident, subordinates informed Shirlin and Barsukov that there was not enough water and there is a threat of collapse.

The accusation emphasizes: Shirlin and Barsukov also knew that in a burning warehouse the second degree of fire resistance - this means that the building can withstand only 15 to 90 minutes of burning, after which it begins to collapse. By the time of the death of firefighters, more than three hours passed since the beginning of the fire.

Shirlin and Barsukov with this version of events do not agree. They insist that they tried to prevent a possible explosion of ammonia and gas cylinders, which were stored in a compressor warehouse. And the threat of employees did not indicate anything, the defendants are sure. In addition, after the collapse of the roof, they tried to save them, they say Shirlin and Barsukov.

The judge of the Preobrazhensky court Veronika Sirathegyan has been considering this case for a year and a half. And even before the start of the debate, on March 22, the relatives of the victims with difficulty believe that they will soon hear the verdict. At the same time, in September 2021, the statute of limitations in the case expired.

But the prosecutor Olga Evdokimova seems to have no doubt in the imminent sentence. In her speech in the debate, she loudly and with the arrangement says that Shirlin had to ensure the safety of subordinates, and Barsukov - to collect and transfer all the available information to him. Their fault, the prosecutor believes, is fully proven. Evdokimova is also sure: the version of the defense that the defendants tried to prevent the explosion was not confirmed by anything - there was no such threat, according to the accusation.

While the prosecutor says, the defendants do not take their eyes off her. In Colonel Shirlin, cheeks turn red. Evdokimov asks the court to appoint him six years in a general regime colony, Barsukov - five. And also to satisfy the claims of the parents of the dead firefighters Alexander Korentsov and Pavel Andryushkin - each of them asked for compensation for a million rubles (plus legal costs).

After the prosecutor, the victims perform in the debate. They ask for the most severe punishment - the article provides for up to seven years in prison. “His careless negligent attitude led to the death of our loved ones,” says former military Vladislav Korentsov, who had lost his only son in a fire.

Korentsov’s performance lasts more than an hour and a half. Like other victims, in four and a half years he studied in detail the circumstances of that fire and case file. “There could be more victims. Four more people failed in the burden , but they were pulled out, ”Remes reminds the assembled. And he finishes his performance by the assessment of Shirlin: “In all of his behavior in court, not repentance, but arrogance and swanness!”

"Why were the guys killed?" - In her speech, the wife of Korentsova Svetlana asks. And, without counting on the answer, he continues: in her opinion, there was no need to send her son and other firefighters to the roof, they did not save anyone, and the fire could not extend to other buildings.

“I consider myth the testimony of the defendants that work was conducted to save people [firefighters],” says Svetlana Korentsova. “What happened after [collapse], when the voices [on the radio] subsided, this is work to save bodies.”

Barsukov carefully looks at her, sometimes raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"Having such an experience, how could it be allowed?" - Sister Marina Andryushkina Natalya is perplexed. Four years ago, Marina lost her son; In addition to Natalia and the elderly mother, she has no one left.

“No one should have been on the roof,” says Larisa Liseenko. Her husband Roman Georgiev never saw a daughter born a month and a half after the fire - November 12, 2016.

Oksana Akimova, also remaining the widow, asks the court not to mitigate the punishment of Shirlin because he has a minor child. “My son is not in the opportunity now ...” says Oksana, sobbing, “to talk with my father.” They will have this opportunity. ”

After a pause, he continues: “My son stopped smiling, he began to lower his eyes when he looks at other fathers, he no longer sings in the bathroom ... I ask the court to take into account that [the dead] eight children, eight!”

Then the word takes the side of protection. Lawyer Shirlin Ruslan Golenkov is sure that his client acted adequately to the situation and firefighters died not through his fault. He insists that - despite the position of the accusation - there really was the threat of the explosion. The fact that ammonia could pose a danger is also said in the conclusion of an explosive technology examination conducted at the request of protection. “Shirlin could not foresee the consequences for the circumstances that were not dependent on him,” says Golenkov, and asks to justify the client.

“Do you know how I would extinguish a fire? - the lawyer continues, leaning over the tribune and looking point -blank at the victims. - I would drive all representatives of [warehouse] into the building ... "

In these words, Judge Sirathegyan interrupts him. “I allowed this remark, because as a person I understand you perfectly,” Golenkov makes excuses, still carefully looking at the relatives of the dead. “But as a professional, he [Shirlin] could not ignore the fire.” Here I can say: you need to fight with Shirlin, but with the system. Because we must extinguish in any circumstances. Otherwise, he would also be tried for negligence. ”

- And so he led to the death of people!

-Why didn’t he climb [to the roof]? - Outraged screams from the hall are coming.

The judge is forced to remind Golenkov again that he is a lawyer and must behave appropriately. Having straightened up, he lists the positive features of the client and notes that over the years of work in the Ministry of Emergencies, he put out more than a hundred fires.

- And what is so small?

- He buried eight people! - Screams from the hall are heard again.

The lawyer of Barsukova Alexei Tarasov, in turn, notes that throughout the entire process of his client and Shirlin, they represent “as Siamese twins” who acted together. Tarasov emphasizes that Barsukov could not make decisions independently and regardless of Shirlin. In addition, the causes of the collapse of the roof, Tarasov believes, have not been fully studied. For this, it is necessary to conduct another examination-construction and technical. The version of the explosion, according to the lawyer, was also not refuted. Therefore, Barsukova needs to be justified.

-Do not lie!

- I lie directly in! - the hall is indignant.

Colonel Shirlin-tall, gray-haired, in a dark blue suit, begins his performance in the debate, begins with the fact that he complains of the fire safety law. On it, explains Shirlin, the task in the fire is to save both people and property. “Unfortunately, today we cannot move away from this,” he says without emotion in his voice.

And he recalls how the warehouse employees also criticized the actions of the Ministry of Emergencies when extinguishing a fire. “In Russia, everyone knows how to teach, treat and extinguish fires,” the colonel comments.

Following Shirlin recalls that the fire in the fall of 2016 was far from the first in these warehouses-in 2011, five people were killed in a different construction, no one was held accountable for this.

- And what?

“So you can kill?” - shout from the hall.

Judge Sirathegyan asks the defendant to speak only in essence.

“As for the choice of stewing tactics,” Shirlin continues calmly. - As I understand it, everyone except me understand this. With all due respect, I gave this service more than a quarter of a century. Probably, after all, I understand something in this matter. ”

Next, he talks about the slogan, which hangs in many fire units "Fire Extinguishing is a battle." Shirlin explains that there is always little time to make decisions in the fire.

“If I am such a layman, what did not tell me? - Shirlin is perplexed. - It is impossible to stop the instinct of self -preservation. If a person feels the danger, he will never go blindly to give his life it is not clear why. ”

He says, the colonel says guilty, he does not think, but is ready to answer the law, how he was "taught by the commanders." “Did I foresee the onset of such consequences? - adds Shirlin. -If I had the gift of foresight, probably everything would be different. <...> Let's figure out why I was extremely extreme only in this chain. If someone's responsibilities fulfill his responsibilities, this does not mean that only I should answer. ”

Sergey Barsukov - unlike his boss in that fire is a little word. In the debate, he also denies his guilt in the deaths of colleagues. Neither he himself, nor someone else had the right to intervene in the decisions that Shirlin made then, says Barsukov.

“It’s better late than never to apologize to the relatives of the dead,” Barsukov adds already in the last word. He repeats again that although he does not consider himself guilty, he is ready to bear responsibility. "Not even four years have passed!" - comments from the place of Vladislav Korenov.

After Barsukov, Dmitry Shirlin also pronounces the last word. “Trying to do wide gestures here, kneel down, I will not beg for mercy,” he says. Immediately explaining: not because he doesn’t care, but because it is his “personal experiences”.

“My whole life was divided into two halves: before and after,” the colonel says.

- And ours? - an indignant cry from the hall comes.

“Of course, I don’t understand the pain of loss,” Shirlin stipulates. - But over 25 years of my career, I put out more than a hundred fires. Could stay where they did not return from.

He says that after a fire in a warehouse he was awarded a presidential letter for work at the World Cup. "All about yourself!" - Optionally commented by Vladislav Korenov.

Shirlin repeats that he does not admit guilt. He says that he does not understand why Barsukov turned out to be in the bench next to him: “The deceased Yurchikov was his friend, they had to go fishing next week. Does someone think that he would not warn him about the danger? " The colonel puts forward his version: Barsukov was attracted to this matter not by chance, but so that he would “surrender it”.

“We will accept the verdict steadily,” Schirlin concludes. - I want to note that Sergei Barsukov is not to blame. Actually, I do not find myself guilty. I did not violate the law. I am a sovereign man and carried out an order. "

Relatives of the victims are in displeasure with each other, trying to say something and the defendants. The judge interrupts them. The verdict will be announced on April 8. Hearing this, Shirlin and Barsukov hastily leave the hall.

Kristina Safonova