“I smoke myself that I did not get deeper. Perhaps all this could be avoided "

Daria Trepova’s husband demanded that the journalist of Roman Popkov confess to the organization of the murder of the “military commander” Vladlen Tatar. We talked with him

In St. Petersburg, the consideration of the case of Daria Trepova ends - she is accused of the murder of the "military commander" Vladlen Tatarsky. According to investigators, on April 2, 2023, Trepova brought to a “creative meeting” with a Tatar figurine filled with explosives. As a result of the explosion, he died, the authorities regarded the incident as a terrorist attack. In court, Daria Trepova stated that she did not know about the impending murder - but only followed the instructions of the journalist Roman Popkov (he was accused of leadership in the leadership) and a certain person with the pseudonym "Gestalt". The fact that Popkov is guilty of what happened is also sure the husband of Daria, Dmitry Rylov. On January 17, 2024, he published an open letter to the journalist and demanded that he confess the murder. Medusa talked with Rylov about this letter and accusations against his wife.

- A year ago, I tried to contact you through common friends, but then they told me that you were not ready to communicate with reporters. Why did you decide to speak now?

- Then I was already not in Russia, but still in a not particularly safe country. I needed to preserve my freedom. Plus, human rights activists at that moment recommended not to talk to the media - so that in their own words that could be incorrectly interpreted, not to make worse. The very matter is extremely resonant, then not everything was clear.

Now the defense has finished presenting its position in court, there will be a debate. Of course, there was no [sentence and] appeal. Nevertheless, this appeal had to be made to at least say to all people who are not completely sure of Dasha (and there are a lot of them) as everything was actually. So that [they learn] about the person who set up Dasha. To at least put Dashino's name.

If Roman Popkov answers something, perhaps our court will consider this necessary evidence-and perhaps this will help in the re-qualification of the case for another article and reducing the deadline.

- Why are you sure that Roman Popkov is to blame for the murder of the murder of Vladlen Tatar and, as a result, in the persecution of Dasha? What do you know about his acquaintance and communication with Dasha?

- I do not know much more than anyone else. February 24, 2022 was [anti -war] rally. Dasha and I walked with a poster along Nevsky, we were detained by three employees of the EC center. They brought to the nearest police car. Then we were taken to the Gostiny Dvor, where all the detentions took place. There we were already detained officially. I was given to me for nine days of administrative, Dasha - ten.

After the rally, Dasha had an idea - she said that she wanted to go to Ukraine and help the wounded as a volunteer. She has a medical education, although not finished, but she is a good doctor and knows how to provide first aid.

Dasha and Popkov were signed on each other on Twitter - Dasha liked his publications. She wrote to Popkov because he lives in Ukraine for a long time, asking for help with the move there. From that moment on, it seems to me, Dashino communication with him began.

At that time, he seemed to me a normal person, so I did not see a big problem in this. I know that they talked until April 2 [2022], from Dashins - she told me about this directly.

“Do you know what they talked about?” Roman Popkov in a conversation with me in April 2023 claimed that they discussed completely third-party topics-cinema, journalism. Dasha allegedly consulted with him about her articles.

- This is an absolute lie. Communication began with the request of Dasha to help move to Ukraine. As far as I know, Popkov then agreed and promised to find out, but this discussion fell silent.

[Later], approximately in the fall of 2022, Dasha was fired from work (she was a manager in a vintage store). Dasha still had an active twitter, she complained there. Then Popkov wrote to her and offered the work as a journalist, returning to the topic of moving to Ukraine. Most likely, this seemed to her an acceptable option to move and start helping.

I know 100%that Popkov suggested that she complete the tasks (Dasha herself spoke in court): he suggested that she take some parcels, books, suggested that she make a certain propaganda site. Dasha did this well: she made a site for a last company, and after dismissal, she decided to become an individual entrepreneur. She is well versed in vintage clothes and creating sites, so she planned to make her own mini-marketplace-a platform for small stores.

Popkov also invited her to write an article about the difference in propaganda in Moscow and St. Petersburg. I saw this article and even edited a little. Unfortunately, it was not preserved for me, as I was on the past devices that I got rid of. As far as I know, this article has not been published. That is, it was absolutely unnecessary work in order to mislead a person.

- Did Dasha receive money for this work?

- As for the payment, it is not known to me reliably, Dasha did not share this with me - either in an attempt to protect me, or for his thoughts. Rather, the first.

Unfortunately, I do not know much in the same way as you. I know that she was compensated by all related expenses. In fact, she was only compensated for what she spent and so.

I’ll run ahead a little: we were in a quarrel for some time, but since January [2023] we continued to communicate. Since we love each other, I, of course, supported her and sent her my money.

- The organization of the murder of Vladlen Tatarsky is also accused of Ukrainian Yuri Denisov , who probably used the pseudonym "Gestalt". Did you know anything about him then? About his acquaintance with Dasha?

- No, absolutely nothing. Then I found out that she talked not only with Popkov, but also with someone else. That is why in my [open] letter I write about other people, not only about Popkov.

Unfortunately, she hid him [“Gestalt”] from me, because he asked her not to tell anyone about him. Of course, I can’t be 100% sure that Yuri Denisov is precisely Gestalt, but I have no doubt about it, although I can’t prove anything. I have never seen this person, evidence, correspondence with him also did not see.

- Your attitude to Dasha’s communication with Roman Popkov has changed over time?

- Dasha did not tell me a lot. And I learned a lot later, from Dashin's testimony in court. Then I had some pieces of puzzle. “From whom? For what? Why?" - I asked her, but Dasha did not answer or changed the topic. I smoke myself every day that I did not get deeper. Perhaps all this could be avoided.

Somewhere in one and a half to two months [before the murder of Tatar] I began to notice that something was wrong with Dasha. I can recognize in Dasha when she is very worried. He tried to convince her to stop doing this, but Dasha at that time liked everything, although she was very scared - it was visible. If a person talks to someone and becomes worse for him, something good is unlikely to happen.

Of course, I suspected something, but I could not formulate it into the right thoughts, because I had too little information from Dasha. She said at least, for example: "I had to go to the store and buy postcards." And in which store, she did not say, even if I asked. She said that she needed it from "journalistic" activities. In her and my head, it at that time was tied quite firmly.

I am very sad that everything happened in the end. I never trusted Popkov, because we are in different political camps: I am a member of the Party of the LPR . But for some reason, it slipped away from my attention, what kind of person he really is. Almost to the very end, I could not convince myself that this person urgently needed to stop communication. Then it seemed to me that he was fighting for a kind of good deed, but in the end it turned out that a person uses the most vile practices that are used only in the most terrible dictatorships.

- In your opinion, why did Dasha, despite fear, continued communication with Popkov and journalistic, as she, apparently, thought, thought, work?

- I can’t speak 100% for Dasha and would recommend to readers to rely on her testimony . But Dasha and I have been communicating for a long time, and, it seems to me, Dasha continued to do this, because it seemed to her that ultimately she would help people. Conventionally, as she was told: she will make an investigation, they will look at her and transport [to Ukraine], and she will be able to calmly engage in help from people who suffered from the war.

For Dasha, assistance to other people is of great importance, very, very often to the detriment of himself-these are describing her words. She can help any, even an outsider, completely forgetting about herself. I believe that it was this thirst for help that moved it. The craving for help in it is stronger than fear.

- How did you meet?

- I already do not remember behind the prescription. The first time we probably saw a year in 2014. And they began to communicate well in about 2020. I really like Dasha, I love her very much. I like how she looks like she jokes. She has very interesting thoughts. It is always very interesting to just be nearby. All her friends, friends and friends, confirm this.

Dasha is the soul of the company. It is very simple, very easy with her. But at the same time, you know, this is not a simple simplicity. A simple person who is open to other people.

- What was your relationship with Dasha? It’s just that some of her friends, with whom the journalists managed to talk, called your marriage “comic”.

- Dasha does not really like to talk about our relationship. But we talked for a very long time. And at the time of entering the rally, when we were detained, we already talked quite well.

After that, I, like, jokingly invited her to get married, she agreed. But this does not mean that we had a marriage by calculation. Absolutely not. This was, firstly, practical: the status of “marriage” in Russia gives many opportunities, and abroad-too. But our feelings, of course, were. We had a full -fledged wedding on April 20, 2022, although we did not invite anyone to it. But there was a celebration, Dasha in a veil, rings. Over time, our feelings from such friendly and interesting ones outgrew into something more, true love.

- You and Dasha lived together?

- We periodically lived together, went on vacation. We always treated each other well, were interested in each other, but then we have not reached a very love relationship. Therefore, we lived in different places, but almost every day we saw each other.

- At what point did you decide to leave Russia?

- The beginning of mobilization. September-October [2022]. In fact, something threatened me very much, but I decided to leave just in case. Mobilization served as an impetus, but I was more likely to affect the [administrative] case because of the rally. Plus, I am in the party, this also imposed some risks.

Before mobilization, in the summer, Dasha and I had a quarrel. I do not want to speak reasons, it is purely personal and does not at all apply to the matter. A stupid quarrel that is not perceived by us now. We wrote off with Dasha on the day of mobilization, Dasha then helped me a lot. Then the quarrel was not resolved yet, so Dasha refused to go with me, although she was still warm to this and worried about me.

We periodically talked, but completely reconciled in January [2023], talked every day. I invited Dasha to come to me, but she said that she was doing. She was engaged in marketplace, and she had to make a power of attorney so that she could not work from Russia.

Along the way, she, unfortunately, had a second life that I knew almost nothing about. If he knew, he would try to influence with all his might. Of course, we really wanted to meet and live together, but all the time there were some but, and it never reached.

-What happened to Dasha on the eve of April 2, 2023 and on this day?

-I knew that she would go to St. Petersburg [from Moscow], but did not know for what purpose. For Dasha, the Day of the Geologist ( in 2023 was celebrated on April 2,-approx. Medusa ) is a family holiday, because she has many geologists among relatives. She visited the family. Plus, she said that she would do additional “journalistic” work. Which one, I did not know. But he felt that Dasha was very worried. And since Dasha is a religious person, an Orthodox Christian, and I, too, I said that I would definitely go to the temple and put a candle for her so that everything is fine.

[April 2] She met with her friends. One of them invited to spend the night to her home. Dasha also asked her friends and family to spend her the next day, saying that she would fly to another country. Of course, this is not a direct proof, but [because of this, including] I believe that Dasha did not know what would be in the figurine, [which she had to give Tatar]. Dasha is a very smart person, although very trusting. And a person who has at least a small consciousness, if he knew that he was in a figurine, would understand what would follow.

She wrote to me during the day, threw pictures from the cafe, how she ate deliciously. She said that she would meet her parents now. I sent my photos. I worked at that moment and did not follow much. And then at seven o’clock [evening] all this happened ...

- Have you learned about the explosion from the news or from Dasha?

- First, Dasha wrote to me. She didn’t really say anything, she only said that she urgently needed to find a place where she could leave, where she could spend the night. I still did not check the news and did not know anything. I was looking for a place, I found it - to my great regret, [at the end] I got such a situation with my friend Dmitry Kasintsev ( the investigation accused him of “covering the crime”, approx. Medusa ).

Probably an hour later, when I had already agreed, I opened the news. More or less began to compare in the head. And when the first photos of Dasha on the wanted list appeared, everything, in fact, became clear.

- How did you react to Dasha’s request for help? When did you see the news?

- How to say ... To be honest, the events of those days merged into one, I don’t know, half -male. My memory refuses. I did something, my head did not think at all. Shock - probably the most banal word. A very great fear for her, for Dima. For everything. Nevertheless, I managed to do something, contact someone. True, I do not remember what I did to whom I wrote. It seems that he wrote to everyone for about two days in a row. I definitely did not sleep for three days. And lost another 10 kilograms later.

- From your words about Dmitry it is clear that you blame yourself for what happened.

- Yes. Dmitry Kasintsev is my very good friend, and I am very sorry that this situation happened to him. Most of the responsibility for this lies with me, I do not refuse it. I will try to do everything in my power, so that Dima has the necessary support. So that he is given the term as little as possible.

I will not comment on Dima’s testimony ( Kasintsev denies my guilt, insisting that I did not know that Trepova could be involved in the murder of Tatar - approx. Medusa ) now. This is his protection line, and it is the best. I hope that this will help him get a less severe punishment, because Dima is not to blame for anything.

Dmitry is an incredibly kind, responsive and very, very smart person. I recommend that everyone support it because he is the best friend that you can have in this world.

- Did you have the opportunity to talk given that he is at home arrest?

- Of course, no. I would really like. But any of my contacts, since I am directly related to Dasha and deed ... I just can’t. I hope Dima understands this. And if not, then at least read about it when he will have the opportunity to go on the Internet. All our friends are very worried about him. But I just can’t contact him, because any violation of house arrest can affect him very poorly, his future fate and the sentence.

- Do you know, perhaps, from friends - does Dmitry blame you for what happened?

- Let's leave this question for later. There is no doubt that Dasha will receive a lot of years. For Dima, everything has not yet been decided and can turn in the other direction, so I do not want to comment.

- Have you talked with Dasha after the explosion? In what condition was she?

- I and Dasha talked right up to her detention. She was in a state of affect, roughly speaking. Dasha has such a personality trait - in a critical, shock situation, it is not lost. She may not think about anything. Conditionally: the head thinks about one thing, eyes are looking, and hands do. She was in very poor condition, did not fully believe what exactly happened.

- And after the detention, did you write to her in a pre -trial detention center?

- Of course. I do this every day. In Lefortovo with this there is a big problem, you can send only paper letters there. This was done, but with a great delay. Now Dasha is in the SIZO-5 Arsenalka, there is an electronic terminal there, and through the “FSIN-Pop”, Dasha and I communicate very often, we constantly write big letters to each other.

Dasha has a property - not to lose spirit in any situation. Now she is very depressed, she is very scared before the debate, the last word and the sentencing. But Dasha always finds strength to joke, draw me some picture. He constantly tells what they listen to them, watch on TV, shares his impressions. A man of great power and will, it is just not to break it.

But, of course, it is very difficult for her now. I try to support her, every day to write something-a big letter, small. Dasha suffers very much without communication. Поэтому я призываю всех, кто неравнодушен, написать ей письмо, пока она еще находится в этом СИЗО.

— До публичного обращения к Роману Попкову вы пытались с ним связаться?

— Пытался, но не вышло. С ним сложно связаться без связей, [то есть общих знакомых]. После 2 апреля 2023-го все контакты у него удалены. В любом случае я считаю, что открытое письмо — лучшая возможность.

— Как вам кажется, почему Роман Попков настаивает на другой версии событий, что они с Дашей просто общались и он не имеет отношения к случившемуся? Ведь он находится не в России, ему ничего не грозит.

— Мое мнение — Попков продвигает повестку, которая у него осталась еще со времен НБП ( Национал-большевистской партии Эдуарда Лимонова, — прим. «Медузы» ). Это приверженность к акциям прямого действия, диверсиям, «партизанскому движению». Поэтому, как я считаю, ему может быть это [такая версия событий] выгодно. Человек, который, по версии Попкова, «пожертвовал» собой, чтобы уничтожить кого-то из крупных пропагандистов Российской Федерации, — это, в его глазах, тот «великомученик», «пламя», которое разожжет пожар революции в стране. Он очень привержен этой идее — если вы почитаете его канал, его публикации, все пронизано этой идеей.

Я еще могу понять мотивацию человека, который пожертвовал собой, чтобы кого-то уничтожить. Хотя это прямо противоречит моим принципам, и принципам Даши тем более. Но ход мыслей такого человека я могу понять. А вот ход мыслей человека, который вместо того, чтобы самому что-то делать в России, находит невиновных людей и заставляет их обманом делать эту работу за него, а потом выставляет это как самопожертвование, — это не чем иным, как мерзостью, назвать нельзя. Даше крайне стыдно, ей очень больно и горько из-за того, что она оказалась в этой ситуации. Она мне пишет, что она каждый день плачет из-за этого. Ей очень тяжело осознавать сам факт, что она оказалась втянута в это.

Мое мнение: Попков использовал Дашу, чтобы дальше продвигать свои политические идеалы.

— История с Дашей, как и история с Крымским мостом, когда сотрудники СБУ, пособственным словам, «втемную использовали людей», повлияли на ваше отношение к войне России с Украиной?

— У меня такая позиция: и по ту, и по другую сторону страдают люди. Люди, которых призвали насильно, это происходит как в России, так и в Украине. Страдают мирные люди — что в Белгороде, что во многочисленных украинских городах. Моя позиция — эту войну необходимо срочно прекращать. Я всегда выступаю на стороне мирных людей, а не государств. Разумеется, я всегда был и буду против текущей российской власти. Но это не значит, что я поддерживаю нападение на мирных людей в городах России.

«Медуза» обратилась к Роману Попкову с просьбой ответить на открытое письмо Дмитрия Рылова. Он заявил, что официальный комментарий опубликует 18 января. ОБНОВЛЕНИЕ: Поздно вечером Попков действительно выпустил пост в своем телеграм-канале, в котором заявил, что «правду об операциях Сопротивления» он раскроет только после окончания войны.

Talked by Christina Safonova