"I do not dare to go to this forest"

Interview Tatyana Levchenko. The defendant of the case of the “network” Maxim Ivankin was sentenced to 24 years in the case of the murder of her daughter

The Ryazan Regional Court sentenced Maxim Ivankin - the defendant of the case of the “network”, who was accused of the murder of Ekaterina Levchenko and Artem Dorofeev. In early January 2024, the jury found Ivankin guilty, on February 12 he was appointed 24 years in a maximum security colony. At the request of the publication, the “coast”, after the sentence, the special corner of “Medusa” Kristina Safonova spoke with Tatyana Levchenko, the mother of the murdered Ekaterina Levchenko. With the permission of the publication, we publish this text entirely.

- Do you have the feeling that with the verdict Maxim Ivankin was all over?

-There is nothing joyful in this, but there is some kind of satisfaction. This, of course, is the end of a large stage. There will also be an appeal - you probably have to go to Moscow.

The feeling that [all] is over is not. Maybe because I expected more - that they would give him life. And they gave 24 years, in fact - 18 . If you judge, the term is rather big - a third of life.

- Why didn't you go to the verdict?

- I was only on Friday [February 9] in court. The lawyer said that it was important to be, [because the parties expressed their opinion on a possible punishment], to say something from themselves. On the verdict, my presence does not have an important value.

I still have a job, I am a personnel specialist. I had to go [to court in Ryazan from the Penza region] almost every week, sometimes for two days. Well, my employer is very loyal - he knows my story, lets go without problems. But one must have a conscience - no one but me will do my work. On Friday, I had to sit at the station with a laptop, work.

“I know that you have not missed almost a single meeting.” What was this year for you?

- In fact, very heavy. Even physically traveling to another city as a job is not very easy. And from a material point of view too.

Honestly, it was sometimes difficult to morally too. There were moments directly to hysteria. It happened differently. But then - nothing, the second wind, as they say. I realized that I was doing everything right. What you need to finish, we must endure.

It’s good that they supported me. Among relatives are several people with whom I communicate and who are interested in are asking. But the details also do not always want to retell. And sometimes it is necessary to share with someone, to discuss. [Journalist] Evgeny Malyshev - Thank him very much, knew about every meeting, called, asked, discussed with him. You, Maxim Solopov, Ilya Hesin - I saw that I was not alone in this. She stood, thank God.

-Someone else from the victims followed this court as actively?

- Certainly. Mom Artem [Nadezhda Dorofeeva] and my ex -spouse Sergei [Levchenko]. But in court they were not so often present, it happened. Glory to God, I was almost always. I thought it was important. That this is my duty. See how everything happens and what happens. Listen to everyone. To listen to what he [Ivankin] says. To decide for himself whether he is guilty or not. I remained with my opinion that he was still guilty.

- In court, you first met with Maxim Ivankin. Can you tell us what impression he made on you?

- It's hard to say. Appearance - I saw him before in the photographs. And so I tried not to think about him. Because if you think about him, it’s hard, just blows the roof. But I need to watch, analyze. I tried to think about him not as a murderer of my daughter, but as just about a person who needs to be decided: he is telling the truth or not. This is not easy.

Health, of course, took a lot. I remember what was before and what - now. I think maybe age ( Tatyana is 51 years old - approx. "Coast" )? But she came to the hospital to the therapist, she says: “What are you! You still have to be fine! " And you think: probably, in fact, nerves.

- From the outside it seems to me that this year has changed you a lot. As if he made harder.

- May be. Probably yes.

- You had the opportunity to ask Maxim Ivankin questions. You asked him about everything you wanted? Have you received answers?

- The most important question for me is where he was and what did he do at that time [in April 2017]? But his answer: “I had a friend, I can’t say,” it’s just funny. I decided so for myself: he is afraid to tell the truth, which means he is guilty.

- Was it decisive for you?

- Yes. At one of the meetings, he mentioned that he would answer all the questions by which he took the 51st article. I went to the [next] meeting with such a expectation! I was sure he would say. But he again did not answer this question, said: “I already said that a friend had, what else did you want?” There are not even words.

He sometimes looked in my direction. Once I said right to me: “I did not kill Katya. We were in good relations with her. ” But I can’t believe it.

- Prior to the start of the case in court, I already asked you, but I want to repeat the question again: you had no doubt who is guilty of the murders of Katya and Artem?

- You know, I tried to objectively look at things, see all the arguments for and against, without emotions. Because I want to not just put someone in order to be guilty, but the truth.

For example, a lawyer [Konstantin Kartashov, defending Maxim Ivankin] tried to show a photograph with [army] belt Ivankin. The court did not take into account her. I was at first preoccupied: “How so? The proof, but the court does not accept. ” Then she consulted [with her] lawyers, they told me that the court was not obliged to do it. That it is necessary to provide evidence that this photograph is the original, to explain where it was taken from.

And then there were a lot of such evidence, for me incomprehensible. The lawyer brought a shirt to the court and says: “This is a shirt by which witnesses recognized Ivankin [in Ryazan in 2017], she was at home all this time [in the Penza region].” Even I am sitting surprised: where did he get her? Where is the evidence that Ivankin wore this shirt? There is nothing. Or the lawyer talked about backpacks - according to him, Ivankin had two, exactly the same. He allegedly escaped with one [in April 2017 from Penza], the other stayed at home. The lawyer proposed to conduct such an experiment: to see whether the gun would fit into it or not fit. Moreover, it is absolutely not proven that Ivankin left the house with the same backpack.

The defense could either refute or confirm the version that the investigation proposed. It was not possible to refute. Ivankin also did not want to confirm anything either. He never said the truth - this is the main thing. He did not tell anything about what he did after he escaped from the house with [Alexei] Poltava. Tell your version! Why are you silent, don't you say anything? Where is your version? There is no her. So, there will be a version that the investigation stretched out. So, this is how it happened.

- The defense had many complaints about the investigation: Ivankin and his lawyer talked about torture. Other defendants in the "network" who did not testify or supported the version of Ivankin also spoke about the pressure. The defense also claimed the inappropriateness of part of the testimony of witnesses, evidence. What do you think about the course of the investigation? Do you think that investigators did everything to establish the truth?

- I believe that the investigators did a lot. And I am grateful to the investigator Andrei Mikhailovich Kosenko.

I can’t say anything about Ivankin’s recognition. I think that without recognition [his guilt is proved]. In court, there was no emphasis on recognition - he was announced and that’s it. I think that for jury it did not play a role. After all, there were other things. There were letters that Ivankin wrote from the pre -trial detention center [his wife] Anna Shalunkina, they were written by his hand - this was confirmed. Anna Shalunkina did not want to answer any question about these letters - this also means a lot. They found a Ryazan apartment - it also cost huge labors. They found witnesses who confirmed everything themselves - this is also of great importance. The lawyer [Konstantin Kartashov] tortured them: “And to what extent did Ivankin have red hair? They were a little red or very red? " And then he said that one said “a little bit”, the other “strongly”. Well, what is it!

- And how did you react to the testimony of the defendant of the "network" Ilya Shakursky? To the fact that only in court did he say that he saw Katya, Artem, Maxim Ivankin and Alexei Poltavts in Ryazan - although Olga Polynov or Poltavian did not talk about this Medusa.

- He did not speak in the investigation during interrogations. I was very surprised, rejoiced. Maybe a person has a conscience. When I asked him in court: “Did you even think about what happened to the guys? Where are they, why are they gone? " He said: "We were not up to it." It is possible, when they had such an accusation [about participation in the “terrorist community”] hung, they were not before thinking about others. During interrogations, he perhaps understood that his friends were involved, and maybe he burned them out? I didn't want to say that I saw them in Ryazan all together?

By the way, he was the only one [defendants in the “network”] last summer sent me a letter with condolences about the death of his daughter. I did not answer because I did not know what to answer. Probably, a person has a conscience if he does such things.

About [another person involved in the “network”] Misha Kulkov, I cannot understand-they killed his friend (it seems to me that Artem was still closer than Maxim), and he defends Ivankin. It turns out, Artem - no one, or what? Can I kill him? Maybe he does not think that this was [did] Ivankin? But then tell me what you know! How can you kill people in order not to sit for some years?

- The investigation communicated with Katya's acquaintances, read her correspondence on VKontakte. Thanks to the investigation, you learned something new about your daughter?

- I found out that she and Artem used drugs, - for me, of course, it was news. But I am sure that she would hardly help in distribution.

On a new side, she did not open to me. I was just convinced once again that for her friends she could do anything. Even go to the forest, to such a distance ... By the way, we went there. There [first] trample to the burdock along the forest road. And then - such a terrible path. Far, also in cold weather. For friends, she went to it. Now I was once again convinced that her friends were not the same.

- When did you go to the burdock?

- In summer. Grandmother came to the court from burdocks, testified. She had to be taken back by car, because transport does not go to these burdocks. The trial is over, the lawyer and I still stayed [in the building], we leave - and she is still sitting, waiting. Summer, hot, grandmother in age, health is bad. I felt very sorry for her, I say: "We will take you." And when the three of them went to the car, I look, Anna Shalunkina takes us to the phone. It became so funny for me. Then she posted a post somewhere that we have a witness to communicate, carry them. I laid out and laid it out. And we just regretted grandmother.

- Did you go to the very place of murders? I remember that it used to be difficult for you to go to any other forest before.

- We didn’t go there, only to the burdocks. The lawyer suggested to me, says: "If you want, I will organize." Because then you need another car, UAZ. I say: "No, I can't." I do not dare to go into this forest.

[In general] it is already easier to go to the forest. My technique is not to think [about anything], although it’s hard not to think. When you get into the forest, you immediately begin to remember Katya.

- Do you remember your feelings when the jury said that Ivankina is considered guilty?

-The [ex-husband] with Sergey discussed, he says: “I think so many people will be for, so much against it.” And I look at him and say: “It seems to me that everyone will say now that he is guilty.” We even argued for something, I don’t remember. My feelings were confirmed.

Of course, there was satisfaction - thank God, everything ended. Because I was very afraid that, God forbid, one of the jury would get sick or something will happen, we are still people. Several jury ceased to participate in the consideration: who left, who got sick. Only one spare remained. As I imagined that, God forbid, something will happen and everything [the whole process] will have to start again! After the announcement, several people from the jury, passing by, said: "We are very sympathetic to you."

- The investigation could not find Alexei Poltavets. They did not attract Dmitry Pchelintsev, who, according to Poltava, was a “customer” of murders. What do you think about it?

- I am a little upset that against the main culprit - and I believe that these are bee - no evidence was found. But I looked at how he behaved during interrogation - as if in front of him, a circus - and became convinced that he was most likely the most important person in this company. This is my personal opinion. There are no facts - this is the most offensive. On the other hand, if Ivankin wanted to do this, he did not say that [someone else was involved in the crime], then he will answer alone.

“You told me that with Katya’s death and your life seemed to break off.” Do you get to start living again?

- I am still learning to live with this, we will say that. Katya is not, this pain has not gone anywhere, she is still here. But you try to schedule some plans. Life has become different at all. Probably it became better to work out. But I have not yet learned yet.

Now I have a grandson at the head of my whole - I am finging with him, I am engaged with him. I need it. That's all over, I will go to the appeal and I will completely engage in the grandson. He likes with me, and I with him. Although it is difficult with him. But we must gain strength, recover in order to be able to deal with it. Such a goal will now be in life. I will live.

- How often do you think about Katya?

- I make myself not think. But it happens, I’m driving in a car - the road again through the forest - and as if falling into the depths, into pain. I stop myself right away. On the other hand, I feel: I seem to betray her that I try not to think about her.

“You are doing this to keep yourself.”

- You are right, yes. I think so too. But still ... I love her, how not to think about her? Hard, you will not find a face.

I have memory days. For example, the day of death is April 27. I did not know the exact date, consulted with the priest. He said: "It's okay, choose any day for yourself and remember." On such days I am directly immersed [in the thoughts of Katya], I try not to remember in others, otherwise it is very difficult.

- What do you usually remember? Her childhood?

-Still, I represent her often an adult. As if she reacted to something, she said her opinion about something. How she smiles, how we are talking with her. She loved especially in the morning, in front of the school, when she drinks tea, tell something secret. About your relationship with someone, something else. I used to think: “Wow, my daughter shares with me, how good!”

Still, I remember her adult, although I dream of her little. Five or six years old, she was so pretty.

- Your grandson looks like Katya's character?

- No, he is completely different. Boy! Although he does not remember Katya (he was two or three years old), he very often asks about her. I still have her notebooks in a cell. We play boats with him, he once took a notebook, opened to draw, and there are Katya's drawings. And he is with surprise: "Granny, who drew it so cool?" I say this is Katina a notebook. He immediately puts off the notebook: "Granny, you can’t draw here, this is a memory." Right to tears.

Talked by Christina Safonova