Warning: Mentions of child abuse. Reader discretion is advised.
Vyacheslav Matrosov, a 34-year-old former rocket engine factory worker from the Samara region in Russia, has recently dodged murder charges in connection with the death of his best friend, Oleg Sviridov, 32.
Matrosov and Sviridov were best friends until Matrosov discovered a video on Sviridov’s phone while they were drinking together that made his blood run cold. He played the file to see Oleg Sviridov raping a female child, the girl can be heard pleading with her abuser saying: “Oleg that’s enough, I can’t take it anymore. I want to go home.”
To his horror the child was Vyacheslav Matrosov’s own daughter, who was around six years old in the video. Sviridov allegedly abused the girl on multiple occasions.
It is believed that Matrosov gave Sviridov an ultimatum- either he would confess his crimes to the authorities or receive punishment at the hands of Matrosov. Sviridov did not confess his crimes to police, although Matrosov did report the sexual abuse of the children. The police had not yet started investigating the crimes when Sviridov was found dead.
It is believed that other children in the village may have been abused at the hands of Oleg Sviridov.
Although Matrosov denies having a hand in his friend’s death, it is easy to imagine how horrified, upset and filled with rage he was after discovering the clip. Matrosov likely confronted his best friend who disappeared in September 2021. On the day Sviridov went missing, a family member told police he looked as though he had been beaten up.
His body was found around a week later in a shallow grave, which he appeared to have dug himself, close to the village Vintai in southwestern Samara Oblast. He appeared to have died from a stab wound. It was determined that Sviridov had not been stabbed in the forest where his body was discovered.
Although Matrosov was originally facing a murder investigation, the charge against him was dropped in favor of a lesser charge that states Matrosov incited Sviridov to take his own life- a sentence that carries around a maximum of six years if convicted. The sentence does not usually lead to Custodial punishments.
After hearing the news of a murder investigation against Matrosov, residents of Samara voiced their support of Matrosov. They raised funds for his initial legal fees and 2,500 residents of the Pribrezhnoye village signed a petition asking for him to be acquitted, saying Matrosov had made the village safer by ridding it of a child sex offender who had abused their children.
"Sviridov fell asleep, and Vyacheslav took his mobile phone and decided to see what his friend was looking at," the petition read. "Every father would have done this [killed someone they saw abusing their child]. This will be an example to everyone. Therefore, we demand understanding from the executive branch, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Investigative Committee."
Neighbors vouched for Matrosov, saying he was a wonderful father and a good man.
Matrosov continues to deny murdering his ex-best friend. He is currently awaiting trial for ‘inciting a person to commit suicide or attempted suicide by threats or abuse.’
Police sources confirmed that they later found multiple videos of violent rapes of female children from the village on Sviridov’s phone. One of the victims was Matrosov’s daughter when she was six (now 8) and another was the 11-year-old daughter of Sviridov’s ex-girlfriend who had a daughter from her first marriage.
A friend of Sviridov’s ex had no idea that he had been abusing her daughter. He was often seen with his ex-partners daughter and Matrosov’s daughter in the village, however, the residents had no idea what he was doing behind closed doors. Sviridov often babysat Matrosov’s children and when he returned home to his ex-partner, he would always seem jovial.
The friend said of Sviridov’s ex-partner: “She is a very good, caring mother. I can imagine what she feels like now the truth has come out... He was constantly seen with the girls, the daughter of his partner and Vyacheslav's older daughter, in the village. It never crossed anyone's mind what he was doing with children.”
Some reports claim that Matrosov told police Sviridov fell on a knife during an argument and said he did not intend to kill.
According to lawyer, Vera Podkolzina, proving that Sviridov was guilty of abusing and sexually assaulting the female children as shown in the videos was instrumental in securing Matrosov a lesser sentence.
When contacted for comment, Sviridov’s mother said of his crimes:
“I don't know how it got to this,' she said, referring to the rape of Vyacheslav's daughter. 'He must have been drunk. Most likely he was drunk. They left their children with him all the time. When he baby-sat these girls, he came back home as normal, in a good mood.”
Vyacheslav Matrosov is being hailed a local hero and his electronic tag has been removed while he awaits trial.
