On December 4, 2018, 16-year-old Ivan Krapivin passed away despite the efforts of doctors, the love of his brother Ilya, and support from citizens. By a twist of fate, Ivan gave his life protecting the most important person for him, his mother, but was left without her support in the end. Only his brother Ilya and caring strangers were worrying over the young hero’s fate and doing their utmost to make him better and get back to normal living.

According to Ilya Krapivin, Ivan had been growing up a cheerful, jovial and very kind boy but one day derailed everything. Last May, a drunken neighbour attacked Ivan’s mother. The boy stood up for her and threatened to call the police. For that, the neighbour hit Ivan with a dumbbell on his head three times. The same day, The Arkhangelsk and Nenets Regional Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened an investigation under Part 3 of Article 30; Paragraph A of Part 2 of Article 105 of the Criminal Code of Russia (attempt of murder of two persons). This January, the court found the man guilty and sentenced him to 14.5 years of imprisonment.

The injuries the boy had received left almost no hope for either recuperation or even life. Ivan Krapivin had been delivered from the scene of the crime to the Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Unit of the Arkhangelsk Regional State Budgetary Healthcare Institution “Severodvinsk City Emergency Hospital No. 2” where he had undergone an emergency surgery. Having stabilised the boy’s condition, the doctors referred him to the Arkhangelsk Regional State Budgetary Healthcare Institution “Vyzhletsov Arkhangelsk Regional Children’s Hospital” for a full complex of procedures, and then to the Saint Petersburg Filatov Children’s Hospital No. 5. When the tragedy came, Ilya Krapivin had been serving in the army but resigned and arrived to take care of his brother when found out about it. Ivan was fighting for his life even in his deep coma.

Upon initiative of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, leading experts of the Russian Ministry of Health consulted on the boy’s condition and treatment. Following the councils of the experts, it was decided to refer the child for further treatment to the State Budgetary Healthcare Institution “Emergency Children’s Surgery and Traumatology Research Institute” of the Moscow Healthcare Department, where Ivan was supervised by doctors and Leonid Roshal in person. The efforts were not in vain. At some point, Ivan started to show positive changes, and everyone was hopefully waiting for further improvements, but on December 4, the child died nonetheless.

The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation conveys its most sincere gratitude to the doctors of the hospitals where Ivan was treated, the councils’ experts who gave advice on his treatment, as well as relevant ministries and agencies’ officials, who promptly took on all the issues concerning Ivan.

Today, Chairman of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin showed a photo of Ivan at the solemn ceremony of taking the vow of Young Army Cadets by the cadets of the Alexander Nevsky Cadet Corps of the Investigative Committee of Russia at Poklonnaya Gora, and told them about his feat, calling Ivan a true patriot, a person of courage, who have forever set the example of selflessness and fortitude. Alexander Bastrykin urged the cadets to follow the example of caring people, such as Ivan Krapivin, and to look up to them.

“I would ask you to look around and ask yourselves: ‘What could I do for veterans, for my comrade, my family, orphans, and disadvantaged children?’ Unfortunately, Vanechka Krapivin died in the Centre of Dr. Roshal. Over a year ago, in an unequal struggle, he came to the defence of his mother against a criminal with a knife. Our doctors did their utmost. We helped as best as we could. He is another little hero of ours that we must remember and follow the example of such children,” said Alexander Bastrykin.

Ivan Krapivin was posthumously awarded with the medal “Valour and Courage” of the Investigative Committee of Russia.

Upon initiative of the Investigative Committee of Russia, mourning events will be held in memory of Ivan Krapivin in his hometown Severodvinsk. In honour of Ivan, a memorial plaque will be placed in his school to remind his peers of his feat and love for his mother. The issue of awarding Ilya Krapivin and Ivan’s teachers for bringing up such a decent and brave child, who sacrificed himself for the sake of his loved one, from the Arkhangelsk Region Administration is being considered.

The Investigative Committee of Russia took over the organisation of the funeral of Ivan; the memorial service will be held on December 10, 2018, also in Ivan’s hometown Severodvinsk.