Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia Alexander Bastrykin took part in the memorial service for Vanya Krapivin in Severodvinsk. The story of this boy, a hero of our time, turned every head. In 2017, a drunken neighbour had hit 14-year-old Vanya with a dumbbell on the head three times, having attacked his mother with a knife and stabbed her 27 times. Ivan had tried to protect his mother, taking a mortal hit on himself. His relatives, friends, classmates and a lot of locals came to follow him to his grave.
Alexander Bastrykin addressed the audience: “Today, we say our farewells to outstanding boy, citizen, man - Ivan. He lived a very short life but with a brave deed - similar to those of soldiers; he stood in front of a criminal, a prior felon, and saved his mother from him. His second feat is his fight for life. It is unbearably sad to know that Vanya’s life has ended despite the efforts of doctors and support from his family and friends. I believe that his feat won’t be forgotten. We will do our utmost to make our youth, our cadets and students remember his act of valour.”
The Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia also visited the school where Vanya had been studying. There is a memorial plaque placed in the school to remind his peers of the true feat of the young man and of the son’s love for his mother. Solemnly, the Chairman gave to the school director the medal “Valour and Courage” of the Investigative Committee, which Vanya was awarded with posthumously. Alexander Bastrykin thanked teachers for the boy’s upbringing and noted: “We need to make the memory of Vanya here to stay. Children die because of someone’s deaf ear, and often it’s adults who are guilty of their death. We have a lot to think about. Perhaps, this sad story will make us kinder.”
The Investigative Committee will do its utmost to bring the respectively strict punishment to the criminal who had taken away Vanya’s life. All reasons of the incident and circumstances that led to the tragedy will be established in detail.
Official spokesperson for the Investigative Committee of Russia S. Petrenko
PDF version 
DOC version
