Acid Attack Survivor Leaves Hospital

Anastasia, a resident of St. Petersburg who survived an attack with a knife, a gun, and acid, has been discharged from the hospital after nearly three months of treatment. On 23 May, her ex-boyfriend, whom she had broken up with a year and a half earlier, burst into her apartment on Zheleznovodskaya Street. According to the victim, the man was jealous, stalked her, sent her messages on social media, and that evening cut her with a knife, shot her in the knee, and doused her with acid. Anastasia«s friend, who tried to protect her, was also injured by the chemical.

She was taken to the Dzhanelidze Research Institute of Emergency Care in extremely serious condition: doctors diagnosed chemical burns to 38% of her body, burn shock, and multiple wounds. She spent nearly three weeks in intensive care, where she underwent painful daily bandage changes under anesthesia. The most serious injuries were to her face, neck, and chest: the acid caused deep tissue necrosis that surgeons had to remove.

When she regained consciousness, Anastasia could not fully grasp the scale of the tragedy for a long time. According to her, she lay in the ward staring at the ceiling, afraid to think about what had happened so as not to break down. Her only wish was to convince her parents that she was all right. «I knew it was much harder for them than for me. I understood what condition I was in, and I was very worried about them,» the young woman recalls.

Support came not only from her loved ones but also from strangers. When she learned that her story had received wide attention, Anastasia was shocked. A support group created on social media gathered about 1,500 people who wrote her words of encouragement every day. «They charge you with energy, and you realize you can»t give up, because you will be an example for many people,« she says.

Despite her fighting spirit, the young woman faces a long road ahead. Because of the deep chemical burn, doctors had to remove her eye. In six months, aesthetic surgery may be possible to reconstruct the eyelid and fit a prosthesis which, according to doctors, will look as much like a real eye as possible. Anastasia worries that no eyebrows or eyelashes remain on the damaged side of her face: the eyebrow may be restored with tattooing, but the eyelashes are still uncertain. There are also scars on some parts of her head where hair will most likely never grow back. For the first year after discharge, she is forbidden from any cosmetic procedures or plastic surgery.

Anastasia now plans to recover at her parents« home outside the city, where, she says, there is a small river and a lake nearby. She intends to undergo rehabilitation: microcurrents, electrophoresis, and other procedures available locally. She also plans to gradually return to her profession as a director of theatrical performances and celebrations, in order to »keep bringing joy to people.«

The accused, Sergey Mikhaylov, who has previous convictions for making death threats and fraud, has partially admitted guilt. In court, he insisted that the charges be reclassified under Article 111 of the Russian Criminal Code (intentional infliction of grave harm to health), claiming he had no intent to kill. Anastasia disagrees: «A person comes with acid, with a weapon, and with a knife, uses all of it against another person… That seems somehow strange.» She insists on a charge of attempted murder. The young woman also said that before the attack she had contacted the police several times, but no grounds for detention were found. According to her, Mikhaylov also stalked and threatened other former girlfriends; he even tried to poison one of them, but they are afraid to file complaints.

Anastasia is supported by her new boyfriend, a barber from Veliky Novgorod. Together with her sister, he kept watch at the hospital on a two-days-on, two-days-off schedule. At the hospital exit, the young woman was met by her parents, friends, and colleagues with flowers and gifts. Smiling, she suggested everyone move into the shade — after the burns, she cannot yet be in direct sunlight. Looking at his daughter, her father gave a short and succinct answer to a question about her character: «A fighter.»