Body Retrieved from Bosphorus Possibly Missing Swimmer Sveshnikov

The mysterious disappearance of Russian swimmer Nikolai Sveshnikov in Turkey during the 37th intercontinental swim in Istanbul may be solved. Today, during cleaning work in the Bosphorus waters, workers discovered a man«s body in a swimsuit. Sveshnikov»s relatives told MSK1.RU that they are now going for identification.

‘They called from the police, I«m going for identification now. I have no more information at the moment,’ Alena, a relative of Nikolai Sveshnikov who lives in Istanbul, told MSK1.RU.

Near the shores of the Kuruceşme district in Beşiktaş, workers noticed a man«s body in the sea and reported it to the police. Specialists who arrived at the scene retrieved the body from the water. The deceased was wearing a swimsuit.

Now, Turkish police suspect that the deceased may be Russian swimmer Nikolai Sveshnikov, who disappeared last year on August 24. Law enforcement has already notified Nikolai«s relatives.

There is still no news for the swimmer«s mother, Galina Sveshnikova, who is currently in Russia. She learns everything from the news, which she has been following constantly for several months.

‘I was glad that during yesterday«s hurricane in Istanbul and on the Bosphorus, his body wasn»t washed up. But now, after these news about the found man, on the contrary, I don«t know what to think,’ Galina Sveshnikova told MSK1.RU.

In January, the swimmer«s wife, Antonina Sveshnikova, tried to meet with President Vladimir Putin and ask for his help in the search. The swimmer»s family has already been offered a death certificate for their loved one. Earlier, Nikolai Sveshnikov«s mother Galina told MSK1.RU in detail about her son and that ill-fated day. She believes that Nikolai survived and doesn»t remember what happened to him.

Now, the body of the man found in the Bosphorus has been sent to the morgue of the Istanbul Institute of Forensic Medicine for a comprehensive examination.

For Nikolai«s birthday, his mother Galina flew to Istanbul to meet with representatives of the Russian General Consulate. They promised to organize a meeting with the head of the region to discuss the search for the swimmer. In turn, Galina Sveshnikova»s lawyer met with a Turkish prosecutor — they were assured that Nikolai is still being searched for, and a criminal case has been opened against the swim organizers.

Nikolai«s family is convinced that Turkish authorities know what happened on that ill-fated day in the Bosphorus but are hiding the truth about the fate of the Russian swimmer. All news about what happened in August 2025 in Istanbul with Russian swimmer Nikolai Sveshnikov is collected in a special section.