"We'll Cut Your Children in Front of You": A Mother's Confession
In the quiet village of Vorotneye in Samara Region, a story is unfolding that resembles a thriller plot more than real life. Local mother of many children Yulia Zorina is accused of false reporting. It all started with a car accident in which her 11-year-old son was injured. But instead of help, the family faced bullying, threats of violence against their children, and demands to pay 400,000 rubles (about $4,400 at current rates) for a scratch on the bumper of the car belonging to the woman who caused the accident. Now, after a year and a half of struggle, Yulia herself has become the subject of a criminal case. Her family has audio recordings where people discuss how to «get rid of her,» and voice messages promising to «cut the whole family to pieces.»
In deep despair, the woman«s husband turned to journalists. In an exclusive interview with 63.RU, he told his story.
Chronology of a Two-Year Nightmare
Yulia Zorina lost a child in 2023: she suffered a miscarriage early in her pregnancy after a serious conflict at a school meeting. A few days later, while she was in the hospital, came another terrible piece of news: her middle son, 11-year-old Sasha (name changed — Ed.), had been hit by a car.
«An acquaintance called her and said Sasha had been hit. She begged the doctor and rushed there by taxi. In the yard, she saw her son hysterical. A huge bump on his forehead, abrasions, and next to him — a mangled bicycle. He was screaming: »Don«t hit me! Don»t hit me!« His mother hugged him, but he couldn»t calm down. He was in shock,« — Alexander Zorin»s voice still trembles two and a half years later.
According to the version of the driver at fault, Olga K., the boy himself rode his bicycle out onto the road at high speed and crashed into her Lada Granta. The woman claimed the child had no injuries and that she drove him home herself and then — to the village paramedic. The paramedic, after examining Sasha, did not call an ambulance.
But the boy«s version, which he was only able to tell several days later, sounded different. According to him, he was riding on the side of the road, heard the screech of brakes, and then — an impact. Not only Olga but also her mother got out of the car. The latter, according to the child, began yelling at him and hitting him on the head, saying: »You«ve done it now, your parents won»t pay for the ruined car.«
Both of them, Sasha claims, smelled of alcohol. The frightened boy was shoved into the car, driven to his house, dropped off in the yard, and they drove away.
The next day, Sasha got worse: vomiting, headaches, loss of consciousness. Only then was an ambulance called. At the Samara Regional Hospital, the boy was diagnosed with a concussion, bruises, and hematomas. He spent 10 days there.
Woke Up Surrounded by Enemies
After returning home, Sasha withdrew into himself. Previously a cheerful boy who was into wood burning and dreamed of becoming a firefighter, he became panicky about going outside and stopped communicating with friends. He was switched to home schooling.
«He still lives on pills. He says: »I«m afraid they»ll beat me again,«» — the boy«s father says with pain.
And the Zorin family faced aggression that, they claim, came from Olga K. and her circle.
For a scratch on the bumper and a broken side mirror, the driver at fault demanded 400,000 rubles (about $4,400) from the boy«s family. In the local village chat for Vorotneye, a barrage of insults and threats rained down on Yulia.
«Walk and look over your shoulder, and your friend should stay in her kennel too!»
«Show yourself. I»ll beat you and your husband until you cry. And there are also five children who can be dealt with.«
«You»re clearly good at threats, but too weak to show your face. You won«t answer for your words.»
The threats weren«t just textual. Yulia provided 63.RU with audio recordings. On one of them, a female voice — presumably a neighbor»s — coldly and furiously discusses how «the whole village is thinking about how to get rid of her, where to evict this creature.» The same recording tells a story about how Zorina asked to have a bothersome oak branch cut down, and the next day threatened to call environmental activists and demanded money because the oak is a protected species.
«So, that»s the principle she uses to extort money from everyone. They don«t work anywhere, but they need to feed their children,» — concludes the voice on the recording.
But there is another recording. On it, Yulia herself, her voice choked with anger and despair, responds to someone«s threats in harsh, crude terms, challenging her opponent to answer for their words.
This was a response to voice messages from a certain «Sergei,» who threatened her and her husband with physical violence. The conflict was no longer just verbal.
«They took me to the forest, left me in just a robe and slippers under an oak tree in the freezing cold. That»s how they wanted me to give up and admit my son«s guilt. Cars started surrounding our house at night. I stopped sleeping. They persuaded a guy at my eldest son»s college to beat him up and provoke a fight. We put our apartment up for sale. They want to erase us from the face of this village,« — Yulia herself told a journalist two years ago.
Trials, Slander, and a Verdict That Changed Nothing
Back then, Yulia went to court with a slander complaint (Article 128.1 of the Russian Criminal Code). She collected screenshots and audio recordings. Olga K., in response, filed a counter-complaint, accusing Yulia of spreading lies.
There were court hearings on 12 October, 14 November, 28 November, 14 December, 21 December 2023, and 1, 21, and 29 February 2024. In the end, Justice of the Peace V. E. Razumov sided with Yulia Zorina, finding no elements of a crime in her actions. It seemed like a victory.
But the bullying didn«t stop; it only intensified. Olga K. filed an appeal. And most importantly — other mechanisms came into play.
A Collective Complaint and a Terrible Secret
A new disaster befell the Zorin family — a collective complaint from some village residents to the child welfare authorities. In the letter, a copy of which is held by 63.RU«s editorial office, Yulia and her husband Alexander were accused of improper care for their children. The grounds were only rumors and conjecture. But for Yulia, this document contained a »bomb« that shattered her life into before and after.
«I read it and was stunned. There, in black and white, it said that I am an adopted daughter. I»m 37 and knew nothing about it. I ran to my mom. She burst into tears and confirmed everything. We cried together. She hoped I would never find out,« — the woman says, her voice breaking.
This discovery, on top of constant stress, broke the woman completely. She suffered a ministroke. The left side of her body became paralyzed, her speech was affected. Yulia still walks with a cane and cannot engage in her beloved activity — painting custom pictures. Now her dream is to find her biological parents, but she no longer has the strength to search.
«They Want Me to Take the Blame»
The war continued in the legal arena. Yulia, confident that the actions of Olga K. and her mother fall under the article on extortion (Article 163 of the Russian Criminal Code), filed a report with the Investigative Committee. The investigation, according to her husband, proceeded sluggishly and was then completely discontinued «due to the absence of elements of a crime.» The family never received an official document, and their lawyer was told that «the letter got lost in the mail.»
And on 13 January 2026, the thing the Zorin family feared most happened. An investigator from the Sergiyevsky District police department handed Yulia a notice: a criminal case had been opened against her under Article 306 of the Russian Criminal Code, «Knowingly False Reporting.»
«This is revenge! They got what they wanted. Now my wife is under a travel restriction order. They said there will be a confrontation where they will pressure her to take the blame. We don»t know what to do. We have five children. If the mother is isolated, what will happen to them? They promised to «cut them to pieces,»« — the phone call ends abruptly.
In a conversation with a 63.RU journalist, the family does not hide their panic. They claim the younger children are under surveillance, that they are afraid to send them to kindergarten or even take them to the playground.
«They do everything through other people»s hands. They have their people everywhere: in the Sergiyevsky District police, and, we are sure, in the Samara Investigative Committee. Whatever we do, we hit a wall everywhere,« — the father of many says in despair.
What Do the Authorities Say?
The 63.RU editorial office has sent official inquiries to the Russian Interior Ministry«s Main Directorate for Samara Region and the regional Investigative Committee of Russia, asking them to comment on the situation. In particular, we are interested in the details of the criminal case opened against Yulia Zorina under Article 306, as well as the progress of the check on her extortion report.
At the time of publication, responses from law enforcement agencies have not been received. We will continue to monitor developments and will certainly report on the reaction of officials.
The 63.RU editorial office is ready to give the other side of the conflict a chance to speak. You can contact the journalist by email at natalya.artyakova@shkulev.ru.
