Questions Mount After Russian Swimmer's Family Visits Morgue in Turkey

On Wednesday, January 22, the parents of athlete Nikolai Svechnikov, who died during a swim in the Bosphorus, were allowed to see their son«s body. The day before, the family received the results of a DNA test, after which they were permitted to identify the swimmer.

As Nikolai«s mother, Galina Svechnikova, explained to MSK1.RU, at the morgue, the parents were shown photographs of the deformed body on a screen, and then led to it—the body was in a closed bag. The mother could only touch her deceased son. The family»s lawyer told MSK1.RU what exactly they saw in the Turkish morgue and what questions remained after the procedure.

«Forensic experts are now preparing an autopsy report. But the timeline for issuing an autopsy report is not quick. At best, it»s three months. It won«t be sooner: from three months to half a year,» lawyer Alperen Chakmak explained in an interview with MSK1.RU. «Once the autopsy report is released, it will be clear what caused the death.»

The lawyer noted that the results of the post-mortem examination are not within his area of expertise, but based on experience, he pointed out some inconsistencies.

«The situation is as follows: the corpse was in the water for five months, so pinpointing the cause of death will be difficult. Most likely, they will write—drowned (death by asphyxiation in water). At the same time, we have serious questions. I learned at the police station that the corpse has no head, no arms. If fish had eaten it underwater, the bones would have remained. Fish eat skin, meat, but bones remain. The neck is clean, but there is no head. Only the torso. When we asked external experts, they said, well, the body got caught in a ship»s propeller or motor, and the head was torn off. But that doesn«t seem very logical either,» the lawyer remarked.

According to him, the condition of the body, which was in the water for almost half a year, will severely complicate the forensic examination. He suggested that even after three months, details about the swimmer«s death may not be clarified, and the report might contain a note about the »impossibility of establishing« the cause of death.

The lawyer also noted that the swimmer«s relatives will file for compensation. When asked by an MSK1.RU correspondent whether the organizers maintain contact with the family, the lawyer stated that he had tried to establish contact with them several times. But there was no response.

«We tried to contact the organizers several times but could not establish any contact. However, here»s the thing: whether it«s our statement to the prosecutor»s office or the case regarding the conducted search and rescue operations—all of them contain our contact details, as well as those of the consulate. That is, everyone involved in this incident already has the contact information. Honestly, we are putting aside the issue of compensation from the organization for now,« stated Alperen Chakmak.

The lawyer explained that the situation with compensation payments is complicated by the fact that Nikolai Svechnikov, as a participant in the swim, did not have insurance.

«Our claim for compensation to Nikolai»s family will be directed directly at all organizers of this event, including the institution and its representatives. We have no insurance, although there could have been. Since there isn«t any, we will demand the compensation received from the relevant institutions,» he summarized.

Nikolai«s family is currently processing documents. They opened a fundraiser to transport his body to Moscow. The Turkish National Olympic Committee has refused to make any payments to the family.

According to Nikolai«s relatives and friends, he was an experienced swimmer and was capable of covering the distance. Swimming across the strait was a long-held dream of the Muscovite.

Nikolai«s mother Galina offered a reward of one million rubles (approx. $11,000 at current rates) to learn any information about her son»s fate. In early December 2025, she traveled to Turkey to get answers from local authorities. Even psychics joined the search.

We published a lengthy interview with Galina Svechnikova, who came to the shores of the Bosphorus on her son«s 30th birthday. Upon returning to her homeland, the swimmer»s mother appealed for help to Vladimir Putin.

All that is known about the disappearance and death of Nikolai Svechnikov is being compiled in a separate story.