"The domestic cinema art has suffered an irreparable loss - a serious illness tragically cut short the life of a talented actress and director Vera Glagoleva. Vera Vitalievna had outstanding personal and professional qualities, she was a person of rare charm and beauty. A truly people's artist," the telegram says on behalf of Medinsky. According to the minister, millions of Russians admired Glagoleva's sincere and bright play. He also added that anyone who had a chance to come across the artist's unique gift was imbued with deep sympathy and respect for her skill and determination.

“Good memories of Vera Vitalievna will forever remain in the hearts of relatives and friends, colleagues and admirers of her work. I share the bitterness of your loss, please accept the words of condolence and sympathy,” Medinsky said.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin also expressed his condolences on the death of Glagoleva.

"The talented actress and director Vera Glagoleva left ... Condolences to the family and loved ones," he wrote on Twitter.

Fans mourn

Fans of the actress express their condolences in connection with her death on social networks.

The cause of the death of the Honored Artist of Russia could be stomach cancer

“Even to transport a body from Russia, it is necessary to have a large number of documents on hand before sending the body across the border. In such a bureaucratic country as Germany - and even more so, - says an employee of one of the Moscow funeral homes. - First of all, it will be necessary to perform an autopsy so that the doctors confirm the death due to the disease. This document will have to be signed by law enforcement agencies, that they have no questions about the death of a citizen, even if from another country.”

After this procedure, the main question is solved - how to transport? In the case of Germany, there are two options - a plane or a car. The ritual agency noted that in 90 percent of cases, relatives choose the second option. First of all, this is due to a serious difference in price. On average, in Moscow, for only one transportation from Germany, they take from 2,500 to 4,000 thousand euros. Transferring the body by plane is much more expensive - from 6,000 euros. In addition, to this must be added the services of the employee, as well as his travel and flight tickets. The difference between the two methods is one - time. By car, the transportation of the body will take about three days, and by air no more than three hours, but there is practically no significant difference in the transportation itself.

“In both cases, the body of the deceased is placed in a special zinc container called a Euro-module. For additional safety of the body, it is not only treated with formalin, but also covered with special formalin pads on all sides. Such security measures guarantee the safety of the body for several days, ”said the interlocutor at the funeral home.

After the first rumors about a terrible illness, Glagoleva then continued to act in films, and her friends thought that the disease had receded. “On May 21, the actress Ayturgan Temirova wrote to me, with whom we also starred together in Snipers. She told me that Vera was very, very ill. I immediately got on the Internet, there was no information about this, ”continued Yakovleva.

It is known that a few months ago, the health of the actress deteriorated sharply. She was hastily put in intensive care, where Vera Glagoleva lay for a day, after which she received repeated blood transfusions. For some time, Vera remained under the supervision of specialists, and then went to Germany for treatment.

Trying to find out the truth, the actress called Vera's daughter. “She said they were fine. And suddenly Nastenka's wedding. We were filming with Slava Manucharov, he told me that he was the host at the wedding and Vera danced beautifully there. Well, I finally calmed down, I was glad for her family! And then such a shock, ”the Interlocutor quotes Marina Yakovleva.

Vera Vitalievna herself did not mention her illness, and her daughter completely rejected such information. Elena Proklova, who was her colleague, also spoke about the death of the actress. Elena confirmed that rumors about Glagoleva's illness had been around for a long time, but everyone hoped only for the best. Faith didn't prove anything. “She was generally the kind of person they talk about, all in herself,” Elena added in an interview with StarHit magazine.

And then they played a magnificent wedding, well, when is it sick? In July, Vera Glagoleva married her daughter Anastasia Shubskaya. A chic wedding ceremony has long been one of the most discussed topics on the Web. That evening, Vera Vitalievna was especially cheerful. She sang along to the stars who came to the celebration and famously danced along with them. It was after this that the rumors about the alleged illness of Vera Glagoleva completely subsided. She was really incredibly good that day.

Looking at these positive shots and smiling Vera, who could have imagined that she had such serious health problems? And she continued to deny everything. In a recent interview, the artist claimed that the rumors about her serious illness were not true. "Everything is fine with me!" she said.

Producer Natalia Ivanova, a close friend of Vera Glagoleva, said that literally on the eve of her death, they called up and talked about work and previous filming. “The last message from her came yesterday. And today we had to discuss by phone issues related to our new film, - quotes the words of the producer KP - I don’t know what the aggravation of her illness is connected with, what caused the crisis. I know that a few days ago Vera and her family went to Germany for a consultation. She had previously consulted there in various clinics. But she did not like to talk about her sores. She didn't get sick at all…”

Singer Alexander Buinov clarified the situation. According to him, Vera Glagoleva simply did not want to be worried about her. Apparently, the actress herself forbade relatives to tell anyone about a terrible disease.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also expressed his condolences to the family of the actress. “Vera Vitalievna Glagoleva was a wonderful, talented person. Her work was known, appreciated, loved by millions of people, and colleagues saw in Vera Glagoleva a real Master, infinitely devoted to high art and her work. Her death is an irreplaceable loss for our entire culture. But the roles played by Vera Vitalievna, a kind and bright memory of her, will remain with us.

“What is the secret here? - you shrug your shoulders. “The man bravely fought cancer for several years, and died from it.”
Well, yes, she danced at her daughter’s wedding, went to the shooting, where she worked twelve hours a day, then flew to Switzerland for an examination (for which she was probably preparing - she didn’t eat anything for a day), entered the clinic on her own feet, and after an hour and a half she did not. “No, they don’t die of cancer like that,” timid doubts appeared in the press almost immediately.
A new version followed: “Perhaps the weakened body could not withstand the intense rhythm of life, difficult flight, stress ...”
This is closer to the truth, but still it is not the whole truth.
And the truth is that

Have you ever had an operation? Well, the simplest one - was the appendix removed? .. Then you probably remember that on the evening before the operation, the anesthesiologist came to you and asked in detail what and when you were sick, what pills you take, if you are allergic to different types of anesthesia. This may seem like a trifle to you, but it is actually very important.
It is especially important for a cancer patient - the pills that the patient takes (and Glagoleva has been on them for a long time) potentiate the effect of anesthesia, so the choice of the drug and its dose is a matter of life and death. Yes, probably, in this case, gastroscopy - and this is the first and most important step in examining a patient with stomach cancer - should have been done without anesthesia at all, but this is now practiced only in shabby Russian clinics, but not in Switzerland.
Perhaps the doctor chose the wrong medicine and dose. Perhaps Glagoleva did not name all the medicines (and among them were drugs) that she took. I'm afraid no one will ever know the truth. But the fact remains - Glagoleva died during gastroscopy.
She is not the first, alas. The case is very common - let's say that Yuri Nikulin died this way. I don't want to intrude into the issues of medical secrecy, the financial responsibility of the clinic, the collectively approved family version. It doesn't matter anymore, and it's too late.

Vera Glagoleva was doomed, and she knew it. Another thing is that she expected - as the doctors convinced - that she still had one and a half to two years. She was in a hurry to live and lived tensely: she was finishing one film and was immediately going to start shooting the second, the last one.
I do not know a person who would endure the misfortune that befell her so courageously, steadfastly, with dignity. Only her closest relatives and one friend knew about her diagnosis. She didn’t whine on Facebook (everyone whines to one degree or another), she didn’t collect money for treatment (which almost everyone does), she didn’t cry out for pity, love and compassion - Vera was a very strong person with a heightened self-esteem.

Review her anniversary evening on TV - Malakhov didn’t know anything, classmates, colleagues, friends didn’t know - she held on with all her might, she smiled, joked, thanked some random Meladze, looked at Guzeeva, ready to burst into tears (she knew everything), she encouraged the deaf Zeldin, who would leave before her ... There are several editing options on the network, I looked at the most complete one - then episodes were cut out of it, which, after Vera's death, suddenly acquired a new sound. It's probably right.
May she remain in our memory like this - light, cheerful, young, happy.

About a million Russians suffer from fatal diseases. A third of them are thinking about voluntary retirement, experts say. At the same time, euthanasia is prohibited in Russia, and a trip to Europe for the procedure costs several thousand euros.

How terminally ill Russians live, why euthanasia is prohibited in Russia, and who helps the terminally ill to die - " Paper” found out whether the inhabitants of Russia have the right to die.

Tatyana from Moscow is 55 years old. She loves Gaidai's comedies and knows Bulgakov practically by heart, is fond of rare perfumes and often remembers her students - there were many of them in 25 years of work as a physics teacher.

Now Tatyana no longer teaches. She is retired and is trying to save up for euthanasia, a procedure in which a doctor himself injects a lethal drug into a patient.

In March 2015, the woman learned that she had cancer. Later - that her disease does not respond to treatment and only progresses. And recently, doctors discovered a new tumor in Tatiana's lung.

I have a late stage [of the disease]. The situation is not particularly critical yet, but I know what will happen next. Terrible pain, helplessness, uselessness to anyone - I have no relatives and friends. There is no one to run around to beat out medicines and provide basic care. Only a couple of friends remained, - says Tatyana.

Against this background, the Muscovite thought about voluntary departure from life: “Every person has the right to a decent care. It is better to leave in a civilized way, and not to be smeared on the asphalt, going out into the street through the balcony. And then, if you can crawl to it.

Euthanasia is prohibited in Russia. The only way out for a woman is a trip abroad for the procedure. But it costs several thousand euros. “I’m trying to save up for euthanasia, but my pension isn’t doing very well. Oncology is very expensive. Free healthcare has faded into the background. You have to pay for everything. If you are seriously ill, the state stands on the sidelines. It is simply impossible to save up,” Tatyana emphasizes.

Where is euthanasia allowed and what does its legalization lead to?

Euthanasia is prohibited in most countries of the world. Russia is no exception: patients only have the right to refuse medical intervention, including artificial life support.

However, some countries have legalized euthanasia or assisted suicide (AS) for their citizens, a procedure in which a doctor prescribes a lethal drug to a patient, but the patient takes it himself.

Since 2002, euthanasia has been legal in the Netherlands and Belgium. Since 2009, assisted suicide was allowed in Luxembourg, in 2015 - in Colombia, Germany and Canada. In addition, assisted suicide is legal in six US states: Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Vermont and California got it through a change in law, and Montana - by court order. In these states, patients over the age of 18 have the right to die with the help of doctors, who have no more than six months to live. The fatal diagnosis must be confirmed by two independent doctors, and the patient must express his desire to die three times.

In Switzerland, assisted suicide is also legalized at the state level, and the procedure can also be applied to foreign citizens. Back in 1942, they passed a law allowing "assisting suicide" if the "assistant" - most often a doctor - has no selfish motives. Several non-profit organizations operate in the country at once, which, for a fee, help foreigners commit assisted suicide.

The most famous of them - Dignitas - offers to organize assisted suicide for people suffering from incurable diseases, "unbearable pain" or "unbearable disability". Such services cost 8-12 thousand dollars. In total, according to official figures, over 18 years, the non-profit organization has helped 2,328 people die, almost half of whom are Germans. There were only two Russians among Dignitas clients during all this time. Both committed assisted suicide in 2014. Tell about them paper” Dignitas refused.

Trailer of the film about Dignitas

At the same time, the number of people choosing euthanasia or assisted suicide varies greatly from country to country. So, in Switzerland, there are about 700 cases of voluntary death with the help of doctors a year, in the Netherlands - 5 thousand, and in the American Oregon - just a hundred. At the same time, the number of lethal procedures in such countries is increasing year by year. For example, in Switzerland in 2014, 26% more euthanasia was carried out than a year earlier.

It follows from the statistics that cancer patients choose euthanasia more often than others. In 2015, more than 70% of the 5,500 people who opted for euthanasia in the Netherlands (which accounted for about 4% of all deaths in the country) had cancer.

At the same time, according to surveys, physical suffering is not the main factor in favor of euthanasia for such patients. People who decide on it most often indicate that they made such a choice primarily because of depression and a sense of “hopelessness”.

What is an alternative to eutansia and AU

Palliative care for patients is considered an alternative in Russia. Palliative care physicians are tasked with using methods and procedures that can alleviate the condition of a terminally ill patient, such as pain relief and relief of severe symptoms.

Palliative care is developing in Russia today by leaps and bounds. However, if we compare the level of our development with other countries, then, of course, we are far behind and will catch up for some time, - says Evgeny Glagolev, Executive Director of the Russian Association of Hospice Care.

In Russia, palliative care is represented primarily by hospices: there are about a hundred of them in the country. Hospices are free medical facilities for terminally ill patients. The setting of a good hospice is reminiscent of scenes from Hollywood films showing homes for the elderly. In such institutions, a small number of patients (about 30–50 people), caring nurses, psychological assistance and an individual approach to patients. In addition, hospices have mobile services that serve and help patients who stay at home: there are usually more of them than those who are in the hospital.

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health, which keeps records only of patients in the terminal stage, there are now up to 600,000 in Russia in need of palliative care, including 36,000 children. In fact, those who need help are likely to be even more, says Glagolev. It is difficult to name exact figures: there are different methods of evaluation. According to one of them, at least 260,000 cancer patients and 520,000 patients with other diseases, as well as about 200,000 minors, need such assistance. According to Glagolev, less than half of those in need receive palliative care.

Hospices are very expensive to maintain. Naturally, state funding is not enough, as elsewhere, - says Glagolev. - However, the Ministry of Health has a clear plan for the development of palliative care, according to which by 2020 the country will have a sufficient number of palliative beds per capita. The plan is being successfully implemented. It is easy to open beds, it does not even cost a lot of money, especially given the ongoing modernization of the healthcare system, when many departments are closing. But it is very difficult to make sure that the allocated beds provide high-quality palliative care with all its components, and I see a big problem in this.

Glagolev gives the following example: the state allocates about 1,800 rubles for one bed-day for a hospice patient, while in reality, a patient needs about 10,000 rubles a day for quality care.

The specialist admits that patients with incurable diseases often have thoughts of euthanasia. “The aim of palliative care is not to hasten or delay the onset of death. However, all studies on this topic show that people are not afraid of the fact of death itself, but of the torment associated with dying. Not only their own, but also their loved ones. Nobody wants to be a burden on relatives. I know for sure that if you stop the painful symptoms, remove the pain, alleviate the painful condition, then very often the question of euthanasia goes away by itself, ”says Glagolev.

With him agree and pediatrician Anna Sonkina, who studied the experience of euthanasia in the Netherlands: “Thinking about the legalization of euthanasia in Russia is possible only after the development of palliative care.”

Head of the Department of Suicidology of the Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry Evgeny Lyubov in a conversation with " paper”explained that at least a third of all seriously ill patients are prone to suicide, but only a small part decides on them. Lyubov emphasizes that there are no exact statistics on such suicides in Russia: they are “disguised” by accidental overdoses, falls, and so on. However, according to his estimate, only about 5% of suicides in Russia are due to incurable diseases, psychological problems are much more dangerous. “Most death callers are depressed, self-burdened, lonely, and physically hurt. And they need help, ”the specialist explained.

Indeed, not all Russians can get the necessary palliative care. So, even in Moscow, according to the Vera Foundation, no more than a quarter of terminally ill patients received quality care and pain relief in 2015. Sometimes this situation leads to a wave of suicides. This was the case, for example, in February 2015, when eleven people who suffered from cancer and did not receive the necessary medical care committed suicide in one month in Moscow. After one of these cases - the suicide of Rear Admiral Vyacheslav Apanasenko - in Russia, they nevertheless significantly facilitated the prescription of narcotic painkillers for cancer patients.

However, it is not only cancer patients who face similar problems. Moreover, most free hospices accept only them, refusing patients with other diagnoses.

Why the Russian Orthodox Church is against euthanasia and what patients think about it

Anastasia began to get sick from birth. In infancy, she twice suffered blood poisoning, after which the girl was vaccinated against tuberculosis, and then Nastya was paralyzed. At 3.5 years old, she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

Now Anastasia is 40 years old. She has a 1st disability group - a woman cannot walk and serve herself. She is cared for by her elderly mother. “I know that with a 2nd or 3rd disability group, people with a similar diagnosis can often study and socialize somewhere, sometimes even start a family and give birth to healthy children. But I can only speak, see and hear, - says Anastasia. - My intellect is normal, but psychologically, oddly enough, it only makes it more difficult. Do you understand what it is like to realize that you are 40 years old and due to the circumstances you will not have an independent life, personal life, family? You are dependent on others to get dressed, undressed, washed or go to the toilet.”

The woman does not see a way out of this situation; new methods of treating Anastasia have not been offered for a long time. “My mother won’t hand me over to a boarding school. She is a categorical person: she decided that she would look after me for the rest of her life, as long as she could. And I think that they are doing it wrong, leaving severely disabled people with elderly parents for the rest of their lives. In a boarding school, you may live less, but in some cases this is for the better. After all, no one thinks about the fact that problems only get worse with age - this is how Anastasia explains why she thinks about assisted suicide. - Of course, if there was such an opportunity, I would not refuse, but I don’t know how to do it technically in my case. More often than not, I can’t go further than my own street in a wheelchair, let alone fly abroad.”

The woman admits that it is difficult to talk about the legalization of euthanasia in Russia: “Now the opinion of the church is important for many, and believers strongly oppose such methods. But not all of them must be believers. I believe that for those who do not consider themselves believers, there should be some alternative and the right to choose how a person should behave in case of a serious illness. Personally, for example, I am an atheist, although I was baptized in infancy in the Orthodox Church. I don't know what my parents expected. Perhaps they thought that I would recover, but nothing happened.

All major world religions oppose euthanasia, stating that only God can give and take life. So, at the end of 2016, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, and Pope Francis made a joint statement in which they condemned the procedure. They stated that the spread of euthanasia leads to the fact that the elderly and sick people begin to feel like an excessive burden for loved ones and society as a whole.

“Manipulation of human life is an attack on the foundations of human existence, created in the image of God,” the hierarchs explained in a statement.

Patriarch Kirill spoke about the negative attitude towards euthanasia more than once. Among other things, he stated that euthanasia is "a way to de-Christianize Europe" and "a disgrace to modern civilization."

The ROC often pointed out that in countries that first legalized euthanasia for terminally ill patients, the circle of people who can use this procedure is constantly increasing. According to representatives of the church, such a trend could end with "compulsory euthanasia" and the legalization of murders.

Indeed, in Belgium over time allowed euthanasia for minors and people with depression, in the Netherlands they carry out euthanasia for the “life-weary” elderly and the mentally ill, and also discuss the legalization of euthanasia for perfectly healthy people. At the same time, in more religious countries, for example, in the USA, the circle of people eligible for euthanasia is not expanding.

Even less systematic Orthodox priests agree with the decisive role of religion in the issue of the “right to die”. For example, Bishop Grigory Mikhnov-Vaitenko, who left the Russian Orthodox Church after he publicly criticized the war in Donbass, in a conversation with “ paper stressed that Christianity will always be on the side of palliative care, not euthanasia.

“Now the Russian Orthodox Church is part of the state apparatus”: the priest on why he is against the transfer of Isaac and the law on insulting the feelings of believers

Do clergymen really earn a lot and why do they take loans, why does a priest oppose the law on insulting the feelings of believers, and does the church pay attention to protests against the transfer of Isaacievskoye?

Christianity will always be for life and, accordingly, for the development of hospices, says the priest. - But you need to understand that this is not a matter of legislation or a ban on the mention of suicide in the media. It's just that a person should always have an alternative to leaving life - this is high-quality care and medical care. Because if we talk about seriously ill people who experience terrible pain, we should not demand from them to continue to live, smile and rejoice. This is strange to say the least. And if they still choose to die, then it is not him who should be condemned, but us, those around us, those who did not give them this alternative.

36-year-old Anna from St. Petersburg also agrees with the importance of the church's opinion on euthanasia. She, like Anastasia, suffers from a serious illness and advocates the legalization of euthanasia in Russia.

Anna has always loved to sing. A few years ago, she could play the guitar for hours and hum her favorite rock hits - the Petersburger loves Tsoi and Splin, Aria and DDT. Singing for Anna was her whole life, she admits in a conversation with " paper«.

Now, due to health problems, the woman can no longer sing. She has bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (one of the deadliest diseases on Earth) and chronic gastroduodenitis. A month ago, a Petersburger had to leave work in the studio due to another exacerbation of the disease. “I get very short of breath even if I just sit still. And constant pain in my stomach. Weeks. Sometimes it seems to me that I am about to die,” Anna explained.

For the first time, the idea of ​​euthanasia arose in a woman 15 years ago. In 2002, Anna once again ended up in the hospital, but for a month of treatment, the doctors could not help and relieve the pain. After leaving the hospital in a state of depression, Anna found information on the Internet about an assisted suicide for foreigners in Switzerland and decided to save up for it, but could not. And later she drove away this thought for the sake of the children: now Anna and her husband Dmitry are raising their 10-year-old son Timofey and 5-year-old daughter Alice.

In addition to her family, the Petersburger also has favorite hobbies - studying the culture and languages ​​​​of Asia, painting and popular science books. Despite this, Anna admits that she will probably return to the idea of ​​euthanasia: “During exacerbations, I always think about death. The thought that you will have to suffer like this for several more decades does not allow you to take a reasonable attitude to life. I almost constantly feel the symptoms of my illness. But when they are unbearable, I want to die.

A woman no longer counts on the legalization of euthanasia in Russia. “In Russia, euthanasia is perceived very critically. I encountered this when I asked my friends from the network to sign a petition for euthanasia in Russia. I know almost all of them personally, but only a few of them signed. Almost everyone answered that it was a sin and no one had the right to take someone else's life. Many refer to God. But no one in veterinary medicine refers to it. And put to sleep without asking the animal. A person can say for himself why he wants to die, ”she explained.

Why Russian officials oppose euthanasia

The Russian authorities adhere to extremely conservative views on euthanasia and have not even begun to develop a bill to legalize it. Only in 2007, the media reported on the possible adoption of euthanasia in Russia, but even then everything was limited to rumors and requests from deputies to medical institutions. After that, euthanasia was discussed in the State Duma only in a condemning tone, judging by the transcripts of the meetings on the website of the parliament.

The Russian authorities explain their point of view not only by religious dogmas, but also by the unpreparedness of society. So, the former vice-speaker of the State Duma Vladimir Katrenko, when the legalization of euthanasia was last seriously discussed in parliament, said that, in fact, this is a permit for suicide and murder.

We are told that the quality of medical care in Russia is very low, but this only proves the need to raise this level, and not try to solve the problem of allowing the suicide of desperate patients. By allowing euthanasia, we legalize the right to a death sentence pronounced by medicine on a person and a person to himself, - he explained.

Nikolai Gerasimenko, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Health Protection, then stated that euthanasia would become "a weapon in the hands of unscrupulous doctors, lawyers and black realtors" who "will ruin thousands of people for the sake of apartments." “What the hell is euthanasia? Pensioners are dying of hunger. In our country, the state carries out euthanasia, but no one talks about it, ”added Natalia Markova, expert of the Coordinating Council for Social Strategy under the Chairman of the Federation Council.

At the same time, officials emphasized that the idea of ​​legalizing euthanasia would not find wide support in Russian society. Their opinion is partly confirmed by the fact that the fight for the legalization of euthanasia in Russia is now limited to posts in specialized communities for the terminally ill on social networks and the creation of petitions on the Change.org website. They do not collect more than 200-300 signatures.

« Paper” talked to the creator of one of these petitions. It turned out to be a 37-year-old unemployed man who is not sick with any fatal diseases, but advocates for the legalization of euthanasia, as he considers "life is too expensive, dangerous and immoral to seriously live it and leave offspring."

However, recently it turned out that such ways may appear, because among the Russian authorities there are also open supporters of euthanasia. For example, Tatyana Moskalkova, the new Commissioner for Human Rights, announced her position. “It seems to me that it is very humane if a person himself wants to die and his life has no chance of living, if he suffers, and if his relatives and relatives in unified harmony came to end this suffering,” the Ombudsman said. . The case has not yet progressed beyond this statement.

At the same time, not only terminally ill people dream of introducing euthanasia in Russia, but also those who suffer from mental illness.

Why euthanasia isn't just for the terminally ill

27-year-old Ruslan from Simferopol does not like to talk about the present and lives only in the past. Five years ago, everything “was perfect” for him. Then Ruslan worked as a stationery salesman and worked part-time at a construction site, skydiving and doing martial arts, adored nature and met girls. But when the young man turned 22, everything changed: Ruslan began to be tormented by social phobia - a mental disorder characterized by fear of being in society.

Against the background of social phobia, Ruslan developed severe insomnia. He drank handfuls of antipsychotics and sleeping pills to help him sleep, and contemplated suicide. “I remember the horror when you think that the day will soon come when the sleeping pills will stop working, and you will die terribly painfully for a week with complete lack of sleep,” he explained. paper".

In two years of treatment, Ruslan managed to overcome insomnia, but social phobia became stronger and stronger. Now the man lives on antidepressants, which help less and less. “I was quite a cheerful person, but now I am psychologically broken. I have no more hope. You can’t call it life - I just exist, ”he explained, emphasizing that in the future, most likely, he will commit suicide if social phobia does not recede, and euthanasia is not legalized in Russia.

However, not all patients are able to die without outside help. They are often helped in this by relatives, neighbors and even Internet activists.

Why euthanasia is illegal in Russia and how it is punished

The first high-profile trial of unofficial euthanasia in Russia took place 13 years ago. In February 2004, 32-year-old Natalya Barannikova from the Rostov region was in a car accident and left paralyzed. Her husband took care of the bedridden woman, but then he asked a neighbor girl, 14-year-old Marta Shkermanova, to become a nurse for Natalya. She agreed.

Aunt Natasha suffered greatly because of her illness. She constantly complained that she did not want to live. She said she wanted to die, not wanting to be a burden on her family. She asked me several times to find out who could kill her in order to end her suffering, ”Martha later said. It turned out to be difficult to find those who wanted to kill Natalya, and Barannikova asked her nurse to help her die, promising her about 5 thousand rubles.

Marta told her 17-year-old friend Kristina Patrina about the proposal. Schoolgirls decided to help the woman. "Euthanasia" was scheduled for August 22.

Aunt Natasha lay, as usual, on the bed. She had no clothes on, only she was covered with a robe on top. Then she began to cry, begging to be killed as soon as possible. We got scared and refused. But she continued to beg, - said Martha during the investigation.

As a result, the schoolgirls made up their mind: Martha pulled the woman's hand with a belt, and Christina made an injection, injecting ten cubes of air into a vein. The woman did not die and asked the girls to strangle her. The friends took the rope and killed the paralyzed Natalya.

Convinced that the neighbor was dead, the girls took away Natalya's jewelry promised for "euthanasia": a wedding ring, earrings, crosses and other small jewelry. Their girlfriends handed over to the pawnshop and received 4575 rubles, which they spent on ice cream and chewing gum. The girls were arrested two days later.

Illustration: Ekaterina Kasyanova

Despite the words of her friends, the court considered that the murder of the girl was committed only for profit. “In my opinion, there is no smell of euthanasia here. This is evidenced by the further behavior of the girls, when they began to hastily spend the “earned” money, ”said Sergey Ushakov, head of the prosecutor’s office of the Rostov region. At the end of December 2004, Kristina received five years in prison for the murder, Shkermanova - four years.

Similar stories in the regions of Russia happened more than once. They invariably ended with a sentence for murder, but not always with a real sentence. For example, former police sergeant Vladimir Korsakov received only four years' probation for strangling his mother, who suffered from cancer and asked her son to kill her.

At the same time, “euthanasia” in Russia is performed not only by neighbors or relatives, but also by doctors: Russian doctors themselves have repeatedly spoken about this unofficial practice anonymously. For example, one of the former heads of the Sklifosovsky Research Institute for Emergency Medicine told Kommersant that the legalization of euthanasia "will legalize an actually existing phenomenon: there are cases of euthanasia in Russia, but no one will officially say about it, because it is a crime."

In countries that have officially allowed euthanasia, it is also often indicated that this happens all over the world. “The law on euthanasia appeared in our country in 2002 to protect doctors so that they can perform euthanasia without fear of criminal prosecution. And they do it in Russia too, and in Kyrgyzstan, and in Chile, and in London, and in Washington. The practice of [unofficial] euthanasia takes place everywhere. But in Holland, we decided to no longer do it stealthily behind a curtain, but with dignity and openness, ”explained the Dutch doctor Bert Kaiser, who performed euthanasia more than 30 times. However, no high-profile trials of Russian doctors who killed patients at their request are known.

In addition, in the thematic groups on social networks dedicated to euthanasia, you can also find activists who promote the “right to die” and are ready to give advice to the terminally ill. One of them said " paper”, which has been trying to spread ideas about the “right to die” on the Russian Internet for several years: it orders translation and dubbing of films about euthanasia, uploads videos and books about ways to die, and also gives personal advice.

According to him, in total, he was approached by several dozen Russians who wanted to commit suicide (screenshots of correspondence are at the disposal of " papers"). “People were different: someone was terminally ill, someone was terminally ill, someone was tired of living. Why did I help the latter? I believe that anyone has the right to die,” he explains.

An activist who interacted with " paper”, on condition of anonymity, wrote to those interested in his consultation that they had several humane options. This is either an expensive trip to Switzerland, or buying a chemical drug used in euthanasia in China, or a completely legal purchase of an inert gas cylinder.

I don't sell anything myself. I give only consultations, - he emphasized. - All this I do because of the philosophy of the right to die. I'm not talking about an affective impulsive decision, but about a balanced decision. It seems to me that there is nothing special to promote here, everyone has this right. I’m more interested that when people exercise this right, they do it in ways that are far from humane and other people have to clean up after them,” the activist explained. paper”, Noting that, in his opinion, it is impossible to bring him to court for driving to suicide, since he allegedly does not wish anything bad to those to whom he gives advice, but, on the contrary, helps them.

At the same time, he notes that even in countries where euthanasia is allowed, there are public organizations that help people die. Indeed, there are dozens of organizations abroad, for example, the World Federation of Right to Die Societies, which brings together activists and public figures from 26 countries from Zimbabwe to New Zealand. However, the most famous is Exit International, with over 20,000 members, and its founder Philip Nitschke. Nitschke and his colleagues give advice to the terminally ill, fight for the legalization of euthanasia in different countries of the world, publish books, make films and even advertise euthanasia on TV.

Companion " papers” admitted that, unlike the West, the topic of euthanasia in Russia “is not needed by anyone” and even the terminally ill are of little interest in it. “I think this is a matter of mentality and social structure. It is easier for a terminally ill person to jump out of a window than to at least try to defend his rights, which, probably, he did not even think about. About the right to a dignified end of life. It's just a slave mentality,” he stressed.

In the West, there are not only well-known activists, but also their own "stars" among people who have decided on euthanasia. For example, American Brittany Maynard, who suffered from brain cancer. After a relapse of the disease, the 29-year-old moved from California to Oregon, where assisted suicide was already legal, posted a video message on YouTube that was viewed more than 3 million times, and sent a letter to CNN entitled "My right to die with a dignity of 29" .

In the last months of her life, she promoted the right to die, and also fulfilled all the wishes from her list, which she made after learning about the fatal illness. Brittany spent months teaching orphans in Nepal, climbing Kilimanjaro, rock climbing in Ecuador, visiting Yellowstone National Park and visiting Alaska. In October 2014, she said that she crossed off the last item on her list of places to visit before she died - it turned out to be the Grand Canyon.

On November 1, 2014, with the help of doctors, Brittany passed away and became an American symbol of the struggle for the right to die. After her death, assisted suicide was legalized in two more states. Including in California - the girl's home state.