22.01.2026 16:33
Five months after disappearing in the Intercontinental Swimming Race, the lifeless body of Russian swimmer Nikolai Andreevich Svechnikov was found in the Bosphorus. His mother, Galina Svechnikov, went to the forensic institution to identify her son. It was reported that the grieving mother was devastated during the identification process and was overwhelmed with tears in the car after leaving the forensic institution.
The Russian swimmer Nikolay Svechnikova, who participated in the 37th Bosphorus Intercontinental Swimming Race organized by the Turkish National Olympic Committee (TMOK) in August of last year, had gone missing in the waters of the Bosphorus. The body, found off the coast of Beşiktaş Kuruçeşme and identified to be wearing a swimsuit, was brought to the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institution (ATK) morgue.
The mother of Russian swimmer Nikolay Svechnikova, Galina Svechnikov, along with her husband, came to Istanbul yesterday for a DNA test, which was conducted at the Forensic Medicine Institution located in Bahçelievler. The DNA test confirmed that the body belonged to Russian swimmer Nikolai Andreevich Svechnikov.
THE MOTHER WHO IDENTIFIED THE BODY WAS DEVASTATED
The grieving family came once again to the forensic medicine institution to identify the corpse. Galina Svechnikov, the mother of Russian swimmer Nikolay Svechnikova, went to the forensic medicine institution with her relatives. It was reported that the grieving mother, Galina Svechnikov, was overwhelmed with tears as she identified her son. After the procedures, the grieving mother Galina Svechnikov and her relatives left the forensic medicine institution. The transfer procedures for the burial of Russian swimmer Nikolay Svechnikova in his home country are ongoing. Meanwhile, Galina Svechnikov was seen crying inside the vehicle.
"THE MOTHER HAS NO STRENGTH TO SPEAK"
Ayla Karaman, a relative of the Russian swimmer's wife, stated, "The mother has no strength to speak. After the official procedures, we saw the body. It was unrecognizable. There is no tattoo incident; whoever released this news is not correct. Then we were also next to the body. Right now, we need to complete the funeral and transfer documents. They can deliver it now, but we are unable to keep up with anything at the moment," she said.