31.10.2025 00:40
Ogalina Svechnikova, the mother of Russian swimmer Nikolai Andreevich Svechnikov, who went missing during the Bosphorus Intercontinental Swimming Race in Istanbul, announced that she would offer a reward of 500,000 lira for anyone who finds her son. The grieving mother, who printed missing person posters with her son's photo, said, "Our hope is great. I believe he is alive."
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Russian swimmer Nikolai Andreevich Svechnikov, who participated in the race held on August 24 in the Istanbul Strait with the participation of 2,820 athletes from 81 countries, was reported missing after it was understood that he could not reach the shore, and the search efforts that were initiated yielded no results.
CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AGAINST TMOK FROM THE FAMILY Svechnikov's mother Ogalina Svechnikova and brother Kirill Svechnikov came to Istanbul and met with their lawyer Alperen Çakmak, who is following the case. The family filed a criminal complaint with the Beykoz Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against the Turkish National Olympic Committee (TMOK), claiming that they did not take necessary precautions.
"OUR HOPE IS GREAT, I BELIEVE HE IS ALIVE" Mother Svechnikova and lawyer Çakmak explained the process regarding Svechnikov's disappearance and the latest developments. The grieving mother showed the cross necklace and smart watch that were handed to her after it was understood that her son, who has tattoos of a dragon, a bear, a lion, and a young woman on his left arm, was missing, stating that she printed a missing person notice with this photo.
Svechnikova stated that she came to Istanbul to demand that the search for her son continues, saying, "I demand the finding of Nikolai. Our hope is great. I believe he is alive." Noting that they received information from their lawyers, Svechnikova said, "I don't understand why they made him take off his necklace and smart watch during the race. If he had the watch on him, at least it could have given a signal by now. He would have always carried the cross necklace with him. Nikolai's child, Leon Svechnikov, is very small, and his wife Antonina Svechnikova is having a very hard time without him. Nikolai was a father, a husband, and someone who cared for his family." she expressed.
"HE CAME TO ISTANBUL FOR THE FIRST TIME" Regarding the claims that her son escaped after reaching the shore, Svechnikova said, "Nikolai is not that kind of person. He has a document related to military exemption, so it is not possible for him to escape from the army. It is also not possible for him to flee abroad because he is always with his family. There is also a rumor that he has a second family here. This is not possible because he came to Istanbul for the first time; he was someone who always worked there and was with his family. If there were such a thing, his wife would also suspect, but there is no such thing." she stated.
WILL GIVE A REWARD OF 500,000 LIRA TO WHOEVER FINDS HER SON Svechnikova said, "We are calling out to everyone. Please, if anyone has any information or footage related to this race or after the race, if someone knows something, please reach out to us. We will give a reward of 500,000 lira to whoever finds him because he is our son, our father, our everything. We are ready to gather all our resources to offer this reward." she announced.
"IT HAS BEEN 2 MONTHS, THERE IS NOT EVEN A CLUE IN THE FILE" The family's lawyer Çakmak stated that he is closely following the investigation and said that they filed a criminal complaint with the prosecutor's office against the organizing committee at the family's request. He reported that no useful information has been reached in the investigation so far, saying, "We are being told that search efforts are ongoing, but it has been 2 months, and there is not even a clue in the file. The prosecutor's office is directing the case to the administration, and the administration is directing it to the prosecutor's office. We are making every effort to obtain as much information as possible from the search and rescue teams, the coast guard, and the prosecutor's office to ensure that the efforts are carried out more effectively." he stated.
"WE HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT WHETHER ACTIVE SEARCH OPERATIONS ARE BEING CONDUCTED" Çakmak reported that the camera footage from the race area is being examined, but no traces have been found, stating, "The important thing is the search conducted at sea. Search efforts were made at sea in the first few days, but unfortunately, these efforts did not continue afterward. In discussions we had with some people who know the technical aspects of the incident and are also witnesses, we learned that drilling ships should be used during search operations. We were told that the first 48 hours of search efforts are very critical in such situations. It was said that ships equipped with this technology were not used in the searches. In our last conversation with the Coast Guard, they said, 'We continue our work along the coastline as we receive reports,' but we currently have concerns about whether active search operations are being conducted." he evaluated.
Çakmak reported that the Russian Consulate has also been in correspondence with the prosecutor's office regarding the incident and that the prosecutor's office has provided information, stating that they believe the investigation will continue more effectively if Russia and Turkey work together.
"FINDING HIS CORPSE WILL BE A COMFORT FOR HIS FAMILY" Çakmak stated, "We believe that more effective search operations should be conducted by the administration and the prosecutor's office. Already 1-2 months have passed. At this point, even finding Nikolai's corpse would be a comfort for his family. We think that the organizers, all authorities, and those responsible should also be involved in this matter and that they should put their strength into conducting the search operations effectively." he expressed.
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