A father in Russia took justice into his own hands after discovering a serious crime involving his young daughter.
In 2020, Vyacheslav Matrosov learned that his close friend, Oleg Sviridov, had allegedly committed an act that deeply affected his family. The incident involved Matrosov’s daughter, who was six years old at the time.
The discovery marked a turning point in the relationship between the two men. Matrosov had previously trusted Sviridov as a close friend.
That trust was shattered after Matrosov found disturbing material on Sviridov’s phone. Authorities later confirmed the case would draw national and international attention.
The events unfolded in the village of Pribrezhnoye in August 2020. Matrosov and his family lived there quietly before the incident.
Friends and neighbors later described the situation as shocking. Many said they had not expected such violence in the community.
Violent confrontation at family home
In August 2020, Matrosov’s wife, Natalya, returned home to find her husband and Sviridov engaged in a violent fight. She later described Matrosov as being in a highly distressed state. Natalya said she had never seen her husband behave that way before.
“I had never seen him like that,” she told The Sun during an interview. She said it took time for her husband to calm down. Natalya said Matrosov then showed her a video on Sviridov’s phone.
“With his trembling hands, he took out Oleg’s phone and showed me a video,” she said. She described feeling physically unwell after seeing it. “You cannot imagine what I experienced when I saw it. I felt sick, I was dizzy, and nauseous.”
Natalya said she struggled to comprehend what she was seeing. She added that Matrosov shouted in disbelief during the confrontation. “He is my best friend, I trusted him with our children, I trusted him as myself,” she recalled him saying.
The fight escalated after the discovery. What happened inside the house set the stage for the events that followed. Shortly after, Matrosov and Sviridov left the home together.
Natalya remained behind, later saying she was overwhelmed by what she had learned.
Events in the woods and legal outcome
After leaving the house, Matrosov led Sviridov into a nearby wooded area. There, he forced his former friend to dig his own grave. Reports differ on what happened next. Some accounts state Matrosov stabbed Sviridov, while others claim he coerced him into taking his own life.
Several days later, Sviridov’s body was discovered in the grave he had dug. Authorities launched an investigation into his death. Weeks later, Matrosov turned himself in to local police and confessed to his role in the incident. He was initially charged with murder.
The murder charge carried a possible 15-year prison sentence if Matrosov had been convicted. However, investigators later concluded that Sviridov’s fatal wounds were self-inflicted.
As a result, Matrosov’s charge was reduced. He was instead accused of inciting a person to suicide through threats or abuse.
That charge carries a maximum prison sentence of six years. Matrosov was found guilty by the Krasnoglinsky Court in Samara. In 2022, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison. He ultimately served one year before being released.
Public reaction and details of the discovery
After his release, Matrosov returned to Pribrezhnoye, where many residents viewed him as a hero. Locals raised money to help cover his legal expenses. They also launched a petition demanding his acquittal, which gathered more than 2,500 signatures.
Public support for Matrosov extended beyond his village. Russian television personality and former presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak publicly supported him.
The case became widely discussed across Russia and later internationally. Many debates focused on justice and parental responsibility.
Authorities confirmed Matrosov’s actions were driven by what he found on Sviridov’s phone. The videos allegedly showed Sviridov sexually abusing Matrosov’s daughter. The footage reportedly captured the child pleading for the abuse to stop.
“Oleg, that’s enough, I can’t take it anymore. I want to go home,” the girl could be heard saying in the videos, according to reports. Investigators said this discovery directly led to the violent confrontation.
It remains unclear whether Natalya knew what would happen after the men left the house. No official reports detail her awareness of Matrosov’s intentions. The case continued to raise questions about accountability and trauma.
After returning home from prison, Matrosov shared a brief message on social media. He posted a photo with the caption: “Home. Love very much.”
