Active participants in the bullying
The instigator of the bullying (referred to in the media as the "black sheep"). This role was played by Kira Koroleva.
A girl from a dysfunctional family. Her father was wanted by the police and had convictions for a number of serious offenses. He did not pay child support for his daughter as well, for which he was also prosecuted. Due to her father's criminal problems, the family moved to Bryansk from another city.
Shortly before the tragedy, a second child was born into the family, to whom the mother likely began to devote more attention than to Kira.
On her social media, the schoolgirl posted videos with neo-Nazi and homophobic content, and clips that romanticized a promiscuous lifestyle and the use of prohibited substances. Most of this material cannot be published on the website for moral and ethical reasons.
She identified herself with the subcultures "#изгой" (#socialoutcast in English); She felt so against the backdrop of the well-off parents of most students at the prestigious gymnasium and "#пикми" (#pickme in English); girls who want to attract the attention of men, including by humiliating and insulting other girls who don't behave in a similar way. These hashtags were displayed on her Telegram profile after the tragedy.
Incidentally, the hashtag "#изгой " in social media is most often translated into English as #socialoutcast or #blacksheep, depending on the context. This makes the origin of the nickname understandable, which, by the way, came from the parents of Alina's classmates, and was not invented by journalists or bloggers.
Through bullying, she hoped to assert herself and become a leader in her group. As a victim, she chose a quiet, modest, and withdrawn girl. In addition, Alina was taller and more attractive than Kira, which added to the irritation and dislike.
After the tragedy, according to the testimonies of the gymnasium students, Kira behaved extremely unfriendly and aggressively. She didn't want to do the hard work during the practical cleaning of the school grounds, and constantly talked back to her teacher, Ofelia Mkrtchyan.
Kira Koroleva was not injured in the shooting. Many publications noted that Alina, having killed Masha, probably shot the wrong girl. They were referring to the instigator of the bullying.
The instigator's accomplices (henchmen) were two classmates: Timofey Borisov and Pyotr Efimov. They were the ones who suffered the most in the shooting.
Timofey Borisov (left) and Pyotr Efimov in the hospital after the tragedy.
Timofey Borisov.
Pyotr Efimov.
They helped, as stated in the article, "to morally oppress Alina." Whether the bullying included only moral violence is not reliably known. The investigation also considered the version of violence (not only moral) that took place in the gymnasium. More details about this can be found in the "Bullying of classmates" section. Timofey Borisov is also mentioned in one of the testimonies cited there.
However, after the gross interference of local authorities during the investigation, who forbade searching for the culprits in the gymnasium, further development of the investigation in this direction was stopped.
Evelina Krishtal can also be included in the category of supporters of the instigator of the bullying. She was wounded in the shooting.
Evelina Krishtal.
Almost the entire class of Alina can be considered among the other supporters and passive observers. Everyone without exception knew that the withdrawn and kind girl was being bullied, since the bullying was happening openly, in front of everyone.
The only person who could be considered a defender of Alina is perhaps her twin sister Dasha. They almost always walked around the gymnasium together. This provided the girl with at least some protection.
Complete lack of remorse
After the tragedy, none of Alina and Masha's classmates showed any remorse; they were in a great mood.
In the summer of 2024, the entire 8A class was sent on a vacation to the prestigious Artek resort at state expense. The active participants in the bullying, including the instigator, went to Artek as well.
Class 8A during their trip to Artek.
It is worth noting that Dasha Afanaskina (Alina's sister) was not accused of anything, and she was unaware of her sister's plans. Nevertheless, as far as we know, she was not offered an alternative option for summer vacation (separate from the class).
Yet the girl had experienced a terrible shock (the death of her twin sister) and was much more sociable than Alina. According to many accounts, she had friends in the class. However, the "friendly class" immediately forgot about her, as if such a person had never existed.
What happened did not bother any of the gymnasium students. Their parents and teachers suggested that they forgot everything like a nightmare. They continued to relax together in their free time, enjoying life as if nothing had happened.
In the top row, from left to right: Kira Koroleva, Evelina Krishtal. In the bottom row, second from the left: Timofey Borisov, followed by Petr Efimov.
Petr Efimov, while in a rehabilitation center, planned to organize a meeting with his fans (admirers?), which he announced on social media. He probably considered himself a hero, but it's not entirely clear on what basis. And he was very surprised and even offended that no one came to this meeting.
Broken Psyches of Children
In essence, the parents and teachers of the gymnasium twice broke the psyches of the gymnasium students. And they did this not for their benefit, but to avoid problems for themselves.
The first time was when they were unable (or unwilling) to stop the bullying. As a result, in front of the entire class, they long and painfully morally destroyed a modest, kind girl who had done nothing wrong to anyone.
The second time was when they convinced the children to hide the truth and pretend that nothing had happened. To enjoy life, continue to have fun, and simply erase inconvenient people from their memory. Do the parents really think that something like this can be forgotten?