Svyatoslav Fedorov: the mystery of the death of the greatest Russian ophthalmologist

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

The life of the most famous Soviet-Russian ophthalmologist Fyodorov Svyatoslav Nikolaevich was cut short in early summer 2000 as a result of a helicopter crash on which he was returning from a conference. The officially named cause of the accident was a malfunction of an aircraft belonging to the Eye Microsurgery clinic, headed by Fedorov.

However, many relatives and friends of the brilliant ophthalmologist still doubt the veracity of this version. The Kramol portal tried to figure out how reasonable these doubts are.

Circumstances of the tragedy

On that ill-fated day, June 2, 2000, Svyatoslav Fyodorov, along with three other people (pilot, navigator and employee of the Eye Microsurgery MNTK), on board a helicopter, returned to Moscow from a conference dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the Tambov department of the clinic. According to information available to the media, an unpleasant situation arose during the flight to Tambov, caused by a lack of fuel in the aircraft's tanks. As a result, the helicopter had to be refueled just six kilometers before its destination. Fedorov himself, who gave his last interview to local television, said that this whole story happened due to a failure of the fuel sensor, the data of which differed from the actual volume of fuel by 60 liters.

On the way back, as eyewitnesses testify, the helicopter took off, after which it rapidly began to lose altitude and crashed to the ground, scattering to pieces. All four people on board died on the spot.

Was Fedorov himself at the helm?

About a month before the tragedy, the famous ophthalmologist, who at that time was already 72 years old, became a licensed pilot and could independently fly a helicopter. There is a version that during that ill-fated flight

Fedorov, who had a rather modest flying experience of 30 hours, took the place of the co-pilot. At the same time, the French helicopter "Eurocopter Gazelle" had dual control, so that theoretically Svyatoslav Nikolaevich could control the apparatus himself.

A representative of the Moscow branch of the company that produced these helicopters recommended that Fedorov not buy this particular model, since at that time it was outdated. In addition, no official service was provided for it, since it was produced at a Yugoslav plant bombed by NATO troops. Nevertheless, no arguments worked for Svyatoslav Nikolaevich, and the helicopter was purchased in Great Britain.

In the conclusion of the state commission investigating the causes of the crash, the emphasis is placed on the technical condition of the aircraft. The experts concluded that since the purchase of the helicopter by the clinic, its operation has taken place with significant violations, which ultimately led to tragic consequences.

Tragic Accident or Premeditated Murder?

The widow of the great ophthalmologist has repeatedly stated that she does not believe that her husband died by accident. She is confident that the catastrophe was staged by those who sought to take possession of the considerable financial assets of MNTK. This version has the right to exist, because even during the life of the great ophthalmologist, the Institute of Eye Microsurgery headed by him was pretty feverish because of the undercover wars.

MNTK includes, founded by Fedorov, includes a central institute in the capital, as well as more than ten branches throughout the country. The organization receives significant profits from the equipped clinic on the ship "Peter the First", capable of receiving up to 400 patients at a time, as well as mobile diagnostic and operating rooms, equipped in comfortable buses. In addition, MNTK has a number of sources of income that are not directly related to medicine.

Irene Fedorova is sure that her husband's helicopter crashed not because of a technical malfunction, but as a result of the explosion of a plastic bomb planted in the aircraft. According to her, traces of the explosion were not found simply because no one began to look for them. The ophthalmologist's widow claims that during the investigation twelve different versions of the accident were considered, but the option of an attempt was bypassed, since the clinic refused to pay law enforcement officers a huge amount of money that they demanded for it.

One of Svyatoslav Nikolaevich's daughters also expressed doubts that the death of her father was just a tragic accident. In her statements, she is not as categorical as Irene Fedorova, however, she believes that the version of the murder should have been considered one of the priorities.

Valery Zakharov, with whom Fedorov was familiar since the sixties of the last century, is also of the opinion that the helicopter crash was faked. According to the information available to him, shortly before the death of Svyatoslav Nikolaevich, a huge debt was hung on the clinic, amounting to many millions of dollars. There were courts, the initiators of which simply wanted to get their hands on such a tidbit as the MNTK. When serious money is at stake, some do not even hesitate to kill.

Thoughts and phrases of S. N. Fedorova

“We, the Soviet people, have our only property - these are children, so we are running around with them, like with a written sack. And they should not be fed with worms for slaughter, but taught to fly so that they would not be afraid to fall out of the nest."

"Deed is the only criterion for assessing a person, no matter what obstacles are put in his way, you can prove your innocence - you won, you cannot - those who defended their position won."

“It's just that you have to do something new every day. And if you manage to do in life what you dream about, that is happiness. I succeeded."

“The experience of my life suggests that everything can be stopped and even destroyed, except for good. The basis of the life of society, the basis of human civilization is this amazing attraction of people to each other. Together we are strong, but alone there is no humanity."

"The most important wealth, the greatest capital of any society is a person's initiative and his ability to work."

"A person does not want to be a slave, or a slave of another person, or a slave of things, including glasses, without which he cannot enjoy life."