Horror: A Mariinsky pianist is murdered for her autograph

Horror: A Mariinsky pianist is murdered for her autograph

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norman lebrecht

August 30, 2018

A truly horrific story from St Petersburg.

At 93, rehearsal pianist  Nina Matsina was the oldest employee of Gergiev’s Mariinsky Theatre. Although she no longer played, she prepared scores for others in the music library.

Thieves broke into her apartment, tortured and killed her. It appears they were after her meagre savings for her funeral expenses – and a signed photograph she owned of the great bass singer Chaliapin.

Her carer has been arrested as an accomplice to the murder.

Nina had many friends around the music world who are devastated by her passing. God rest her gentle soul.

photo: Mariinsky

 

 

Comments

  • Fred says:

    what is a ‘carer’?

  • Highwayroller says:

    “Caretaker”?

    It’s a story from 2017, no idea why NL’s publishing it now. Slow news day? Not enough Russia bashing?

    • M2N2K says:

      It happened nine months ago but was not published here earlier because for whatever reason it was not yet known to any of us until yesterday. Better late than never.

  • Ms.Melody says:

    Here is the story.
    According to the investigation, nurse Galina Huseynova committed the crime so as to take possession of the old woman’s savings.

    Police of St. Petersburg detained the outreach worker of the charitable organization Eva Galina Huseynova on suspicion of the Mariinsky Theater oldest employee 93-year-old Nina Matsina’s murder. Fontanka reports this.

    According to the investigation, Huseynova committed a murder for mercenary purposes. She took care of Matsina for several months and found out that the woman has funeral savings. Then she engaged two acquaintances to kill the ward and take this money.

    The murder occurred on November 20. The nurse let in the man who strangled Matsina. At this time, another accomplice got jigs. Then the criminals searched the apartment and stole a bankcard and an old photo with the autograph of a famous singer. The killers, however, did not recognize the PIN code of the card, and therefore could not steal money.

    Nina Matsina was an employee of the Mariinsky Theater library’s music notes department. Galina Huseynova worked in the charitable organization Eva since 2012. According to head of the visiting nurse care Eva Alla Schwartz, before the murder, Huseynova has acted as a silver lining.

  • simonelvladtepes says:

    Russia bashing or not, it’s not uncommon in Russia. What happened to singer Lyudmila Zykina’s possessions? Do not leave vulnerable people with money at the mercy of Russians. My brother-in-law was found dead after he married a Russian. She was in the house and did not hear or see anything. They were married long enough exactly for her to get a green card. She ended up with all his possessions. Russians are ruthless and dangerous.

  • luigi nonono says:

    Russia continues to degrade into a primitive nation of criminals.

    • Sue says:

      This is very sad to hear indeed. What a sad country in so many ways, vandalized and much worse by a series of ruthless dictators. However, let it not be thought Russia is the only country with violent predators. The world is full of them. Here’s an idea: why not import many more of them into Europe from anywhere in the world.

      The polity has leaders who are dangerously simplistic and naive.

    • barry guerrero says:

      . . . and by all means, let’s continue to bash the U.S. We have no culture, no class, no anything, right? Europe was soooo cultured and classy in 1914. And let’s not forget that other highlight year, 1938. In Russia, the good times continue to roll on.

  • Sharon says:

    What a horror! May her family find peace.

    As far as Russians are concerned I do not like bashing another people. However the end of the Communist era has brought tremendous cultural dislocation. As a Bukharan once told me “They no longer fear the police and they do not fear G*d (because of no religious training)

  • M2N2K says:

    Here is another rather detailed report of this horrific crime ( https://www.1tv.ru/news/2017-12-13/337846-shokiruyuschaya_istoriya_v_peterburge_zadushena_93_letnyaya_sotrudnitsa_mariinskogo_teatra?start=auto ) that includes a video – unfortunately in Russian – whose main value for those of us who knew Nina Matsina well is in two brief glimpses of her playing some Chopin on her old slightly untuned piano, apparently not long before her tragic death.

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