home » Arrangement » “I didn’t swim well and didn’t navigate in the forest.” Investigator and mother - about the long search for Maxim Markhaliuk

“I didn’t swim well and didn’t navigate in the forest.” Investigator and mother - about the long search for Maxim Markhaliuk

Maxim's day before his disappearance, investigators say, was "more than usual". The boy walked on the street, met his peers several times, called them to the forest for mushrooms, and together with a friend went to the “base”, where he nailed some boards in a hut. The last time his mother saw him was at about 6.15 pm - the boy was riding a bicycle down the street near the house, reports TUT.by.

Everything was as always. And then the child disappeared.

His search began immediately, that same evening, as soon as his mother called the police. Law enforcement officers arrived at the scene - the police and investigators, a little later, employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the military began to comb the forest. Then the volunteers joined in.

“The version with the accident was checked immediately”

Two main versions were immediately put forward: an accident happened to the child (he got lost and is in the forest) and a criminal one, - says Deputy Head of the Investigative Committee for the Grodno Region, Colonel of Justice Victor Legan.

According to him, a rescue operation took place in the first two weeks: they were looking for a living child.

The search began from the moment he was reported missing. First, he was searched for by police officers and the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the military. Aviation equipment was also used: an autogyro (gyrocopter), three helicopters, an airplane and three drones with thermal imagers. Volunteers to the search pulled themselves up when the topic had already spread with the help of social networks and the media.

In parallel, a criminal version was worked out. As part of it, they began to locate people who could be in the area of \u200b\u200ba theoretical crime scene. Previously convicted, released, mentally unhealthy and those who fell into the field of view of the police were checked. For example, those who committed sexual crimes. First, those who could be close to the place where the boy disappeared were checked, and later all those who live not only in the Grodno region, but throughout Belarus.

“Now more than five thousand people have been checked for involvement in the disappearance of the child”

These are the categories of people that I named earlier, as well as those who simply could be in the area where the boy disappeared. We have not received any information that could help us. But work in this direction is still ongoing. Including using a polygraph. Now, as before, we are considering these two main versions. As part of them, we also check private subversions.

- For example?

For example, Maxim was a victim of an accident. For some reason, this version is now on everyone's lips. But we checked it out right away. We inspected all the roads that pass through the forest, established the owners of all vehicles seen there at different times - both private owners and carrier organizations. We talked with drivers using a polygraph. Then they examined every car that, according to our information, could be in the area where the boy disappeared. The cars were checked using forensic technology to identify traces of biological origin, as well as traces of damage to the car, characteristic of an accident.

Here, too, no important information was received.

- Was the version of the involvement of one of the relatives in the disappearance of Maxim considered?

Naturally, at the time of the initiation of the criminal case, we checked all versions without exception and did not disregard all the people who communicated with the child and theoretically could be involved in his disappearance. But there was no information that any of the relatives could be involved in the disappearance of Maxim. If we had even the slightest suspicion on this score, then a criminal case would have been initiated on other elements of the crime, and not on the unknown disappearance of a person.

- And why was the case initiated only ten days after the disappearance of the boy?

A criminal case on the fact of the disappearance of a person is initiated 10 days after the receipt of the application, if the search activities have not brought any results. This is the law. But in fact, the date of the initiation of the case does not mean anything: the investigators, along with the police officers, began to conduct operational-search activities immediately. It does not matter whether a criminal case has been initiated or not, such events are carried out in any case, and investigators immediately participate in the search.

At what stage is the investigation of the criminal case now? Is the search for the boy still ongoing and does it make sense?

Search activities have not been terminated. Of course, they are not held as actively as before, but this is solely due to weather conditions. Militiamen, military and operational officers of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Internal Affairs Directorate periodically leave for Novy Dvor. Employees of the Svisloch District Department of Internal Affairs and an investigator who is included in the investigation team searching for Maxim are always on the spot. Periodically, about once a month, meetings are held on the spot, during which we sum up the interim results of what has been done and what needs to be done. The criminal case is under control in the Central Office of the Investigative Committee, and the course of the search is under the personal control of the First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs.

Maxim was afraid of animals, did not swim well and did not navigate the terrain

At the same time, they worked out a non-criminal version, says the Colonel of Justice Victor Legan.

If we take into account that the boy was lost in the forest, then first of all we checked the swamps and nearby reservoirs with the help of divers.

Of course, I would very much like to believe that the boy is alive, but all the experts with whom we talked say that irreversible processes can occur in the body of a child of his age within seven hours, which in turn can lead to death. That is, theoretically, if in those weather conditions the child lay down under a tree and fell asleep, then it is likely that he could develop pneumonia with the corresponding consequences.

Squares where police officers, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the military worked are marked in brown, volunteers are in yellow. Photo: Katerina Gordeeva, TUT.BY

We also considered the version that he could be frightened of some animal. Here on the map shows the habitat of those animals that are found in the nearby forests. For example, elk, bison, lynx. Despite the fact that Maxim spent all his free time near the forest or in the forest, he had problems with orientation in the area. There were cases when he got lost, he was also afraid of animals and did not swim well. The boy almost drowned in 2016 - his friends pulled him out of the reservoir.

It can be assumed that he, in a state of passion after a fright, could go to the swamp. In that area, swamps and swamps with a depth of three or more meters. What could - all checked. Even hard-to-reach areas were explored - as far as our capabilities were enough.

- Did only police officers, the Investigative Committee and the Ministry of Emergency Situations work in the swampy area, or were volunteers also?

Volunteers were not allowed there. Only employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the military, and the police worked in the area of the alleged place of the disappearance of the boy. It was important not to miss any details. Here you need a professional look. I can assure you that for the entire distance of his possible route, we have explored every centimeter of the ground.

“All of us together walked 200 square kilometers with our feet. Probably, only with the exception of the bottom of the marshes "

We even exceeded the science-based capabilities of an 11-year-old child: even if he wanted to run away, such a long distance that was examined, he could not do it.

- Did the volunteers interfere with all this work? How do you assess the interaction with the search teams?

This is not the first time a person has gone missing when volunteers are involved in the search. But more often than not, we find people in the first few days or weeks. Here it turned out differently. The boy was not found, time is running out, people began to come to the Pushcha in groups. Volunteers did not interfere and, of course, they could not trample any traces. They did their job well in those squares where the security forces did not work. Truly, we are very grateful to all those people who responded and came in search of Maxim.

“We considered all versions. Probably other than aliens."

What about psychics? We know that during the search for Maksim Markhaliuk, they offered their help and talked about places where they could look for the boy. Were their versions taken into account?

We worked out many private versions. And, of course, they also listened to psychics. We have accumulated three volumes of information shared by caring citizens (one volume - about 250 sheets. - Approx. TUT.BY).

“Dozens of people wrote and called who “consulted with the cosmos”, who “knew exactly the whereabouts of the child””

We responded to each such message. For example, we get information that a certain lady persistently calls Maxim's family and says that she received information from a psychic and knows where the boy is. We find a psychic. She says she didn't tell anyone. Yes, I talked to the lady, but only suggested that my parents, if they were interested, talk to her. We find a lady. We ask where the information comes from. She replies that she was at the reception of a psychic on personal issues and at the same time asked about Maxim. “And by the way the psychic rolled her eyes, I thought she knew something,” the woman says. And there were many such calls. We have worked on each of them and will continue to work if we receive any new information. Psychics certainly do not harm us, but if they helped - and I personally do not know of a single case where a clairvoyant helped solve a crime - then we would have worked for a long time.

- What are the most exotic versions did the investigators have to check?

The most exotic are already covered in the media. Probably with the exception of aliens.
For example, there was a version that the boy was “taken apart for organs” somewhere in Lodz. On it, we interacted with our Polish colleagues. They sent them an international order, and the local police examined those institutions where Maxim could allegedly be. They talked to doctors. The version has not been confirmed. Like the story about the Polish driver. On it, we also worked closely with Polish law enforcement officers.

“Moreover, initially we interacted with the Polish border guards and we can say with confidence: the boy did not leave the territory of Belarus”

In any case, the technical means of control did not record the fact of crossing the border.

We checked two German citizens who were hunting in Belovezhskaya Pushcha on our territory. We sent an international assignment to our German colleagues, and they talked with the hunters.

Belarusian tactics and methods of carrying out operational-search and investigative measures to search for the missing are among the most advanced in Europe, investigators say. “If someone disappears there, then they are searched for on the territory of only one country, but we put our missing people on the interstate wanted list.”

“I don’t believe in any of the versions”

Now the New Court, wrapped in fog and snow, lives its quiet and measured life. The village, where in September volunteers and searchers from all over Belarus gathered, returned to its usual way of life. True, local residents are still discussing what happened and expressing a variety of versions. But the mother of the missing boy does not lean towards any of them: “I don’t want to believe in any of the versions and I’m waiting for my son to go home.”

Valentine is silent for a long time. We are standing on the porch of the house. The woman is going to work. She, as before, works at a local school as a technician and ran home for lunch.

What can I tell you? the woman finally asks. - That the investigation was poorly conducted, so the child has not yet been found? No, I can’t say that - the investigators worked and are working. I am not an expert to evaluate their activities. And the search was carefully organized. I am very grateful to the volunteers, who all that time were not only in the forest, but also came to me, supported, talked.

- And now you have someone to talk to?

I have almost no friends. Of course, we discuss the loss of Maxim with relatives. They sympathize, but each of them has his own life. Therefore, often we are left alone with my husband. It is especially hard to be at home, where everything reminds you of your son, but he is not.

Valentina says that she knows and even read comments in thematic groups on the search for a boy in social networks. He says that some of the remarks become insulting when they, the parents, are blamed for the disappearance of the child.

If only they knew how we feel...

- At some point, psychics joined the search. Did they help you?

Yes, many clairvoyants came. But have you heard their versions?

“According to them, Maxim has long been buried, killed, buried in the forest, or he was taken somewhere in a car. I don’t even want to hear these versions.”

There were many psychics in the first days after the disappearance of Maxim, and now none of them come to us.

- What do you think about the disappearance of your son? Which version do you prefer?

I think nothing. I do not believe in any of the versions. How many there were, and what they just didn’t come up with! By the way, Maxim did not know the forest well, as many here said. So, only this edge, - my mother points towards the forest, which comes close to two-story houses. - I just believe that he will come back. Will walk this road out of the woods as if nothing had happened. You know, sometimes I leave the house, look for a long time at the stadium where he played in the summer, on the street, in the yard and miss him very much. I look forward to it every day. From all these experiences, my father (husband. - Note TUT.BY) and I have been on medication all this time.

Valentina speaks quietly, looks tired. From some confusion I ask:

- Maybe you should go somewhere, change the situation ...

How can I leave? What if the baby comes back?

How to look for a "lost" in the forest and what to do if you meet a bear? Tips from "Angel" and Nikolai Drozdov11 September 1, 2019 at 09:21Since 2012, volunteers have rescued over 600 people. For one day, we were able, albeit under simplified conditions, to see how the "angels" work.

Maxim Markhaliuk, who disappeared a year and a half ago, is still being sought13 February 7, 2019 at 06:36 pmTo date, the regional police consider an accident to be the main version. It is assumed that the boy went into the forest and got lost.

"Once again we don't go to the Pushcha." How Novy Dvor lives a year after the disappearance of Maxim Markhaliuk48 September 16, 2018 at 12:38 pmExactly one year ago, on September 16, 2017, Maxim Markhaliuk disappeared in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. At first, the police and local residents searched for him, and then volunteers joined the search. Unfortunately, the boy was never found. A year later, TUT.BY visited Novy Dvor.

In Belarus, more than a thousand people were searched for in the forests in five years, 37 could not be found15 July 18, 2018 at 03:39 pmIn Belarus over the past five years, more than 1,000 people have been searched for in the forests, Dmitry Kryukov, head of the department for organizing search work at the main criminal investigation department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said today, BelTA informs.

TRK "Mir" explained how the photo of Maxim Markhaliuk got into a fictional story in the program. Editor fired20 June 7, 2018 at 11:16 pmA photograph of the missing Maxim Markhaliuk appeared in the Family Matters program on the Mir TV channel. She was used to illustrate a fictional story of disputed paternity on Family Matters. Now the channel is investigating how this could have happened.

Photo of missing Maxim Markhaliuk used in fictional story on Mir TV channel44 June 7, 2018 at 12:11The photograph of the missing boy appeared in the Family Matters program on the Mir TV channel. True, they used it to illustrate a fictional story of controversial paternity.

"He swam badly and did not navigate in the forest." Investigator and mother - about the long search for Maxim Markhaliuk88 February 19, 2018 at 07:00Maxim Markhaliuk went missing on September 16, 2017. Now the search for the boy is still ongoing, although not conducted by such a large number of people as in September. Nobody is going to close the criminal case. They are engaged in a special group, which includes 6 investigators and police officers. About how the search for the boy is going now, about working with psychics and volunteers, and about the versions that the investigation is considering, TUT.BY was told by one of the leaders of the USC in the Grodno region. And Maxim's mother, five months after the disappearance of the child, is still waiting for her son to go home.

The police told how the search for Maxim Markhaliuk went on and what is being done now37 December 22, 2017 at 01:18 pmThe police held a day of information in Novy Dvor, where Maxim Markhaliuk disappeared on September 16th. In addition to other topics, the search for a boy was also touched upon.

The term for the investigation of the case of the disappearance of 10-year-old Maxim in Pushcha was extendedNovember 27, 2017 at 13:00Investigators, together with the police, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Defense, local authorities and volunteers, have done a huge amount of work aimed at establishing the whereabouts of the boy.

"We believe that he just went to travel." Maxim, who disappeared in Pushcha, turned 11 years old27 October 10, 2017 at 08:57 pmNow in Novy Dvor nothing reminds of the fact that two weeks ago, the largest search and rescue operation in the country in recent times took place here.

"Polish trace" by Maxim Markhaliuk. The truck driver said he was picking up another boy32 October 5, 2017 at 02:09 pmIn the press service of the police of the city of Radom, we were assured that little Maksim, who had disappeared in Belarus, was known here, and if information about any street children appeared, this information would not go unnoticed.

Belarusian Foreign Ministry: no official information from Poland useful for finding our boy has been received6 October 4, 2017 at 06:42 pmThe diplomat said that in connection with reports in the Polish regional media, the Belarusian Embassy in Warsaw and the consulates in Bialystok and Biala Podlaska are monitoring the situation.

"May be related to your missing boy." Police in Poland are looking for a child who hid in a truck178 October 4, 2017 at 01:21 pmA Polish regional information website has reported that Siedlce police are looking for an unidentified 10-year-old boy.

The mother of Maxim, who disappeared in Pushcha, believes that her son is alive. What's new in search?79 October 3, 2017 at 03:19 pmThe woman said that psychologists from the Ministry of Emergency Situations come to her every day and help maintain her morale. But, for example, locals and neighbors treat her grief differently.

There are fewer volunteers, the Ministry of Emergency Situations is working. A report from Novy Dvor, where they have been looking for a child in Pushcha for 13 days78 September 29, 2017 at 08:10 pmOn the this moment searches in Belovezhskaya Pushcha continue, but on a smaller scale. The large camp of the search and rescue squad "Angel" moved to the square near the village council.

68 days have passed since the connection with Maxim Markhaliuk disappeared. The boy disappeared in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Since then, no one has seen him. People often go missing. But this story still keeps the whole country in suspense. More than 2,000 people participated in the large-scale search and rescue operation. The boy is still being sought. Searches are conducted not only by specialists on the spot, but also by ordinary people on the Internet. For the query "Maxim" among the popular clues, Google gives out "Markhalyuk".

The boy is now wanted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Investigative Committee, the republican and Grodno. But the "angels" did not remove the orientation.

- Yes, I, in general, you have nothing to say. There is nothing new in this story. All at the same stage as it was, - said the site commander of the search and rescue squad "Angel" Sergey Kovgan. - We carried out search activities on the ground, volunteers are no longer needed there. We checked the entire area, the entire area with a margin, then double-checked it and the boy was not found there. Now other versions are being considered, including a criminal one.

- We do not keep in touch with relatives. I don't want to hurt them with questions. Yes, and they will not say anything, because they are very tired of excessive attention from both journalists and others. They refuse to give any comments and do not want to do so.

Recall in October in this story .

- The so-called psychics did not work with us. I didn't talk to them. Are they scammers or just sick people, - says Sergey Kovgan.

According to police lieutenant colonel Georgy Yevchar, deputy head of department, head of the department for interaction with electronic media of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus, there were ten psychics in total, mostly from Belarus.

The fact that there is no news yet, says and Sergey Shershenevich, official representative of the IC department for the Grodno region.

- Nothing has changed, everything remains the same. There are no new versions. Well, what new versions can there be in connection with this? If there were any clues, we would, of course, have long since proactively told about it.

For Alla Goncharevich, director of the school, in which Maxim's mother works, this topic is unpleasant and the very mention of the name of the missing boy makes you nervous:

- There is an investigation. I don't have any other comments on this. I've already said all I can. I just don't have the right to.

As a reminder, Maksim Markhaliuk from the agricultural town of Novy Dvor, who turned 11 during this time, . On one of the most massive rescue operations by the hundreds. His "angels", special forces, internal troops, soldiers, cynologists, employees of the police department and even psychics. More than 2,000 people were looking for the boy.

Maxim's friends said that he called them for mushrooms. But they did not want to, and he went into the forest alone. Maxim's bicycle was found near the hut where the guys were playing.

On September 26, upon the fact of the disappearance of the boy, under paragraph 2 of Article 167 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Belarus "Disappearance of a person, if within ten days from the date of filing the application, it is not possible to establish the location of the person by operational-search measures carried out within this period."

Soon there was information that Maxim could be in Poland. A local truck driver said that on the 20th of September, a boy of ten years old climbed into the sleeping compartment of his truck. He did not answer his questions, and at one of the stops the child ran away. Later it turned out that the boy did not look like Maxim. This

For the thirteenth day in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, they have been searching for the missing 10-year-old Maxim Markhaliuk. As of 09:00 September 28, Maxim was not found. Volunteers and rescuers combed hundreds of hectares of forest, examined huge swamps, but so far have not found any new traces.

Journalist Inna Grishuk described her own impressions of what was happening.

Volunteers are looking for traces of Maxim

September 27 at about 11 am in the headquarters near the village council is almost empty. On the site - two female volunteers and a coordinator. After the weekend, the number of volunteers in Novy Dvor decreased significantly. That is why the day before the Red Cross rolled up its tent and left, promising that it would return as soon as people began to arrive en masse.

Now the search and rescue squad "Angel" must take care of preparing dinner, and if necessary, provide medical assistance to those who return from the forest.

On September 27, 46 people gathered to search. They came from Grodno, Minsk, Brest and even Gomel regions. Of these, 3 search groups were organized.

As in the previous days, the guys went to comb the forest in the areas indicated by the leadership of the headquarters. The task has not changed - you need to look for any signs of the boy's presence in the forest. Cores, corn cobs, mushrooms and suspicious items.

Each search party receives such a card.

Each group has an experienced coordinator, the rest line up in a chain, go into the forest and follow the commands of the elder, - Anastasia Saltykova, volunteer of the Angel detachment, explains the principle of the work of the search groups.

Fantik in the forest - a big joint

If at least someone from the live chain sees something suspicious, they immediately say "stop". Then the place should be inspected by the leader of the group. Volunteers say that even the buried earth is alarming them.

I know that village boys can build underground hiding places and dugouts. Finding them is extremely difficult. I always looked closely to see if the moss was raised, - volunteer Olga says.

A live chain can stretch for a kilometer or more. During the movement, volunteers are reminded that they need to look not only under their feet, but also up, and also turn around. After all, you can pass and not notice something behind a tree or a high stump. When a group walks through the forest, candy wrappers, water bottles, and cigarette butts must be taken with you.

If you leave, it's a big joint. This is strictly prohibited. If they are found during the second combing of the area, then the question arises - whose are they. They can become a false trail, - the girl adds.

A mine as deep as a high-rise building

Tell me, maybe they found the boy Maxim? - heard from the radio. The guys sigh sadly and answer: "I really want to, but not yet." It's almost 16:00 on the clock, and lunch has just begun at the headquarters. Volunteers pour soup, make sandwiches.

The search group does not begin to dine strictly according to the schedule, but after it examines the assigned territory. “We got out to chew and immediately shurshim back,” the man quickly explains to someone on the phone. Nearby, the guys are discussing the trip:

Worked out a military mine. 12 floors down. We went down by six, but didn’t go any further - we realized that there was no point in going deeper. The guys look exhausted, they smoke nervously, but they ask the headquarters to quickly give them a new search square.

Ilya, Yegor and Alexander are looking for a child almost around the clock during the week.

Already the seventh day here or the eighth. Already confused. We sleep in the car. We slept for a couple of hours - and then we went to look, - says Ilya, who came from Minsk. Everyone admits that they will not be able to sleep peacefully until Maxim is found. In order not to interrupt the search, many took time off or vacation.

Like searching in a swamp

At the morning meeting, the headquarters decided that now more people should be sent to the swamp. Neither volunteers nor journalists are allowed to enter such difficult areas.

The swamps in Novy Dvor are such that fishing boots are indispensable. These works are performed by experienced rescuers. But a small detachment of volunteers agreed to show how they explore the swampy area. They have already managed to study the local forests quite well. They admit: during the search, sometimes they had to go into the quagmire.

The swamp here is such that you can sink up to your chest into the water. And this is three kilometers from Novy Dvor, - says Ilya, when we arrived at the point. The guys before departure put on high fishing boots, some - rubber overalls. They say that this is not the most difficult section. Employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations are also exploring more unsteady swamps.

Even very close to the road there are deep and swampy places. It is really difficult to walk through such a forest. In one place - a bump, and next to it - water. The group moved no more than 50 meters from the road, and in the swamp there began to be places where water reaches an adult to the waist and above. The guys say: "We are waist-deep, but the child? But we believe that Maxim did not go here."

Local Resident: It's Impossible to Get Lost Here

In the meantime, the inhabitants of the New Yard also do not stand aside and, as far as possible, go to the forest. Someone - with the "Angel" group, and someone - on their own. When asked where Maxim could be, they answer differently. But every day there is less and less support for the version of the police that the boy got lost in the forest. A rumor went around the village that the child could have run away from home and gone in an unknown direction.

I do not believe that Maxim could get lost in these forests. We checked every meter of the forest around the village and found nothing. Don't you think this is strange? - says 22-year-old resident of Novy Dvor Vadim.

The guy from the first day in his free time with volunteers and volunteers is looking for Maxim. He was one of the first to know about the missing boy. He recalls that then, on September 16, literally in half an hour, the whole village went up in search. Some walked through the forest, others drove around all the roads in cars and motorcycles, and every 100-150 meters they stopped and called the boy.

We would definitely find it. If Maxim were in the forest and wanted to respond, he could go out to the people. Here, no matter which way you go, you will definitely end up either on the road or in some village. If he had wandered through the local forests all these 12 days, he would have left or given himself away long ago, - the guy adds.

The boy could run away

Vadim shows the so-called base, near which on the first day of the loss they found the boy's bicycle and a basket of mushrooms. The base is called a hut knocked together from boards, which serves as a gathering place for village boys. Who built it, no one can remember.

Near the hut, which often visited Maxim. Vadim shows where Maxim's bike was found. According to Vadim, the found basket did not belong to Maxim. This was confirmed by the parents of the child.

She has always been here. On the evening of September 16, my mother was returning from the forest, passed by the hut, saw her. It was the so-called obshchak, in this basket the boys collected mushrooms together, and then handed over to the procurement point, Vadim explains. Where the kids spent the money, he does not know. But he names approximate prices: for three kilograms of chanterelles you can get 12 rubles. The guy is sure that the most plausible version is that the boy left the house on purpose. You need to look for it not in the forest, but in other villages or even cities.

"Angels": looking for a living boy

To date, police report only two pieces of evidence. This is Maxim's bike, which was standing near a hut in the forest about 800 meters from the village. A little later, a witness was found who, on the evening of September 16, saw Maxim or a boy similar to him in the forest south of Novy Dvor, who was sitting near a tree, and then ran away, Naviny.by writes.

If Maxim had stayed in the forest, they would have found at least something else. The police are not looking there. I think he reached the road and left somewhere, - two women argue at the door of the post office. They are also sure that there is no child in the forest.

"Where is he? - But who knows. Maybe someone took him away, or maybe he ran away himself," I hear in response.

The search and rescue squad "Angel" said that they are still considering two main versions: Maxim got lost in the forest or ran away and hides.

We do not consider the criminal version. The Investigative Committee is working in this direction. We are looking for a living boy, - emphasizes the volunteer "Angel" Yuri Azanovich. According to him, rescue and search activities will continue until the child is found.

*Photo by Inna Grishuk

February 19, 2018, 09:42
12705

Maxim Markhaluk September 16, 2017. Now the search for the boy is still ongoing, although not conducted by such a large number of people as in September. Nobody is going to close the criminal case. They are engaged in a special group, which includes 6 investigators and police officers.

About how the search for the boy is going now, about working with psychics and volunteers, and about the versions that the investigation is considering, TUT.BY was told by one of the leaders of the USC in the Grodno region. And Maxim's mother, five months after the disappearance of the child, is still waiting for her son to go home.

Maxim's day before his disappearance, investigators say, was "more than usual". The boy walked on the street, met his peers several times, called them to the forest for mushrooms, and together with a friend went to the “base”, where he nailed some boards in a hut. The last time his mother saw him was at about 6:15 pm - the boy was riding a bicycle down the street near the house.

Everything was as always. And then the child disappeared.

“The version with the accident was checked immediately”

- Two main versions were immediately put forward: an accident happened to the child (he got lost and is in the forest) and a criminal one, - says Deputy Head of the Investigative Committee for the Grodno region, Colonel of Justice Viktor Legan.

According to him, a rescue operation took place in the first two weeks: they were looking for a living child.

-The search began from the moment he was reported missing. First, he was searched for by police officers and the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the military. Aviation equipment was also used: an autogyro (gyrocopter), three helicopters, an airplane and three drones with thermal imagers. Volunteers to the search pulled themselves up when the topic had already spread with the help of social networks and the media.

“Now more than five thousand people have been checked for involvement in the disappearance of the child”

- For example?

- For example, Maxim became a victim of an accident. For some reason, this version is now on everyone's lips. But we checked it out right away. We inspected all the roads that pass through the forest, established the owners of all vehicles seen there at different times - both private owners and carrier organizations. We talked with drivers using a polygraph. Then they examined every car that, according to our information, could be in the area where the boy disappeared. The cars were checked using forensic technology to identify traces of biological origin, as well as traces of damage to the car, characteristic of an accident.

Here, too, no important information was received.

- Was the version of the involvement of one of the relatives in the disappearance of Maxim considered?

- Naturally, at the time of the initiation of the criminal case, we checked all versions without exception and did not disregard all the people who communicated with the child and theoretically could be involved in his disappearance. But there was no information that any of the relatives could be involved in the disappearance of Maxim. If we had even the slightest suspicion on this score, then a criminal case would have been initiated on other elements of the crime, and not on the unknown disappearance of a person.

- And why is it only ten days after the disappearance of the boy?

- A criminal case on the fact of the disappearance of a person is initiated 10 days after the receipt of the application, if the search activities have not brought any results. This is the law. But in fact, the date of the initiation of the case does not mean anything: the investigators, along with the police officers, began to conduct operational-search activities immediately. It does not matter whether a criminal case has been initiated or not, such events are carried out in any case, and investigators immediately participate in the search.

- At what stage is the investigation of the criminal case now? Is the search for the boy still ongoing and does it make sense?

- Search activities are not terminated. Of course, they are not held as actively as before, but this is solely due to weather conditions. Militiamen, military and operational officers of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Internal Affairs Directorate periodically leave for Novy Dvor. Employees of the Svisloch District Department of Internal Affairs and an investigator who is included in the investigation team searching for Maxim are always on the spot. Periodically, about once a month, meetings are held on the spot, during which we sum up the interim results of what has been done and what needs to be done. The criminal case is under control in the Central Office of the Investigative Committee, and the course of the search is under the personal control of the First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs.

Maxim was afraid of animals, did not swim well and did not navigate the terrain

At the same time, a non-criminal version was also worked out, says Colonel of Justice Victor Legan.

- If we take into account that the boy was lost in the forest, then first of all we checked the swamps and nearby water bodies with the help of divers.

- Did only police officers, the Investigative Committee and the Ministry of Emergency Situations work in the swampy area, or did volunteers also work?

- Volunteers were not allowed there. Only employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the military, and the police worked in the area of the alleged place of the disappearance of the boy. It was important not to miss any details. Here you need a professional look. I can assure you that for the entire distance of his possible route, we have explored every centimeter of the ground.

“All of us together walked 200 square kilometers with our feet. Probably, only with the exception of the bottom of the marshes "

We even exceeded the science-based capabilities of an 11-year-old child: even if he wanted to run away, such a long distance that was examined, he could not do it.

- Did the volunteers interfere with all this work? How do you assess the interaction with the search teams?

- This is not the first fact of the disappearance of a person, when volunteers are involved in the search. But more often than not, we find people in the first few days or weeks. Here it turned out differently. The boy was not found, time is running out, people began to come to the Pushcha in groups. Volunteers did not interfere and, of course, they could not trample any traces. They did their job well in those squares where the security forces did not work. Truly, we are very grateful to all those people who responded and came in search of Maxim.

“We considered all versions. Probably other than aliens."

- What about psychics? We know that during the search for Maksim Markhaliuk, they offered their help and talked about places where they could look for the boy. Were their versions taken into account?

- We worked out a lot of private versions. And, of course, they also listened to psychics. We have accumulated three volumes of information shared by caring citizens(one volume - about 250 sheets. - Approx. TUT.BY).

“Dozens of people wrote and called who “consulted with the cosmos”, who “knew exactly the whereabouts of the child””

- What are the most exotic versions did the investigators have to check?

- The most exotic ones are already covered in the media. Probably with the exception of aliens. For example, there was a version that the boy was “taken apart for organs” somewhere in Lodz. On it, we interacted with our Polish colleagues. They sent them an international order, and the local police examined those institutions where Maxim could allegedly be. They talked to doctors. The version has not been confirmed. Like the story about the boy in the Polish driver's van. On it, we also worked closely with Polish law enforcement officers.

“Moreover, initially we interacted with the Polish border guards and we can say with confidence: the boy did not leave the territory of Belarus”

In any case, the technical means of control did not record the fact of crossing the border.

We checked two German citizens who were hunting in Belovezhskaya Pushcha at that time on our territory. We sent an international assignment to our German colleagues, and they talked with the hunters.

Belarusian tactics and methods of carrying out operational-search and investigative measures to search for the missing are among the most advanced in Europe, investigators say. “If someone disappears there, then they are searched for on the territory of only one country, but we put our missing people on the interstate wanted list.”

“I don’t believe in any of the versions”

Now the New Court, wrapped in fog and snow, lives its quiet and measured life. The village, where in September volunteers and searchers from all over Belarus gathered, returned to its usual way of life. True, local residents are still discussing what happened and expressing a variety of versions. But the mother of the missing boy does not lean towards any of them: “I don’t want to believe in any of the versions and I’m waiting for my son to go home.”

Valentina is silent for a long time. We are standing on the porch of the house. The woman is going to work. She, as before, works at a local school as a technician and ran home for lunch.

-What can I tell you? - Finally the woman asks. - That the investigation was poorly conducted, so the child has not yet been found? No, I can’t say that - the investigators worked and are working. I am not an expert to evaluate their activities. And the search was carefully organized. I am very grateful to the volunteers who all that time were not only in l Yes, but also came to me, supported, talked.

-Do you have anyone to talk to now?

- I have almost no friends. Of course, we discuss the loss of Maxim with relatives. They sympathize, but each of them has his own life. Therefore, often we are left alone with my husband. It is especially hard to be at home, where everything reminds you of your son, but he is not.

Valentina says that she knows and even read comments in thematic groups on finding a boy on social networks. He says that some of the remarks become insulting when they, the parents, are blamed for the disappearance of the child.

-If only they knew how we feel...

- At some point, psychics joined the search. Did they help you?

- Yes, many clairvoyants came. But have you heard their versions?

“According to them, Maxim has long been buried, killed, buried in the forest, or he was taken somewhere in a car. I don’t even want to hear these versions.”

There were many psychics in the first days after the disappearance of Maxim, and now none of them come to us.

- What do you think about the disappearance of your son? Which version do you prefer?

- I think nothing. I do not believe in any of the versions. How many there were, and what they just didn’t come up with! By the way, Maxim did not know the forest well, as many here said. So, just this edge,- Mom points towards the forest, which comes close to two-story houses. - I just believe he will come back. Will walk this road out of the woods as if nothing had happened. You know, sometimes I leave the house, look for a long time at the stadium where he played in the summer, on the street, in the yard and miss him very much. I look forward to it every day. From all these experiences, my father and I(husband - Approx. TUT.BY) All this time on medication.

Valentina speaks quietly, looks tired. From some confusion I ask:

- Maybe you should go somewhere, change the scenery...

- How can I leave? What if the baby comes back?