"Constantly called and offered various services": what is known about the murder of a 90-year-old VGIK teacher

A criminal case has been opened in Moscow over the death of a 90-year-old woman who was found on July 19 in her apartment in the west of the capital. As reported in the UK, experts recorded on the woman's body "signs of violent death in the form of multiple stab wounds."

“The investigating authorities of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in Moscow have opened a criminal case on the grounds of a crime under Part 1 of Art. 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Murder") ", the department told RT. Law enforcers establish all the circumstances of the crime and are looking for the attacker. The first investigative actions at the scene of the murder are now completed. The door to the apartment of the deceased is sealed.

The victim was 90-year-old Irina Shur, associate professor and oldest teacher at VGIK. Information about the death of a teacher has already been confirmed in the university itself. According to media reports, the woman's body was found after her apartment was opened. Her friend contacted the police, since Shur did not answer calls for several days.

The murdered woman lived in one of the most prestigious and expensive districts of the capital - Dorogomilovo, in a house on Kutuzovsky Prospect, next to the "Ukraine" hotel. In this regard, the investigation does not exclude that the pensioner was killed in order to take possession of her apartment.

According to RT, the woman lived in an apartment alone after she was widowed 10 years ago, she has no children. About a month ago, she buried her younger brother. 

According to “MK”, a social worker came to Irina Shur several times a week. According to her, the pensioner was very sociable and gullible and could open the door to strangers who offered apartment renovation services.

“I have repeatedly said that it is not safe to open the door to strangers. Irina Borisovna seemed to agree with me. I come next time and see: she will change the plastic windows, or some rubber bands on the handles. She was constantly called on a landline phone from various companies, offered apartment repair services. They even came home offering services. When this happened in my presence, I drove the traders away and threatened to call the police if she was not left alone, ”said the social worker.

Irina Borisovna Shur has been working at the Department of Aesthetics, History and Theory of Culture for over 62 years. She taught the theory and history of music to students of almost all departments of the university, developed many monographs, and was also the host of music concerts.

For the duration of the self-isolation regime, Shur suspended her teaching activities, but was going to return to teaching in the next academic year.

The head of the department of VGIK, Marianna Rostotskaya, in an interview with RT, said that Shur's colleagues hardly believed what had happened.

“I cannot speak to you on this topic. It was a beautiful woman, we all have a shock. We don’t know any details yet, ”said Rostotskaya. According to her, Shur never entered into conflicts with her colleagues. Rostotskaya also doubts that the teacher could have been killed for the purpose of robbery, since she lived modestly.

Shur's colleague Nadezhda Kotnova told RT that many students considered her lectures to be one of the most interesting in the university.

“She created her own special teaching method for the students of VGIK, and this, believe me, is not so simple, because the profession of a cinematographer is not very close to the profession of a musician, which was Irina Borisovna,” she explained.

One of Irina Shur's students told RT that everyone knew her as a professional teacher and a kind person.

“Every Monday we came to her lesson, and it was very nice to study. Even those who were far from music began to understand and love it after classes with Irina Borisovna, ”recalls Artak Serovani-Ohanyan. - She knew how to interest music and was a kind woman. You will not find a student who has heard rudeness from her. She was very positive. "

Representatives of VGIK said that the teacher sincerely loved the students.

“The intelligence, high education, integrity, modesty, sincerity and human warmth of Irina Borisovna Shur will be sorely missed by the teachers, staff and students of VGIK. Blessed memory of dear colleague and teacher, ”the university said. The date of farewell to Irina Shur will be announced later.