In the suburbs, a 22-year-old local resident was detained on suspicion of setting fire to a church and killing the rector.
Criminal cases were initiated on murder and destruction of property (part 1 of article 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, part 2 of article 167 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
This was reported in the investigative department of the TFR in the Moscow region.
As RT found out, the detainee's name is Vasily Rassokha, he lived with his parents in Domodedovo, where the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is located.
According to investigators, early in the morning of August 24, a young man came to the Sunday school at the church and set fire to one of the classrooms.
Rector Sergei Lopukhov noticed smoke from the window and ran into the room.
The suspect attacked him and stabbed him.
The 59-year-old priest died on the spot.
"Vulnerable and sympathetic guy"
According to RT, Vasily Rassokha was born in Kazakhstan.
When the young man was 17 years old, he moved with his parents to the Moscow region.
In Russia, Rassokha graduated from the correspondence department of the university with a degree in organizational management.
As close families said, Rassokha's parents were parishioners of the St. Nicholas Church, and he himself worked in a Sunday school at the church: he taught children robotics and English.
His father advised him to get a job in Sunday school, says the interlocutor of RT.
According to him, Rassokha actively participated in the life of the school.
So, in May, he played in a table tennis tournament, which was held at the temple.
Priest Sergei Lopukhov also took part in these competitions.
Friends of the Rassokha family characterize him as a very kind, but uncommunicative person.
According to them, he did not have close friends in Domodedovo, nor at the university, since he studied remotely.
The guy didn’t even go to celebrate with classmates receiving a diploma, so that he would not be persuaded to drink with them.
“He is a very vulnerable and sympathetic guy - both to people and to animals.
He didn't even let his father kill the chicken.
For those who know him, what happened is a shock!
He worked in a bank for several months, but left because it was difficult for him to work with people.
He believed that in Moscow everyone is very tough, everyone constantly deceives each other, but he can’t stand it, ”says the interlocutor of RT.
According to another acquaintance of Rassokha, in the last six months, Vasily was very depressed and confused.
Rassokha even sought help from psychologists at a local clinic and in Moscow.
“He used to be interested in life, constantly asking questions.
And after he graduated from the university, in the last year or six months he somehow gave up: he doesn’t want to work, he walks like a lost one, ”says the interlocutor.
At the same time, the young man made plans for the future.
The day before the death of the priest, on August 23, Rassokha found out that he had been accepted to the budget for the magistracy.
In the rural library, where he borrowed books, the guy was also described as a calm person.
According to the employees, he was not fond of spiritual literature.
“I took the classics, books on chemistry, physics.
We didn't even know he taught robotics.
He did not lead circles with us and did not communicate with anyone in the reading room.
Books are always returned on time.
I don’t remember hooliganism behind him, a calm guy, ”RT said in the library.
Was in love with a girl
The media report that Rassokha was in love with an underage girl whom he met in the temple.
He allegedly courted her too persistently and because of this he was in conflict with the rector of the temple.
However, Vasily's father categorically denied the information about the persecution of a minor.
According to Konstantin Rassokha, the son was really in love with the girl, but he never pursued her.
Family friends, in an interview with RT, also claim that Vasily behaved very decently with the girl.
Nevertheless, all relatives persuaded the young man to forget about his love, because she was only 14 years old.
“She went to this temple, they met there.
She is a 14 year old child.
We all told him: “Vasya, change your mind!”
But I am 100% sure that he would never have done anything bad to her, there could not have been any sexual encroachments on his part.
Vasya came to her house with flowers, cakes - all this was with her parents.
He did not hide and wanted everything to be right, communicated with her in front of her parents, ”the interlocutor emphasized.
According to her, the girl's parents were against their possible relationship, and she herself did not reciprocate.
Pictures of the alleged diary of Rassokha, which he kept in Excel, were published on the network.
There, a young man wrote about his love for a girl, whom he called by different names: Evdokia, Evdania, Yana.
In the notes, he mentioned that she was a teenager.
Archpriest Sergiy Lopukhov at the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord a week before the assassination
© Photo from personal archive
One of the parishioners of the Nikolsky Church, who knew the murdered Archpriest Sergei Lopukhov for more than ten years, told RT that the priest was very respected in the church.
“He is a sincere, kind, reasonable person.
When you come to confession, you talk about your difficulties, he never condemns, he always says: “Lord help you solve these problems.”
But, of course, he was strict, especially with regard to morality, discipline, church canons, ”he said.
According to the parishioner of the temple, during the entire time of his acquaintance with Lopukhov, he cannot remember a case when the priest could not cope with some problem in life.
“I don’t know anyone who would speak badly about him.
He never refused to help anyone.
Today he managed to serve the morning liturgy, and then he noticed a fire, ”the interlocutor explained.
He describes the detained Vasily Rassokha as a reserved person, “strong in appearance: tall and strong.”
Another close friend of the family, according to Vasily's mother, said that on August 24 he woke up very early and at about six in the morning he was about to leave the house.
His parents thought he was going to the morning liturgy.
“Mom asked him where he was going so early.
Vasya hugged her tightly, as if saying goodbye, and left, ”she added.