“The diagnosis came as a shock”: Natalya Sturm named the cause of her mother’s death

“Mommy left easily: she sighed three times, and that’s all…”

A tragedy happened in the life of Natalya Sturm: her beloved mother Elena Konstantinovna passed away. The woman died in a clinic near Moscow, virtually in the singer’s arms. Sturm openly told MK about how she lost the closest person in the world.

“Mom had a presentiment of her departure,” Natalya sighs. “She was very well versed in medical matters, so while still in the hospital, she told me: “Natasha, I started to break down!” I’m leaving this life—I’m dying.” This was two weeks before his death. The last few years have been difficult for her.

— Was it related to age?

– Yes. At some point, her motor functions began to fail: she recently could not walk without help. And she neglected her wand. This hurt her pride. Other points also emerged. Mommy began to hear very poorly. But she categorically refused hearing aids. She said that they make her deaf even more. It was impossible to convince her to change her mind. Everyone close to me knows about this. But nevertheless, mommy had a sound mind and reason until the very end. She loved MK very much: she was a huge fan of your newspaper. When I came to collect her things for the funeral service, I found on her bed neatly laid out issues of Moskovsky Komsomolets for the last month. She not only subscribed to the newspaper and read it, but also kept it later. She made clippings of articles that were especially interesting to her, which she put in a separate folder. My mom was an amazing person. She was a descendant of the Staritsky family. Distant relatives of Vladimir Staritsky – Ivan the Terrible. Our family is included in the genealogical book of the Moscow province – mom was very proud of this.

– You say that your mother had a presentiment of her departure. But only recently you cheerfully celebrated her 90th birthday!

— Yes, in the summer it was still quite good. On July 28, I rented a holiday home for our whole family for a day. We took pictures and congratulated her on her holiday. She, however, was already confusing our names with her daughter’s: she periodically called me Lena, Lena Natasha. Mom always took very close care of her health. Passed the examination properly. She regularly took pills, mainly for blood pressure. I was always worried that there might be something wrong with her head. Because she was very nervous: she was worried about everyone and always. Ever since I first started touring. She was worried, for example, that I flew on planes too often. And suddenly I receive a certificate – a death certificate, which says that my mother died due to left ventricular failure, atherosclerotic cardiosclerosis. This diagnosis came as a shock to me.

— Did you celebrate the New Year together?

– Yes. I left only when she fell asleep. On New Year’s Eve I put my hand under her cheek – that’s what she wanted. It is important for older people to feel the warmth of loved ones. I also sang for the workers of the clinic where she was staying. Mom, however, did not take part in this: she did not want any holiday. I saw on New Year’s Eve that she was showing signs of fading. Mommy’s chin turned blue, and she kept repeating: “Mom, mom, mom.” She loved her father very much, but did not remember him before leaving. Only about mom. And on the last day she dreamed that her neighbor had died. I convinced her otherwise. She said that she was just talking to her now… Mommy passed away on January 3rd. It was in front of everyone. While still warm, I stroked her legs and arms… She sighed three times before leaving, and that was it… It was very quickly. I remember everything down to the minute. Mom left at 16:22.

– Why was an autopsy required?

– This is a mandatory procedure. I wrote a refusal to open the autopsy. But they explained to me that they are required by law to carry it out. In this situation, I am glad that I saw my mother off with dignity – the way she wanted. On January 6, at four o’clock in the afternoon, the body was placed in the Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where she remained until noon on January 7. It’s good in my soul that it was on Christmas that my mother was in church. If she had any sins, they should be forgiven. After that we went to the morgue: there we said goodbye again. Mommy’s body was cremated. The urn will be ready in a few days. I will fulfill her last wish. Some of the ashes will be buried in the grave of the grandfather, and the other part – of the grandmother.