“We wanted to have a good time”: the whole school searched for the teacher who died under the rubble of Crocus

Svetlana Shkundina taught Russian language and literature for 27 years

The clearing of rubble at the site of the Crocus City Hall entertainment complex continues for the third day. The list of victims is being supplemented with new names. Relatives of those who decided to go to the concert of their favorite band on Friday evening still refuse to believe the worst. Until the last moment, the brother of Russian language and literature teacher Svetlana Shkundina hoped to see his sister at home, and her students and colleagues within the walls of their own school…

Svetlana Anatolyevna taught Russian language and literature at school No. 830 in Moscow. The teacher shared with her beloved students that on March 23 she was going to go to the concert of the Picnic group.

– Svetlana Anatolyevna liked music and poetry. She often told us about modern performers in literature lessons. She spoke about going to Edmund Shklyarsky’s performance shortly before the concert. She liked his poems,” a student from school No. 830 told MK. “We wished her a good time.” And they even asked to take us with her, but she said that we were still small.

Svetlana Anatolyevna went to the concert with her nephew and his girlfriend. I agreed to meet at the concert hall, as I was a little late. But before the terrorist attack, the young man never saw his relative. When the shooting and fire started, he managed to get out into the street. His girlfriend was also saved. All this time they called Svetlana Anatolyevna, but she did not get in touch.

They waited for Shkundina at home until the last minute. When they couldn’t wait, they started calling emergency services and looking at the lists of the dead. Nothing was reported about Svetlana. And this gave hope.

The day after the tract, the teacher’s relatives, as well as her colleagues, students and their parents, came to the Victim Assistance Center. They offered help in clearing the rubble, but only professionals were allowed to do this work.

On Monday, classes at school 830 were held in severe uncertainty. The teachers refused to believe the worst. They hoped that Svetlana was in the hospital or that she managed to survive under the rubble. To all questions about the colleague, they answered that they were waiting for information from relatives. To find out the situation, MK called Svetlana Anatolyevna’s brother.

– She is not on the list of dead. Nobody called us, they didn’t invite us to identification,” Sergei informed.

However, during the day, information appeared in school chats that Svetlana Anatolyevna had died.

“She was very kind,” a 7th grade student recalls his favorite teacher. – If you haven’t done your homework, she gives you many chances. She explained the topics in a very interesting way, always understood us, and was on the same page with us.

“She was the best teacher in my life, the kindest,” said another student of Svetlana Anatolyevna.

– A beautiful, always smiling, cheerful woman. She loved her work and everything related to art. The kids she graduated were always delighted with this teacher,” the mother of her graduate shared her attitude towards the teacher.

Svetlana Shkundina taught Russian language and literature for 27 years. Last school year, she graduated her first class as a homeroom teacher. This year I took a new fifth grade class.

– She was the best class teacher. “She went on excursions with us,” a fifth-grader from school No. 830 told MK. “Soft clouds to you, Svetlana Anatolyevna.”