November 13, 2023

He Was Sentenced to 17 Years. Now He Is Free.


He Was Sentenced to 17 Years. Now He Is Free.
Members of the Wagner group training Belarusian troops. Belarusian Telegraph Agency, Wikimedia Commons

Three years ago, Vyacheslav Kanyus murdered 23-year-old student Vera Pekhteleva and was supposed to serve a 17-year sentence in a maximum security colony. However, he did not spend even six months there.

According to a recent statement from the Russian Prosecutor's Office, Russian President Vladimir Putin instead pardoned Kanyus for his participation in the war with Ukraine back in April 2023.

In June, reports surfaced suggesting that Kanyus had been released and was actively participating in the Russian war in Ukraine as part of a mercenary group. The suspicion arose from photographs on social media depicting Kanyus posing with weapons, which the victim’s parents noticed. It's not clear if he joined the famous Wagner group, controlled by Yevgeny Prigozhin, or the Storm Z unit, controlled by the Russian Ministry of Defence.

The parents of the murdered student sought information from authorities, prompting an official response from the Kemerovo Regional Court, declaring information about Kanyus's whereabouts a state secret.

In September, human rights activist Alena Popova reported that Kanyus had returned from the front and was at large. On social media, a photo of Kanyus apparently relaxing with friends appeared, but his current location is unknown.

Vyacheslav Kanyus gained notoriety after the brutal murder of Vera Pekhteleva in January 2020. Pekhteleva had gone to Kanyus's apartment in Kemerovo to collect her belongings after ending their relationship. Despite multiple calls to the police reporting cries for help, no assistance arrived. When the apartment was finally opened, Pekhteleva was found dead with over 100 injuries, as determined by forensic experts.

Commenting on Kanyus's release, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin's press secretary, stated that individuals with serious charges could find redemption through service on the battlefield. Pekhteleva's mother expressed dismay, noting the potential dangers of releasing prisoners who may continue to engage in criminal activities.

The case of Kanyus is not isolated, as it was revealed that Wagner offered prisoners contracts with pardons and cash incentives. President Putin confirmed signing decrees granting freedom to those agreeing to participate in the war.

Several instances have emerged where released prisoners who fought in Ukraine committed further crimes upon returning home. In September, Oleg Grechko, previously serving a sentence for murder, burned his sister alive in Zavolzhyie, near Nizhny Novgorod. Another incident occurred in Rostov-on-Don, where a former prisoner, previously convicted of murder, committed a new murder after returning from Ukraine.

You Might Also Like

No More Music
  • November 08, 2023

No More Music

So far this year, Yandex.Music has eradicated more than 4000 bits of content.
A Killer Gets Promoted?
  • October 30, 2023

A Killer Gets Promoted?

The man suspected of organizing the murder of Russian oppositionist Boris Nemtsov has become the commander of a new Chechen battalion.
Show and Shell
  • October 26, 2023

Show and Shell

A convicted murderer and Wagner mercenary was invited to talk to Russian students.
  • October 11, 2023

"Our Men Are Not Slaves; Bring Them Home"

Relatives of mobilized Russians are demanding the return of loved ones who have been at war for an extended period. Russian authorities are censoring their messages.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955