"Tanechka was very tender and affectionate." Farewell to the brutally murdered woman in Minsk
On Monday, September 14, a farewell ceremony for Tatsiana Martsishchanka took place in the church of the St. Elisabeth Convent, writes "Onliner".
A few days ago, the 43-year-old Minsk resident, who had stopped responding to calls the day before, was found murdered. The woman was five months pregnant. 38-year-old hockey referee Aliaksei Hauryalionak, who was in a close relationship with Tatsiana, is suspected of her murder.
At the entrance to the church, journalists were met by a slender, intelligent girl. This is Zlata, Tatsiana's daughter. She lives in Russia, but when she learned of her mother's disappearance, she flew to Minsk the same day.
"My mother was a wonderful woman, I'm finding it very difficult right now," Zlata says.
Someone from those present constantly approaches her, hugs her, and offers words of support. She thanks everyone, trying to hold herself together, but it is not easy for her at all.
"A loss from which I will never recover," the girl wrote earlier on her social networks.
Dozens of people gathered to honor the memory of the deceased — close ones, relatives, friends, acquaintances, and simply those who learned about the tragedy and were not indifferent.
A woman in a brown scarf does not leave the closed coffin, which is almost invisible through the bouquets. This is Tatsiana's mother.
"Tanechka was very tender and affectionate... She always called me "mammy"... Now our main goal is to educate Zlata and get her on her feet... How could he do this..."
People keep bringing flowers to the church. Despite it being a weekday, the flow of people does not stop.
"Is this where they are saying goodbye to Tatsiana?" — this question was asked more than once over three hours.
Someone brought a soft toy along with flowers. "The baby also died," notes an employee of a local store.
Among those who came are many young men and women — probably Zlata's friends came to support her.
During the funeral service, many cry: what happened to Tatsiana is incomprehensible to anyone. According to relatives, Tatsiana and Aliaksei had no serious conflicts. The man knew that the woman was expecting his child and regularly attended examinations with her. Nothing foreshadowed trouble, say those close to her.
Before going to the cemetery, Zlata turns to those present once more and thanks them for their support:
"Thank you for coming to say goodbye to my mother."
Tatsiana Martsishchanka stopped responding on September 8. Two days later, her daughter reported her mother's disappearance to the police. And on the afternoon of September 11, it became known that the woman was found murdered. The suspect was detained within 24 hours. He turned out to be 38-year-old hockey referee Aliaksei Hauryalionak.
According to data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the man knew that the woman was expecting his child, but he was officially in a relationship with another woman. He also confessed that during an argument with Tatsiana, he stabbed her several times, put the body in a travel bag, drove it to a forest in the Minsk district, and buried it. On the way, he disposed of evidence. A criminal case has been initiated on the fact of the murder.
Aliaksei Hauryalionak is the son of former Belarusian national hockey team goalkeeper Aliaksandr Hauryalionak. He played hockey since childhood, represented the country's junior national teams, played in the 2006/2007 World Junior Championship season, and was a defenseman for HC Brest from 2008 to 2015. In 2015, he ended his playing career and moved into refereeing.
His father confirmed his son's detention:
"I don't know more than you do yet... I'm hoping for some miracle, maybe it's a mistake."