Petersburg has known Viktor Lukyanov as the city’s amiable chef. He was repeatedly assaulted by a neighbor after the pensioner started collecting aluminum cans and handing them in for recycling. Only after the third incident did authorities open a criminal case, charging the neighbor under laws related to torture, according to the victim’s account to socialbites.ca.
He described the moment he learned the case would move forward. The investigation was being handled by the larger body of the Investigation Committee within the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He recalled how, days earlier, an inspector visited his home, and he sustained injuries that included a sore back, a pounding head, and swelling on multiple parts of his body. He spoke of numbness and pain, and growing frustration with the ongoing garbage dispute. The neighbor, in his view, acted irrationally and aggressively, amplifying his fear and concern about safety in the neighborhood.
The assailant was found at a hut by law enforcement, who brought him to the investigators. After questioning, the man was released to return home, Lukyanov noted with concern.
“This person was brought out of the hut today. The police located him, ordered him to come to the city, and two stronger men helped escort him. I waited in the hallway while the investigator addressed procedural questions. I stepped out and looked toward the neighbor, who had a pleading look in his eyes. I chose to leave. The investigative committee might have treated me as a target otherwise. I then headed home and caught sight of the neighbor walking under an umbrella. While moving through markets, pharmacies, and clinics, I observed him returning home. I considered stepping aside, debating whether to press for action. I paused at a bus stop, reached out to the inspector, and asked whether the neighbor would threaten me again. The inspector reassured him that the neighbor had been warned, and that even a hair on his head would not be harmed due to any action. Yet the neighbor continued to walk nearby, quiet and unobtrusive,” Lukyanov added.
Earlier accounts indicate the neighbor first attacked him on April 13, over concerns about dirt and odors from Lukyanov’s aluminum can collection. Then on August 8 another assault occurred, prompting Lukyanov to defend himself with pepper spray. The following day, the neighbor struck again in what he described as retaliation for the self-defense act.
Roughly a decade ago, Viktor Lukyanov had earned the nickname the “kindest chef” of St. Petersburg for his small acts of kindness on public transport. He would offer sweets to fellow passengers, decorate the interior of carriages for the New Year, and even dress as Santa Claus during festive moments.
Earlier, in Moscow, a separate incident drew attention when a passerby aged 87 faced coercion in a situation described as an attempt to hand him over to authorities at Lubyanka, underscoring a wider climate of concern about safety and law enforcement responses in public transit settings.