Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Nikita Zezin has died in Yekaterinburg. He was attacked several days before his death.
Nikita Zezin, director of the Ural Federal Agrarian Research Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, has died in Yekaterinburg. Several days before the tragedy, the 67-year-old scientist was attacked by men following a dispute involving children on ATVs.
Conflict in experimental fields and beating of a scientist
The funeral for 67-year-old Zezin took place yesterday, and he was buried at the Siberian Cemetery. His relatives are convinced that his sudden death is directly related to the bullying and physical assault.
Doctors haven't yet given us the exact cause of death, but it appears his health was undermined by the beating. Colleagues and family said he was deeply distressed that the people had gone unpunished.
It all happened on July 13, as reported by Vyacheslav Wegner, a member of the Sverdlovsk Regional Legislative Assembly. That day, Zezin and his deputy were inspecting experimental fields. There, they encountered children aged eight to ten riding ATVs and damaging crops. Zezin eventually asked one of the children for a phone number, contacted the parents, and arranged for them to take the children to the institute.
However, that evening, four jeeps arrived at the institute building. Two men emerged from the vehicles and immediately attacked the scientists. The blows were accompanied by constant shouting and threats.
The children stood nearby, watched the beating taking place and joyfully shouted in delight at the actions of their enraged father.
Deputy Wegner is also convinced that there is a direct connection between the attack and the scientist's sudden death. He also emphasized that the deceased had no serious health issues prior to the attack.
The criminal investigation and the achievements of Nikita Zezin
The Ministry of Internal Affairs, for its part, reported that the identities of all participants in the conflict have already been established. A criminal case has been opened into the incident, and the Investigative Committee is currently investigating it.
Nikita Zezin, a doctor of agricultural sciences, headed the Ural Federal Agrarian Research Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In particular, thanks to his personal initiative, corn cultivation research in the Urals was resumed and winter triticale breeding began.
Consequently, his contribution to science remains colossal: more than 50 new varieties included in the State Register are now successfully cultivated on nearly two million hectares across Russia. His collection also includes more than 260 scientific papers, monographs, and books.
