Moscow academy rector passes away inside Volgograd’s "The Motherland Calls!" statue PHOTO

On May 22, Nikolay Chesnokov, 68, rector of the Moscow Academy of Physical Culture, tragically passed away while touring inside the iconic statue "The Motherland Calls!" at the Mamayev Kurgan memorial complex in Volgograd, Russia.

Chesnokov was part of a tour group exploring the interior of the statue, which is hollow and segmented into compartments with narrow staircases and passages, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Russian Telegram channel SHOT.

After climbing to the statue’s head, Chesnokov lay down for a period of time. Fellow visitors tried to provide him with first aid. However, they were unable to save him. He died before the emergency medical personnel arrived on site.

A source from the emergency team told the V1.RU editorial office that Chesnokov’s body was discovered inside the statue’s head, and it is believed he suffered a sudden medical emergency during the tour.

The area around the statue remains open to the public, with no current police cordon. Authorities have closed the internal door to the statue’s head, and police and canine units recently left the scene, according to a correspondent from V1.RU.

By Khagan Isayev