Suicide of Renata Kambolina

Renata Igorevna Kambolina
Russian: Рената Игоревна Камболина
Born	December 18, 1998 Ussuriysk, Russia
Died	November 23, 2015(2015-11-23) (aged 16) Ussuriysk
Occupation	Student

On November 23, 2015,^[1] 16-year-old Russian student Renata Kambolina committed suicide in Ussuriysk.^[2] Her death drew attention online, particularly her last post on VKontakte (where she went by the name Rina Palenkova), in which she wrote "nya,bye".^[3][4] Kambolina's death has influenced and been exploited by Russian "death groups" that encourage teenagers to commit suicide.^{[5][6][7][8][9]}

Background

Renata Igorevna Kambolina (Russian: Рената Игоревна Камболина) was born on December 18, 1998, in Ussuriysk. In 2015, after receiving a certificate of basic general education from school No. 28, she entered the Far Eastern Technical College of Ussuriysk to specialize in computer networks.^[10][11]

While studying at school and college, she attended the Ussuriysk “School of Rock Music”, where, along with her friends, who took the name Needless in honor of the anime series of the same name, she mastered the art of playing percussion instruments.^[10][11]

Death and traction online

On November 23, 2015, the teenager came to a train crossing at 10:30 local time^[12] at 9179 km of the Far Eastern Railway to a spot near the bridge over the Komarovka River, near the Sakhzavod station,^[13] Twenty-four hours before she took her own life, she posted selfies with the caption “ня.пока.” which is translated to, “nya.bye.”^[14] but the post didn't initially attract attention, only after her death when the page was discovered;^[2][6][3] her death was then discussed on internet forums and groups. Online, anonymous people posted links to Renata's page, her relatives. Renata became a virtual idol of suicide. Teenagers from all over the country started writing messages to Renata's friends, offering money for pictures of the girl or some additional information. Locals went to the grave, filming videos from there.^[15]

Investigation

On the fact of the girl's death, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case.^[16] A criminal case was opened against Renata's mother under Article 110 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for 'driving her to suicide'.

On May 21, 2016, Renata's case materials from Vladivostok were transferred for additional investigation to Moscow.^[1] According to the investigator, “possibly due to the public outcry, the capital requested the criminal case for verification.”^[1][13]

In late 2016, the Russian Investigative Committee closed the case of Kambolina's death, concluding that she had voluntarily committed suicide.^[17][16] According to the dead girl's mother, the case of leaked photos from the scene of the incident to the Internet was also closed. The perpetrators were not found.^[17][5]

On June 7, 2017, Russia passed a law criminalizing the creation of online “death groups” provoking suicides - up to six years in prison.^[17][18]

According to the statements of the victim's acquaintances, one of the reasons for the suicide could have been difficulties in her relationship with a young man.^[19]

Renata's mother appealed to the court with a claim against the college where her daughter studied, in her opinion the college did not fulfill its duties properly, namely: did not inform parents about the absence of children's studies, and the teaching staff should have identified suicidal tendencies and reported them to the parents.^[20]

“Far East Technical College” in court session with the claim did not agree in full, from the materials of the criminal case, it follows that the plaintiff's daughter was in a chronic suicidal state. The deceased was unconflicted, calm, no suicidal manifestations in the college was not noticed. The girl had conflicts with her mother, meeting with a guy named Alexei was also in a conflictual relationship with him, did not find contact with her mother, discussed with strangers the situation in the family. Within the framework of study in the educational institution children participate in various activities, but Kambolina did not declare a desire to participate in various competitions, from the first days of study was on sick leave.^[20]

The court also found that the plaintiff's arguments that the death of her daughter was the fault of the employees of “Russian Railways”, in particular the controller of the railway track, who did not take, in the opinion of the mother, measures to preserve life and health are unfounded.^[20]

Social popularity and imitation

Main article: Blue Whale Challenge

After her death, Kambolina became a kind of icon for depressed teenagers on social networks.^[21] New cases of suicides^[9][22] were added to the group stories. In April 2016, Russian journalist Galina Mursalieva first wrote about “death groups” in an article published in the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta.^[23] The article described the “F57” groups on the Russian social network VKontakte, which it claimed incited 130 teenagers to commit suicide.^[24] Among other pages, Renata was subscribed to the group f57, a public with psychedelic content. After her death, the group was actively promoted on the internet as a cult, of which Renata was the first victim. Participants were offered to “learn the truth” through suicide.^[25]

The mother of the girl for the first time in an interview with “REN TV” explained why her daughter became popular online after her death. In her opinion, “the reason for the popularity is in this photo, which is exposed from the scene of the accident”^[26]

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation launched an investigation into the activities of suicidal communities on the social network VKontakte at the request of Elena Mizulina, deputy chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation.^[27]

One case of possible imitation of Renata occurred on October 17, 2019, when an 18-year-old student in Moscow^[28] broadcast his suicide on his VKontakte page. He reportedly held a Saiga-12K carbine to his head, after which he shouted a phrase from Renata Kambolina's suicide post “nya.bye!” and pulled the trigger.^[28][29]

In popular culture

On 27 October 2018, an episode of the programme «Bitva extrasensov» was filmed about the tragedy.^[30][31]

See also

• Suicide in Russia
• Blue Whale Challenge

References

1. "Дело о самоубийстве Рины "Ня.Пока" из приморья забрали в Москву" [Rina "Nya.Poka" suicide case taken from Primorye to Moscow]. Vesti: Primorye (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-10-15.
2. "В Уссурийске 17-летняя Рина Паленкова погибла под поездом" [In Ussuriysk, 17-year-old Rina Palenkova died under a train]. dp.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-10-15.
3. "Rina Palenkova". archive.ph. 2015-11-26. Archived from the original on 2015-11-26. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
4. "Wayback Machine". web.archive.org. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
5. "Кумир смерти: В СК закрыли дело Рины Паленковой" [Idol of Death: The Investigative Committee Closed Rina Palenkova's Case]. РЕН ТВ (in Russian). 2017-06-05. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
6. ""Ня". Икона суицида" ["Nya". Icon of suicide]. Life.ru (in Russian). 2016-05-26. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
7. ""Из нее сделали богиню суицида": мать покончившей с собой девушки борется с "группами смерти"" ["They made her a goddess of suicide": Mother of girl who committed suicide fights "death groups"]. currenttime.tv (in Russian). 2017-05-25. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
8. "Ня, пока... Грузовой поезд сбил 16-летнюю девушку под Уссурийском - PrimaMedia.ru". primamedia.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-10-15.
9. "Blue Whale: What is the truth behind an online 'suicide challenge'?". BBC News. 2019-01-13. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
10. "rinapalenkova.ru". Archived from the original on 2016-01-31.
11. ""Nya. Bye.": what the tragic story of Rina Palenkova from Ussuriysk taught society".
12. "В Уссурийске студентка Рина Паленкова сделала предсмертное селфи и бросилась под поезд (фото) - TOPNews.RU". topnews.ru.
13. "Материалы уголовного дела о самоубийстве Рины Ня. Пока направлены в СК в Москву" [Materials of the criminal case on Rina Nya's suicide. For now sent to the Investigative Committee in Moscow]. PrimaMedia.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-10-16.
14. "The case of Rina Palenkova: Debunking rumors & Explaining her story". Reddit. nihilisticdelirium.
15. "Рина-город. Как живет Уссурийск спустя полгода после смерти Рины Паленковой, из которой подростки сделали культ" [Rina-city. How Ussuriysk lives six months after the death of Rina Palenkova, who was turned into a cult by teenagers]. Новая газета (in Russian). 2016-07-04. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
16. https://iz.ru/599946/vladimir-zykov/sledstvennyi-komitet-zakryl-delo-riny-palenkovoi. {{cite web}}: External link in |last= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
17. "Следственный комитет закрыл дело Рины Паленковой из Уссурийска" [The Investigative Committee has closed the case of Rina Palenkova from Ussuriysk]. UssurMedia.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-10-16.
18. "Госдума ввела уголовную ответственность за создание "групп смерти"" [The State Duma has introduced criminal liability for the creation of "death groups"]. TACC (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-10-16.
19. "В Уссурийске студентка Рина Паленкова сделала предсмертное селфи и бросилась под поезд (фото)" [In Ussuriysk, student Rina Palenkova took a selfie before her death and threw herself under a train (photo)]. TOPNews.RU (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-10-16.
20. "Решение № 2-3438/2018 2-3438/2018~М-2941/2018 М-2941/2018 от 6 ноября 2018 г. по делу № 2-3438/2018".
21. "Образ девочки-самоубийцы из Уссурийска в соцсетях превращают в пособие по суициду" [The image of a suicidal girl from Ussuriysk is being turned into a suicide manual on social networks]. PrimaMedia.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-10-16.
22. "Russie. Quand le Net pousse nos jeunes au suicide" [Russia: When the Internet pushes our young people to suicide]. Courrier international (in French). 2017-04-07. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
23. "Группы смерти (18+). С детьми в социальных сетях работают системно и планомерно, шаг за шагом подталкивая к последней черте. Как родителям распознать надвигающуюся беду" [Death Groups (18+). They work with children in social networks systematically and methodically, step by step pushing them to the last line. How parents can recognize impending disaster]. Новая газета (in Russian). 2016-05-16. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
24. "Пять главных вопросов к материалу "Новой газеты" о подростковых суицидах" [Five main questions about Novaya Gazeta's article on teenage suicides]. Meduza (in Russian). 2016-05-17. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
25. "Why the Russian Suicide Game Went Global". Bloomberg.com. 2017-04-25. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
26. "Мама Рины Паленковой впервые рассказала правду о смерти дочки и моде на суицид". РЕН ТВ (in Russian). 2016-05-22. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
27. ria.ru. 2016-03-29 https://ria.ru/20160329/1399226854.html. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
28. "В Москве застрелился 18-летний студент (видео)" [18-Year-Old Student Shoots Himself in Moscow (Video)]. ru.wikinews.org (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-10-16.
29. ""Это не шок-контент, это реальность"" ["This is not shock content, this is reality"]. takiedela.live (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-10-16.
30. https://www.vokrug.tv/video/show/11164956726036688416116075f1a097_bitva_ekstrasensov_aida_grifal_nya_poka_shokiruyushchaya_istoriya_riny_palenkovoi/
31. https://www.bitvaextrasensov.tv/index.php?newsid=5861