In the far corner stood an old backup gas boiler, meant only for emergency use during a winter utility failure. Earlier that day, in the rush of routine maintenance, Savelyev had forgotten that he had left it running after testing it ahead of the planned summer renovation.
So 24 terrified teenagers and two panicked adults ended up trapped in a small, sealed concrete room. Ventilation in the old boiler space was poor and clogged with dust and debris. And in the corner, the gas boiler kept running.
The concentration of toxic combustion products in the room began rising quickly. Within ten minutes, the first symptoms appeared. Students became dizzy and nauseated.
One of the girls suddenly collapsed without a sound. The others, seeing that, began screaming and pounding on the metal door. Only then did Gromov fully understand the danger.
In desperation, he lunged at Savelyev and begged him to open the door. At last, realizing what was happening, Savelyev stepped aside.
But for many of the students, it was already too late. The air had become deadly. One after another, the teenagers began losing consciousness and falling to the floor.
Coughing and gasping, Gromov tried to drag them into the hallway. Savelyev, now shaken himself, began helping. But soon both men were struggling to breathe and losing their bearings.
At last they crawled out of the boiler room and collapsed in the corridor, gulping fresh air and trying to recover. About twenty minutes later, once Gromov could stand, the two men went back in.
With shaking hands, they checked each student for signs of life. None remained. The tragedy had unfolded in minutes.
When Gromov grasped the full scale of what had happened, he broke down completely. Savelyev, by contrast, became cold and practical. He immediately proposed what he saw as the only way out: hide everything.
Otherwise, he said, they would both be charged with the mass killing of children. Gromov, crushed by shock and guilt, argued weakly that they should call an ambulance and the police.
He wanted to tell the truth and accept the consequences. But Savelyev grabbed him and told him bluntly that confession would mean the end of both of them. Prison for life, maybe worse.
Then he laid out a plan. They would create the appearance that the students had run away to the city. They would forge farewell notes. And the boiler room itself would be sealed behind a brick wall.
By morning, he said, there must be no visible trace of what had happened. Gromov resisted for about an hour, crying and barely coherent. In the end, fear won.
He agreed to help hide the crime. The two men worked in silence through the night. Savelyev methodically removed every personal item from the room….
