Svechnikov's family will take his body to the Russian Federation after the completion of legal procedures.

The family of Russian swimmer Nikolai Svechnikov, who died in August 2025, will take his body for repatriation to Russia. This was announced on January 22 by a relative of the athlete Alena Karaman.

"We will be able to take [Svechnikov's] body after completing all legal procedures," she told RIA Novosti.

According to Karaman, the athlete's parents have already identified his body.

Bosphorus affair: Russian swimmer Nikolai Svechnikov disappeared in Turkey

Three thousand people participated in the competition, Nikolai is the only one who did not finish.

The Russian Consulate General in Istanbul said on the same day that it proceeds from the assumption that the competent Turkish authorities will establish all the circumstances and causes of Svechnikov's death. They also expressed their condolences to Nikolai's family and friends.

A DNA examination on January 21 confirmed that the body found in the Bosphorus Strait belongs to Svechnikov.

Before that, the swimmer's mother said that the body found by the maritime police in the Bosporus was 80% likely to belong to her missing son. She added that tattoos indicate this. On January 20, the Russian Consulate General in Istanbul requested a DNA examination to identify the man whose body was found in the Bosphorus Strait.

The Russian athlete disappeared on August 24 last year. Svechnikov did not reach the finish line through the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul. After swimming 500-600 m, the swimmer disappeared from sight.

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