Alyona Kazinskaya, a Russian artist known for her vibrant floral paintings and uplifting messages on social media, experienced a harrowing turn of events last Friday night.
Alyona Kazinskaya and her friend had spontaneously purchased last-minute tickets to attend a concert by the Soviet-era rock group “Picnic” at a concert hall near Moscow. Initially considering taking their daughters along, they ultimately decided to go by themselves.
At 8:01 p.m., Alyona posted a frantic 10-second audio message on her Telegram channel. The sound of gunfire echoed in the background as she urgently pleaded.
Caught up in concert shooting, a Russian woman said goodbye to the world https://t.co/JUzqoUa9pp pic.twitter.com/qExQwXcM8G
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 28, 2024
“I love you all. I’m in Crocus City Hall – Picnic. They’re shooting here, at the concert. I’m in the hall. Call the police.”
As four gunmen wielding Kalashnikov rifles rampaged through the concert hall, spraying concertgoers with bullets, Alyona Kazinskaya found herself caught up in the deadliest attack on Russia in two decades.
As of Thursday, 143 people were confirmed killed in the massacre. The attack has been claimed by Islamic State militants, but Russia is attempting to link it to Ukraine, despite emphatic denials from Kyiv .
In an interview with Reuters, Alyona Kazinskaya revealed that she swiftly recognized the chilling truth: the sounds she heard were not mere special effects but actual gunshots.
Alongside her friend, she urgently implored those around them to abandon their seats and flee to safety.
As the chaos unfolded, Alyona and her friend desperately attempted to rally concertgoers to their feet. However, the panicked crowd had already surged toward the exits. In that fateful moment, the gunmen burst into the hall.
Alyona’s instincts kicked in—she swiftly pushed her friend to the floor and urgently whispered, “Let’s crawl.”
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