Graduates of school No. 57 tell stories of harassment by the fired Boris Meyerson and other teachers and demand a fair investigation into the case. The school director asks for his resignation for the second time, and parents demand that the accused teacher be found in Israel.

A graduate of school No. 57 Natalya Polyanicheva in her Facebook told the story of a school picnic trip with class teacher Boris Meyerson. The whole company hid from the teacher to drink alcohol or smoke, and in the morning they went to bed, and the tipsy Natalya was left alone with the teacher and the drunken graduate.

The girl describes how Meerson began to molest a drunken graduate in front of her, and she herself ran out of the room and did not tell her parents anything, because she was ashamed to admit to smoking and drinking alcohol.

In the comments to Natalya’s post, another graduate, Maria Nemzer, admits that she is the same graduate who was left alone with Meyerson in her story, and does not consider herself a victim.

Later Maria left fast on his page, in which he emphasizes that he does not consider himself a victim in his relationship with Meyerson.

School graduate Olga Nikolaenko wrote, that it was she who collected testimonies from Meyerson’s victims and provided them to the school administration after graduate Rebekah Gershovich.

Another former student, Inna Mashanova, admitted to having an intimate relationship with Meyerson, but, unlike Rebekah Gershovich, the girl did not describe the details.

School graduate Andrei Babitsky claims that testimonies from 10 girls have been collected, and accuses director Sergei Mendeleevich of wanting to hide this topic and prevent it from going public.

Former student Yegor Osipov also wrote about harassment from Meyerson. He said he faced bullying after confessing and testifying against his former teacher. Now Egor's post has been deleted.

But historian Boris Meyerson is not the only teacher at School No. 57 who has been accused of sexual harassment. School graduate Daniil Piyunov said on Facebook that he was harassed by the head teacher and mathematics teacher Boris Davidovich, who quit after the scandal, and his page disappeared from the school website.

The mother of one of the schoolgirls, Elena Penskaya, wrote that she turned to Davidovich in 2005, when she learned that behind the school memorandum prohibiting schoolchildren from spreading “defamation” about teachers, there was an attempt by teachers to hide sexual harassment at school.

Representatives of School No. 57 discussed the close relationship between teachers and students on LiveJournal back in 2005 and, if there was evidence, did not contact law enforcement agencies.

One of the graduates, Nadezhda Plungyan, as part of the flash mob #I'm Not Afraid to Say, described on Facebook a story of harassment by a 21-year-old mathematics student, and how a school psychologist advised her to take care of the young man. The psychologist Alexander Kolmanovsky himself, who worked at the school at the time, recalled how a 13-year-old girl came to his office.

On the website of school No. 57 on September 2, a message appeared from director Sergei Mendelevich that he was resigning, but the very next day the post disappeared from the site, and the department of education denied the director’s resignation. But on September 5, a statement from Mendelevich was published on the department’s website, asking that a replacement be found for him in the near future.

The director is also asking for the return of teachers who supported an open investigation into the history of sexual harassment and resigned after a scandal at the school teachers' council. Many are demanding the resignation of the school leadership, but on Saturday, September 3, in front of the 57th building. Some parents signed a letter in which they asked the director not to leave and to sort out the current situation.

Historian Boris Meyerson, who caused the scandal, according to alumni, has been in Israel, in the city of Yokneam Illit, since July and, having signed a letter of resignation, remained there.

Many bloggers and parents of students from school No. 57 speak out about the need to extradite Meyerson for investigative actions, although Russia and Israel do not have an official treaty on mutual extradition.

Analyzing materials in the media and networks on school 57, I note that frequency analysis would be appropriate here, however:

Ekaterina Krongauz, a journalist, wrote a post on FB about pedophilia at school 57.
Nadezhda Plungyan, a graduate of school No. 57, confirmed Krongauz’s information.
Boris Meyerson, the hero-lover for 16 years of teaching history at school 57, wrote a letter of resignation and retired to Israel.
Lyubov Meyerson, the wife of the hero-lover, continues to teach history at school 57.
Andrey Petrokovsky, Meyerson’s colleague and fellow student at school 57, wrote in 2005 a Memorandum against defamation against teachers at school 57, according to which several students who hinted at harassment and pedophilia within the walls of their native institution were expelled.
Maria Katz, a graduate of school 57, said that the “Memorandum” was a kind of reminder that there is no need to insult other people, spread defamatory information about them and incite hatred on any basis.
Galina Yuzefovich, reported that Meyerson is not alone: ​​“Listen, in this same school of yours there is a math teacher much more beloved by the people, who gropes very young boys.”
Elena Penskaya, the mother of a student at school No. 57, said that “in 2005 I had a conversation with the leadership. All the details of the “history with historians” of 2003-2004, known to me (my daughter studied at school during these years), I told B. M. Davidovich. After this meeting, I became aware that my message at the narrow council decided to consider the school administration an unverified rumor and blackmail. One of the teachers - Petrokovsky - submitted a letter of resignation, but it was not signed. Another person involved - Meyerson - began to carry out responsibilities of Deputy Director for extracurricular activities".
Boris Davidovich, a teacher who really loves the children at school 57, was aware of what was happening, but decided to consider everything a rumor, defamation and blackmail.
Artemy Lebedeva graduate of the school, the designer accused those who kept silent about what was happening all these years of hypocrisy, and called the pedophile from school 57 “teacher M.”
Rebbeka Gershovich, a graduate of school 57, who Boris Meyerson ordered to keep quiet about the “intimacy” that had happened, otherwise the wonderful school 57 would be closed, - “the schoolgirl who finally confirmed everything.”
Olga Nikolaenko, director of the Center for Adaptation and Education of Refugee Children, who was addressed by Rebbeka Gershovich, reported that she was terrified and bravely went to cry on her shoulder Sasha Tanhilevich, and also turned to Nadezhda Aronovna for help and advice.
Nadezhda Aronovna, teacher at school 57, together with the teacher Sergei Volkov resigned from school 57 when all this had already irreversibly surfaced.
Inna Mashanova, reported that her, an 11th grade student, Boris Markovich Meerson, head teacher of extracurricular activities at school 57, yes. And she thinks it's very bad deed, because teachers should not have sex with students, especially from their school.
Masha Nemzer, a friend of Inna Mashanova and also a graduate and trainee teacher of school 57, reported from the depths of Israeli Palestine, where she was reunited with Boris Meyerson, that Inna Mashanova would “lie all the way” - in fact, she, the bitch, wanted to fuck Meyerson, but she Did not work out.
Andrey Babitsky, which according to Alexey Steiert, reported on his FB that “ten people have already agreed to talk about their relationship with the history teacher - not two girls, not five or seven, but ten for sure, and it seems there will be more.” According to him, “the school director, Mendelevich, saw these documents several weeks ago.”
Alexandra Knabekaise, also at one time a teacher herself from school 57, and the wife of a teacher from school 57 (this is already becoming a meme, isn’t it? - “teacher from school 57”!), as well as the mother of her children, also students at one time in , God forgive me, school 57 - reported that before September 1 of this year she knew of “three cases (one of them ended in an abortion, the second in the birth of a child), not counting numerous and persistent rumors. Only one of the cases is associated with a person dismissed from school "Boris Meyerson, the other two - with two other teachers. One of them - or rather, one - was fired, the other continues to work at the school."
Sergei Mendeleevich, the director of School C of the Capital Letter No. 57, under whom all this blossomed magnificently, solemnly informed the city and the world that he wished everyone well and resigned on at will.
Moscow Department of Education, headed by Kalina Isaac Iosifovich, said that no statement was received from Sergei Mendeleevich and no one fired him.

The public is simply going crazy at such a scattering of names, surnames, passwords, and appearances - “something is rotten in this synagogue in the Kingdom of Denmark” (c)

“One day Boruch de Genin ate too much matzo and died. And Kugelman, having learned about this, also died. And Kantorovich died of his own accord. And Kantorovich’s wife fell from the buffet and also died. And Kantarovich’s children drowned in the pond. And Kantorovich’s grandmother ate the wig and left along the roads. And Samuelson stopped combing his hair and got a scab. And Furman drew a lady with a whip and went crazy. And Suskind received four hundred rubles by telegraph and became so self-important that he was pushed out of the service. Good people and they don’t know how to put themselves on a firm foot.”(With)

By the way, a question for the head of the Department of Education Kalina Isaac Iosifivich- and who oversaw this entire flower garden all these years, huh?

It was so emotional on Facebook. "Elite" 57 school. One of the best educational institutions in Moscow and such a shame...

Questions, judging by the post above, arose to Boris Meyerson, ex-school teacher, 57.

We will find out in the near future what this leaking of compromising material outside the narrow circle of the local elite will lead to.

The liberal public is such a “cute”:

Sobyanin is bad, but sleeping with schoolgirls is the norm? Symptomatic.

What, in your opinion, should be done with school 57?

People are asking me why I dragged Sobyanin in, now they will say that for criticizing the authorities an honest person is denigrated...

No, my dear liberal elite dolls, this is just your style: study at an “elite” school where the history teacher fucked your neighbor at the desk, and then take your daughter there by the hand. It's an elite school! Then you can brag to the same friends.

Everything that is your own is good: school 57, Belykh, Navalny, Kasyanov and Pelevina... And everything else is “fu-fu-fu, how is this possible, return the tanar with shawarma near the metro, I was there back in 96 I was poisoned for a year!

This is exactly what you look like from the outside. A good education, by the way, can be obtained not only at school No. 57. For me, the question has always been: what abominations are “people with good faces"to maintain its "exclusivity"? Today I received a good, very reliable answer to it. Because hiding something like this for 16 years is savagery.

School No. 57, with three branches in the center of Moscow, is considered one of the best mathematical educational institutions in Russia. The scandal that erupted around her caused a greater public outcry: journalist Ekaterina Krongauz wrote on her Facebook page that a history teacher who worked there had “affairs” with students for 16 years. A scandal broke out, as a result of which its director and a number of other teachers left the educational institution. Lenta.ru looked into the details of the story, which the investigation has already taken up.

Shock on the first of September

Fast, published Ekaterina Krongauz on the evening of August 29, produced the effect of a bomb exploding. Almost one and a half thousand characters in the message became a real Internet sensation.

“For more than 16 years we knew that the history teacher was having affairs with his students. Quite a handsome guy, smart, ironic, charming. It was no wonder to fall in love. We were small, but thought we were big. And then the years passed - we became bigger, and his lovers changed and remained small,” the author of the post wrote.

According to Krongauz, she tried to raise this topic during her work in the publications “ Big city” and Gala - but the employees’ children, as follows from the post, studied at school No. 57. And the journalist was carefully asked not to touch upon the story with the teacher in her publications.

“And now, finally, these people have found the people and the strength to collect evidence and achieve it. And he no longer works at the school,” the post reads.

Ekaterina Krongauz did not mention the school number or the name of the teacher. In the comments to the post this did graduate of school No. 57 Nadezhda Plungyan. As it turned out, we are talking about the teacher Boris Meyerson. On the site educational institution There is no information about it, although in the saved copy you can find confirmation that it was there: “Meyerson Boris Markovich. Graduated from MPGI in 1990 ( history department). Since 1990 he has been working at the Fifty-seventh School. Currently he holds the positions of high school history teacher and deputy director for extracurricular activities. Teacher of the highest category."

Screenshot: Facebook

According to the students, Meerson worked in the main school building - on Maly Znamensky Lane.

A heated discussion of what was happening immediately began online, in which both famous people. In particular, literary critic Galina Yuzefovich wrote: “Listen, well, in this same school of yours, there is a math teacher much more beloved by the people, who gropes very young boys.” And school graduate designer Artemy Lebedev accused in the hypocrisy of those who kept silent about what was happening all these years and called the mentioned teacher “Teacher M.”

Circles on dirty water

The school's management remained silent until September 1, when a message signed by director Sergei Mendelevich appeared on the educational institution's website.

“I would like to give you all the answers immediately, as soon as a huge amount of terrible and contradictory information began to fall on us. Understanding what is happening - both what happened before and what is happening now - is not at all easy. There are still many more questions than answers,” the teacher wrote.

According to Mendelevich, he sees his task as collecting facts and getting answers to the questions that caused the scandal. The director believes that it is necessary to make sure that “there are no blind spots, silent stories, etc. left in our lives.” In addition, it follows from the message that a special public council will be formed at school No. 57, which graduates, teachers and parents will be invited to join.

Screenshot: Facebook

On the afternoon of September 1, some media reported that the Moscow Department of the Investigative Committee had initiated a pre-investigation check, during which both the information contained in the blogs and statements of possible victims, if they were submitted to the investigative authorities, would receive a procedural assessment. However, the department did not give official comments on this matter.

The telephone numbers of the main defendants in the scandal - Boris Meyerson and Ekaterina Krongauz - were unavailable on Knowledge Day. On the evening of September 1, the journalist published a post on Facebook with a link to the statement of Sergei Mendelevich, accompanying his comment:

"Here you go. Director's words. Now everything will be decided, and what will happen depends on the children, parents and those who have something to say. I believe that all words will be heard.”

Mysterious "Memorandum"

A separate round of the scandal around school No. 57 was the story from 2005 with the mysterious “Memorandum”. Her told Nadezhda Plungyan posted on her Facebook to confirm that there were indeed restrictions on freedom of speech in the educational institution.

“In 2005, we tried to move something for the first time. Then humanities students began writing LiveJournal posts criticizing history teachers and hinting at the problem. In response, Boris Meyerson and law teacher Andrei Petrokovsky drew up a “Memorandum” prohibiting students from “defaming teachers.” This was framed as a kind of document of morality, allowing the expulsion of any student who communicates unpleasant information about the teacher publicly,” writes the author of the commentary.

Photo: Ekaterina Krongauz’s Facebook page

According to Plungyan, many teachers signed the “Memorandum” without even reading it, after which it was published online on behalf of the administration and signed by the director. This caused a wave of indignation and many questions among graduates of the 1970-1980s. According to Nadezhda Plungyan, the only teachers on the staff who did not sign the “Memorandum” were Nadezhda Shapiro and Sergei Volkov. Soon after this, Volkov was removed from his post as head teacher and Boris Meyerson was installed in his place.

“We (graduates) called teachers and graduates we knew, some went to the directorate, but we never got a public discussion (...) Then I tried to write an article about the unacceptability of the memorandum as a measure of influence on children, after which they told me that I was “no longer want to see at school." I began to receive ridicule and threats of physical harm from former classmates,” writes Plungyan.

Soon after this, he posted his version of the “Memorandum” story on Facebook. published another graduate of school No. 57, Maria Katz.

“The “Memorandum” was created in response to a new type of bullying at that time. There was also bullying in the next class, but it was normal, in real life. And ours unfolded on the Internet. In LiveJournal, which was popular at that time in a narrow circle. My relationship with my classmates then became especially tense, and one of them wrote a very scary and offensive text about me and smaller texts, but also very unpleasant, to several other girls. Probably at that moment we thought that this was literary and social experimentation. And then another boy appeared, whose comments were truly evil,” writes the author of the post.

Photo: Boris Meyerson's Facebook page

According to Katz, the “Memorandum” was not a document, but a kind of memo that stated that the constitution applies to any communication, even if it occurs on the Internet. In addition, it said that there is no need to insult other people, spread defamatory information about them and incite hatred on any basis. Katz claims that students who were particularly disruptive were offered transfers to another school based on their behavior and grades.

“Another round of this discussion took place online, it was attended by school graduates from all over the world (adults), who considered the “Memorandum” a restriction of freedom of speech at school. The most important thing to know about this discussion is that its participants knew practically nothing about the situation, and the reasons for writing the memo and the boys leaving school were simply invented on the spot,” writes Maria Katz.

Little intercessors

Its students and graduates reacted violently to the events surrounding school No. 57, launching a flash mob on social networks with the tag #thanks57. Schoolchildren - both current and former - unanimously repeat one thing: what is now being said about their educational institution has nothing to do with reality.

“In my opinion, people just love to suffer, sympathize and participate in some stories. It really infuriates me that everyone was silent, and now they decided to do their bit. No one has committed immoral acts, but discussing the actions of another is a great thing! I graduated from school No. 57 and love it with all my heart. And I will take my children there. Again, in my opinion, if a girl in 11th grade doesn’t want this, she won’t do anything, there’s nothing special to threaten. Nowadays it’s not difficult to send a student and... a teacher, especially for humanities students,” writes 20-year-old Polina.

“Today around school No. 57, where I spent the most important time in my life, which gave me so much, a disgusting, dirty scandal broke out. The basis for these gossip was unsubstantiated facts and empty gossip. During my entire study, I not only never encountered anything like this, but I also never heard about it from others. The teachers always did their work honestly and enthusiastically, tried to give us an excellent education and develop our ability to think. At the same time, in my memory there has never been a case where one of them violated the distance. Therefore, all the accusations against the school are outrageous. I want the next generations of children to be able to study here calmly and proudly, to receive everything valuable that I and all the students of previous years received. And I hope that all those who, like me, are grateful to this school, will say kind words about it and support it in this difficult time,” 17-year-old Apollinaria calls on her page.

None of the graduates and alumni of school No. 57 interviewed by Lenta.ru also encountered any blatant facts within the walls of the educational institution - on the contrary, the publication’s interlocutors sincerely stood up for Boris Meyerson.

“I didn’t notice any strange inclinations (in him). He is an excellent teacher, and I am grateful to him for the knowledge I received” (Daria, 19 years old).

“I can’t have any complaints about him. Perhaps this is slander or some kind of mistake. I know him exclusively as an excellent teacher and a very understanding leader” (Marina, 21 years old).

“I was taught by his (Meyerson’s) wife, Lyubov Igorevna, about whom I have exceptionally warm and Nice memories. I know about Boris Markovich himself (he sometimes edited school skits) only from the words of others - that he was a very good teacher, I don’t know anything else. If there were any rumors circulating around the school, they passed by me. The scandal has been inflated by gossip, rumors and Facebook posts. And all these scandalous people are probably haunted by the contents of the school - both the ethnic component and the long history of the school (...) All this hysteria in three days has already become quite an eyesore. There is no pedophilia there. A criminal offense, as I see it, too,” said 19-year-old Stefania.

On September 2, the scandal around school No. 57 gained momentum. A post by Elena Penskaya appeared on Facebook - the first confirmation that parents wrote complaints about what was happening at the school: “I want to clarify and remind you that in 2005 I had a conversation with the management. I told B.M. all the details of the “story with historians” of 2003-2004, known to me (my daughter studied at school during these years). Davidovich. After this meeting, I learned that the school administration decided to consider my message at the narrow council an unverified rumor and blackmail. One of the teachers, Petrokovsky, submitted a letter of resignation, but it was not signed. Another person involved, Meyerson, began to serve as deputy director for extracurricular activities. It would be good to take my experience into account for those who now begin a dialogue with the management.”

Later, a teacher at school No. 57, Russian language teacher Sergei Volkov

September 1 at the elite Moscow school No. 57 this year was outwardly no different from the previous ones, but it was still different: having handed over their smartly dressed children to the teachers, the parents huddled in groups. They had something to discuss: history teacher Boris Meyerson was suspected of pedophilia, he had already quit and fled to Israel, investigators were waiting at the school itself and began an investigation. IN in social networks Until now, former and current students, sympathizers and just onlookers converge in verbal battles, figuring out whether it is moral for teachers to have affairs with students, even older ones.

Judging by the flurry of posts from former schoolgirls and teachers, it is already difficult to understand where the truth is and where the revenge is. Some still idolize Meyerson, believing that in his life there could be no thoughts of girlish panties, others curse him, assuring him that only now this whole dirty and disgusting story has ended for them. Life spoke with one of Meyerson’s victims, colleagues and parents of schoolchildren. Almost all of them agreed to talk about the details of this sordid story only on condition of anonymity.

"He wrote to me that his life was over"

I was Meyerson's student in high school. There were no prerequisites at school, and the affair began after graduation (this was the early 2000s), when I graduated from school,” one of the graduates tells Life. - The initiator was Boris Markovich himself (Boris Meyerson. - Approx. Life). I was then five minutes to 17 years old. Of course, there were no prerequisites at school. I didn’t expect any advances on his part so much that it really was a complete surprise. Many joked about him, many people stared at him, but I can’t call these prerequisites, so I was very surprised by the attention on his part.

According to her, the relationship began during a trip to archaeological practice.

Back in school, we went with him to excavations. And even after school, if there was a desire to continue participating in the work of the expedition, they could go there. I came there after finishing school. And Boris Markovich was on this expedition. That's where everything actually happened. Yes, he pestered me sexually,” the girl recalls. - He had romantic conversations, and then... He had feelings for me, but I can’t say that about myself. Our relationship lasted for many years: from the moment of graduation until 2008, when we finally stopped shaking hands with each other. I myself initiated the breakup because I started another relationship.

She claims that separation was not part of Meyerson's plans.

We parted ways with a scandal. He didn't want to end the relationship. He's quite clever man, and he didn’t do anything that would give me a reason to formally protect myself. He didn't threaten. “He just wrote letters about how unhappy he was and that his life was over,” she adds.

Even after going through a long-term relationship with a former teacher, the girl believes that the “Meyerson case” lies not in a legal plane, but in an ethical one.

History Teacher's Favorites

Apparently, she was just one of the history teacher's favorites. Perhaps such stories would have remained a topic of discussion for a narrow circle of former schoolchildren if, at the end of August, a graduate of the same year of 2000, Ekaterina Krongauz, had not posted a post on her Facebook page, which gave rise to a huge scandal.

For more than 16 years we knew that the history teacher was having affairs with his students. Quite a handsome guy, smart, ironic, charming. It was no wonder to fall in love. We were small, but thought we were big. And then the years passed - we became bigger, and his beloved changed and remained small,” wrote Ekaterina Krongauz, without disclosing any names. However, they figured out the school and the teachers pretty quickly. Almost immediately it became known that Meyerson quit in the summer and even went to Israel.

Other former students of school No. 57 also came forward with revelations. At the same time, the names of some other teachers were announced.

I think the escalating and systemic abuse of female students in high school that has been going on for over 15 years has reached its final phase. I think the school in this form should cease to exist,” wrote 2000 graduate Nadezhda Plungyan on Facebook, who earlier tolda story about how, as a child, she experienced sexual harassment from a certain teacher.

I was 13, he was 20-21, he taught in math classes, and I was not his first subject. He watched me after every break and followed me home, pushing me against the wall, and then called me on the phone and kept me on the line for hours, threatening me with suicide. He insisted that he dropped out of college because of me. He flooded me with emails, several a day. “I was terribly afraid of him, but I had no one to tell,” Nadezhda recalled.

The girl openly admitted: there was a lot of violence at school No. 57.

In general, there was a lot of violence within the school walls, and no one realized the scale, although almost all the children saw it. Nobody had any answers. “Nothing was discussed out loud,” she wrote.

Later, Inna Marshanova’s confession appeared: “When I was in the 11th grade, I had sex with B.M. Meyerson. I am very scared to write about this in an open post. I believe that teachers should not sleep with students.”

Not only former students, but also teachers began to write about similar stories. One of these messages was posted on her page by ex-teacher of school No. 57 Alexandra Knebekaize.

I really didn’t want to write anything about the situation around the fifty-seventh school. Unfortunately, after recent events, I don’t see such an opportunity for myself. I worked at this school, my husband worked there, my children studied there from first to eleventh grade, I know many teachers and graduates, and I will say what I know and think. I'll start with where it all began - with sex with students. Unfortunately, there is no doubt that it happened. Until today, I knew of three cases (one of them ended in abortion, the second in the birth of a child), not counting numerous and persistent rumors. Only one of the cases is related to Boris Meyerson, who was fired from the school, the other two are related to two other teachers. One of them, or rather, one was fired, the other continues to work at the school, writes a former teacher.

In 2005, schoolchildren tried to do something about this: they published posts on LiveJournal criticizing teachers and hinting at the problem of pedophilia.

In response, Boris Meerson and law teacher Andrei Petrokovsky drew up a “memorandum” prohibiting students from “defaming teachers.” This was framed as a kind of document of morality, allowing the expulsion of any student who communicates unpleasant information about the teacher publicly, Plungyan said on Facebook. - Many teachers signed this without even reading it. The “Memorandum” was published on the Internet on behalf of the administration and signed by the director.

This “memorandum” still causes controversy and indignation among former and current students.

"I don't want to see others suffer"

Meyerson's dismissal was preceded by another non-public story: a group of former school graduates exposed the teacher, collecting testimonies from his victims and other evidence. They turned to some former teachers for help, who not only supported them and brought the problem to the surface, but also got Meyerson to leave the school, even under a plausible pretext. The initiator of this revelation was 2015 graduate Rebekah Gershovich.

Olga Nikolaenko, her friend, colleague and also a former student of school No. 57, spoke about the chronology of events on her Facebook page. The latter was the director of the Center for Adaptation and Education of Refugee Children, where Rebekah once worked as a volunteer.

“One day Rivka came to me and told me about what happened to her at school. And she said that she really wanted this to never happen to anyone again. And that there are still people who are ready to tell me about what happened to them. I promised to do something and bravely went to cry on the shoulder of Sasha Tanhilevich (classmate - Note from Life). And she turned to Nadezhda Aronovna (literature teacher Nadezhda Shapiro. - Note by Life) for help and advice, writes Nikolaenko.

As it turned out, Rebekah Gershovich is still very upset about everything that happened to Meyerson.

- For the last two years, since the beginning of the 11th grade, I wish with all my heart that none of this would ever happen to me, that it would all turn out to be a bad dream. I can't even tell you how painful it was. I don't want to wake up and not breathe anymore. I don't want to frantically tear my body apart anymore. I don't want to see others suffer anymore. I want this hell to never, ever happen in my life. However, there is no turning back now. The only thing I can say now is that I will be cured, and others will not go through all this! - Rebekah wrote on her social network page. - Do you know why I was silent for two years? Because Boris Markovich said that if you tell, the school will be closed. In fact, it was a kind of blackmail. Meerson knew very well that his actions were illegal, so he prepared a place for himself to escape - Yokneam.

The girls began their own investigation, hired a lawyer and began collecting testimonies from victims from different years of graduation.

I want to say one more important thing here: in a significant number of cases, what was happening could not be described as “romances with students.” It was a conscious and cynical use of the position of a teacher without any “romantic” component. At the end of July we came to the administration and told them what we had learned. Boris Markovich was in Israel at that time. We did not plan this - we chose the only day when all representatives of the administration were in Moscow. We set up a meeting with Meyerson himself, but Boris Markovich remained in Israel and signed a letter of resignation,” explained Olga Nikolaenko.

According to her, they did not want to make the story widely public, so as not to further traumatize former victims Meyerson. However, they considered it necessary to talk about what happened in the teaching staff in order to comprehend the situation and prevent the possibility of its repetition in the future.

On July 29, a teachers’ meeting was held at the school, at which Nadezhda Shapiro spoke and told her colleagues about the reasons for Boris Markovich’s dismissal.

Friends among strangers

The administration of the elite school was not ready for such a scandal. Only a few days later, director Sergei Mendelevich posted an open appeal on the school’s website. In it, he said that investigative and regulatory authorities were involved in the investigation of the situation around Meyerson, and took the initiative to create a public council with the participation of graduates, parents and teachers.

I would like to give you all the answers immediately, as soon as a huge amount of terrible and contradictory information began to fall on us. Understanding what is happening - both what happened before and what is happening now - turns out to be not at all easy. There are still many more questions than answers... That is why I urge everyone to take part in this unpleasant, but necessary work for our school. This work has already been started from different sides by caring and conscientious people. I’m sure they only wanted transparency and an honest conversation,” Mendelevich noted.

The school's teaching staff split into two camps. Some condemned Meyerson, others defended him. On September 2, a teachers' meeting was held, after which four teachers announced their resignation from the school, seeking publicity for this story. As literature teacher Sergei Volkov reported on his Facebook page, a meeting was held at the school at which he and several other teachers were asked to “decide.” The teachers have made their decision - Sergei Volkov, his colleagues Anna Volkova, Natalia Soprunova and literature teacher Nadezhda Shapiro have announced their resignation.

It was they who demanded from the administration that what happened at the school be reported to the teachers' council, that it not be silenced, that a statement be made about the inadmissibility of what happened and that such behavior will be harshly suppressed in the future. That did not happen.

After the departure of four teachers, a whole group of former school graduates came out in their support, promising to organize any assistance, including legal assistance, and also asked the teachers to stay at the school.

We, graduates of different years and different classes who signed this letter, would first of all like to express our support and gratitude to you for raising and continuing a difficult conversation about intimate relationships between teacher and students that are unacceptable in school. Discussion of this topic revealed a huge number of very serious problems inside the school that require solutions. No matter how the situation develops further, we are grateful to you that it has moved from a dead point. This is very important to us. Thank you,” the students wrote.

On September 2, strange things began to happen: the school director, Sergei Mendelevich, published an appeal to students, teachers and parents, in which he announced his intention to leave his post.

I decided to leave my life's work. I really hope that my departure will help school No. 57 get out of a difficult crisis. With this decision I want to show that I certainly put the interests of children and teachers above my own. The school, which was and remains a part of my destiny, will have to new life“Let her be beautiful,” his message says.

Deputy principal Ekaterina Vishnevetskaya also wrote on Facebook that she intends to leave the school on Monday, September 5. However, almost immediately the Moscow Department of Education denied Mendelevich’s dismissal, and the statement about his resignation was removed from the school’s website.

We have achieved the main thing: he will no longer come to school

One of the school teachers who sought publicity about this story believes that she did the right thing.

I didn't do the research myself. There are my students who told me everything. So that you understand, each class at school has its own life and we practically do not intersect. And we don't really know what's happening around us. The children began to be indignant and told what they had heard. This is how I became aware of a relationship that lasted more than five years, but then, as it turned out, there were other relationships going on in parallel, and a third relationship,” she says. “If he weren’t a teacher, then there would be nothing to talk about.” But if he had arranged all this with his students, this would also be a different conversation. When I found out all this about our graduates, they said that they would not want this to happen to anyone else,” says Meyerson’s former colleague, who largely contributed to ensuring that the information reached the public.

According to her, a teacher must first of all be guided by professional ethics, and not by feelings.

The point is that unpleasant, sexual stories happened after the child finished school. But we have different views. For me personally, they remain children even at 25 and 30 years old,” explains the teacher. - Boris Markovich, of course, is such a handsome man: so tall, ironic, he knows his subject well, and he is quite charismatic. And, of course, they look at him. And there are mass conversations among children about how everyone would like a relationship with him. But these things are unacceptable.

The woman notes that graduates and teachers have achieved the main thing: the teacher who had affairs with his former students was fired.

The most important thing we wanted was for him not to come near school anymore. We dumped all the information on the administration’s head: there is a teacher and a recent graduate, everyone knows about their romance. She comes to school, his wife works there, who is very traumatized, and her son is studying,” she says. - The administration, of course, didn’t really believe us. And Boris Markovich said that all this was a lie. Meerson wrote a letter of resignation of his own free will, and it was signed. He is now in another country and is unlikely to come.

According to another of her colleagues, those teachers who insisted on Meyerson’s dismissal and called on the administration to investigate became outcasts in the team.

They look now school killers. His wife works at a school and is terribly traumatized. It feels like she didn't know anything. “I feel terribly sorry for her,” he adds.

As for the legal prospects for the pre-investigation check against Meyerson, according to the remaining teachers, this story does not threaten him in any way.

AND The story is bad, but not criminal. The affair with the student broke out after the prom. This girl was 16 years old at the time, so he is not liable,” explains one of the teachers. “There was never anything that he would do in front of the class.” It seems to me that there is nothing left to check here. And he will not return from Israel.

As colleagues of Meyerson’s wife, who also works at school No. 57, say, she now claims that she knew nothing about her husband’s adventures.

His dismissal is, of course, a strange coincidence. He was just very exhausted from work. Yes, he wrote a letter of resignation, but in time it coincided with this absolutely monstrous story. It just happened that way - this is how, according to colleagues, Lyubov Meyerson now explains her husband’s dismissal and hasty departure to another country.

As for Boris Meerson’s departure to Israel, his wife says that they have long dreamed of moving there.

She says that her husband has long dreamed of moving there, says one of the teachers. - But we have a hard time believing it.

Victim of revenge?

Some colleagues of Boris Meyerson believe that we are talking about slander and provocation.

The following version is currently circulating in the team: at the end of July 2016, the school administration was contacted by the parents of one of the students who entered specialized classes at the school, but never entered. They allegedly informed the directorate that they had evidence of Boris Markovich’s indecent behavior,” says the teacher, who asked not to name him. - So 50-year-old Meyerson was offered to quietly retire according to the so-called length of service (according to the Law on Pensions of the Russian Federation, a teacher who has worked at school for 25 years has the right to retire. - Approx. Life), which he did.

Another Life interlocutor also does not believe that Boris Meerson could be involved in obscene stories.

This whole story about Boris Markovich is very similar to a setup,” another colleague of Meyerson told Life. - Yes, you understand, I have known Boris for many years. He is a very courteous, polite, tactful person who worked at school No. 57 for 26 years. For all these years there has not been a single complaint against him, and the parents in this school are very strict and occupy responsible positions. Among the school's students are relatives of high-ranking officials. If there had been something, then these “golden children” would not have remained silent, and their parents would have destroyed the entire school.

Parents also stand up for Meyerson.

- Everything that has been written about Boris Markovich on social networks and in the media in the last few days is some kind of horror. None of the parents and most of his colleagues can believe this,” the mother of one of the students told Life. - My daughter in June 2016, as part of a group from our 57th school, went to Novgorod. This trip was organized by Boris Markovich. My daughter traveled with this teacher to other cities. Everything about these trips was great. There could be no talk of any molestation of children on the part of Boris Markovich. Statements about some actions of the teacher are lies in order to discredit the school management.

How many young mistresses the historian Meyerson and his other colleagues actually had, and whether they even existed at all, is now being figured out investigative committee. There will be a lot of work. Former students and teachers of the school seem to have had a breakthrough: they are posting revelations on other topics on social networks. They write that Meyerson was allegedly already caught seducing female students in 2007, but then he managed to hush up the scandal. Alumnae wrote in their messages that Meyerson’s colleagues and school management knew about his relationships with students, but everyone preferred not to air their dirty linen in public so as not to sully the reputation of the elite school. All this will now be checked by investigators and prosecutors.

From the legal side, if it turns out that Meyerson really only seduced adult students, he may be clear before the law. However, he left a completely different legacy, showing that the spirit of elitism and impeccability of the 57th school does not guarantee the protection of children.