“I had a daughter, Daria. It’s incredibly hard for me to talk about her in the past tense. I still can’t believe she’s gone,” Oksana shares.
In 2016, Daria gave birth to a son, Artem, and there was a dash in the "father" field on the boy's birth certificate. Oksana actively helped her daughter raise the child.
In 2020, Daria met a man named Dmitry, with whom she later began a life together, and in 2021, they registered their marriage.
In 2023, the family, including Artem, moved to Russia, where Daria was pregnant with her second child at that time. They initially settled in Chelyabinsk and then moved to Novosibirsk.
With the help of relatives and support from the General Consulate of Kyrgyzstan in Novosibirsk, Oksana was able to organize the return of her daughter's body to their homeland.
She expresses her gratitude to the consulate: “They treated our situation very humanely and helped with the organization of the delivery. Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Kyrgyz diaspora covered the expenses; they didn’t take a single penny from me.”
Oksana recounts: “At that moment, I was in deep shock and didn’t know what to do. I didn’t go to get my grandson because I didn’t want him to see his mother dead. I thought it would be better for him to remember her as alive.”
The body of the daughter was returned to Bishkek
After nine days of mourning, Oksana began her fight for her grandson.Artem remained in Russia with his stepfather, who is not his biological father, and has already managed to obtain temporary custody through local authorities.
The child may be left without a family
“I can’t leave Artyusha there. He is my grandson, a part of me and my daughter. I have been fighting for him for two years,” she says.Oksana contacted the guardianship authorities in Bishkek and received approval as a candidate for guardianship. However, since the child is abroad, the Kyrgyz authorities cannot resolve the issue independently.
The situation is complicated by legal nuances. Initially, the application was submitted in a special procedure, but it was later transferred to a lawsuit since the stepfather opposed transferring custody to the grandmother.
According to Oksana, the man refuses to voluntarily return the child, despite the fact that the term of temporary custody has expired.
Currently, the actual upbringing of Artem is being carried out by Dmitry's mother, Valentina. The family has moved back to Chelyabinsk.
“I worry about my grandson. He needs not only food and clothing but also psychological support, attention, communication, and family. He will soon enter puberty, and it will be difficult for him,” Oksana adds.
Lawyer's Opinion
The situation has drawn the attention of lawyer Indira Sautova, who emphasizes that the case requires legal resolution involving the state authorities of both countries.Lawyer Indira Sautova.
According to her, the temporary custody established in Russia has expired, and Artem is a citizen of Kyrgyzstan.
“The grandmother has received approval as a candidate for guardianship in Kyrgyzstan. We plan to appeal to the competent authorities, including the General Consulate and the Ombudsman, to bring the boy back to his homeland,” the lawyer explains.
“We will also appeal to the court and the state authorities of our republic. We want the grandmother's voice to be heard. Her daughter passed away in 2024, and now it is 2026. In these two years, no one has helped to bring back the grandson. The boy is with a person who has no blood or legal relation to him,” Sautova added.
Oksana Bukhantsova states that she does not intend to give up.
“I am 51 years old, I work and can provide for my grandson. I just want him to be close, at home,” she emphasizes.Two years have passed since her daughter's death, and Oksana still cannot bring her grandson back. Now she is seeking help.
