Death of Opera Singer Who Sang 'Dark Eyes' to Kim Jong-Un Reinvestigated

The Investigative Committee of Russia has opened a criminal case into the death of well-known opera singer Yevgeny Kungurov, who gained attention for performing the romance "Dark Eyes” in Vladivostok before North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, The Kommersant reports.

Initially, investigators considered the death to be a suicide. The 40-year-old soloist of the Kaliningrad Musical Theatre was found without signs of life on April 8, 2024, beneath the windows of a residential building on Zoologicheskaya Street in Moscow, where he had been renting an apartment on the ninth floor with his wife.

However, the singer's father, Viktor Kungurov, a retired military officer from the Sverdlovsk region, insisted on a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy. He is convinced that his son was killed and that the suicide was staged to conceal the crime.

Representing the father's interests, lawyer Yevgeny Chernousov presented a version of events suggesting that a conflict may have occurred inside the apartment on the ninth floor. According to this theory, Kungurov's body may have been removed from the building but then dropped from a fourth-floor balcony during the process.

This, the lawyer argued, could explain the absence of injuries typically associated with a fall from a greater height. He also stated that the fatal head injury could have been inflicted with a heavy object.

Several details in the case have raised questions. Both of the singer's mobile phones disappeared from the apartment. From one of the devices, a text message was sent to his wife stating that she would find him in the bathroom.

Investigators also discovered a knife with traces of blood in the apartment, but without Kungurov's fingerprints. At the same time, cuts were found on his hands. These inconsistencies are now subject to further examination as part of the criminal investigation.

Friends of the singer recalled that he had been experiencing personal difficulties prior to his death. There were also suggestions that he developed depression following a коронавирус infection.

Authorities are expected to analyze all available evidence, including forensic findings and witness testimony, to determine whether the initial conclusion of suicide should be revised. The case highlights the complexity of establishing the true circumstances surrounding sudden and controversial deaths.