#some of these things about Nikita fit Artyom too. like being a coward. NOT MY WORDS BTW

[vesna-v-irkutske]

do you truly think that nikita killing people could’ve been prevented? if he never met artyom

Yes. But don't think I'm making Artyom out to be some kinda universal evil, this is not what I mean. I'm just answering your phrasing of the question. But if the people around Artyom were different too, everything would be fine. It's just a very destructive, tragic coincidence: two lonely boys who weren't accepted by the people around them met. They became angry at the world, and began to look for something that could give them some sense of superiority, that would prove that they weren't losers and were worth something. Artyom was a member of a white power skinhead group for some time, he invited Nikita to participate too. But it's genuinely a whole can of worms on its own, it deserves a separate post. The boys weren't exactly accepted by those people (for various reasons), BUT it had a BIG impact. They were just looking for answers, some kinda philosophy to live by. And, of course, they wanted attention and recognition, they wanted to be seen and listened to. Because they had tried other activities and hobbies before, but there were no immediate results or recognition, admiration, acceptance, or interest from others, and they got bored, needed to try something else. You could say that in the end they got what they wanted.

But I'm rambling. Something about Nikita: × MULTIPLE people stated that Nikita was "such a cowardly and fearful person, he wouldn't do that." That he was weak, naive, it was easy enough to control him, to tell him to do something (and judging by the various situations in his life, it was true). Even Artyom said that Nikita often couldn't stand up for himself. × Nikita said himself: "I wouldn't do it alone, it's not interesting to do alone. Artyom and I did it, and I liked it."

It's hard to imagine exactly how Nikita's life would have turned out if he hadn't met Artyom. Before Artyom, he had other friends, but he stopped communicating with some, others moved away, and Nikita had no friends in his new class (and his classmates bullied him). I think he'd have been even more depressed and lonely if no one had come to replace Artyom and become his close friend. So, all this led to the fact that Nikita didn't want to do anything, including continue living. He wasn't doing well with his studies, he didn't know what to do with his life (but he enjoyed making music with Artyom).

In short, a person as "unfit" for life as Nikita wouldn't be able to lead a "normal life", with or without Artyom. But maybe NO attacks would have happened. Unless, of course, Nikita had found himself another friend, with whom everything would have gone the same way as with Artyom. Sigh, if only there were better people with better interests around both of them.