Nina Kravtsov survived Holocaust, lived in US for decades and now beaten to death by 95-year-old roommate in Brooklyn nursing home

Nina Kravtsov, an 89-year-old Holocaust survivor originally from Ukraine, was tragically beaten to death inside a Brooklyn nursing home late on September 14, 2025, police reports confirm. The alleged killer is her 95-year-old roommate, Galina Smirnova, who suffers from dementia and has been charged with murder and weapon possession in connection with the fatal assault.

"The way she died is like in a Stephen King horror movie. This doesn't happen in real life," said the attorney for the victim's family, Randy Zelin, reported abc7.

Kravtsov had been living at the Seagate Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Coney Island since 2020. According to authorities, Smirnova violently attacked Kravtsov using a metal part from her wheelchair, specifically a leg rest pedal. The attack occurred in their shared room late Sunday evening.


A nursing assistant found Kravtsov lying on her bed with severe head injuries and blood splattered throughout the room. Smirnova was found nearby in the bathroom washing blood off her hands and gown, with wheelchair parts missing and scattered.

Nina Kravtsov's daughter, Lucy Flom, who flew in from Florida, described the heartbreaking final moments: “They told me she would not respond but they think she could hear, so I told her the final words. I told her I loved her,” reported CBS News. Despite being rushed to the hospital, Kravtsov was pronounced dead the following morning.

Flom described her mother as a devoted single mother who had grown up overcoming unimaginable hardship, including surviving the Holocaust, and later becoming a nurse in Ukraine before immigrating to the United States.

“She was 5 years old when she was in the ghetto,” Flom told the Post. “She had a big family. She lost most of her family.”

The attorney, Randy Zelin, expressed deep sorrow and outrage over the circumstances of the killing, likening the violent death to a scene from a horror movie. He pointed to dementia as a complex factor affecting the case, potentially complicating legal proceedings since Smirnova may have experienced sudden unprovoked rage due to her condition.

Moreover, Zelin indicated that the family may pursue civil litigation against the nursing home for allegedly failing to properly supervise residents and safeguard vulnerable patients in a high-risk environment.

Smirnova was arraigned in Brooklyn criminal court and is currently held without bail. Prosecutors described the gruesome evidence, noting the discarded wheelchair parts and blood at the scene.