Nature is cunning. To fauna developed harmoniously, she came up with “forest orderlies,” namely, wolves, ridding the animal world of weak individuals. So, the residents of Odessa either learned something from nature, or considered that they were no less cunning than nature, and came up with their own orderlies, only “business orderlies”, or, more simply, without scientific “show-off” - just thieves. In Odessa, this population has always been considered a useful, integral part of Odessa life...
Noble, but, alas, swindlers
In order not to squander the most valuable gene pool of the Odessa crook, it had to be carefully stored somewhere. And then, by order of Langeron, the military commandant of Odessa, Thomas Koble, called for help from one of the best architects of the city, Franz Boffo. Boffo was inspired by the task and even exclaimed:
“Damn it, I happened to be born in the wrong century.” Since childhood I dreamed of building castles, and they gave me orders for all sorts of palaces. But now I won’t miss my chance!
And Boffo built a castle in Odessa. And the specifics of the order gave his creation the specific name “Prison Castle”. It was located in a very prestigious place: where today Lieutenant Schmidt Street intersects with Panteleimonovskaya and Italian Boulevard.
The residents of Odessa liked Boffo’s creation so much that the square in front of the castle was called the Prison Square (yes, it became the Station Square only in 1894, when the prison was moved to the Lustdorf Road). Every third Odessa resident considered it an honor to spend three to five years in that castle, and at the same time felt there (they even sang about it in a song) “like a king on a name day.”
A thief is an honorable and ancient profession, mentioned in the Ten Commandments. But you understand that the Odessa masurians, living in a colorful city, could not help but color their profession with Odessa colors.
Fedka the Bull, having poor eyesight, did not steal a pocket watch from the first sucker he came across, but simply stole a large station clock. V. Kozachinsky told about this in the story “The Green Van”.
True, Fedka soon realized that carrying a watch in his pocket is much more convenient than on his hump, becoming like the Odessa Atlantean, and, in the end, he sold that watch for three Galician thalers to some foreigner, but he was never able to wash the deal, because two hours later the power changed in Odessa (the Civil War was going on), and for those three thalers one could only buy the chime of that clock.
If you listen to the stories of experts in Odessa antiquity, in particular R. Alexandrov, then a great many non-trivial thieves' techniques were invented in Odessa.
For example, certain Fuchs and Gladstein, right in the morning as they were going to work, showed up at the entrance to the office of Mayor Zeleny at Deribasovskaya, 4, and invited all visitors to leave their briefcases, suitcases, briefcases, sidors and bags with them, so that, God forbid, no one would think , that in them the visitor brings a bribe to the mayor. And what’s interesting is that everyone was sure that this was the order of the authorities, who decided to eradicate corruption.
Even the mayor himself bought it. And only many hours later, having not found his briefcase, and at the same time Fuchs and Gladstein at their “working” place, it dawned on him: “Why would I start giving a bribe to myself?!” But the idea is good and not at all outdated: today neither the court nor the prosecutor’s office can yet overcome corruption in Ukraine, but Fuchs and Gladstein in Odessa solved this problem elegantly and immediately.
Keep up with the times
Odessa thieves have always kept pace with technological progress. For example, as soon as electricity appeared in the world, and the Belgian Electrical Society appeared in Odessa, installing electric meters in houses, a certain Moses Khalkelevich, posing as a Belgian (and what, Moses Khalkelevich is a typically Belgian name), began going from house to house, taking readings meter and immediately charge. And if anyone refused to pay, he also removed the meter.
And how much excitement was caused by the message that appeared in Odessa newspapers in March 1874 that the French aeronaut Captain Bunnel would take off in a hot air balloon from Khersonskaya Street. The male gender purchased binoculars, the female gender stocked up on blue eye paint to match the color of the Odessa sky. For ten days Odessa lived in terrible anxiety: whether the hero would fly or not, the flight for some reason kept being postponed. The excitement grew.
The newspapers screamed: “Hero Aeronaut in Odessa!” But the tension of the Odessa residents could not be compared with the anxiety with which the Odessa lads were waiting for the flight - how could real professionals miss such a crowd of people?
And the holiday lived up to expectations - pickpockets worked in the crowd, window tinkers poked around in empty apartments, seven raids were carried out on jewelry stores, because all the police were thrown in to control the triumph of reason and the rise of the human spirit.
All the newspapers the next day came out with catchy headlines. True, the degree of excitement was slightly reduced, because the honest Odessa press honestly wrote: “It is with regret that we must report that Bunnell, alas, is not a hero-aeronaut, he has already been caught.”
The details became known, which is why the flight was postponed - for ten days there was a bargaining between the gang and the conqueror of the elements, from what percentage of the elements will be conquered? What a blessing that the residents of Odessa did not care about this. But I was worried that one of the first balloon flights over Russia took place from Khersonskaya Street, and for this you don’t mind the wallet.
The successful experiment with the ball was repeated on August 7, 1887 during solar eclipse. The brothers liked the eclipse even more - the sun didn’t have to unfasten anything.
Professor in Law
Needless to say, Odessa thieves were distinguished by high culture and true elegance. You need proof - for God's sake. A young girl, almost Little Red Riding Hood, happened to be returning home from her grandmother’s one day closer to midnight. And suddenly bang-bang, surprise, just like in a fairy tale: on the street. Assumption met her with a young, pleasant-looking Wolf, who very gallantly asked her to take off her astrakhan fur coat.
But Little Cap, innocence itself, said: “Well, I’ll catch a cold!” And then the wolf cavalier called the cab driver, drove the young spontaneity to the address she indicated, escorted him to the floor indicated to him and there he helped him take off his astrakhan fur coat, and at the same time his bracelet - he also had to not offend the cab driver.
And what kind of musicality was demonstrated by a simple Ukrainian family Shopenko, where mother Klava was delighted by her seven sons. The only thing that didn’t make Klava happy was that she was able to gather them all at one table extremely rarely - every time one of her favorites sat not at her table, but in another place and ate not her signature borscht, but gruel, too, in principle , branded.
But one day everyone gathered in home(Sobornaya pl., 2, outbuilding in the courtyard, 2nd floor), and they were just about to raise a glass and have a bite of market salsa, when, on the floor above, from the apartment of Mogilevsky’s neighbor, a law professor at Novorossiysk University, inhuman music began to sound, extracted from the depths of the piano by the professor’s wife.
I really wanted to call the sounding nocturne of Chopin's almost namesake Frederic Chopin, but, alas, my tongue did not dare to do so, because a piece of market lard got stuck in my throat. Moreover, in those moments the whole courtyard (Cathedral Square, 2) noticed how something heavy was tossing and turning on the second floor: either heavy thoughts were in the heads of the Chopenko brothers who had just been released, or it was tossing and turning in their coffin almost the namesake of Chopin. The theft of a piano through the ceiling was discussed for a long time in Odessa, but no one condemned it - Chopin was loved in Odessa more than the musicality of Madame Mogilevskaya. The police conducted the investigation sluggishly, constantly re-reading the note left by the kidnappers: “This is for Chopin, you shabby artist!”
Odessa is a pearl by the sea, beckoning with its originality and special flavor, which can only be felt through entertainment tourism programs. Pedestrian, car, boat trips, touching historical, cultural and religious places will give a lot of pleasure positive emotions. But in order to fully experience the whole flavor of this city, you need to plunge into the world of gangster Odessa, hear entertaining stories about famous crime bosses, walk around Moldavanka. It is this area, with its typical cozy courtyards, that is shrouded in numerous secrets and legends of the thieves' world of Odessa.
There are many offers to learn about the most colorful personalities and their life stories. travel agencies cities. Some of them lure you not just with stories about bright episodes from the life of pharmacists, puppeteers, pickpockets, but provide the opportunity to reincarnate and let the story pass through you most interesting people Southern Palmyra, which became the prototypes of the heroes in the stories of Babel and Olesha. Welcome to the exciting world of adventure, which will open up a lot for you interesting facts and stories of gangster Odessa!
Moldavanka – criminal lair of Odessa
The first mentions of the most famous district of Odessa date back to 1793. Initially it was a suburb, a craft settlement (hence the second name - Novaya Sloboda), attracting large number fugitives, Russians, Ukrainians, Jews, Moldovans who want to start new life. Odessa, as a developing port city, became a refuge for criminals and vagabonds, and along with them the number of underground dens, casinos, and brothels increased. And already at the beginning of the 19th century, Moldavanka became the center of the criminal world, in which legendary personalities were born, and stories about their crimes are passed on from mouth to mouth. To this day, both townspeople and guests of the city can see with their own eyes the places of their former glory, and if they are lucky, meet old residents and hear incredible stories.
The most criminal area trained the best thieves, and the exams were taken at the famous intersection of Hospital/Glukhoy corner (Zaporozhskaya). Entire families were involved in the criminal business, and skills were passed on through generations. The Moldavian woman became the progenitor of the most famous crime bosses. The best guides of the city will tell you about their lives, the most touching moments of fate, and will tell you about the “raspberries” and thieves’ schools.
In the footsteps of famous swindlers
Misha Yaponchik, Sonya Zolotaya Ruchka, Kotovsky, Mishka Yastreb, Yasha Blyumkin, Karabas - the life of thieves has always been associated with risk, and by the will of fate, the names of these particular people are integrally connected with the history of Odessa, its criminal past.
Life was not easy for either of them, but it was their choice. You will walk along the notorious streets of Sonya’s activities - Zaporozhskaya and Spiridonovskaya, alleys near Privoz, and visit Moldavanka, where she ran a school for juvenile thieves, and was headed by the raider Moishe Oks. An independent adventurer took on the most risky undertakings, calculating ahead. possible options their outcome. For example, she came up with the trick “Guten Morgen” or “ Good morning”, which has been successfully used during hotel thefts. Early in the morning, making her way to the room, she took all the owner’s property, and if he suddenly woke up, she began to slowly undress, and then feigned surprise and apologized for being in the wrong apartment. She stole diamonds right in front of sellers. In addition, you will learn the details of Sonya’s skillful robbery of the jeweler Karl Mehl. Excursion to fresh air will give you a lot of impressions.
The ruler of the thieves' district, the Vinnitsa gang, was the brilliant Misha Yaponchik, who was born in a house located at the intersection of two famous streets - Rishelievskaya and Deribasovskaya, and grew up according to the laws of the street. He owned the Monte Carlo restaurant and the Corso cinema. And the Fanconi cafe, in which he always had a reserved table, was a favorite place of the writers Babel, Mayakovsky, Gumilyov, Chaliapin. Leonid Utesov also came here to meet with Mishka Vinnitsky.
But these events took place already during his reign of the criminal world of Odessa. Having lost in early age father, little Moishe-Yakov had to experience the full brunt of labor, and growing up among criminal elements predetermined his fate - joining gangs, raids, robberies and prison. Recognition by the king of such an extraordinary personality was not far off... To completely conquer the city, Mishka Yaponchik introduced the “raider code”, according to which doctors, lawyers and artists had a number of privileges (they could work quietly), and those who violated their rights were severely punished. The story of his tragic life will leave a mark on your memory for a long time.
It is worth getting acquainted with the life story of Grigory Kotovsky, in whose honor one of the districts of Odessa is named today. According to stories, this robber was Yaponchik’s cellmate, and during the 1917 revolution he joined the Bolshevik forces, and later became a commander. A monument was erected to him, but during perestroika it was dismantled, and today in memory of him only a plaque remains on the building behind the Duke monument. Here you can see an unforgettable view of the sea station and the hallmark of Odessa - the Potemkin Stairs.
Programs and tours
Arriving in Odessa, you should definitely visit:
- Museum of smuggling on the street. Ekaterininskaya, house 6. Exhibits and photographs located in the basement, supplemented by stories, fully convey the rich history of the life of smugglers and their industries. The museum is constantly replenished with attributes of confiscated contraband.
- People's Police Museum (Evreyskaya, 14). The museum's collection includes 8 thousand exhibits and is one of the largest in Ukraine. In addition to photographs, there are weapons, uniforms, evidence and documents. Mishka Yaponchik has a separate stand.
- Odessa Prison Castle, located on Lustdorf road 9, was built back in 1826. Within its walls sat such famous personalities, like P. Matyushenko, Pavka the Georgian, L. Trotsky, G. Kotovsky and Mishka Yaponchik. From a bird's eye view, this building resembles a cross, and numerous legends add even more mystery to this place.
- Monument to a bribe or Orange on Zhvanetsky Boulevard. According to legend, the construction of the port of Odessa was stopped by Emperor Paul I, and thanks to local merchants sending His Majesty 3,000 thousand oranges (and at that time this fruit was considered exotic), the decision was changed. Since then, Odessa residents have said that the city was saved precisely thanks to this bribe.
- Secret courtyard, on the street. Spiridonovskaya 8, where the filming of the films “Liquidation” and “The Adjuster” took place. Special attention You will be attracted by a very steep metal staircase and doors that resemble a huge closet!
You will learn how Kuprin researched the smugglers' trail in the palace of Prince Gagarin. What about Malaya Arnautskaya? And yet - yes! Driving along the main street, where all the smuggling took place, is mandatory! The area of Ostap Bender, the hero of the book “12 Chairs”, occupies 5 square meters. m and is located on the street. Deribasovka. Do you think such placement is impossible? Everything is possible in Odessa! Bringing a photo from this place is the duty of every tourist! Myasoedovskaya Street also hides many secrets, since it was its basements, abandoned houses and buildings that were used as hiding places by bandits. These places received the sweet name “raspberry”. But those who were especially savvy found an even more original place - the morgue of the Jewish Hospital.
Many tours also include visits to the famous catacombs, which have become a nest for robbers and their stolen property. Shocking cases of disappearances still occur. The latest sensational rescue operation was aimed at finding a young man who went down the dungeon in 2012 and did not return back.
Regular tourist tours are conducted by:
- Bureau YOUR GUIDE – walking and driving tours are possible in 7 languages!
- The Wheel Tour company offers group and individual excursions in its own comfortable cars.
- Walk in the footsteps of the streets and courtyards where the films about Mishka Jap were filmed, and “Liquidation” provides the opportunity for the Excursion House.
- Skhodka and the Tudoi-Syudoi agency offer you a chance to plunge into the criminal world through interesting quests.
- Inexpensive crime excursions are organized by the Navigator company.
As you can see, tourist Odessa is rich in its attractions, legendary personalities, more about which you will learn from the stories of the guides, while visiting the places of their life, present a full picture of that time. Don't limit yourself and your family, learn more and expand your horizons while traveling!
Recently, two emergencies occurred in Odessa directly related to crime bosses. This is what they are called, not doctors of law, prosecutors or judges, but the elite of the criminal world - thieves in law.
It’s based on Jap’s “code of honor”
In mid-April, SBU officers, together with colleagues from the National Police, “captured” an influential Georgian “authority” nicknamed Khutu.
The press service of the SBU department in the Odessa region reported that he arrived in Ukraine illegally with fictitious documents. The detainee, one of the leaders of the Sukhumi thieves clan, is one of the forty most influential thieves in law operating in the territory of the post-Soviet space. According to the intelligence service, Hutu arrived in Ukraine to control the activities of criminal circles in the Odessa region and redistribute the income of illegal businesses.
— Law enforcement officers detained him with Ukrainian documents in the name of another person. Based on materials from the intelligence service, the attacker was forcibly expelled from the territory of Ukraine with a subsequent ban on entry, the press service added.
As we found out, 37-year-old Irakli Khutu (in ordinary life- Irakli Kalichava) – hereditary thief in law. He is the son of an odious crime boss, who became the prototype for one of the main characters in the film “Thieves in Law,” filmed in Soviet times based on the stories of the writer Fazil Iskander.
And at the end of April, Odessa law enforcement officers detained a group of men suspected of the deliberate murder of a foreign preacher. His body was found in the rented house where he lived. Several of those detained are from the Caucasus. As it turned out later, the attackers mistook a Canadian pastor of Korean origin for a Vietnamese currency exchanger. They claim that they killed by mistake...
According to an informed source, one of the suspects is a relative of the well-known Antimos Kuhilava in Ukraine. He is one of the main criminal “curators” of Odessa.
These and other cases confirm that the crime lords have not disappeared. Possessing strong influence, they continue to “rule”, inheriting, modifying and “improving” the traditions of the “community”, rooted in almost a century of history.
And in this regard, it was Odessa that became the “trendsetter”. The legendary Mishka Yaponchik (Moses Vinnitsky) is considered to be the “father” of a new criminal community that emerged more than a hundred years ago. He is a “noble bandit”: he did not attack the poor, he used weapons exclusively for self-defense. It was Yaponchik’s “code of honor” that formed the basis of the “code” of thieves’ concepts.
Moses Vinnitsky was first exiled to Siberia back in 1897. Returning to Odessa under the nickname Mishka Yaponchik, he was quite successfully engaged in his main “professional” activity. He went to hard labor again in 1908 on a political charge and was released only in 1917. The former ideological anarchist returned to Odessa as “the thieves’ Ivan.” These people later became known as “thieves in law.”
The new government promised Yaponchik unprecedented opportunities for the “redistribution” of material wealth. Inspired by the prospects, Yaponchik created a rifle regiment of convicts and thugs, and managed to fight for Soviet power. However civil war ended, and heroes like Jap with his law were no longer needed. Moses Vinnitsa was shot by order of the Soviet government...
Thieves take care of forming their “personnel”
Thieves in law are a mass phenomenon for the “oligarchs” of the criminal world. Not every “authority” can claim this title. However, every thief in law is an accomplished crime boss.
Today, many, including senior officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, argue that thieves in law have lost their power and influence. It's hard to agree with this. From time immemorial, it was the “authorities” who controlled prisons and camps. And the trend continues to this day. After all, it is the mentioned establishments that are the “training ground” of the criminal world. There, the kingpins have exceptional power and influence, they can recruit new wards and weave a web of connections that covers all levels of society. Moreover, if thieves happen to end up in a government house, then from there they control everything that happens in freedom.
In criminal jargon, the word “thief” refers exclusively to a thief in law, and not to anyone who has committed theft. He is a representative of the elite of the criminal world, the keeper of criminal traditions. Thieves take care of the formation of “personnel” not only in the zones, but also in the wild. For example, they organize “educational” camps for street children and “difficult” teenagers. They finance various “rocking chairs”, children’s sports sections and clubs. And not only to train new “criminal” personnel, but also to ensure the loyal attitude of teenagers towards criminal authorities in general.
The spheres of influence controlled by the thieves and feeding their community remain unchanged: gambling, prostitution, drugs, car service, hotel and restaurant business. The assets of common funds are comparable to the assets of the largest banks.
Initially, the obshchak (thieves use the term “common”) is a thieves’ fund for warming (supporting) punishment cells, transfers, and pre-trial detention centers. Thieves in law imposed tribute on all prisoners. They paid in money, cigarettes, alcohol, and bread. However, that was a long time ago. Today...
A million dollars for semolina porridge
In September last year, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov announced the seizure of a thieves' common fund in Odessa - more than $1 million. Later information appeared: “very serious people” are trying to return the money.
“Indeed, this happened,” confirms the head of the Odessa regional headquarters of the National Police, General of the third rank Dmitry Golovin. “This concerned one of the thieves in law - Vladimir Dribny (nickname - Poltava), who is already nearly 80 years old. His common fund was confiscated, but an application was submitted to the court, where they presented some papers confirming the money transfers. According to them, the crime boss, who had never worked in his life, was sent funds from America, as he put it, to semolina porridge. And the court decided to return the confiscated property. In case of failure to comply with a court decision, police officers may be held accountable...
The first deputy chief of the National Police of Ukraine, Vyacheslav Abroskin, concretized the situation:
“Someone really wants to help the thief in law nicknamed Poltava return the money that he “earned” for his pension during more than 30 years of his time behind bars. The money was seized during the search...
“At first, pensioners—former police officers—were hired to help him return the money for a fee. Now the level is rising,” Abroskin wrote on Facebook, indicating that they are trying to involve former and current employees of the supervisory agency in resolving the issue. According to him, the reward offered for returning the specified money to Poltava is “quite large,” but the police are not for sale.
They say that there is no single, consolidated all-Ukrainian common fund. These “cash registers” are at the disposal of every significant crime boss. Its average size is about one and a half million “green”.
A “common fund” is formed from contributions that must be made by everyone who commits crimes in the region, as well as from “voluntary” contributions from local businessmen. By the way, there are truly voluntary contributions from respectable entrepreneurs who in the past sat and honored the “concepts” in order to “warm the zone.”
“Lawman” is a figure! The gathering crowns him, and it also debunks the guilty party. All of them are extraordinary people in their own way with a difficult fate and a different psychology. However, nowadays it has become easier to become a thief in law, but more difficult to survive. In the criminal world, as in ordinary life, fate can lift you up the career ladder, or it can drop you to the very bottom.
Authoritative and others, “random”
Probably, due to the above circumstances, the number of thieves themselves has significantly decreased. That's what law enforcement officials say.
“There are currently about 15 thieves in law in Ukraine, including Ukrainians,” comments First Deputy Head of the National Police Vyacheslav Abroskin.
According to the chief police officer of Odessa region, Dmitry Golovin, there are two or three crime lords in the region at certain intervals.
Behind the back of the true king of Odessa pickpockets, 69-year-old Sharik (Valery Sheremet), there are eight “walkers”. He is an elder of the domestic thieves' world. He was caught not only in his native land, but also abroad: he served time in Germany for participating in burglaries. Together with my son.
Dmitry Golovin notes that Odessa is a tasty morsel for which a number of crime bosses are fighting, even while abroad.
In addition to competing clans, there are several other criminal groups in Odessa - inter- and purely ethnic. At the same time, as the police say, every now and then some kind of organized crime group is detained here.
As practice shows, the most productive hunting season for “randomly passing by” is in late spring. A year ago, two “visiting lawmen” were detained in Odessa - Puchura (30-year-old Levan Mirtskhulava, “crowned” in 2013 in Turkey) and Vova Shusharik.
“The latter is a seasoned attacker, positioning himself as “looking after the common fund,” explained Dmitry Golovin. “It’s just not clear how the “supervisor” ended up with the drugs that he dealt in from time to time.
However, the very next day after the arrest, the Primorsky District Court rejected the request to keep Shusharik in a pre-trial detention center.
As for Puchura, according to the chief police officer in the region, he arrived in the city illegally with the intention of “controlling and establishing criminal activity ethnic groups"bag-makers".
“The issue of Puchura’s expulsion, followed by a ban on his entry into Ukraine, has been resolved,” Golovin said. - But the mighty of the world criminals do not abandon their intentions to infiltrate Odessa. At the same time, their representatives trying to settle here are becoming younger and younger.
“The thief in law’s brother came to see me...”
Instead of an epilogue
So, Irakli Khutu, recently detained in Odessa, is the son of one of the prototypes of the film “Thieves in Law,” based on the stories of the writer Fazil Iskander and released 30 years ago. The real murder in 1985 in Sukhumi of Irakli's father, Mikhail Kalichava, by another thief in law, Yuri Lakoba, was played out in the film directed by Yuri Kara. Although in real life everything was not quite the same as in the movies. The motive for the murder was the hostile relationship between the former best friends. In Abkhazia, Lakoba was considered the most influential Abkhaz thief, while the majority were Georgians, the first of whom was Kalichava. Despite the death sentence, the thieves never got hold of Lakoba until his death, unlike the movie Arthur.
— The film is based on two stories by Iskander: “Bartender Adgur” and “Chegem Carmen.” I was criticized a lot back then. They say the events are unreal, this could not happen. When I read the stories, I went to Sukhumi to choose a location. There, to my horror, I realized: everything written lives! The plot actually has a real basis. In fact, the girl was shot by her father for indecent behavior. All other characters also existed: the policeman worked, the thief was in prison. I even asked then to be allowed to be present at the interrogation. His name was Yura Lakoba, according to his father he was Shikhman. His grandfather on his mother’s side is the founder of the Abkhazian police! Imagine, Lakoba is led in handcuffs into the investigator’s office, and here, on the wall, is a portrait of his grandfather.
He shocked me - a smart man, but with completely inverted morals. He held the local authorities, law enforcement officers in his fist... A hot iron on his stomach, shooting, showdowns, murders - everything happened. I wanted to tell the truth about what was happening in the country. We didn’t come up with anything, we staged, one might say, a documentary. Moreover, incredible things actually happened that were also in Iskander’s story.
- ?!
- Here's one true story. The Lakoba case is being heard in court and a break is announced. The thief in law is taken to a special room. At this time, Carmen thrusts money at the guard and begs him to let her say goodbye to Lakoba. The girl is allowed through. It turned out that there was a second door in the special room leading to the street. They get out, get into the car and drive away. If I had filmed something like this, they would have said that I made up nonsense. But in life everything was like that.
When local authorities found out that we were going to make a film about Lakoba, they immediately expelled us from the city. They said: “What are you talking about! This thief is so popular among our youth that after the movie he can only be appointed first secretary of the regional committee!”
I had to go to Crimea on location and shoot a film in Yalta called “Chegem Stories.” After the film was released in Abkhazia, its screening was banned. It was impossible to see the film either in Yalta or in Moscow.
I remember Iskander called me: “Relatives from the Caucasus came to see me and they can’t get into the picture.” I went to the Oktyabr cinema, where Thieves in Law was already showing. There are a lot of people. I had to overcome the barriers with my passport at the ready. Finally, we were allowed to see the director, she sold me ten tickets to my own film (laughs).
...In one of the scenes, Arthur had to shoot, and Gaft took the weapon with two fingers - somehow too elegant. I couldn’t stand it: “Valentin Iosifovich, you, as an intellectual, would have taken him with a knife and fork!” Gaft: “Bad?!” He grabs a gun, runs and screams wildly! All this happened at the Yalta Hotel. Gaft, two meters tall, a beefy, strong man, jumps out of the hotel with a Colt in his hand, and three ladies in hats meet him. Seeing the screaming Gaft with the “trunk”, they... fell off the cliff. It took them a long time to get them out of there!
- How did the criminal world react to “Thieves…”?
- I received huge amount letters from thieves in law. Moreover, most of them are critical. There was such a story. The brother of the thief in law, the prototype of Arthur, came to see me. He invited me to visit and said that all the roads to the restaurant where we would go for a walk had been washed with powder, and a Mercedes was waiting on the street. And in my room there are boxes of wine and a TV box full of fruit. I think: “So... Everyone will say that I am following the lead of the thieves.” And I didn’t go anywhere.
Last week it became known that the Odessa criminal
authority, thief in law Antimos Kuhilava, deported to Georgia in 2009,
plans to return to South Palmyra. May 20 Supreme Administrative Court
Ukraine will consider the cassation appeal filed by him. In this regard, the editors
"OZH" has compiled a list of the most famous Odessa crime bosses
the last twenty years.
Victor Kulivar (Karabas)
There are several legends about the origin of the nickname
“Karabas”, worn by the famous Odessa crime boss Viktor
Kulivar. Some say that for some time he lived above the Zolotoy store
key,” others claim that he simply manipulated people like a fairy tale
puppeteer. He was not a thief in law, he refused the “coronation” in the late 80s,
however, being the “supervisor” of Odessa, he had enormous authority not only in our
city, but throughout the CIS.
The death of Karabas from a killer’s bullets in 1997 plunged Odessa
into real bloody chaos.
Alexander Angert (Angel)
One of the few crime bosses from the dashing 90s,
survivor. By the age of 25, he had several high-profile
crimes, including brutal murder for the purpose of robbery. After serving
ten years out of fifteen, in 1990 he returned to his native Odessa, where he became
faithful ally of Karabas.
After the murder of the latter, he became the most significant
a figure in criminal Odessa, in fact, became the heir to the empire of Victor Kulivar.
He started and victoriously brought to an end a war with another crime boss -
Georgiy Stoyanov. Angel's business interests included trade,
construction and oil. He is not a thief in law.
In the 2000s he emigrated to the UK, where he lives
now.
Georgiy Stoyanov (Stoyan)
Organized crime group (OCG) of Georgiy Stoyanov
Until 1997, it was considered the most numerous and formidable in Odessa. It included
more than a hundred people.
After the death of Karabas, he waged a war for the redistribution of spheres of influence with the organized crime group of Angel. Almost all of Stoyan’s people died, the crime boss himself
fled to the USA, but returned to Odessa in the 2000s. Last year Stoyan again
found himself under investigation for affray and murder.
Valery Sheremet (Sharik)
Unlike the same Karabas, Angel and Stoyan, Valery
Sheremet, nicknamed Sharik, is a thief in law. There are seven “walkers” behind him.
In this regard, Sheremet did not participate in any gang wars. Instead
Sharik controlled Odessa pickpockets.
Currently, he is back behind bars, although no longer in Ukraine, but in Germany. There he was arrested by local police for participation in burglaries.
Sergey Ershov (Katsap)
The fate of this criminal authority is filled with special
tragedy. In the 90s, his group was one of the most influential in the city,
however, the conflict with Alexander Angert (Angel) very quickly turned Katsap
from shooter to target. Several attempts were made on his life, as a result
One of them was killed by a security guard, and Ershov’s wife had her leg torn off. After that he
stopped fighting with the Angel.
Currently lives in the city and does business.
Antimos Kuhilava (Anthimos, Antik)
One of the most influential crime lords in Ukraine, whom
often called the "chief thief". True, he himself categorically denies this,
noting that all thieves in law have equal rights. Native of Abkhazia, Antimos
is a cousin of the famous Meliton Kantaria, a Soviet soldier,
who in 1945 planted the Victory flag over the Reichstag. Various media accuse
Kuhilave has control over the drug trade, but there is no evidence of this. In the past
year he was deported to Georgia, however, according to unconfirmed reports, he did not reach it. Currently, he is trying to return to Odessa through the court.
Who is who?
“Thief in law” is a person with a criminal record, a big
authority among thieves and past the “coronation” ceremony. The term “thieves in law” itself is not used; they prefer to call themselves simply thieves or
legalists. Previously, the criminal code prohibited such people from having a lot of money, a family
and children and obliged them to wear a padded jacket.
“Observer” or “statist” - criminal authority,
controlling the state of affairs in the territory entrusted to him. You don't have to be a thief
in law.
OCG is an organized criminal group.
“Komsomol members” - this is what the “thieves” called “bandits” - people
engaged in crime, but not living under the law of thieves.
“Legalists” once or twice and got lost
Contrary to popular belief, Odessa, unlike the same
Lvov itself has never been a purely “thieves’” city. Majority
the criminal authorities who operated here were “Komsomol members.” As for
thieves in law, then there are only two of them in Odessa - Sharik and Antimos. Both are real
currently live outside of Ukraine.
Another thief in law, a real dinosaur of the world of thieves,
78-year-old Alexey Slyusarenko, nicknamed Dubina, came to the police several years ago and wrote a statement in which he renounced his title.
Vsevolod GREENEV.
*If you find an error, please select a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.
© Oksana Viktorova/Collage/Ridus
How Odessa became a mother
Odessa was famous for such thieves, such bandits, the likes of which the world has never seen and, I think, will never see again... Odessa was the capital of the world of thieves throughout Russian Empire- for this reason she was affectionately called mom, Ephraim Sevela, film story “Odessa-Mama”.
Odessa began to turn into a “pearl by the sea” in the first half of the 19th century. After Napoleonic Wars Europe was literally left without bread.
The Russian Empire came to the rescue, soon becoming the largest supplier of grain to the Old World. The main transshipment point was the port city on the Black Sea - Odessa.
The appearance of the Suez Canal in 1869 gave Tsarist Russia direct access to the ports of South and East Asia, all through the same Odessa.
Over almost half a century, the cargo turnover of the Odessa port increased from 37 million rubles in 1862 to 174 million rubles in 1903. Rapid development and southern location made the city an ideal place for the flourishing of not only trade, but also crime.
And the characteristic Jewish flavor of the southern thieves' fraternity was provided by the Pale of Settlement, which did not allow the bulk of the Jews to settle east of the Pskov-Kharkov line (see map).
The Pale of Settlement changed at different times and affected different categories of Jews. Excluded from the Pale of Settlement on the map, the Kingdom of Poland was de facto included in it in full force
This circumstance affected the appearance of the criminal world not only in Odessa, but also in Kyiv, Warsaw, Minsk, Vilna and others. major cities western regions. However, it was Southern Palmyra, largely thanks to the Jewish factor, that began to be called “mother”.
Criminal International
It is important to note that at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, criminals from different parts of the empire flocked to Odessa.
But Jews, including those from local residents, by that time they had already formed their own criminal world, with their own orders, laws and taboos. And the visitors had to either reckon with this, or catch their luck by the tail in other cities, or shed blood. My.
At the same time, the free life in a rich, sunny seaside city attracted not only swindlers, cheaters and swindlers.
Poets, artists, musicians and other servants of the muses chose Odessa around the same time. As a result, by the beginning of the 20th century, the very atmosphere that was sung already in the era of the New Economic Policy had formed in Southern Palmyra.
The famous Moldavanka district began to emerge as the center of the criminal world of Odessa in the first half of the 19th century. At that time it was a city suburb where all sorts of vagabonds and fugitives could find shelter and refuge.
Jews, Russians, Ukrainians, Poles and Moldovans flocked here in search of a better life. By and large, Moldavanka was a craft settlement, but the influx of dubious characters led to the opening of brothels, underground casinos and brothels. Thieves of all stripes were trained here.
The Marvikhers received their “baptism of fire” at the intersection of Gospitalnaya and Zaporizhskaya (corner of Glukhoy Street).
Pickpockets who specialized in stealing expensive wallets were especially respected in the criminal world of Odessa. They were called "aristocrats", they kept themselves apart and somewhat arrogantly. Among them were mainly Jews, Greeks and to a lesser extent Poles. Their distinguishing features were good manners, decent appearance and the ability to behave in society. In a word, nothing betrayed the criminals in the “aristocrats” to an outside observer.
By the beginning of the 20th century, families had developed where the criminal trade was passed on by inheritance. Some were directly involved in theft, others bought stolen goods, and others sold them.
Of course, in this dark international environment, its own jargon was formed: a mixture of Jewish, German, Polish and Russian words and their derivatives, seasoned with thieves' argot from other parts of the empire.
Odessa was nicknamed “mother” for its free life and the opportunity to “catch” any business.
Legends of the Odessa criminal world
Romantic image Odessa criminal was formed in the consciousness of the masses thanks to literature and later cinema.
The main characters of this myth were the daring swindler Ostap Bender and the honest bandit Benya Krik. However, one cannot help but admit that these images were not born out of nowhere.
In the second half of the 19th century, Sonya the Golden Hand (Sofya Bluvshtein, nee Solomoniak) did business in largest cities Russian Empire and Europe, made three successful and three unsuccessful escapes. Although she was born in the Kingdom of Poland, she became an integral part of Odessa criminal folklore.
Moishe-Yakov Vinnitsky, aka Mishka Yaponchik, served as the prototype for Benny Krik, the main character of “Odessa Stories” and the play “Sunset” by Isaac Babel.
At the age of less than fourteen, Yaponchik took part in Jewish self-defense during the Jewish pogroms of 1905. For the murder of police chief Kozhukhar was sentenced to death penalty, which was replaced by twelve years of hard labor. In prison he met Grishka Kot - the legendary Grigory Kotovsky.
Jap was among the criminals who were released under an amnesty by the February Revolution. Without wasting any time, by the autumn of 1917 Mishka had become the thunderstorm of Odessa. His dashing gang made daring raids: the Romanian gambling club, Goldstein's store, the sugar factory Gepner - only the most high-profile of the gang's cases.
Through the efforts of Babel, Mishka Yaponchik became the main legend of the criminal world of Odessa.
Yaponchik’s “nobility” was manifested in the fact that on the revolutionary wave he put together a Jewish revolutionary squad, allegedly fearing possible pogroms. Under the pretext of fighting for the cause of October, he called for robbing only bourgeoisie and officers. And to reinforce his words, he shot a bandit who had robbed a worker.
Leonid Utesov, who also exploited the Odessa criminal romance, assured that Yaponchik patronized artists (King!) and tried to avoid murders. However, he bled obstinate entrepreneurs without hesitation. At least the merchants Leitman, Masman and Engel paid with their lives for their unwillingness to share proceeds with the bandits.
But Apollo’s servants turned a blind eye to this, or mentioned it in passing.
After February Revolution Odessa writers began to move en masse to Moscow and Petrograd. Shtetl writers and poets could not count on serious recognition while remaining in Odessa.
Bagritsky wrote his “Smugglers” in Moscow (later Utesov set the words to music), in Petrograd Babel worked on “Odessa Stories”, Ilf and Petrov composed the adventures of Ostap Bender in Moscow.
Created during the NEP era positive image Odessa criminal firmly settled in Soviet, and then in Russian/Ukrainian art. Suffice it to recall the Japanese (the hero of Nikolai Karachentsov) from the Soviet-Polish film “Deja Vu” or Fima Poluzhida (the hero of Sergei Makovetsky) from the series “Liquidation”. However, the names of real bandits today in Odessa are recklessly exploited by all kinds of excursion bureaus and restaurants.
According to the plot of “Liquidation”, Fima Poluzhid is a retired pickpocket
The beginning of the end of the Odessa free thieves was the Stalinist repressions of the second half of the 1930s, and the Great Patriotic War finished it off.
Odessa crime experienced some revival in the 1990s. But both the rampant banditry and the scams of swindlers in the now Ukrainian Odessa paled against the background of what was happening in Russia.
Of course, there were “heroes” at that time: the leaders of local organized crime groups Karabas, Angel, Stoyan, Katsap, the drug lord Antik, the head of pickpockets Sharik. But the scope was not the same, and, of course, Odessa could no longer claim the title of “capital of the thieves’ world” not only in the post-Soviet space, but also in Ukraine separately.