Igor Talkov was killed less than a month before his 35th birthday
- Stop the music! And now, please, a minute of silence. All the police present in the hall urgently cordon off the Yubileiny Sports Complex, since they had just shot at Igor Talkov - with these words they interrupted the concert of pop stars in October 1991 in St. Petersburg.
Igor Talkov was killed on October 6, 1991 - less than a month before his 35th birthday. Thus, this year marks not only the 60th anniversary of the singer’s birth, but also the 25th anniversary of his death.
Who killed Talkov
The answer to this question is still given. The death of Igor Talkov, perhaps one of the brightest performers of his time, was a real shock for his relatives, friends and numerous fans.
The singer and composer was shot in the heart minutes before going on stage. His death gave rise to many versions. Some call Talkov’s murder ritual, others do not consider what happened behind the scenes of the Yubileiny Sports Complex to be a murder at all.
Over 25 years, countless unofficial and journalistic investigations into the murder of Igor Talkov have been conducted. Versions were expressed that nationalists, anti-Semites, communists, foreign intelligence services and, naturally, freemasons could have been involved in his death.
Thus, the head of the national-patriotic front “Memory” Dmitry Vasiliev stated that Talkov was killed “for songs that were too Russian.” Supporters of the “nationalist trace,” on the contrary, point out that the singer was a provocateur and was introduced into Vasiliev’s circle with the aim of collapsing the organization, for which he paid.
Igor Talkov
Mysticism in Talkov's death
And they also see a lot of mysticism in Talkov’s death. It is known, for example, that on the fateful day Igor decided to go on stage wearing a black shirt rather than the traditional white one. They indicate that shortly before the concert, strange posters of Talkov’s group “Lifebuoy” appeared at the Yubileiny sports complex. In one, his deathly green reflection is visible in the mirror, in the other, the dark silhouette of the singer is struck in the heart by a star. And if these “oddities” may seem far-fetched, there are some truly amazing coincidences.
In 1990, Talkov starred in the action film “Beyond the Last Line,” where he played the leader of a gang of racketeers. In the film, his hero is shot point-blank, and the filming of this episode took place on October 6, 1990 - exactly a year before Talkov was killed at the Yubileiny sports complex.
TV journalist Mikhail Gladkov filmed documentary about Talkov during the singer’s lifetime. The one used by the author is noteworthy. artistic technique: in the story, Igor talks about himself from the other world. “I can say everything I think. Bribes are fine from a person who is not there,” said Talkov, having heard the TV man’s creative idea. At least that’s what Gladkov himself claims. The film was released after Talkov's death.
Singer Aziza
Who is to blame for Talkov's death
Be that as it may, in investigations of the murder of Igor Talkov, three people most often appear: Talkov’s concert director Valery Shlyafman, singer Aziza and Igor Malakhov - her director, security guard and close friend rolled into one. Actually, the conflict, which resulted in shots being fired, was, admittedly, provoked by these people.
In 1991, the concept of “headliner” had not yet come into wide circulation, but artists already then perfectly understood the importance of the order of performances: the closer to the final, the more prestigious. The concert at Yubileiny was to be completed by Oleg Gazmanov, and before him, Talkov and Aziza performed as planned.
Either Aziza really didn’t have time to prepare for the performance, or it was just a show-off. The fact is that she asked Malakhov to talk to Talkov’s representatives and change places with him. Malakhov was a hot guy - a professional kickboxer, and quite quickly the conversation with Talkov's security turned to a raised tone. Malakhov went away to “talk like a boy” with one of the singer’s guards.
“Another guard stood at the door to the dressing room and did not participate in the conflict,” he recalled in an interview. Komsomolskaya Pravda“Investigator Oleg Blinov, who led the case of Talkov’s death. - And it seemed like the conflict began to subside, the tone of the conversation decreased. But then the director of Talkov, Mr. Shlyafman, showed up and in a rather rude manner began to tease Malakhov: “Igor, are you scared?” The gist of it is something like this, but all this was said in a very rude, cynical form,” says the investigator.
Valery Shlyafman is one of the main suspects in the murder of Igor Talkov
Reconstruction of Talkov's murder
The investigation reconstructed the picture of what happened almost second by second. However, it is not so easy to understand who actually killed Igor Talkov.
According to Blinov, it was after Valery Shlyafman’s jokes that Igor Malakhov, Aziza’s bodyguard, took out a barrel - a revolver of the 1895 model, which he had acquired for self-defense. The time was difficult, and Malakhov had a conflict with a criminal group six months before the incident. There were three cartridges in the drum. Malakhov managed to get caught quite quickly. But by that time Shlyafman had already alarmed the dressing room with shouts of “They’re beating our people.” Talkov ran to find out what was going on, grabbing his gas pistol (they were extremely popular at that time).
While the brawl was going on, the almost “twisted” Malakhov shot twice at the floor. This is confirmed by examinations carried out at the scene of the tragedy. According to the official version, the kickboxer simply physically could not shoot at Talkov, since by the time he appeared he was already on the floor.
Talkov's death is a typical Russian roulette
“Shlyafman approached from the side of Malakhov, who was lying face down, and from his right hand took the gun. A few seconds later a click was heard, like a misfire when a shot was fired. And after two such clicks occurred, the only bullet that remained in the drum hit Igor Talkov,” said investigator Blinov.
“A medical examination established that at the moment of the fatal shot Talkov’s body was in motion. He struck Malakhov while squatting. And when he began to rise, the revolver fired. And the singer, apparently, saw the barrel pointed in his direction. And he even tried to shield himself from the bullet with his hand. Forensic criminologists subsequently discovered a wound on Talkov’s palm - the bullet first pierced it, and then his heart,” continues Blinov.
“We established that the shot was fired from a very close distance from Talkov. Almost right next to his hand. Only Shlyafman could shoot from such a distance. So Talkov's death is a typical Russian roulette. They clicked, clicked and clicked,” sums up the criminologist.
“Gentlemen Democrats” is one of Igor Talkov’s sharpest hits
Blinov emphasizes that his story does not contain the version of the investigation, but “the facts established by the investigation.” The investigator’s other wording is also noteworthy: “it was not a murder, but the unintentional death of a person.”
Evidence as proof of guilt
During the investigation of the murder, during a search in the apartment of Valery Shlyafman’s common-law wife, they found the shirt that the concert director was wearing at the time of Talkov’s death. Experts found gunpowder on her sleeves.
It is not in Shlyafman’s favor that soon after the tragedy he emigrated to his historical homeland in Israel, where he now lives under the name Vysotsky. He categorically denies his guilt, placing responsibility for Talkov’s death entirely on Malakhov.
“At the moment, there is no main evidence - the weapon with which Talkov was killed,” Shlyafman himself told the same Kosmsomolskaya Pravda in 2012. - But they made me the main culprit, since there were traces of gunpowder on my shirt. But I picked up Malakhov’s pistol, it couldn’t have been any other way. I returned home, changed my clothes, and threw the shirt into the laundry basket. And the investigators came and made the main material evidence out of it.”
Indeed, the gun was never found. Investigator Blinov claims that Shlyafman gave the pistol to Aziza, she gave it to Malakhav, and he dismantled it and drowned it piece by piece in the Moika and Fontanka. Aziza herself categorically denies her participation in this chain.
Singer Aziza and her director Igor Malakhov in the early 90s
What happened after Talkov's death
Tragic death Talkova became the starting point in a series of tragedies. Under unclear circumstances, the singer’s guards, who accompanied him to the Yubileiny sports complex in October 1991, died one after another.
Aziza lost the child she was expecting from Igor Malakhov. The singer claims that during the brawl in which she intervened, the same Valery Shlyafman kicked her in the stomach.
Due to the stress he suffered, ten days after Talkov’s death, his beloved Elena Kondorovova also lost her child. Examinations established that Igor Malakhov was not involved in Talkov’s murder. He was proven guilty only of illegal possession of weapons.
The murder of Igor Talkov remains one of the most resonant and mysterious crimes of the late 20th century. It still remains unsolved despite the fact that a lot of materials and witness testimony have been collected. Regarding the questions of why Igor died and who was the initiator of this murder, there are only versions.
In fact
All that is known 100% is the actual circumstances of death. Talkov was shot on October 6, 1991 in St. Petersburg, at the Yubileiny Palace at about 16:00 right before his performance. A scuffle occurred between the singer’s guards and Igor Malakhov, a friend of the then popular singer Aziza. Talkov took part in the conflict, as a result of which he died. Malakhov shot the singer with a pistol. The weapon was never found subsequently.
What preceded the murder
The murder of Talkov, which occurred under such strange and absurd circumstances, had a long backstory. Probably, shortly before Igor’s death, someone threatened him. This is evidenced by the fact that Talkov turned to a serious government agency for help (the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the KGB, it is not known exactly). The singer asked for permission to carry weapons. He also needed personal protection. Both of Talkov's requests were granted. It is not known who specifically threatened the singer.
At the same time, Talkov begins working with a new commercial director (since August 1991). It was a certain Valery Shlyafman. Many of the singer’s colleagues noted that Shlyafman constantly aggravated the situation around Talkov and provoked all sorts of conflicts.
Around the same time, the singer was forced to fire his former driver, who was a very loyal person to him. After this, Talkov began to receive unambiguous threats.
Sequence of speeches
At that concert at Yubileiny, there was a dispute over the order of performances by Aziza and Talkov. To perform last is considered the most prestigious.
Right before the concert, the administration decided to swap Aziza and Talkov. The singer allegedly did not have time to prepare for her performance. Talkov calmly agreed, but he Commercial Director Shlyafman was dissatisfied with the unexpected castling and decided to look into the situation. He found out that it was the same Malakhov, Aziza’s friend, who asked for a replacement.
Shlyafman started a trial in which Talkov was drawn into. As a result, the parties to the conflict argued. Malakhov was taken out of the dressing room by Igor’s guards. The argument continued in the corridor, after which Talkov was shot. After 2 shots, someone knocked the weapon out of Malakhov’s hands. Then it disappeared completely without a trace.
But according to the testimony of costume designer M. Berkova, the pistol was in the hands of Shlyafmash, and not Malakhov. And Shlyafman also shot. Witnesses to the crime gave very contradictory testimony. It was not clear who exactly shot Talkov, nor where the revolver went after that. The bullet hit Igor right in the heart. The doctors who came to the call confirmed death and noted that the shot was fired professionally.
Two killers
Malakhov disappeared after the murder. This may indicate both his guilt and the fact that he did not hope to defend his innocence. He was probably afraid of someone more powerful who could influence the course of the investigation. Crime bosses often bribed judges and prosecutors, in addition to paying huge attorney fees.
Malakhov was put on the wanted list. At the same time, an examination was carried out. The investigation established that from the angle from which the fatal shot was fired at Igor Talkov, only his commercial director Valery Shlyafman could have fired. Interestingly, the latter also disappeared. According to some reports, he crossed through Ukraine to Israel.
Due to the lack of a murder weapon and the confusion of eyewitness testimony, it was impossible to make a request for Shlyafman’s extradition. As a newly minted Israeli citizen, it turned out to be difficult to even interrogate him. Malakhov hid for 22 years. After the trial, he received a short suspended sentence for illegal possession of firearms (2.5 years). It was known about Malakhov that he was a member of a criminal group.
In Israel
It took 6 long years to reach an agreement with the Israeli Ministry of Justice on cooperation in the case of Talkov’s murder. But Shlyafman should have been tried in Israel. As a result, the process stalled again. Valery Shlyafman himself completely denied his guilt. He changed his last name to “Vysotsky” and continues to live quietly in his new homeland. Officially, the case of the murder of Igor Talkov remains open to this day.
Why could the singer be killed?
Journalists from various publications (Moskovsky Komsomolets, AiF, etc.) have repeatedly undertaken all sorts of investigations into this mysterious crime. Many agree that Igor could have been “ordered” because of his creativity. He touched on too “hot” and topical topics at his concerts. Many high-ranking officials did not like this. They were afraid to reveal the names of these people openly. They had too much influence.
According to other versions, the singer could have conflicts with a variety of organizations and people. Among them were communists, Black Hundreds, etc. There was also a version that Talkov had long been planned to be killed. He crossed the path of many people with his songs. Allegedly, Shlyafman and Malakhov simply carried out a contract killing, acting together. That is why both went unpunished, and the case hung like a dead weight in the archives.
Talkov's song "Mr. President" caused a lot of noise. He was going to perform it on that last concert. In this unique anthem, the singer demanded the overthrow of M. Gorbachev from the post of president. One of former employees KGB M. Kryzhanovsky, who conducted his unofficial investigation, suggested that Talkov’s murder could have been ordered “from above.” It's probably marked "Secret".
The Investigative Committee resumed the murder investigation singer Igor Talkov, which occurred on October 6, 1991. This was reported by the press service of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee for St. Petersburg.
“The investigation has been resumed and the widow’s request to be recognized as a victim has been granted.”
“On November 13, 2018, the Main Investigative Directorate of the Russian Investigative Committee for St. Petersburg resumed the investigation of a criminal case initiated on the grounds of a crime under paragraph “b”, “d” st. 102 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR, regarding the murder of singer Igor Talkov on October 6, 1991 in the Yubileiny Sports Palace, says a message posted on the department’s website. — During the investigation, sufficient evidence was collected, on the basis of which on May 6, 1992 and March 18, 1993, decisions were made to charge Valery Shlyafman in the commission of the murder of Igor Talkov through negligence, i.e., on the grounds of a crime provided for in Article 106 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR, a preventive measure was chosen in the form of detention. It was established that in January 1992, Shlyafman left for permanent residence in the State of Israel. On March 19, 1993, the criminal proceedings were suspended on the basis of clause 1, part 1 of Art. 195 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the RSFSR (in the case when the accused has disappeared from the investigation or trial, or when for other reasons his whereabouts have not been established).
Earlier in the criminal case, Igor Talkov’s mother was recognized as the victim. Currently, the investigation has granted the petition Tatiana Talkova, widow of Igor Talkov, about recognizing her as a victim, since the singer’s mother died. After interrogation as a victim, she and the defense attorney will be presented with the materials of the criminal case for review in accordance with Art. 42 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation. The investigation is ongoing."
“Igor, he took out a gun”
34-year-old Igor Talkov was killed at the Yubileiny Sports Palace in St. Petersburg during a concert of Soviet pop stars organized by the production company LIS'S.
A performer who started with lyrical songs, last years focused his activities on denouncing the Soviet regime, creating an entire music program called "Court". For this reason, versions were put forward that high-ranking representatives of the Soviet elite or KGB officers could have been involved in Talkov’s death.
However, such assumptions have not found any confirmation. At the same time, the picture of what happened on the fateful day at Yubileiny remains vague.
A conflict broke out behind the scenes of the sports palace over the order in which the artists appeared on stage. Since it was considered prestigious to perform as late as possible, 28-year-old Igor Malakhov, bodyguard of singer Aziza, tried to convince the concert organizers and Talkov’s team to give her their place.
About five minutes before Talkov was supposed to go on stage, an altercation broke out between him and Malakhov in his dressing room, after which the artist’s security guards took Aziza’s bodyguard out into the corridor.
There Malakhov took out a Nagant system revolver and pointed it at his opponents. His concert director Valery Shlyafman ran up to Talkov and shouted: “Igor, give me something, he’s got a gun.” Talkov replied: “We have our own gun for his gun.” After this, the singer took out his gas pistol and went out into the corridor.
Three shots from a revolver
The musician fired several times from a gas pistol in the direction of Malakhov. The shots had no effect, possibly due to the fact that the cartridges were faulty or expired. Talkov's security, taking advantage of Malakhov's confusion, pounced on him. Malakhov managed to fire two shots from his revolver. One bullet hit the floor, the second hit the equipment box.
The Nagan was knocked out of Malakhov’s hands. It is not entirely clear who fired the next shot. IN different time Both Malakhov and Shlyafman were accused of this. Judging by the information published by the Investigative Committee, the investigation adheres to the version that the singer’s concert director, raising his weapon, fired a shot through negligence.
According to witnesses, Talkov said: “It hurts.” He then walked a few meters to the stage, fell near a large mirror and died within minutes.
By the time the ambulance arrived, it was already impossible to help the singer. Nevertheless, doctors, fearing excesses, took the already dead Talkov to the hospital, where his death was confirmed.
Forensic experts agreed that Igor Talkov’s wound left no chance of survival. This fact will later give rise to statements that the shot was fired by a professional high class and was intentional.
Aziza's bodyguard received a suspended sentence for weapons possession and died in 2016
In connection with the murder of Talkov, the prosecutor's office of the city of St. Petersburg opened criminal case No. 381959. The first charge of Talkov's murder was brought against Aziza's bodyguard Igor Malakhov, who fled the scene and was put on the all-Union wanted list on October 10, 1991. On October 16, Malakhov voluntarily surrendered to the authorities.
The examination showed that Malakhov could not shoot at Talkov, and the only person who could fire the fatal shot is Valery Shlyafman.
However, Talkov’s widow, now recognized as a victim, questioned the results of this examination.
In May 1994, the Petrogradsky District Court of St. Petersburg sentenced Igor Malakhov to two and a half years of suspended imprisonment for illegally acquiring and carrying firearms.
After this, Malakhov disappeared for almost 20 years. New information about him appeared only in the early 2010s. It became known that Aziza’s former bodyguard changed his last name, lived in the village and was married to an actress. In 2016, it became known that the person involved in the Talkov murder case died after a serious illness.
Shlyafman became Vysotsky, lives in Israel and considers Malakhov a murderer
Talkov's concert director Valery Shlyafman left for Israel for permanent residence in February 1992.
Several appeals from Russian law enforcement agencies to their Israeli colleagues asking for assistance in the investigation did not yield any results. In 1997, Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Skuratov announced that, if the evidence provided was considered sufficiently convincing, Shlyafman would be tried in Israel. However, no investigation or prosecution of Shlyafman followed in Israel.
In 2012, Valery Shlyafman, who changed his last name and became Vysotsky, unexpectedly agreed to talk with Russian journalists. He denied his guilt in the singer’s death, and did not consider leaving for Israel to be an escape.
“The murder occurred on October 6. And I left on February 12! I didn't run away. He warned Talkov’s wife that I was going to Israel. It was in everyone’s interest that the matter would be hushed up and that they would turn a blind eye to my departure. I flew to Tel Aviv via Kyiv. The investigator came here five months later to interrogate me, but he was not allowed. The Russian prosecutor's office made so many inquiries about me! And the Israeli prosecutor's office told them: send the case materials, if he is guilty, we will judge him, and if not, leave him alone. The file was not sent. Nobody wants to be taken to the end. About eight years ago they sent me a document stating that the case was being closed due to statute of limitations. I had to sign, but I refused. I stated that I could only sign a termination for lack of evidence of a crime. This would recognize my innocence,” Komsomolskaya Pravda quotes Shlyafman-Vysotsky.
In addition, he stated that Talkov was killed by Malakhov: “For me, the culprit was found on the day the tragedy occurred. But the evidence has disappeared, so today it is impossible to find the killer. And this is how it happened: Malakhov was hit on the back of the head, he automatically reached for the pistol and fired. It’s amazing how easily he was released; so many legal laws were violated. People from the criminal world already had connections with the authorities.”
In the current situation, Russian law enforcement agencies will need new convincing facts that could convince Israel of Valery Shlyafman’s guilt. Otherwise, reopening the investigation may turn out to be a mere formality.
On November 4, Igor Talkov would have turned only 60. But he has been gone for 25 years. On October 6, 1991, the musician was killed behind the scenes of the Yubileiny Sports Palace in St. Petersburg.
And the killer has still not been punished, the masterminds of the crime have not been found, and a wall of myths has literally grown up around the personality of the artist himself. We tried to understand the confusing story...
“DIED BECAUSE OF A PLACE IN A CONCERT”
This is the very first myth that appeared after the death of the artist.
Central television channels presented this version as the only correct one. It was as if the singer Aziza, wanting to perform last (closing a concert among the artistic fraternity is considered prestigious), demanded from Talkov that he give up his place to her. A fight broke out between the artists’ guards, Talkov also got involved. And the shot was fired by accident: not only were they waving their fists, they were also shaking their pistols... In general, the case was presented as an accident.
“I remember well those bitter days of the autumn of 1991,” says Irina Krasilnikova, a friend of Igor Talkov’s mother Olga Yulievna (she passed away in 2007). - Notes in newspapers, news on television - all this was very similar to an action ordered by someone: deliberately presenting the situation as a banal fight for a far-fetched reason. Yes, Igor didn’t care when to perform - first, tenth!..
A few years earlier, he was invited to Pugacheva’s concert tour. In the first city - it was Sverdlovsk - Alla approached Igor backstage and suggested: they say, come on stage in front of me - it’s dangerous to perform after me, the audience will not accept it.
Igor refused and went on stage after Alla. So what happened? A huge stadium of thousands of people gave Talkov a standing ovation, people did not let him leave the stage, police officers from the cordon rushed for autographs. The next day, an angry Diva sent him back to Moscow, not allowing him to participate further in the tour. I was jealous!
And Igor, returning home, wrote the song “Star”, dedicating it to Alla Borisovna:
“You shine for yourself, for yourself and only,
Your cold light does not warm at all..."
And did anyone dare to say that it was important for him to perform after Aziza? This is why you got into a fight?!
“THE SCALE OF TALKOV’S PERSONALITY IS EXaggerated”
Even some famous and authoritative people adhere to this strange position.
For example, Andrei Makarevich, when asked how he felt about Talkov, answered: “I’m not a fan of his work.” And he justified his position as follows: “While there was a scoop in the yard and normal teams had problems, he sang exclusively about Chistye Prudy. And after perestroika, when everything became possible, suddenly he turned out to be so brave...”
Journalist Maxim Kononenko, in a high-profile article, called Talkov an “average poet” who wrote “for ignorant cattle.”
For thousands of Talkov fans, such reviews are like a slap in the face.
I remember very well how Igor was escorted to last way, - recalls Irina Krasilnikova. - Lots of people! People were crying bitterly. They don’t bury “average” people like that, and you can’t fool the people. I remember my grandmother in a headscarf wailing: “It’s not Talkov - it’s Russia they’re burying!” And the truth seems to have been prophesied. In the fall of 1991, a new history began to be recorded.
And new troubles for our country.
“When the world is split in two, a bullet passes through the heart of a poet,” wrote Heinrich Heine. So it was no accident that a bullet pierced Talkov’s heart in the fall of 1991.
And “he was silent before perestroika,” as Makarevich assures, for an explicable reason - he couldn’t get through, they didn’t let him in, explains Krasilnikova. - Even his main song - “Russia” - was first staged in his program “Before and After Midnight” by TV presenter Vladimir Molchanov at his own peril and risk - they could have been fired and the program closed.
“Everything became possible with perestroika” is an illusion, “everything is possible” became scoundrels and scoundrels, but the common people, fooled and powerless, remained so. Igor also wrote about this...
DID MALAKHOV SHOOT? SHLYAFMAN? OR SOMEONE THIRD?
This summer Igor Malakhov passed away. Aziza's former bodyguard ended his days as a hermit. After Malakhov’s death, they started talking again that he had fired the fatal shot on October 6, 1991.
There were people to whom Malakhov allegedly repented of this sin on the eve of his death. Is this true or false? Now no one will say - you can’t ask a dead person.
The materials of the criminal case indicate: Malakhov was only the owner of the pistol, for which he subsequently received a prison sentence for illegally carrying weapons. And the shot was fired by Valery Shlyafman. Director Igor Talkov. 
Investigator Valery Zubarev, who investigated this tragic and complicated story in the fall of 1991, he assures that there could be no mistake. The best criminologists worked, representatives of the “old Soviet school", experts in their field. And they are confident that they have gotten to the bottom of the truth.
Shlyafman’s hasty departure to Israel, shortly after the funeral, can serve as indirect confirmation of this version.
Even six months before Igor’s death, his director boasted about the visa he had received - it turns out that even then he was hatching a plan and building an escape route,” reflects Igor Talkov’s brother Vladimir. - This Shlyafman - “ a dark horse" He joined his brother’s team and constantly provoked conflicts.
There was a story - Shlyafman hit a fan in the face who approached Talkov for an autograph - and ran away. They barely hushed up the scandal... They also removed the most loyal people from Igor’s circle - musicians, security guards, who could intervene and even take the blow...
To this day, Talkov's relatives and friends are confident that a conspiracy has literally been woven around Igor. For example, Olga Antipova, director concert hall“Jubilee” in 1991, recalls:
They called the internal number - there was shooting behind the scenes. I rushed there. Igor Talkov stood in the corridor, his back to the mirror. A moment later, he began to literally slide down the mirror onto the floor - I ran up, he sat down in my arms, his face became deathly pale - life was leaving his body...
But a question arises. If Talkov was killed by Shlyafman during a fight, with a direct shot in the heart, on the spot - how was the artist able to overcome these few meters? Years later, we visited the backstage of Yubileiny.
Olga Antipova showed the place - the same one. From the “patch” where the fight broke out to the mirror (now it’s gone) at least five meters. It is unlikely that a person with a bullet in the heart could walk this distance.
Perhaps it is worth taking into account his brother’s version - Vladimir is convinced: Shlyafman started a fight, and someone else, hiding behind the scenes, shot. Talkov reached the mirror - and there he received a bullet.
And Aziza’s testimony during interrogation indirectly confirms this version.
From the case materials: “I heard three clicks. I saw a hand with a gun and other hands twisting it. But it was impossible to understand who was holding the gun. After shouting: “Gas, gas!” - I felt a pain in my eyes and ran into the dressing room. There, an unknown man said that he needed to hide the gun...”
That is, after all, there was a third - an unknown man. Who is he? Mystery.
Eyewitnesses said: Valery Shlyafman dialed someone’s number on his mobile phone and said only two words: “Talkov was killed.” Did you report?..
WHO IS THE CUSTOMER: PRODUCERS, SPECIAL SERVICES?
Producer Mark Rudinshtein was the first to publicly announce the name of the alleged customer several years ago - allegedly this is a film producer, in whose film “Prince Silver” Talkov starred.
Then a conflict arose on the set. For some reason, they deviated from the original script and the picture turned out to be “anti-people.” The artist flatly refused to continue filming - a stunt double was filmed instead.
At the premiere, Talkov went on stage and asked forgiveness from the audience for participating in this “abomination.”
According to Rudinshtein, the producer - an authoritative, rich and proud man - could not forgive such an outburst.
There is a version that Talkov crossed the path of another major (now music) producer, in the past a Komsomol ideologist. Like, it’s about him that line from the Talkov song: “The Komsomol members reorganized themselves, they went into show business...” Allegedly, in the early 1990s, a former Komsomol organizer imposed a tribute on the artists, Talkov refused to pay - he paid with his life.
But: if you are not caught, you are not a thief, and only a court can call a person a criminal. There was no trial. Obviously, it won’t happen anymore...
However, Igor Talkov’s brother is convinced that both versions with producers - wrong way. Vladimir himself worked in show business and knew about the relationship between producers and criminals. But - not their method! They would beat them, break their legs, scare them well... But getting your hands dirty with blood is too much!
Igor was removed by the special services, his brother is convinced.
“He knew a lot,” recalls Vladimir. - I read a lot, literally spent days and nights in archives and libraries. I analyzed and thought - what has been happening to Russia over the past hundred years? IN last days He talked a lot about the fact that Gorbachev received an assignment from the world government - the USSR was so destroyed that Yeltsin is not at all the savior of Russia. Although in those autumn days the whole country still saw a savior in Yeltsin, Igor was the first to see the light...
Igor lived in a tiny Khrushchev building with his wife and son, recalls Vladimir Talkov with warmth and sadness. - I remember how the legs broke on the sofa - they propped it up three-liter jars, so they slept. And Igorek wrote in the tiny kitchen at night. And this is an idol, a star! What a contrast with the mansions of today's "celebrities", most of whom are "dummy"! But Igorek lived by the principle: not by bread alone.
He believed in the great destiny of Russia, in the power of the spirit that would one day rise. Many of his songs are prophetic, including stories about today. Listen to the lyrics...
STILL BANNED?
Until now, a quarter of a century after his death, not a single TV channel has shown Igor Talkov’s full concert. Why?! - Irina Krasilnikova is indignant. - And people don’t know his civil songs, they forget about him.
But the talk shows on television are full of stories: about his novels, imaginary and real, about the “mystery of death.” And the lies around it! Why, who needs this - to leave Talkov in memory not as a great poet, but as a hooligan and reveler?.. In general, it seems to me that the crime was played out like clockwork. Like a play or performance, everyone played their role. But who is the invisible director?..
Kirill Nabutov, a worthy and good journalist, made a film about Igor,” Talkov’s childhood friend Igor Lysenkov told us. - It turned out interesting job. But they never showed it - they declared it to be unformatted. And years later, about Igor, alas, there is only a lie or a show...
ITAR-TASS/V.Yatsin,
INTERPRESS/PHOTOXPRESS