Not only were they not afraid, but they even deliberately stood out from the crowd

The Wild Nineties actually began in the late 80s; It was then that criminal groups emerged en masse throughout the country, and bandits began to enjoy no less influence than party bigwigs. Very soon, respectable citizens learned to distinguish “brothers” from ordinary people by appearance.

Golden chain on the oak tree

There are several legends that tell us where crimson jackets came from and why the nouveau riche loved them so much. One way or another, in the early 90s it became fashionable among bandits to wear just such jackets - perhaps they just wanted maximum contrast with the deliberately grayish clothes of the Soviet nomenklatura, yesterday's " powerful of the world this."

However, the crimson jacket itself did not indicate belonging to the criminal world; it was supposed to be complemented by a massive gold chain as thick as a finger. Chains were worn directly over jackets. “Brothers” also respected gold signet rings – the larger, the better.

Instead of a jacket the color of a jungle sunset, many wore leather jackets. Many were wearing “comfy sweatpants.” Three-day stubble and short hair were also in great fashion among the “bros.”

Your cherry "nine"

The VAZ-2109, or “nine,” was enormously popular among the “workers of the underworld,” that is, among those with whose hands the gangster bosses carried out their dark deeds. This car differs favorably from the same “eight” in that it had four side doors; It was possible for five of us to get out of it quite quickly, arrange a quick firefight, then quickly climb inside and drive off in an unknown direction.

Bandits of a higher class chose a “wide jeep” - Jeep Grand Cherokee. Not only did it have a comfortable, roomy interior, it could reach a decent speed and looked impressive - it could easily drive through our Russian roads where most foreign cars were shamefully stuck. True, he consumed a lot of fuel - but wealthy criminals did not care, and gasoline was prohibitively cheap back then. The Toyota Land Cruiser SUV was also valued.

And of course, BMW was very much loved in the gangster world. The abbreviation “BMW” was then popularly deciphered in its own way – “extortionist fighting vehicle.” fast easy It was an honor to have a “bahu”.

Taganka, all nights full of fire...

Any self-respecting bandit listened to blatnyak and had a collection of corresponding CDs, or, in extreme cases, audio cassettes. This genre was respectfully called Russian chanson, but in reality it has nothing to do with creativity Charles Arznavour or Edith Piaf there were no songs popular among criminals. They glorified the prison world; the lyrical hero of the songs usually spoke in the first person - telling in a deliberately hoarse voice how unfair the villainous fate was to him.

From the windows of the bandit cars thundered the songs of the group "Lesopoval", songs Mikhail Krug and other performers who managed to understand what kind of money can be made from the interest of the new masters of the world in thieves' romance. And restaurant musicians, when starting work, first of all learned “Vladimirsky Central” and “Taganka”, knowing full well who would order the music for them.

Hands up!

What's a bandit without a weapon? The “barrels” they carried were very different: from imported “Beretta” or “Glock” pistols to Soviet classics like the TT (“Tula Tokarev"; he was especially respected by killers) or a pistol Makarova.

Almost every group had machine guns Kalashnikov- as well as homemade, handicraft weapons, which were usually brought with North Caucasus; take, for example, the famous Chechen Borz assault rifles.

Yes, the bandits of that time were conspicuous - obviously because acute feeling impunity. Nowadays everything is more difficult: not everyone can distinguish a bandit from a decent person at first glance. It's a pity.

We all know that the nineties were very hot times. Then legal and illegal business began to emerge. At times they were closely related to each other. This symbiosis was so profitable that influential groups fought for the right to work together with legal businessmen, sometimes starting real wars. As an echo of them, today we can observe the unusual graves of bandits of the 90s, which capture the imagination of ordinary people.

A little history

In the early 90s of the last century, various groups and gangs actively developed. They took control of small, medium, and later large businesses. Without doing practically anything, they made good profits. Of course, each gang wanted to conquer as wide a field of influence as possible. For this purpose, bladed weapons and firearms were used. And the graves of bandits of the nineties appeared in cemeteries.

It is known that the heads of groups that were worshiped and who had the most money from illegal business were the first to be shot. For example, in Yekaterinburg, the “lads” even managed to establish international illegal connections to make money from the sale of scrap metal. The very first big war began here, as a result of which several hundred “brothers” died on both sides. There were similar wars in St. Petersburg and other cities.

Unprecedented luxury

After high-profile murders, luxurious graves of bandits began to appear in cemeteries. Uralmash was one of the first to begin erecting real masterpieces in honor of its leaders.

These monuments are characterized by the fact that granite and marble were not spared for their construction. Tombstones were made both in the form of a classic slab and a full-length monument. The greater the position the deceased held, the more granite was used for his monument.

Sometimes you can even find entire memorials that occupy a huge area. In addition to the monument and tombstone, in such places there are also stone flowerpots, tables and benches for relaxation.

Friends and relatives tried to ensure that the monuments on the graves of the bandits fully reflected the fact how significant person the deceased was alive. Even more luxury can be observed at family graves, where relatives who were members of the same group are buried. In this case, the burial place looks especially regal.

Full length portrait

But no matter how luxurious the tombstone is, the graves of 90s bandits are also distinguished by the special style of the portraits on it. The deceased is usually depicted at full height. Outwardly, he has a typical look for that time: the clothes of a classic bandit.

There are several options here. The deceased can be depicted in a tracksuit and an eight-piece cap, if this is how the “brothers” knew him. But he may appear before you in a leather jacket with a typical cut for that time and in jeans.

Later graves show businessmen wearing crimson jackets. It is not even necessary that the portrait be in color. It is immediately clear to everyone that it is raspberry in color.

As for the image itself, the engraving on the stone is often done in color, although this is much more expensive than the usual two-color design.

It's all in the details

Not the least important thing in portraits is their detail. Almost every one depicts the famous gold chains - the main attributes of the leaders of that time. It doesn’t matter whether these are the graves of bandits in Moscow or in other cities.

There are also very specific details. There are portraits with a bunch of car keys in their hands or with their favorite keychain. In some portraits, the deceased is depicted with a handful of seeds, which he loved so much during his lifetime.

It is also common to see such items as a lighter, a matchbox, a cigarette, mobile phone, rings, rings, signets. All these details create the impression as if a living person is looking at you from a tombstone and is about to call you out. This causes fear and apprehension among strangers, as it did during the life of the person depicted on the tombstone. Looking at him, you immediately understand that this is a real authority of the criminal world.

Embracing the angels

It is known that criminals have a special concept Christian faith. They created their code based on its main postulates, bringing them to their own realities. Therefore, the monuments on the graves of bandits are often strewn with Christian symbols.

The most common one is a cross. But this is not surprising, since it is also on the graves of other people; it is under the cross that a person is sent to afterworld. The cross protects his soul in the “other world.”

But images are rare for ordinary people. Since most of the authorities did not die by their own death, it is not just crosses that must protect their peace, but the highest deities. Therefore, the monuments on the graves of bandits are hugged by angels, and they stand over the deceased, as if fulfilling their mission, which they failed to accomplish during his lifetime.

Tombstones in the form of churches and domes are also typical for bandits. In the criminal world, this is a special symbol that the “brothers” transferred to cemeteries for their brothers and colleagues.

On a Mercedes to the afterlife

Probably the most amazing part of the tombstones that decorate the graves of 90s bandits is their cars. It was the 600th Mercedes that became a symbol of that time, it was the one that the most authoritative bandits drove, and it was its image that was transferred to the tombstones.

Some people thought a simple drawing was not enough, so the graves of bandits in Togliatti and other cities are decorated with monument cars. Carved from granite to life size, they stand directly on the grave of the deceased.

True, Mercedes is not the only brand that can be found in cemeteries. There are even tombstones in the shape of motorcycles. Particularly interesting examples are a car half hewn from stone, while the other half remains untreated stone.

Paired graves

Along with single graves in cemeteries where bandits of the 90s lie, there are also double graves. Close relatives are buried there. For example, the graves of the Uralmash bandits in Yekaterinburg are famous commonplace burial places of the brothers who founded this sports-gangster group. They are united by one tombstone, on which they are carved in full height those who are buried in them.

The same graves are typical for a brother and sister, and for a husband and wife. There are even family graves in which their children also lie next to their parents, since the gang wars were extremely cruel. They killed everyone: both children and adults. As a tribute to their memory, the most luxurious tombstones and family crypts were erected.

Simplicity and conciseness

But not all 90s gangster graves are so striking. There are simple but tastefully decorated places in cemeteries. And this does not mean that the person was completely uninfluential during his lifetime, or that he had little money. It’s just that his relatives and friends understood that he no longer needed excessive showing off. Therefore, such graves are decorated with a simple tombstone, on which, in addition to the main portrait, there may be 1-2 more minor ones, illustrating the life of this person in all its manifestations.

Decades later, we can already talk about this cultural phenomenon, like the bandits of the 90s, and what is left of them. These are unusual tombstones that demonstrate the special attitude of people towards the memory of their deceased comrades.

At the Shirokorechenskoye cemetery, located on the southwestern outskirts Ekaterinburg, many found their final refuge famous personalities cities: folk artists, scientists, heroes of World War II. But in one of the sections of the cemetery you can see unusual tombstones. They depict respectable men in expensive suits and leather jackets, with gold chains and tattoos. These extravagant monuments belong to crime bosses and their entourage, who were killed during gang warfare in the dashing 90s.

The graves there are painted with all the colors of the rainbow.

In the cemeteries of our vast homeland you can find unusual tombstones with images of respectable men. Expensive suits, leather jackets, tattoos and gold chains - all this flaunts on the monuments belonging to the crime bosses of the dashing 90s and their entourage.

What the monuments to Ded Hassan, Yaponchik and other pretentious graves look like famous participants gang wars of the past, see our material.

Grandfather Hassan was called the main mafioso of Russia, who knows no mercy and is behind all the thieves' wars. His real name is Aslan Usoyan, date of birth is February 28, 1937. Aslan committed his first crime as a child, and by the age of 16 he firmly decided that he would become a “professional” pickpocket.

Young Aslan Usoyan in the top row in the middle

At the age of 18, the future crime boss received his first sentence - a year and a half in prison. After this, he found himself in prison more than once and was once “crowned.” Having become a thief in law, Ded Hassan gained power over shadow businesses in almost all Russian regions. He belonged to the “old school” thieves, and repeatedly acted as an “arbiter” in showdowns between large gangs.

In 2013, Ded Hassan was shot and killed by a sniper. The grave of the crime boss is located at the very entrance to the Khovanskoye cemetery in Moscow. She looks rather pompous.

The grave of thief in law Aslan Usoyan (Ded Hasan)

However, his grave is inferior in decoration and chic to the creation that Bory’s son ordered “Soda” for his late father.

The grave of Boris "Soda" Chubarov

And although he did not die as “heroically” as Grandfather Hasan (the cause of Boris Chubarov’s death was cirrhosis of the liver), a real work of art was built for his grave. On it there is a monument to the deceased himself and a Mercedes car - all life-size.

It is noteworthy that the license plates on the car carry a certain hidden meaning, which is known only to the deceased and the customer of the project - his son. The thing is that the letter “F” is not used in Russian license plates. Unless it's an unfortunate mistake by the sculptor...

Grave of Ivankov Vyacheslav Kirillovich (“Jap”)

Speaking of mistakes, above is the grave of the famous “Jap” - Vyacheslav Kirillovich Ivankov. And for some reason, when creating it, they were in such a hurry that they missed one letter in the surname, writing “Ivankov” instead.

Ivankov was one of the main Russian thieves in law and the leader of a criminal clan in Moscow. On July 28, 2009, there was an attempt on his life. On October 9, “Jap” died in the hospital from peritonitis that he developed.

Lev Genkin's grave "Tits"

And this is the grave of Genkin Lev Leontyevich or, as he was called in gangster circles, Leva “Tits”. Lyova went to every job he did with his daddy under his arm... Why? In this way he tried to create the impression of an intelligent business man and, when caught by operatives, he claimed to be an employee of the Jewish embassy.

The grave of Nikolai Tutberidze (“Matsi”)

This unusual white tombstone with a monument to a man sitting on it is located on the grave of Nikolai Tutberidze, better known as Matsi. He died in 2003 from cancer. This disease spares no one, be it a simple worker or a crime boss.

Portrait of Malkhaz Minadze on the tombstone of his grave

The tombstone of Malkhaz Minadze depicts the thief in law himself and his wife, who, by the way, is alive and well... A very unusual artistic solution.

And here are a few more graves that stand out noticeably from others in the cemetery.

Internet users express their outrage at the honors with which criminals are buried:

“Historians of the distant future will dig up these statues and tombstones and will study them and compare them with even more ancient ancient statues. There were gods, philosophers, emperors... And in our era - thieves in law. Disgraceful!”

This is what last resorts look like crime bosses, who ruled the world of thieves in the dashing 90s. Despite all the indignation of Internet users, it is worth noting that the work of the sculptors completing the projects is surprising and deserves respect.

What do you think of these creations?

The Khovanskoye cemetery is located near Moscow and adjoins the remote metropolitan district of Solntsev, which until recently was considered to be located near Moscow. The Khovanskoye Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Europe, but finding the alley where the leaders of the Orekhovskaya organized crime group are buried is not particularly difficult. It is located in a new section of the cemetery. The fact that " godfathers“from the criminal south of Moscow are buried right here, in my opinion, transparently hints at a close connection with the famous Solntsevo “brothers”, at their common criminal roots. Indeed, sometimes the relationships of individual persons are so intertwined that it is difficult to understand which of them is “Orekhovsky” and which one is “Solntsevsky”. It is curious that in almost all the graves the front sides of the tombstones and busts are turned with their backs to the pedestrian alley, thereby emphasizing the shady, criminal lifestyle of the deceased. It remains to add that all other “Orekhovites” are buried in Vvedensky, Danilovsky, Kotlyakovsky and Shcherbinsky cemeteries.

Anticipating your appropriate sarcastic grins about pompous monuments in the churchyard, Orthodox symbols, I would like to remind you that on Red Square in his Mausoleum for many decades lies a man who, during his short term as head of state, managed to ruin and destroy, for example, hard-working peasants in the name of utopian ideals and personal ambitions. As a gift from grateful descendants, the author of the cry “Take and divide!” received a permanent residence permit at the foot of the Kremlin, and the untimely peace of his sidekicks, tightly packed in the Kremlin wall, is guarded day and night by sentries. This seems to bother almost no one: they’ve already gotten used to it. What happens, dear comrades? A bandit and a murderer killed ten, but a great leader and teacher killed millions?

As a supplement, there is a video in which Valery Karyshev somehow explains who is who in the Orekhovsk mafia:

Sergei Ivanovich Timofeev (1955-1994) nicknamed Sylvester does not need any special introduction. In fact, this entire site is dedicated to his activities.

Grigory Evgenievich Gusyatinsky (1959-1995) - founder of the Medvedkovskaya organized crime group. In the early nineties, during Sylvester’s life, the group did not play a very independent role, but was a kind of North Moscow branch of the Orekhovskaya organized crime group. Gusyatinsky was involved in various kinds of sensitive cases, such as organizing the high-profile murder of Otari Kvantrishvili. When Sylvester was blown up in September 1994, Gusyatinsky again headed the Medvedkov group, but not for long. In January 1995, in Kyiv, Grisha was shot by his subordinate - the hired killer Alexey Sherstobitov, nicknamed Lesha Soldat, the direct executor of the order for Kvantrishvili. Apparently, Sherstobitov was afraid that he knew too much about the biography of Sylvester’s bait and therefore decided to fix the problem. Speaking about Gusyatinsky’s personality, for some reason I recall the words of the same Lesha Soldat about how Gusyatinsky ordered his subordinates to be killed for the slightest mistake. For example, he ordered one to be killed because a champagne cork got into him, and another because he refused to carry his wife’s bag. Since it is customary to say good or nothing about the dead, we will remain silent.

Stella on the graves of a prominent figure in the group, Alexander Garishin, nicknamed Sasha Ryzhiy (he did not like his other nickname - Screw), who was part of Sylvester's inner circle from the moment of his release from Tver Correctional Colony No. 1 (in the jargon "weaving"), and his younger comrade Vladimir Baklanov (1968-1996) nicknamed Cucumber.

Sergei Taraskin (1951-1992), wrestling coach sports school“Kuntsevo”, a kind of debutant in the alley of “heroes”, occupied a prominent place in the brigade of Sergei Kruglov, nicknamed Seryozha Boroda, who in turn was a personal friend of Sylvester. It is known that the latter studied karate at that sports school in the seventies, and therefore probably knew Taraskin. This is evidenced by other signs: Timofeev’s grave is adjacent to Taraskin’s grave, and those who buried Sylvester - and he was the third in the alley - for some reason placed the authority next to Taraskin, and not somewhere else.

Sergei Taraskin died in the famous massacre in Butovo on May 6, 1992, when several Moscow region and Moscow groups came together to fight: on the one hand, the Balashikha group (leader German Starostin, born in 1963, nickname Gera), on the other hand, the Podolsk group ( leader Sergei Lalakin, born in 1955, nickname Luchok), Chekhov (leader Nikolai Pavlinov, born in 1957, nickname Pavlin), as well as three Moscow groups - Anton, Petrik and Seryozha Boroda.

From operational information: “Taraskin’s funeral took place at the Khovanskoye cemetery. All members of Beard's group gathered. Participants in the gathering were armed with short-barreled machine guns. The militants on duty at the entrances radioed about the appearance of strangers. Thieves in law and authorities arrived at the cemetery. They recommended stopping the bloodshed and deciding peacefully. The participants in the gathering agreed, but the leader of the “Balashikha people” Starostin and his closest connection Sukhoi, as well as the Lyubertsy leaders Sam and Mani who supported them, were sentenced to death. Seryozha Boroda took upon himself the execution of the action.”

The name Taraskin is still well known among professional athletes. On December 12-14, 2014, an open All-Russian Greco-Roman wrestling tournament was held in the Sports Complex of the Olympic Village - 80 in Moscow, dedicated to the memory of the USSR Master of Sports Sergei Taraskin.

Sergei Vladimirovich Kotov, nicknamed Kot, was among the authoritative people in the Orekhov group and knew Sergei Ivanovich Timofeev personally. Andrei Viktorovich Mikhailov, nicknamed Fantik, was a member of the brigade from 1993 to 1996, and when the latter was killed, he began working with Kot.

On March 1, 1997, Kotov and Mikhailov went to a routine meeting, apparently with someone they knew well and, leaving their wives in the restaurant, expected to return in an hour, but disappeared. About five days later, the car they left in (an armored Mercedes 140) was found in one of the parking lots with broken bulletproof glass. The guys were found a week later in the forest, it seems, on the fortieth kilometer of the Kyiv highway...

Alexander Loginov, nicknamed Bul (1977-2001), was seen in the company of Igor Smirnov (Bear), and it seems that he was somehow involved in, since he was buried nearby. It wasn’t the bullet that killed the bullet, it was the drugs that killed it. At the beginning of the 2000s, shooting in Orekhovo-Borisovo generally subsided.

Nikolai Pavlovich Vetoshkin (1961-1998) was part of Sylvester’s inner circle, but he was involved mainly in “dirty” work. They met back in the eighties, when Vetoshkin worked as a loader in an Orekhovsk store and had the opportunity to get alcohol during Gorbachev’s anti-alcohol campaign.

After the murder of the boss, a real war broke out in the south of Moscow; The once cohesive group began to split into separate brigades, one of which was headed by Vetoshkin. When the district authority Dvoechnik was shot, in 1996-1998. Vetoshkin actually became the main bandit of the southern outskirts of Moscow. Since Nikolai Palych often resorted to the traditional means of resolving controversial situations, namely shooting, by the end of the decade he managed to make a lot of enemies. Extraordinary precautions and an armored Mercedes did not save him from the natural end - execution from a Kalashnikov assault rifle.

Vladislav Albertovich Gorpishchenko, nicknamed Garp (1965-1994). Nikolai Modestov: “...Near his own apartment, one of the promising fighters, Garpishchenko (nickname Garp), was found dead. The killer fired a single shot to the head from the PM...” Garp was killed while Sylvester was still alive, in August 1994, and he became second in the alley after Taraskin.

Sergei Nikolaevich Volodin (1969-1996), nicknamed Dragon, was killed under circumstances unknown to me. According to one version, the Kurgan people dealt with him for the debts of Sergei Ivanovich. It is possible that the killer was Alexander Solonik.

Sergei Dmitrievich Ananyevsky (1962-1996) nicknamed Kultik, honored coach of Russia in powerlifting (powerlifting), champion of the USSR in 1991, first president of the Powerlifting Federation in Russia and part-time... Orekhov’s authority.

Ananyevsky is more often mentioned as the mastermind of the murder of Otari Kvantrishvili. Shot during the power struggle that followed the Sylvester bombing in early March 1996 near the US Embassy on Novinsky Boulevard. According to one version, the murder was committed by “Kurgan people.”

The graves of Volodin and Ananyevsky are united, which speaks of the joint affairs of the deceased and, possibly, friendship.

The usual story for the 1990s: the parents of the “brothers” sometimes outlived their children for decades.