“Authoritative speech”
After his arrest on May 20, 2020, Anatoly Bykov I have already heard the third verdict. This time he was found guilty of organizing the murder of crime boss Vladimir Filippov, which occurred in June 1998. Taking into account the previous two court decisions, the Krasnoyarsk businessman and politician will have to serve 20 years in prison. Unless, of course, there are no more ships. And this is not at all a fact…
Let us remind you that September 7, 2021 Bykov sentenced to 13 years for organizing the murder of members of his own criminal group Kirill Voitenko And Alexandra Naumovaand on May 12, 2023, Bykov was found guilty of inciting the attempted murder of an entrepreneur Andrey Nekolov, as a result of which the term increased to 17 years. And here is the third case, after which Bykov was given another three years.
The thrice-convicted Bykov did not agree with any of the sentences, and at the last court hearing, after the verdict was announced, he even staged a kind of “rally,” appealing to listeners and accredited journalists. Calling the judge’s decision “nonsense and a disgrace of Krasnoyarsk justice,” Anatoly Petrovich accused Moscow and threatened everyone who testified against him and “fabricated” criminal cases will receive a “fast and fair trial.”
To the chagrin of the guardians of the law, the speech was accompanied by shouts of approval from Bykov’s few supporters, who specially came to the trial to support their “idol.” The bailiffs managed to suppress the “unofficial part” of the court hearing with some difficulty.
Krasnoyarsk residents perceive what is happening differently: some believe that justice has finally triumphed, others are sure that Bykov is not guilty of anything, and all these criminal cases are the machinations of political competitors. And some, agreeing that the current trials of Bykov were initiated by his high-ranking enemies, are sure that everyone knew everything for a long time, they simply did not let the case proceed for the time being. It’s not for nothing that “detectives” have a joke: “When you start an investigation, the main thing is not to expose yourself in the process…” And yet… if Bykov is really a serial organizer and customer of murders, why did it take more than a quarter of a century to put him behind bars?
We need to be closer to people…
And there was undoubtedly some truth in his words. Whatever they say, in the “dashing nineties” Bykov did not spare money for the people’s love: he built orphanages, renovated schools, donated to Orthodox churches, mosques and synagogues, gave money for the purchase of medical equipment for hospitals…
And although Bykov was already followed by an ominous fame, he knew how to win the sympathy of “ordinary people”, whom he never deprived of attention. The chairman of the board of directors of KraZ did not forget to shake hands with the watchman at the factory entrance, inquire about the health of the cleaning lady who came to clean his office… They said that once, realizing that he had unfairly yelled at a subordinate, Bykov gave him gold as an “apology” Swiss Watches.
Having become a deputy, he personally received citizens and also did not skimp on help.
And these are not all his “beautiful gestures”…
And the contract killings that rumor attributed to him, meanwhile, remained unsolved… And this gave rise to well-founded doubts in society:
In a word, the authorities have no one to blame for the “Bykov phenomenon” except themselves…
From first publication to first conviction
In the nineties, the matter was not limited to “rumors” that Bykov created an organized crime group and, in fact, became the “night governor” of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The Izvestia newspaper published several publications by a Krasnoyarsk journalist Alexey Tarasov in which it is unambiguous indicated for Bykov’s role in many “mysterious deaths” of Krasnoyarsk businessmen and crime bosses. Unfortunately, these publications have not been preserved online, only mentions of them. Be that as it may, law enforcement agencies treated these materials indifferently. But Bykov managed to demonstrate his “nobility” here too. It was rumored that, in order to avoid provocations, he gave instructions to establish secret security over the brave journalist. And at one of the public events, Bykov made an attempt to present Tarasov with a valuable gift “for courage and integrity.” The journalist, to his credit, refused the dubious gift.
Anatoly BykovHowever, from the first “revelatory publication” about Bykov to the first criminal case that was opened against him in the early 2000s, under General Swan, almost five years have passed. However, the first case turned into some kind of ridiculous judicial farce.
For organizing the attempted murder of Anatoly Bykov given…six and a half years probation. The first conviction did not in any way prevent Bykov from returning to regional politics. And, although he lost his stake in KraZ, and along with it the “aluminum crown,” Bykov continued to be elected to the legislative assembly and influence the situation in the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
How not to expose yourself…
Three and a half years ago, the detention of Anatoly Bykov was arranged in style: special forces, an assault on the mansion, and a film crew from the federal television channel specially invited for this purpose. The ex-deputy and businessman, it should be noted, did not try to show any resistance then, and no weapons were found on his house during the search. What prevented you from simply sending a couple of employees to him with an arrest warrant, or summoning him for questioning, and even detaining him? Actually, nothing… But the action needed to be given weight, framed as a full-fledged story for the media, the subtext of which was clear: “So it will be with everyone who encroaches”. It is known that in 2020 Anatoly Bykov led an active fight against Alexander Ussthe acting governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory at that time, and Bykov’s arrest was supposed to clearly demonstrate that this is not the nineties, and no one will allow some “criminal authorities” to fight with the “sovereign people” on an equal footing.
Alexander UssFew doubted that the detention for crimes that were committed more than a quarter of a century ago was nothing more than the revenge of the regional leader on his former “associate.” And the fact that Alexander Uss and Anatoly Bykov in the nineties, and even in the 2000s, were not just on good terms, but were considered comrades-in-arms, is known to everyone in the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
Moreover, there is a version that it was Uss who played a role in the development of Bykov as a crime boss. After all, in the nineties he served as vice-governor for legal affairs, and such fateful decisions as, for example, the privatization of the Krasnoyarsk aluminum smelter, without his knowledge accepted could not.
Few people can predict now whether there will be a continuation of this criminal saga. In any case, not all the contract killings that happened in Krasnoyarsk in the nineties have been solved.
For example, death investigative journalist Vadim Alferev, killed on December 26, 1995 in the entrance of his own house. Shortly before his death, he wrote a series of materials about the “Udachny” cottage community under construction, in which the then “masters of life” were building their mansions. One of Alferyev’s last publications was dedicated to the mansion of Father Alexander Uss. In those days, Vadim Alferev’s mother directly indicated on the involvement of the then speaker of the regional legislature in this story. And in May 2023, the lawyer of the reputable entrepreneur Anatoly Bykov Alexey Prokhorov told journalists that FSB officers asked his client about the circumstances of Alferyev’s murder. At the same time, the lawyer did not specify what exactly the conversation was about…
Let us remember that in the nineties, Alexander Uss and Anatoly Bykov were not yet “bosom enemies”, and they helped each other in everything they could and in whatever way they could. And for some reason, it’s hard to get rid of the feeling that the story with the Bykov courts is not over yet.
