Vladimir Barsukov is one of the most famous and odious crime bosses of the 90s and 2000s. He tried to change the field of activity, became an "honest" businessman, but, in the end, returned to the dock again.
An ordinary guy from the Tambov region managed to become a criminal authority, for a long time headed the largest organized criminal group in St. Petersburg, after serving a term for his actions, became a shareholder of an oil refinery and a vice director of a fuel company. How did he manage to achieve such significant heights both in crime and in business? Who helped him climb the Olympus? And why was he put behind bars again?
Biography of Vladimir Barsukov (Kumarin)
The future hero of the criminal world of St. Petersburg was born in mid-February 1956, in a small village in the Tambov region called Aleksandrovka (Muchkapsky district). Nothing is known about Vladimir's parents, except that he originally bore his father's surname - Kumarin, and when he became an adult, he changed it to his mother's maiden name and became Barsukov.
From childhood, the boy showed leadership qualities that bordered on cruelty. This was noted by his classmates, and colleagues in the unit where he did his compulsory military service, and fellow students at LITMO (Leningrad Institute of Fine Mechanics and Optics), where he studied after the army.
Information about which Leningrad university Barsukov studied at varies. Official sources claim that it was LITMO, and Barsukov himself once said in an interview that he studied at the Technological Institute of the Refrigeration Industry. The study did not last long. Barsukov decided that he did not need a higher education. He just stopped attending classes, got a job as a doorman in a cafe, and then took bartender training, but worked as a "bouncer". How Barsukov spent his free time can be judged by the fact that in 1985, police found an impressive arsenal of weapons and a pile of fake documents at his apartment. So Vladimir received his first term - 2 years in prison.
Criminal biography of Barsukov (Kumarin)
The first term of imprisonment of Vladimir Sergeevich ended in 1987, just when the country was changing dramatically, the criminal environment was getting stronger and growing. Barsukov, then still Kumarin, caught the spirit of the times, gathered an impressive team of fellow countrymen who came to St. Petersburg from the Tambov region, who, like him, wanted easy money and authoritarianism. Initially, the team was small, needed support, and Vladimir and his comrades joined the Velikie Luki organized criminal group. They "worked" under her supervision until 1989.
Coming out of the shadow of the Velikie Luki group, the "Kumarins", as they were then called, staged a loud showdown with another organized criminal group - the Malyshevtsy. The conflict ended in a shootout, most of Barsukov's wards were arrested. He himself was involved in this case only a year later. The “arrow” members received surprisingly mild punishments. Barsukov was released already in 1993, and immediately began to redistribute the spheres of influence in Leningrad. As a result of "negotiations" with the Velikie Luki organized criminal group, he received a significant "piece" of the city, took up extortions among entrepreneurs. Just a year later, a conflict broke out between the Tambov and Velikie Luki organized crime groups, Barsukov was wounded in a shootout and lost his right arm.
By the end of the 90s, Barsukov actually became the only crime boss in St. Petersburg. The Velikie Luki organized criminal group was left without leaders, broke up into small groups, and practically ceased to exist. Vladimir has already been called “the night governor of St. Petersburg,” and he himself decided to become a legal businessman.
Dashing 2000s
The surname Kumarin, the criminal name "Kum" interfered with doing business, and Vladimir decided to take the maiden name of matter - he became Barsukov. But this did not help him to become decent in the eyes of potential "colleagues". He tried to sell petroleum products, became one of the co-founders of Kirishinefteorgsintez, became an assistant to one of the State Duma deputies.
Barsukov's honest business lasted until 2007. Later, a scandal broke out. The newly-minted businessman was convicted of participating in the raider seizure of large stores and retail chains in St. Petersburg. At the end of August 2007, Barsukov was arrested, in November his guilt was proven, confirmed by evidence, and he received 14 years in prison.
In the course of clarifying the circumstances in this case, other crimes of Barsukov were revealed. As a result, several more charges were brought against him - in 2016, in 2018, and two charges in 2019, including in the Starovoitova case. The prosecutor's office found evidence that it was Vladimir Barsukov who ordered the murder of State Duma deputy Galina Starovoitova.
Personal life
Officially, Vladimir Sergeevich was married three times, but the names of his wives, except for the last, are unknown to the public. The first time Barsukov married fictitiously - after expulsion from the institute, he needed a Leningrad residence permit. Without her, he would have been expelled from the city. Nothing is known about the second spouse.
Marina Khaberlakh became the third wife of Vladimir Barsukov. In marriage, a daughter, Maria, was born, she is now an adult, a graduate of St. Petersburg State University, a "socialite". Shortly before his arrest, Barsukov divorced his third wife, but only so that his wife would not lose property registered in her name. But the family did not break up and the couple continued to live together.
Now the former (or current) crime boss is in prison. Experts are confident that the investigation will still bring new charges against him, which will significantly increase the sentence. Whether it will be so, time will tell.
