Some consider him a hero of their time, while others see him as a criminal and a villain. Ambiguous assessments reflect the contradictory nature of Yuri Shutov and his activities. One of Anatoly Sobchak's closest assistants later became a disgraced politician and received a life sentence.
From the biography of Yuri Titovich Shutov
Yuri Shutov was born on March 16, 1946 in Leningrad. Shutov's parents were front-line soldiers. However, there is practically no information about his family and personal life in the public domain. All the main milestones of his political and writing career are in one way or another connected with the city on the Neva. After graduating from high school, Yura became a student at the Shipbuilding Institute. After completing his studies, he began to work at Glavleningradstroy.
In the early 1980s, Shutov was responsible for the statistics of the city and the region. A few years later, Yuri Titovich was accused of setting fire to a government building. The motive was the desire to destroy the compromising documentation. As a result of the investigation, Shutov was accused of large-scale embezzlement and received five years in prison.
In Soviet times, it was difficult for a person with a criminal record to find a decent job. But new times have begun, the rules have changed. Shutov was rehabilitated. Then there was a laudatory publication in Ogonyok, which emphasized the business qualities of this leader. Shutov became the hero of perestroika.
The rise and fall of the career of Yuri Shutov
The politician's popularity began to grow after his participation in the "600 seconds" program. Anatoly Sobchak, who headed the Leningrad Soviet at that time, took Yuri Titovich as his assistant. But after a while Shutov was fired. The official reason is inefficiency at work. However, in his book Shutov expressed a different version: the real reason for the dismissal was the differences in views on the methods of doing business in the region between him and Sobchak. Yuri Shutov told about his disagreements with Sobchak in the sensational book "A Dog's Heart" (1993).
After his removal from office, Shutov was accused of having links with organized crime. In 1992, a gang involved in property destruction and extortion was arrested. Yuri Shutov was also charged with complicity. But then he was released for lack of evidence.
In the mid-90s, Shutov happened to take part in the city commission, which analyzed the results of privatization.
In 1997, Shutov was suspected of organizing the daring murder of Mikhail Manevich, who at one time was in charge of city property.
In February 1999, Shutov was arrested again. He spent more than two years waiting for the end of the investigation. For more than four more years, the case was considered in court. Shutov was sentenced in February 2006. He received a life sentence. The court found him guilty of contract killings and several attempted murders. Shutov was also charged with several episodes of abductions. The politician's involvement in the activities of an organized criminal group was proved.
Shutov was serving his sentence in the city of Solikamsk, in the White Swan colony. Here he died on December 12, 2014.
