Vladimir Barsukov is one of the most famous and odious criminal authorities of the 90s and 2000s. He tried to change his sphere of activity, became an βhonestβ 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 he headed the largest organized crime group in St. Petersburg, after serving a term for his actions, he became a shareholder in an oil refinery and vice-director of a fuel company. How did he manage to achieve such significant heights in crime and in business? Who helped him climb the Olympus? And why was he again imprisoned?
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 (Muchkap district). Nothing is known about Vladimir's parents, except that he initially 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 part where he served in military service, and fellow students at LITMO (Leningrad Institute of Precision Mechanics and Optics), where he studied after the army.
Information about which Barsukov studied at the Leningrad University is different. 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. Studying did not last long. Barsukov decided that he did not need higher education. He simply stopped attending classes, got a job as a doorman in a cafe, and then went through bartender training courses, but worked as a bouncer. How Barsukov spent his free time can be judged by the fact that in 1985 at his apartment, police found an impressive arsenal of weapons and a pile of forged documents. So Vladimir received his first term - 2 years in prison.
The criminal biography of Barsukov (Kumarina)
The first term of imprisonment of Vladimir Sergeyevich ended in 1987, just when the country was changing dramatically, the criminal environment grew stronger and expanded. Barsukov, then Kumarin, captured the trends of the time, 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 Velikolukskaya criminal group. Under her leadership, they "worked" until 1989.
Coming out of the shadow of the Velikiye Luki group, the Kumarintsy, as they were then called, staged loud showdowns with another organized crime group - the Malyshevtsy. The conflict ended in a shootout, most of Barsukovβs wards were arrested. He himself was attracted to this case only a year later. Participants of the βarrowβ received surprisingly mild punishments. Barsukov was released already in 1993, and immediately took up the redistribution of spheres of influence in Leningrad. As a result of the "negotiations" with the Velikolukskaya organized crime group, he received a significant "piece" of the city, took up requisitions among entrepreneurs. Just a year later, a conflict occurred between the Tambov and Velikoluksky organized crime groups, Barsukov was wounded in a shootout and lost his right hand.
By the end of the 90s, Barsukov actually became the only criminal authority in St. Petersburg. The Velikiye Luki organized crime group was left without leaders, split into small groups, and practically ceased to exist. Vladimir was already called the "night governor of St. Petersburg", and he decided to move into legal businessmen.
Dashing 2000s
The surname Kumarin, the criminal name "Kum" prevented him from doing business, and Vladimir decided to take the maiden name of matter - he became Barsukov. But this did not help him become decent in the eyes of potential "colleagues." He tried to sell petroleum products, became one of the co-founders of Kirishinefteorgsintez, and became an assistant to one of the State Duma deputies.
The honest business of Barsukov 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. In late August 2007, Barsukov was arrested, in November his guilt was proved, confirmed by evidence and he received 14 years in prison.
In the course of clarifying the circumstances of this case, other Barsukov crimes 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 Starovoitova Galina.
