The singer's ex-director speaks for the first time about the tragedy of 21 years ago
The singer's ex-director speaks for the first time about the tragedy of 21 years ago
Valery SHLYAFMAN fled the country four months after the murder of Igor TALKOV. It soon became clear that the concert director of the idol of the 80s, who became the main suspect in this heinous crime, was hiding in Israel. All these years Valery refused to give an interview Russian journalists. He made an exception only for Express Newspaper.
To meet with Valery Shlyafman It turned out to be difficult. Fellow journalists in Tel Aviv do not know his address or telephone number. After all, Valery always avoided Jewish media, just like Russian ones. To confuse his tracks, he even married a second time and changed his last name. Now according to his passport he is Vysotsky! I found Valery at his concert agency, whose address was given in confidence by a mutual friend for $300.
In a small room there are two offices at once - a ticket office for selling tickets to concerts of our star touring performers and an agency for renting and selling real estate. In a thin, short man, I did not immediately recognize the alleged killer of the legendary singer.
It's actually not that hard to find me. “Everyone sees and knows me,” Shlyafman grinned wryly, drawing out the first syllables in Odessa style and boring into me with his slightly inflamed black eyes. - Investigators are aware that I am in Israel. Another thing is that until recently I did not want to communicate with the Russian media. For me this is a personal tragedy - my life has been destroyed...
Fight
- I understand that this is not easy for you, but let’s, Valery, remember once again what happened on that fateful evening...
There were gangster times in the 90s. Anyone who had anything to do with criminal structures was then considered almost a president. U Igor Malakhov, singer director Aziz, the brother was an influential man in the underworld. Malakhov himself was famous for collecting tribute from prostitutes and small businesses at the Cosmos Hotel.
We came to Leningrad by invitation Anatoly Sobchak perform on Palace Square at the “Rock Against Tanks” show. And three weeks later they took part in a concert at the Yubileiny Palace and from there they were going to fly to Sochi. The presenter came up to me and asked: “Aziza doesn’t have time to change clothes and wants to change places with Igor.” Then they called me to go to the cafeteria, where Aziza and Malakhov were sitting, Lolita, Sasha Tsekalo. I politely asked: “Who is your director?” To which Malakhov stood up, took me to a corner and began like this: “Valera, sit down and don’t rock the boat! We will go earlier, and you will go later.” Now, at 48, I would have reacted more calmly, but at that time, at 27, hearing something like that was like getting punched in the face. Young, the blood began to sparkle... I went to Igor and explained the situation. Talkov invited director Aziza to come to us. The thieves' jargon began again, and in the end he was taken out.
-Who pulled out the gun first?
Igor Malakhov took out his gun. By the way, that was the first time I saw a real weapon. I immediately ran to Igor’s bag, because he usually carried a small hatchet or gas pistol. Talkov stopped me: “What are you looking for?” I explained, but Igor pushed me away from the bag.
He himself grabbed his gas pistol and ran to Malakhov.
- When you came running, what did you see?
Fight. A lot of people were fighting. Including Igor’s guards, who were listed as stage workers. IN Russian show business The concept of “bodyguard” did not exist back then. The guys transported the scenery and at the same time served as security. Everyone knew that one of Igor’s very close friends was connected with the Solntsevo group. So, I intervened in the fight at the moment when Malakhov’s hand was pressed to the floor, and he was beaten on the back of the head. I heard clicks, the drum was spinning, I rushed and grabbed the pistol from his hands. At the time of the shooting, it was unclear whether anyone was injured or not. I didn’t see Igor again until the moment when they carried him out in their arms.
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One bullet hit the column, one somewhere else to the side, and one pierced Talkov’s lung and heart. It is unclear what the investigators did, but they never conducted a real examination.
Where did the gun go? Elena Kondaurova, the singer’s last beloved woman, said that she saw how the murder weapon was removed.
I hid it in the toilet, in the tank. But Aziza and the costume designer stole the pistol, and then, together with Malakhov, dismantled it piece by piece. At the moment, there is no main evidence - the weapon used to kill Talkov. Why did Igor Malakhov do this? There is a proverb: a thief's cap is on fire. But they made me the main culprit, since there were traces of gunpowder on my shirt. But I picked up Malakhov’s pistol, it couldn’t have been any other way. I returned home, changed my clothes, and threw the shirt into the laundry basket. And the investigators came and made the main material evidence out of it. - When did you decide that you had to flee the country?
I came to St. Petersburg for questioning, and the investigator from the prosecutor’s office said: “You need to leave. Go to Israel to visit your parents. Two witnesses have testified against you.” They placed Igor Malakhov at the entrance to the prosecutor’s office so that it would put pressure on my psyche. Malakhov had nothing. For some reason they decided that I had fired the third shot. At the trial, he himself spoke about two shots, but did not confirm the third, which became fatal. Although, according to my sources, in drunken conversations he confessed to the murder more than once.
- How did his fate turn out?
Left for South Africa. Got married. Drinks a lot.
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Fates
- How did you get to the Promised Land?
The murder occurred on October 6. And I left on February 12! I didn't run away. He warned Talkov’s wife that I was going to Israel. It was in everyone’s interest that the matter would be hushed up and that they would turn a blind eye to my departure. I flew to Tel Aviv via Kyiv. The investigator came here five months later and wanted to interrogate me. He was not allowed.
The Russian prosecutor's office made so many inquiries about me! And the Israeli prosecutor's office told them: send the case materials, if he is guilty, we will judge him, and if not, leave him alone. The file was not sent. Nobody wants to be taken to the end. And then in Russian press There were also rumors that the murder was organized by Israeli intelligence! Rave.
About eight years ago they sent a document stating that the case was being closed due to statute of limitations. I had to sign, but I refused. This meant that the crime had not been solved and this folder could be opened at any moment. I stated that I could only sign a termination for lack of evidence of a crime. This would acknowledge my innocence.
- Is it no longer important for you that Talkov’s murder is solved?
Important. But there is no need to look for the killer. Everyone knows who did it and how. For me, the culprit was found on the very first day when the tragedy occurred. But all the evidence has disappeared, so today it is impossible to find the culprit. And that’s how it was. Malakhov was hit on the back of the head, he automatically reached for the pistol. Shot. It’s amazing how easily he was released; so many legal laws were violated. People from the criminal world already had connections with the authorities.
A month before the incident, Talkov wrote an exposing song about the president Boris Yeltsin and sent it to him. Everyone said: “What are you doing?” I know, Igor got a call before the fateful tour. Tanya heard Talkov say: “You won’t intimidate me.” This is where rumors began that organs were involved in the murder.
- And Aziza?
Aziza is an unhappy person, she is not to blame for anything. It was her director who behaved incorrectly then. He told her: “Do this and that, take out the weapon, you need to throw it away.” He behaved like a bandit: he pulled out the weapon, took it apart piece by piece and drowned it in the river.
- How long have you collaborated with Igor?
One and half year. Before that I worked with Lyudmila Senchina. Talkov’s relationship with the former director collapsed: stadiums appeared, money became different, and no one understood how to work with it. We were shocked by the opportunities that opened up for us. Every evening Talkov came to my house. Igor has changed: he has become softer and kinder. I remember how we were traveling on the train shortly before the events and he said: “God sent you to me. What a blessing that we are collaborating.” At all the concerts that we worked on, I did not leave the stage until the last song.
- Who was Elena Kondaurova for Talkov?
Lena and Igor met at my house a few months before their death. She became his girlfriend. Nobody knows how their relationship would have turned out...
- Is it true that she was expecting a child from him, but after this event there was a miscarriage?
I only remember that Elena said: “I want a child from him.”
- How do you mark the date of Igor’s death?
I don’t light a candle, but every year, on October 6th, I remember it. There is not a moment when I don’t think about it. - Do you communicate with Talkov’s wife?
Not with Tanya, but I call back with the artist guys, Elena Kondaurova. With all those who have not turned their backs on me.
- Don’t you want to come to Russia?
I've been here for 21 years, that's a long time. He got married and had two children. I deal with real estate and tickets. Never set foot in Russia again!
This story had a strange impact on the fates of all participants. As it turned out later, Aziza was expecting a child from Igor Malakhov at that time and lost him because of her worries. She broke up with Malakhov, but was never able to give birth. Elena Kondaurova had a miscarriage from Talkov, and she is childless. All the guards involved in the fight, one after another, tragically died under strange circumstances, you have...
Life also collapsed. When I left for Israel, my little daughter remained in Moscow. I haven't seen her long years. I tried not to communicate with them and hide them so that the press would not ruin their lives. Even in Israel I avoided communicating with journalists. When I first arrived, I opened a grocery store in the town of Ramatgan. People came in only to gawk at Talkov’s killer. I changed cities and took my wife’s last name. Many thought that this was a nickname - Vysotsky. Now I am raising children and living the normal life of an average Russian Israeli.
Main reasons for murder
It was 1991. Everything went according to plan. People received a new portion of noodles on their ears along with perestroika. Party officials - new positions and prospects for appointments. Former republics Soviet Union- possibility of immediate independence. And only one person was worried about what kind of state Russia would become in the near future. At his concerts, he already organized the long-awaited trial of the communists. But the plans of the communists themselves did not include their trial. It was easy to sign your own death warrant in those years. It was necessary to disrupt and destroy the plans of those who were calmly planning to pocket all the wealth for themselves former USSR. Talkov was precise in his poems like no one else.
"Who stood at the throne yesterday,
That one is still there.
The bastards changed lanes in the blink of an eye,
And while they are at the throne, all of us are worthless."
Do you agree, a lot? But that is not all. There was also the song "Mr. President". “We are tired of lies, there are heaps of crows in the sky. Enough!” They didn’t need anyone who understood the situation. They needed what any government needs - an obedient electorate, which subsequently squanders “choose with your heart” and the rest. It was also necessary to gently collapse the country, disconnect the republics, take away nuclear weapons, then show people what instability and chaos are, and then normalize the situation with the arrival of a strong leader. Did Talkov really interfere with this? Many people will laugh now and say, what is it - a musician, songs, nonsense. But there was no PR then. And such songs had an extremely strong effect on people at that time. Many people's consciousness turned over, people began to see clearly. One of those who have seen the light is myself. Talkov's songs and his activities pushed me to study history, write poetry and music, and radically changed my
life. Imagine if he continued singing? Such influence on the masses had to be stopped urgently.
Before eliminating a person, they conduct conversations with him, counting on the fact that the person will understand and abandon his idea. They talked to Igor, then threatened him. In the end, they couldn’t persuade him and decided to eliminate him. The execution was entrusted to professionals. And they organized it on top level. Later, one admits that he received the order. And you ask me why in fact it is still classified as “Secret” in 2015? What do you think? "Who stood at the throne yesterday..."
Murder technology
So, professionals worked. About how this case would subsequently turn out, who needed to be blamed and how to play the murder card a little later, those who were “rebuilding” and whom Talkov terribly disturbed with his songs apparently knew. It was necessary to kill him for a reason. It couldn't have been a domestic incident, an accident, or a ridiculous incident. As in the case of Nemtsov, some rules had to be followed:
1. Public death, kill as a warning to others
2. The overthrow of idols, an insignificant reason for death
3. Unsolved crime
4. Red Herring
Talkov was a musician and the ideal option for him was a concert. But how? Get shot during a performance? No, it's too simple. Ambush after the concert? Trite. We decided to use provocation before the concert. The ideal way is the order of the artists; in those years this meant status. Malakhov and two of Talkov’s bodyguards worked together. Subsequently, both of them will say goodbye to life, and Malakhov to his brother. In those years, it was apparently easy to catch former athletes committing crimes.
bodyguards Barkovsky and Bondarenko were sinners. Therefore, their role was reduced to a brawl, they were asked to play along and that’s it. Malakhov's role is that of a provocateur. The ideal person, who could have been provoked was Shlyafman. Valery Shlyafman came to Talkov quite by accident, having previously worked with Senchina. But someone told him that Talkov could make good money at concerts. The unbalanced Shlyafman is an ideal option for provocations. He was turned on half-heartedly, Malakhov said rude things to him and challenged him to a conflict. The brawl that took place in the hall was necessary for the one who shot Talkov.
And here is the most important point! In what ways is this murder similar to the murder of Nemtsov, whose technology I wrote about? By what was created DISTRACTION MANEUVER during which the murder took place. Remember one of the basic principles of a thief? Distract a person with one maneuver in order to carry out another and take what is needed. This is exactly what happened with Nemtsov. A diversionary maneuver (he felt bad), a girl who went away for help, a killer pretending to help him come to his senses, and that’s all. Nobody knows who killed Nemtsov, it seems
no one remembers the shots, and no one saw anything, because they COULD NOT SEE! In the case of Talkov, the distracting maneuver was a scuffle with shooting.
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Here is how it was. Provocation, conflict, fight between Malakhov and bodyguards. He managed to shoot a couple of times, no matter when or how. Then Shlyafman intercepted the pistol. When he pulled the trigger the cartridges were no longer there. Talkov had by that time fired his gas cartridges, which turned out to be expired. There was smoke in the room, allegedly from Talkov firing from a gas pistol. But most likely the killer threw a smoke bomb for cover. Or a concert smoke machine was used. It was necessary to create a smoke screen. When the conflict with Malakhov was settled and everyone dispersed, Talkov walked towards the stage, moving away from the scene of events. Where the killer shot was fired. There was a dull sound, many heard it. The shot was from the knee, from bottom to top in the heart area from close range. The thirst for life turned out to be stronger than the killer’s bullet and Talkov went to the stage, but when he reached the mirror he collapsed. He probably wanted to say from the stage that he was shot and who shot him. The killers had a backup option ready. They knew that the shot would be in the heart area. People in white coats instantly appeared, ostensibly to provide medical assistance. Direct cardiac massage was the “control” for such a wound. After that, the guys disappeared and did not appear again. By the way, they could have given some kind of injection. On the same day there was an attempt to disrupt the ambulance with calls. They called several times, calling an ambulance to a false address. Records of this remained in the journals of those years. As a result, the ambulance arrived in half an hour. Talkov was already dead.
Next, the press immediately worked. This once again suggests that the murder was supervised from above. The press was stuffed and leaked with “necessary” information. Articles immediately appeared that Talkov allegedly got into a drunken showdown behind the stage and was killed because of a banal line of artists. That is, essentially a petty person who died because of his status and thirst for fame. Has the 4-point task been completed? Yes! The death is public, the idol is defeated, there was a distraction, the crime will never be solved.
Who used Talkov's murder
Those who controlled the murder knew that many years later they would be able to play this card to fulfill a long-time dream. Yes, we're talking about about the restoration of the empire. Therefore, they took one step - they asked Valery Shlyafman to leave for his homeland, supposedly for safety reasons. To remember about him in 20 years. Not understanding anything and taken aback by all this, Shlyafman decided to leave. He was a passionate person, but nothing more. Which of you has never flared up during a fight and has been cold-blooded - be the first to throw a stone at me. You probably saw that shameful program on Russian TV, in which a certain “friend” of Talkov, as well as musicians Tolmatsky and Saltykov, convinced Valery Shlyafman on a direct line to confess to the crime. They even promised him forgiveness. Funny, right? They say, we are so good-natured, we don’t remember evil, but you confess... And then great empire will forgive him and his small country. Well played, right? But we knew that this would happen in advance, I’m sure!
By then, the main witnesses had been killed or intimidated. They killed Malakhov's brother as a threat. Talkov's bodyguards were killed: Barkovsky, Bondarenko. It was certainly not the authorities’ plans to investigate all this, and the investigator brought the case to the right level. It is very easy to accuse a person of another nation, who also already lives abroad. Well, and at the same time show the greatness of the imperial scale.
Answers on questions
1. Did Shlyafman shoot? No. When Shlyafman took the pistol, the drum had already been turned several times and there were no cartridges in it.
2. Did Malakhov shoot? No, it was not Malakhov who shot Talkov. His shots missed, the bullets were later found.
3. Was Aziza involved? Her role has not been established. But it was she who asked Malakhov to go and figure it out, everyone heard this when they were sitting in the Yubileiny cafe. Nothing would have happened if this person had not asked her to change places with Talkov. According to A. Razin, singer Aziza said the following: “Talc is not a star for me, go and change places with us.” Can this be considered complicity? After all, Malakhov himself could have convinced her of this. Let's leave this question aside.
4. Who shot Talkov? The killer fired from a PM pistol with a silencer. There was a dull sound, everyone heard a dull sound after the fight! If Malakhov's revolver had fired, we would have heard a loud sound.
5. What other insurances were there besides the killer? There was surveillance, this can be seen in the video below, as people from surveillance are running (9:48). That is, Talkov was monitored very closely.
6. Who was responsible for the death? There was a safety net in the form of cardiac massage by unknown people in white coats. By the way, they might not have been privy to the details of the operation. They could simply be asked to give a massage to the wounded (or an injection). There is also a version that another killer was waiting in the hall during Talkov’s performance, in case the provocation in the dressing room had failed.
7. Where did Shlyafman's shirt come from as the main piece of evidence? Shlyafman’s shirt with traces of gunpowder could have been planted on the investigator. But the shirt itself does not give anything. During the shooting, Shlyafman was near Malakhov and the marks could have gotten on his shirt.
8. K What role did Talkov’s bodyguards perform? Two of them were killed under strange circumstances, most likely they knew something. A. Barkovsky - killed in a restaurant with fittings, before his death he recalled the episode of the murder on the operating table. Bodyguard Ignatenko - survived several assassination attempts (including being stabbed in the stomach), fears for his family, is now in hiding. Attempts on a mere mortal? Doesn't this seem strange to you? Bodyguard Arkady Bondarenko - suicide, cut off his finger before his death and jumped out of the window. Maybe that finger that pressed
trigger?
9. Was Malakhov himself a complete piece of shit, as some people imagine him to be? No. It was a regular guy, endowed with a little power, playing with ambition. People were not very corrupt at that time. After these events, Malakhov talked a lot with the artists, asked for an apology, and said that he was not the one who shot. If a person is absolute shit, then he wouldn’t do it.
10. Was Talkov drunk? No, there was no alcohol in Talkov’s blood.
11. Where is Malakhov now? Very ill now, lived in South Africa. A few years after Talkov’s murder, Malakhov’s brother was killed. Apparently with the aim of forcing him to remain silent.
12. Why was there no security at the concert? The riot police disappeared about 15 minutes before the murder. Who do you think could have made such an important decision and on whose orders did the riot police leave?
13. Was Talkov's hand shot? They say that when Shlyafman fired, Talkov allegedly defended himself with his hand. No, according to the testimony of Berkova and Muromov, who examined Igor after his death, his arm was not shot.
14. Was Talkov a nationalist? No, there was work to denigrate him by apparently the same forces who later eliminated him. He was invited to the Memory Society and filmed, and the events are now presented as his entry into the nationalist Memory Society.
15. What was the shot fired from? From PM with a muffler. The bullet in Talkov was fired from a PM pistol, according to the investigator’s examination. Malakhov had a revolver that contained other cartridges. Do you have any more questions about Malakhov or Shlyafman?
16.Why did you arrive so late" Ambulance"? From a conversation with the ambulance driver who worked on this call. He said: “They held us for forty minutes. There were calls from Yubileiny, but they wouldn’t let us leave.”
You will see everything else in the video below. First, an interview where Igor himself talks about “perestroika”, and about the “Memory” society, and about friendship between nations, and about the fact that he is on the side of the people. At first he is alive and after a few hours already dead. It also shows the first footage after the murder. If you are impressionable, please do not watch!
Now it’s clear: Igor Malakhov fired the fatal shot!
Now it’s clear: Igor Malakhov fired the fatal shot!
In a month, all TV channels in the country will remember Igor TALKOV. On October 6, 1991 (25 years ago), the singer was shot dead in Leningrad. The charge was brought against its director, Valery SHLYAFMAN, after which he fled to Israel. On the Promised Land, he changed his last name, becoming VYSOTSKY, and tries in vain to prove his innocence. There was another suspect in the case - singer Aziza's lover, kickboxer Igor MALAKHOV. The court found him guilty under the article “Illegal possession of weapons” and gave him only three years of probation. Recently, at the age of 53, Malakhov died without giving a single interview in his entire life.
Three years ago I tried to talk to Igor Malakhov(which follows Shlyafman changed his last name, becoming Rus). Then he ended up in a Moscow clinic with cirrhosis of the liver. Igor categorically refused to talk. Neither his mother Galina Stepanovna nor his actress wife wanted to talk to the press. Ksenia Kuznetsova, who gave birth to two sons from him.
I found their family in a remote village near Moscow, where they lived in a huge log mansion. As soon as she saw my correspondent’s ID, the crazy mother unleashed two equally crazy dogs on me.
And this summer, fate brought me together with a former employee of the Moscow Criminal Investigation Department, a retired lieutenant colonel Sergei Valeriev. From several conversations with a policeman, this interview resulted, which sheds light on many of the blind spots in the mysterious story.
17 knife
Igor Malakhov was a real authority in the 90s, my new acquaintance recalled. - He was a member of the Mazutka group, headed by Petrik - Petrov Alexey Dinarovich. The brigade lived in the area of the Cosmos Hotel and Maryina Roshcha. And then the KGB officers turned to us. One of the dancers of the variety show at the Ukraine Hotel was married to a Frenchman. The security officers kept all such marriages under control. But it turned out that the lady was cheating on a foreigner with Malakhov. The guys from the KGB came to me to inquire about him.
- What, Igor was a real gangster?
Something like that. Martial arts were fashionable back then. Malakhov was fond of them and even became the champion of Siberia in kickboxing. Nature gifted him with hearing and artistry. Igor graduated from a music school, studied at a theater school on a course with Olga Kabo. Was friends with Zhenya Belousov, made acquaintance with Aizenshpis. When Belousov fell ill, Igor often went to see him. I remember saying: “Not a single bitch came when I was dying.” He knew the whole elite. In addition, he is blond, taller than 180. In general, a movie hero of the Scandinavian type. The girls were hanging on to him.
We became intimately acquainted with him in 1990, a year before the murder Talkova. Information appeared that the Dagestanis cut Malakhov at the Ukraine Hotel. He was stabbed 17 times and ended up in the hospital. The conflict occurred over a prostitute Marina Krylova, who worked at Cosmos, for which he and his brother Oleg, nicknamed Alena, stood up. Krylova is a pretty girl, a little over 20 years old. She came to our department in mink coat, behaved modestly. We were drooling looking at her.
Our task was to extract information about the Dagestan group. Igor honestly said that his brother Oleg beat their leader Kolya-Krysha for running over a girl. The Dagestanis wanted revenge, but attacked Igor - they confused him. There was no living space on it. We came to the hospital to take statements, and he explained: “I’ll figure it out myself, we have ideas.” After a couple of months, the wounds healed. And we sent some of those Caucasians to prison, although Malakhov did not help the investigation.
- After that incident, did you meet with Malakhov?
Having recovered, he somehow drove up in a car, and sitting next to him was Aziza. He called her “Chukchi”.
- Interesting relationships. By the way, remind readers: how does a thief in law differ from an authority figure?
A thief in law honors the code of thieves. The basic principles are to steal, not have a family and children, and earn money for food in a criminal way. Thieves in law did not engage in extortion, did not kill with weapons, acting if necessary with sharpening. In the 90s, they were replaced by people like Malakhov - authorities. Athletes without a criminal record. There are no limits to authority. This is a gangster who is not responsible to the thieves' community. The authorities were afraid to enter the zone because thieves' laws were in force there.
Without malice
- How did you find out about Talkov’s death?
- From TV, like everyone else. The murder took place a couple of weeks after the coup. Euphoria, concerts. Crowds of idiots on the streets shouted: “Yeltsin, Yeltsin!” By the way, the murder of Talkov was then rumored to be associated with both Boris Nikolaevich and the Jewish conspiracy. The next day I go to work, Malakhov calls: “Sergei, I’m not involved, I’m not a murderer.” I said, “Don't make a fuss. You are wanted. I can help, but within the limits of the law.” My task was to establish psychological contact. “Come to Petrovka, 38, I have to see you,” I ended the conversation. Igor was catastrophically afraid that he would be imprisoned. We installed the equipment and tried to take control, but then the KGB, led by Litvinenko. They wanted to take the laurels of the winners. They listened to the telephone recording, rushed, confused Igor with his brother Oleg and knocked him on the head. Igor calls me again: “I’ll sit on the bottom. What are you doing?!" By the way, Malakhov later became friends with this Litvinenko from the KGB.
- Wait. Litvinenko? The same one?!
- Well, yes, he later served Boris Abramovich Berezovsky. The British poisoned him with polonium and blamed the murder on the FSB.
A team of Leningrad investigators is coming to us. With one of them I bet a glass of vodka that Igor would voluntarily come to Petrovka. And he won. All my conversations with Malakhov, of course, were bugged. He was in a difficult mental state. Valery Zubarev, the investigator who was assigned the case turned out to be normal person. I say: “Our task is to remove the resonance, to solve the crime.” And such a cry arose! This is big politics, they say. The deputy head of the search began to attack: “Let’s throw him in the cell, we’ll split him.” But they still decided to release it under subscription. Zubarev interrogated everyone and rendered a verdict: “According to the testimony, Shlyafman is guilty.”
In “Yubileiny” there was a “Sound Track”, and at the same time, in another place, kickboxing competitions were held, in which Igor was a member of the leadership of the association. The stars performed between fights. Among them is Aziza. And then they called her. They said that one of the artists did not come to the “Sound Track” performance and they needed to replace him. Aziza decided to quickly go there, although Malakhov dissuaded her: she risked not returning by the right time. Then Aziza suggested talking to Talkov. To switch turns with him.
We arrived at Yubileiny. Malakhov went to Talkov’s director Shlyafman. Word for word, a fight... Talkov called security from among the former Tula paratroopers. A fight broke out, and Malakhov had a revolver. The singer's security pushed him down and began twisting his arms. Talkov ran up and started kicking. Malakhov fired three or four shots. And one of the bullets hit Talkov. There was no premeditated murder. Then this pistol was thrust into Shlyafman’s hands. Although Malakhov was severely beaten, he left unhindered through the hall. Shlyafman brought the barrel to Aziza. She gave it to Igor, and he threw it into the Fontanka.
There are still creepy demotivators floating around the Internet blaming SHLYAFMAN (pictured on the right) for the musician’s death. But it turns out that he is not to blame for anything. Photo: fotki.yandex.ru
Faithful Leninist
- Did you go to court?
I wasn't called. Igor was given a suspended sentence. When the court made its decision, he immediately called me and asked me to come to the Ukraina. And during the meeting he quietly said: “I want to tell you, this is my shot. I take your word that you won’t say anything.” I was silent for 25 years. I am an Orthodox person and I no longer want to bear this sin. Now I’m talking about this calmly. Because Malakhov is no longer alive. I am in favor of dropping the charge against the poor Jew Shlyafman.
I met him several years ago. Can you imagine what it’s like to live your whole life with the stigma of “Talkov’s killer”?
I am ready to give a confession if this will help somehow remove the guilt from Shlyafman. But believe me, Igor paid for what he did. Recent years 15 friends called him Ilyich. He started drinking heavily and hung a portrait at home Lenin. He told everyone: “This is the most fair man" In short, something happened to my head. It's like they replaced him.
Strange things have been observed about Igor before. In the early 90s, when he broke up with Aziza, he became a novice of the Pskov-Pechersk Monastery. But the Lord turned him around in such a way that Igor began to speak out against the faith. He went into paganism, fell into the Vedas, mysticism. Many believing guys who recently came to his funeral stopped communicating with Igor because of this.
Before his death, Malakhov became unusually fat: the Lord took his money and beauty from him. I went to see him out of town. Conversations with him were burdensome. I realized that Igor was being eaten by the evil one. Paganism, after all, involves witchcraft and divination.
But his brother’s death had an even stronger impact on his psyche: Oleg was shot in the back of the head when he, having opened the door for someone, turned his back to the guest. My brother was addicted to coke and was associated with drug dealers.
- Was Aziza at Malakhov’s funeral?
She arrived when the urn was being taken away from the crematorium. I sang a soulful song right there. Mom decided to bury Igor in hometown- in Kurgan. It’s a pity that you can’t even light a candle for him in church.
The former director of Aziza, who was in hiding for 22 years, from whose pistol the singer was killed, is dying
His acquaintances said that he left Russia for South Africa and is engaged in business related to precious stones. And only when Igor Malakhov recently ended up in the intensive care unit of one of the capital’s hospitals, the truth became known. Today it is clear that the murder of the idol of the 80s and 90s, Igor Talkov, will never be solved. One of the culprits of the fight at Yubileiny, where the singer’s last performance took place, may take the secret to the grave. Because he himself is near death.
Exactly from a pistol Igor Malakhov, who was a member of the Solntsevo criminal group, was shot dead by Igor Talkov. Although St. Petersburg investigators, relying on a ballistic examination, decided that the shot was fired by the singer’s director who allegedly snatched the weapon from Malakhov’s hands Valery Shlyafman, many continue to suspect Igor.
Singer Aziza, whose director Malakhov then worked, never spoke about his whereabouts. But, having learned that he was dying, she could not remain silent.
Mistress
“Igor is in the hospital, dying,” says Aziza. “When I found out about what happened, I started calling him. Nobody answered the phone. He has a severe form of diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver... Blood transfusions are done every day. I asked the musicians to donate blood.
— Did you hear the version that they shot him later?
- This is not true... Igor drank heavily at one time, it happened. Mutual friends said that when he walked, blood oozed from under his toenails. He didn’t listen to anyone, he rejected doctors, he was treated with herbs... I told him about the diet, but he didn’t follow it. Igor left people. He lived with his family in the forest and prayed to God. I almost fell when I found out that he was in the hospital.
— How did you keep in touch with him?
- He called himself. Happy birthday every year. From a human perspective, I feel very sorry for him: I loved him, I wanted to have a child with him, but I couldn’t bear it due to nervous stress. When a person dies, it becomes scary. Last time Igor called in April on my birthday. I never reminded him of Talkov. All the time he asked me for forgiveness, he began the conversation with these words: “If I am guilty of something, forgive me.” I said: “Why are you doing this?”
— When did you break up with Igor?
— We were together until 1994. Igor's younger brother was shot, and he was very worried. Dashing times of the 90s... The killer was never found. So many destinies have been crippled. Malakhov was gifted and smart person, but everything turned out tragically. And I feel sorry for Valerka Shlyafman...
- Why did you break up? Because of Talkov?
— After Talkov’s death, he became nervous, strange, inadequate. He took it out on me and made a scandal. We both decided to separate. Everything worked out for Igor: he has a wife, he has children, but I don’t... Only recently I became the godmother of Talkov’s grandson, Svyatoslav. Now I’ll go to Malakhov’s hospital and bring my father. I'll help you with medicine. Igor’s poor mother, Galina Stepanovna: one son was killed, the second is dying...
MALAKHOV’s mother came from Siberia to look after her grandchildren. The youngest is behind her
Hermit
For 22 years, journalists could not find Igor Malakhov for a simple reason: he did not go abroad, but to a remote village and changed his last name. According to his passport, he is now - Igor Viktorovich Rus. By the way, the second murder suspect, Valery Shlyafman, fled to Israel and became Vysotsky.
“We didn’t know that Igor was connected with Talkov’s murder,” one of Malakhov’s neighbors told me last week. - His last name is different. We have only ten houses in our village. Igor finally built and settled here about seven years ago...
It was also possible to find out that Rus-Malakhov married an actress Ksenia Kuznetsova, known for the children's TV show "ABVGDeyka" and her role in the film "Admiral". They have two sons with Scandinavian names, the youngest Rurik is two years old, Ingvard is five.
Ksenia KUZNETSOVA - famous film actress
At Igor Malakhov’s house we were met by his mother, Galina Stepanovna. Having learned that journalists had arrived, she asked to leave immediately.
“We lived as hermits, didn’t bother anyone, we’re building a house,” he says with tears elderly woman. - What do you want from him? If it weren't for the hospital, no one would have known. I came from Siberia to help with my grandchildren. Ksenia never leaves her son’s side in the hospital. So many days in intensive care. I know that Aziza came to Igor. Only he didn’t want to see her. Who is she to him? He has a legal wife. Aziza, if she wanted, would live with Igor. She left on her own. My son’s life has just worked out... Maybe they will save him.
Aziza (left) became the godmother of Igor TALKOV's grandson. The son of the late musician is on the far right
Shlyafman will not return to Russia
Investigator Oleg BLINOV, who headed the investigation team for TALKOV’s murder, quit after a couple of years and became a lawyer.
— Fans Talkova want to reopen the case, speaks Oleg Blinov . - But it can only be moved from a dead point if Shlyafman will come to Russia and admit that he shot. You will have to wait until the carrot plot, Valery is not going to return.
“There’s no need to look for the killer,” said Shlyafman Hall in exclusive interview"Express newspaper" about a year ago.
“Everyone knows who did it and how, so for me the culprit was found on the very first day the tragedy occurred. At the moment, there is no main evidence - the weapon used to kill Talkov. For what Igor Malakhov did it?
There is a proverb: a thief’s hat is on fire. But they made me the main culprit, since there were traces of gunpowder on my shirt. But since I picked up Malakhov’s pistol, it couldn’t have been any other way. I returned home, changed my clothes, threw the shirt into the laundry basket: I did not hide it as evidence. And the investigators came and took it away, making it the main piece of evidence.
Having learned that Igor Malakhov was dying, Shlyafman spoke briefly:
- It's a pity... A good man.
Natalia MURGA
The murder of Igor Talkov remains one of the most resonant and mysterious crimes of the late 20th century. It still remains unsolved despite the fact that a lot of materials and witness testimony have been collected. Regarding the questions of why Igor died and who was the initiator of this murder, there are only versions.
In fact
All that is known 100% is the actual circumstances of death. Talkov was shot on October 6, 1991 in St. Petersburg, at the Yubileiny Palace at about 16:00 right before his performance. A scuffle occurred between the singer’s guards and Igor Malakhov, a friend of the then popular singer Aziza. Talkov took part in the conflict, as a result of which he died. Malakhov shot the singer with a pistol. The weapon was never found subsequently.
What preceded the murder
The murder of Talkov, which occurred under such strange and absurd circumstances, had a long backstory. Probably, shortly before Igor’s death, someone threatened him. This is evidenced by the fact that Talkov turned to a serious government agency for help (the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the KGB, it is not known exactly). The singer asked for permission to carry weapons. He also needed personal protection. Both of Talkov's requests were granted. It is not known who specifically threatened the singer.
At the same time, Talkov begins working with a new commercial director (since August 1991). It was a certain Valery Shlyafman. Many of the singer’s colleagues noted that Shlyafman constantly aggravated the situation around Talkov and provoked all sorts of conflicts.
Around the same time, the singer was forced to fire his former driver, who was a very devoted person to him. After this, Talkov began to receive unambiguous threats.
Sequence of speeches
At that concert at Yubileiny, there was a dispute over the order of performances by Aziza and Talkov. To perform last is considered the most prestigious.
Right before the concert, the administration decided to swap Aziza and Talkov. The singer allegedly did not have time to prepare for her performance. Talkov calmly agreed, but his commercial director Shlyafman was dissatisfied with the unexpected castling and decided to look into the situation. He found out that it was the same Malakhov, Aziza’s friend, who asked for a replacement.
Shlyafman started a trial in which Talkov was drawn into. As a result, the parties to the conflict argued. Malakhov was taken out of the dressing room by Igor’s guards. The argument continued in the corridor, after which Talkov was shot. After 2 shots, someone knocked the weapon out of Malakhov’s hands. Then it disappeared completely without a trace.
But according to the testimony of costume designer M. Berkova, the pistol was in the hands of Shlyafmash, and not Malakhov. And Shlyafman also shot. Witnesses to the crime gave very contradictory testimony. It was not clear who exactly shot Talkov, nor where the revolver went after that. The bullet hit Igor right in the heart. The doctors who came to the call confirmed death and noted that the shot was fired professionally.
Two killers
Malakhov disappeared after the murder. This may indicate both his guilt and the fact that he did not hope to defend his innocence. He was probably afraid of someone more powerful who could influence the course of the investigation. Crime bosses often bribed judges and prosecutors, in addition to paying huge attorney fees.
Malakhov was put on the wanted list. At the same time, an examination was carried out. The investigation established that from the angle from which the fatal shot was fired at Igor Talkov, only his commercial director Valery Shlyafman could have fired. Interestingly, the latter also disappeared. According to some reports, he crossed through Ukraine to Israel.
Due to the lack of a murder weapon and the confusion of eyewitness testimony, a request for Shlyafman’s extradition was impossible. As a newly minted Israeli citizen, it turned out to be difficult to even interrogate him. Malakhov hid for 22 years. After the trial, he received a short suspended sentence for illegal possession of firearms (2.5 years). It was known about Malakhov that he was a member of a criminal group.
In Israel
It took 6 long years to reach an agreement with the Israeli Ministry of Justice on cooperation in the case of Talkov’s murder. But Shlyafman should have been tried in Israel. As a result, the process stalled again. Valery Shlyafman himself completely denied his guilt. He changed his last name to “Vysotsky” and continues to live peacefully in new homeland. Officially, the case of the murder of Igor Talkov remains open to this day.
Why could the singer be killed?
Journalists from various publications (Moskovsky Komsomolets, AiF, etc.) have repeatedly undertaken all sorts of investigations into this mysterious crime. Many agree that Igor could have been “ordered” because of his creativity. He touched on too “hot” and topical topics at his concerts. Many high-ranking officials did not like this. They were afraid to reveal the names of these people openly. Too much great influence they possessed.
According to other versions, the singer could have conflicts with a variety of organizations and people. Among them were communists, Black Hundreds, etc. There was also a version that Talkov had long been planned to be killed. He crossed the path of many people with his songs. Allegedly, Shlyafman and Malakhov simply carried out a contract killing, acting together. That is why both went unpunished, and the case hung like a dead weight in the archives.
Talkov's song "Mr. President" caused a lot of noise. He was going to perform it at that last concert. In this unique anthem, the singer demanded the overthrow of M. Gorbachev from the post of president. One of former employees KGB M. Kryzhanovsky, who conducted his unofficial investigation, suggested that Talkov’s murder could have been ordered “from above.” It is probably marked “Secret”.