Sergei Timofeev (nicknamed Sylvester) is a well-known criminal authority on Russian history of the time of perestroika, the leader of the Orekhovskaya organized crime group, founded in 1986 in the city of Moscow. He gained wide fame for his hostile and radical attitude towards the participants and leaders of Caucasian organized crime groups.
Sergei Timofeev: biography
Born July 18, 1955 in the village of Klin, Novgorod region (USSR). He was a modest and inconspicuous boy, he studied at a secondary school and at the same time worked as a tractor driver on the collective farm of his native village. In his youth, the guy was actively interested in sports: he regularly ran morning jogs, worked out on horizontal bars, and at home he pulled dumbbells. At the age of 1-8, he joined the army and served in the Kremlin regiment in Moscow. In 1975, Sergei Timofeev was demobilized, and soon the guy decides to stay in the capital. Together with their best friend, they settle in a hostel in the vicinity of the Orekhovo-Borisov district.
Looking for yourself
Living in the "white stone", Timofeev began to get involved in the art of hand-to-hand combat, and soon began to work as a trainer in the housing and communal services of Glavmosstroy. Very soon, Sergey will marry and change his place of residence. Now he lives on Shipilovskaya street. Soon, the future criminal authority Sylvester ends up with sports, but continues to maintain his physical strength in good shape and at the same time is engaged in private transportation. Understanding that working in this area, you won’t earn a lot of money for life, Timofeev is looking for other ways of self-realization.
The beginning of criminal activity
In 1984-1985, Timofeev Sergey Ivanovich got in touch with Orekhovskaya punks and organized a business - guys engaged in digital work. During this period, the start of the criminal activity of Timofeev was laid. Being an imperious, physically prepared and strict peasant, Sylvester actively introduces other persons to his gang. This included representatives of many illegal professions that were popular at that time - car thieves, thimbles, private cab drivers, and many others. A gang from the southern outskirts of Moscow is beginning to quickly gain credibility and influence the entire capital. The fastidian of the Orekhovo-Borisovsky district, which Timofeev’s younger brother nicknamed Ivanitch the Younger, began to draw in at a fast pace.
The Law "On Cooperation" and the fight against Caucasians
The Gorbachev law “On Cooperation”, so to speak, “turned” a criminal group into a legal organization. The composition of the group was mainly made up of strong guys and former athletes (they say that former KGB and GRU officers joined the Sylvester gang). The main activity of Timofeev and his army of thugs was racketeering.
Timofeev Sergey Ivanovich (Sylvester) was extremely negative about “color” organized criminal groups. At the end of the 80s, the Sylvester brigade already had several serious conflicts with representatives of Chechen organized crime groups, who were rapidly conquering the Moscow South Port market. The leader of the Orekhovskys fought desperately and fearlessly with them. The ambitious Sylvester fought not only for a piece of a delicious criminal pie, but also “for an idea”. According to unofficial data, he was respected by local law enforcement agencies.
In order to strengthen his position and confidently eliminate the Caucasians from the criminal world, Timofeev makes acquaintance with the leader of the Solntsevskaya gang, Sergei Mikhailov, nicknamed Mikhas. Together, they waged a fierce war against the "colored" groups.
First imprisonment
In 1989, Timofeev Sergei Ivanovich, along with accomplices Sergei Mikhailov, Victor Avernim and Evgeny Lyustarnov, were taken into custody with a charge of extortion from the cooperative Fund. During the investigation and proceedings, everyone except Timofeev was able to escape from prison. The leader of the Orekhovskaya gang, Sylvester was awarded three years.
According to some rumors, Timofeev extorted money from Vladimir Kuzmin himself (a Russian singer), who at that time was in a relationship with Alla Pugacheva. For the times of the late 80s and early 90s, this was standard practice - every profitable activity should be “under the roof”. It is not surprising why some well-known pop artists are directly related to the authorities of the criminal world.
The activities of Sylvester and his team
Sergei Timofeev did not serve a full term, but only half of it. In 1991, he was released on parole. Timofeev immediately continued his active criminal activities, and soon he was able to unite the many small gangs operating in the Orekhovo-Borisovsky district of Moscow. The gang is turning into a highly organized criminal structure, which subjugates many large institutions and organizations (night clubs, cafes, restaurants, car repair shops, repair services, etc.) in the South-West of Moscow. The activities of the Orekhov group unfolded in criminal wars against neighboring gangs, they sought to conquer as much of Moscow territory as possible.
Sergei Timofeev nicknamed Sylvester became known not only within the capital, but throughout the CIS. According to some unofficial data, there is information that Timofeev was offered to join the ranks of "thieves in law", but for unknown reasons, Sylvester ignored this proposal from the "top" of the criminal world.
To the heights of the criminal hierarchy
Authoritative persons of the criminal world of the CIS began to be interested in the personality of Timofeev. So he happened to meet such famous thieves as Mishka Yaponchik, Petrov Alexey Dinarovich (nicknamed Petrik), Khachidze Jamal Konstantinovich (Jamal), Pavel Tsirul (Tsirul) and Otari Kvantrishvili. Friendship and joint affairs led Sylvester to the heights of the criminal environment.
Now the possibilities of Sergei Timofeev have become even greater, he becomes a real Moscow "Don Giovanni". Big money and power integrate luxury and permissiveness into his life. To solve some conflicts, Sylvester could ask for help from the Izmaylovskaya, Golyanovskaya, Taganskaya and Perovskaya organized crime groups. In addition, Timofeev collaborated with criminal gangs from the Trans-Urals, who provided him with their own land for business.
Contract killings
In early 1992, he married Olga Zhlobinsky and became an Israeli citizen. A little later, his wife Olga took over the position of Director General of the Moscow Trade Bank, in which the funds of commerce for the All-Russian automobile alliance Boris Berezovsky were invested in 1994. As a result, the bank for a long time did not pay funds to Berezovsky. In 1994, Timofeev started a conflict with some authoritative leaders of Moscow criminal groups, as well as with Caucasians. Purposeful Sylvester removed all competitors standing in his way. Subsequently, he began to show his interest in the oil business, because of which he had disagreements with Otari Kvantrishvili. The mutual goal to take possession of the Tuapse oil refinery led to the fact that Timofeev ordered the murder of Kvantrishvili in 1994.
In 1993, Timofeev came into conflict with a Caucasian criminal authority nicknamed Globus. Thieves at the same time pursued the same goal - to seize the property rights of the Arlekino nightclub. According to the classics of the genre, Timofeev decided to eliminate the competitor by contacting the hired killer Alexander Solonik.
In June 1994, an attack on the life of Boris Berezovsky himself was organized. The car of the oligarch was mined and blown up - the driver died, and Berezovsky himself escaped with a moderate wound. This fact has attracted maximum interest from the press and the public. The president of the Russian Federation officially announced for the first time that criminal “lawlessness” reigns in Russia.
Sergey Timofeev Sylvester: crime boss exploded in his own car
September 13, 1994 at 19-00 Moscow time, a Mercedes-Benz car was blown up, in which the leader of the Orekhovskys died. According to the investigation, explosives were planted in the car. The explosion itself was feasible using a radio signal when Timofeev used the services of mobile communications on a mobile phone.
It is still unknown who committed the attempt on Timofeev. There are many options and opinions that contradict each other. And this is not surprising, because Sergei Timofeev had a lot of enemies and ill-wishers.
Authority Sergey “Sylvester” Timofeev is buried at the Khovansky cemetery in Moscow.