How Jewish girl Kalina became the godmother of the USSR criminal world

Most people lived modestly, from paycheck to paycheck. There was also the party elite, who could afford whatever they wanted. But there was another category of the population that was also not poor, but at the same time could not openly show their wealth. These were representatives of the criminal world, among whom there were many millionaires. One of the bright examples of people from this caste was Kalina Nikiforova, who was considered the only female criminal authority in the Union.

This woman had everything and nothing. She handled millions of rubles, had unquestionable authority in the criminal world and was the wife of the thief in law Vyacheslav Ivankov (Yaponchik). At the same time, Kalina Nikiforova could not openly live in luxury or even just go on holiday abroad. Her capital was criminal, and her life was under the close supervision of the police and the KGB.

Kalina Nikiforova was born in Baku to a respectable Jewish family. At the age of 17, the girl came to Moscow in search of a better life, and the capital whirled her into a whirlwind of new acquaintances and connections. The beautiful, well-mannered and intelligent girl did not lose her head and almost immediately married an elderly jeweler. A few years later, her husband died, leaving Kalina a solid inheritance, as well as a semi-legal profitable business.

But Nikiforova was not happy with her apartment in Moscow, or the stacks of cash in hiding places, or the jewelry workshops. She wanted to become the queen of the capital and get the most out of life. She considered her husband's impressive connections to be his most valuable asset. With their help, Kalina got a job at the Berezka currency store and began to carry out currency transactions.

In just six months, all of Moscow knew about her. Nikiforova was approached by lovers of the high life, thirsty for the benefits of the Western world. But very soon the woman realized that reselling fur coats and tape recorders did not bring in super profits. Then Kalina began to lead thieves to the apartments of her late husband's colleagues and clients.

In 1966, Nikiforova was arrested. She was caught speculating and sent to the Mozhaisk women's colony for several years. At that time, the young swindler already had solid connections, thanks to which she left the camp early. This was Kalina's first and last "trip". She tried to avoid falling into the hands of justice again.

Nikiforova, who had been released from prison, had no way to get into "Beryozka". But she did not lose heart and got a job in a beer bar on Sukharevka. Manipulating beer and snacks improved the woman's well-being, and "working with people" allowed her to further expand her circle of useful acquaintances. Kalina took on everything. She consulted criminals on legislation, led thieves to rich apartments and did not disdain reselling stolen goods.

Although Kalina became even more mired in criminal cases, she was no longer afraid of prison. The enterprising lady made connections among law enforcement officers and was always one step ahead of any raid. Soon, members of the Vasilyevskaya criminal group paid attention to her. The criminal syndicate provided Nikiforov with a "roof" and also helped expand the criminal business. They helped the woman open a network of underground card clubs.

In one of her establishments, Nikiforova met the thief in law Vyacheslav Ivankov, known by the nickname Yaponchik. According to the thieves' laws, thieves were not supposed to have a family, but this did not stop Kalina from giving birth to Ivankov's son Viktor. The famous thief himself always called him his adopted son, but everyone knew perfectly well that this was not true.

By the mid-1970s, Nikiforova had created a powerful organized crime group in the capital, which included more than 100 members. The gang was mainly engaged in extortion, which in the late 80s began to be called "racketeering." The bandits' victims were usually those who themselves tried to stay away from law enforcement agencies. These were shopkeepers, black marketeers, illegally working jewelers and dentists.

A separate source of income for Nikiforova and her accomplices was the jewelry of Jewish families. In the 1970s, Jews began to be allowed to travel abroad. At the same time, they could take a minimum of personal belongings with them. Kalina's gang offered to organize the removal of valuables abroad, of course, not for free. But those who turned to Nikiforova were left without money and without gold.

No one was planning to export the money - the criminals received information about the caches of valuables, and then simply appropriated them. The victims who were abroad could no longer use the protection of law enforcement agencies. And those who had not yet left, especially kept silent about their unearned income.

In 1981, Kalina Nikiforova's husband Yaponchik received a hefty prison sentence. She herself almost ended up behind bars, but managed to get out thanks to her connections. While the thief in law was in prison, his wife ran a huge criminal empire. She did not miss her husband for long and soon married another authority figure - Ruben Sarkisyan, nicknamed the Professor.

With her new life partner, Nikiforova found another source of income. They opened an underground workshop at one of the Moscow region shoe factories. They produced shoes there, supplied them with beautiful boxes and labels, and sold them as imported.

Kalina Nikiforova's income was fabulous. She bought apartments, cars, fur coats and jewelry. The woman even acquired the status of a thief in law for her son Viktor. At the same time, the criminal could not live the way she wanted. The sword of Damocles of justice always hung over her and prevented her from fully enjoying her wealth and influence.

Nikiforova could only solve the problem by leaving the country. They wouldn't let her out just like that, so Kalina and her husband Sargsyan considered the option of hijacking a plane to one of the European countries. It was the end of the 80s, and hijackers were not extradited back, but were given political asylum.

Suddenly Nikiforova was diagnosed with blood cancer, which further spurred the couple to escape. The terminally ill Kalina was sure that she would definitely receive help abroad to overcome her illness. Perhaps the criminal family would have committed the hijacking, but in January 1988, 42-year-old Nikiforova died unexpectedly of a heart attack. There are still many legends surrounding the death of the female authority. Some believe that she was eliminated by the KGB, having learned of the plans to hijack the airliner. Some are sure that there were internal criminal showdowns.

Son Viktor did not survive his mother for long. He was shot near his own entrance in 1994. The thief in law, whose status was bought by his mother, became another victim of long-standing criminal wars. His father, Yaponchik, managed to leave for the United States, but almost immediately went to prison there. After being released from an American prison in 2004, Ivankov was deported to Russia. The legendary husband of an equally famous female authority passed away in 2009. Yaponchik was seriously wounded in the stomach and, after suffering for several months, he died of peritonitis.