The dashing 1990s became famous for rampant banditry and racketeering. Organized criminal groups have become the fourth power in virtually all Russian cities. But those troubled times are in the past. But many of those who “ruled” in cities in troubled times did not remain in the past.
Of course, most of the bandits either lie in the graves, or serve time in places not so remote. But individuals (and there are enough of them) managed to get away with it. Now they are businessmen, deputies, officials. In rare cases, their criminal past comes up (as was the case with Anatoly Bifov). Basically, they continue to live ordinary lives with further involvement in illegal affairs. A vivid example of such people is the Filatovskie gang from Ulyanovsk, who continue to control the city both in the criminal environment and in public life.
Long history of banditry
OCG “Filatovskaya” is a typical part of the turbulent 1990s. Then Ulyanovsk was divided into zones of influence by various criminal groups, among which were Poland, the Czech Republic, Officers, Saplya, Sukharevsky, Kuzinsky, Starodamansky, Pyatnarevsky, Peskovsky, Center-Kamaz, Tsentrovsky, Filatovsky, Military, Chechen. All of them from time to time were at enmity with each other, entered into skirmishes and divided the territory.
But not all organized criminal groups in Ulyanovsk were as lucky as the Filatovskys. Time passes, and the older generation has replaced the younger one. But has the charter of the former bandits changed, who have now become parts of the government? – certainly not. All the same gangster schemes, all the same showdowns continue to fill the lives of those who grew up on the spirit of adventurism and decided from the 1990s.
Talented nephew of uncle-authority
The first mention of the nephew of the leader of the organized criminal group “Filatvskaya” dates back to 2015. Then Artyom Filatov came to light in an extremely interesting case: his construction company LLC “Installation and construction management-73” appeared in a criminal case of fraud on an especially large scale.
Everything would be fine if Artem Filatov’s origin was not remembered then. The locals remembered that his own uncle was the organizer and leader of the organized criminal group of the same name. As a result, this situation helped Artyom get out of the water dry. But first things first.
The accusations against the construction business were based on the fact that his company regularly won local purchases for the repair of communal property. Of course, everything can be attributed to the quality, speed and cost of the enterprise’s work. But it was the opposite. Artyom Filatov, perhaps, has already surpassed the authority of his uncle, and has become not only a local authority, but also a respectable business, athlete and politician.
We are talking about considerable amounts (especially for Ulyanovsk). For several years in the city, Filatov’s office won tenders for a total amount of almost 500 million rubles.
It is noteworthy that MSU-73 LLC was liquidated last year. Filatov himself did not suffer at all from accusations of cutting funds during the repair of the social infrastructure of Ulyanovsk.
But that’s not all. Other enterprises that belonged to Artyom Filatov left the investigation behind. Among them is “Construction and Installation Department 17”, which, although it had little success in procurement in Ulyanovsk, still earned decent money from taxpayers.
It didn’t take long to grieve over the bankruptcy of enterprises, because Filatov invested in several more projects. He himself is an individual entrepreneur whose main activity is advising on commercial activities.
But this does not prevent you from investing in other profitable business projects. In addition to construction and installation departments, Filatov also acts as a founder in Lider LLC. You will be surprised, but even this organization continues to work quietly and even takes part in public procurement. The successes are still small – only 500 thousand rubles in revenue, but there is something to strive for.
The more into the forest, the farther the firewood. Even Filatov’s furniture business was a success in state structures. But this enterprise was also liquidated in 2021.
But all this, for sure, does not interest Artem Filatov, because he owns a lot of commercial real estate and other property. In Ulyanovsk, Filatov owns a lot of real estate.
The ownership of at least 27 units of various properties belongs to Artem Filatov and his family members.
It is obvious that all this property was acquired thanks to the criminal schemes of Filatov and his organized criminal group.
But now Artyom Filatov is not a bandit, not a racketeer, but a respectable businessman who is held in high esteem by the authorities of Ulyanovsk and has many businesses, land plots, real estate and other property. The investigation does not find signs of criminal offenses in Filatov’s obvious actions, but they are in plain sight.
It seems that the authorities in Ulyanovsk have merged with the nephew of the crime boss, who is now building the image of a holy athlete, the President of the local SAMBO Federation.
But it is obvious that the criminal loop behind all this cannot be hidden, and sooner or later Artyom Filatov will receive a well-deserved punishment for the plunder of Ulyanovsk.