Elbrus Tedeev: Fighter, MP, and master of the titushki
We continue to report on Ukrainian political figures who may have been linked to the attacks on Euromaidan, the thefts and beatings of activists, and the shooting of civilians. We've already published articles about Victor Zubritsky и Sergei AsavelukIt's time to talk about another possible participant in those events—Elbrus Soslanovich Tedeyev. The Prosecutor General's Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs are clearly in no hurry to name the perpetrators and accomplices of those tragic events. Well, then, we'll tell you about it. But we'll have to start from scratch.
Elbrus Tedeev. Freestyle wrestler
Tedeev Elbrus Soslanovich He began his career as an athlete, a freestyle wrestler. He was born in the village of Nogir in North Ossetia, near Vladikavkaz, and according to his interviews, he walked 10 kilometers from his home to training. But in 1993, at a championship, he was noticed by Boris Savlokhov, also a native of Ossetia. He invited the young, promising athlete to Kyiv, and even insisted. Thus, Tedeyev became a student of one of Kyiv's most serious crime bosses and automatically joined one of Kyiv's most powerful criminal groups. This information was in the operational investigative database of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, and the then Minister of Internal Affairs spoke about it. Yuriy Lutsenko In connection with the showdown in Goloseevsky Park, which we'll discuss later, he was opposed by Regions deputy Mykola Dzhiga, who had also held high-ranking positions in the Ministry of Internal Affairs at various times. He stated that Elbrus Tedeyev had never been registered with the police as a member of a criminal group. Dzhiga couldn't explain how it was that Savlokhov's favorite student and ally wasn't a member of his own gang.
Veteran UBOP operatives say Tedeyev was listed in their database under the nickname "Scorpion" and was one of the leaders of the "Solokha" gang, but was removed in 2001. However, this likely had nothing to do with politics; Elbrus Soslanovich likely had no thought of a political future at the time. But it was then that his athletic career took off. He won several world and European championships, and in 2004, he became an Olympic champion and carried the Ukrainian flag at the closing ceremony of the Athens Olympics. It would be disgraceful if information about his involvement in a criminal group were to surface in the press, especially in foreign media. However, his fighting talents will also prove useful in politics.
Elbrus Tedeev in the Solokhi organized crime group
Party fighter
In 2006, the Party of Regions was preparing to go into deep opposition to the then "Orange" government. This meant brawls and blocking the Rada rostrum. Apparently, this is why several "fighters" were included in the Party of Regions. In addition to the freestyle wrestler Tedeyev, the list included judoka Nurulislam Arkallaev, basketball player Alexander Volkov, and several other strong men, like Nestor Shufrich, not as famous, but still masters of sport. Initially, when the Party of Regions was in opposition, they were excellent at blocking the podium, and when they became the party of power, they unblocked it just as skillfully, when the blocking was being done by all sorts of flimsy "BYuT" members. Elbrus Soslanovich went further, unblocking not only the Verkhovna Rada podium, but also, as a "landing party," did the same in the Kyiv City Council during Chernovetsky's time.Read more about it in the article Leonid Chernovetsky: How "Lenya Kosmos" robbed Kyiv and moved to Georgia) and Oles Dovgyi, who couldn't cope. This job was easy for an athlete, but obviously lucrative. Especially since Tedeyev clearly didn't bother with legislative initiatives, speeches, debates, or other intellectual labor. Instead, he proved himself to be an absolutely loyal and devoted party member. He once said of his leader, Yanukovych: "For me, Viktor Fedorovich is, literally and figuratively, God and Tsar. He is Ukraine's only hope, one that can pull us out of the economic catastrophe and political chaos that has plagued us all this time..."
Crime in Goloseevsky Park
In 2009, an incident occurred that demonstrates that you can pull a person out of crime, but you can't pull the crime out of a person. A shootout occurred in the capital's Holosiivskyi Park, with people of Caucasian descent participating on both sides.
Three people were seriously injured.
One of these parties left the scene in a Mercedes with deputy license plates issued to Elbrus Tedeyev, and one of the participants in the altercation was named Robert Tedeyev, allegedly his cousin. However, Elbrus Soslanovich claimed he had no such cousin, and that his aides had been in his car in the park by chance and had not been involved in any altercation. However, then-Interior Minister Lutsenko presented interrogation reports of the detainees, which suggest the opposite was true. Tedeyev, at the very least, knew about the altercation, and possibly even initiated it. But a few days later, the minister suddenly changed his mind about what was happening. He suddenly declared he had no questions for Elbrus Tedeyev and the case was closed. Perhaps the deputy was truly innocent and had nothing to do with the incident. But who was to blame, and what was it?
Elbrus Tedeev and Crime in Pechersk
While no one proved Tedeev's involvement in a criminal group in Goloseevsky Park, two years later, in 2012, an incident occurred in which Elbrus Tedeev was directly implicated. An illegal small architectural form had been erected in front of the Central Election Commission on Lesi Ukrainka Square. When utility workers decided to tear it down, thugs arrived and simply beat them up. A police squad and a local police officer also arrived. The thugs beat them up as well. Backup arrived, the thugs were arrested, and they were taken to the Pechersky District Police Department's holding cell. But after just a couple of hours, they were released with apologies. It turned out that Elbrus Soslanovich had personally interceded on their behalf. Furthermore, the police who arrested them were confronted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs' internal security service, and an investigation was launched. The police officer was ultimately acquitted, but no criminal charges were brought against the gangsters who beat him. This incident can no longer be called a coincidence, and it clearly proves Tedeev's involvement in the criminal world. And his connections to his native Party of Regions will also prove very useful over time.
Elbrus Tedeev: Fighter, MP, and master of the titushki
At the head of the "titushki"
It's clear that with such connections in sports and criminal circles (which are often one and the same), Elbrus Tedeev could easily assemble entire squads of so-called "titushki." He was the first to stand up for them, back when the term didn't exist, when there was only one Vadim Titushko—that is, back on May 18, 2013. Tedeev then claimed that there had been no beating of the opposition, but rather a mutual fight. He called the thugs who beat up the journalists brothers, adding that it was a good thing they were involved in sports.
READ ON THIS TOPIC: Vadim Titushko: It wasn't Yanukovych who paid for the bloody massacre, but Klimenko, Vilkul, Stolar, and Suren Sardaryan.
But this was only the beginning, as was the interference with the Cherkasy Oblast district election commission, also in 2012, using the same athletes. In 2014, the Euromaidan began, and Elbrus Soslanovich was able to show his true colors. However, back then, "titushki" were being brought to Kyiv from all over Ukraine to attend Oleg Kalashnikov's Anti-Maidan. And many different "respected" friends of Yanukovych were involved, too many to list.
"Titushki" on Euromaidan
But in this article, we're talking about Elbrus Tedeyev and his personal responsibility for the beating of Euromaidan activists in the winter of 2014-2015. Let's be clear: there's no direct evidence that he directed the beating, but there is clear evidence of his involvement. So, if they wanted to, the police could easily investigate and understand his role in the violence that unfolded on the streets of Kyiv. For example, on the night of November 30, just as students were being beaten on the Maidan, Tedeyev was in the office of Kyiv City State Administration head Oleksandr Popov along with Nestor Shufrych and Dmytro Shentsev. Perhaps this was a coincidence, or perhaps deputies simply enjoy spending nights in mayors' offices. But the next day, pro-government media claimed that the Berkut hadn't been the first to attack, but had been provoked by athletic-looking men, and a video of this was even shown. It's logical to assume that since Berkut was coordinated from the Presidential Administration, the titushki, who allegedly attacked peaceful Berkut officers, were "directed" from another direction, for example, from Kyiv City Hall. A few weeks later, titushki, along with Berkut, attacked a checkpoint on Lyuteranska Street. They were personally led by MPs Elbrus Tedeyev, Ivan Myrnyi, and Andriy Pinchuk. The cynicism of the situation is further compounded by the fact that between these attacks on Euromaidan participants, Elbrus Soslanovich, on behalf of the Freestyle Wrestling Association, wrote an appeal to athletes, urging them not to participate in street fights. And once, he was captured by enraged citizens who wanted to lynch him. He was then escorted out by the Maidan Self-Defense.
Today, Elbrus Soslanovich seems to be far removed from politics, but he's not particularly secretive about it. He holds joint conferences with the Minister of Youth and Sports, gives comments to the press, and even attends his friend's trial. Gennady Kernes And yet he has absolutely no intention of sitting next to this, yet another Euromaidan fighter, in the dock. Perhaps the new government also needs his criminal-sports services?
Dmitry Samofalov, for Skelet.Org
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