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From lawyer to criminal boss: how Shahin Shykhlinski created an organised crime group under the guise of legal practice

• 01.08.2025 07:08

The incidents that took place in Yekaterinburg this June appear to have ripped open a festering wound deep within Sverdlovsk Oblast’s underbelly.

It would appear that the notorious organized crime group (OCG) "Uralmash," which once made headlines across Russia, as well as OCG "Sinie," "VIZovskie," and "Center," are long gone. At one point, the leader of OCG "Uralmash," Alexander Khabarov, was found hanged in a prison cell. It was he who, at one of the gatherings, declared that he would not allow Caucasian criminal authorities led by the thief-in-law Aslan Usoyan (Ded Hasan) to enter Yekaterinburg. So, does this mean the capital of the Urals has been cleansed of this filth?

Not at all! It has come to light that in recent years, an organized crime group led by Shahin Shykhlinski, a lawyer by education and a native of the village of Shykhlo (Svetlo) in the Kazakh district of Azerbaijan, has been operating in Yekaterinburg. How did he end up in the Urals? He served in the army, then decided to stay. He graduated from the Sverdlovsk Law Institute. He became a lawyer, an advocate (for a select few). Over time, he "toughened up," acquired real estate, and built "authoritative" connections: he became a "fixer." And although OCG "Uralmash" is no more, crime has not disappeared. Therefore, the June events, when the well-known lawyer Shykhlinski was dragged out of a Mercedes by FSB special forces using a crowbar, and just before that, nearly 50 Azerbaijanis were sorted into pretrial detention centers, shocked not only Shykhlinski himself but also the Azerbaijani diaspora in Russia.

These events also provoked an angry reaction from Baku. Looking ahead, we note that the particularly active period of Shykhlinski’s OCG coincided with the time when Colonel Konstantin Stroganov, a friend of the head of Petrovka 38, General Oleg Baranov, came from Moscow to fight crime in Sverdlovsk Oblast. However, Mr. Stroganov "fought" crime in his own way: in the end, he returned to Moscow for a promotion as a millionaire. But fate, the villain, caught up with General Stroganov in the capital. More on that later. Report by DAILY BRIEF

Advocate of the devil

In Yekaterinburg, they say that Shahin Shykhlinski is the "on-call" defender of authoritative businessmen from the Azerbaijani diaspora.

In particular, he is currently defending in court the "authority" Marsel Gasanov, who is called "the devil" in narrow circles. Gasanov is the overseer for Sverdlovsk Oblast.

Marsel Gasanov (left) and Shahin Shykhlinski

But today, Shahin Shykhlinski himself is involved in a certain criminal case, though for now only as a witness. According to the investigation, the head of the Azerbaijani diaspora possesses information about a series of murders and assassination attempts in Sverdlovsk Oblast.

Law enforcement has launched a new investigation into the murder of Yunis Pashayev (2001), the assassination attempt on Fehruz Shirinov (2010), and the murder of Ikram Gadzhiev (2011). They are checking whether Shykhlinski was the organizer of these killings.

Meanwhile, the son of the diaspora leader, Mutvaly Shykhlinski, has already been sent to a pretrial detention center until September 14 on charges of violence against a government official: on the day when both father and son Shykhlinski were detained by FSB special forces, Shykhlinski Jr. hit a special forces officer with his "Mercedes."

The detention of the head of the Azerbaijani diaspora shook Yekaterinburg.

And Mr. Shykhlinski did not tempt fate. When he was released after questioning, he simply fled.

Rumors suggest that today Shahin Shykhlinski may be hiding in Moscow in a hotel on the territory of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Leontyevsky Lane.

And it’s quite possible that he has already reached Baku through diplomatic channels.

Azerbaijani quarter, underground casino

Shahin Shykhlinski was brought to the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for Sverdlovsk Oblast as a witness in a case involving murders from 2001–2011, linked to the Safarov clan.

Could it be that the investigation already has undeniable evidence, and that’s why Shykhlinski fled Yekaterinburg?

But on the evening of July 1, after being detained near the "Baku Plaza" shopping center on Sulimov Street and interrogated, Shykhlinski was released.

The detention of the head of the Azerbaijani diaspora, Shykhlinski, and his son—both Russian citizens and lawyers—became a continuation of a large-scale operation.

This operation began on June 27, when around 50 Azerbaijanis were placed in pretrial detention in Yekaterinburg, and two died during the arrests.

These detentions sparked a major scandal. The State Committee for Work with the Azerbaijani Diaspora issued an official statement, calling the actions of Russian law enforcement unacceptable and the detention of Shahin Shykhlinski an "insult to the Azerbaijani people."

Meanwhile, Shahin Shykhlinski and his large family are known in the Urals as major businessmen in trade and the restaurant industry. And this business is very murky...

Rusprofile.ru

Shahin Shykhlinski is a co-owner of the "Baku Plaza" shopping center on Sulimov Street.

Shopping Center "Baku Plaza"

The area where this shopping center is located is nicknamed the Azerbaijani quarter in Yekaterinburg: it hosts pawnshops, currency exchange offices, butcher shops, cafes, and restaurants, including the Nar&Sharab restaurant.

This restaurant belongs to LLC "Ural Restaurant and Service Company ’Nar Sharab’" (LLC "URSK ’Nar Sharab’").

Rusprofile.ru

The owner of the Nar&Sharab restaurant is listed as a certain Tuncay Mehdi oglu Shykhlinski: a relative of Shahin Shykhlinski.

There is also an interesting company, LLC "Trade Star": they are tenants of the basement in the "Baku Plaza" shopping center.

A few months ago, law enforcement officers conducting an inspection discovered slot machines there, essentially an underground casino.

They also found stockpiles of counterfeit alcohol there.

Rusprofile.ru

At the time, Shahin Shykhlinski claimed it was an independent company, but law enforcement saw a connection through the building on Sulimov Street.

The Shykhlinski family has five legal entities registered under their name: these include trading houses, food suppliers, catering companies, and legal firms.

Mutvaly Shykhlinski

Mutvaly Shykhlinski himself owns several real estate properties in Yekaterinburg: offices, pavilions, and warehouses.

Both father and son are undoubtedly very intriguing figures, as they have skillfully replicated the "experience" of OCG "Uralmash" in their turbulent activities.

By the way, in 2023, Shykhlinski Sr. registered a company in Yekaterinburg called "SOONKO ’Azerbaijan-Ural’" (SOONKO - Sverdlovsk Regional Public Scientific and Cultural Organization).

Rusprofile.ru 

He is the main figure in this organization, though the organization itself does not conduct any economic activity.

Previously, Shykhlinski registered the NGO "Azerbaijan Foundation," which operated from 2003 to 2012, and later registered the "Azerbaijan Vak-Ural" Foundation.

This company opened in 2005 and operated until 2013.

Rusprofile.ru

Shahin Shykhlinski was also a co-founder of the Ural Bar Association of Sverdlovsk Oblast (UKASO).

However, the founders of this association are hidden.

Rusprofile.ru

These people control the market for counterfeit vodka in Sverdlovsk Oblast, which may have been linked to the Safarov family, who were detained at the end of June.

Recall that in 2021, 44 people died in Yekaterinburg from poisoning by counterfeit alcohol, and over 50 were poisoned.

How did law enforcement operate all these years if the Shykhlinski family felt like fish in water?

But let’s recall that in 2010, the head of the Main Directorate of Internal Affairs for Sverdlovsk Oblast, Mikhail Nikitin, was removed from his post. He was replaced by an outsider, Major General Mikhail Borodin, who previously headed the Internal Affairs Directorate for the Southeastern District of Moscow.

General Mikhail Borodin

In 2011, the scandalously famous Colonel Konstantin Stroganov joined Borodin’s "team," heading the Department for Combating Organized Crime (DCOC).

Stroganov, a "trusted man," also came from Moscow: he had worked with General Borodin in the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Southeastern District.

Millions of Euros from OCG

Shahin Shykhlinski is one of the most influential Azerbaijanis in Russia. With a family business and as a lawyer, he built connections in various structures and agencies. He could solve any problem.

Rumors say that the investigation has gathered irrefutable evidence of his guilt. And Mr. Shykhlinski now has every chance of ending up behind bars. Over the years, there have been many murders and assassination attempts in Sverdlovsk Oblast. People were killed over spheres of influence.

But all these murders could have been investigated immediately: there were sketches, video footage of the killer’s work, necessary testimonies, but the cases were classified as "unsolvable."

After all, the diaspora and its leaders had both the means and the opportunities to resolve any issue in Yekaterinburg. Shykhlinski boasted that the strongest diaspora in the Urals—50,000 people, of whom 38,000 have Russian passports—lives there. The late thief-in-law Ded Hasan (with whom OCG "Uralmash" refused to cooperate) had his "own" man in Yekaterinburg—Timur Sverdlovsky (Timur Mirzoev). And Shykhlinski’s diaspora collaborated with him: meetings took place at the "Kaspiy" cafe.

Both General Borodin and Colonel Stroganov, the head of DCOC, were, of course, aware of the situation with the Azerbaijani diaspora.

And they even delved into certain issues.

From the dossier of K.Yu. Stroganov (today—a pensioner on free range)

And it was during that time—from 2010 to 2018—that OCG Shykhlinski had its golden era. It was during this period that the most high-profile murders over spheres of influence occurred.

Not long ago, court proceedings on high-profile cases related to murders took place in Yekaterinburg, in particular, the murder of businessman Alexey Zubakin: he was shot back in 2000. Three people were in the dock: the client, businessman Dmitriy Deich; the organizer, former leader of OCG "Center," Mikhail Klok; and the killer from the Azerbaijani diaspora, Nasimi Mamedov. After the trial began, the client, Deich, suddenly passed away.

In the Zubakin case—which dragged on for many years—the names of high-ranking police officers were mentioned. The defendants revealed how crime fighters—DCOC in Yekaterinburg was then headed by Stroganov—in 2013 released them all for huge sums of money.

Thus, the organizer and the killer fled. Dmitriy Deich alone paid 2 million euros for his release. He immediately flew to Germany. Later, he returned to his homeland. And was caught again.

The former leader of OCG "Center," Mikhail Klok, was detained by FSB officers on his way to Minsk and arrested.

Mikhail Klok

And he decided to tell how he paid crime fighters to avoid a criminal case.

The participants in the deals were named as the head of DCOC, Konstantin Stroganov, and his deputy, Dmitry Golovko. Konstantin Stroganov became very wealthy during his time in the Urals.

And it was Stroganov’s structures that carefully protected OCG Shykhlinski: counterfeit alcohol flowed like a river, an underground casino operated, and shootings and arson took place on the streets of the Ural capital. Even the killer in the showdowns among former OCG members was an Azerbaijani, Nazimi Mamedov.

Later, Colonel Stroganov was transferred to Moscow. Soon, he headed the Internal Affairs Directorate for the Northeastern District, but his love for the "golden calf" ruined Major General Stroganov (he received these shoulder straps from General Baranov). The media wrote about this in detail, and journalists quickly uncovered facts about Stroganov’s "exploits" in the Urals and how exactly he "fought" organized crime.

In December 2023, at the age of 43, General Stroganov was sent into retirement for his dark deeds: even his long-standing friendship with the head of Petrovka 38, General Baranov, who constantly covered for Stroganov, didn’t help.

General Oleg Baranov

And the "Plaza" shopping center has been working for Shykhlinski for many years. Officially, this establishment does not belong to him. But the land under the shopping center is leased by the company "Inessa," whose sole owner is Almaz Shykhlinski, the wife of the diaspora leader.

Other Azerbaijanis in the city also have their murky businesses. These include a chain of cafes and restaurants called "Khazar" (founder—Kamal Babayev), national cuisine restaurants—"Sufra," "Gamayun," "Apsheron" (owner—Gidayat Dzhafarov).

In Shykhlinski’s restaurant, noisy feasts with fights and shootings occur weekly. The restaurant’s guests are members of the Azerbaijani diaspora.

A frequent guest was also the "authority" Marsel Gasanov.

Marsel Gasanov and his favorite cafe "Kaspiy"

Mr. Gasanov was arrested only in February of this year. He was charged with holding a high position in the criminal hierarchy.

The investigation believes he held the status of overseer for Sverdlovsk Oblast. The businessman was found to own a lot of real estate and a large fleet of BMW and Mercedes-Benz cars.

Undercover agent?

Thus, Shahin Shykhlinski spent decades building close ties between business, crime, and power.

It is said that for Shahin Shykhlinski, the position of leader of the Azerbaijani diaspora is a cover for his work with Azerbaijani special services.

He invested a lot of money in construction projects in Baku and Gakh (the administrative center of the Gakh district), financed the reconstruction of the bus station in his native village, and so on.

Shahin Shykhlinski

Shahin Shykhlinski has many state awards, both Russian and Azerbaijani. He received the Azerbaijani medal "Taraggi" ("For Progress") and an award from Sverdlovsk Oblast for strengthening international relations.

Journalists believe that these awards indicate close ties between Russian citizen Shykhlinski and the authorities of Azerbaijan.

Recently, one of the richest people in Russia, co-owner of the "Kievskaya Ploshchad" holding, God Nisanov, expressed his opinion after the detentions in Yekaterinburg.

God Nisanov sharply criticized the actions of Russian law enforcement.

He called what happened "violence against Azerbaijanis—citizens of Russia." Billionaire Nisanov demanded the immediate identification of the law enforcement officers who roughly detained the leader of the Azerbaijani diaspora, Shykhlinski.

God Nisanov

And he confirmed that he is in constant contact with Shykhlinski.

So, it’s clear that the leader of OCG Shahin Shykhlinski could be hiding at his friend Nisanov’s luxurious Moscow mansion? The only question is, in which one? 

Autor: Maria Sharapova