Mishka Yaponchik: what became the main

Biography 17/03/20 Bear jap: what became the main “thief in law” Odessa

Mishka Yaponchik called the forerunner of the Russian “thieves in law”. He was the “king” of the Odessa crime, kept at Bay the rich theatrical and staged the robbery. One time a Bear Yaponchik even commanded a detachment of the red Army.

Young will

According to the basic version, the future “king” was born on 30 Nov 1891 in Odessa in the family of Meyer wolf Vinnitsa. The boy’s name Moshe Yaakov, and Moses Wolfowitz. When Moshe was the seventh year, his family left without a father. To earn at least some money for food, Moishe got a job as a student at the mattress factory Farber. In parallel, he studied in a Jewish school, and managed to finish four classes. At the age of 16 years old Moshe Vinnitsa went to work as the electrician at factory “Anatra”.

Moishe Life has changed drastically in 1905, when, following the publication of the Tsar’s Manifesto for the grant of freedoms in the Odessa Jewish pogroms began. In the bloody riots staged by the black hundreds on the Moldovanka, the police prefer not to intervene and the local population started to organize Jewish self-defense units. In one of these groups and received their first combat experience future Mishka Yaponchik.

Since then, he never parted with the weapon. Moshe Vinnytsia joined the anarchist group “Young will”, who became famous for daring raids, looting and racketeering. In 1907, the hand of justice still grabbed Moishe by the collar. The anarchist was sentenced to 12 years hard labor. Would Moishe age, Bears jap, we certainly wouldn’t know. For the totality of all actions, the death penalty was, he assured.

King

Back to Odessa jap back in the summer of 1917. It was not the boy would send to carry the bomb to undermine the police – during the prison Moishe managed to communicate and the “political” and “thieves”.
Moysha quickly assessed the situation. Using constantly perpetrated in Odessa riot, jap quickly cobble together his gang, “bear” offices and shops.

has adopted Moshe and revolutionary rhetoric. Now he’s not just robbing but expropriated for the needs of the revolution and the working class. He organizes a great revolutionary detachment of Jewish self-defense. A classical story with a robbery his gang gambling club. People jap was disguised as revolutionary sailors. Revenue was notable: 100 thousand from Kona and 2,000 visitors. One of the visitors of the club literally died on the spot when he saw the crowd of armed men.

Other artists

growing up in poverty, the jap was fond of parade, walk widely and spend money. He had his own restaurant “Monte Carlo” on Masaeshi the street and the cinema “Corso” on the Shopping street. During the wedding Bears and tsilya Averman until dance class in the hall of Deures danced forty-seven hundreds of people jap fire to a police station. This fact became the basis for one of the episodes of “the Odessa stories” Babel.
Odessa loved Mishka Yaponchik. First, because he tried to avoid bloodshed, and secondly, because he robbed the rich and distributed the proceeds among his people, who in this Robin Gudowski models were “poor”. Also the jap was no stranger to art and supported artists. Friend the jap was a singer Leonid Utesov.

Red commander

a Special team, formed in Odessa, demanded of the Bolsheviks great flexibility. If the first time the red commanders wanted to “strangle” bandits and thieves Wednesday, then, realizing that to do so quickly will not work, decided to cooperate.
In the newspaper “Odessa mail”, 2 February 1918 was published a proclamation by the “group of thieves of Odessa.” Thieves-professionals have pledged to Rob the rich and demanded respect.

the Thieves wrote: “We, a group of professional thieves who also shed blood in the sad days of January, going hand in hand with Tovaresume sailors and workers against Haidamaks. We also have the right to wear the title of citizens of the Russian Republic!”

“Gangster-bosyatsky element” played in the life of Odessa big role. And if it was impossible to suppress, then had him to lead by putting in place the “king” of his people. So “their” was the Bear jap. He was acquainted with Grigory Kotovsky on the link, you knew, and other red commanders that grew out of yesterday’s criminals.

Behind him was a large force of Jewish self-defense squads, as well as support of poor people of Odessa and its suburbs. I must give credit to the Jap, he skillfully used the situation and the game of politics has secured a significant financial and organizational support of the Bolsheviks

the jap even became the commander of the red army. The regiment was assembled from Odessa criminals, militants and anarchists mobilized students. Before sending the regiment to the front against Petlyura in Odessa had arranged a lavish party at which Bear Jap solemnly handed silver sword and red flag.

However, loyalty and revolutionary consciousness of the people of the jap not to be expected. Of the 2202 people squad up front came only 704 people. A long fight, the thieves also did not want and quickly “enough fighting”. On the way back to Odessa Yaponchik, was shot dead the Commissioner by Nicephorus Ursulova, who received for his “feat” order of the red banner.

Hero of literature and film

the First contribution to the perpetuation of the image of the Bear of Yaponchik did Isaac Babel. The main character “Odessa stories” Benya Krik was created on the basis of those stories that Babel talked about Mishka Yaponchik. Stories about Benya Krik, have been translated into several languages and has received recognition not so much in the Soviet Union (where, of course, they were criticized), but in Europe and even America.
In 1926 in the journal “Krasnaya Nov” was released and the film “Benya Krik”, which after a year was shot the same film. The film was met not uplifting andbut. Critics pounced on the Director because he romanticizes the image of the Moldovan bandits.

was this criticism and reasonable element. The boys looked at daring and adventurous Benya Krik, and wanted to be like him. However, not only boys. Actor Kucherenko, who “Ben Creek” played the role of bandit, and in the film “Red devils” the role of Makhno, so imbued with the romance of the free life of crime that put together their own band of raiders. Gang Kucherenko looted shops and cash. Kucherenko criminal world of Odessa and remembered by the nickname “Makhno.

Russian Seven

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