Elimination of Ded Hasan (Aslan Usoyan) was predicted in the media 12 days before his death. In Moscow, a murder of the thief in law Ded Hasan, influential beyond the criminal world, was committed.
 

Details — see entry Ded Hasan.
Publication date: January 8, 2013, 10:46.

Murder and Funeral

On January 16, 2013, in the courtyard of the restaurant “Old Phaeton” (located at the Central House of Writers, Bolshaya Nikitskaya St. 55, Moscow), Aslan Usoyan received a fatal shot to the head from a Val rifle, dying in Botkin Hospital’s ICU (or, per other sources, in an ambulance). Alternative reports claim the murder occurred near the restaurant “Karetny Dvor” (Povarskaya St. 52). Both restaurants face a square around the Leo Tolstoy monument, between Povarskaya and Bolshaya Nikitskaya streets.

During the assassination, waitress Maryat Bikchurina was severely injured through a door. The restaurant denied she worked there. After prolonged treatment, Maryat filed a lawsuit for 50 million rubles against Taganskaya OCG members. Her injuries required costly treatment abroad in clinics in Turkey and China.

The killer fired from a staircase or attic above the former apartment of Sergei Mikhalkov and the Konchalovsky family (Povarskaya St. 35). Moscow police chief Oleg Baranov and head of the Main Investigative Directorate Vadim Yakovenko arrived at the scene.

The criminal underworld planned to bury Usoyan at Vagankovskoe Cemetery near Yaponchik’s grave or at a Yezidi cemetery in Krasnodar Krai. The family insisted on his will — burial in Tbilisi beside his mother and brother at the Yezidi section of Kukia Cemetery. In Tbilisi, his wife Dulsha Avdoeva, daughter Nuna, sister, and relatives lived, having obtained permission from Georgian authorities.

On January 17, a civil memorial was held at Troekurovskoe Cemetery’s ritual hall, attended by crime lords barred from Georgia due to its anti-thief law. After the ceremony, the hearse was taken to Vnukovo Airport, where a chartered Windrose Airlines plane from Ukraine waited.

However, the Tu-154 from Donetsk failed to deliver the coffin to Tbilisi or Yerevan. In Usoyan’s Tbilisi home, Yezidi priests held a memorial, after which his wife and daughter flew to Moscow. One version claims Georgian authorities (Interior Minister Irakli Garibashvili) denied burial, though Prosecutor General Archil Kbilashvili refuted this. Another suggests burial was allowed but thieves in law were banned from attending. The plane returned to Moscow via Donetsk, and the body was brought back to Troekurovskoe Cemetery to secure burial permission.

The only option was Khovanskoye Cemetery, where Usoyan was buried on January 20 opposite Silvester’s grave. His nephew Dmitry Chanturia oversaw the ceremony. Per Yezidi tradition, a fire was lit and extinguished with hundreds of roses. A memorial dinner for over a thousand was held at the restaurant “Nash Dvor”, managed by Nodari Usoyan. At the restaurant “Bosfor”, Krasnodar crime figures held a memorial organized by Shirali Musoyan (Shike), brother of Omar. At “Old Phaeton”, Tbilisi clan members gathered, while Kurdish clan members, led by Valera Tbilissky, met at another restaurant.

Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov denied Vladimir Putin knew Usoyan, addressing a photo showing a person resembling Putin with someone resembling Ded Hasan.

Clan After Usoyan’s Death

On January 16, 2013, a 40-minute meeting of crime leaders at the restaurant “Porto Maltese” (Pravda St.) discussed the successor. Nephew Dmitry Chanturia (Miron) became the leader, vowing revenge for Usoyan’s death.

On January 18, 2013, Astamur Gulia (Astik Sukhumsky), an opponent of Hasan’s clan, was killed in Sukhumi. On January 28, 2013, Rufat Nasibov (Rufo Gyandzhinsky), an ally of Rovshan Dzhaniev, was killed in Moscow. The restaurant “Old Phaeton” became the headquarters of Chechen thief Islam Edilgireev (Islam Bolshoy).

In 2013, Hasan’s clan restructured: Slavic thieves (Vladimir Tyurin, Yuri Pichugin, Oleg Mukhametshin, Viktor Panyushin, Konstantin Borisov, Vladimir Ozersky, Vasily Khristoforov, Eduard Asatryan, Elgudzha Turkadze) took leading roles. Dmitry Chanturia and Gela Kardava lost influence, as did Valery Farizov and Temuri Mirzoev. Finances were controlled by Lasha Shushanashvili (from Greece) and Zakhary Kalashov (from Spain).

Clan enemies: Rovshan Dzhaniev (Azerbaijanis), Tariel Oniani (Kutaisi), Merab Dzhangveladze (Sukhumi), and Taganskaya OCG.

May 2015: Investigation into Usoyan’s murder suspended.

August 2018: Oleg Shishkanov (Shishkan) elected Russia’s top thief, ending the era of Kurdish-Yezidis (Usoyan, Kalashov).

Taganskaya OCG Case

On May 12, 2025, Moscow City Court sentenced 10 members of Taganskaya OCG to 22–25 years for Usoyan’s murder and other crimes. Leader Igor Zhirnokleev received 25 years. The group, founded in 1991 (or 1970s–1980s), was dismantled in January 2019 after Zhirnokleev’s arrest.

Murder Prediction

On January 4, 2012, Rosbalt published an article “Thieves in Law Prepare for a Bloody Battle”, detailing a conflict between Ded Hasan’s clan and the clan of Rovshan Dzhaniev and Dzhemo Mikeladze. Usoyan recognized the threat and named Dmitry Chanturia (Miron, 29) as his successor. Rosbalt is led by Natalia Cherkesova, wife of Viktor Cherkesov. Media linked Usoyan to Afghan heroin trafficking.

Rosbalt quote:

“Criminal world prepares for war. Usoyan’s clan versus Rovshan Dzhaniev and Dzhemo Mikeladze’s clan. Rovshan is suspected of Vyacheslav Ivankov’s murder and an attempt on Usoyan.”

Vesti.ru: On January 16, a meeting of Hasan’s clan with 20 crime figures, armed guards, lasted 40 minutes at the restaurant “Porto”.

Rosbalt on Miron: After the attempt on September 16, 2010, Usoyan chose Chanturia as successor. Miron (1981, Georgia) was overseer in Yaroslavl Region from 2004. In 2004, he and Yuri Usoyan were detained for drugs but received suspended sentences. In 2005, Chanturia was charged with document forgery but avoided prison. After 2010, Usoyan moved Miron to Dedovsk, where he handled negotiations with businessmen and thieves. Miron prefers dialogue over conflict, earning loyalty from opponents, despite no prison time. Chanturia travels with bodyguards.

Media: Mastermind of the murder could be Tariel Oniani (Taro, 60, Kutaisi clan). Tbilisi clan (Usoyan) fought the Kutaisi clan. In the war, Yaponchik (Vyacheslav Ivankov) and Shabtai Kalmanovich were killed. Oniani was sentenced to 10 years in July 2010 for kidnapping and extradited to Spain in March 2011.