As the "king" of Odessa Crime took command of a detachment of the Red Army

Mishka Jap called the forerunner of Russian "thieves in law". He was the "king" of Odessa Crime, held at bay the rich and arranged theatrical robbery. At one time, Mishka Jap even commanded a detachment of the Red Army.

Will Young

In the basic version the next "king" was born in Odessa November 30, 1891 in the family Meyer Wolf Vinnitsa. The boy was named Moshe-Yaakov, according to the documents - Moses Zhirinovsky. When Moishe was the seventh year, his family was left without a father. To earn at least some money to buy food, Moshe got a job as an apprentice at a mattress factory Farber. Parallel to this, he studied at the Jewish school, and managed to finish the four classes. At age 16, Vinnitsa Moishe went to work as an electrician at the factory "Anatra".

Moishe life changed dramatically in 1905, when after the publication of the manifesto of the king to grant freedom of pogroms started in Odessa. The bloody riots, arranged on Moldavanka Black Hundreds, the police preferred not to intervene and especially the local population began to organize groups of Jewish self-defense. In one of these groups and received his first combat experience future Mishka Jap.

Since then, he did not leave with the weapon. Moishe Vinnitsa joined the anarchist group "Young Freedom", which became famous for daring raids, looting and racketeering. In 1907, the hand of justice after all Moshe grabbed by the collar. Anarchist got 12 years hard labor. Would Moshe adult, Bears Jap, we would not have learned. On the totality of the actions of the death penalty has been provided to him.

King

Back to Odessa Jap he returned in the summer of 1917. It was not the same boy that could include sending a bomb to blow up the chief of police - during hard labor Moishe had time to communicate with the "political" and "thieves". Moishe quickly assessed the situation. Using constantly creating in Odessa unrest Jap quickly cobble together a gang, "makes" cash and shops. Adopts Moshe and revolutionary rhetoric. Now he is not just robbing, but expropriated for the needs of the revolution and the working class. He organizes a big revolutionary unit of the Jewish self-defense. Textbook became the story of the robbery of his gang gambling club. Jap men were disguised as revolutionary sailors. Revenue was noble: 100,000 to Kona and 2,000,000 to visitors. One of the visitors of the club literally died on the spot when he saw in front of a crowd of armed men.

other artists

Raised in poverty, Jap loved parade widely walk and spend money. He had his own restaurant "Monte Carlo" on the street and a cinema Myasoedskoy "Corso" on Commerce Street. During the wedding Bears and Qili Averman while in the hall dance class Dvoyresa danced forty-seven hundred guests, people set fire to a police station Jap. This fact was the basis for one of the episodes of "Odessa Stories" Babel.

Odessa loved Mishka Jap. Firstly, because he tried to avoid bloodshed, and secondly, because it robbed the rich and distributing revenues among its people who are in this Robin Gudowski models were "poor". Also Jap was no stranger to the arts and support artists. Fellow Jap was a singer Leonid Utesov.

Red commander

A special environment that has developed in Odessa, Bolsheviks demanded great flexibility. If the first time the Red commanders wanted to "strangle" banditry and thieves Wednesday, then later, realizing that to do it quickly fails, we decided to collaborate.

appeal "group of Odessa thieves" was published in the newspaper "Odessa-mail" for the February 2, 1918. Thieves professionals were obliged only to rob the rich and demanded to respect. Thieves wrote: "We are a group of professional thieves, and shed blood in the sad days of January, going hand in hand with fellow sailors and workers against Haidamaks. We also have the right to wear the title of Russian citizens of the republic! "

"Gangster-bosyatsky element" played in the life of Odessa big role. And if it can not be suppressed, it was necessary to him to lead, putting in place the "King" of the person. So "your" and found Mishka Jap. He was familiar with Gregory Kotovsky link, and knew of other red commanders, grew out of yesterday's criminals.

Behind him was a large force - squads of Jewish self-defense, as well as supporting the poor population of Odessa and its suburbs. We must pay tribute and to Jap, he skillfully exploited the situation and the game in politics, has secured a major financial and organizational support for the Bolsheviks

Jap even became the commander of the detachment of the Red Army. The regiment was assembled from Odessa criminals, militants and anarchists mobilized students. Before sending a regiment to the front against Petliura posh banquet was organized in Odessa, where Mishka Jap was presented with a silver sword and a red flag.

However, the reliability and the revolutionary consciousness is not to be expected from people Jap. Of the 2202 people came to the front unit is only 704 people. For a long time, too, did not want to fight thieves and quickly "navoyevat". On the way back to Odessa Jap was shot Ursulovym Commissioner Nikifor, who received for his "feat" Order of Red Banner.

The hero of literature and cinema

The first contribution to the perpetuation of the image Bears Jap did Isaac Babel. The protagonist of "Odessa Stories" Benya Krik was established on the basis of the stories that are told about Babel Mishka Jap. Stories about Benya Krik neksolko been translated into languages ​​and have gained recognition not so much in the Soviet Union (which, of course, they have been criticized), but in Europe and even America. In 1926, in the journal "Red Virgin Soil" was published and the film story, "Benya Krik," by which the same film was shot in just a year. The film was met with far from unique. Critics pounced on the director for what he has romanticized image Moldavanskii bandits.

I was in this criticism and sensible element. The boys looked at the bold and adventurous Benya Krik and wanted to be like him. However, not only the boys. Actor Kucherenko, who "Bene Creek" played the role of a gangster, and in the film "Red Devils" of the role of Makhno, so imbued with the romance of the free life of crime that put together their own band of raiders. Kucherenko The gang robbed shops and offices. Kucherenko criminal world of Odessa and remembered the nickname "Makhno.