Hundreds of 'G-Wagons' and Mysterious Wreaths: How the Leader of a Moscow-Area Crime Group Was Laid to Rest

In the Moscow region, a funeral was held for Nikolay Pavlinov, the leader of the Chekhov crime group, attended by a large number of people, including notable figures from the criminal world, reports NewsBox. 

In the village of Talezh, located in the Moscow region, the funeral of Nikolay Pavlinov, a well-known figure in criminal circles and head of the Chekhov crime syndicate, took place. Hundreds came to pay their respects, while a procession of tinted cars, including 'G-Wagons' and 'Range Rovers', occupied two lanes of the road leading to the Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos. Dozens of wreaths adorned Pavlinov's grave, some remaining anonymous, with messages like 'from a good friend' or 'from neighbors,' while others bore names, including a wreath from Shamil Smolyansky, a godson of the notorious Ded Hasan.

Pavlinov, known in underworld circles as Kolya, passed away on January 17th due to cancer. In 2017, he had been sentenced to 17 years in a penal colony for schemes involving state lands valued at 281 million rubles but was released in 2023 due to severe health issues.

Pavlinov gained prominence back in the 1990s as the owner of the hockey club "Vityaz," renowned for frequent on-ice brawls, and was also known for sponsoring famous boxers Denis Lebedev and Alexander Povetkin, who testified in his defense in court. The funeral drew many from both the sports world and the criminal sphere, and the burial site is located near an ancient church, close to other historic graves.