When you are talking about dreaded hitmen in the history of the Russian criminal world, one name quickly comes to mind, and that is Alexander Solonik, nicknamed “Superkiller.” He committed several crimes, including rape and murder, and was convicted for them.
However, he managed to escape from prison several times and eventually fled to Greece, where he established a base of operations for his criminal organization and continued his life of crime. His dead body was reportedly found in his Greek villa in January 1997.
Before he became a criminal, he served in a military unit of the Soviet Army in Germany and then joined the police academy afterward, but he was dismissed for bad behavior.
Check Out These Mesmerizing Facts About His Life And Death That Would Take Your Breath Away
1. Solonik Was Born And Raised In Kurgan, In The Defunct Soviet Union
Alexander Solonik, born on October 16, 1960, in Kurgan, within the now-defunct Soviet Union, spent his formative years in the same city, attending school there. While details about his early childhood remain scarce, various sources paint a picture of him as being adventurous and rebellious.
2. He Was Conscripted Into The Army After School
After completing his schooling, he was recruited into the Soviet army, where he served as a member of an elite special forces intelligence unit stationed in Germany during the Cold War era.
Following the disbandment of his unit, he returned to his homeland and enrolled in the police academy. Wikipedia further reveals that he served as a patrolman in the MVD (Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs) concurrently with his training.
Several months into his time at the academy, he was expelled due to behavioral issues that brought discredit to the rank of police officer. It was reported that he was discharged due to a rape allegation.
3. Alexander Worked As A Gravedigger After His Expulsion From The Police Academy
Expelled from the police academy, he returned to his hometown and secured employment as a gravedigger at the Kurgan cemetery. It was there that he crossed paths with Andrei Kolegov, Oleg Nelubin, and Vitaliy Ignatov, individuals who would later rise to prominence as the leaders of the Kurgan criminal organization.
4. He Was Married Twice
Alexander Solonick was married twice to women whose names remain undisclosed. His first marriage produced a daughter, but the couple later divorced. Subsequently, he married again and had a son with his second wife.
In keeping with the privacy surrounding his wives’ identities, the names of his two children also remain unknown.
5. Solonik Was Charged With Rape
In 1987, at the age of 27, Solonick was charged with rape and sentenced to eight years in prison. However, another account suggests that he was accused of sexual assault by an ex-girlfriend and received an eight-month prison sentence.
Confirmed reports indicate that, upon hearing his sentence, Solonick requested a few moments with his wife before being taken to prison. After being brought to see her at the police station, he escaped by jumping from the second floor of the building.
Months later, Russian authorities rearrested Solonick and imprisoned him.
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6. He Allegedly Fought 12 Prison Inmates Who Wanted To Take Him Due To His Police Training
Imprisoned for his crimes, Solonick faced the daunting task of staying alive due to his past association with the police. Unfortunately, news of his prior affiliation spread among the inmates, and he became a target. While the details remain unverified, reports suggest that he confronted and defended himself against as many as 12 fellow prisoners.
His resilience and unwavering defiance in the face of these attacks earned him the respect and admiration of his fellow inmates.
7. “Superkiller” Escaped From Prison For The First Time And Joined The Criminal World
Solonik escaped from prison just two years into his sentence and returned to his hometown, where he joined the Kurgan criminal network. He became a hitman and assassinated several rival gang leaders, such as Viktor Nikiforov, Valeri Dlugatsj, and Vladislav Vinner, from 1992 to 1994.
He also shot several police officers who attempted to arrest him in Moscow. He was eventually shot in the kidney and spent months in a Russian detention center (Matrosskaya Tishina) in Moscow.
8. He Escaped From Prison For The Second Time In 1995
As was his modus operandi, Solonik meticulously planned his escape from prison, this time aided by an accomplice from within.
Reports indicate that he successfully evaded capture by leaving a dummy in his bed and scaling the prison wall with a rope, following a $500,000 bribe arranged by crime bosses. It is believed that he fled alongside a guard from the maximum-security jail.
9. The Russian Hitman Fled To Greece
Upon escaping from a Moscow prison in 1995, he secured a fake passport from the Greek consulate in Moscow and fled to Greece. Establishing his base of operations in the southeastern European country with approximately 50 men, he embarked on a criminal enterprise involving drug trafficking and murder-for-hire.
10. Solonik Was Allegedly Strangled To Death In 1997
Two years after his escape to Greece, the notorious Russian hitman was found lifeless in his Greek villa on January 31, 1997, at the age of 36. The circumstances surrounding his demise remain shrouded in mystery, with various theories implicating rival gangs or even the Russian government.
