“Dedicated to my friends and fellow fighters against organized crime.” Asgat Safarov
In 1988, the “Literaturnaya Gazeta” and the magazine “Ogonyok” reported to the entire country that in the USSR there existed organized crime. They also introduced a new concept—the “Kazan phenomenon.” After that, Kazan for many years became a dark symbol of youth crime and gang confrontations. The book tells about the birth, rise, and decline of the “Kazan phenomenon.” The history of the elimination of criminal groups is presented in chronological order (from 1998 to 2011). At the same time, the author—an ex-head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tatarstan—reveals details previously known only to law enforcement agencies. This is a unique testimony from a direct participant in the dramatic events, who for many years personally led the fight against criminals.
The author of the book, Asgat Akhmetovich Safarov, began his public service in 1984 as an investigator in the Internal Affairs Department of the Soviet District Executive Committee of Kazan. In 1998–2012 he led the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tatarstan. Today, he is in charge of the Administration of the Head (Rais) of the Republic of Tatarstan.