The tragedy that happened on October 6, 1991 behind the scenes of the national concert at the Yubileiny Sports Palace in Leningrad, which had not yet become St. Petersburg, was overgrown with a serious number of versions, conjectures and tales. They see political, mystical, religious and other aspects in the murder of the singer. The media are multiplying the confusion, returning to the topic and giving the floor to more and more new "participants" and "witnesses". Meanwhile, Talkov's killer has never been found.
New details
Strictly speaking, the number of shots is not reliably established for the fret. Former criminal investigation officer Sergei Lomov claims that there were three shots, not two. And it was not Igor Malakhov, Aziza's guard, who shot, but a completely different person. He told this on the First Channel a few years ago. According to Lomov, Igor Malakhov, who is believed to be guilty of the death of the singer, called him on his office phone and denied any involvement. Sergey Lomov claims that Valery Shlyafman, who, according to the investigation, played a certain role in the situation, is not to blame. Someone else, unknown to the investigation, was shooting, the ex-law enforcement officer believes.
As for the causes of death, a conspiracy theory is widespread among Talkov's fans that the politician is to blame. In particular, at that concert Igor Talkov was supposed to perform the song "Mr. President" addressed to Boris Yeltsin. They say, someone did not want to perform the song and was generally unhappy with Talkov's position. First, about the song. Talkov sent her text to the presidential administration, in addition, he performed it several times before, including on TV. By the way, Talkov was often shown on TV, and he sang songs of his own composition with a political connotation throughout the country. But Talkov, despite the peculiarity of the repertoire, did not expose anyone, did not invite the people to the barricades or to rethink the past. Nor did he set the task of criticizing the existing government. Against the background of revelations in the media, his songs looked exactly what they were - pop,show aimed at emotional impact on listeners. Talkov was completely inscribed in the System, let us remember, at least, his shooting in films and concerts, which gathered thousands of halls.
Tragic accident
The version of an everyday conflict that ended in a tragic denouement looks much more plausible. The incident arose because of Igor Talkov's desire to change the order of performances and sing last, closing the concert. In the coordinate system of the Russian stage it is very prestigious, it shows the rank and weight of the performer. It would seem, why should a popular favorite pay attention to such things? But Talkov, despite his appearance cosplaying Jesus Christ, was pragmatic and calculating. Emphasizing his own status within the community was important for him, influencing, in particular, the amount of fees. Talkov started a scandal, in which several of his bodyguards, concert director Valery Shlyafman and Aziza's bodyguard Igor Malakhov, quickly became involved. Events unfolded near Talkov's dressing room. The exact composition of the participants in the incident is still unknown; weapon,from which they shot, was never found. According to the investigation, he was hidden by Valery Shlyafman, who later left for Israel and changed his last name to Vysotsky. Presumably, Malakhov shot. Talkov had a gas pistol, and law enforcement allowed his bodyguards to carry a firearm, at the singer's request.
Promotional video:
According to the testimony of Igor Talkov's wife and son, shortly before his trip to Leningrad, he quarreled with someone on the phone, and on October 3-4, 1991, the singer said in a telephone conversation: “Are you threatening me? Good. Declaring war? I accept it. Let's see who comes out the winner. Who was Talkov's interlocutor remains a mystery.
Konstantin Baranovsky