Alexander Solonik's Escape from Justice

Alexander Solonik, a man who escaped from impregnable prisons, killed mafia bosses, and lived securely in complete secrecy, became a professional assassin. Whether or not he served in the Soviet special forces remains unclear, as he never revealed who paid him for his killings. The tasks he undertook were costly, with his employers paying thousands of dollars for each hit.

Early Life and Career

Solonik was born on October 16, 1960, in Kurgan, Russia. As a teenager, he was a strong, athletic young man who excelled in running. Allegedly, he joined the Soviet army, where he honed his skills as a cold-blooded killer with his unit in East Germany.

It's said that Solonik's mission was to assassinate high-ranking NATO officials during the Cold War, aiming to destabilize Western Europe. His former lawyer, Valery, once commented on Solonik's mindset: "He became obsessed with the idea of becoming a Superman. He found something romantic about it, so when he served in the army, he decided to become a policeman."

However, Solonik's life took a drastic turn in 1987. He was expelled from the police academy after just six months due to his cruelty towards prisoners, and was later arrested for rape while on duty. Shortly after his dismissal, Solonik dramatically escaped from the second-floor courtroom window during his trial.

Solonik fled to Siberia, where he tried to stay under the radar in Tyumen. He removed a mole from his face and a tattoo from his hand in an attempt to alter his appearance. Despite his efforts, he was captured in a beauty salon and spent two years in prison. This time, Solonik managed to escape by crawling through a tiny vent, which had an opening just 5.5 cm wide.

This occurred in April 1990. Unfortunately, he found himself stranded in Tyumen, Siberia, amidst a frozen wasteland. But contract killing soon became his ticket to freedom.

The Professional Assassin

Solonik's first professional hit as an assassin took place on July 3, 1990, just a month and a half after his prison escape. He had several advantages; he knew how to escape tricky situations and could defend himself well while in prison.

He was an exceptional marksman, able to shoot skillfully with more than one gun in each hand simultaneously. His first contract killing was assigned to him by a Russian gang leader against a rival criminal group in Siberia. Afterward, Solonik moved to Moscow to refine his craft.

His primary targets were members of rival criminal gangs, most of whom he killed in cold blood and from a distance. Stories of his skill spread quickly, and he became known in some circles as "Alexander the Great." The Moscow police were helpless against him because of his extraordinary ability to vanish without a trace.

In 1992, Solonik became embroiled in the organized crime wars in Moscow, particularly against Victor Nikiforov and Valery Dlugach. One of Solonik's most audacious hits was the assassination of Dlugach, who had special protection from bodyguards and an armored vehicle. Despite this, Solonik managed to kill Dlugach publicly in a Moscow nightclub.

Unpaid Debts

By 1994, Solonik had returned to the Tyumen crime group to settle some debts. A person owed him a million dollars but refused to pay. Solonik returned to Moscow, only to find the man and some of his associates dead a few days later.

Solonik and his companion were arrested in Moscow later that year, but the police failed to search his raincoat thoroughly. Solonik opened fire on the officers, killing four of them before fleeing while still handcuffed. They also killed security guards, and despite being wounded in the kidney, Solonik ran until he was eventually caught, though his companion managed to escape.

This time, the authorities took no chances with him and placed him in the high-security "Matrosskaya Tishina" prison. As usual, Solonik didn't stay imprisoned for long. In 1995, he became the only person to escape from the fortified "Matrosskaya Tishina." This escape was funded by the Russian mafia, with a man named Sergey Menshikov supplying Solonik with a rope. He climbed to the roof with guns and rifles to facilitate his escape, where a BMW car awaited him.

Solonik spent his time in prison reflecting on his life, and after 43 victims, the professional assassin contemplated ending his mafia contract. He used his remaining wealth to flee to Greece in early 1997. Even newspapers were in awe of his abilities, with one European paper writing, "Solonik could be called upon to kill terrorists. He is one of the best-known assassins with an almost supernatural ability to disappear and reappear, easily comparable to the international terrorist 'Carlos the Jackal.'"

Mafia Conspiracy Against Him

Mafia bosses hired the killer Sasha Soldat, another contract assassin and former associate of Solonik, to track him down. This pursuit led to a villa near Athens, which Solonik rented for $90,000 a year. The mansion featured a basketball court, a golf course, and a garden filled with sculptures. Solonik lived a luxurious life there with his girlfriend, former Miss Russia Svetlana Kotova.

On January 30, 1997, Solonik's luck finally ran out. He welcomed Soldat with open arms and started talking to him. As Solonik turned his back, Soldat wrapped a thin cord around his neck and strangled him to death. Soldat and his men also killed Solonik's girlfriend.

Legacy

The Athens police didn't find the bodies for two months. Even after his death, Solonik found a way to remain out of sight. Though he is gone, the legend of Alexander Solonik lives on in films and television shows that recount his exploits. Some even believe that his death was faked and that he still lives in secrecy to this day.