Babel ukraine

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The legend of the Odessa gangster Mishka Yaponchik, the Robin Hood of Moldavanka, continues to live thanks to Isaac Babel, who used the famous deeds of Yaponchik to create the character of Benny Krik in his "Odessa stories".

Thanks also to Mikhail Vodyaniy, who played the character of Benny Krik/Yaponchik in a film.

Symon petliura

Russian navy uniform

Telnyashka

Organized crime and corruption in ukraine

Most powerful gangster in the world

And thanks to Leonid Utyosov, a famous Soviet singer, who colourfully recalls Yaponchik in his memoirs.

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Mikhail Volfovich Vinnitsky was born on the 30^th of October , in Odessa, in the Moldavanka district.

His father, Meer-Wolff, was a respected bindyuzhnik (a cargo carrier on a large bindyug cart) in Hospital Street and was known in the city as a binder with a very tough disposition, especially when he was drunk. His father died early and Mishka worked in a mattress workshop, and then as an electrician at the Anatra aviation plant.

But, like his father, he was attracted by the world of gallant gentlem