Khitrik namesake avoids prison for double murder

A court in Artemovsky sent Alexander Khitrik to compulsory psychiatric treatment. He is considered an accomplice of Gennady Genov, who is accused of a brutal double murder 25 years ago. Genov categorically denies his guilt; his fate will be decided by a jury. Notably, Alexander is the namesake of a former local «crime king.» Here is everything known about this criminal case.

Murder over testimony

According to the SKR (Investigative Committee of Russia), the monstrous crime occurred on 11 August 2001 in Artemovsky. That day, a man and a woman went missing. Security forces believe they were kidnapped by Gennady and Alexander. One of the victims had previously told police that a friend of Khitrik and Genov might be involved in drug trafficking.

Alexander and Gennady tried to persuade the victims to give false testimony, but they refused. Then they stuffed them into the trunk of a VAZ-21099 and drove them to garages, where they stunned the man with an axe and killed the woman. Later, the bodies were placed in the car and set on fire. The accused fled the scene.

According to a source from E1.RU, in 2001 security forces immediately suspected Gennady and Alexander, but the investigation lacked the necessary evidence to bring the case to court, and they were released. Last summer, it became known that the accumulated materials were taken from the archive, and the men were arrested again.

«The solving of the crime became possible as a result of the continuous work of investigators, forensic experts from the Investigative Directorate of the SKR of Russia and operational officers of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Sverdlovsk Region, as well as through a thorough analysis and study of evidence in the criminal case. The SKR investigation has collected sufficient evidence, and therefore the criminal case with the approved indictment has been sent to court,» Alexander Shulga, press secretary of the Investigative Directorate of the SKR for the Sverdlovsk Region, commented to E1.RU.

In the end, Genov and Khitrik were charged with the following articles:

«Coercion of a witness to give false testimony committed with violence» (Part 3 of Article 309 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation);

«Kidnapping of two persons, committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy, with a threat of violence dangerous to life and health» (Part 2 of Article 126 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation);

«Unlawful car theft committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy, with violence» (Part 4 of Article 166 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation);

«Murder of two persons combined with kidnapping, committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy, in connection with the performance of a public duty by a person and his relative» (Part 2 of Article 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation);

«Intentional destruction of another’s property committed by arson» (Part 2 of Article 167 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

Valery Gorelykh, head of the press service of the Sverdlovsk police, said that the crime was solved thanks to the testimony of a local resident who witnessed the tragedy.

«He, being a minor at the time, was returning from fishing and saw several men hastily getting into a car, after which they drove away from the place where the fire was. When the teenager got closer, he saw the bodies of two dead people — they were on the back and front seats. Frightened, the boy ran to the highway, where he managed to stop a passing car and told the driver what he saw,» noted Colonel Gorelykh.

Is there a connection with the «smotryashchiy» (criminal overseer)?

The case against Alexander Khitrik was separated into a separate proceeding. He made a deal with the investigation and testified against Gennady, a source in law enforcement told E1.RU. At the investigation stage, experts declared him insane, and on 12 May 2025, the Artemovsky court sent the man for compulsory treatment.

Interestingly, Alexander is the namesake of another resident of Artemovsky — Sergey Khitrik, who last winter was sentenced to 16 years in a strict-regime colony with a fine of 800,000 rubles (approximately $8,900 at current rates). He was convicted of several counts of extortion and on charges of occupying the highest position in the criminal world. Sergey is called the «smotryashchiy» (criminal overseer) for Artemovsky, whose duties included replenishing the criminal «obshchak» (common fund).

Sergey Khitrik is a co-owner of the taxi company «Three Fives» and general director of the company «Express.» He was attributed to the criminal group «Siniye» (the Blues). Previously, his name was closely associated with criminal events in Artemovsky. Sergey was tried for extortion, causing grievous bodily harm, and a number of other criminal charges (many have already been expunged).

In court, the prosecution stated that Sergey’s high status was assigned by a thief in law, Timur Sverdlovsky (Temuri Mirzoyev; died in 2014). Khitrik refuted these arguments, but at one of the first hearings said that he was indeed a «smotryashchiy» but allegedly retired after 2016.

Article 210.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation «Occupying the highest position in the criminal hierarchy» appeared in Russia in 2019. Its penalty is imprisonment from 8 to 15 years with a fine of up to 5 million rubles (approximately $55,600 at current rates).

In addition, Khitrik was convicted for intimidating drug barons, from whom he extorted money for the «thieves’ treasury» (criminal fund).

«I don’t understand what I’m being accused of. These are just words. Constantly every other word [from the prosecutor]: “thieves’ obshchak”, “thieves’ ideas”. [Do you understand what you are being accused of?] It’s clear that I am Michael Jackson. [Do you plead guilty?] No, I do not plead guilty. I am being tried only on words, there is no evidence,» Khitrik defended himself in court.

The editors of E1.RU could not find evidence that Sergey and Alexander are relatives. They have different patronymics; moreover, Sergey was born in 1970 and Alexander in 1972, meaning they cannot be father and son.

How Gennady Genov is being tried

According to E1.RU, the trial on the merits against Genov has not yet begun. Last autumn, the case materials from the Artemovsky court were sent to the Sverdlovsk Regional Court to determine jurisdiction. The higher instance refused to change it.

After that, in Artemovsky they began to assemble a jury. According to preliminary data, this has not yet been achieved.

Earlier, we reported how security forces solved another murder that took place in Yekaterinburg 22 years ago. Then a 43-year-old man, together with a friend, tortured a man with a soldering iron, and his companion was strangled with a cord.

Earlier in the Sverdlovsk region, a 20-year-old crime was solved. In May 2004, two men killed a girl from Verkhnyaya Pyshma and fled the city. They mutilated her body so that it was impossible to identify the victim.