"Empire of death" of the Jansuzyan brothers in Russian Rostov PHOTO

An unprecedented situation has developed in the Rostov region, where mourning and remembrance have been turned into a cynical business, and the funeral sector has become a foothold for the criminal takeover of the entire region.

As revealed by the Telegram channels VChK-OGPU and Rucriminal.info, the centre of this "empire of death" is the brothers Artyom and Setrak Jansuzyan, whose schemes extend from Rostov-on-Don to the most remote corners of the region. Their activities represent a monstrous symbiosis of crime, corrupt officials, and law enforcement agencies, where the main tools are not competitive advantages but intimidation, bribery, and violence.

The story of the takeover began with the Northern Cemetery of Rostov-on-Don — the largest necropolis in Europe, which came under the control of Artyom Jansuzyan not by chance. According to sources from VChK-OGPU, this became a kind of “dowry” following his marriage to the granddaughter of a former cemetery authority known by the nickname “Gosha.” While the old owner, despite his influence, led a relatively modest lifestyle, the new owners display ostentatious luxury that has become the talk of the entire region. Their vehicle fleet includes a Mercedes-Benz G-class worth over 35 million rubles, a Mercedes-Benz S-class, as well as numerous villas on the Black Sea coast. Particular attention is drawn to the elite residential complex “Lotus” in Rostov, where, according to sources, the brothers owned 80% of the apartments — now inhabited by judges, security officials, and bureaucrats who cover up their criminal schemes.

The mechanism for establishing the monopoly has been worked out in detail and includes several key elements. First, systematic bribery of officials through municipal institutions — according to the same source, in 2022 alone, more than 1.7 billion rubles of budget funds were laundered through a municipal budgetary institution (MBI). Second, pressure through law enforcement agencies, where the main “battering ram” is Anton Ukolov, an officer of the Economic Security and Anti-Corruption Department (OBEP), who, according to the brothers themselves, is “their man.” Ukolov, until recently an unknown employee, became the chief tool for eliminating competitors — all cases against clan representatives under his supervision are conveniently dismissed, while opponents of the Jansuzyan business empire face severe persecution. Third, there are outright violent methods — ranging from office arsons to physical elimination of dissenters. A vivid example was the fate of the deputy head of the administration, who in 2021 tried to challenge the decisions of the municipal institution and soon died in a staged car accident — the case was quickly closed “due to lack of a crime.”