On May 28, 2025, the first chapter of Matterica's documentary series Obschak: Russia's Most Powerful Crime Syndicate premiered on OKKO. The release was accompanied by a press and industry screening in Moscow. Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Gazeta.Ru, and other major outlets covered the event.
About the series
Obschak chronicles a Far Eastern organised crime group founded by Yevgeny Vasin, nicknamed "Dzhem", in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the late 1980s. From a small regional gang, Obschak grew into an organisation that came to control much of Russia's Far East. Each episode runs approximately 25 minutes.
Team
Directed by Vladislav Kuznetsov. Written by Igor Zalyubovin and Arina Makarenko. Cinematography by Mikhail Loshkarev (Mishembo). Produced by Mikhail Borodin, Anastasia Evtushenko, and Anton Korablev.
Where to watch
Obschak: Russia's Most Powerful Crime Syndicate is available on OKKO.
Press coverage
A full roundup of media publications is available in our post: Press coverage of Obschak. More about the project at the project page.
