Episode 27: The Tsar of Thieves. The Tale of Van’ka Kain

About this episode

This episode explores the life of Ivan Osipov, also known as Van'ka Kain, who transitioned from a notorious criminal to a criminal investigator in 18th century Moscow.

Abandoning his job as a domestic servant in 1735, Ivan Osipov, AKA Van'ka Kain, became one of imperial Russia's most legendary criminals, performing an array of daring heists and audacious gambits over the course of six years. However, in 1741, Kain turned coat, ratting out most of his former accomplices and establishing himself as Moscow's preeminent criminal investigator. In this episode, we follow not only Kain's story from criminal to policeman and back again, but also those of the men and women he betrayed, their testimonies to the police offering us an unparallled glimpse into crime in mid-eighteenth century Moscow. Sources E. Akel’ev, Povsednevnaia zhizn’ vorovskogo mira Moskvy vo vremena Van’ki Kaina (Moscow: Molodaia gvardiia, 2012) E. Prikazchikova, ‘Van’ka Kain v kul’turnom prostranstve Rossii: semiotika povedeniia’, Quaestio Rossica, vol. 10, no. 1 (2022), 275-289 M. Komarov, 'Zhizn' i prokhozhdeniia Rossiiskogo Kartusha, imenuemogo Kaina, izvestnogo moshennika i togo remesla liudei syshchika. Za raskaianie v zlodeistve poluchivshego otkazni svobody; no za obrashchenie v prezhnii promysel soslannogo vechno na katorzhnuiu rabotu, prezhde v Rogervik, a potom v Sibir'…

People in this episode

Host: James White

Topics covered

• crime
• history
• Moscow
• criminal investigation
• betrayal
• 18th century

Keywords

• Van'ka Kain
• Ivan Osipov
• Moscow crime
• criminal investigation
• betrayal
• 18th century Russia

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Povsednevnaia zhizn’ vorovskogo mira Moskvy vo vremena Van’ki Kaina, Van’ka Kain v kul’turnom prostranstve Rossii: semiotika povedeniia, Zhizn' i prokhozhdeniia Rossiiskogo Kartusha, imenuemogo Kaina

Places: Moscow

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