Alexander Viktorovich Solonik was born on October 16, 1960, in Kurgan, Soviet Union. From an early age, he showed strong interest in wrestling and firearms. As a teenager, he lived in the same neighborhood as Andrei Kolegov, who would later lead the Kurgan criminal organization. Their friendship became significant, laying the groundwork for Solonik’s future ties to the criminal world.

After finishing school, Solonik served in the Soviet Army as part of a tank regiment stationed in East Germany. Once discharged, he joined the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) and trained at the Gorkovskiy Institute but was expelled within six months for misconduct. Returning home, he took an unusual job as a gravedigger—working alongside Kolegov and others who would rise as Kurgan mob leaders.

Solonik married twice. His first marriage ended in divorce after they had a daughter. With his second wife, he had a son. In 1987, Solonik was arrested and convicted of rape, receiving an eight-year prison sentence. He escaped custody during a farewell meeting with his wife, jumping from a second-story window. He was recaptured months later and placed in solitary confinement due to his law enforcement background.

After two years behind bars, Solonik escaped once more and returned to Kurgan, where he joined Kolegov’s growing criminal outfit. He quickly became one of their most feared assets—a contract killer. His first known murder was in 1990 when he assassinated a rival mob leader in Tyumen. That hit launched his reputation as a professional killer.

In 1992, he killed Viktor Nikiforov, a well-known "thief in law" (a high-ranking criminal). Months later, Solonik assassinated Valeri Dlugach inside a nightclub filled with bodyguards. In 1994, he murdered Dlugach’s successor, Vladislav Vinner. Around that same year, Solonik allegedly tried to extort mob boss Otari Kvantrishvili, but after failing, supposedly killed him in revenge. However, this murder was officially attributed to another gang member, Alexei Sherstobitov, who confessed in 2006—casting doubt on Solonik's involvement.

Eventually arrested in Moscow while drinking with an associate, Solonik stunned authorities by smuggling a Glock 17 into the police station under his raincoat. He shot multiple officers and was only subdued after being wounded. He was sent to Matrosskaya Tishina prison, where he underwent surgery for a kidney injury. But in 1995, with help from guard Sergey Menshikov (possibly a mob plant), he escaped once again—this time rappelling off the prison roof using climbing gear and leaving behind a dummy in his bed.

Solonik vanished from Russian law enforcement radar but resurfaced in Greece under a false identity. There, he built his own crime syndicate, estimated to be around 50 men strong, involved in drug trafficking and contract killings. He purchased luxury villas near Athens and was reportedly preparing for a hit in Italy at the time of his death.

On January 31, 1997, Solonik was found dead—strangled in his villa near Athens. The prime suspect was Alexander Pustovalov (aka Sasha Soldat), another infamous Russian hitman and ex-marine. Greek authorities later raided the compound and found large caches of weapons.