Maxim Pavlov, also known by the nickname “Zakirka,” was just 16 years old when he joined the extremist murder group The Cleaners. Born and raised in Rostov, located in the Yaroslavl Oblast of Russia, Pavlov was the youngest of the five known members. His background reveals a young man seemingly swept up by radical ideology and manipulated into violence by older, more experienced peers.

Not much is publicly known about his family or upbringing, but there’s no record of prior criminal activity or mental illness before the murders. Pavlov’s descent into neo-Nazi extremism likely started online. Like his co-conspirators, he was active in far-right chat groups on VKontakte, a Russian social media platform where hate speech and calls for violence against marginalized groups were rampant.

Pavlov idolized the idea of war and even attempted to join the conflict in Ukraine alongside Voitov and Karataev. All three expressed a desire to fight with the infamous far-right Azov Battalion, but instead they were posted near the Russian-Ukrainian border and eventually returned home by bus.

Maxim Pavlov was directly involved in two of the murders committed by The Cleaners, a Russian neo-Nazi gang that operated between 2014 and 2015. While he was not present during the majority of the 14 confirmed murders, his participation in two killings—and his loyalty to the group’s ideology—was enough to secure a conviction.

Under the direction of leader Pavel Voitov, Pavlov joined in stalking and attacking victims. The group’s modus operandi was methodical and horrifying: they would lure victims, typically homeless or intoxicated individuals, to isolated areas late at night. There, they would attack with a hammer or club, followed by repeated stabbings. The murder scenes often showed signs of overkill, with some victims having over 40 stab wounds.

Though the exact murder dates involving Pavlov were not disclosed, investigators confirmed that he directly assisted Voitov in at least two killings. In one of the group’s documented attacks, the victim suffered over 50 stab wounds. While Pavlov was not among those responsible for the gang’s most gruesome killings—like the 171-stab case in Kuskovo—he was seen as a willing participant and was fully aware of the group’s actions and ideology.

Pavlov was arrested in February 2015, shortly after Voitov and Lobacheva were taken into custody. His arrest followed a broader investigation that used mobile phone tower data to track group members’ movements. All five suspects confessed quickly, and Pavlov was no exception. Despite being a minor, his confession revealed full awareness and participation in the killings.

At trial, held in 2017, the court acknowledged his age but did not grant him leniency. The jury found him guilty and undeserving of a lighter sentence. On October 23, 2017, Maxim Pavlov was sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in a penal colony.