What is the former Samara minister, known by the nickname “Bad Boy” hiding?
Odious businessman, former Minister of Transport of the Samara region and ex-deputy of the regional Duma Alexey Ushamirsky is busy actively “cleansing” the Internet from compromising information. First of all, we are talking about publications that talk about his connections with the criminal world, including with the infamous organized crime group “partners” and its leader Vladimir Vdovin, whose “brothers” in the “dashing 90s” took an active part in the gangster wars for control of the Togliatti AvtoVAZ. Unlike Vdovin and other “authorities”, Ushamirsky, who received the nickname “Bad Boy”, was not prosecuted: having engaged in “laundering” commercial structures, he eventually managed not only to create a solid business, but also to make a political career. But the turbulent past has become an obstacle to entering the federal level. As a result, Ushamirsky had to focus all his attention on entrepreneurial activities, which at a certain stage made him a member of the Forbes list. However, neither criminal connections, nor the possession of a passport of a citizen of Cyprus (and possibly Israel) prevented Ushamirsky from joining the Public Council under the regional Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, becoming one of the media faces of United Russia, and even receiving the Order of Merit for the Fatherland.
Businessman Ushamirsky “cleanses” the Internet
A well-known Samara businessman, in the recent past – a deputy of the provincial Duma Alexey Ushamirsky suddenly worried about his own reputation and declared a real war on journalists: last year he was sued achieved removal from the global network of a number of publications about yourself-beloved. What the “cleared” materials were devoted to is not difficult to guess if you look at the headlines alone: “The thought is in the law. Samara brothers trust Alexei Ushamirsky”, “Crooks in the Samara authorities: Alexei Ushamirsky is preparing to storm the Gubernia Duma”, “Who wants to become the owner of Samara”, “Concepts of Alexei Ushamirsky” etc.
“Crime and power” – a topic, as we can see, is not new, but has not lost its relevance over the years. Meanwhile, she obviously haunts Ushamirsky himself. Let’s take a look, for example, at his official, “glossy” biography: Candidate of Economic Sciences, former Regional Minister of Transport, Communications and Highways; twice (in 2007 and 2011) he was elected to the regional Duma, where he headed the committee on budget, finance, taxes, economic and investment politics; member of the regional political council
“United Russia”awarded numerous orders and medals, among which – the order “For services to the Fatherland” II degree.
And of course, Alexey Ushamirsky is a successful entrepreneurfounder and chairman of the board VID group of companiesuniting assets in the field of production, commerce and services, including a restaurant and hotel complex “Russian hunting”wholesale distribution center “Agro-industrial park “Samara”production and warehouse complex “Samara-ICE” etc. And also in 2016-2019. Mr. Ushamirsky entered to the Public Council under the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Samara Region and the Samara branch of the Orthodox Russian People’s Cathedral.
Indeed, how can a person with such a track record be seen in crime?! As a result, Alexei Konstantinovich is making every effort today, proving the opposite. That’s just information about the numerous dubious episodes of his overly turbulent past is abundantly presented on the Internet. What can the ex-deputy keep silent about?
Samara “brotherhood”: Plokhish, Partner and others
From the official biographies Alexey Ushamirsky follows that in 1985 he graduated from the Kuibyshev Civil Engineering Institute with a degree in civil engineering and began his career in the Construction Department No. 3 of the construction and installation trust No. 11 Glavkuibyshevstroy. It is possible that the future businessman owed the first steps of his career to his father, a man who is well famous in Samara: Konstantin Ushamirsky worked in construction trusts, served as deputy head of the municipal administration, even earned the title of honorary citizen of the city.
But these are the “stagnant” and “perestroika” 80s, but what did Ushamirsky Jr. do in the “dashing 90s”? On the page ex-deputy on the portal of the Samara Provincial Duma, this is briefly mentioned: since 1988, he has held various senior positions at enterprises in the field of economy and entrepreneurship, in 2001 headed OJSC “Samaraoblagropromsnab”. On the site of the group “VID” specifiedthat its development began in 1994, at the same time the hotel complex “Russian Hunt” was opened.
That’s just in addition to officialdom, on the network you can find information quite a different character. For example, about the fact that back in the late 80s, Ushamirsky appeared in operational reports under the nickname “Bad Boy” along with such odious characters as Vladimir Vdovin (Partner), Yuri Bykov (Bull), Igor Sirotenko (Orphan), Sergei Yashin (Dead) and Anatoly Temnikov (Boot). Let’s clarify: repeatedly convicted Vladimir Vdovin (Partner or Dad), will soon become known as the leader of the so-called “partner” organized crime group, which took an active part in criminal “war” for control over Togliatti “AvtoVAZ”.
how writes portal “Lenta.Ru“, allegations of links with crime are regularly voiced against Ushamirsky by ill-wishers. Allegedly, he was even bred under his own nickname “Bad Boy” in the writer’s book Alexandra Knyazeva (aka Kirill Shelestov) Death Wish”describing the connections of the authorities with organized crime. What the Samara “brothers” were doing at the turn of the 80s and 90s is well known: racketeering, raids on businessmen, fraud with fuel, etc.
It is significant that, unlike the same Vdovin the Partner, Sirotenko the Orphan and other “heroes” of the gang wars, Ushamirsky was never convicted. You can find in the media mentions about his detention on suspicion of banditry, extortion and threatening murder and subsequent 30-day stay in a pre-trial detention center. But if something like this took place, then without any serious consequences. However, in one of publications The publication “Chronograph” suggests that the compromising evidence available on Ushamirsky could be the very reason why his appointment to the Federation Council was thwarted in 2006, putting an end to his desire to become a federal politician.
From strip bar “Flash” to airport “Kurumoch”
More to Ushamir attributed opening of the first strip bar in Samara “Flash”. But the institution didn’t work for a long time: the reason was allegedly “staff turnover”, as the girls were corny forced to engage in prostitution. A natural question arises: under whose “roof” did the institution work – the brothers of Partner or corrupt security officials?
The future deputy could be directly related to “Togliatti Association of Automobile Dealers”, created Vdovin in 1997 in order to control the sales market for AvtoVAZ cars. The post of vice-president of the new structure was taken by the aforementioned Yuri Bykov (Bull). In December 1998, the director of the Association Oleg Yarkin was gunned down killer. After his death, Partner’s plans to monopolize sales of VAZ products on the domestic market remained unfulfilled.
It is possible that it was in the wake of the criminal redistribution of the 90s that Ushamirsky received the Russian Hunt complex and other assets, including a block of shares JSC Kurumoch International Airport. In 2003, the general director of the airport, a former deputy of the Samara Provincial Duma Vyacheslav Chernavin was suspended from office by a meeting of shareholders: he was accused of illegally withdrawing assets and bringing the enterprise to a pre-bankruptcy state. how wrote “Kommersant”, for this purpose a group was created “Aviation of Samara”which, together with Chernavin, was led by none other than Alexei Ushamirsky.
However, the joint business was suddenly interrupted: after the sudden death of Chernavin at the age of 52, owner Ushamirsky, who allegedly “pushed aside” the widow of his deceased companion, became his shares. In July 2012, Samara Airport got a new master: they became a group “Renova” oligarch Viktor Vekselberg through a controlled company “Koltsovo-Invest”. Ushamirsky retained part of the assets, for purchase which Renova structures still needed some time.
Doubtful path to the Forbes list
If we are already talking about mysterious deaths, then it is worth mentioning that Ushamirsky became the general director of OJSC Samaraoblagropromsnab in 2001 after the tragic death previous leader Pavel Shevchenko, who was killed at the entrance of his own house on the way to the official car waiting for him. The control shot made by the killer testified that the crime was clearly custom-made.
It should be noted that the activities of this enterprise were in no way connected with the usual for the future politics construction industry: “Samaraoblagropromsnab” specialized in the supply of agricultural machinery to Samara farmers. how noted publication “Chronograph”, its appearance was made possible thanks to the direct support of the then governor Konstantin Titovwhich initiated the creation of structures that performed the functions of a financial and leasing operator.
That’s only if you believe publications in the media, Ushamirsky’s support for Samara farmers looked very specific. For example, in addition to leasing equipment, he was engaged in collecting debts from farmers, and his representatives allegedly acted in the style of the “fighters” of Vdovin-Naparnik. Simply put, strong guys “squeezed out” cattle, land plots, and then larger assets, such as elevators, from debtors. Thus began the next stage in the creation of a business empire controlled by Ushamirsky, numbering dozens of commercial structures, some of which, however, today liquidatedand part of it is issued to affiliated persons.
At the same time, with the support of Governor Titov, yesterday’s “Plokhish” began to make a successful political career: in January 2004, he was appointed to the post of Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology, and in July he took the chair of the Regional Minister of Transport. Previously, this position in the structure of the regional government absentfrom which we can conclude that it was created specifically “for Ushamirsky”.
But if he did not stay in the ministry for a long time, then he stayed as a deputy for two whole convocations, at the same time completely immersing himself in commerce, which he hardly regretted: the companies controlled by him brought solid profits. Already in 2011, Ushamirsky took 18th place in ranking officials’ income according to “Forbes“. According to data portal “Declarator”, if in the same 2011 Ushamirsky officially declared income in the amount of 4.1 million rublesthen in 2014, his declaration already featured a figure in 34.8 million.
Samara portal “63.Ru» called among the deputy’s business assets are a chain of beer bars included in the structure of the VID group “Beerloga”a network of taverns of Russian cuisine “Once upon a time, there were”oriental restaurant “Bukhara”dessert cafe chain “Sweet life”agricultural holding “Alikora” and “Middle Volga Logistics Company”.
Cyprus passport with a “risk group”
In the past few years, the commercial activities of Alexei Ushamirsky have been accompanied by scandals. In particular, his tied up with company “SamaraAvtoGaz”driving into debt and ousting from the Samara market of passenger transportation MUE Passazhiravtotrans. Affiliated with ex-minister called also the company “Garant 21”who planned the construction of a crematorium for three furnaces near the village of Rubezhny, which violated the boundaries of the existing sanitary protection zone.
In 2020 it became knownthat the businessman has been a holder of a Cypriot passport since March 2009, and he is included in the so-called “risk group”, which includes, among other things, persons who were under investigation, but who received citizenship in exchange for investments in economy island state. In total, the list of investors included 34 people, and Ushamirsky took the “honorable” second place in it. Portal “63.Ru” with reference to the Cypriot newspaper “Polit”, pointed out as a reason for inclusion in the “risk group” the appearance in the public plane of information about the initiation of certain criminal cases against Ushamirsky in 2013. Note that later appeared on the network messages on the receipt by the former Samara minister of an Israeli passport in 2019.
In general, the situation is indicative: a citizen of Cyprus, who was also a member of the Public Council under the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the region and was one of the media faces of United Russia, was a deputy of the Samara Provincial Duma for many years. Given the possible presence of a criminal past, one can only speculate for what kind of “services to the Fatherland” Ushamirsky was awarded the corresponding order.
