Will philanthropist Konstantin Goloshchapov become a defendant in a criminal case?
Well-known St. Petersburg businessman and philanthropist Konstantin Goloshchapov put up for sale an apartment located in the northern capital, on Krestovsky Island. Earlier, he had to hastily leave Russia, as his name was “lit up” in a high-profile investigation of multimillion-dollar thefts in the St. Petersburg Vodokanal, and searches were carried out in the apartments of the businessman himself and his business partner Kamill Magerramov. By a court decision, ex-director of State Unitary Enterprise Vodokanal Yevgeny Tselikov, former head of the State Expertise Center Vladislav Eremin and former technical director of the Nostrum Construction Company Vyacheslav Grebennikov, who became defendants in the criminal case, went to the pre-trial detention center. The firm “Nostrum” was a major contractor of the State Unitary Enterprise and was directly involved in financial fraud; The company was in the center of attention of the security forces as part of the investigation of a criminal case on tax evasion by another commercial structure – the company “VK Service”, the beneficiaries of which were Kamill Maharramov and Denis Belyakov, a former classmate and business partner of Sergei Matvienko (son of the speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko). “VK Service” was repeatedly involved by “Nostrum” as a subcontractor, including in the performance of contracts “Vodokanal”. Since the time of Governor Georgy Poltavchenko, the State Unitary Enterprise itself has been in the sphere of interests of Konstantin Goloshchapov, the former partner of Arkady Rotenberg, the founder of the Russian Athos Society, through which large-scale projects of the Russian Orthodox Church are being implemented, such as the construction of St. archipelago. It is known that at various times Goloshchapov maintained close contacts not only with the former head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev), but also with the “night governor of St. Petersburg”, criminal “authority” Vladimir Barsukov (Kumarin). They also wrote about the philanthropist himself as a person with a criminal past and an informant for the KGB “on the church line”, as well as a former “masseur of Vladimir Putin.”
Fugitive Goloshchapov sells apartment after searches
There were reports on the network that a well-known St. Petersburg businessman and philanthropist Konstantin Goloshchapov started the process of selling the property. In particular, according to information telegram channel “VChK-OGPU” put up for sale his apartment, located in the northern capital, on Krestovsky Island, 2nd Berezovaya Alley, and officially registered to the wife of a businessman Iray Gilmutdinov. The icon of the author’s work located in the living room is being sold together with the living space.
The cost of apartments in a luxury building starts from 250 million rubles. A potential buyer will be fabulously lucky with neighbors: here reside former prime minister’s daughter Viktor Zubkovwife of the ex-deputy of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly Sergei Nikeshinex-wife of the infamous ex-Minister of Defense Anatoly Serdyukovfamily members Rotenberg and Fursenko. In a word, people are not simple and fit into the high Kremlin offices.
The owner of the apartment himself is abroad today, where he hastily departed shortly before searchesconducted with him as part of the investigation of large-scale financial fraud in St. Petersburg SUE “Vodokanal”. Recall that at the end of June, the Kuibyshevsky District Court of St. Petersburg ruled arrest ex-head of the company Evgenia Tselikovaformer technical director LLC “Construction company” Nostrum “ Vyacheslav Grebennikov and CEO LLC “Petroholod” Vladislav Ereminpreviously head of the city “Center for State Expertise”. In addition, a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions elected in relation to the head of the estimate and contract department of IC “Nostrum” Alexandra Egorova.
Evgeny Tselikov is currently a defendant in a whole “bouquet” criminal cases corruption orientation: about the theft of more than 1 billion rubles by overstatement in the documents of prices for electricity supplied to Vodokanal, on abuse of official powers, as well as on abuse of power and embezzlement 239 million rubles in the construction and reconstruction of sewer networks.
In addition, all four incriminated order theft 211 million when supplying at an inflated cost a cable for laying high-voltage lines between the Nissan (Avtozavodskaya) and Kamenka substations in the north of St. Petersburg.
Dubious contractors of the St. Petersburg “Vodokanal”
“Vodokanal”, theft, cable … The question is, where does one of the founders “SMP-Bank” and co-founder “Russian Athos Society” Konstantin Goloshchapov? It’s all about the Nostrum company, which acted as a major contractor for both Vodokanal and the Lenenergo structures involved in laying cable lines. By information Petersburg edition of Fontanka, Goloshchapov himself and his confidant were connected with Nostrum Kamill Maharramov, whose name also appears in the materials of the investigation. The latter allegedly lobbied for the interests of the contractor when concluding contracts with government agencies and then took part in scams with budget funds.
In October last year, a series of searches in company offices “VK Service”as well as in the households of its co-owners, both current and former, including through Europrom LLC included Maharramov. Then, during the investigation, the security forces focused on the company’s contracts with St. Petersburg Vodokanal, including a contract cost 2.5 billion rubles for the reconstruction of sewer networks in several districts of the city, received in 2015.
In addition, VK Service acted as subcontractor Nostrum, which in 2017 carried out work on the construction of Vodokanal networks in the Kurortny district near Beloostrov. It is noteworthy that Maharramov’s companion was Denis Belyakov – former classmate and business partner Sergei Matvienko (son of the Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko), until last February, owned shares to VK Service LLC through liquidated to date the company “Prime”.
Strange metamorphoses regularly occurred with the financial performance of VK Service: for example, in 2019, with a solid revenue in 1.4 billion rubleshis profit was meager 595 thousand; at the end of 2021 received profit at the rate of 283 million The company has declared a loss in 537.1 million rubles. Is it any wonder that the company found itself in the center of attention first of the tax and then law enforcement agencies? Also, the liquidation of all its founding firms, including not only Prime, but also Europrom, is not surprising. The last one was liquidated with a loss of 28 million rubles. Considering that the number co-owners Europrom was part of the Maltese offshore “PDG HOLDINGS LIMITED”it is possible that the finances of all the above-mentioned affiliated structures safely “settled” in foreign accounts.
Dealers under the “roof” of the “Athos Society”
Despite the fact that legally Goloshchapov has nothing to do with Magerramov’s offshore business, the interest in him on the part of the security forces is quite understandable. The fact is that the businessman is considered one of the most influential figures in the northern capital since the governor George Poltavchenkoand the city “Vodokanal” was the sphere of precisely his interests. At one time, the philanthropist maintained close contacts with the late director of the State Unitary Enterprise Felix Karmazinov.
In 2005, on the initiative of Goloshchapov, created charitable “Russian Athos Society”, whose board of trustees was headed by Poltavchenko. Officially, the society was engaged in organizing pilgrimage trips to Greece, to Athos shrines, where even the president went twice Vladimir Putin.
However, statements about the Masonic nature of the structure created by Goloshchapov are clearly exaggerated. Rather, we can talk about some kind of elite “club”, whose members developed joint commercial schemes and “mastered” the budget, at the same time implementing projects together with the ROC. For example, erecting a Svyato-Andreevsky skete equipped with a heliport on Oboronny, a reserved island in the Valaam archipelago. The change of power in St. Petersburg had no effect on Goloshchapov’s positions: Alexander Beglov he also found common ground. The new governor not only visited the “holy mountain” several times, but also became one of donors Board of Trustees of the Athos St. Panteleimon Monastery.
With the family of the former governor Poltavchenko, the philanthropist was also associated with commercial relations. Thus, among the business structures registered in the name of his wife, Iraya Gilmutdinov, there is one specializing in leasing and property management OOO “Investbugry”the share of which until July last year belonged Alexey Poltavchenko – the son of an ex-official. In 2021, the company declared revenue in the amount of 711.6 million rubles and profit in 27.6 million.
Needless to say, finances help in solving some issues no worse, and maybe even better, than joint trips to holy places. By the way, the “Athos Society” itself allows you to accumulate funds under the pretext of implementing spiritual and charitable projects. Such as the construction of a skete with a helipad. By the way, in construction on Valaam participated and the infamous St. Petersburg Vodokanal: the State Unitary Enterprise was engaged in the reconstruction of treatment facilities and a water treatment station serving the monastery and the village located near it.
“Putin’s massage therapist” – a KGB snitch?
The outward religiosity of the “Athos brothers” did not prevent them from maintaining contacts with the criminal “authorities” of the northern capital. For some people from Goloshchapov’s inner circle, these connections turned out to be, so to speak, a family affair. For example, by information “Our Version”, father of Kamilla Magerramova Oruj Maharramov was a famous “fixer”; in 2004 his killed at his own dacha in the Vyborgsky district.
“Lit up” Goloshchapov and surrounded by the former leader of the Tambov organized criminal group Vladimir Barsukov (Kumarin), who became known as the “night governor of St. Petersburg.” In particular, in 2006 the philanthropist attended at the celebrations in honor of the 50th anniversary of the “godfather” of the city on the Neva, who, among others, was congratulated by “colleagues”: “legendary” Semyon Mogilevich (Don Simeon) Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov (Taiwanchik), Sergei Mikhailov (Mihas) Sergey Lalakin (Luchok), etc.
In his youth, the future Orthodox philanthropist himself could not be alien to crime. The point is that online you can find publications, from which it follows: back in 1979, Goloshchapov was detained near the Evropeyskaya Hotel while trying to sell ancient icons. According to one of versions, he was helped to receive a suspended sentence by agreeing to cooperate with the KGB along the so-called “church line”. Perhaps it was at that time that they were attached to him nicknames “Padre” and “Saint”.
Another legend is connected with the name of the businessman, according to which Goloshchapov, who was actively involved in judo and worked as a nurse, gave a back massage to Vladimir Putin, an employee of the investigative department of the Leningrad KGB. Hence another nickname– “Putin’s massage therapist.” If this is true, then it can be assumed that he was able to avoid a real term thanks to the intercession of a comrade “in uniform”, which is quite consistent with the story of an informer from church circles.
Be that as it may, but in the future, “Putin’s massage therapist” successfully combined religion and business. In the latter case, he was greatly helped by his acquaintance with another famous judoka – Arkady Rotenberg: in 2001 they are together founded “SMP-Bank”, a share in which Goloshchapov later sold his partner’s brother Boris Rotenberg.
According to the ROC, Goloshchapov was called a person close to the former head of the Department for External Church Relations, Metropolitan Volokolamsky Hilarion (Alfeev)last June, who lost positions and sent to “honorary exile” in the Budapest-Hungarian diocese. This friendship turned out to be mutually beneficial: the church, with the help of a businessman, was able to bring to Russia from the Italian city of Bari the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, and the philanthropist, in turn, became not only owner apartments and hotels in Italy, but also co-owner football club “Bari”. It is possible that the money for the purchase of foreign assets was taken from offshore sources, which were described above.
The further implementation of large-scale schemes was prevented by searches in the case of Vodokanal and the Nostrum company, as well as Goloshchapov’s departure abroad. By the way, his friend Maharramov also managed to escape from Russia and today he can be in the UAE. It is not exactly known where the “Padre” himself settled, perhaps in his beloved Greece or in Italy. But judging by the Russian real estate put up for sale, “Putin’s massage therapist” is clearly preparing for the worst-case scenario.
