As you know, the head of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Alexander Bastrykin, appointed a new head of the Investigative Committee for St. Petersburg, Oleg Bobkov. We will voice the version of why it is two years before him with the prefix acting. the St. Petersburg investigation was led by Marina Parastaeva, but, despite a number of high-profile cases, she never reached the full status of the head. And let’s remember the influential notary from the 90s, Sergei Vymentets, who, as it seems, can occupy an honorable place in the appointment of Bobkov.
Alexander Bastrykin is a native of Leningrad, and always closely follows his native city. For example, he conducts a personal reception of citizens, after whose appeal sometimes harsh organizational conclusions follow in relation to ordinary investigators. And the head of the Sledkom closely monitors the safety of architectural monuments in St. Petersburg – his intervention has already happened dozens of times, although these potential crimes are not directly within the competence of the Investigative Committee. It is all the more surprising that Petersburg has been doing without a full-fledged head of the investigation for several years. Why? And why didn’t Marina Parastaeva, who “warmed up” this place, get rid of the prefix acting? Finally, how will the St. Petersburg Investigative Committee change under Oleg Bobkov? Some of the answers to these questions will surprise or take you back in time.
Vymentz Jr. factor. and senior
Let’s start with the last one. Colonel of Justice Oleg Bobkov, again, was appointed only acting. head of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee for St. Petersburg. Now he is 43 years old, he started in the St. Petersburg transport prosecutor’s office, then worked in the investigative departments of the Krasnogvardeisky and Central districts, since 2021 he has served as deputy head of the Western Interregional Investigation Department for Transport of the RF Investigative Committee based in St. Petersburg.
Kompromat.group writes: “Bobkov’s appointment was unexpected, but not too much. It is clear that the head of the St. Petersburg IC must have a “Leningrad face”. Oleg Valeryevich, as a careerist, was not known to the general public, but was known as a person who took to heart the requests of various high-ranking and authoritative petitioners. The reason for this is his many years of strong friendship with Pavel Vymentets, whose deputy he, in fact, was until his recent high appointment. They have a long friendship with Pavel Sergeevich. Some sources claim that he and Bobkov graduated from the same alma mater together – St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. But if this information is absolutely true regarding Vymentets, then there is no information about the university that Bobkov graduated from, even in the official certificate of leadership posted on the website of the UK. What is Oleg Valerievich hiding? Unknown.”
Here it is necessary to explain who Pavel Vymenets is, who is unfamiliar even to the modern St. Petersburg reader, but who has great authority in St. Petersburg power circles. He was born in 1979, therefore, a close friendship at the university with Bobkov, born in 1980. quite probable. Colonel of Justice Vymenets is from a hereditary power family, and therefore always had patronage, as evil tongues say. His influence was especially great in 2004-2005, when he served as the prosecutor of the department for supervision of the investigation in the prosecutor’s office of St. Petersburg. A position where you can break the fate of investigators if you wish. Or, on the contrary, to encourage their career. Since September 2022, he has been the head of the Western Interregional Investigation Department for Transport of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.
We will not take the word of sources in the UK, but nevertheless we will give such an opinion as information for reflection: “Vymentets’ influence comes from the family, he is well, even closely acquainted with Bastrykin, his father, lawyer, notary, professor of jurisprudence Sergey Pavlovich Vymenets is a longtime a friend of the head of the Investigative Committee, studied with him at the law faculty of Leningrad State University, and is generally considered a gray cardinal when making personnel decisions in the Sledkom and the prosecutor’s office of St. Petersburg and the North-West. At least friendly relations are connected with Bobkov Vymentets Jr., they worked together in the transport prosecutor’s office and in the Central District. So the appointment of the latter to such a high position should not be surprising.”
The correspondent of Our Version tried to find out more about Oleg Bobkov’s professional qualities from his former colleagues on the ground, in the districts, but came across an extreme, even emphasized unwillingness to tell at least something. And you can’t sew facial expressions to the point. On the Internet, too, one cannot find high-profile disclosures from the new head of the St. Petersburg IC.
According to peers
As for 52-year-old Marina Parastaeva, she has now returned to the post of first deputy head of the Investigative Committee for St. Petersburg. She held this position until 2021, when Alexander Klaus, now the first deputy of Bastrykin, was the head of the St. Petersburg IC. It is curious that she is a major general of justice, and her new boss is “only” a colonel. That also happens. Parastaeva was acting leader for two whole years, the maximum period after which Bastrykin had to either approve her as the head, or make a new candidate. He chose the second. Sources just talk about Parastaeva willingly and easily: “I started from the very bottom, being the secretary of the Oktyabrsky district prosecutor’s office. Then she entered the law faculty of St. Petersburg State University, there was patronage from her place of work. Her personnel lift is diligence, perseverance, accuracy, the ability to get along with big people, although in the investigation case, of course, Marina Grigoryevna is far from an ace. But it also has more organizational, paper functions. She worked as an investigator in several districts, as well as deputy prosecutor of the Admiralteisky district. Since 2008, he has been deputy head of the UK in St. Petersburg. Of course, she was counting on the position after two years of work. But, as we can see, she didn’t buckle, all her possible grievances remained under dark water.
On the net, you can also find extremely harsh accusations of Parastaeva of nepotism, allegedly her relatives are successfully employed by the police. However, if a musician’s nephew becomes a musician, it’s not corruption, is it? However, it depends on the specific circumstances. Also, some citizens anonymously write that Parastaeva verbally answered rudely to their appeals. But this is hard to believe, because the head of the Investigative Committee puts correct communication with applicants on time almost at the forefront of the activities of the Sledkom. This is an iconic moment. And Parastaeva, according to the definition of her colleagues, is a “faithful servant.”
As for fame, and with it the apparatus weight, the general public heard about Marina Grigoryevna in connection with the high-profile case of professor-historian Oleg Sokolov, who killed and dismembered his graduate student and mistress. In 2020, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Then, when there were appeals and new courts until 2022, Marina Parastaeva, a purely non-public person, had to give comments to the press, which was even visually difficult for her. But in such a resonant case, you can seriously develop career growth. It didn’t work out. Or maybe you didn’t want to.
Klaus didn’t go anywhere?
Now “in the kitchens” the security forces of the northern capital often discuss whether Oleg Bobkov will gain a foothold in the role of a full-fledged head of the Investigative Committee. Versions are built differently. But with one unconditional constant – you should not expect a “Varangian” for the position. And, most likely, a forecast is given, Bastrykin will watch and evaluate Bobkov for exactly at least a year. Oleg Ivanov, a former investigator of the prosecutor’s office of Leningrad and St. Petersburg, shares something unexpected with the correspondent of Our Version: “Of course, a person who is not connected with St. Petersburg under Bastrykin will not go to the local Investigative Committee – only Leningraders are investigating. I will not assess the prospects of Oleg Bobkov, I will say something else. For some reason, maybe just out of ignorance, the public does not notice that the St. Petersburg Sledkom has a full-fledged leader, moreover, the well-known Alexander Klaus, who in 2021 was appointed the first deputy chairman of the federal Investigative Committee. However, he did not move to Moscow! He still sits in his own office on the embankment of the Moika River in the main building of the St. Petersburg IC, and the same Marina Parastaeva, they say, closely consulted with him on key issues. In this scenario, everything falls into place – the Nevsky SC has a leader, it’s just that he is in St. Petersburg in some status of “looking”, sorry for the thieves’ slang, but you can’t say more precisely.
By the way
Keeping employees in acting status is perhaps just the corporate identity of the personnel policy of the head of the Russian Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin. At the moment, several heads of regional investigative departments are in such an interesting position at once. And in St. Petersburg, a picture with acting. is also present in the St. Petersburg Academy of the Investigative Committee, nurtured by the director of the Investigative Committee of Russia. There, instead of the rector, there is Acting Colonel of Justice Vladimir Loboda. As you know, the previous acting, after sitting in this position for some time, quit without waiting for the cherished appointment.