Authorized gentleman Mikhalkov: the story of the lost state property

The Union of Cinematographers, chaired by Nikita Mikhalkov, agreed on the parameters for building up the site under the Central House of Cinema.

A year ago, there were talks about the restoration of the house-monument of cultural heritage. It was closed in 2019 for renovations. Apparently, its appearance will be preserved, though the “stuffing” and, apparently, the owner will change. Who will make money on the project and why Mikhalkov is scolded – in the material of The Moscow Post correspondent.

Mikhalkov’s generosity

This case is not the first time that the former state property can pass into the hands of merchants under the control of Mikhalkov. In 2019, the Nightingale cinema center was bought out and then demolished by the Kinocenter company, which may be associated with the ex-shareholders of the scandalous Khovansky bank Eduard and Vadim Merkin (the largest shareholder of Khovansky at one time was the Lukomer company, which is registered at the same address as JSC “Kinotsentr”).

It was rumored that Merkin at one time attracted funds from the Moscow mayor’s office – he gave the former head of the capital Yuri Luzhkov bills from the bank for various projects, and did not even think about paying them off. He allegedly enjoyed, among other things, the support of the Moscow security forces and “protected” the gambling business. Now Merkin is being “protected” by Mikhalkov?

Although the latter publicly asked Sergei Sobyanin to purchase an asset, in fact it could only be window dressing in order to relieve himself of responsibility for the sale of the most visited cinema at that time to merchants (there were protests in the city in order to prevent demolition). The Moscow Post covered this story in detail.

The project for the construction of houses on the site of a cinema for the Kinocenter company was developed by Sky View. It is likely that these same structures will also take over the cinema house.

Money offshore linked to the Ukrainian government?

The technical customer of that project is Severin Development. The founder of the company is Alexander Balabin. Among the implemented projects of the company are boarding houses, sanatoriums, rest houses, medical and social facilities, as well as multifunctional and entertainment complexes, residential buildings, apartment complexes, hotels, cottage villages, industrial facilities and transport infrastructure. This is indicated on the website of the University of the Ministry of Construction. The structures of the company are state suppliers.

The Cypriot offshore LAUREX LIMITED is also related to the company. The director of the offshore is a certain Katya Andreus. She also appeared in the text of the investigation of the Ukrainian edition of Crime as the person behind the firm, the ultimate beneficiary of which is Konstantin Karamanets.

He is called a person close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. At home, he owns a mass of mining assets.

Photo: https://www.rusprofile.ru

Photo: https://efiling.drcor.mcit.gov.cy

Abdurakhmanili

The general contractor of the project is “Antek”. The company is also tied to an offshore company – this time the Turkish “ANT YAPI SANAYI VE TIJARET ANONIM SHIRKETI”. Through a number of companies, the organization is connected with the scandalous Anton Abdurakhmanov (Ant Yapy LLC was registered on the above offshore, which used to be owned by NR-SB 2014, managed by Arthur Poghosyan. The latter was the founder of Avyu Stroy, and it is now managed by US- 17″, which belongs to Aris LLC. It is controlled by Abdurakhmanov).

Compromising resources call Abdurakhmanov a contractor of the Ministry of Defense, who has been robbing the army for years. They also write that he allegedly cleans up information about himself on the Internet.

Whether this is true or not is a debatable question, but such data can only be found on unofficial resources: “In 2013-14, a structural unit of the Russian Ministry of Defense FSUE” GVSU No. objects for the Airborne Troops of the Russian Federation. It was Anton Abdurakhmanov who led the Moselektrotyagstroy Trust (OJSC Trust METS).

Abdurakhmanov is also the head of the figure skating federation in Moscow. Honored trainer of the USSR Tatyana Tarasova spoke about this: “Who is this? Who is Abdurakhmanov? How can it be that Slutskaya did not go to this place! How? It’s dishonorable! It turns out that in our country the profession does not solve anything!” – Tarasova is quoted by Sportexpress.

Indeed, Abdurakhmanov was not previously engaged in activities related to figure skating. At least this is not known to the general public. In this regard, his appointment looks negotiable.

The project of new buildings on the site of “Nightingale”. Photo: https://skyview.ru/project/

Hiding behind Sobyanin?

If we assume that his interests are affected in the story with the construction of the Central House of Cinema on the territory, suspicions arise that Mr. Abdurakhmanov is favored by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.

By the way, “Ant Yapy” has been in Moscow for quite a long time. She had experience of joint investments with Wainbridge of the founder of PIK Group Kirill Pisarev and businessman Michael Belton. It is possible that their interests may also be tied here. And perhaps the interests of the head of “PIK” Sergei Gordeev. Which, by the way, is credited with a rather warm relationship with Sobyanin. Allegedly, it is thanks to them that the company, which is almost on the verge of bankruptcy, continues to receive tidbits of the capital’s territory.

The Moscow mayor’s office is also very fond of Pavel Te with his Capital Group. As The Moscow Post previously suggested, Nightingale could also go to Cho. Perhaps the developer will show interest in the cinema house?

“Noble” distributor

It turns out that Nikita Mikhalkov, who speaks in his Besogon TV program about the so-called Russian world in support of our compatriots, is essentially distributing state property to companies associated with foreign organizations right and left. And affiliated with people not of the noblest sort.

The Moscow Post previously wrote that Mikhalkov openly advocated the exclusion of the general director of the Lenfilm film studio, Eduard Pichugin, from the organization without much motivation. Despite the intercession of the team, the latter was eventually removed. And as expected, in fact, Mikhalkov’s interest was to seize St. Petersburg assets.

In the city on the Neva, by the way, there are a lot of monuments of historical and cultural heritage, some of which belong to Lenfilm. In 2021, the film studio sold the plot on Tombasova Street to the developer Rosstroyinvest. The first consequences of “Mikhalkov massacres”?

Whether Mikhalkov is thinking about preserving the “Russian world” or about his wallet is a question around which a heated discussion is unlikely to form.

The reason why the main filmmaker of the country gets away with everything, according to rumors, is utterly simple: supposedly Mikhalkov works closely with ex-Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky and even possibly has a great influence on the official.

Perhaps that is why Mikhalkov’s film studios annually receive huge amounts of money from the state budget for making films. Only now they most often become the object of ridicule of the public and receive extremely low ratings on specialized services.

Apparently, part of the allocated money goes to other purposes – isn’t it in Mr. Mikhalkov’s pocket?