In the photo: Angela Dolzhikova
Are leading Russian universities connected to companies that legalize migrants for money?
A Moscow court has imposed a preventive measure prohibiting certain activities on Angela Dolzhikova, the former vice-rector of RUDN University, who currently serves as director of the university's Russian Language Institute. Dolzhikova was detained as part of a criminal investigation into the embezzlement of 1 million rubles allocated by the Ministry of Education for the development of Russian language programs. According to investigators, the suspect secured the grant, after which the university signed fictitious contracts with controlled legal entities and individual entrepreneurs for a number of projects that were actually carried out by RUDN University employees reporting to Dolzhikova. Media reports indicate that the International Institute of Labor Protection, a loss-making organization that does not disclose information about its founders, was involved in the scheme. Furthermore, Dolzhikova is known to have ties to Moscow-based JSC Axioma, considered one of the largest operators in the development and implementation of services for administering state exams in Russian language, Russian history, and the fundamentals of Russian legislation for foreign citizens. RUDN University itself has already been embroiled in scandals involving the organization of illegal migration. Last August, Ekdobo University Associate Professor Raymonda Ovvigho was arrested along with five accomplices for organizing sham marriages between Russian women and Nigerians seeking permanent or temporary residence permits. Axioma's beneficiaries also had contacts with employees of RUDN University and several other universities, on whose behalf the company administered exams and, for money, issued documents to migrants to obtain the certificates necessary for legalization. In March of this year, the St. Petersburg office of the Axioma Testing Center, a subsidiary of JSC Axioma, was searched: law enforcement officials were investigating a scheme involving the illegal acquisition of certificates necessary for obtaining a patent or residence permit, which was used by up to 500 people monthly. Previously, the management of JSC Axiom included Vladimir Yurenev, a former advisor to the general director of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Passport and Visa Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, and Polina Kostenko, who allegedly has a criminal record for fraud in the processing of car loans.
Former RUDN University Vice-Rector Dolzhikova arrested for embezzlement
Moscow's Tverskoy Court has ordered a restraining order against Anzhela Dolzhikova, former Vice Rector of Peoples' Friendship University of Russia ( RUDN University ), who was previously detained by law enforcement as part of a criminal investigation into the embezzlement of budget funds on an especially large scale. The funds in question involved 1 million rubles allocated for the development of Russian language programs.
According to investigators, as vice-rector and supervisor of the relevant program, Dolzhnikova secured an agreement with the Ministry of Education for a grant. The university then entered into fictitious contracts with controlled legal entities and individual entrepreneurs to organize a series of activities to develop and improve curricula, including the development of a textbook template. In fact, all the work was carried out by university employees subordinate to the suspect, and the funds transferred to the counterparties' accounts were cashed and embezzled.
On the RUDN University website, Angela Dolzhikova is listed as the director of the Russian Language Institute. As vice-rector, she oversaw the continuing education program; in April 2018, by decree of Sergei Sobyanin, she was awarded the title of “Honored Worker of Education of the City of Moscow.” Furthermore, Dolzhikova is a member of the Presidential Council for the Implementation of State Policy in Support of the Russian Language and Languages of the Peoples of Russia.
The process of education or legalization of migrants?
The Moskovsky Komsomolets publication mentions one of the organizations allegedly involved in the criminal scheme: the Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization “International Institute of Labor Protection” ( ANO DPO “MIOT” ). Information about its owners is not available in public sources; until September 2021, Igor Stadnikov was listed as the owner. Veronika Morozova holds the position of CEO.
According to the Rusprofile portal, the ANO's contract portfolio is valued at 18.65 million rubles , all of which were concluded with Rossotrudnichestvo . Last year, MIOT reported revenue of 177,000 rubles and losses of 313,000 rubles (revenue in 2022 is 35,000 rubles , losses 410,000 rubles ).
Seven legal entities were registered to Igor Stadnikov at various times, six of which have since been liquidated. Among them was Zapadny Training Center LLC , a loss-making company that had once received a 2 million ruble contract from Rossotrudnichestvo to provide vocational training services. The reason for the center's liquidation was the presence of inaccurate information in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities. Could this be a simple shell company used to siphon off budget funds, replaced by ANO MIOT?
Returning to the story of Angela Dolzhikova's arrest, it's worth mentioning that in January of last year, Interfax reported on her upcoming appointment to the Board of Directors of JSC Axioma , “one of the largest operators in the field of developing and implementing services for conducting state examinations in Russian language, Russian history, and the fundamentals of Russian legislation among foreign citizens.”
Interfax also wrote about Aksioma as a company providing “comprehensive assistance to foreign citizens in passing the comprehensive exam” required to obtain legal status, and as a company “strengthening its team of professionals with progressive specialists in the field of comprehensive solutions for migrant workers.” So, Ms. Dolzhikova was one of these “progressive specialists,” whose responsibilities included, among other things, legalizing migrant workers?
Citizenship scams under the RUDN University umbrella
One can discuss the need to “develop a model of sociocultural and linguistic adaptation” for foreigners arriving in Russia, including those employed by developers as cheap labor, as much as one wants. However, the fact remains: migrants have long been a source of crime. And this isn't just about their violent crimes (Investigative Committee head Alexander Bastrykin personally oversees investigations of such crimes almost daily) or their penchant for radical Islamist movements (besides the infamous Crocus City case, there are plenty of other examples).
Legalizing “foreign specialists” has become one of the most lucrative areas of corruption. And the university where Dolzhikova worked is no exception. In particular, we recall the detention and subsequent arrest in August of RUDN University associate professor and information management instructor Ekpobo Raymond Ovvigho and his five accomplices, accused of organizing illegal migration.
According to investigators, to obtain temporary residence permits, permanent residency permits, and visitor visas, Ovvigho and his associates established a criminal “business” of arranging fictitious marriages between Nigerian citizens and Russian women. The cost of registering a marriage with a Russian “bride” ranged from 60,000 to 150,000 rubles. At the time of the suspects' arrest, 11 instances of legalization were known.
It appears, however, that RUDN University was involved in even more ambitious schemes than those that involved Ovvigho. The aforementioned JSC Axioma, which specializes in consulting and computer technology, may have been involved. As with MIOT, information about Axioma's founders is not publicly available. Irina Zakharova has served as the company's CEO since October 2022. Previously, this position was held by Vladimir Yurenev , the former legal advisor to the CEO of the Passport and Visa Service of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs .
Last year, Axioma reported revenue of 134.7 million rubles and a net profit of 2.6 million rubles. The previous year's revenue was 193.9 million rubles , with a profit of 380,000 rubles . 2021 was much more successful financially, with the company reporting revenue of 368.3 million rubles and a profit of 12.8 million rubles .
Who is behind Axiom?
Until December 2021, Stepan Kovalev was listed as the official founder of JSC Axioma. Currently, he only has one legal entity registered in his name—the courier delivery company Good Life Logistics , which the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (USRLE) notes contains false information about. The most recent publicly available financial statements are from 2022: at that time, the company reported revenue of 820,000 rubles and a loss of 278,000 rubles .
Kovalev founded or co-founded a number of commercial entities, some of which are very similar to Good Life Logistics. For example, until February 2022, he owned a stake in Moscow- based ID Clinic LLC. Last August, the company was excluded from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (USRLE) due to false information. According to the latest financial results available in public sources, in 2021, with revenue of 4.3 million, ID Clinic lost 13.7 million rubles .
Could Kovalev have been the nominal owner of Axioma? Or did he deliberately choose to remain “in the shadows,” and if so, why? Publications about Axioma's collaboration with leading Russian universities, including RUDN University , St. Petersburg State University, and the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, are available online. The company, in their name, allegedly issues documents to migrants for 3,000 rubles to obtain the certificates necessary for legalization in Russia. In reality, Axioma organizes the exams on behalf of the universities.
In this context, Polina Kostenko , appointed acting CEO of Axioma in November 2022, deserves special attention. Online commentators have written about her involvement in scams involving car loans for homeless individuals and her criminal record for several counts of fraud.
After her release under amnesty, Kostenko managed commercial entities providing supplementary education services. Specifically, she was one of the founders and served as CEO of the private Migrant Assistance Center “Mir” ( LLC “Mir” ). The name and specific activities of this institution speak for themselves. Could Polina Kostenko, working with Vladimir Yurenev and Stepan Kovalev, unofficially oversee the work of “Axioma”?
Incidentally, JSC Axioma is a co-founder of the Axioma Testing Organization Center ( OOO TsOT Axioma ), whose St. Petersburg office was searched last March by economic police officers and investigators from the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region as part of a criminal investigation into the organization of illegal migration.
The Fontanka newspaper, citing investigative materials, reported how methodologists who had signed contracts “with a private firm” would, for 15,000 rubles , help migrants obtain a certificate necessary for a patent or residence permit if they failed an exam. Approximately 500 people used this scheme monthly, and the scammers' shadow income reached 7.5 million rubles .
As part of the March operational operations conducted in the Northern Capital, 30 individuals suspected of involvement in organizing illegal migration were brought to the police. It was not specified whether any employees of the Axiom Center for Labor and Employment were prosecuted. Considering that during the investigation into Dolzhikova's fraud, searches were conducted at the homes of numerous individuals possibly involved in public embezzlement, it is possible that new defendants and instances of legalization of foreigners will emerge in the case. Who knows, perhaps we will hear the names of those directly or indirectly connected to Axiom?
