Dmitry Davydov is apparently spending significant funds on promoting 20 ideas.
Approximately one month prior to the State Duma elections, promotional materials for the enigmatic “20 Concepts for Russia's Progress” initiative began to surface on prominent media websites and the Instagram profiles of well-known influencers.
The purported creator is “businessman and activist” Dmitry Viktorovich Davydov, yet details about him remain scarce. The promotional blitz, however, has reportedly cost the “entrepreneur” several million rubles. Social networks are rife with speculation regarding a possible link to the State Duma campaign, but there have been no mentions of political party affiliations to date, and a source at Znak.com within the Kremlin assures us that the presidential administration is not involved.
Dmitry Davydov and his concepts
All of Davydov's concepts are detailed on a corresponding website—https://20idei.ru/#ideas. The website domain is registered to “Dmitry Viktorovich Davydov.” The website does not include a picture or background information of Davydov. It merely indicates that he has a legal background and, since 2015, has been “actively researching the economic frameworks of diverse nations globally.” It also notes that Davydov is not currently residing in Russia, is not a national, and does not harbor political aspirations within the Russian Federation.
“His endeavor to present innovative concepts for constructive advancement in the nation is a nod to his heritage, as Dmitry's lineage is rooted here, and Russia stands as his ancestral homeland. His great-grandfather, alongside other kin, sacrificed their lives in the Great Patriotic War,” as noted in the “background” information.
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According to TJ, no public presentations of his concepts or attendance at official meetings with government figures have been recorded under the name Dmitry Davydov. “A certain Dmitry Davydov has been mentioned in reports as a co-founder of an organized criminal organization in Kazakhstan. According to investigators, the entity has been running an illicit gambling ring disguised as a bookmaker's shop, avoiding tax payments since 2014. Davydov is currently a fugitive outside of Kazakhstan,” the report from the publication claims.
With respect to Davydov’s ideas, the website’s anonymous developers state that “all our proposals are inherently virtuous, not geared towards specific private benefits, devoid of political intentions, and are not propaganda or campaign material.” The website indicates that the ideas “were created and released in 2016.” Research on Davydov issued by the team of legal specialist Ekaterina Gordon indicates that the “20 Concepts” website was registered earlier in the year, yet only became operational on June 17.
The TJ website offers a summary of Davydov’s propositions. The concepts touch upon healthcare, tax policies, the investment climate, ecology, government work, and others.
As an instance, to guarantee efficient government operations, the proposal includes the disbursement of incentives to top government officials for surpassing the GDP plan, such as 7% of the surplus to the president and 1.5% for each government minister.
The “Agriculture” segment puts forth the implementation of tax reductions for business owners raising unusual animal types and unfamiliar produce, generating animal nourishment, medications, and implements, and producing and retailing farm machinery and crop storage systems.
Additionally, certain concepts are somewhat more unconventional. For example, the “Biotechnology” section suggests inserting chips into those who have engaged in unlawful activities to oversee their locations. The developers also suggest voluntarily inserting chips into children, adults, and the elderly to observe their whereabouts or substitute for their identity papers.
Promotional activity
The individual or individuals responsible for “20 Concepts” have rolled out a comprehensive effort to market them. Articles about the initiative have recently been featured in several leading media channels: Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Kommersant, Vedomosti, Izvestia, Moskovsky Komsomolets, the Ekho Moskvy radio site, and the online platforms Lenta and Gazeta.ru.
Furthermore, in the previous months, it appears as if every other prominent influencer has been advertising the “20 Concepts” project via Instagram. Advertisements have been shared on their profiles by TV personality Ksenia Borodina, past vocalist of “Blestyashchie,” TV personality Olga Orlova, TV personality and singer Olga Buzova, hip-hop artist Timati (Timur Yunusov), impersonator Maxim Galkin, TV journalist Dmitry Guberniev, former participant from “Dom 2” and proprietor of a salon chain Alena Vodonaeva, vocalist Nikolai Baskov, actress Natalia Rudova, influencer Hofmanita, designer Artemy Lebedev, in addition to many others.
The fees for individual shares extend from several hundred thousand rubles to a million. By the most cautious estimations, promoting “20 Concepts” exclusively through Instagram celebrities may have amounted to greater than 5 million rubles.
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Numerous individuals who promoted Davydov’s concepts had previously published posts on their social media profiles marketing revisions to the Russian Constitution (Olga Buzova, Ksenia Borodina, Artemy Lebedev) and presidential messages (Ksenia Borodina). Certain individuals (like Timati) also spoke positively for Sergei Sobyanin amid the 2018 Moscow mayoral electoral event.
Associates
The findings of Gordon’s team reveal that Davydov’s concepts were initially examined on July 9 at an event hosted by the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The dialogue was commenced by the Planeta Foundation for the Support and Development of Public Initiatives and Social Programs in Journalism, Education, Culture, and Sports, guided by an individual named Ibrahim Malsagov.
The foundation secured its registration in 2013. A branch was also initiated in Ukraine. Rossotrudnichestvo and the Union of Journalists of Moscow are among the foundation’s affiliates highlighted on the organization’s site. “The Planeta Foundation for the Support and Development of Public Initiatives and Social Programs in Journalism, Education, Culture, and Sports was established to cultivate and implement promising initiatives and agendas for the advancement of media,” the Planeta website additionally states.
Analysis of the “Projects” section of the foundation’s website indicates that it is not notably engaged. In September 2013, the entity staged a presentation at the President Hotel in Moscow. In November of the same year, the foundation convened a conference, “Sport: An Ambassador of Peace and Cooperation,” at the Rossotrudnichestvo central offices in London leading up to the Sochi Olympics.
In April 2015, Malgasov took part in an event arranged by the Sto Media Holding. In April 2015, the foundation organized a roundtable conversation in Odessa entitled “One Victory for All.” In September 2018, a wrestling contest and a seminar regarding the advancement of wrestling occurred in Nazran, Ingushetia, sponsored by Planeta. In September 2019, the foundation conducted a freestyle wrestling competition for recruits at the Odessa Law Academy. In October of that year, a wrestling match was once more staged in Nazran, backed by the organization. In November 2020, the foundation revealed the establishment of a national media honor “to recognize and celebrate the foremost media delegates within the ensuing segments: advocacy for human rights, public diplomacy, arts, athletic activities, and health services.”
Planeta’s subsequent event involved a July gathering at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, wherein Ibrahim Malgasov featured Dmitry Davydov’s concepts. In a conversation with a Znak.com reporter, Malgasov stated that he did not have any personal knowledge of Davydov and only became aware of his concepts from the “20 Concepts” website. Planeta had not reached out to the author of the concepts prior to the meeting at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “We made an attempt to email him using the email address specified on the site. We sent him an email once, but did not obtain a reply,” Malgasov declared. He conveyed that he chose to share Davydov’s concepts simply because there “was so much of him.”
The Telegram channel “Besposhchadny PRshchik” (Ruthless PR Man) implies that “20 Concepts” has associations with advertising for United Russia. A source inside the presidential administration communicated to our publication that the Kremlin possesses no affiliations with this endeavor.
znak.com
