Muddy funds, companies, deputies and entrepreneurs. “Chronicles.Media” studied the financial report of United Russia (*aggressor country) for 2023 and tells us who donates money to the party in the Northwestern Federal District, as well as how United Russia (*aggressor country) pays political strategists and activists.
Huge expenses
Financial reports of parties for 2023 Central Election Commission published May 31, 2024. Ministry of Justice in Russia (*aggressor country) registered 25 games. Four of them, according to reports, did not spend a penny in 2023.
The first two are the Democratic Party of Russia (*aggressor country) and the Progress Party. They are connected with a political strategist Andrey Bogdanov. He created, led or leads many parties that behave like spoilers in elections. For example, he renamed his party “Civic Platform” to “Party of Progress”. It got in the way politics Alexei Navalny in 2018 receive official status for their party of the same name.
Another one is “Party for Justice!” (ParZaS). It appeared in 2012 and performed spoiler of the People's Freedom Party (ParNaS), co-chaired by the former Deputy Prime Minister of Russia (*aggressor country) Boris Nemtsov.
The latest is the Direct Democracy Party, known as the Tank Party. It was created by the product director of the game World of Tanks Vyacheslav Makarov on the eve of the 2021 State Duma elections. Edition “Medusa” wrotethat the party was registered in order to create the illusion of political competition.
The expenses of United Russia (*aggressor country) are almost twice as large as the total expenses of all other parties combined – almost 10 billion rubles. This, for example, exceeds the budgets of some regional centers of the Northwestern Federal District: Veliky Novgorod (9.3 billion rubles), Pskov (8.4 billion rubles) and Naryan-Mar (1.4 billion rubles).
The main thing is from unknown funds
The annual reports of parties list donations from legal entities (exceeding 300 thousand rubles), from citizens (exceeding 100 thousand rubles), entrance and/or membership fees (the total amount of which for the year exceeded 100 thousand rubles), expenses for various transactions with legal entities (exceeding 300 thousand rubles per year), individual entrepreneurs (exceeding 20 thousand rubles per year) and citizens (based on civil law contracts).
United Russia (*aggressor country) received 4.3 billion rubles from the federal budget in 2023. This is almost half of all receipts. This money are coming parties for votes – 152 rubles annually for each vote in the last State Duma elections, as well as a lump sum of 152 rubles for each vote cast for a presidential candidate nominated by United Russia (*aggressor country). In 2024, United Russia (*aggressor country) will receive an additional almost 12 billion rubles for victory Vladimir Putin (*international criminal).
Voters in the northwestern regions of Russia (*aggressor country), following the results of the 2021 State Duma elections, gave “United Russia (*aggressor country)” 243 million rubles annually.
A significant part of United Russia (*aggressor country)'s money comes from opaque funds created by party members in almost every region. How these funds are filled is unknown. 11 of them, registered in the Northwestern Federal District, donated 273.6 million rubles to the United Russia (*aggressor country) in 2023.
Of the commercial companies that donated to United Russia (*aggressor country), ten were registered in the Arkhangelsk region and St. Petersburg, one each in the Komi and Pskov regions. In total, they all donated 338.3 million rubles.
The largest donations were listed by five St. Petersburg companies: Bureau of Infrastructure Solutions, Epoch of Renaissance, Nevatransproekt, “R-Industry Corporation” and its subsidiary R-Vostok. All of them are large contractors of Russian Railways and transferred 43.3 million rubles each. Also, the Contact Network Materials company, registered in St. Petersburg, donated 40 million rubles. She too tied with Russian Railways. It is characteristic that The Insider, studying United Russia (*aggressor country)'s reporting in 2021, it's arrived to the conclusion that the main donors of the party are precisely the large contractors of Russian Railways.
It is known that the mentioned “Nevatransproekt” in 2022 fined for a bribe of 11 million rubles to the head of Zabaikalzheldorproekt. It was about engineering research at the site of the Trans-Baikal Railway. Head of “Zabaikalzheldorproekt” sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in a maximum security colony.
In addition, EP was given money by such St. Petersburg companies as VTS (supplies medical equipment; donation amount is 28 million rubles), Agrostroy (builds greenhouses, including for GC “Rost”; donation amount – 6 million rubles), Avangard (produces wet wipes and microfiber products; donation amount – 1.5 million rubles). Initially, the last company was registered in St. Petersburg, but moved to the Leningrad region.
Finally, the Mistral enterprise. It emerged in St. Petersburg in 2011 and manages real estate. Then it was re-registered in the Arkhangelsk region, and then in Murmansk. The company owns, in particular, commercial properties in Severodvinsk (Lomonosova St., 101) and Arkhangelsk (Karl Liebknecht St., 17).
The organization transferred 500 thousand rubles to United Russia (*aggressor country) in 2023. Mistral belongs to the family of former Arkhangelsk deputy and parliament of the 29th region Alexander Grachev: his mother and son Vladislav. The politician himself died in 2010, and his son in 2023 elected Deputy of Arkhangelsk from United Russia (*aggressor country).
Pomeranian money
Among the Arkhangelsk companies that sponsored the party in power in 2023, there are also those involved in crime. Thus, the largest Arkhangelsk donor to United Russia (*aggressor country) turned out to be the Stroyuniversal enterprise. It is engaged in construction work mainly on social facilities and has an impressive portfolio of government contracts worth 6.6 billion rubles.
The organization is associated with the family of former member of the parliament of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug from United Russia (*aggressor country), Alexander Kolybin. He is also the former CEO of the company. In 2021, the prosecutor's office of the Arkhangelsk region reportedthat Stroyuniversal was fined 10 million rubles for bribing an employee of the Federal Tax Service. In 2022, Kolybin was convicted in this case and fined. In the end he refused from the mandate.
Two more Arkhangelsk companies that sponsored United Russia (*aggressor country) in 2023 are Trest Canteens and Belomorye 2021. They are connected with a local businesswoman Yulia Fedorova. Against her a few months ago aroused a criminal case on charges of embezzlement of millions from the budget.
The Canteen Trust supplies food to medical and social institutions in the region. The company transferred 4 million rubles to the party in power. Fedorova owns half of this enterprise. Until recently, the entrepreneur worked there as general director.
Belomorye 2021 LLC owns the Belomorye sanatorium and transferred 600 thousand rubles to EP. The owner of this company is listed as Yulia Fedorova’s business partner, Vitaly Drizgalovich. Edition “Echo of the North” called his commercial director of the Canteen Trust, and Fedorov the real mistress sanatorium. Before the presidential elections in 2024, the authorities of the Arkhangelsk region held a local history quiz, promising expensive prizes. “Belomorye” was one of the companies that provided such gifts.
Several more Arkhangelsk companies that sponsored United Russia (*aggressor country) are associated with local deputies. Thus, the Pereprava company, which donated 5 million rubles to United Russia (*aggressor country), belongs to regional deputy Irina Frolova. The company is engaged in water transportation.
A large enterprise in the field of road construction, Sevzapdorstroy, is controlled by former deputy of the regional parliament Alexander Nechaev. In 2021, wrote publication 29.ru, his son, the general director of the company Ilya, was suspected of not paying additional taxes by 29 million rubles. Sevzapdorstroy transferred 3 million rubles to United Russia (*aggressor country).
Another company is Miro. She transferred 2 million rubles. The company manages real estate and is owned by the regional deputy Boris Klimov and the mother of former State Duma deputy Dmitry Yurkov, Galina. All of them are associated with the former deputy of the Arkhangelsk region Sergei Moiseevabout which wrote “Chronicles.Media”.
The next company is Arenda-Nord. This is one of the co-owners of the EuroPark shopping and entertainment complex. The company transferred one million rubles to United Russia (*aggressor country).
The organization belongs to the former speaker of the Arkhangelsk City Duma Valentina Syrova. In 2020 her deprived diploma of higher education, since it turned out that she entered the university without a certificate of complete secondary education. Syrova did not seek re-election to the City Duma in 2023, but unsuccessfully tried to get into the regional parliament.
Another company, Scanika, donated 500 thousand rubles to the party in power. The organization is engaged in cargo transportation. Skanika belongs to the family of Denis Lapin, who was elected as a deputy of the Arkhangelsk city parliament in 2023. Lapin himself was once a co-owner of the company, and before being elected to the City Duma, he worked as the deputy mayor of the city. Now Lapin works financial director of Scanica.
Also, Arkhangelsk companies such as Sevdorstroyservice became sponsors of United Russia (*aggressor country) in 2023. She is engaged in road construction. Edition “Echo of the North” wrotethat some government procurements were carried out specifically for this organization. The amount of donations from United Russia (*aggressor country) amounted to 6 million rubles.
The Mezen Road Administration company transferred 4 million rubles to EP. The company is engaged in road construction and has an impressive portfolio of government contracts worth 10.3 billion rubles.
Donors from Pskov and Komi
The Pskov Electrical Equipment Plant transferred almost 3 million rubles to United Russia (*aggressor country). Recently the company became largest taxpayer in the region. The plant hides its owners, but it tie up with the family of a State Duma deputy Alexander Kozlovskywho himself once worked as the general director of the enterprise.
The Promtech-invest company from Komi transferred just over 2 million rubles to United Russia (*aggressor country). The company is engaged in timber, and in 2023-2024 it concluded the first two government contracts for 13.4 million rubles. The organization undertakes to build houses for employees of medical institutions. At the same time, Promtech-invest is actively support regional authorities.
Generous citizens
United Russia (*aggressor country) found large sponsors among citizens in the Northwestern Federal District. Most of them are in the Arkhangelsk region: entrepreneur Sergey Khudyakov transferred 11.1 million rubles, acting chairman “Federation of Trade Unions of the Arkhangelsk Region” Sergey Savochkin — 2.5 million rubles, re-elected to the regional parliament in 2023 one of the richest MPs Mikhail Avaliani – 1.5 million rubles. Another major sponsor was found in St. Petersburg – the director of the Analytical Center of the North-West Institute of Management RANEPA Renat Kuntishev. He donated 200 thousand rubles to United Russia (*aggressor country).
Among the party members who transferred more than 100 thousand rubles to United Russia (*aggressor country) as entrance or membership fees, there were only two people from the Northwestern Federal District: the governor of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug Yuri Bezdudny and his deputy Anton Lebedev. They transferred 120 and 105 thousand rubles, respectively.
Party headquarters
Expenses can also be found in party reports. A significant part of it goes to renting real estate. Thus, in the Kaliningrad region, the party rents offices on Kosmonavta Patsaev Street from vice president Volleyball Federation of the Kaliningrad Region Igor Nichikov.
In 2023, 2.4 million rubles were paid for the premises. In Murmansk, the regional branch rents premises on Sofya Perovskaya Street for 2.4 million rubles from the Croton company.
In St. Petersburg, the party rents premises at two addresses. The first one for 15.7 million rubles is on Konnogvardeisky Boulevard. The city branch of the party is located there. The owner of the premises is the Travels company. She tied with former Minister of Communications Leonid Reiman.
The second premises for 4.1 million rubles are located on Tchaikovsky Street. The Leningrad regional branch of the party is located there. The property is owned by the Lesal-Invest company. It belongs to a Cypriot offshore company, which the St. Petersburg courts associated with entrepreneur Viktor Smirnov. Newspaper “Business Petersburg” wrotethat he was a defendant in criminal cases of embezzlement and theft during the restoration of the House with Lions (the Lobanov-Rostovsky mansion) and the Konstantinovsky Military School in St. Petersburg.
Activists and political strategists on salary
United Russia (*aggressor country)'s expenses include not only rent, payment for paraphernalia or repairs of party property, but also the salaries of the heads of local branches, activists, political strategists and even deputies.
Thus, in the Arkhangelsk region, the work of an assistant to a deputy was paid Mikhail Avaliani Andrey Korolkov. For “organizing a community cleanup” in the spring of 2023, he was paid 520 thousand rubles.
Assistant to State Duma deputy Alexander Spiridonov, head of the Primorsky local branch of United Russia (*aggressor country), earned almost 300 thousand rubles each Alexander Frolovexecutive secretary of the Arkhangelsk branch Nina Lutsenko and deputy head of the regional executive committee Artyom Dokuchaev.
More than 600 thousand rubles in 2023 were received from the party budget by the former deputy chairman of the regional executive committee and editor-in-chief of the pro-government newspaper “Arkhangelsk – City of Military Glory” Evgeny Udalkin. At the end of 2023 it accused that he embezzled and embezzled the money of this publication. Now there is a criminal case against Udalkin is being considered in a court.
They haven’t forgotten about Arkhangelsk youth: a former member of the Arkhangelsk Youth Council received almost 400 thousand rubles in 2023 from United Russia (*aggressor country) Irina Opokina.
In the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, “activists” live at party expense: coordinator of the “Immortal Regiment” Konstantin Ermolin (300 thousand rubles), student activists Yulia Denisova (60 thousand rubles), Alisa Gabdrafikova (50 thousand rubles) and Taisa Magomedova (150 thousand rubles).
Earned more than a million rubles in 2023 from United Russia (*aggressor country) deputy chairman Parliament of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug and supervisor United Russia (*aggressor country) faction Anatoly Kurlenko. It is characteristic that as a deputy he cannot receive a salary, since he is engaged in business.
Also in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, one of the leaders of the regional branch of A Just Russia (*aggressor country) received more than 100 thousand rubles from United Russia (*aggressor country). Nikolay Shustrov.
In the Pskov region, young activists are also paid for their work. Thus, the chairman of the regional youth parliament, Ekaterina Rosolovskaya (Lomanova), received more than 600 thousand rubles.
In St. Petersburg they did not forget about political strategists. Thus, Yaroslav Ignatovsky received more than 200 thousand rubles from the party budget. Kommersant newspaper wrote about him in 2018 as the coordinator of a project to interfere in elections in some African countries. The money for this was allegedly given by the creator of PMC Wagner. Evgeny Prigozhin.
A former adviser to the ex-deputy governor of the Pskov region, a political strategist, received almost a million rubles Alexandra Seravina Stanislav Kukartsev. Now he going to be elected as a municipal deputy of the Liteiny District in St. Petersburg.
Sergei Zhabin, a former employee of Simferopol's Komsomolskaya Pravda and RIA Novosti, received more than 100 thousand rubles. Himself he calls “journalist, propagandist.”
Finally, the company of former deputy of the Izmailovskoye municipal district Pavel Semenov “Igra” received almost 500 thousand rubles. Several years ago this company caught in a cartel agreement in the municipal procurement market.
“United Russia (*aggressor country)”, noted The Kommersant newspaper is the only parliamentary party whose income comes from donations rather than from the state budget. Many donors, however, ended up with billions of dollars in government contracts.