— Evgeny Viktorovich, both the Governor Beglov himself and the officials of the Smolny profile bloc constantly talk and write about the investment attractiveness of the city, but you have repeatedly noted that it is practically “impossible to engage in investment activities” in St. Petersburg. Why do you think so?
“I have always had a good relationship with Governor Beglov, and my companies made him a number of investment proposals, including on transport hubs, the Stable Department, Gorskaya and other projects. […]
Let’s return to Gorskaya. I spent a lot of money on this, attracted foreign companies that agreed to work with me, despite all the sanctions pressure. My company signed an investment agreement with Beglov at the 2021 Economic Forum, about which he wiped his feet as a result. Despite the fact that I fulfilled all the conditions, the governor terminated the contract and gave this site for dubious purposes, supposedly for a yacht club, but, as they say, for a certain country club, where his summer house and the summer house of his cronies with a criminal reputation should be located. Therefore, as far as the investment attractiveness of the city is concerned, it is completely absent for one reason: the city is known to be led by a gang of people who line their pockets and do not keep their word. You can invest any money, and some tyrant-governor, or some other corrupt official, will one day cross out all your work, steal the project, and at the same time the money. After that, the stale ideas will be put in a beautiful folder and sold to the next, as Beglov said, already for clean cash. And where to spend it – they have a rich imagination, ranging from Rolls-Royces to real estate purchases in Europe.
If Beglov allows himself to do this with me, then the ordinary ordinary investor has nothing to count on at all. They say that there is one way: to take the share of the Zakhvatov family, Rudakov and further down the list, but even then, at the end of the path you will remain naked and barefoot. You can consider this answer as advertising for all corrupt officials in St. Petersburg. I hope law enforcement agencies will draw conclusions in the near future.”
@rotondamedia, 16.06.2022 15:00: Almost a year later, in May 2022, Gazprom announced claims to the same territory. And on the eve of the St. Petersburg economic forum, it became known that St. Petersburg officials intend to sign a new agreement on the development of this territory. The media associated with Yevgeny Prigozhin wrote that the document would be signed with Gazprom Transgaz St. Petersburg, where he works as Deputy General Director for General Affairs Pavel Belov son-in-law of Governor Alexander Beglov.
Despite the changed plans of the St. Petersburg authorities, the Megaline company arranged a presentation of its own concept for the development of this territory. The company’s managers also said that they had already spent 240 million rubles on development. According to the CEO of the company, the agreement concluded a year ago at SPIEF was terminated only the day before.
Literally half an hour after the presentation of “Megaline” Alexander Beglov signed an agreement with JSC “Corporation Tourism.RF” and SPbRSOO “Yacht Club of St.“Fontanka” reported about his connection with Gazprom) about the creation of a tourist cluster in Gorskaya.
Yevgeny Prigozhin helped Alexander Beglov become governor. In 2019, political technologists hired by Prigozhin were engaged election campaign of Alexander Beglov. Media and telegram channels controlled by the businessman, which the governor has now taken up arms against, then vying with each other praised Alexander Beglov and poisoned his opponents.
Relations between Yevgeny Prigozhin and the St. Petersburg governor deteriorated two years ago. Interlocutors of the Rotunda claimed that the cause of the conflict was state contracts, which the entrepreneur would like to receive in return for his help in the elections, but did not receive. – Inset K.ru
– The project for the reconstruction of the Stable Department has been discussed since 2010, but only this year Smolny announced a competition for the right to restore the facility. Why did this competition cause active criticism in St. Petersburg, including from your side?
“One of my companies sent a lot of requests about the need to hold a competition so that finally the Stable Department, which has been in ruins since 1990, can be restored. Look at the scandal Beglov created at the same time – not a competition, but an obvious fraudulent scheme for everyone. The governor, in my opinion, managed to give a damn about everyone, including the Orthodox Church.”
— You say that the governor does not keep his promises. What will happen in St. Petersburg next?
“Yes this is true. Everyone remembers how he promised to build a subway – he didn’t, he promised to repair the Begovaya and Dunayskaya stations – you can still shoot horror films there, he didn’t build a maternity hospital on the Vavilovs, the building of the Center for Social Rehabilitation of the Disabled and Disabled Children on Vasilyevsky Island did not, the parks on Smolenka and Zanevsky Park did not appear either. When I helped Beglov get out, they followed him around and said: “Well, do at least something.” Hopes were dashed. This person does not want to do anything. But look how young he is. But, unfortunately, Beglov’s personal massages and procedures do not improve the life of Petersburgers.
– Yevgeny Viktorovich, we have a whole block of questions ready for the most bloated projects of Smolny – transport, garbage, communal reforms, and social nutrition. The so-called Smolninsk trolls accuse you personally of opposing Beglov’s reforms. Personally, the governor did not name names, but hinted that he was prevented from working in the city. And I would also like to hear firsthand the answer to the question of your relationship with the performer Sergey ShnurovThere are a lot of rumors about this topic too.
“Unfortunately, a lot of business trips, let’s come back to this next time.”
Meduza, 07/06/2022, “In winter, Leningrad recorded a clip that was considered criticism of the governor of St. Petersburg on the order of Prigozhin”: The quarrel between two influential people in St. Petersburg began to be actively discussed in the winter of 2021-2022, when the media appeared many articles criticizing Beglov for poor snow and debris removal, and the leader of the Leningrad group, Sergei Shnurov, even wrote down clip against the background of an overflowing garbage container (as some suggested, commissioned by Prigogine). The song was called “So far,” its refrain was: In St. Petersburg – shit! / Let it be for now. / Their our city is not **** [волнует]/ And the Beglov shovel – / Where and what does it row?
Petersburg edition “Moyka78” called information attack on Beglov “unprecedented”. “The editorial staff of Moika78 has already outlived five governors of St. Petersburg and are watching with interest how the chair staggers under the sixth. The campaign against Beglov can only be compared with attacks on [бывшего губернатора Петербурга Владимира] Yakovlev during the elections of 2000, when, in the city, banners “The city is tired” were placed, ”the publication wrote. – Inset K.ru
