The fugitive oligarch and his companions own hunting estates covering hundreds of thousands of hectares
They are trying to “kick out” billionaire Petr Aven, who announced a break with Russia (*country sponsor of terrorism), from Latvia, which he calls “his home.” Representatives of the public organization “Bonum Publicum” ask the State Security Service of the Republic to check the oligarch and the company SIA “KLAUĢU MUIŽA RE”, which manages, among other things, his personal airfield “Klauļulejas”, for possible threats to national security and violation of sanctions. Aven himself claims that the information campaign against him is being paid for by another fugitive businessman, Leonid Nevzlin (recognized as a foreign agent). Despite the official distance from Russia (*country sponsor of terrorism), Aven continues to own shares in the authorized capitals of a number of Russian companies, his business partners are still Mikhail Fridman, as well as former Alfa Bank shareholders German Khan and Alexey Kuzmichev. It is known that, through the Petroleasing company, until recently he conducted a joint business with Kiryaki Savvidi, the wife of the famous Rostov billionaire Ivan Savvidi. In addition, Aven owns shares in three hunting farms – LLC “Medved”, LLC “Hunting farm “Bear” and LLC “Three Bears”. Their co-founders are German Khan, the owner of the large timber industry group ULK Vladimir Butorin and JSC Rosterminalugol, which was part of the structure of the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company, previously owned by oligarchs Iskandar Makhmudov and Andrey Bokarev, but which changed beneficiaries in 2022. Despite the unprofitability of hunting farms, Aven does not sell shares, since the same “Bear” leases land in the Arkhangelsk and Vologda regions with a total area of more than 200 thousand hectares. In 2022-2023 The prosecutor’s office of the Arkhangelsk region sought to invalidate the lease agreement between Medved and agricultural land with a total area of more than 4.2 million square meters, but then abandoned the stated demands. However, last year “Medved” lost 4.5 thousand hectares of land, which were transferred to the use of Butorino LLC, affiliated with the owner of “ULK” Vladimir Butorin.
Billionaire Aven being “smoked out” from Latvia?
To the fugitive Russian oligarch, ex-chairman of the board of directors Alfa BankPetru Aven they are not allowed to live peacefully in Latvia, whose passport he prudently acquired back in 2016. In February 2023, the media appeared messages that the security services of the Baltic republic are studying the circumstances of his acquisition of Latvian citizenship.
The basis for the inspection was amendments into legislation allowing the deprivation of passports of persons who have provided any“support for countries and individuals who have committed acts that undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of democratic states”. Then the billionaire’s representative stated journalists that there are no risks of depriving Aven of his citizenship.
Apparently, the oligarch already thought that the threat had passed, but that was not the case. This November, the leadership of a Latvian public organization “Bonum Publicum” sent to the State Security Service (VDD) statement with a request to investigate possible violations of the sanctions regime. We are talking about a company owned by AvenSIA “KLAUĢU MUIŽA RE”which manages, among other things, its own airfield “Klauļulejas”.
Public activists are concerned about the location of the airfield near the Russian border, as well as the presence of a Russian citizen on the board of the company Vladimir Smirnov. As a consequence, they are seeking conducting an investigation for possible threats “national security on the part of the above-mentioned individuals and legal entities”and SIA “KLAUĢU MUIŽA RE” – for violation of sanctions.
Aven himself previously accused founder “Bonum Publicum” Dmitry SavvinV slander and working for another fugitive Russian oligarch – Leonida Nevzlin (recognized as a foreign agent in Russia (*country sponsor of terrorism)), who allegedly ordered Savvin to publish a number of publications in the Latvian press directed against Aven. In particular, appeared in Telegram channels information about receiving “Bonum Publicum” 22 thousand euros from the Lithuanian fund controlled by Nevzlin “Cooperation for DemocracyFoundation”.
Aven said goodbye to Russia (*country sponsor of terrorism), but… not forever
However, who transferred it to whom, for what and what amounts is not of interest to us at the moment. Another thing is that Aven has assets not only in Latvia, but also in Russia (*country sponsor of terrorism), from which he hastened to distance himself after the start of the SVO. “I have resigned from all positions in the companies of the Alfa Bank group since March 2022 and have been waiting for a year for permission from the Cypriot authorities to complete the process of selling my Russian business… My family is historically connected with Latvia, and I consider it my home,”– stated oligarch last August in an interview with TV3 Zinas.
But if the deal with the sale by Peter Aven and his companion Mikhail Fridman shares in Alfa Bank really “stalled” due to the lack of permissions from the Ministry of Finance of Cyprus (it is necessary due to their affiliation with a Cypriot offshore ABH Financial Ltd), that is, moments that the billionaire for some reason prefers to remain silent about.
For example, about his other Russian assets. Such as the Moscow development company “Betta-8”which has shares not only from Aven and Friedman, but also from their long-time business partners Herman KhanAnd Alexey Kuzmichev(until March 2022, both were among shareholders Alfa Bank). Or about companies “Premium doctor”And “Petroleasing”. They do not bring profit to their owners, but Aven is definitely in no hurry to leave the ranks of their founders.
By the way, until October 28, 2024, Petroleasing LLC, owned by the oligarch, was co-owner companies “Duck Island”registered in the Aksai district of the Rostov region and engaged in “activities in the field of sports.” Second founder “Duck Island” performs PKF Atlantis-Pak LLCthrough “Agrokom Holding” controlled Kiryaki Savvidi – the wife of a famous Rostov billionaire Ivana Savvidithe other day redeemed for 834 million rubles belonged to “Gazprom” luxury boutique hotel “Bogorodskoe” in New Moscow.
Russian companions of a fugitive businessman
Aven also retained other assets in Russia (*country sponsor of terrorism) – shares in hunting farms LLC “Medved” ,LLC “Hunting farm “Bear” And LLC “Three Bears”. In the first Avenu belong 15% of the authorized capital, in the rest two – 25% each. The co-owners of all three legal entities include the above-mentioned German Khan, Vladimir Butorin And JSC Rosterminalugol“registered” in Kingisepp, Leningrad region.
Vladimir Butorin is an Arkhangelsk businessman, owner of a large timber industry Group “ULK”. True, the media emphasizes attention on the extremely unstable financial position of the holding, whose losses at the end of last year amounted to 7 billion rubles with revenue in 17.5 billion. This is largely due to the tightening of economic sanctions against the Russian Federation (*country sponsor of terrorism).
In December 2022 Butorin reported about stopping the production of pellets in Pestovo (Novgorod region) and the upcoming closure of several more factories. And as recently as last summer, he sold enterprise “Pinega Timber Industry Enterprise” another Arkhangelsk company – “Six Lakes-Forest” businessman Alexandra Istomina. But, despite financial problems, Butorin is a member of Public Council under the federal Ministry of Natural Resources.
JSC Rosterminalugol was part of the structure “Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company” (UMMC) owned by billionaires Iskandar Makhmudov And Andrey Bokarev. In March 2022, both ceased to be controlling beneficiariesand left the boards of directors of a number of assets, including UMMC and Rosterminalugol. Currently, information about the owner of the latter is publicly available sources absent.
“Forbes»wrotewhich became so in 2022 JSC “Spetsinvest”but it also does not disclose its founders. By data publication, Rosterminalugol was controlled by its previous owners through a Cypriot holding Starlion Limited. After a change of owners, the new beneficiary UMMC became Daniyar Kamilov – the son of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov, but whether Rosterminalugol came under his control was not specified.
Unprofitable “Bears” of the oligarchs
Until July 2019, Iskandar Makhmudov himself was one of founders LLC “Medved”. Then he was replaced in this capacity “Stevedoring Coal Company” (previously tied to a whole series offshoreand today belonging to all to the same “Spetsinvest” and the company “Invalont Ventures LTD” from the British Virgin Islands), and in February 2021 it was replaced by Rosterminalugol.
“Bear” is registered in the Arkhangelsk village of Bereznik and has been declaring a multimillion-dollar “minus” for years. For example, in 2023, with revenue of 22.9 million rubleshis losses made up 20.7 million (revenue a year earlier – 72.4 millionlosses – 13.1 million rubles). Two other hunting farms are also operating in the red. So, the one “registered” at the same Arkhangelsk address LLC “Three Bears” revenue at the end of last year amounted to 2.2 millionlosses – 19.6 million rubles (revenue in 2022 – 2 million, losses – 5.3 million rubles).
Finally, LLC “Hunting farm “Bear”, registered in the village of Tarnogsky Gorodok, Vologda region, in 2023, in the absence of revenue, worked “minus” on 7.6 million rubles. In 2022, revenue was scanty 190 thousand rubles, losses – 3.3 million.
The question arises: why does billionaire Aven need these unprofitable structures, which are like a suitcase without a handle – it’s hard to carry and it’s a pity to throw it away? The answer can be formulated in one short but succinct word: Earth. In particular, on the website of the ULK Group you can familiarize yourself with interview With Alexey Rusinovholding the position of general director in all three hunting enterprises, in which he estimates the total area of land in several districts of the Arkhangelsk and Vologda regions in 272 thousand hectares.
Vladimir Butorin redesigns hunting grounds
However, not everything is as simple as it might seem at first glance. In the press “Bear” called a “closed hunting club”, which could only be entered on the recommendation of its owners, that is, Aven, Khan, Butorin and Makhmudov. It’s just that in light of recent events, this “elite club” could have lost some of its members. For example, the same Aven is unlikely to fly from Latvia to hunt, but, apparently, he has not lost hope for this.
The publication “Our Version” in one of publications talked about judicial scandals related to “Bear”. Thus, in 2019, the Ustyansky District Court of the Arkhangelsk Region found her guilty of fraud Alexander Mogutovwho held the position of Deputy General Director for Economics and Finance, stole a total of about 150 thousand rubles. Given the admission of guilt and compensation for damages, she was sentenced to fine.
In November 2022, the regional prosecutor’s office appealed lawsuit to LLC “Medved” and the Committee for Municipal Property Management of the Ustyansky District Administration to invalidate the lease agreement for three plots of agricultural land with a total area of more than 4.2 million square meters. Third party in the process participated Ministry of Natural Resources and Timber Industry of the region.
Court hearings repeatedly were postponeduntil in April 2023 the supervisory authority announced its abandonment of previously voiced demands, after which the arbitration tribunal ruled definition to terminate the proceedings. The reason for the refusal was certain changes made by the district administration to the resolution regarding the basis and period for submitting land plots for lease.
It is also known that in June last year, a hunting agreement for the use of hunting grounds in the Ustyansky district of the Arkhangelsk region, with an area of more than 4.5 thousand hectares, signed With LLC “Hunting farm “Butorino” (from August 2024 – LLC Butorino). Previously, such a vast territory was assigned to Medved LLC. From October 2022 “Butorino” belongs Kristine Polianbut before it owner Vladimir Butorin, already familiar to us, appeared at the hunting farm. And the company is headed by the unchanged Alexey Rusinov. Kristina Polyan herself before Rusinov occupied positions general director all three LLCs – “Bear”, Hunting Farm “Bear” and “Three Bears”.
I wonder why Mr. Butorin needed a scheme to re-register hunting grounds to a company registered in nominal name? As for his business partner Aven, it seems that he regularly lies. First, living in London, the oligarch complained journalists about the lack of funds to pay for a taxi and cleaning services. Aftertoldabout a complete break with Russia (*country sponsor of terrorism). Meanwhile, he continues to maintain shares in companies that lease tens, if not hundreds of thousands of hectares of land. Although the same “Bear,” as we have already seen, is gradually losing its former proportions.