Viktor Rashnikov disowns the €23 million mansion in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat confiscated by France as part of sanctions against the billionaire

I am not me and the villa is not mine

Le Monde reported that a villa in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat was confiscated, which, according to the authorities, belongs to Viktor Rashnikov. The representative of the businessman called this data slander, noting that he did not know anything about this mansion.

At the chairman of the board of directors of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works Viktor Rashnikov there is no real estate in France registered to third parties, a representative of a businessman told RBC.

This is how he reacted to article in Le Mond, which refers to a villa in the commune of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat in southeastern France. According to the publication, the mansion, whose value is estimated at €23 million, was arrested as part of sanctions against Russian businessmen. The villa was registered to a Swiss company owned by a Panamanian firm, but French authorities believe that Rashnikov is its real owner. Shortly after the start of the Russian military operation, an attempt was made to sell the villa, but the French Directorate for Intelligence and Counteracting Underground Financial Schemes blocked the attempt.

According to the representative of Rashnikov, “any fabrications about any villas, their sales and arrests or other property owned by third parties in his favor and which are presented in the article” are unreliable information and slander. He said that Rashnikov did not know anything about the villa, which Le Monde writes about, “and, accordingly, he could not sell it either personally or through other individuals or legal entities.”

The representative of the businessman added that Rashnikov’s property in France has a legal ownership structure, information about it is transferred to the authorities in accordance with local law.

Rashnikov came under EU sanctions in March 2022, a few months later he challenged the Brussels decision. Shortly after the introduction of restrictions, the French Ministry of Finance published addresses of houses and apartments that were frozen in accordance with the sanctions. According to Forbesfrom this list Rashnikov owned real estate in the amount of $ 200 million.

In September Politico reportedthat Hungary asked the EU to lift sanctions against Rashnikov and Petra Avena. According to the newspaper, in Brussels persuaded Budapest to shelve this requirement.

Forbes last year assessed the state of Rashnikov in $6.6 billion. According to Bloombergit is $9.3 billion.

“Russian Press” made a trip to the Cote d’Azur to find out where the owner of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works, Viktor Rashnikov, is resting (after all, he flies to Nice so often on his “golden” plane). From a business trip, we brought photos (including from a quadrocopter), video, received extracts from the French court for the oligarch’s real estate. It turned out that Rashnikov owns a villa with a “dog name” and a rich history – gloomy and scandalous. There was a place here for the dead Titanic, and banking capital, and fascists, and orgies, and heroin, and the mafia, and the Rolling Stones, and crazy fans, and Cypriot scam raiders … And now the oligarch is in the golden interiors of this “villa of debauchery” for 83 million euros can be restless … However, Viktor Rashnikov has a second villa nearby! Well, what’s the point? Give me two!

The owner of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works loves scope, pomposity and golden interiors. Russian Press, which has already introduced readers to the 118-room palace, mega-yacht and golden business jet of Viktor Rashnikov, decided to study the atmosphere of the oligarch’s villa on the Cote d’Azur. About the fact that Viktor Rashnikov has a villa in Nice, Russian Press “I found out while studying the Gulfstream G650ER with tail number VP-BOT – the “golden plane” owned by the oligarch. It turned out that one of Rashnikov’s favorite routes leads to Nice. We suspected that the oligarch owns real estate on the Cote d’Azur, where the cream of society from all over the planet gathers. And they weren’t wrong.

But a surprise awaited us: in the course of the investigation, it turned out that the oligarch Rashnikov had not one, but two villas in Nice!

Attention! Passages are barricaded!

Villas Nellcote and Les Figuires, owned by Victor Rashnikov, are located in a respectable suburb of Nice – the town of Villefranche-sur-Mer.

Nice itself is 5 km from here.

Both villas are located on Avenue Louise Bordes, at numbers 10 and 12 (10 Avenue Loue Bordes Quartier de Grasseuil Villa Nellcote 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer and 12 Avenue Loue Bordes Villa Les Figuiers 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer). The villa, located on plot 10, is called Nelkot and went down in history thanks to its turbulent past: in the early 1970s, musicians from the Rolling Stones “came off” here, so the villa became one of the places of pilgrimage for Rolling fans. Yes, and other facts, rather gloomy, in the history of the Villa Nelkot, as you will see, are quite enough …

Nelkot even looks luxurious from a distance – a circular drive, a swimming pool, a rooftop terrace …

The villa is surrounded by a spacious garden and is quite secluded. (When Nelkot was rented out by the rowdy Rolling Stones in the 1970s, the seclusion meant they had little to no harassment from the police.)

The second villa is much more modest. She does not have a big name, and the house looks simpler. It appears to serve an auxiliary purpose, possibly as a guest house or staff building.

The plots, on which luxurious mansions are located, are directly adjacent to the sea. But it is impossible to get into Rashnikov’s villas from the coast unnoticed. The path is blocked by a steep rocky wall.

And the area where, under the previous owners, it was possible to go down to the shore (and vice versa, go up), is now literally barricaded.

We got to the rise leading from the coast to the villa. The path was blocked by stone rubble and steel bars. Along the perimeter, the territory belonging to Viktor Rashnikov is surrounded by barbed wire.

The oligarch Rashnikov cares so much about the inviolability of his property that he even turned his personal piece of paradise into a kind of concentration camp …

Settlement for rich Russians. The French flee

Viktor Rashnikov chose a holiday property in one of the most expensive places on Lazurka. The Nice suburb of Villefranche-sur-Mer is a super-elite village.

For example, almost side by side with Rashnikov’s villas is the famous Rothschild villa – a national treasure of France.
Nearby is the villa of King Leopold II, which is now estimated at about a billion euros. The oligarch wanted to buy it in 2008 Mikhail Prokhorovbut something did not work out, and the billionaire had to pay a penalty of 39 million euros for refusing to buy.

There are more than enough Russian buyers here. In any reputable real estate agency, a specialist with knowledge of the Russian language is sure to work.

But the French themselves are gradually leaving Villefranche-sur-Mer. Such a respectable neighborhood is not very comfortable for them.
Firstly, “these Russians” are constantly enclosing something, blocking it. Secondly, the guards of “these Russians” walk, as they say, almost with Kalashnikov assault rifles. In a paradise, thanks to such a neighborhood, the locals no longer feel safe.
The same thing is happening as in London: areas favored by super-rich Russians are becoming a “radioactive zone” for Europeans.
The French, by the way, actively asked us if life is good in Russia, since its citizens allow themselves such a dolche vita.

Indeed, if you look at how Russian people live like the oligarch Rashnikov in Nice, it’s hard to believe that more than half of Russians receive a salary of less than 400 euros!

If you want to spit on the common people – in the villa of the oligarch Rashnikov you can do it from a height …

The average salary of Viktor Rashnikov’s workers at the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works is less than 500 euros. This is slightly above the median and below the average Russian wage.

The occupational disease of MMK workers is silicosis of the lungs. All of them are recommended sanatorium-and-spa treatment, but most of them cannot afford even the Black Sea, not to mention the Cote d’Azur.

Bloody Marie Antoinette design

Well, let’s now get acquainted with the history of the famous villa Nelkot, which, by the way, no one wanted to buy before Rashnikov. And, as we shall see, for good reason.

In the Russian-speaking segment of the Internet, there is practically no data on the history of this house, but English-speaking researchers of the work of famous musicians have devoted a number of studies to this place.

This mansion, now owned by Viktor Rashnikov, went down in history as the “Rolling Stones’ French villa of debauchery.” Well, or, more simply, a den of bohemian drug addicts.

However, this is only part of the rich history of the villa.

Villa Nellcote (Nelkot, sometimes spelled Nellkot) is an example of luxury real estate on the Cote d’Azur, where for more than a hundred years the entire world elite, the cream of society, has been gathering for vacation.

The villa was built in the 1890s by ex-banker Eugene Thomas. He did not stint and built a mansion on a grand scale – as if anticipating that he was building it for the Russian oligarch Viktor Rashnikov. The result was a spacious house with 16 rooms and halls (however, Viktor Filippovich’s dacha near Moscow with 118 rooms is much larger).

The white marble façade of the villa is adorned with Ionic columns. Sphinxes guard the high stairs.

The interior decor is in an elaborate palace style. As Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards later said, the mansion was decorated for “Bloody Marie Antoinette.”

Probably, the musician meant that such a luxury is simply indecent and threatens with the same consequences as the carefree royal life of Marie Antoinette during the plight of the people. As you know, this queen, who, in response to a request for bread, advised the poor to eat cakes, as a result, they cut off her head.

Keith Richards could not even imagine how his statement would sound in the 21st century, when the villa becomes the property of an oligarch from Russia, a country with a very high social stratification by world standards. And in the history of which, by the way, there was also a place for executions, and the shadow of dispossession still hovers over the elite.

Shadow of the sinking Titanic

But back to Villa Nelkot. Under the first owner, it was called Amicitia (Amisitia). Eugene Thomas owned it until the early 1900s. The Comte de Brulatour became the second owner of the villa, and in 1912 he sold the mansion to the Goldenberg family.

This sale added an ominous and mystical halo to the villa. Samuel and Nella Goldenberg were among the lucky survivors of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. On the one hand, everything ended well for the Goldenbergs. On the other hand, not everything is so simple, because the survivors of the Titanic, to a certain extent, were condemned by society.

The fact is that most of those who survived the crash of the Titanic belonged to the wealthy class. The first-class passengers, unlike the poor third-class passengers, almost all survived. But the third class of boats was not enough for everyone. And the owners of Villa Amicitia/Nellcote have become the epitome of class injustice.

Looking at this luxurious villa on the Cote d’Azur, it is impossible to get rid of the thought: if you have money, then you can not only afford such a mansion, but they will also give you a lifeboat first. While ordinary people will die in icy water, the owner of billions will be saved so that he can return to the warm Cote d’Azur.

However, the adventures on the Titanic had a negative impact on the fate of the Goldenbergs. After the disaster, Samuel was prone to nervous breakdowns, which is why he even temporarily lost his sight. He divorced his wife and married another. According to some sources, because it was uncomfortable alone in a huge mansion …

It seems that Goldenberg never took root in the villa. In the end, having owned the mansion for less than ten years, Goldenberg decided to turn Nelkot into a boarding house for the visually impaired, but then he simply sold it to the Bord family, who owns a ship-owning company and transports sodium nitrate from Chile to France.

dog name

In 1921, the villa was no longer called Amicitia, but Nellcote in the sales documents. It is believed that the new owners renamed it, but in fact the new name was invented by Samuel Goldenberg. He was an international judge at dog shows (by the way, for this reason he got on the Titanic). One of Goldenberg’s professional achievements is the discovery of a new breed of dog, which became the progenitor of modern French bulldogs.

Goldenberg named the new breed of bulldog “Nelkot Gamin”. And in honor of this breed he gave the name to the villa, which now belongs to the oligarch Viktor Rashnikov.

The new owners of Villa Nelkot – Dominique Borde and his sons Antoine and Alexander – owned a large shipping company “Magnat”. It was one of the largest companies in its segment. She had over forty ships, more than sixty captains and one and a half thousand sailors were in the service.

Thanks to the Bordas, Villa Nelcote and the coast, parks, and gardens of Villefranche-sur-Mer were decorated with expensive species of trees from South Africa. In gratitude, the local authorities renamed the street on which the villa stands to Avenue Louise Board. This address has survived to this day.

Gestapo in the oligarch’s mansion

In 1940, France was occupied by the Nazi troops. Villas on the Cote d’Azur were occupied by German officers. And in the villa Nelkot, according to sources, the headquarters of the Gestapo was located.

This circumstance was one of the reasons why this villa was chosen for rent by Rolling Stones musician Keith Richards in the 1970s. He was impressed by the dark history of the mansion.

Here you have the “luxury of Marie Antoinette”, and the connection with the Titanic, and the echo of the screams of the victims of the Gestapo executioners …

The sources on the history of the Rolling Stones have information that the musicians found an unerased swastika in the basement of the villa where they recorded their records. And this is despite the fact that after the war, the French authorities tried to completely destroy the traces of the Nazis in the elite resort, including erasing the swastika in the premises of the Villa Nelkot and on the coastal rocks. But something remained – at least until the 1970s. Perhaps, after the restoration of the villa, Viktor Rashnikov destroyed these traces as well. Or maybe – and saved, there is no information about this.

One of the musicians’ friends, French photographer Dominique Tarlet recalls:

In order not to create unnecessary temptations for Keith Richards, the box was thrown into the sea.

But the story with the Nazi halo that shrouded Villa Nelkot did not end there. When musician Mick Jagger married Nicaraguan model Bianca (the marriage took place on the Cote d’Azur, in Saint-Tropez), Keith Richards prepared a “thematic surprise” for them. He appeared in the dressing room of the groom at Villa Nelkot in a Nazi SS uniform.

Joking aside, the sinister history of the villa has definitely left its mark on the reaction of potential tenants and buyers. After the war, the villa was empty for 27 years – until the Rolling Stones moved in, adding a little more scandalous glory to the Nelkot villa.

Massacre and debauchery

Until 1971, Villa Nelkot was practically abandoned. They didn’t want to sell it cheaply, and wealthy buyers apparently considered the history of the “Gestapo villa” not very respectable. But its ambiguous halo and seclusion attracted creative people: the Rolling Stones musicians, who decided to leave England to save on taxes (then in the UK a 93% tax was introduced on millionaires).

The Rollings’ home was Nelkot Villa, rented by Keith Richards.

Here they hung out for six months, recorded one of their most famous albums – Exile On Main Street, used an unmeasured amount of “substances” and, as a result, after an urgent request from the police, left the almost destroyed mansion.

Written sources and the film “The Rolling Stones in Exile” tell about these events, so we will not detail this whole story, but will focus on photographs and the most colorful events.

So, in the spring of 1971, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards rented Villa Nelkot for the equivalent of $2,500 a month. The dollar was then much more expensive than it is now, but still the amount was relatively small – the lack of demand for the “sinister” villa affected. Having proudly retired from England, the “tax exiles” had a party … Which dragged on for six months.

All the time the Rolling Stones were in the villa, there was an endless “party”: sex, drugs and rock and roll …

From the photographs, one can judge how much fun the musicians themselves and their friends had at Villa Nelkot – including persons who were unknown to anyone.

What all this cheerful party turned the villa into can be judged by colorful photographs.

Nelkot, of course, was already in decline at that time, but with the “rollings” a real pogrom began here.

Since the inhabitants of the house did not particularly bother filtering the guests, and the doors of the villa were open both for entry and exit, there was a real expanse for those who wanted to take something out of the mansion.

After the “rollings” moved out, it turned out that almost half of the furniture was gone. And what was left was often “firewood”.
According to a number of sources, drug dealers who were indebted to Keith Richards also “helped” plunder the villa.

Heroin madness and mafiosi

Drugs at Nelkot Villa were given the green light. Keith Richards himself was seriously sitting on “substances”. Richards was soon joined by his girlfriend, actress and model Anita Pallenberg. Shortly before that, she completed a rehabilitation course in narcology, but on the Cote d’Azur she again broke down. Together with Keith, they turned Villa Nelkot into a heroin den.

To get heroin, Keith Richards forged connections with the Corsican mafia.

The drug dealers felt at ease in the villa. Bringing goods from neighboring Marseille, they themselves “hung out” in the company of hospitable tenants.

Naturally, it couldn’t last that long. The French police, quite rightly, took an interest in the dark personalities who regularly visited the secluded villa.

Let’s make a hell of a fire. Take your pants off!

The interest of the police in what was going on in the “crazy villa” was fueled by complaints from French power engineers. The fact is that the Rolling Stones … stole electricity.

As already mentioned, the group recorded one of their most popular albums at Villa Nelkot. The records were kept in the basement of the villa – where the unerased swastika turned out to be. And the musicians during the recording … took off their pants.

But here it was not about some sexual orgies (of which there were already enough in the villa), but in the heat. The musicians “squeezed the juice” out of their instruments, as a result of which the basement, insulated with carpets, turned into a sauna.

Electricity for this infernal atmosphere, the “Rollings” took illegally, connected to the power line from the French railway system.

In general, they got off as best they could! But one day the patience of the police ended, and guests in uniform raided the villa. As a result of the police raid, Keith Richards and his girlfriend were charged with heroin possession and trafficking intent. They got off lightly: expulsion from France and a ban on entering its territory for two years.

And the villa, which already had a bad reputation, became completely “hands-shaking” among decent people.

Bought “some Russian”

Nobody wanted to buy Nelkot. Painfully scandalous was her story. Western businessmen, politicians and even show business stars preferred to buy villas with a more respectable history.

And finally, in 2013, the Nelkot villa was bought by “some Russian”. This definition was exhaustive for neighbors.

Such a meaningful definition.

“This Russian” turned out to be the Magnitogorsk oligarch Viktor Rashnikov. Under him, the villa regained its luxury. Most likely, she had never been so luxurious before – neither under the banker, nor under the count, nor under the shipowners …

Gold is everywhere! Everywhere! Well, there’s nothing surprising here, because Rashnikov’s dacha near Moscow, the yacht’s interiors, and the super-jet’s filling are all done in the palace style with an abundance of gold (some people ironically call this style “gypsy”).
The spirit of freedom has definitely left these places…

Now at the Villa Nelkot – Rococo period furniture, sparkling mirrors and golden curls wherever the eye falls.
The terrace where Richards played the guitar was covered with glass, like a cage.

Get out!

Now outsiders are strictly prohibited from entering Viktor Rashnikov’s villa. And outsiders are constantly trying to get in, because Nelkot is one of the points of worship for the Rolling Stones fans.

They have repeatedly complained on social networks that the greedy Russian oligarch does not let them into the “sanctuary”.

“Here they recorded their most inspiring album, Exile on Main Street. I wanted to be here so much that I even saved a T-shirt for that day. The place is mystical, magical, the castle exudes mystery and inaccessibility, writes one of the fans. “I really wanted to get into the territory by any means, but when I realized that this fortress could not be taken with my bare hands and feet either from land or from the sea, I simply rang the intercom. They answered me! They said that the villa was bought out, they are not allowed to go on excursions here and do not rent it out. Very sad.

The “intercom” at the villa, or rather, the security button, looks stern. Some fans try to attack Nelkot from the rocky shore, but this is quite dangerous: it is fraught with abrasions, bruises and fractures.

In general, the scandalous halo does not leave the Villa Nelkot. It is not known whether the fans make Viktor Rashnikov nervous, but such attention obviously does not add to the respectability of the villa.

Who is the villa for?

Nelkot is officially owned by the legal entity SCI NELLCOTE BAIE DE VILLEFRANCHE (registration number 499 817 070). This is a French company established on September 5, 2007 with a registered capital of 100,000 euros. The company is registered at 10 Avenue Loue Bordes Quartier de Grasseuil Villa Nellcote 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer.

The company is managed by a certain Nadia Philippides, who was born on July 4, 1968 in Zaire, the city of Nyakunda. Nadia Philippides managed to become a British citizen, but is registered in Cyprus in the city of Limassol: Limassol, 3085, Artovoulou 1.

Who are the owners of the company? According to the extract from the company, the Rashnikov family became its founder on April 19, 2013. It was on this day that a new founder appeared in the statement – Rashnikova Olga.

At the moment, the company has three owners: Mr. Rashnikov himself, his daughter and a certain Cypriot company, which should be discussed separately. So, the shares in SCI NELLCOTE BAIE DE VILLEFRANCHE have:

Rashnikov Victor. Born October 13, 1948 in Magnitogorsk. Nationality Russian. Registration address: Magnitogorsk, village of Hutorki, 11 (Poselok Hutorki House, 11, Magnitogorsk (Russie (Federation De)).

Rashnikova Olga. She was born on February 6, 1977 in Magnitogorsk. Russian nationality. Registration address: Moscow, st. Osipenko, 20, apt. … (20 Osipenko Street Apt. X Moscou (Russie (Federation De)).

Calltephus Entrepres Limited (registration number HE 205621). Registered in Cyprus, in Limassol, at the address: Limassol, Kosta Charaki, 11.

It should be emphasized that Calltephus Entrepres Limited is 100% owned by Viktor Rashnikov, registered in an apartment at the address: Magnitogorsk, st. Embankment, 24, apartment … Citizenship – Russia.

Thus, the oligarch Rashnikov and his daughter own Villa Nelkot through SCI NELLCOTE BAIE DE VILLEFRANCHE and Calltephus Entrepres Limited.

Mortgage for the “golden villa” at 1.6%

Judging by the extracts, Villa Nelkot is currently in a mortgage.

It is estimated at 83 million euros. The loan was issued by Societe Generale Private Banking, located in Monaco. This bank is one of the largest French financial conglomerates in Europe and is headquartered in Paris.

The loan amount for the villa was 44,000,000 euros, plus a loan for additional buildings of 8,800,000 euros. The mortgage must be closed on July 31, 2024.

The interest rate on the mortgage paid by Viktor Rashnikov is 1.648%. Russian mortgage lenders, who pay an average of 13% for their “mansions”, should appreciate this.

Why the oligarch Rashnikov needed to take out a mortgage on a villa when he could well pay for it in cash is not entirely clear. Perhaps this is due to the issues of legalization of funds in Europe and sanctions problems.

One villa? This is not enough!

After a 118-room dacha near Moscow, a super-yacht, a golden super-jet and no less golden villa Nelkot, we thought that Viktor Fillipovich would no longer be able to surprise us with anything. But he succeeded! It turned out that in Nice he had not one villa, but two at once. Next door.

The fence of the villa Nelkot smoothly passes into the fence of another villa of Viktor Filippovich
Nelkot and Viktor Rashnikov’s second villa, Les Figuires, are located next to each other, so the owner of MMK in France has a very solid piece of land.

Villa Les Figuires overlooks the avenue with one wing, the main part of the building behind the trees
Nelcot is number 10, Les Figuires is number 12. Its exact address is 12 Avenue Loue Bordes Villa Les Figuiers 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer.

We decided to order extracts for this property as well.
By the way, this is not so simple: not only does each statement cost 500 euros, but you can also get it only while in France and having the status of its resident. You can’t order online, you have to personally appear in court, write a statement. Documents are issued at least 2-3 weeks later. But we still were not too lazy – we received statements for the second villa of Viktor Rashnikov.

The owner of Villa Les Figuires, like its neighbor Nelkot, is a legal entity – the French company SCI BAIE DES FIGUIERS (registration number 499 824 969 RCS Nice), registered on September 5, 2007. It has an authorized capital of 100,000 euros. Registration address: 12 Avenue Loue Bordes Villa Les Figuiers 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer (same as the villa itself).

The manager of the company is Philippides Nadia Thalia, already familiar to us (we recall that she also manages the company to which Villa Nelkot is registered).

As for the real owners, they are the same as those of Villa Nelkot: SCI BAIE DES FIGUIERS is owned by Rashnikov Victor, his daughter Olga Rashnikova Olga and the already mentioned Cypriot company Calltephus Entrepres Limited (also owned by Rashnikov ). The Rashnikov family joined the company on April 19, 2013.

The second villa also has a mortgage – in the same bank where the mortgage was taken for the purchase of Nelkot. This is a bank located in Monaco – Societe Generale Private Banking. How much did the oligarch need? Not so much: the loan for the villa was 6,000,000 euros, for additional buildings – 1,200,000 euros. The interest rate is the same: 1.648%.

The oligarch Rashnikov must pay off the mortgage by July 31, 2024.

It is also worth mentioning the management company, which carries out service and coordination control over Rashnikov’s real estate on the Cote d’Azur. This is the French company Societe Civile Immobiliere Villa Les Figuiers (registration number 423 033 059 RCS Nice), registered on May 25, 1999. Its authorized capital is 914,694.10 euros. Registration address: Avenue Loue Bordes 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer.

Societe Civile Immobiliere Villa Les Figuiers has two owners:

French Mallet Chrtelle Alexandrine, born May 3, 1970 in Aix-en-Provence and registered at 15 Seltbergerstrasse 4410 Liestal Suse (Switzerland).

Swiss Rosenmund Peter Lou, born on April 24, 1933 in the Swiss city of Liestal (Switzerland) and registered at Seltbergerstrasse 15 – CH 4410 Liestal.

But, we emphasize, they have nothing to do with Rashnikov’s property, their functions are to keep order and maintain the oligarch’s paradise in perfect condition. At least according to the documents.

This could have ended the conversation about Villa Nelkot and its neighbor, if not for the interesting nuances revealed during our investigation.

Everything you need to know about patriotic oligarchs

Let’s take a closer look at the Cypriot company that was among the co-owners of the Nelkot Villa – owned by Victor Rashnikov Calltephus Entrepres Limited and located at Limassol, Kosta Charaki, 11. We decided to check what other companies are located at this address … Bingo!

Curiosity was justified: it turned out that the Cypriot company Mintha Holding Limited (registration number HE 149001) is located here. Her full address is 11, Kosta Charaki, Office 301 3041 Limassol, Cyprus. What is so remarkable about this company? And the fact that she owns 84.26% of the shares of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK)!

This is where Mintha, who owns the plant, is located. It is problematic to drive up and park … Strangers are not welcome here
The directors of Mintha Holding Limited, which turned out to have the lion’s share of MMK’s shares, are:

Cypriot Androulla Papadopoulou, registered at Arch. Makariuo III, 195 Neocleous House 3030, Limassol. Russian Andrey Fokin, registered in Cyprus at Dafni, 24 Germasogeia 4041, Limassol. Cyprus has long been no secret to the elites. Very patriotic.

In company with raiders and scammers

But our investigation did not end there. We decided to take a closer look at the individuals who are directors of Mintha Holding Limited.

Found, for example, the mansion of Andrei Fokin, which is located in Cyprus, on the street. Daphne, 24. This is the house:

But with the Cypriot Popadopoulou, the case turned out to be even more interesting. His office is located at Limassol, Arch. Makariou III, 195. And here is the company Neocleous & Co LLC – the agency of Elias Neocleous, in which he works with his brother Panagiotis (address Limassol, Arch. Makariou III, 195, Neocleous House 3030).

The Cypriot company Montrago Services Limited (registration number HE 52239) is also located at the same address. We ordered an extract for her. It turned out that this was the company secretary of Mintha Holding Limited, which owns the lion’s share of MMK’s shares.
In other words, the Neocleous Cypriot family of lawyers takes the most active part in the management of MMK’s assets in Cyprus. And it is unlikely that anyone will doubt that the task of Neocleous is to hide Victor Rashnikov’s money offshore.

This family has a very specific reputation. Previously, the Neocleouses did business through Andreas Neocleous & Co, but after a legal scandal, it formally closed, but Neocleous & Co LLC opened a bureau. The fact is that Andreas Neocleous was put on the international wanted list in Russia in 2015. He, along with his partner Andreas Kiprizoglu, was accused of attempting to raiderly seize the elite residential complex ZAO MZHK Rosinka, located in the Moscow region. The “fat” piece: 350 townhouses on 60 hectares worth $150-200 million, some have already been sold, and some are leased.

According to the prosecution, Kiprizoglu and Neocleous tried to take over the Cypriot holding company Providencia Holding Ltd, on which 85% of Rosinka’s shares were registered, using very dirty methods, including an attempted raider takeover. The court agreed with the arguments of the prosecution. (Numbers in the file of arbitration cases, where the acts of the Neocleous are described: A41-44458/2011, A41-39569/2011, A41-1348/2012, A41-49646/2012, A40-131045/2012).)

What worthy people! These gentlemen, who ended up in the dock, were found guilty of bribery, abuse of office, conspiracy to commit a crime, corruption and fraud.

Well, the company was formally closed and a new one was opened, where the sons of the raider-lawyer Andreas Neocleous, Panagiotis and Elias, began to run it.

Particular attention should be paid to Elias Neocleous (pictured above), who was described by the media in the Rosinka case as “Pavlik Morozov”. He testified against his father to avoid personal liability.

It turns out that the Cypriot director of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works, Viktor Rashnikov, is a fraudster and a son-companion of a raider!

So, studying the history of the “villa of debauchery” Nelkot, you will learn new details about the life of Viktor Rashnikov.