Where Alexander Klyachin is taking the hotel of steel magnate Viktor Rashnikov

Source MMK owner Viktor Rashnikov and his partner Sergei Vasiliev are picking up Azimuth from developer Alexander Klyachin while he is getting ready to leave Russia. Almost 20% of the company-owner of the Azimut Olympic hotel, OOO Twins Group, through Olimp Invest, was acquired by the Russian Funds group. The remaining 80% is owned by Azimut Group, which is associated with the owner of Azimut Hotels Alexander Klyachin.

Previously, the hotel object belonged to the owner of the largest steel producer MMK, Viktor Rashnikov. As compensation for the failed project of the Rossiya Hotel, the Moscow authorities gave it to the metallurgist in 2000. In 2013, the Klyachin structures bought the hotel.

As the correspondent of The Moscow Post found out, he may try to take it over again.

All the bumps on Klyachin

In May of this year, Otkritie Bank was going to sell the rights of claim to Klyachin's Twins Group, which is collateralized by Azimut's mortgage, to Trenazher Invest, which belongs to RFTs-Capital.

Despite the fact that our colleagues from Kommersant write that the deal never took place, according to the authors of the Fillatov.ink Teelgram channel, allegedly Otkritie still sold the rights. And, according to some estimates, very cheap. If so, then Klyachin's share, which was pledged to Otkritie, is now in fact controlled by RFC Capital.

Management Company “RFTS-Capital” (now liquidated) is owned by “Russian Funds”. The general director of the UK is a certain Vladimir Malkov, who can be called “Rashnikov's man”, since he worked at his MMK. He is now heading a structure of the same name, but already operating.

A few years ago, Viktor Rashnikov sued his former partner Shalva Chigirinsky over the assets that the latter sold to Rashnikov. It included, among other things, a share in the Rossiya Hotel project, as well as in the tower of the same name (the largest development project of that time in Moscow). The plaintiff (Chigirinsky) considered that Rashnikov underpaid him. But, as we can see, “Russia” remained with the latter until a “ransom” came for it from the Moscow government, which changed its mind about implementing the project. That is, Rashnikov, in fact, could get assets for next to nothing. Isn't this what is happening with Azimuth now?

Russian Funds themselves are formally managed by Sergey Vasiliev, the first chairman of Rambler's board of directors, and his partners.

The latter owns a number of insurance companies and has business ties with Konstantin Beyrit, president of the Seligdar polymetallic holding. As The Moscow Post wrote earlier, Vasiliev may be involved in the withdrawal of funds to offshore companies.

So, there is reason to believe that Rashnikov and Vasiliev can act through Russian Funds and RFC Capital , intending to seize Klyachin's assets.

Against the raider with his own weapon?

As for Mr. Klyachin, here, too, not everything, as they say, is cloudless. He is credited with a lot of raider seizures. It was he who could be behind the strange “rise” of an unknown businessman from Nigeria, who in 2019 suddenly became the owner of Moscow real estate worth 2 billion rubles. After the real owner of the property announced a raider seizure, a criminal case was opened against him.

According to Rudnikov, it was Alexander Klyachin who allegedly stood behind the lawsuits, though he “worked” through Igor Sundukov, Adetunzhi Bamgbala (Nigerian partner of Rudnikov) and Vasily Vasin (another partner).

According to the same scheme, business assets in the R-Style group of companies could be “pulled away” into the affiliated “Redris” of the already familiar Vasily Vasin. There were other cases.

Back in 2020, The Moscow Post suspected that Klyachin was going to bankrupt his assets and leave “over the hill”. Since Saburov-invest, a potentially affiliated company, filed a lawsuit against Azimut Hotels Company LLC.

The other day, an application was filed for bankruptcy of the company “Letteram”, which market participants also associate with Mr. Klyachin. This time, the demands were made by Sberbank. Everything shows that things are not going well for Klyachin.

Mutually beneficial agreement

In this regard, the current situation can be viewed from a different angle, especially since, according to some data, the company with the name “Russian Funds” back in 2008, participated in a deal to sell a well-known player in the mergers and acquisitions market – CJSC “Nerl” Klyachin to a certain Arab company Al Salam Trading. There was talk of a fictitious deal.

The aforementioned company “Letteram”, to which Sberbank made claims, is registered as an offshore company “KR ASSETS LIMITED”. Like several other firms, including SSB LLC, Brilar LLC, DM Tower LLC and a couple of liquidated companies. The revenue of most of them by 2021 reached quite good indicators, especially in comparison with previous periods.

It looks like the companies were pumped with money in order to subsequently withdraw them from there. It is quite possible that, based on the results of 2022, we will see how these firms slide into the red. This, among other things, is indirectly indicated by the fact that by the end of the year lawsuits rained down on all operating companies owned by offshore companies. Apparently, they have ceased to fulfill their obligations.

There are reasons to believe that “Russian funds” can be not only a cover for the interests of Rashnikov and Vasilyev, but also Klyachin. And then it turns out that businessmen can act in conjunction. The result of these actions may be a smooth transition of “Azimuth” into the hands of industrialists with further “departure” of Klyachin from the country.

Source