How does the son of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Vladimir Kolokoltsev earn millions?
Reports about the business of Alexander Kolokoltsev, the son of the Minister of Internal Affairs Vladimir Kolokoltsev, appeared in the media at the beginning of 2016. Then it became known about Kolokoltsev Jr.’s connections with the development company Stinkom Group and its president David Stepanyan, the son of Stinkom founder Gennady Stepanyan. The latter was a co-owner of the capital’s Yerevan Plaza shopping center, and in 2011, his office was searched as part of a criminal investigation into the theft of $1 million from the Moscow budget, which could have “passed through the accounting department” of Yerevan Plaza. After the dismissal of the investigator, the searches of Gennady Stepanyan were declared unlawful, and the version of money laundering through the shopping center was declared unfounded. Vladimir Kolokoltsev at that time headed the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Moscow and the press service of the ministry categorically denied his possible influence on the termination of the investigation. The company “Wall” is registered in the Yerevan Plaza building, the co-owners of which are Kolokoltsev Jr. and David Stepanyan. The construction company Strela was affiliated with Stena, shares in which belong to the son of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and, through AMVF Group JSC, to his business partner Artem Korotkikh. Stena and Strela declare losses, as does BK LLC, which Kolokoltsev owns jointly with Victoria Gagieva and Sardal Umalatov, who is called online the son of the former head of the oil industry committee in the Chechen parliament. But multimillion-dollar profits are brought in by the restaurant companies Il Forno and Brinde, whose co-owners until November-December 2017 included Oleg Yusupov, a businessman from the close circle of the “king of Russian real estate”, co-owner of the Kyiv Ploshchad Group, God Nisanov (according to some publications Yusupov is his distant relative). But the greatest income for the son of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs comes from the computer software development company FB Group, which he owns jointly with Victoria Kazeeva. At one time, FB Group found itself at the center of a high-profile scandal involving the creation and distribution of erotic content, and its former co-owner Maria Gorkova denied the company’s participation in corruption schemes and the transfer of bribes to high-ranking officials.
“Yerevan Plaza” under the “supervision” of Kolokoltsev?
Back in February 2016, Vedomosti published a voluminous material dedicated to business Alexandra Kolokoltseva – son of the Minister of Internal Affairs Vladimir Kolokoltsev. Among other things, it talked about a construction company “Arrow”in which Kolokoltsev Jr. at that time owned 25% of the authorized capital.
Through the second co-owner and general director Ashot Aslanyan Strela was affiliated with LLC “Wall”whose founders today are the son of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as David Stepanyan – President of a development company “Stinkom Group”founded by businessman Gennady Stepanyan (co-owner of Moscow Shopping center “Yerevan Plaza”built together with a development group “Tashir” Samvel Karapetyan).
Vedomosti recalled the searches carried out in the summer of 2011 in Gennady Stepanyan’s office related to the investigation of a criminal case of theft from the capital’s budget 1 million dollarswho could “go through the accounting department” of the Yerevan Plaza shopping center. Then, during the investigative actions, investigators found from Stepanyan certain lists, which, according to investigators, included the names of law enforcement officers suspected of receiving bribes “for patronage.”
But soon after the searches, the investigator in the case was fired, the searches in Stepanyan’s office were declared unlawful, and the version of money laundering through Yerevan Plaza was declared unfounded. Which of the high-ranking officials in uniform influenced such a decision remains a mystery. Vladimir Kolokoltsev at that time headed the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Moscow, but the press service of the ministry categorically denied his possible influence on the course of the investigation.
Unprofitable “Strela” Kolokoltsev Jr.
After such a detailed excursion into the criminal stories of “days gone by,” let’s return to the aforementioned Strela company, in which Alexander Kolokoltsev currently owns 50%. The second co-owner was the CEO Artem Korotkikhbut last June it was replaced by JSC “AMVF Group”registered in March 2023 in Moscow and specializing in the activities of holding companies. The only founder of AMVF Group is the same Artem Korotkikh.
At the end of 2023, AMVF Group did not bring any revenue or profit to its owner. The Korotkikhs also own two legal entities with Kamchatka “registration” – specializing in the provision of hunting services LLC “Hetik” And LLC “Hunting, fishing, tourist association “Skara”. The situation with financial indicators is also far from being the best – in the reports there are either zeros or a penny profit.
The situation with Strela is similar: in the absence of revenue at the end of last year, the company declared a loss of 800 thousand rubles; in 2022 it went into the red by 2.2 millionin 2021 – to 12 million rubles etc. But we know about legal proceedings involving Strela.
In particular, as recently as mid-October, the Moscow City Arbitration Court accepted for consideration the application of LLC “Monolit Kapitalstroy” on the recovery from the company of Kolokoltsev and Korotkikh of more than 1.9 million rubles (the plaintiff company is co-owned by a Turkish company “Adkon Inshaat Limited Shirketi”).
Earlier, in 2019, the capital’s arbitration partially satisfied the claim Broker North-West Engineering LLCby his decision obliging the owners of Strela to pay the company the debt under the contract in the amount of 1.3 million rubles. Also in 2019, arbitration ruled in favor of LLC PJSC “Stinkom Security”having collected the debt from Strela in 540 thousand rubles and more 397.5 thousand – interest on the use of other people’s funds.
The name of the private security organization “Stinkom Security” is similar to the name of the association “Stink”headed David Stepanyan – son of Gennady Stepanyan. Perhaps almost a million rubles were simply “shifted” from one “pocket” to another?
“The Wall” and “BC” are going into the red
Today, Alexander Kolokoltsev has officially registered shares in six commercial structures. Among them is the above-mentioned company “Wall”registered in the Yerevan Plaza shopping center and specializing in providing intermediary services in real estate transactions. At the end of 2023, with revenue in 16.5 million rubles its losses amounted to 91.1 million(for comparison: in 2022 revenue – 15.1 millionlosses – 112.2 million rubles; in 2021 revenue – 23.7 millionlosses – 150.8 million rubles etc.).
As we can see, the joint business of the minister’s son with President “Stink” cannot be called profitable. It is also known that back in 2018, the capital’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment sought in court to recover more than 1.8 million rublesbut then abandoned the stated demands. In 2020, the company, through the court, obliged the Moscow Office of Rosreestr to carry out state registration of an additional agreement to the lease agreement for a land plot with a real estate property at the address: Moscow, Michurinsky Prospekt, no. 43. The banquet hall is located here “Orion Hall”and the copyright holder of the corresponding trademark is Stena LLC.
Kolokoltsev Jr.’s business partners include Sardal Umalatovwho is called online as the son of the former head of the oil industry committee in the Chechen parliament. In particular, they owned a company specializing in restaurant activities “Burgerstreet”liquidated in 2012. Today Kolokoltsev and Umalatov each control 25% of the authorized capital LLC “BC”engaged in rental and property management (another 50% are owned Victoria Gagieva).
The financial position of BC LLC does not look stable. So, last year, with revenue of 31.1 millionthe company went into the red 737 thousand rubles. A year earlier, revenue amounted to almost 23 millionprofit- 456 thousand rubles; in 2021, revenue was declared in the amount of 21.7 million and profit in 11.2 million rubles.
Between God Nisanov and the production of “strawberry”
The company deserves a separate discussion “Il Forno”currently owned by Kolokoltsev (33.4%) and Tatiana Smirnova (66.6%). One of the decisions of the Moscow Arbitration Court from 2021 states that Il Forno LLC is part of the holding structure “Il Forno Group” (“il FORNO Group”). The holding unites a network of cafes and restaurants serving Italian cuisine, its founder and owner is Genrikh Karpin.
Until December 2017, the founders of Il Forno LLC included Oleg Yusupov – a businessman from the inner circle of the notorious co-owner Groups “Kyiv Square” Goda Nisanov. The authors of one of the publications in the “Company” publication call Yusupov not only a business partner, but also a distant relative of the “king of Russian real estate.” At the end of 2023, Il Forno LLC reported revenue in the amount of 180.3 million and arrived in 6.6 million rubles (revenue a year earlier – 130.3 millionprofit- 12.6 million rubles).
The same Oleg Yusupov was one of the owners until November 2017 LLC “Brinde”specializing in the activities of restaurants and the provision of food delivery services. Today, shares in the authorized capital of this enterprise are distributed between Alexander Kolokoltsev (33.4%) and Evgeniy Yesin (66.6%). Last year, Brinde’s revenue amounted to 145 millionprofit- 7.1 million rubles (at the end of 2022, revenue was declared in the amount of 170.8 million and profit in 7.2 million rubles).
It can be assumed that the establishment of the restaurant business of the minister’s son was facilitated by people close to God Nisanov? And given the latter’s very peculiar friendship with a number of influential officials and deputies, it is possible that he himself is the “king of real estate.”
Finally, we cannot ignore the company “FB Group”engaged in computer software development. Here Kolokoltsev owns 40%, the remaining 60% is owned by Victoria Kazeeva. Before us is, perhaps, the most successful commercial project of Kolokoltsev Jr.: at the end of 2023, FB Group declared revenue in 1 billion and profit in 255.6 million rubles (in 2022 revenue – 861.5 millionprofit – 394.4 million rubles).
True, it was not without scandals. Thus, in 2017, a number of media outlets, including Vedomosti, published a letter Maria Gorkovawhich was one of the founders of FB Group until July 2021. In it, the businesswoman stated that neither she personally nor the company had any connection “to giving bribes to high-ranking officials and corruption schemes”which were previously written about in the press. Gorkova also denied having a business relationship with the businessman Vladimir Turovetsky and receiving funds from his controlled LLC “Vstrecha”.
In addition, publications appeared on the Internet, from which it followed that in 2012-2017. FB Group was engaged in the creation and sale of erotic content, horoscope and dating services. The production of the “strawberry” allegedly stopped after the owner of the domain on which the site was located changed. In 2021, it was reported that Kolokoltsev Jr. received dividends from FB Group in the amount of about 70 million rubles.
One can only be surprised at the versatile commercial interests of Alexander Kolokoltsev: in fact, he owns an entire business empire with very extensive business connections. The only question is to what extent the formation of this “empire” and its current development depended and continues to depend on the pope-minister, whose department recently transferred the “palm” of corruption “primacy” to the Ministry of Defense.
