The extremist Gennady Gudkov has continued to legally receive millions of rubles in Russia, while thousands of his armed security guards only waiting for his command “Attack!”
This former deputy of the Russian State Duma, lower chamber of the Russian Parliament, has simply become some sort of “ex-man” – namely an extremist and expropriator (in the Bolshevik style). One could even call him an ex-citizen of the Russian Federation, especially after the so-called “Alternative Congress of People’s Deputies of Russia” which took place at the beginning of September in the suburbs of Warsaw. There, fugitive insurgents, headed by another “ex” and foreign agent Ilya Ponomaryov*, declared of their support of “clandestine partisan networks inside Russia”. Thus, Gudkov and Co, with their own hands, hanged up upon themselves Articles 279 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – armed insurrection (from 12 up to 20 years of imprisonment).
Gennady Gudkov and Ilya Ponomaryov at the parochial get-together in Poland which they called “Congress of People’s Deputies”. Singled out: “I myself is a part of armed resistance against Putin in Ukraine, I support clandestine partisan networks inside Russia”.
And here is a real mystery: how come that this ex-deputy, ex-Social-democrat, and simply an extremist, is still being regarded as legal businessman and makes millions of rubles that allow him to lead a luxuriant life and fight against Russia? Moreover, why this organizer of armed and terrorist underground continues to control on the territory of Russia dozens of paramilitary security agencies with thousands of experienced employees under arms?
“MARKET” ECONOMY OF THE MAJOR GUDKOV
We would like to remind our readers that Major Gudkov from the out-of-the-way Kolomensky department of the KGB started to do business as early as in 1992 (Gennady Vladimirovich Gudkov always writes proudly that he is a retired KGB colonel, yet he left the Security Ministry in 1993 without the right to wear the uniform. In 1999, he, being a deputy of the State Duma, received the rank of retired lieutenant colonel, and in 2003 – retired colonel).
He chose the most banal way to make money for a former security official – he created a security agency “Oskord” (Оскордъ), one of the first in Russia. At the start, he regarded his new deal very nearly below his dignity, and his own firm he sometimes contemptuously called “my cozzers’ flash-house”. Through the years, Gennady Gudkov started to follow the principle – “you have what you guard”. His business developed, he became known: so, in the capital’s press started to be published pieces with damaging information – it was reported that the ex-KGB-colonel from the small town Kolomna (Moscow region) allegedly benetted with mafia web the whole Moscow suburbs.
The “gem” in Gudkov’s business-necklace has always been the construction market place in the town Kolomna which officially belongs to the OJSC “Kolomensky stroitel”.
One would think, this is an old story, it became known about Gudkov’s business in the Moscow Region as recently as in 2012, and, at the same time, he was forced to quit the ranks of the State Duma’s deputies for doubling-up. But, as the Agency of Federal Investigation (FLB.ru) has found out, Gennady Gudkov, in spite of all his oppositional activities, has preserved his business and continues to cherish it.
Up to the present day, Gennady Vladimirovich Gudkov possesses 65.7% of the firm “Kolomnensky stroitel”, and 34.3% of it belongs to his spouse Maria Petrovna Gudkova. The post of director of this market place holds Sergey Galkin, a classmate and childhood friend of Gennady Gudkov. The Gudkovs manage a parcel of land of 7.4 thousand square meters which was leased in December 1999 for 49 years. It’s on this land lot that is situated this market place – about 60 containers which are being rented by other businessmen, as well as a two-story building of the administration of the market place where once there was a reception office of the party “A Fair Russia”. A big furniture trading center “Skhodnya Furniture” was also constructed there.
Registration card of the OJSC “Kolomensky stroitel”
On the books of the building market place there is a considerable sum of money – 42.5 million rubles. The finance metrics of the firm had been growing quickly from 2002 up to 2017, then they subsided a bit, yet, in the last three years, incomes and revenues of the OJSC “Kolomensky stroitel” have returned to the previous level!
Financial indicators of the OJSC “Kolomenaky stroitel”
In effect, according to the tally of specialists, this market place is capable of bringing to the owners of the OJSC “Kolomensky stroitel” up to six million rubles a month, including rental payments. By the way, ten years ago, in a dusty closet of Gennady Gudkov, a former KGB officer from the little town Kolomna, was found another skeleton.
“The history of the company “Kolomensky stroitel” is very similar to a history of classical raider capture. General managers and founders were changed there several times. At the end, for some unintelligible merits, the wife of the deceased former owner handsels her part of the assets to Gennady Gudkov, who, in his turn, contrary to law, accepts it”, told one of researchers of the secret life of the deputy.
Finally, we would like to remind our readers that the building supplies market in the town Kolomna became a reason ground to strip Gennady Gudkov of his deputy’s mandate.
Minutes of the general meeting of participants of the OJSC “Kolomensky stroitel” from 05.07.2012
MULTIFUNCTIONAL VARIANTS OF STEALING
The other money layer of the Gudkovs is called “Multifunctional production-commercial firm “Variant”. Golden eggs for the spouses it has been laying, uninterrupted, for almost 30 years, from 1993 up until now.
Registration card of the OJSC “Multifunctional production-commercial firm “Variant”
The financial metrics of the firm “Variant” have changed subtly during the last five years, despite the anti-Russia activity of the firm’s owner.
Financial metrics of the Multifunctional production-commercial firm “Variant” (2017-2021)
Among members of the founders is Maria Gudkova (75%) and a certain LLC “Roshan” (25%), that, it seems, exists not for receiving benefits, as financial achievements of the firm have been non-existent in recent years. Actually, the sole founder of the firm “Roshan” is Gennady Gudkov himself. Evidently, the only purpose of this firm is somehow, with a fig leaf, to cover the participation of the ex-deputy in “multifunctional” deals of the company “Variant”.
For instance, in 2020, the Federal News Agency (FAN) published a small journalistic investigation under the title “Clandestine empire of the Gudkovs: how oppositionists steal money using government contracts and dodging taxes”. Colleagues had found out that the company “Variant”, time and again, won the same state contract dealt with leasing of premises for the state institution of the Moscow Region “Voskresensky regional learning center”. The sum for each of them equals half a million rubles. One of the main co-founders of this center is the Fund of State Property of the Moscow Region which was managed by Gudkov’s old friends from the KGB. With these friends, Gennady Gudkov, “the ardent fighter against corruption”, presumably, pulled off a lot of murky operations directed at forceful take-off of assets.
In 2010s, Gudkov managed to gain a lot of money in the field of garbage business. At that time, the garbage issue in the Moscow Region became very sharp: from 37 landfill sites, only seven were functional, and one of them, “Volovichi”, from the 1990s, were guarded by the private security companies “Pantan” and “Oskord” belonging to the Gudkov family. (Sources of the Federal News Agency (FAN) in law enforcement agencies suppose that in the 1990s, on these landfill sites, apart from garbage, rivals of the clan were also “utilized”). Gennady Gudkov turned the site “Volovichi” into a “feeding trough” for public officials of the whole Kolomensky district, as its territories were being actively sold above the adopted norms.
The garbage scheme had worked until 2017, and then the governor of the Moscow Region Andrey Vorobyov ordered to construct on this place a garbage burning plant, thus depriving the Gudkovs of their big “multifunctional variant”. At that time, the ex-deputy started to deal with “activism” and to organize meetings allegedly in order to defend ecology.
“He is regarded to be sort of “fixer”. If you want to receive a contract in the field of housing services and utilities, you absolutely need to get a permission from Gennady Gudkov. A kickback amounts to approximately 40%, depending on the sum of the contract. If you don’t receive a permission, get ready for problems. He may be called an octopus that has clogged with its tentacles all the Moscow Region”, told two years ago a source in the local administration.
As of today, the multifunctional “Variant” together with Gudkov’s spouse are among the founders of the trading house “Oskord XX”, registered in the Moscow Region town Lukhovtsy. On its books there is a considerable sum of money – 155 million rubles. In another two firms – “Resta Grand” and “Trading Company” – Maria Gudkova is itemized as the sole founder.
Registration card of the OJSC “Trading company”
According to financial reports, submitted to the Tax Service, the overall income of the Gudkov’s family business for the previous years amounted to nearly half a billion rubles. Yet, this sum was received only from a part of their business which is officially registered. In effect, the business empire of the Gudkovs is considerable larger, and its scope one can imagine with the help of the general schematic diagram of their companies.
The schematic diagram of the Gudkov couple.
SECURITY BUSINESS UNDER COVER OF THE “NOMONAL” MELIKOV
From the general schematic diagram of the Gudkovs’ business it becomes clear how closely it is interwoven with a huge network of private security companies. From all appearances, the beneficiary of all this schemes happens to be a certain Melikov Vladimir Dadashievich. According to the electronic base “Kontur Fokus”, this citizen owns 13 private security companies scattered around the whole territory of the Russian Federation: in Moscow and Novomoskovsk, in Yekaterinburg and Tyumen, in Krasnodar and Sankt-Petersburg, in Chelyabinsk and Stavropol, in Novosibirsk and in other cities. Their whole earnings in 2021 amounted to 495 million rubles!
Financial reports of the private security companies belonging to Vladimir Melikov
It’s worth reminding that, until 2012, these security firms belonged to Gennady Gudkov and his wife. But one day, policemen, while carrying out a planned inspection of the private security company “Pantan”, the largest affiliate of “Oskord”, found breaches in outfit of gun rooms. First, weapons and ammunition that were kept there were ceased, then the company “Pantan” was deprived of its license. It seems that other structural divisions of “Oskord” in 20 Russian regions were faced with problems.
In two months after the begin of the inspections, 90% of the clients turned their backs on “Oskord”. The first sign was the Russian “subsidiary” of the big Austrian bank Raiffeisenbank, then followed producers of construction materials – the German company Knauf. Economic uncertainty was the reason for other big companies to break contracts with the private security companies “Oskord”, including Adidas, Metro, IKEA, Proctor & Gamble, DHL, Air France, General Motors.
In the regions, the situation was not better – under guard of Gudkov’s companies remained only several small firms. The aggregate value of “Oskord” started to fall dramatically. Gennady Gudkov tried to sell “Oskord” to his main rival on the security market – to the group of companies “Ares”, belonging to Alexander Khristenko. The deputy spoke of his deal almost as of a fait accompli and even announced the price – “according to the nominal of the registered fund” (100 thousand rubles). But just in several days, the owner of “Ares” disavowed the deal with Gennady Gudkov, and after that this theme has never been discussed between them. It was not possible to avoid the reduction of personnel, and 90% of “Oskord” employees quitted the job.
In September 2012, Gennady Gudkov was deprived of his deputy mandate, and approximately at that time, he made a decision to donate the company “Oskord” to Vladimir Melikov, the director responsible of security activity, who had been working in the company from the day of its creation. In other words, Gudkov, according to experts in this field, instead of himself, put in the head’s chair a so-called “nominal person” – obedient executor of intentions of the shadow owner.
“Vladimir didn’t come out of nowhere. He is a fellow townsman of Gudkov, and he had worked for a long period of time together with him on private security companies. He demonstrated inhuman loyalty, and was appointed a “nominal”, told the expert at that time. “As of today, 13 main companies are reckoned to be under his control, and one of the founders of them, once again, is Gudkov’s mother. But this is only a foundation of a large network. Behind each of this parent firm, there is, at least, a dozen of secondary firms, which are registered not on Melikov, but on companies that he managers. And these are, at a most conservative estimate, 123 legal persons. That said, these legal persons have their own affiliates. It means that, in effect, there are a lot more of firms”.
During the past 10 years, Gudkov’s security business has rebounded from this blow. As of 2022, the part of Gudkov’s business empire that is formally in possession of the “nominals”, include two groups of security structures under the names of “Gard-R” and “Oskord”. The geography of their dispersal one can imagine on the bases of, at least, colorful presentations placed on websites of these companies.
Geography of the private security company “Gard-R”
Geography of the private security company “Oskord”
By chance or not by chance, the main part of these private paramilitary formations, on separatists’ maps are located in “reference points” of dismembers of Russia. Moscow, Sankt-Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Krasnodar, Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don, Samara – for all these towns, according to strategists of Western secret services, there is in store a bloody destiny of insurgents-separatists. In these towns, color revolutions of regional scale are to be repeated which will be carried out in accordance with “Maidan technologies”, when “black snipers” on high risers will open indiscriminate fire both against law enforcement officers and civil demonstrators. But this time, “black snipers” will be within easy reach, within walking distance. It will be no need to fetch them from the Baltics of Georgia, as it was the case in 2014 in Kiev.
We will not guess whether there was in Gudkov’s plans such use of the subordinate private security companies. We rely on the current agenda: this “ex” is now on the side of the mortal enemy, he is engaged in creation of armed underground in Russia and even has become part, in theatrical manner, of the shadow government of post-Russia.
Ilya Ponomaryov, Andrey Klychkov (currently governor of the Oryol Region), Gennady Gudkov
Today, Gennady Gudkov has even other state symbols – on his coat lapel he has now a white-blue-white little flag – the banner of the so-called “Legion “Freedom for Russia” which is formed from Russian deserters and fights now on the side of Ukraine. And the “shadow government” which he is a member of, is intended in the next year 2023, to occupy the Kremlin in Moscow, as well as other ancient fortresses of Russia’s towns. Curiously enough and even a little bit mysterious seems the fact that, in the same year 2023, expires the lease of the trademark “Oskord” provided to Gudkov’s private security company “Oskord” in 2004 by the Russia Agency on Patents and Trademarks.
Trademark of the company “Oskord”
Perhaps, Gennady Gudkov dreams that Russia will be the first to disappear from the cooperative website of the private security company “Oskord”, and then, he will re-issue the trademark with his own hand. But the “American dream”, as history demonstrates, never realizes in the “Russian world”, that is why, in 2023, Gudkov’s business-empire itself will disappear from the face of the Earth.
And one more thing. In the poorly set up rows of collaborationists, an obvious injustice has been emerging. Ilya Ponomaryov, in October of this year, was, at last, rewarded by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation with the title of foreign agent, but, for some reason, they forgot to hand the same tag on his buddy, Gennady Gudkov. It’s unjust. In fact, they were going together to overthrow power in Russia and to kill Russian people.
However, for the businessman Gudkov there is a much more spectacular earmark. We suppose that the Federal Financial Monitoring Service of Russia (Rosfinmonitoring) should include Gennady Gudkov in its own list of organizations and physical persons with regard to whom there are reports about their involvement in extremist activity or terrorism. This will allow the Interagency Commission on Combating Terrorism Financing to freeze monetary means and other assets of the extremist Gennady Gudkov.
*Ilya Ponomaryov, on 21.10 2022 was acknowledged by the Ministry of Justice of the Russia Federation as a physical person fulfilling functions of a foreign agent
