Khodorkovsky spends millions on “shadow” support for the opposition and Navalny. Khodorkovsky financed Navalny's election campaigns

Estonian NPO Free Access HR was used to funnel money Mikhail Khodorkovsky, allocated to finance the team’s political activities Alexei Navalny. As the journalist wrote in his blog Oleg Lurie, no taxes were paid on income from financial manipulation.

Lurie describes in detail the facts he discovered. “As all progressive handshake media and bloggers happily reported, the fugitive oligarch Khodorkovsky, wanted for contract killings, announced his full support for the twice-paroled Navalny, who, according to the law, has no right to participate in elections, in the 2018 Russian presidential elections. Sounds like it! But it turned out that Navalny’s support for Khodorkovsky, including financial, is no longer news at all and is even quite documented. That is, Mikhail Borisovich, as it turned out, poured money into citizen Navalny for a long time and in fairly decent quantities. Of course, in dollars. Or rather, in tens of thousands of dollars. So, in addition to the already well-known “Open Russia” of Khodorkovsky, another “Open Russia” was found in the British register, established quite recently - in November 2015. As follows from the entry in the British register, “Open Russia”, instead of the Open Russia promoted and branded in the West, is called OR (OTKRYTAYA ROSSIA). And this is not a mistake, since such an organization has been assigned a separate registration number - 9,888,704. Which de jure means a separate enterprise that has no visible connections either with trademarks or with “that same” Open Russia,” the journalist writes.

Lurie asks the question: why did Khodorkovsky need OTKRYTAYA RUSSIA? “The answer, in general, is obvious. Firstly, a different spelling, even replacing a couple of letters in a word, makes it difficult for those who are interested in its dubious financial activities to find the desired organization. Secondly, dubious payments or payments that need to be hidden can be smuggled through an office with a distorted name, and this can be done without damaging the main brand. In addition, one can always say that Mikhail Borisovich “sees all this for the first time.” Khodorkovsky played this trick even when he was evading taxes at NK YUKOS, and there is nothing new in this. The official creator and director of OTKRYTAYA ROSSIA is Natalia Shachkova, according to some sources, former assistant to Khodorkovsky’s lawyer Anton Drel. And this same Shachkova created a whole series of structures designed to legalize Mikhail Borisovich’s money, used to finance the “revolution” in Russia, among which is the Free Access One Institute, identified in the Czech Republic (registry number - 3,939,332). The goals of the institute are to spread democracy, freedom... and funnel money through gray schemes. A veteran of all democratic waves was forced to admit to receiving funds from Khodorkovsky’s Free Acess one “for consultations” Mikhail Shneider. Running for the PARNAS party in the State Duma of the Russian Federation, the candidate declared income in 2015 from Free Access one, z. u (Czech Republic),” notes the blogger.

According to Oleg Lurie, Khodorkovsky's confidant Natalya Shachkova and a German citizen Frank Gerhard Rieder, who was part of the leadership of the Free Access one institute, created another NGO in Estonia, MTÜ Free Access HR (registration number 80 376 665). This “non-profit organization” is also another Khodorkovsky office for financing the non-systemic opposition. “So it was through MTÜ Free Access HR that an “activist” of “Open Russia” received a lot of money for certain “services.” Maria Baronova, who, while running for the State Duma in 2016, forgot to declare them. But the most interesting thing happened in 2015, when Alexei Navalny’s entire team was preparing for elections, both regional and federal - money was collected from “hamsters”, sponsors were brought in, information space was bought, paid scandals settled, and so on. In short, Navalny really needed the money. Alexei Navalny has a right hand and a faithful squire, he is also the head of his election headquarters, Leonid Volkov, who even at the last Open Russia forum in Tallinn replaced the suspended sentenced Navalny, speaking on his behalf. And it was Leonid Volkov, in the summer of 2015, who quietly entered into an agreement with the above-mentioned Estonian office of Khodorkovsky, MTÜ Free Access HR, to... conduct research on the “Structure of Modern Russian Society.” Or rather, two of these, excuse me, studies costing thirty thousand US dollars each. Total $60,000. Not bad, right? And Volkov quickly writes such “research” in a couple of months. True, no one saw the “research” itself, but there is an act of acceptance and transfer of work. And there are also bills to pay,” writes Oleg Lurie.

In his opinion, no one wrote any “research”, and these 60 thousand dollars from Khodorkovsky were safely delivered to Alexei Navalny. “And, as you know, this is only a small part of the money that the fugitive oligarch Khodorkovsky pumps through his laundries for Navalny. And now it looks like the number of zeros will increase significantly, as Khodorkovsky has officially called for support for Navalny in next year's presidential elections. And the fact that Navalny does not have the right to run for office, as he is serving a suspended sentence, is of no concern to Mikhail Borisovich, nor is the illegality of the financing. And another important question. Navalny’s chief of staff, Leonid Volkov, just when he received 60 thousand dollars from Khodorkovsky’s “garbage dump” in Estonia, ran for the Legislative Assembly of the Novosibirsk Region and headed the headquarters of the PARNAS party in the elections to the Kostroma Regional Duma. But nowhere, of course, did this comrade mention the money he received from Khodorkovsky and, of course, did not pay any taxes. How did it happen? It is also clear that these actions of Navalny’s team in receiving money from Khodorkovsky are, in fact, financing political activities from abroad, bypassing the established procedure for registering as a foreign agent. Aw! Anti-Corruption Foundation! Isn’t it time to start an investigation?” Lurie urged.

Let us add that last weekend a conference of Khodorkovsky’s organization “Open Russia” took place in Tallinn. Its participants held elections, during which he was elected the new chairman of Open Russia Alexander Soloviev, who replaced Mikhail Khodorkovsky himself in this post. Previously, Alexander Solovyov was the coordinator of the Open Law project. Before joining Open Russia, he was an assistant to a deputy of the State Duma of the sixth convocation Dmitry Gudkov. In addition to the chairman, the Movement Council was also elected, which included 11 people, including Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr. and Maria Baronova. In addition, the conference participants also agreed on the format and general principles of the “Fed up” campaign dedicated to Vladimir Putin, and also voted for Khodorkovsky’s proposed support for Alexei Navalny in the presidential elections and Dmitry Gudkov in the elections for the mayor of Moscow.

On Saturday, the founder and chairman of Open Russia, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, announced his resignation from this post, which he held for six months. However, he said that he is not leaving the organization's affairs.

More facts about the financing of Navalny and his activities by Khodorkovsky’s structures have come to light. Earlier, journalist Oleg Lurie wrote on his blog that Khodorkovsky paid Navalny’s associates about 60 thousand dollars. Now Life has found out that there are at least another 40 million rubles, which were also received by the oppositionist from the ex-oligarch for the “irreconcilable struggle.”

In particular, the investigation involves the Czech company Free Access One, z.ú, which allocated more than 16 million crowns in 2015 to a number of Russian opposition projects that are in one way or another connected with the name of Alexei Navalny and his political activities. The Czech company itself is controlled by the Davos Trust Company Limited, whose legal address is in the British Virgin Islands.

And the general director of this trust is a certain Mark Hudson Kelvin, who also heads the financial structures controlled by Khodorkovsky: Corbiere Private Office Limited and MBK IP UK Limited.

The direct scope of activity of Free Access One, z.ú is also interesting. This company conducts seminars, master classes and supports mass actions aimed at the development and protection of “civil rights in the Russian Federation”, and, of course, the development of democracy.

Interestingly, the company’s 2015 report also includes active cooperation with elements of financial support for the Institute of Modern Russia, which is headed by Pavel Khodorkovsky. And, not surprisingly, kind Czech sponsors also support Open Elections, the electoral project of Open Russia. The good Czechs helped some candidates from PARAS, and, as mentioned above, Navalny, and various “native” structures of Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

Actually, the investigation reveals a number of facts and details and can be found at the link given above. However, in this case the political context is very interesting.

Over the past few months, there have been muffled, but nevertheless audible, conversations in the opposition community about the growing confrontation between Khodorkovsky and Navalny. They are based on the thirst for power and popularity of both persons involved in this process. Both Navalny and Khodorkovsky want to be the one and only face of the Russian opposition, speaking on behalf and according to the truth given to them by the entire Russian liberal public.

Neither one nor the other, however, succeeds, but, it must be admitted, both are popular among the opposition. And then it turns out that Khodorkovsky and his structures, through a variety of channels, through offshore companies and “umbrella funds”, finance Navalny’s projects.

There is a version that Mikhail Borisovich is simply trying to buy Navalny and his entire entourage out of habit. Well, that is, “to shower other people’s political ambitions with money.” The bet, in theory, is logical. Navalny loves money very much. This follows from all his vigorous “economic activity”, and crowdfunding campaigns for elections speak of the same thing. But, as they say, there is a nuance. Firstly, 40 million rubles is somehow completely frivolous for Navalny and his friends. And certainly, large sums are expected from Khodorkovsky. Who will believe that the former “oil king of Russia” is a redneck? Navalny won’t believe it either.

Secondly, Navalny is a person who, of course, will take money, but then may simply not fulfill his unspoken obligations regarding this money. He has already stated that he did not come into politics to negotiate. The same situation may occur here. It’s just that Khodorkovsky, apparently, does not fully understand this, just as he does not understand his changed status. He is far from Russia, he does not decide anything here and can only pay and beg. And believe that he will not be “thrown in.” But such faith in a liberal, non-systemic environment is the height of naivety. Here, almost all the leaders of non-systemic protest are “wonderful people with a crystal reputation.” And in general, I don’t feel sorry for anyone in this story. Neither Navalny, who again has our “gray money,” nor Khodorkovsky, who poured in this money in the hope of the best. In the debate between the toad and the viper, neither side has supporters.

Media and bloggers, yesterday fugitive oligarch Khodorkovsky, wanted for contract killings, announced his full support for the twice-paroled Navalny, who, according to the law, does not have the right to participate in elections, in the 2018 Russian presidential elections. Sounds like it! But it turned out that Navalny’s support for Khodorkovsky, including financial, is no longer news at all and is even quite documented. That is, Mikhail Borisovich, as it turned out, poured money into citizen Navalny for a long time and in fairly decent quantities. Of course, in dollars. Or rather, in tens of thousands of dollars.

So, in addition to the already well-known “Open Russia” of Khodorkovsky, there is another “Open Russia” in the British register, established quite recently - in November 2015. As follows from the entry in the British register, “Open Russia”, instead of the Open Russia promoted and branded in the West, is called OR (OTKRYTAYA ROSSIA). And this is not a mistake, since such an organization has been assigned a separate registration number - 09888704. Which de jure means a separate enterprise that has no visible connections either with trademarks or with “that same “Open Russia”.

Why did Khodorkovsky need OTKRYTAYA RUSSIA? The answer, in general, is obvious. Firstly, a different spelling, even replacing a couple of letters in a word, makes it difficult for those who are interested in its dubious financial activities to find the desired organization. Secondly, dubious payments or payments that need to be hidden can be smuggled through an office with a distorted name, and this can be done without damaging the main brand. In addition, one can always say that Mikhail Borisovich “sees all this for the first time.” Khodorkovsky played this trick even when he was evading taxes at the Yukos Oil Company, and there is nothing new in this.

The official founder and director of OTKRYTAYA ROSSIA is Natalya Shachkova, a former assistant to Khodorkovsky’s lawyer Anton Drel. And this same Shachkova created a whole series of structures designed to legalize Mikhail Borisovich’s money, used to finance the “revolution” in Russia, among which is the “Free Access One” institute, identified in the Czech Republic (its registry number is 03939332).

The goals of the institute are to spread democracy, freedom... and funnel money through gray schemes. Mikhail Shneider, a veteran of all democratic waves, received funds from Khodorkovsky’s “Free Access One” structure “for consultations.” Running from the Parnassus party for the State Duma of the Russian Federation, the candidate declared income in 2015 from Free Acess one, z.u (Czech Republic).

And now about Navalny. So, Khodorkovsky’s confidant Natalya Shachkova, known to us, and German citizen Frank Gerhard Rieder, who was also part of the management of Mikhail Borisovich’s already well-known Czech laundering shop “Free Acess one,” are creating another NGO “MTÜ Free Access HR” in Estonia (registration number 80376665). This “non-profit organization” is also another Khodorkovsky office for financing the opposition.

Thus, “MTÜ Free Access HR” received a lot of money for certain “services” from “Open Russia activist” Maria Baronova, who, when running for the State Duma in 2016, forgot to declare it.

But the most interesting thing happened in 2015, when Alexei Navalny’s entire team was preparing for elections, both regional and federal - they collected money from hamsters, attracted sponsors, bought information space, paid scandals settled, and so on. In short, Navalny really needed the money.

Alexei Navalny has his right hand and faithful squire, who is also the head of his election headquarters, Leonid Volkov, who even at the last Open Russia forum in Tallinn replaced the suspended sentenced Navalny, speaking on his behalf. And it was Leonid Volkov who, in the summer of 2015, quietly entered into an agreement with the above-mentioned Estonian office of Khodorkovsky “MTÜ Free Access HR” to... conduct research on “The Structure of Modern Russian Society.” Or rather, two of these, excuse me, studies costing thirty thousand US dollars each. Total $60,000. Not bad, right?
Here is an interesting document provided by goldpegas :

And Volkov quickly writes such “research” in a couple of months. True, no one saw the “research” itself, but there is an act of acceptance and transfer of work. And there are also bills to pay. Here they are ():

It is clear that no one wrote any “research”, and these 60 thousand dollars from Khodorkovsky were safely delivered to Alexei Navalny. And, as you know, this is only a small part of the money that the fugitive oligarch Khodorkovsky pumps through his “laundries” for Navalny. And now it looks like the number of zeros will increase significantly, as Khodorkovsky has officially called for support for Navalny in next year's presidential elections. And the fact that Navalny does not have the right to run for office, as he is serving a suspended sentence, is of no concern to Mikhail Borisovich, nor is the illegality of the financing.

And another important question. Navalny’s chief of staff, Leonid Volkov, just when he received 60 thousand dollars from Khodorkovsky’s “garbage dump” in Estonia, ran for the Legislative Assembly of the Novosibirsk Region and headed the headquarters of the PARNAS party in the elections to the Kostroma Regional Duma. But nowhere, of course, did this comrade mention the money he received from Khodorkovsky and, of course, did not pay any taxes. How did it happen?

It is also clear that these actions of Navalny’s team in receiving money from Khodorkovsky are, in fact, financing political activities from abroad, bypassing the established procedure for registering as a foreign agent. Aw! Anti-Corruption Foundation! Isn't it time to start an investigation?

The former head of YUKOS, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who the day before called on his supporters to support the candidacy of Alexei Navalny in the presidential elections, actively financed the election campaigns of the head of the Anti-Corruption Fund. Journalist Oleg Lurie published documents confirming the cooperation between Khodorkovsky and Navalny on his blog.

According to the publicist, the Estonian NGO MTU Free Access HR, associated with Khodorkovsky, transferred at least 60 thousand dollars to the accounts of the head of Navalny’s election headquarters, Leonid Volkov.

Investigations into Khodorkovsky’s intricate financial systems in the information field, and in most of them, the oligarch’s “right hand” in conducting dubious business, Natalya Shachkova, was noticed. It was she who acted as the organizer of the oligarch’s companies in Estonia (MTU Free Access HR) and the Czech Republic (Free Access one, z. u). Later, her name surfaced in London - as the director of another “laundry”, OTKRYTAYA RUSSIA.

Studying MTU Free Access HR documents for 2015, Lurie discovered an agreement between Khodorkovsky’s company and Volkov:

In the summer of 2015, Leonid Volkov quietly entered into an agreement with the above-mentioned Estonian office of Khodorkovsky, MTU Free Access HR, to... conduct research on the “Structure of Modern Russian Society.” Or rather, two of these, excuse me, studies costing thirty thousand US dollars each. Total $60,000. Not bad, right? writes a publicist.

During this period, Navalny’s noisy election campaign took place, for which donations were actively collected on the Internet. “In short, Navalny really needed the money,” writes Lurie, emphasizing that no research into the “Structure of Modern Russian Society” was ever conducted. However, this did not prevent the execution of a work acceptance certificate and an invoice for payment for research:

“It is clear that no one wrote any ‘research’, and these 60 thousand dollars from Khodorkovsky were safely delivered to Alexei Navalny,” Lurie concludes. According to the publicist, Volkov’s discovered financial transactions with the MTU Free Access HR company are just the tip of the iceberg: how much money Navalny actually received through Khodorkovsky’s “laundries” is not yet known.

Now it looks like the number of zeros will increase significantly, as Khodorkovsky has officially called for support for Navalny in next year's presidential elections. And the fact that Navalny does not have the right to run for office, as he is serving a suspended sentence, is of no concern to Mikhail Borisovich, nor is the illegality of financing, the publicist reminds.

It is possible that the receipt of Khodorkovsky’s money by Navalny’s team could be regarded by law enforcement agencies as financing political activities from abroad, bypassing the established procedure for registering as a foreign agent.

The Russian non-systemic opposition is in a storm - problems within the camp are multiplying, but there are no solutions for them. One of the most striking examples of how not everything is going smoothly in the camp of the so-called liberals is the relationship between the self-proclaimed opposition leader Alexei Navalny and the unofficial sponsor of the protest movement, Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

In 2015, Free Access One, a company based in the Czech Republic and closely affiliated with the ex-oligarch and his Open Russia, spent about 16.4 million Czech crowns (40 million rubles at the current exchange rate) to support opposition movements in the Russian Federation, including including Navalny's activities. The report for that year stated that Khodorkovsky and the blogger were conducting a joint human rights project. There is no information about Navalny in the company’s reporting for 2016. Although the company continues to finance other structures in Russia. In total, last year it allocated 12.3 million crowns (33.5 million rubles). It’s just that, apparently, Navalny no longer has anything to do with Khodorkovsky’s financial flows. Now the main activities of the ex-oligarch are helping activists and NGOs, journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders, as well as representatives of the academic community, Life says.

Journalist Ilya Ukhov notes that after the legislation on the financing of political activities was tightened in Russia, Khodorkovsky switched his attention to long-term projects, in particular, to the formation of a layer of politicians under his control at the municipal and regional levels.

Navalny could not possibly like this situation: financial flows have decreased, and local power has already been taken away in advance.

In an interview with video blogger Yuri Dudya, Khodorkovsky called on supporters to prepare for difficult times if Navalny somehow does become president. “We will return to a system of monopoly power that is unpleasant for everyone. This is when there is one center of legitimacy in a country. Everyone else depends on him,” said the ex-oligarch.

Khodorkovsky also shared his disappointment on his Facebook page over the infighting between Navalny and Ksenia Sobchak. The conflict between them arose due to rumors about the TV presenter’s possible participation in the presidential elections in 2018.

Navalny himself has also demonstrated more than once that all is not well between him and Open Russia. Last year, he refused to support the organization’s coordinator Maria Baronova in the State Duma elections, and this year he was extremely sensitive to the victory of many nominees who had been trained in Open Russia projects.