«State Council» of occupied Crimea has illegally expropriated assets of 112 Ukrainian companies and citizens for their «cooperation» with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Center of Journalist Investigations studied the list of expropriated assets and found out a lot of interesting facts. Information about «double» or hidden life of some Ukrainian politicians and businessmen was disclosed.
Expropriation of the property of famous Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar singer Jamala (Susanna Jamaladinova) and her parents Galina Tumasova and Alim Jamaladinov is the most known case of Russian «nationalization». Russian occupants would like to expropriate their house and mini-hotel in Kuchuk-Uzen village on the sea shore (since 1945 it has been called Malorichenske) near Alushta and land plots and house in neighboring village of Kuru-Uzen (since 1945 it has been called Sonyachnogirske).
Parents of Jamala did not register their assets in Russian jurisdiction. Russian authorities banned for Jamala entrance to the Russian Federation and occupied Crimea for fifty years. Last year the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs declared Jamala wanted.
Hotel «Bristol» in the center of Yalta has been also «nationalized». Russian occupants appointed temporary administration of the hotel one month and a half before official announcement of its «nationalization».
LLC «Otel «Bristol» has been registered in Russian jurisdiction in December 2014. Its statutory capital exceeds 113 million Russian Rubles. Russian company is the «clone» of Ukrainian legal entity «Hotel «Bristol». It has the same co-owners: Kyiv residents Gerasymchuk Volodymyr Ivanovych and Kyrychek Svitlana Andriivna and Crimean resident Kurashyn Vyacheslav Oleksandrovych. Kurashyn has been the director of hotel. He received Russian passport. Gerasymchuk and Kyrychek are indicated as foreign citizens.
Kurashyn is mentioned by the Russian State Register of Legal Entities as the owner and director of Center «Sun Life», situated at Roosevelt street, 12-A in Yalta near «Bristol». The Center leases rooms for tourists.
According to Ukrainian analytical service YouControl, there are historical and new buildings of «Bristol» (new building has a restaurant). The list of Russian occupants indicates them as hotel «Bristol». «Nationalized» assets of Gerasymchuk and Kyrychek are described separately. Ukrainian State Register of Legal Entities indicates that LLC «Hotel «Bristol» has same owners and statutory shares.
Hotel «Bristol», Yalta. Photo: tripadvisor.com
64 years old Volodymyr Gerasymchuk is the Ukrainian scholar. He has PhD in Economics. Since 2004, he has taught in the Crimean State Humanitarian Institute in Yalta.
Volodymyr Gerasymchuk and Svitlana Kyrychek are owners of a number of Ukrainian companies registered in Kyiv. They are both registered in the apartment owned by Gerasymchuk.
Russian occupants expropriated assets of the family of former member of Ukrainian Parliament from political party «Batkivschyna» Lidia Leonidivna Kotelyak.
«The list includes property of Lidia Kotelyak, ardent Nazi, head of organization «Mothers of mobilized people» and sponsor of Ukrainian Armed Forces in Donbas. Her son Igor Kotelyak has been within specialized reserve of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. He participates in military actions against Russia», as wrote Konstantynov, head of Russian occupation «State Council» of Crimea, in his social media.
Lidia Kotelyak, People’s Deputy of Ukraine. Photo: dosye.info
Russian occupants expropriated two land plots in village Prymorsky near Feodosia from Lidia Kotelyak. They also stole guest house in Mysove village of Leninsky raion from her husband Volodymyr and son Igor. The guest house is called «Pryboi». It is located on the sea shore of Azov Sea (its address is Andzhyevsky street, 38A and 38B). Holidays in «Pryboi» are actively advertised by Russian tourist websites.
Guest house «Pryboi» in Mysove village at the shore of Azov Sea. Photo: azur.ru
Igor Kotelyak has been an assistant of his mother when she has been People’s Deputy of Ukraine. In July 2021, he registered as individual entrepreneur (hotel activity) in Mysove under Russian jurisdiction. He suspended his Russian business status only in 2023.
Igor Kotelyak. Photo: volonter-base.ru
Entrepreneur Volodymyr Kotelyak. Photo: social media
Russian occupants stole 4 floor house in Yalta (Dzerzhynsky street, 14) from Volodymyr Kotelyak. The house has been put on sale for over 55 million Russian Rubles one week before the announcement of its Russian «nationalization». The house has been advertized as comfortable for living and leasing to tourists. Advertisement indicates that the house has necessary Russian registration documents.
Building at Dzerzhynsky street, 14, Yalta. Photo: social media
On October 5, 2020, Volodymyr Eduardovych Kotelyak has been registered in the Russian jurisdiction as individual entrepreneur (sphere of hotels). Since 2014, he has been indicated by the Russian State Register of Legal Entities as co-owner of LLC «Imperial-2011» in Yalta. In 2011, guest house with the same name has been built at the address of this company.
Guest house «Imperial-2011» in Yalta. Photo: social media
In 2014, LLC «Imperial-2011» has been registered by the Ukrainian State Register of Legal Entities. Before 2018, Oleksandr Volodymyrovych Negodchenko, ex-rector of Dnipropetrovsk State University of Internal Affairs, Lieutenant General with PhD in Law, has been partner of Volodymyr Kotelyak in Ukrainian and Russian jurisdictions.
Negodchenko died in 2018. His share in the Russian LLC has been inherited by his wife Olga Petrivna Negodchenko. She works as senior professor of the department of intercultural communications and socio-humanitarian studies of Dnipro Humanitarian University.
«Imperial-2011» is advertised by Russian tourist agencies. Guest house is not profitable but it pays taxes to the Russian budget. In 2022, their amount has been over 600 thousand Russian Rubles.
In December 2022, Russian occupants paid assistance to son and husband of Lidia Kotelyak and «Imperial-2011» within their policy to support tourist industry of Crimea (see numbers in document 716, 720 and 1504).
Russian occupants expropriated trade center (almost 3.5 thousand square meters) in Kerch from LLC «Gospodarnyk» of Igor Mykolayovych Balenko, dubious developer and member of Kyiv City Council from political party «European Solidarity». Super-market «Furshet» has been situated at its address Smorzhevska street, 3A before the Russian annexation of Crimea.
Members of Crimean «State Council» expropriated LLC «Zaozerne-complex», large resort complex in Zaozerne village near Yevpatoria (two land plots with total area of 3.5 hectares and all buildings like several buildings for accommodation, café, club, warehouses etc).
In 2020, this company with statutory capital of 112,7 million Rubles has been registered in Saint Petersburg. Then, it changed its legal address to Krasnodar and Zaozerne.
Since November 2023, Kasap Ilker-Dzhengiz has been its only founder. He does not have Russian taxpayer’s number. Reasons of expropriation of his assets are unknown.
Russian occupants «nationalized» three apartments in residential complex «Imperator» in Livadiya village. It has been illegally built by the company controlled by Ukrainian Police General Mykola Astion. In 2013, Olena Zelenska, wife of President Zelensky, bought an apartment in this complex. Russian occupants stole it last year and sold for 44 million Rubles last autumn.
Residential complex «Imperator» in Livadiya village. Photo: social media
Now Russian occupants expropriated apartments of Zelensky’s neighbors. Two apartments were owned by Yuri and Albina Khomutynnik, brother and sister of member of the Ukrainian parliament from pro-Russian Party of Regions Vitalii Khomutynnik, who fled from Ukraine after Russian full scale invasion.
Another stolen apartment was owned by Olena Bukhareva, teacher of foreign literature in Slovyanska gymnasium in Kyiv, wife of ex-member of parliament, General and former First Deputy Head of the State Security Service of Ukraine Vladyslav Viktorovych Bukharev. She bought an apartment in Livadiya in 2011.
Vladyslav Bukharev. Photo: https: apostrophe.ua
Russian occupants expropriated hotel «Alupka» in the center of Alupka and two large shops near this hotel. It was owned by resident of Ukrainian city of Kryvy Rih Lyudmila Yuriivna Tkachova. Temporary administration was introduced in the hotel at the end of April 2024.
Hotel «Alupka». Photo: alupka-otel.ru
Tkachova founded hotel «Alupka» in 2015. According to Russian financial reports, hotel has been unprofitable in 2022. It paid over 300 thousand Rubles of taxes to the Russian budget. It received compensation from the Russian budget (# 1688 in the above mentioned document). It is possible that other people managed this hotel last year.
Lyudmila Tkachova is registered with Igor Anatoliyovych Tkachov at the same address in Kryvy Rih. In July 2022, she founded with him non-profit organization «Dopomoha, zakhyst I poryadok».
The property of the family of ex-deputy head of State Road Service of Ukraine Valerii Borysovych Falush has been also «nationalized». Though, Falush and his relatives actively cooperated with Russian occupants. In 2017-2018, Falush-senior founded LLC «Krym Magistral Stroi». This company won 37 bids for 1 billion 130 million Rubles to construct Crimean roads and Kerch Bridge. In 2021, the Center of Journalist Investigations highlighted business of Falush in occupied Crimea in its material «Roads of corruption: who unites Crimea and Khmelnytsky region?».
Valerii Falush. Photo: slovoidilo.ua
Russian occupants expropriated 200 square meters apartment in the center of Simferopol, owned by Vladyslav Falush, and half of two mini-hotels in Utyos village near Alushta, owned by Yulia Falush. Six floor mini-hotel «Villa Al Marine» with 25 rooms, restaurant and pool is situated at the address disclosed by Russian occupants (Gagarin street, 25/290).
Mini-hotel “Villa Al Marine”. Photo: social media
Russian occupants expropriated assets of LLC «Zolotaia seredina» of Falush, registered in the Russian Register in October 2014. Its founders have been wife of Valerii Falush Natalia Grygorivna, his son Vladyslav and daughter Yulia (with equal shares of statutory capital of 9,3 million Rubles). In 2006, Valerii Falush worked State Road Service of Ukraine and his «Zolota seredina» received 4 hectares for resort complex at the sea shore in Sonyachnogirske village. Since 2019, Russian occupation administration has tried to return the land and indebtedness for the lease (up to 30 million Rubles). Now Russian occupants will get land and everything, built on that land.
Scandalous Russian oligarch Igor Anatoljevich Churkin has been also accused by Russian authorities of «cooperating» with Ukraine. A number of criminal investigations have been conducted against him in Ukraine. Churkin has been former co-owner of Lviv Bus Factory (LAZ), together with his son Igor and brother Oleg. Factory has been completely destroyed.
Seven companies, founded by Igor Churkin, are now registered on the territory of factory. In 2019, the State Security Service of Ukraine banned his entrance into Ukraine for five years. In 2022, the State Bureau of Investigations of Ukraine announced him suspicion in fraud.
On January 30, 2024, his son Igor Churkin has been detained in Argentina. The family of Churkin has been accused of illegal privatization of assets. The amount of losses exceeds 360 million UAH. Ukrainian authorities asked for extradition of Igor Churkin. He applied for political asylum in Argentina.
Igor Churkin junior. Photo: espreso.tv
Russian occupants expropriated 8 floor guest house «Vorontsovo» in Koreiz village (address – Alupkinske shose, 22). It is former guest house «Sudnobudivnyk» of «Black Sea Ship Yard» based in Mykolaiv. Churkin-senior owned shares of the factory. The factory as legal entity has been liquidated in 2021.
Russian State Register of Legal Entities indicates that LLC «Dom otdykha Sudostroitel» has been founded in 2014 by Ukrainian LLC «Turismtekhnobud», registered in 2005 in Kyiv. Maria Igorevna Churkina has been ex-director of «Vorontsovo». «Black Sea Ship Yard» has tried to return its guest house in Ukrainian courts for years.
Resort center «Vorontsovo» Mishor village. Photo: social media
Russian occupants expropriated assets of «Turismtekhnobud» in Yevpatoria (address – Kirova street, 86). It is remnants of guest house «Oktyabr» [October]. Former Soviet guest house stopped its work in 2007. In 2010, it burnt. The owner of guest house is Churkin-senior.
However, Russian occupants did not touch other companies of Churkin in Crimea. These are construction company «Krymekostroi’, «Fragolina» and «Verona-Krym»…
