Announcing on Monday “the next information box stuffing” against President Vladimir Putin, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov was read some questions from some Western news agencies, which, in his opinion, testify to the content of the upcoming attack. Among other things, he said, reporters asked about the famous cellist Sergei Roldugin, the godfather of the President’s daughter and friend of his youth.
An old friend
Roldughin and Putin are almost the same age (65 and 64 years respectively), but grew up in different cities. Putin spent his childhood in Leningrad. Roldugin was born on Sakhalin, and music school in Riga, in Leningrad, he studied at the Conservatoire, which he finished at the same time, when Putin graduated from Leningrad University in 1975.
With Putin musician introduced his older brother Eugene, said in 2014 in an interview with the newspaper “Evening Kazan” the Roldugin. According to him, he went together with the future President in the red banner Institute of the KGB (Putin graduated in 1985). When it happened this acquaintance, he did not elaborate.
“My brother gave me the phone number of the man, when I went to Leningrad to serve in the army, described Roldugin meeting with Putin. — I called him when I escaped AWOL. Climbed the fence. Called and Volodya arrived. On “Zaporozhets” without silencer! We rode all night”.
At the moment of meeting with Putin Roldugin was a little over thirty. Photo cellist in 1991
Photo: Pavel Markin/TASS
“We with Vovka after work to the Philharmonic sometimes went — such memories Roldugin are contained in the book about Putin’s “first person” (2000). — He asked me how to listen to symphonic music.” Also, according to him, they with Putin played football: “I played better in football. But he lost, because he was tenacious as a bulldog”. In General the book is called both a friend and another well-known friend of the President — St. Petersburg wrestler and now a state Duma Deputy from United Russia Vasily Shestakov — all three of them went to sports camp on the eve of Putin’s departure for service in the GDR.
Shestakov said that he didn’t remember the circumstances of the experience Raldugina and Putin, but it was “somewhere in the eighties” in General company. Roldugin he described as a “decent man”.
As a friend of Putin, Roldugin became the godfather of his eldest daughter Mary, wrote in 2014, The New York Times.
“I know they (Putin and Roldugin. — ) really friends, told Mariinsky theatre soloist Ildar Abdrazakov. — Sergey very positive person with a great sense of humor.”
Brother Roldugin since then also is not lost.
Evgeny Roldugin, a namesake brother, Sergei, is listed on the official website of “Gazprom” as the Director of the representative office in Riga. In 2010 edition of “the Marker” claimed that he is the brother of cellist. Phones office in Riga have not responded. In “Gazprom” did not comment on ties of kinship with your Manager.
Musician and philanthropist
When the reporter called Sergey Roldugina on the mobile phone, the phone was picked up by a woman who said that he’s busy rehearsing and talking can’t. Roldugin is a well — known musician, conductor and music Manager.
All the while Putin has built a political career, Roldugin was engaged in music. In 1980 he received a bronze medal at the International cello competition “Prague spring”. From 1984 to 2003, according to the biography on the website of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, was the first soloist-concertmaster of the cello section in the Mariinsky theatre orchestra.
In 2002 Roldugin became the Pro-rector on scientific work of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and in 2003 became rector, succeeding head of it for a quarter of a century of Vladislav Chernushenko. The newspaper “Vedomosti” wrote that Roldugin may even become the next Minister of culture, however, in April 2004, this post has received the rector of the Moscow Conservatory Alexander Sokolov. In November 2004 Roldugin left the Conservatory. In a farewell address before a Committee he said he is no longer able to combine creative and administrative tasks. The head of the Federal Agency for culture Mikhail Shvydkoi then explained his leaving to the fact that Roldugin wants to do only music, and the post of the rector take him a long time.
However, administrative work has only increased. In 2005, an old friend came to the President with the idea of building St. Petersburg House of music, and, according to the Roldugin, the President liked the idea. In the same year, the Ministry of culture gave House music the building of the Palace of Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich on the Moika embankment. The Palace was restored for the funds of the charity Fund “Constantine” and from the city budget, totally invested 800 million rubles In 2008 Putin visited the opening of a renovated House of music.
Repair in the building of the Palace of Grand Duke Alexey Alexandrovich, who became the House music Roldugin, in 2009, like Putin (in the centre) which have approved this project
Photo: Dmitry Astakhov/TASS
Besides all the above Roldugin and Chairman of the Board and founder of the Foundation “Talent and success”. This Fund together with the Ministry of culture and the Ministry of sports is the founder of the charity Fund “Sirius”. “In Sochi-based Olympic buildings created an educational centre for talented children of Russia. There are selected children from 11 to 15 years who have shown talent in sports, science, music and ballet. Children arrive in Sochi, and they invite the best Russian professors, teachers and trainers on their profile,” described work “Sirius” Roldugin in an interview with portal Belcanto.ru This project came up with Putin, stressed the musician in the interview.
Sergey loves philanthropic activities and is always speaking about support of talented youth, remembers his friend ray from our catalogue. “Once we even came up with such a club would be engaged in Sambo and classical music, but for some reason this idea was never implemented,” he says.
However, for the administrative work of the famous cellist still did not forget the music — at least when she helped friendship. Speaking to the New York Times in 2014, roldughin recalled how the year before he, at the request of Putin came together with three young performers (violin, piano and clarinet) at the presidential residence in Novo-Ogaryovo to give private chamber concert. Played Mozart, Weber and Tchaikovsky, remembered Roldugin. Putin was so impressed that the next night he asked the musicians to play again — exactly the same for several senior students. “It was a very well-known people… almost everything under the sanctions”, — the musician has described the public, without naming names.
Partner friends of the President
Roldugin — not only the head of state, the business he is associated with many other St. Petersburg friends of the President (Roldugin on participation in the capital of the Bank “Russia” together with Gennady Timchenko, Yuri Kovalchuk and others, see below).
In 1990-ies Sergey Roldugin together with Vladimir Putin’s classmate Nikolay Egorov was listed as one of the founders of the company “Perenterol”. About this in his study, wrote the political scientist Vladimir Pribylovsky. Roldugina owned 50% of the company, Egorov directly owned 10%, and another 17% were controlled through “St. Petersburg Intertrade”. 10% “Petrominerales” was Vladimir Yakovlev and Nikolay Grapeskin. According to the register, “Perenterol” really registered in August 1993, and in 2006 she was eliminated. What did the company, in the extract from the register is not specified, the data about who was among the founders of the company, in the extract also no.
The representative of Egorova at the time of publication of the material had not responded to the request .
St. Petersburg lawyer Nikolai Yegorov is famous, that gave impetus to the political career of Putin, and recommended him to the then mayor of St Petersburg Anatoly Sobchak to work in the Committee on foreign relations. This fact wrote supervisor Egorov Yury Tolstoy in his essay for the 60th anniversary of lawyer (published in the journal “Jurisprudence”, 2007). In the presidential election in 2000 Egorov was a confidant of Putin. In the early 1990s Egorov together with partners founded the law firm “Egorov, Puginsky, Afanasiev and partners”, which among other things represented the interests of the Russian side in the case of the murder in Qatar of Chechen separatist Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, presumably by agents of the GRU.
Roldugin was told that arranged chamber concerts for “a narrow circle of friends” of the President. The photo with Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin in 2010
Photo: PhotoXPress
Shareholder “personal Bank for a narrow circle of confidants”
Roldugin owns a 3.2% stake in the Bank “Russia”, according to data published on the website of the Bank. Company to make him a Yuri Kovalchuk, Gennady Timchenko, Nikolai Shamalov, Alexey Mordashov and others. The Bank came under US sanctions in 2014, the Obama administration calls it a “personal Bank for a narrow circle of” close to Putin people.
The Roldugin says (quoted by The New York Times) that he has no millions, and all his paper state that The New York Times estimated in 2014 at $350 million, was formed due to the fact that many years ago he bought a stake “in a small Bank run by men close to his old friend Vladimir Putin”.
Now the capital of the Bank “Russia” — RUR 57.4 billion Managing partner of the National Agency for financial studies Samiev Paul, who earlier as Director of the Agency “Expert RA” has assigned ratings to “Russia”, proposes to assess the Bank by a multiplier of 0.3 to capital (with multiplier trading Bank “St.-Petersburg”, which is comparable to “Russia” on financial performance). In this case, the proportion Roldugin can be estimated at 550 million rubles excluding discounts for the publicity of the Bank and its occurrence in the sanctions list.
The Bank pays a dividend. In 2014 he paid 220 rubles per share, or 559 million rubles, the share Roldugin had 18 million rubles.
The interlocutor familiar with a management “Russia”, argues that Roldugin never participated in the management of the Bank.
Regional media Mogul
Roldugina together with partner non-Profit partnership “Supporting children’s sports” Vladislav Kopylov since November 2005 in equal shares belonged to the company “Surf”, and from November 2009 to November 2012, the partners were co-founders of the company “Wave” (by data SPARK, the phone companies are the same). In October 2015, “Surf” was abolished, and “Wave” since 2012, controlled by the son of the former head of the Baltic media group (BMG) Oleg Rudnova Sergey.
What did “the Wave” and “Surf”? In the 2000s, the company played an important role in the media life of St. Petersburg, since they Roldugin and Kopylov presumably controlled by BMG. In 2003 the unit was organized and headed a St. Petersburg journalist and media Manager Oleg Rudnev. It included the “Radio Baltica”, TV channel “100 TV” (now “Life 78”), newspaper “Nevskoe Vremya”, “Shift”, “Evening Petersburg” the Baltic news Agency.
On a post of the rector of the St. Petersburg Conservatory Roldugin in 2003 was awarded the diploma of honorary Professor member of the group “Beatles” Paul McCartney (pictured right)
Photo: PhotoXPress
In 2004 “Surf” got 100% of shares of Baltika Breweries, the telephone coincides with data of the eponymous radio station that is a member of BMG. “Surf” controlled “Baltic” until 2007, after which through a chain of owners of 100% of the company got “the Wave”. In July 2015, “Baltic” was in the end owned by the company “SPB news” (75% owned by the son of Sergei Oleg Rudnova, and 25% — Aram Moreover).
The Gabrelyanov has long worked with National media group (NMG), founded in 2008 by Yuri Kovalchuk and his partners “Severstal” and “Surgutneftegaz”. LMWH does not disclose share holders, however, before the introduction of sanctions of the U.S. Treasury Kovalchuk was considered the controlling shareholder of the holding company.
The Gabrelyanov, describing his entry into the business of Baltika, said it has acquired 25% of the entire Baltic media group Sergey Rudnova. About business relationships with Runovich Raldugina and Kopylov of Gabrelyanov does not know the amount of your transaction.
The employee of “Waves” suggested contacting the legal Department, after which the company stopped responding to calls.
Football functionary
Perhaps Roldugin has been linked to the other important side of life of the Northern capital — sports.
Although the company is “Surf” Roldugin and Kopylova eliminated in October 2015, she is still listed as the founder of the nonprofit organization “Fund of development and support of mass media” (new founders of the Foundation in databases is not yet reflected). The phone of this Fund coincides with the phone “Wave” and “Surf”, and radio “Baltika”.
According to SPARK, this Fund belongs to 10.8% in the football club “Zenit”. Controlling stake in the club — Gazprombank (over 51%). The other two major packages owner — “Gazprom Transgaz” and “SIBUR holding”. According to the financial statements, in 2014, Zenit reported revenues of 6.1 bn and a net loss of 5.2 billion rubles.
The representative “Zenith” Jeanne Dembo said that the Fund is now a shareholder of the club. “The Fund of development and support of media historically is a shareholder of the club “Zenit” before the appearance of the co-owners of Gazprombank. This Fund was created by Oleg Rudnova,” said she.
