Misha and Arkasha: how did the Dvorkovichi "croak" in the Russian Federation?

Arkady Dvorkovich, who took an anti-state position, again reminded of himself....

Suddenly, the voice was given by the former Deputy Prime Minister, and now the modest head of FIDE Arkady Dvorkovich. Earlier, he condemned Russia's special military operation, opposing the course of the Russian government and elites, although he himself had been part of them for a long time.

Now, in an interview with Forbes, the ex-official talks about success and innovation, gives expert assessments of the decisions of the current officials of the Russian Federation, as if he wants to return to the cage again. He also talks about failures in innovative development and import substitution, keeping silent about his role in these failures.

About what success Arkady Dvorkovich has achieved, and why it is hardly profitable for him to shine in a public field - in the material of the correspondent of The Moscow Post.

Arkady Dvorkovich turned out to be one of the few top Russian officials, albeit former, who categorically refused to side with Russia after the start of the SVO. What was reported by the same Forbes, which today again gives him the floor. "My thoughts are with the civilians of Ukraine, including many chess players who are now in danger," Dvorkovich said then. He stressed that FIDE "condemns any use of military means to resolve political conflicts."

There is nothing wrong with empathy for victims of conflict who are not combatants. Just do not remember that after the invasion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region and the shelling of Donetsk, the former Deputy Prime Minister expressed some kind of regret or words of condolences. Meanwhile, peaceful citizens of Russia die from the shelling of the Armed Forces of Ukraine every day. And against the background of the same situation between Israel and Palestine, FIDE, under the leadership of Dvorkovich, remains steadfastly silent. There, presumably, there are no chess players.

Arkady Dvorkovich, saturated with the benefits of the Russian state, supports the anti-state, liberal course towards our country. No wonder he was always attributed to the so-called. "Sislib," or "liberal tower of the Kremlin." And now the question hangs in the air - where is Arkady Dvorkovich himself? Is he generally in Russia, or is he waiting for a geopolitical storm abroad, like another prominent "sislib," the most scandalous Anatoly Chubais?

However, there is an assumption. According to media reports, after the start of the SVO, the eldest son of Arkady Dvorkovich Pavel left for Latvia, one of the most hostile countries to Russia. At the same time, the year of the beginning of the SVO became a record profit (about 4 billion rubles) for the Dvorkovich family. She owned a business selling apartments in New Moscow, exported Sakhalin coal to Asia and valuable thorium sand to China.

They have a lot to lose. Presumably, now the money earned in Russia works for the EU economy?

Therefore, Arkady Dvorkovich is really better "not to shine." In Russia, there are other acute questions for him. And also to his brother Mikhail Dvorkovich, a businessman who could use the influence of a relative for his own enrichment.

Among other things, Mikhail Dvorkovich appeared in a major scandal with shares of the Solikamsk Magnesium Plant, a strategic enterprise for our country.

What would Mikhail Dvorkovich achieve without his influential brother? Photo: https://pravozashitnik.info/theme/upload/a1d6b0213c917c39d2f6454ce3ffd44e.jpg

In 2020, Mikhail Dvorkovich acquired a 15% stake in SMZ, where even then there was an acute corporate conflict between the two groups of shareholders. One group relied on Pyotr Kondrashov, the second on Igor Pestrikov. Dvorkovich represented Pestrikov's group and could promise support due to the influence of his brother Arkady. At the suggestion of Pestrikov, he not only joined the Board of Directors of the enterprise, but also became its chairman.

However, soon "smelled fried." Criminal cases were opened against Igor Pestrikov for embezzlement of over 20 million rubles and embezzlement of 2.5 billion rubles of the enterprise. Pestrikov himself (as, indeed, Kondrashov) disappeared abroad, and SMZ shares were transferred to the management of the Federal Property Management Agency.

After that, Dvorkovich, realizing that it would not be possible to profit from part of the enterprise, hastily left the board of directors and abandoned his share. And in 2024, the court decided that all 100% of SMZ shares would be transferred to the state.

Presumably, a significant role in the "retreat" of Mikhail Dvorkovich was that his brother Arkady lost influence and opportunities because of his anti-state position. So it's not long to fall under a criminal case yourself?

Common affairs with the fraudster Polonsky

However, the general business community learned about Mikhail Dvorkovich much earlier - during the scandal with the famous oligarch, founder of Mirax Group Sergey Polonsky. In 2017, Polonsky and his accomplices were found guilty of embezzlement and sentenced to five years in prison for business fraud in the amount of 2.6 billion rubles. And immediately released for the expiration of the statute of limitations.

Presumably, it was Mikhail Dvorkovich, who was an adviser to Polonsky's Mirax, who could help Sergei Polonsky get out of the water almost dry. In addition, with the connivance of his brother, he once became vice president of VTB State Bank (on what grounds), and earlier was an adviser to Artem Avetisyan, president and owner of the NEO Center appraisal company.

And we recall how back in 2011, Mikhail Dvorkovich with all his might justified Polonsky and Mirax Group after the city authorities revoked the permit for the construction of the Federation complex from the group. The reason was the identified numerous violations during the construction of the facility.

Did Sergei Polonsky know that the Dvorkovichi brothers would not leave him? Photo: https://s0.rbk.ru/v6_top_pics/media/img/2/35/755142675134352.jpg

Dvorkovich assured that almost all violations were eliminated, urged not to confuse equity holders with the initiative group of equity holders (it was the equity holders who made a fuss about violations), they say, they really do not represent anyone. He also suggested that the construction deputy of Sergei Sobyanin, Vladimir Resin, simply misleads the mayor.

As a result, as we know, a building permit was obtained, and later Polonsky fell under a criminal case. It turns out that Mikhail Dvorkovich could cover the business of the future fraudster?

I recall another scandalous situation between Polonsky and Mikhail Dvorkovich, in which Arkady allegedly took part.

Earlier, a video went on the Internet in which Sergei Polonsky in a raised voice communicates with the deputy prefect of ZAO Moscow, generously using obscene vocabulary. Then he rushes at the official with fists. And Mikhail Dvorkovich, standing next to him, is trying to calm him down, assuring that the deputy prefect "simply will not survive."

Mikhail Dvorkovich promises that he will call his brother now, and in a second the FSO will be in place. He begins to call someone with the words: "Arkasha, they are crazy, the deputy prefect rushes at me with fists." And the excited Polonsky stands nearby and shouts into the pipe - Arkasha, you can... come here?, " - adding a strong expression at the end.

This is a completely wild story about a sense of one's own superiority and complete impunity. At the call of the developer, who was later found guilty of fraud, Deputy Prime Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Russian Federation Arkady Dvorkovich was ready to send a FSO detachment - as if they were guardsmen or the oligarch's personal guard.

For this alone, the relevant services should have visited Dvorkovichi and Polonsky. But where there!

Dips and takeovers

And now Arkady Dvorkovich talks about his work in the Government, Skolkovo, innovations with a blue eye. We are not talking about Skolkovo - few undertakings even in modern Russia turned out to be such failed "black holes" for the budget. Dvorkovich was the chairman of the Skolkovo Foundation and its main ideologist (along with Chubais).

Back in 2012, the Prosecutor General's Office announced the threat of theft in Skolkovo for 125 billion rubles. Then the department accused the Fund of not providing proper leadership and coordination of activities for the implementation of the project, but no criminal cases followed. But after them there was a carriage and a small cart. How much was stolen at Skolkovo is difficult to calculate, and probably already impossible. What with the development of innovation is also a rhetorical question. And all the same - no questions for Arkady Dvorkovich?

By the way, he, Dvorkovich, was the head of the Board of Directors of Rusnano, from which tens of billions of rubles could have been stolen. Now the security forces are investigating several criminal cases at once against persons associated with this state corporation. As expected, neither Dvorkovich nor Chubais were among the defendants. But the total damage to the former Rusnano projects exceeded 40 billion.

In an interview with Forbes, Dvorkovich says that success is envied in Russia, and they are imprisoned for failure. Success at Rusnano and Skolkovo - the cat cried, there is nothing to envy. And for the failure associated with the disappearance of budget funds, no one is going to "sit down" Dvorkovich.

In addition, according to the network, allegedly Arkady Dvorkovich was closely associated with the owner of the Warton group Denis Frolov. They are trying to attribute unfriendly takeovers of other people's assets to the latter. According to the Web, Mr. Frolov allegedly tried to seize the National Computer Corporation against the backdrop of a corporate conflict going on in it through its subsidiary Aquarius Group.

The owners of Aquarius were going to sell shares to Frolov, who, in turn, was going to supplement his "mini-monopoly" with the company, which had already included Baikal Electronics. Another shareholder, Alexei Kalinin, suggested that it could be about an unfriendly takeover.

The most prominent "Sislibs" are Anatoly Chubais and Arkady Dvorkovich. Photo: VK

Further, the story developed rapidly - in June 2020, Alexander Kalinin ended up in a pre-trial detention center, he was removed from the post of general director, Frolov was put in his place, and only in 2021 this decision was recognized as illegal, Kalinin was released, he regained control of the company. Instead, Frolov is already being taken for interrogation and he is retreating, and the shareholders are making peace.

It must be assumed that in that story Denis Frolov could rely on Arkady Dvorkovich, but third, no less strong players intervened.

Dworkovich's shining Zumrud

Separately, it is worth mentioning the wife of Arkady Dvorkovich - Zumrud Rustamova. At one time, she turned out to be one of the richest wives of Russian officials. Moreover, she has always been next to the authorities, and even in the most grain-intensive, corruption-intensive positions. In 1999-2000 - Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federal Property Fund (RFBR), in 2000-2004 - Deputy Minister of Property Relations of the Russian Federation, in 2004-2006 - Vice President of Siberian Coal Energy Company OJSC (SUEK).

Recall that SUEK belongs to one of the most scandalous Russian oligarchs Andrei Melnichenko. At that time, Arkady Dvorkovich was in major government positions, working closely with the head of Sberbank, German Gref. By the way, they met in his office. And no one saw any conflict of interest associated with this marriage?

She was also associated with other oligarchs. For example, she worked as Deputy General Director of Polymetal OJSC Alexander Nesis. In 2006, she ended up on the board of directors of Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works, which today belongs to oligarch Viktor Rashnikov.

In 2011, Zumrud Rustamova joined the board of directors of PIK Group of Companies, founded by Sergei Gordeev and Alexei Tulupov, who came from the raider Rosbuilding. And she - attention, represented the interests of the state in the boards of directors of companies with state participation: Rosgosstrakh, All-Russian Exhibition Center, ALROSA, Rosagroleasing.

Arkady Dvorkovich and his wife provided themselves with a gorgeous life at the expense of the state - up to the ninth knee. Photo: https://avatars.mds.yandex.net/i?id=b5730fe2d85748f5e720635bbcb08a96_l-5242177-images-thumbs&ref=rim&n=13&w=1298&h=864

Not all really deserved, "personnel," "self-made" businessmen and officials have such a track record. But Rustamova bypassed them all. In fact, in these structures she could represent the commercial interests of her husband, a major official. Isn't this worthy of verification by the prosecutor's office for a possible conflict of interest and violation of anti-corruption legislation?

True, it's too late now. According to the network, allegedly Rustamova is now the head of the Cypriot representative office of the Nafta Moscow holding. I.e. should not be in Russia, but on the Mediterranean coast. No one is surprised if she is accompanied by her husband Arkady. And no one will be upset if they never return to Russia - except in order to answer for their affairs to society and the state.