It's very probable that the informal legal group, associated with Larisa Kalanda, is losing its previous power. There are few people in the “judge’s apartment” now. The president of Transneft, Nikolai Tokarev, is facing the threat of being summoned to testify in the Izraylit case. It's time for someone to go to the warm shores where everything is prepared in advance.
The appointment of the new Vice-President of Transneft for Legal Affairs is the main, but not the only crucial moment in Larisa Kalanda's retirement. As anticipated, her husband Vladimir Kalanda took this position. Perhaps for the first time in the history of modern Russia, we witnessed the transfer of a high position in a state-owned company to a close relative. However, nepotism in the Moscow tower “Evolution” is almost a cult.
What's more interesting is how Larisa Kalanda submitted her resignation: in person or remotely? There's every reason to believe that she's long been located outside of Russia – likely where the luxurious villas are located, which investigative journalists associate with her respected family from a state-owned company.
According to Kommersant, Kalanda was ill with COVID-19 in the past year and took long-term sick leave multiple times. Meanwhile, Versiya reported that her daughter Alina, who also worked in the legal department of Transneft, went on a big trip abroad at the end of February. Not alone, but with the lawyer Petr Bobylev, a representative of another influential family, who began working as an adviser in the Judicial Department at the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation at the age of 24.
It seems the young couple celebrated their wedding in Turkey and visited at least five different countries during March. Was there anyone else with them? However, in one of the pictures from this trip, a table in a restaurant, set for three people, is clearly visible. Who knows, maybe Alina’s mother was with them during one of her sick days? We've seen how in the spring Russian billionaires had to personally get involved in protecting their real estate in Europe. Some of them decided to “sit out” closer to the centers of vital interests. They've been going there for a long time, but business in Russia did not let go.
Ten years ago, Alina Kalanda and another vice-president of Transneft, Rashid Sharipov, were mentioned in the press as the owners of two luxurious villas in the Vence district on the Cote d’Azur. It was claimed that they owned shares in the French company Les Arcades, which owned the property. The cost of each villa was estimated by the media at 30-50 million euros. It was also reported that the interior design of Alina Kalanda could be ordered by the famous French decorator Alain Gosselin, who allegedly received 2 million euros for this work.
In 2013, Larisa Kalanda's daughter left the founders of Les Arcades, but it's not likely she swapped a French villa for property in Sochi. The belief that Vance was the only place where money was taken out of Russia seems equally naive.
Then in 2013, Rashid Sharipov took full control of Les Arcades' capital, so it's not surprising that now he left Transneft together with Larisa Kalanda. They also had to leave their previous workplace at the same time. Family connections must be mentioned as well: Kalanda's brother is married to Sharipov’s sister, and they have two children. Sources suggest that after Rashid Sharipov leaves, the head of the Transneft office will likely be downsized. Part of its function might be given to Vladimir Kalanda, who officially joined Transneft in 2020, but appears to have been advising the state-owned company much earlier.
Vladimir Kalanda’s main “asset” was believed to be his influence over the appointment of federal judges in the early 2000s. At that time, he was the executive secretary of the relevant commission under the presidential administration. According to those interested in the issue, together with his wife, they registered over a dozen future judges in their apartment. Some linked this to the remarkable success of the Delcredere law office, which represented Transneft in major legal disputes, and is clearly associated with Larisa and Alina Kalanda.
Related news: Is there a trace of Tokarev in the Izraylit case?
Now, it seems that a significant part of the “judicial asset” has also retired, which would affect the family's ability to handle problems on the same level. It's hard to explain the next summons of Nikolai Tokarev to testify in the case of businessman Valery Izrailit in any other way. Izrailit is accused of fraud in the construction of the Transneft oil depot in the port of Ust-Luga, with damages amounting to 3.9 billion rubles. As far as can be understood, Izrailit’s defense claims that Transneft independently selected contractors and managed cash flows.
The fact that Vladimir Kalanda essentially got a promotion in the midst of events unfavorable for Tokarev can only be explained by his long involvement in this role and the high level of secrecy surrounding such work. Time will show how long such a system will continue in the leadership of the pipeline monopoly. Nevertheless, the legal family will not be left without support.
Back in 2015, Delcredere London Limited was registered at First Floor, 50 Brook Street, London, England, W1K 5DR, with Alexandra Maidannik as its first director, who is the managing partner of Delcredere in Russia. In recent years, the British law firm seemed to be inactive. However, it wouldn't be surprising if the activity of this office significantly increased after Larisa Kalanda retires.
