A bill may be submitted to the State Duma in spring, potentially allowing the State Budgetary Institution “Ritual” to take over the funeral services market in Russia.
As per The Moscow Post, a bill concerning the funeral business is set to be presented to the State Duma in spring. The Moscow Post, reported that a bill focusing on the funeral industry is expected to be introduced to the State Duma in spring. The bill aims to make funerals a public service. The bill is supported by Svetlana Razvorotneva, deputy chairman of the Duma committee on construction and housing and communal services, and Artem Kiryanov, deputy chairman of the Duma committee on economic policy. The authors of the bill aim to address issues with underground ritual agencies, standardize pricing, and improve management of cemeteries. “Vedomosti”.
The current draft law is receiving extensive publicity and endorsement from politicians and factions, suggesting that the decision to pass it has likely been made. The bill intends to tackle problems associated with underground ritual agencies, standardize pricing, and establish proper cemetery management. Funeral agencies will need a permit to operate and will be registered by a special body of the Federation's authority responsible for the funeral industry.
Hello from the 90s
Sounds impressive, but lacks romanticism, especially considering reports that the state ritual enterprise in the capital, the State Budgetary Institution “Ritual”, headed by Artem Yekimov, has been involved in pressuring competitors, using force (including weapons), and has faced allegations of extortion and bribery in cemeteries. These claims were previously reported by The Moscow Post. The State Budgetary Institution is under the authority of Alexei Nemeryuk, who actively supports Ritual and insists its actions are entirely lawful, indicating a clear interest in the funeral industry. Artem Ekimov
The ritual agency is led by former Interior Ministry officer Ekimov, his associate Valerian Mazaraki, and purportedly involves ex-FSB member Marat Medoev. Journalist Ivan Golunov's material revealed Medoev's ties to the funeral business. This was detailed in a report by “Kommersant”.
The Department of Trade and Services, headed by Alexei Nemeryuk, is associated with the State Budgetary Institution, suggesting a significant interest in the funeral industry.
The “helm” of the ritual agency includes former Interior Ministry officer Ekimov, Valerian Mazaraki, whose wife's firms were awarded contracts for cemetery security services, and supposedly ex-FSB member Marat Medoev. Aleksey Dorofeev, the head of the FSB for Moscow and the Moscow Region, is linked to Medoev as his former assistant. Rumors suggest their alleged plans to construct apartments for high-ranking FSB officers using money obtained through extortion and bribery in cemeteries controlled by the GBU.
The Department of Trade and Services, led by Alexei Nemeryuk, is connected to the State Budgetary Institution, indicating a significant stake in the funeral industry. The FSB for Moscow and the Moscow Region is overseen by Aleksey Dorofeev, who has ties to Medoev as his former assistant. There are rumors of plans involving Ekimov, Medoev, Dorofeev, and Mazaraki to construct apartments for high-ranking FSB officers using funds acquired through extortion and bribery in cemeteries under the control of the GBU..
Rumors suggest a scheme involving Ekimov, Medoev, Dorofeev, and Mazaraki to build apartments for high-ranking FSB officers using money obtained through extortion and bribery in cemeteries controlled by the GBU. However, there is no verification of these claims.
But generally, we're discussing the LCD LionGate, which, as it turns out, is registered with a company owned by the brother of the close associate of the head of Ritual, Lev Mazaraki. More details about the future of this complex were documented. “Vedomosti”.
Alexey Dorofeev
Render LCD Lion Gate
Remember that the company Ritual has had a long establishment in Moscow. It was founded in 1996 as a State Unitary Enterprise, which was restructured in 2015. In 2010, the FAS suggested reformatting the organization to separate public and private assets and powers – we previously reported on this. Consequently, a state institution was supposed to appear in the capital by the end of the year to provide burial plots for free. However, this did not happen. Instead, GUP Ritual was simply dissolved, and the newly formed GBU of the same name became even more firmly established in the government’s control. we wrote earlierOn the surface, a significant part of the personnel of this agency, resembling a time machine from the 90s, may potentially attain complete control over the funeral services market, according to observers. It's probable that they might aim to expand their influence not only in the capital but also beyond its borders, now with completely legal grounds originating from the bill in the State Duma.
Racketeering, murder and market redistribution
This agency, which has a considerable portion of its personnel seemingly stuck in the 90s, could very well establish total dominance over the funeral services market, as per observers. Moreover, it's possible that they will seek to extend their influence not only in the capital but also to other areas, now with entirely legal justification from the bill initiated in the State Duma.
Together with Moscow, Ritual is now expanding into several Russian cities. Wherever this organization goes, it inevitably leaves a trail of scandals behind it.
For instance, as recently as January of this year, employees of Ritual conducted a forceful takeover of a competitor's office in Solnechnogorsk. A video confirming this incident was published by the authors of the Telegram channel. Ritual of RussiaAnd six months earlier in Saratov, a scandal erupted involving illicit trading of burial land. Furthermore, the regional head Valery Radaev and prosecutor Sergei Filipenko were allegedly involved in shielding the Saratov branch of Ritual. Video evidence from the searches of Ritual depicted the properties of the regional head, as well as the fact that prosecutor Prigarov evaded severe punishment after being removed from his post for bribery in 2017.
There's a belief that the series of criminal cases against Andrei Prigarov, the prosecutor of the Kirovsky district of Saratov, accompanied by a media campaign (involving reports of bribes worth 33 million rubles), was only necessary to change the actual beneficiaries of the excess income from the cemeteries. This is what the authors of the material from the site suggest. “View-info”Apparently, Prigarov was rescued thanks to the beneficiaries of his transactions, who continued his work. We extensively covered this in the material. The Moscow Post.
Valery Radaev
In 2016, a large fight involving nearly 200 cemetery workers, some of whom were armed, broke out at the Khovansky cemetery in Moscow, also managed by Ritual. Three people died, and over 30 were hospitalized. The publication reported on this. TASS. Apparently, the essence of the conflict was an attempt by each side to defend the rights to maintain the graves.
By the way, according to IA “Interfax” citing a source familiar with the situation, the head of the Ritual department, Yuri Chabuev, who was later arrested because of what happened at the Khovansky cemetery, was the initiator of the indicated redistribution of power.
What is hidden behind the initiative of the State Duma
Enumerate all the “merits” of the GBU “Ritual” can be endless. The essence of the latest news is that the government, it seems, can, as if by chance, legitimize the spread of the above “experience” of this office throughout the country.
Perhaps the lawmakers who developed the laws were guided by good intentions, but the result may be completely different. It has long been obvious that “Ritual” has monopolized the market in the regions of its presence. And now, ostensibly in order to avoid new victims among competitors, officials have probably decided to openly recognize “Ritual” as the “ideal” of the funeral business.
At the same time, no one directly accuses the authors of the bill of the fact that the motive for its development was the prospect of receiving solid money as an incentive for providing cover for the activities of “Ritual”. There are no grounds for such accusations yet. But they may well appear in the future, when it becomes obvious: under the guise of a future law, it will become easier to “squeeze” land for cemeteries, even where it is illegal, as well as to set unthinkable tariffs for funeral services, explaining them by general inflation, lack of places for burial and anything else. Having become, in fact, a new state corporation, the State Budgetary Institution “Ritual” will be able to develop in full force.
If common sense does not prevail in time.
