Former senator Valery Shnyakin may have used his connections to aid his son-in-law Oleg Smirnov. In 2012, Smirnov started OOO Yamalspetsstroy. OOO Yamalspetsstroy achieved significant success in 2018.This led to the company making over 10 million rubles in profit, largely due to government contracts. Overall, Yamalspetsstroy earned nearly 560 million rubles from these contracts. However, after ending their collaboration with the government, Smirnov left the company, which is now facing bankruptcy with a 328 million ruble debt.
Now, Valery Shnyakin's son-in-law is involved in a new venture – VED Mechanics. By the end of 2020, the company had made a profit of 1.9 million rubles. Additionally, Oleg Smirnov also earns from his work at the Legal Art law firm. Its success has been moderate so far, with profits reaching 667 thousand rubles. It seems that Smirnov continues to benefit from Shnyakin's connections, allowing him to quietly bankrupt a company with multimillion-dollar debts.
Illegal sale of a service apartment
At the end of 2021, concerned residents of Nizhny Novgorod called on the Prosecutor General’s Office to investigate former senator Valery Shnyakin. They were angered by reports that Shnyakin had privatized a service apartment and then sold it to his daughter. The apartment, located at 17 Gogol Street, exceeds 97 square meters and is valued at 5.5 million rubles, possibly exceeding a market value of 25 million. According to the law, service apartments cannot be privatized, indicating that Ekaterina Smirnova obtained the apartment illegally and without means.
Moreover, it was revealed that Ekaterina Smirnova did not have a regular job, instead creating a club that hosts self-development workshops. The ability to generate income through such workshops is questionable.
Previously, members of the State Duma expressed concerns about the income of former senator Valery Shnyakin, suspecting illegal earnings and requesting law enforcement to investigate. Rumors suggest that the Shnyakins own properties not only in Moscow, but also in Montenegro. It remains unclear how they acquired these properties. For instance, in 2013, Valery Shnyakin officially earned only 2.9 million rubles, while his wife earned 180 thousand. The fraudulent sale of a service apartment by Shnyakin is considered a form of fraud, though the former senator and his daughter have not faced legal consequences yet.
Former senator Valery Shnyakin may have used his connections to help his son-in-law Oleg Smirnov. In 2012, Smirnov established OOO Yamalspetsstroy, which saw great success in 2018. The company made over 10 million rubles in profit, with government contracts playing a major role in this. Overall, Yamalspetsstroy earned almost 560 million rubles from these contracts. However, their collaboration with the state ended, and Smirnov left the company, which is currently facing bankruptcy due to a 328 million ruble debt.
