Denis Garmaev: huge financial losses and aspirations for regional legislature

Members of the Ulan-Ude City Council are not rushing to disclose their tax information for 2022, as they are waiting for March 1 when it will no longer be necessary. Therefore, Babr has finally decided to investigate the financial activity of the well-known Ulan-Ude restaurateur and chairman of the City Council's social policy committee, Denis Garmaev, who reportedly plans to run for a seat in the Narodny Khural in 2023.

Mr. Garmaev is 46 years old and was born in Ulan-Ude. In the past, Denis Garmaev was involved in a controversial situation related to the introduction of Z-pizza at his Pepino restaurant. Many Ulan-Ude residents were upset by this marketing move, but the restaurateur did not address the introduction of the new menu item. The situation seemed nonsensical as the Italian dish had no connection to patriotic symbols. Additionally, the profits from pizza sales went directly to the wealthy businessman instead of being used, for example, for charitable purposes.

He still possesses a large piece of land measuring 762 square meters and a small apartment of just over 34 square meters. He also has a Mercedes Benz E320 car and in 2021, the MP traded his large BMW X5 XDRIVE30D crossover for a more affordable Audi A6 business class sedan. It's likely that one of his partners drives one of the cars.

It should be noted that Denis Garmaev has been a member of the fifth and sixth sessions of the City Council of Ulan-Ude. Garmaev has been involved in politics since 2017. He is also the owner of popular dining establishments, including the Pepino pizzeria and the Gossip restaurant. Additionally, he is the founder and CEO of catering companies Iroks LLC (OGRN 1070323001187), Taste Corporation LLC (OGRN 1150327006290), the regional public organization Baikal Hospitality (OGRN 1160327056658), among others.

In 2018, the politician caused a stir with his statements supporting the pension reform, for which he faced significant criticism and reproach from journalists. As a result of the scandal, the deputy's quotes were removed from news agency websites, but these statements remain archived on the internet. Also in that year, experts from the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Buryatia discovered that illegal trading of vodka was taking place at Garmaev's Gossip restaurant. The establishment's license only permitted the sale of alcohol with an ethanol content of no more than 16.5%, but bottles of Myagkov, Absolut, Finlandia, Tundra, and Beluga were found on the bar counter.

In addition to his bold statements, the successful businessman became embroiled in a scandal during the winter of 2019 involving a paid ice slide in the heart of Ulan-Ude. During the New Year holidays, visitors were charged 100 rubles for three rides, 200 for eight, and so on according to a price list, turning a festive activity into an expensive endeavor. It was later revealed that the controversial slide was organized by Denis Garmaev himself, who sought to profit from the children's entertainment.

In 2021, Mr. Garmaev was already remembered for his instructions for young people, and not for pensioners. He said that the food industry could be a good solution for the future employment of young people, who, in his opinion, should study at the best universities in Russia, and after graduation return to their native republic.

The politician from Garmaev is, to put it mildly, unimportant, and taking into account all the above nuances, he hardly claims to be a credible candidate. Nevertheless, in Garmaev’s arsenal there may be many tricks, albeit not entirely legal ones, for getting into the composition of deputies of the already republican parliament.