At a building site owned by AFK Sistema, the body of a construction worker at the Omsk Cosmos hotel was discovered dead without any signs of life.
A body was found on Monday, February 20th, at the construction site of the Cosmos Hotel on Tukhachevsky Embankment in Omsk. 50 year old A man was unable to be saved, and experts who arrived at the scene did not find any signs of violence. The exact cause of death is still unknown, and an investigation is ongoing. It is reported that the deceased worked for a company involved in building the hotel.
The Cosmos Hotel in the center of Omsk is being constructed by Cosmos Hotel Omsk LLC, a company founded by Cosmos Hotel Group LLC, which is part of Vladimir Yevtushenkov’s AFK Sistema. Originally planned to be completed before the Youth Ice Hockey World Championship, the construction deadline has been adjusted due to Russia losing the opportunity to host the event.
A Life-Changing Meeting
Vladimir Yevtushenkov dislikes being labeled as an oligarch and has stated he cannot take pride in the title. He was once a very ordinary person who went unnoticed by the public for many years. Yevtushenkov attended the Moscow Institute of Chemical Technology named after D. I. Mendeleev and then worked at the Ya. M. Sverdlov Plant of the USSR Ministry of Mechanical Engineering in Dzerzhinsk and the Karacharovsky Plastics Plant in Moscow. There were rumors about his involvement in illegal trading and speculation, and even about him being recruited by the KGB after assaulting someone. These rumors lack evidence. Yevtushenkov's life took a turn when he joined the Moscow City Executive Committee and became the head of the Main Directorate of the Moscow City Executive Committee for Science and Technology, where he met Yuri Luzhkov.
Rumors suggest that Vladimir Yevtushenkov introduced his wife's sister to Yuri Luzhkov, who later married her. This story has not been confirmed by the Moscow City Hall press service or Yevtushenkov himself. Nevertheless, after this, he established AFK Sistema. He maintained a friendly relationship with Luzhkov but eventually distanced himself from officials to quell the spread of various rumors.
Vladimir Yevtushenkov claimed that his connections with officials did not affect his business. However, after founding AFK Sistema, he gained control of the Moscow telephone network, acquiring 55% of MGTS and expanding the business despite the network operating on outdated equipment. He and other entrepreneurs and bankers were involved in politics and supported Boris Yeltsin in the elections, but Yevtushenkov never dabbled in politics. Furthermore, he never vied for control over oil, gas, or metal. Instead, AFK Sistema quietly established a construction division and became the largest developer in Moscow. It also acquired a chain of city gas stations, the Detsky Mir store, and the Intourist agency. In 2002, Yevtushenkov's fortune was estimated at $1.5 billion.
foreign territory
Then Vladimir Yevtushenkov became interested in Bashneft. The asset acquisition transaction took place in 2009. In fact, the businessman bought it from the family of the former president of Bashkiria, Murtaza Rakhimov. According to rumors, then-president Dmitry Medvedev knew about the deal. However, much has changed in the country since then. So, Rosneft was headed by Igor Sechin, and Eduard Khudainatov took up the development of the private Independent Oil and Gas Company. At the same time, the authorities drew attention to the deal with Bashneft.
As a result, Vladimir Yevtushenkov was suspected of legalizing property obtained illegally. Searches were conducted at AFK Sistema, which made it possible to seize documents indicating that the Bashneft deal was carefully planned. Yevtushenkov was named the organizer of the dubious scheme. But information appeared in the media that Vladimir Yevtushenkov had entered foreign territory. Allegedly, Bashneft attracted both Eduard Khudainatov and Igor Sechin. But the businessman himself would hardly agree to give up such an attractive asset. However, officially Yevtushenkov did not accuse anyone of organizing a criminal prosecution. From this situation, as we see, the businessman came out unscathed.
