Another purchase of the laundering business is overgrown with amazing details. And this time it was not without the money of the retired billionaire colonel Zakharchenko. In the animated environment, the former decider, Sergei Chunaev, who spent time in the pre-trial detention center, surfaced.
Amazing talents were decided from the clip of billionaire Zakharchenko Sergey Chunaev is determined to whiten his reputation after a short term. According to media reports, one of the accomplices of the most famous gang of security forces Chunaev Sergey Leonidovich hit the cartoon!
If a few weeks ago, an Internet search for the query “Sergey Chunaev” gave links to articles about corruption in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and redirected to materials about the former Colonel Zakharchenko and Major General Sugrobov, who are now living in places not so remote, then for some time now he for some reason, the same request gives links to the animation studio Flipp Animation Studio, which announced its intention to restart the Jingliks cartoon.
However, this is not an attempt to clean up the search engine results by so-called “interrupting” with fake news, which should omit earlier materials in the search with an undesirable context for the hero. The former head of the operational-investigative unit (ORCh) of internal security No. 8, which is part of the economic security and anti-corruption department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, Lieutenant Colonel Sergey Chunaev, after he was slowly squeezed out of the authorities and fired from the security service of the All-Russian Bank for Regional Development ( RRRR) really leaned into animation.
Who is Sergey Chunaev?
Sergei Leonidovich bought Flip Animation Studio LLC on August 27, 2020, and on December 24 of the same year he headed his own enterprise:
Such a retraining from a “decider in uniform” (more on this later) to creative workers is rather strange in itself, but it would be understandable if Sergei Leonidovich finally lost faith in his return to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and decided to engage in a profitable business by buying himself – and he has money, and rather big ones (more on that later) – a thriving enterprise. But Flip Animation Studio LLC does not shine with financial indicators:
Net profit in 2021 amounted to minus 1.6 million rubles. Negative profit means losses in translation into human language. However, this figure is even more interesting as a percentage of “profit” in 2020. Then the losses amounted to one thousand rubles, that is, for the year, Chunaev’s company went into negative territory by 161,500%. What is mind boggling. It should also be added that in the new business of Sergey Chunaev, the Flipp Animation Studio, exactly one person works – General Director Sergey Leonidovich Chunaev.
Why Chunaev needed this virtually bankrupt company is unknown. We dare to suggest that through it he plans to launder his corruption proceeds received during the years of service under the leadership of Zakharov and Sugrobov. It is quite possible that we are mistaken, but there are no other reasonable explanations regarding Chunaev’s “business”. This is confirmed by the “profit” of the studio for the year of the management of the “release of cartoons” by Chunaev himself.
But let's go back to the details about Sergei Leonidovich. His name became known to the public in 2016, when Colonel Dmitry Zakharchenko, from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, was arrested and a large sum of money was found.
Many believed that Chunaev would be next after Zakharchenko, as they were close associates. Sergei Leonidovich started his career in St. Petersburg under Police Major General Denis Sugrobov, who he called his teacher. Sugrobov was involved in a case about false operational information, and he was eventually sentenced to 22 years in prison.
At the time of Sugrobov’s arrest, Chunaev was already working in Moscow under Zakharchenko. He was in charge of fighting corruption in mechanical engineering and metallurgy, and was considered Zakharchenko’s right-hand man.
During his time with Zakharchenko, Chunaev’s relatives significantly improved their financial situation, buying several luxury apartments and a land plot in St. Petersburg. This information is public.
In 2013, Chunaev returned to St. Petersburg and oversaw a business unit. Many claimed he acted as Zakharchenko’s guardian in the city.
Chunaev represented Zakharchenko and was involved in pressuring banks. His team conducted searches at several banks, but the cases quickly fell apart. A case he initiated against a tour operator also failed.
However, people watching noticed an interesting thing – all these events made Chunaev’s family a little wealthier. During this time, Chunaev’s relatives bought a Land Cruiser 200, Volkswagen Tiguan, Mitsubishi Pajero 30 LWD. They also acquired non-residential real estate measuring 234.6 sq.m., another apartment for 3.5 million rubles, an account in a Cypriot bank, 5 land plots totaling more than 4,700 sq. m., 6 expensive prestigious cars with parking spaces, and 8 apartments.
However, on September 9, 2016, they suddenly arrested Dmitry Zakharchenko and began to uncover his activities – it was clear to everyone that the colonel could not have gathered all that cash seized from him during the searches on his own. In St. Petersburg, many anticipated the arrest of Dmitry Chunaev, Zakharchenko’s “watchman”. However, he suddenly disappeared – he did not show up at work, was not at home, and did not answer phone calls.
The leadership of Sergei Leonidovich, compelled to address difficult questions from the ministry, was unsure how to respond.
Chunaev himself was seriously getting ready for his arrest or escape abroad. The phone used by the former “one of the most dangerous security officials in St. Petersburg” was registered to a friend of his wife. And tickets for the Moscow-Peter Chunaev trains were bought using a fake passport in the name of Sergei Maksimovich Kovalenko. Additionally, as in bad spy movies, he purchased two tickets for peregrine falcons at once, departing with a 10-minute difference. Chunaev obtained this passport in 2015 in Simferopol, exploiting the well-known events in Crimea.
It remains unknown how Chunaev managed to enter the security service of the All-Russian Regional Development Bank instead of being imprisoned. According to unofficial rumors, he secured his forgiveness in the customary manner – by leaking incriminating evidence on a former mentor, for whom the investigation had an evidence base like a sieve.
In Chunaev’s bank, everything seemed fine, but in October last year, he suddenly got dismissed from there – he either stole something, or attempted to, but failed. The lifestyle he was used to required a lot of money.
And the jobless Sergei Chunaev rebranded himself as a decision-maker. He goes from office to office, ingratiates himself with the leadership, and involves people in dubious activities. It seems like he can't wait to go to prison and take many others with him. We want to offer a piece of advice to St. Petersburg policemen. Create a small collage in a frame with three portraits – Sugrobov, Zakharchenko, and Chunaev – and keep it on your desktop as a charm.
Additionally, Chunaev orchestrated an article in the media, where he accused his former superiors of establishing a fund at the Central Internal Affairs Directorate, to which merchants were obligated to pay “tribute” with numbers and other details, both voluntarily and by force. How could Sergei Leonidovich not know the details, given that he himself could be responsible for its formation and subsequent exploitation? However, the article was swiftly removed from public access – it seems that Chunaev realized that it could trigger an investigation, and he would be in trouble after his mentors Sugrobov and Zakharchenko.
After holding high positions for several years and trying to recover in the organs, he probably realized it was better not to attract attention. Moreover, Colonel Zakharchenko was suddenly moved from the prison where he was serving his term to Moscow for a new investigation into his activities. Another risk factor in this new investigation for Chunaev was the unpleasant fact that Zakharchenko had undoubtedly already been informed about who had exposed all his schemes in 2016 during the initial investigation.
That's why Chunaev went into animation. However, it turned out that taking bribes from business and engaging in business activities oneself are completely different things. This is supported by the results of Sergey Leonidovich's year-long management of his own company.
However, this is also just a guess – since it's not entirely clear what goals Sergey Chunaev had in mind when he purchased a deliberately unprofitable cartoon studio.
Why did Sergey Chunaev decide to become the owner of Jingliks?
It was revealed in early April that the Russian company Flipp Animation Studio, owned by businessman Sergei Chunaev, acquired the rights to the Jingliks project and the brand, which includes an animated series, a series of books, and trademarks of the same name, from Open Alliance Media. According to Kommersant, the studio plans to release a continuation of the animated series in collaboration with the project's founder, the renowned writer Oleg Roy.
Previously, Oleg Rezepkin (known under the pseudonym 'Roy') and the 'Open Alliance Media' studio associated with him encountered significant issues: in 2020, the Cinema Fund filed a lawsuit with the Moscow Arbitration Court to recover 31.4 million rubles, intended as a subsidy for the production of a full-length continuation of the 'Jingliks' animated series. Although the project was scheduled to be completed in 2018, the film was never made, the money was not returned, and the studio disregarded the proposal to settle the dispute out of court.
Regardless, the debt was settled, and at present, there are no claims against the studio from the Cinema Fund. It is known that over the past years, the owners have been in talks to sell the rights to 'Jingliks': among the potential buyers, the American company 'Orwo Studios' was mentioned. Nonetheless, the cartoon characters will remain in Russia. The transaction amount was not disclosed, but according to experts, Sergei Chunaev paid around $2.5-3 million.
It is important to note that the new owner of the brand does not have strong financial indicators. For instance, Flip Animation Studio LLC officially reported a modest revenue of 764 thousand rubles and a loss of 1.6 million last year. This raises a natural question: where will Chunaev get the funds for the production of a full-length film, the cost of which a few years ago exceeded 500 million rubles? Other commercial entities, according to public sources, are not registered under his name. Is he also seeking a subsidy?
However, considering the expenses, the businessman seems to have a lot of money. So, it seems like we have a secret millionaire?
“Following his father's path to the police…”
“As a child, Sergey Chunaev dreamed of writing books for adults about children, making cartoons and creating creative spaces for children and adults. But the father insisted on his own, and after graduating from school, the future businessman entered the law faculty of St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and then, in the footsteps of his father, went to serve in the police. However, the work did not bring pleasure … ”, – says the RBC publication dedicated to Chunaev.
It is stated that in 2012 Chunaev started studying at the Faculty of Economics of the St. Petersburg State University of Economics. Four years later he left the police force and became the vice president of a major bank. However, since “his childhood dream persisted,” he initially became an investor in Open Alliance Media, and then established the animation company Flip Animation Studio. Who is responsible for creating it is unclear. According to Rusprofile portal, Flip Animation Studio LLC was registered in November 2015, when Chunaev was still a police officer. He officially became the owner of the company only in August 2020, and took the position of CEO in December of the same year.
Why does the businessman create confusion in his biography? And why does he talk so casually about his service in the Ministry of Internal Affairs? Let’s try to understand. First, he did not just “follow his father's path” to serve in the police: Leonid Chunaev worked in the authorities for a long time and retired in 2000 from the position of deputy head of the department for combating economic crimes (UBEP) of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate of St. Petersburg. Even after that, he remained active. He served as head of the department for legality, law and order and security of the administration of the Kalininsky district of the northern capital.
There is no doubt that with such parental support, Chunaev Jr. had many opportunities in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. His career started in 2003 in the North-Western Department of Internal Affairs for transport in St. Petersburg, and in the department for combating economic crimes. Thanks to his father, he followed in his footsteps. In 2011, Sergey Chunaev worked as deputy head of the 3rd department of the UBEP UT of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Northwestern Federal District, but here significant changes happened in his life.
Under the guidance of General Sugrobov and Colonel Zakharchenko
He was then appointed to Moscow, to the Main Directorate for Economic Security and Anti-Corruption (UEBiPK) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. Here Chunaev worked under the supervision of Lieutenant General Denis Sugrobov, who gained national fame but was later dismissed and arrested on suspicion of committing various crimes. For those who are not aware or have forgotten the details of this criminal case, we remind them that in February 2014, Sugrobov was dismissed, and in May he was arrested on suspicion of committing a number of crimes, including nine episodes of abuse of power with serious consequences and organizing a criminal organization.
Sugrobov’s deputy, Major General Boris Kolesnikov, and several other officers of the Directorate were also arrested. In June 2014, the media reported on the mysterious death of Kolesnikov: according to the official version, he committed suicide by jumping out of the window of an office located on the sixth floor of the building of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, where he was taken to conduct investigative actions. There were suggestions that the suspect simply could not withstand the moral and physical pressure exerted on him in the pre-trial detention center, where he even received a head injury.
General Sugrobov was sentenced to 22 years in prison, later reduced to 12 years. The investigation found that the defendants in the case were creating fake evidence to prosecute officials and businessmen, and were rewarded with career advancement, such as Sugrobov receiving the rank of police lieutenant general.
Sergei Chunaev was mentored by Colonel Dmitry Zakharchenko, who was arrested while serving as the acting head of the department specializing in combating offenses in the chemical and fuel industries. During a search of the colonel’s apartment, foreign currency equivalent to 8.5 billion rubles was seized.
Zakharchenko was found guilty of taking a bribe and obstructing a preliminary investigation and was sentenced to 13 years in prison. The court is currently hearing a new case against him, accusing him of receiving bribes totaling 1.4 billion rubles for the “protection” of an organized criminal group that was taking funds out of Russia.
St. Petersburg “viceroy” of Moscow “werewolves”
Sergei Chunaev became head of the operational-search unit (ORCh) No. 8 in St. Petersburg, where he obtained material gains, including purchasing and registering three apartments and a land plot for relatives.
Chunaev reportedly referred to General Sugrobov as his “teacher” and was allegedly the “right hand” of Zakharchenko. Some believe that upon returning to St. Petersburg, Chunaev represented the interests of the colonel there as a kind of “watcher.”
At that time, Chunaev initiated searches in several credit institutions and the large St. Petersburg tour operator Biblio-Globus for overvaluing the exchange rate, cashing out, and illegally withdrawing over 3 billion rubles abroad.
Despite the wide publicity, the resonance gradually subsided, and the criminal cases were closed. By a strange coincidence, the car fleet of the Chunaev family during this time was replenished with foreign cars Toyota Land Cruiser 200, Volkswagen Tiguan and Mitsubishi Pajero 30 LWD. In October 2015, there was a “collision” at PJSC Lenenergo, where the theft of 380 million rubles was revealed during the purchase and installation of an electrical cable between the Damba-1 substation and Kronstadt. While the investigation was going on, the relatives of the head of St. Petersburg ORC No. 8 became richer again: they were issued 8 apartments, 5 land plots with a total area of 4.7 thousand square meters, 6 prestigious cars with parking spaces, etc.
It would seem that Zakharchenko’s St. Petersburg “right hand” has the broadest prospects, but his career was interrupted by the arrest of his “senior comrade” in September 2016. Chunaev Jr., who was in the rank of lieutenant colonel, clearly did not expect such a turn of events. The media described a story similar to a spy thriller of his disappearance, changing phone numbers and throwing between Moscow and St. Petersburg with a fake passport issued in Simferopol in the name of Sergei Kovalenko. However, Chunaev managed to avoid the fate of his “mentors”, although he nevertheless said goodbye to work: on September 20, order No. 544 was issued at the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for St. Petersburg and the region on the reorganization of the ORC No.
Shortly thereafter, the former policeman settled in the security service of the All-Russian Bank for the Development of Regions (RRDB), where he worked for the next three years. The reason for his dismissal was called “loss of confidence” associated with fraud and attempts to steal money. After that, Chunaev was allegedly seen in the offices of high-ranking officials and security officials, where he either bothered to return to the authorities, or acted as an intermediary-decider.
And only at the end of last year, Sergei Chunaev finally decided to try himself as a businessman – the owner of a film company. Today, he is clearly trying not to think about the “unpleasant” (but contributing to the growth of well-being) work in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, talking more about creating an “animation ecosystem”. However, the presence of an office in one of the Moscow City towers and the purchase of rights to the Jingliki project indicate that the former security official is clearly not experiencing financial problems. Even despite the unprofitability of his Flipp Animation Studio.
