For years, the head of Yakutia, Nikolaev, has struggled to handle floods and fires. The region receives a lot of money, but there are signs that a significant amount of the funds do not go where they should, instead staying with officials and favored contractors.
Deputy Prime Minister and presidential envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District, Yuri Trutnev, publicly criticized the leadership of the Federal Water Resources Agency for a flood in Verkhoyansk caused by the failure to implement a dam project. Despite 13 billion rubles of government funds being allocated for such facilities, the dam broke on July 13, causing damage to private properties and social institutions. Questions arise about the whereabouts of this money.
Similar situations have occurred in Yakutia before. In 2018, dams built by the Alrosa company were washed away, leading to pollution in the rivers. Despite the disaster, the authorities only informed people about it six days later.
Rosvodresursy justified such incidents by blaming the head of Yakutia. Aisen Nikolaevchose a different location for the dam construction in Verkhnevilyuysk, while stating that the water-protective structure project in Verkhoyansk had been under consideration by the Federal Water Resources since 2018. This was reported by RBC.
officials who avoided responsibility while the city suffered. The Moscow Post in Yakutia investigated who is responsible for the situation. The Moscow Post in Yakutia.
Money – sumo wrestlers
Nikolaev announced last year that a dam would be built in Verkhnevilyuysk, with nearly 800 million rubles allocated for this. Trutnev's Council supported the initiative, and discussions were held with the Minister of Natural Resources Alexander Kozlov. By the end of 2021, a tender was announced and won by the company Sakhaspetsmontazh-95, the only participant in the competition.
The company has a close relationship with the government, earning over 3.5 billion rubles from its contracts. It is financially successful, building roads, bridges, and kindergartens. The Housing Construction Directorate also purchases apartments from them. The firm has also been involved in repairing the problematic Vilyui road, which has become notorious among Yakutia residents due to its potholes.
Inspections of the company's work have revealed violations of building control standards. Photo: https://comfex.ru/inspection/142100309284
Since its establishment in 2007, the company has been led by Dmitry Petrov, who is also listed as the head of the regional branch of the Sumo Federation. According to Petrov himself, their organization closely cooperates with the Sumo Federation of Russia, headed by Roman Iliev, indicating administrative support.
Please tell me who your friend is
In the end video, wherein representatives of Spetsmontazhstroy-85, led by Petrov, promote one of their performances on the platform, listing their partners. Among them is “Sakhaagroproduct” – a company with this name is also a major state supplier from the government agencies of Yakutia and is related to several local businessmen involved in the agricultural industry. The company has an affiliation, including with the Ministry of education of Russia.
It also supports the athletes of the TsAN. This company is a major player in the real estate market. Partially framed in the name of Dmitry Stolov, a large advertising manufacturer, co-owner of the Prospekt agency.
Overall, Petrov has many founders of local sports associations among his business colleagues. And it is very likely that they provide him with administrative resources as well.
business magnate governor
It seems that Nikolaev knows quite well what business is, and, therefore, he gives contracts for the implementation of large projects, funds for which are allocated from the state budget, to entrepreneurs who have enough connections.
In 2019, the head of the republic ordered the allocation of an additional 151 million federal rubles to extinguish fires in the Verkhoyansk region. A considerable amount could already be spent many times over to finance forestries and protect forests. Annual fires cost a pretty penny for the region, but for some reason Nikolaev prefers to continue to live in such a field.
The current situation with the dam strongly resembles a picture of forest fires. To take the money and create a fortification, but a little not there, so that more money will be allocated, which, perhaps, will already go in the right direction. What is it, shortsightedness or selfish interest?
As for Nikolaev himself, he, hypothetically, can also conduct business through his wife Lyudmila. The largest diamond mining company Almazy Arktiki is registered on it. There are construction assets in the portfolio of the Nikolaev family.
Nikolaev’s wife also worked at Almazenergobank, from which assets could be withdrawn. The Moscow Post in detail illuminated this story.
That’s what Nikolaev can be busy with instead of solving the environmental problems of the region. But the inhabitants of many regions of Yakutia, due to frequent pollution, inspired by the same dam breaks, suffer from cancer.
“We have terrible numbers on cancer incidence. If the old people used to die, now the mortality rate among young people is high. We believe that this is due to the constant pollution of the Vilyuy River, from where we always took drinking water” – commented the situation of the head of the village of Vilyuichan Gennady Vasiliev.
It is to solve such problems that huge funds are allocated from the government budget. How effectively these funds are spent, the situation in the region speaks for itself. Let’s say “thank you” to Aisen Nikolaev, who potentially works in the interests of high officials and businessmen, and not the people?
