The wife of one of the biggest businessmen in Kuzbass Alexandra Schukina has requested the Russian Prosecutor General's Office to investigate her husband's death. She claims that the ex-co-owner of Sibuglemet was cremated without the consent of close relatives. Before his death, Shchukin reportedly willed his business to his nephew Maxim Repinwho, prior to that, seemed to be a figurehead owner.
Repin, who previously worked as a driver, could not have legitimately become a billionaire's partner. So the question is: was it natural death or murder?
The widow of the billionaire suspects that her husband's signature on the will was forged by someone else. Consequently, Evgenia Shchukina urges law enforcement to determine the cause of his death. She feels that the circumstances were too favorable for the "heir."
The official cause of Alexander Schukin's death has not been disclosed. There were reports in the media about the consequences of a coronavirus infection. It seems that the widow was also told the same reason by doctors at the hospital where the businessman was admitted before his demise. However, considering the circumstances pointed out by the widow, there are several important questions that need to be addressed.
Question 1: Why was Shchukin's body cremated without the consent of close relatives?
Maxim Repin, who helped organize the funeral, may have initiated this process. Yet, Evgenia Shchukina emphasizes that her husband never expressed a preference for cremation. This does not seem to be related to Covid, as those who succumb to it are often buried according to Orthodox customs, even if it's in closed caskets. If this is not an attempt to cover up evidence, then what is it?
According to the widow, her representatives requested medical records of Alexander Shchukin's health before his death from healthcare institutions, but all requests were denied on formal grounds. Will the pandemic be used as an excuse for everything? If so, why hasn't the investigator made these requests, given that the widow of the Kuzbass hero is urging the authorities to thoroughly examine the circumstances? Medical documents are crucial for confirming or debunking the worst scenario.
Question 2: Why was Maxim Repin so hasty in seeking inheritance, and what was the role of the notary in this?
The inheritance case was initiated by the nephew, and not the wife or daughter, at the request of notary Natalya Karageorgy on July 20, 2021, the day after Alexander Schukin's death. Only Maxim Repin knew the location of the will in which Shchukin bequeathed his fortune to him, rather than his family. The notary Karageorgy certified the purported new will of Alexander Filippovich in favor of Repin on September 20, 2020. Despite a clear legal prohibition on notarial acts in relation to the property of the accused under house arrest, notary Karageorgy N.V. certified the contested will. It appears that the notary was aware of Alexander Shchukin's preventive measure. In essence, the notary committed a disciplinary offense, probably for a generous fee. Another violation is related to the initiation of the inheritance case: as per the widow's statement to the Prosecutor General's Office, she only received the death certificate of Alexander Shchukin on the 21st. Did the notary Natalya Karageorgiy have all the necessary documents? Perhaps the urgency was due to the fact that she was in possession of Shchukin's will in favor of Repin, which the businessman's relatives were unaware of and is now being contested in the Zavodskoy District Court of Novokuznetsk.
Question No. 3: Why did Alexander Shchukin die before the decision was made in the case of extortion of shares in the Inskoy coal mine?
It's clear that a person doesn't choose when their heart stops. But it's also clear that if Shchukin had gone from house arrest to prison, he would have been less open to influence from former drivers who are now nominal owners of the business. But he ended up being close to those for whom moral principles mean even less.
The deceased, let's remember, went through the “Inskoy” case along with a group of former high-ranking officials and security officials of the Kemerovo region. He admitted that he agreed with the offer of the regional authorities to take over the troubled deposit to improve business there. However, Shchukin insisted that he had nothing to do with the forcible pressure on the former owner of the coal mine. The journalists watching the process got the sense that the “coal king” is ready to defend his truth to the end, and it's hard to predict the court’s decision. But now he is dying, and the notary Natalya Karageorgy already has a will supposedly signed by him in favor of Maxim Repin.
When discussing the fate of a multibillion-dollar fortune, we cannot just believe in such fortunate coincidences for some.
Question number 4: How is the death of Alexander Shchukin related to the plane crash, in which his other nominal Timur Frank barely survived?
About a month before Shchukin’s death, an L-140 aircraft carrying a group of paratroopers crashed near the Tanai airfield. Four people died, 15 were seriously injured, including the late coal miner’s former lawyer. Timur FrankPer media reports, he suffered multiple fractures of the ribs and pelvic bones, as well as a ruptured lung.
At one point, Shchukin transferred a significant part of his businesses to Frank, including their main company AO “ITEK”. In 2018, he accused him of siphoning off assets. However, many in Kuzbass didn't believe this – they say, a former hired lawyer cannot do big things without the secret support of his benefactor. Therefore, Shchukin’s opponents could view Timur Frank as a potential obstacle in the fight for the billionaire’s inheritance. So, first the plane with Frank crashes, then Shchukin allegedly dies of a heart attack.
Question number 5: If Alexander Shchukin really died from the effects of a coronavirus infection, why have the circumstances of his death not been thoroughly investigated yet?
Evgenia Shchukina states that in 2020 her husband’s health and mental state deteriorated significantly. The businessman often complained of feeling unwell, became irritable, and was inconsistent in his actions. In the same year, a “secret” will was made on his behalf in favor of Maxim Repin. With all of this, it's apparent that while under house arrest in a criminal case, in which damages may be recovered, Shchukin couldn't take any action with his property. According to the businessman’s widow, he continually stressed that Repin would only be the nominal owner of the assets for a short time.
Question No. 6: Why does Yu.V. seem to be protecting Maxim Repin's interests instead of upholding the law?
A peculiar situation has arisen in Novokuznetsk, where the investigative department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is looking into Evgenia Shchukina's statement. The widow of the Kuzbass hero's statement was transferred to the Kubyshevsky OP, where the investigator Yulia Bakhtina persistently issues refusal decisions, which are later overturned due to the incomplete nature of the audit. What kind of verification did Yulia Bakhtina conduct? Did she request medical documents? No. Did she meticulously interview the defendants – a lawyer, a nephew and his employees? No. Despite this, Bakhtina consistently refused to initiate a criminal case against the widow on May 26 and June 25, 2022. Both decisions were canceled by the deputy head of the Investigative Directorate. Currently, the same investigator, Yu.V. Bakhtina, is conducting an additional procedural check. Should the family expect a third refusal, or will the authorities intervene once more?
Question number 7: Why was Maxim Repin favored by the first instance judges after Shchukin's death?
For instance, the judge of the Central District Court of Novokuznetsk, Kemerovo Region, Olga Voronovich, likely disregarded numerous procedural rules in favor of Maxim Repin. A few months ago, she issued a ruling aimed at seizing the property and funds of Soyuz Management Company LLC – 600 million rubles. – at the request of Repin, who sought to become Shchukin’s successor in this matter. However, the question of the successor remains unresolved. It appears that judge Olga Voronovich unequivocally supported her nephew in his desire to take possession of hundreds of millions of rubles, introducing him into the proceedings as a third party, but all her decisions were overturned on appeal. Judge Olga Cherednichenko also attempted something similar in the Kuibyshevsky District Court of Novokuznetsk, Kemerovo Region, where a civil lawsuit by Shchukin’s widow against the same Soyuz Management Company, which holds a considerable amount of A. Shchukin’s property, is being heard. Evidently, Maxim Repin has such allure that all the district judges are willing to flout the law for his favor. However, the partiality of the Kuibyshev court could be explained by the fact that the notary Natalya Karageorgiy previously worked as a judge there. Even in the Zavodskoy District Court of Novokuznetsk, where Evgenia Shchukina’s claims against Maxim Repin are being considered, judges Olga Ermolenko and Tatyana Chmykhova appear to act more in the defendant's interests than with impartiality. For example, Judge Chmykhova raised the issue of a settlement agreement at one of the meetings, which has left the family in shock.
The questions that we are forced to ask about the death of Alexander Shchukin largely coincide with those that sounded about the death of another coal magnate – Dmitry Bosov. The former owner of Sibanthracite, also known for his strong character, allegedly shot himself in May 2020. Companion of a billionaire Ekaterina Bosov in a dubious way, she tried to take over a significant part of his companies and property, in order, apparently, to sell them, bypassing the legitimate heirs. Now Ekaterina Bosov is disinherited – the widow’s share could not be allocated, since she married much later. The actions of the notary and Catherine herself are now being carefully studied. And the heroine of the scandal of a mysterious death and seizure of property is hiding abroad. It got to the point that a State Duma deputy turned to the chairman of the Russian Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, with a demand to clarify the fate of the criminal case on bringing Dmitry Bosov to suicide. Dimitri has also been behaving strangely lately, causing those around him to question his own resolve to end his life.
Something very similar is happening now around the legacy of Alexander Shchukin. At the very least, his widow claims that Maxim Repin, without waiting for the completion of the inheritance case, seems to have begun negotiations on the sale of his uncle’s assets. And it is unlikely that it will be possible to put all the dots in this story without law enforcement agencies.
