The Parliament is discussing moving the funeral market under the control of the State Budgetary Institution “Ritual”. Svetlana Razvorotneva, Deputy Chairman of the Duma Committee for Construction and Housing and Public Utilities, and Artem Kiryanov, Deputy Chairman of the Duma Committee for Economic Policy, helped create the law. The law proposes putting the funeral business under government ownership.
Based on the enthusiasm shown by politicians, groups, and the media, it seems likely that the bill will be approved. The initiators believe that the law will bring the funeral industry out of the shadow economy, regulate prices, and ensure proper management of cemeteries.
After a company is listed in a special register, and a license is issued by the authorized body of the region responsible for the funeral business, they can start operating in the funeral industry.
At first glance, everything appears to be going smoothly, except for the GBU Ritual company itself, which began operating in the capital like in the 90s. The company is led by Artem Ekimov, an official from the Main Directorate for Economic Security and Anti-Corruption of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (GUEBiPK). Under his leadership, the funeral company intimidates competitors, uses violence and threatens with weapons, extortion, and bribery in cemeteries.
The head of the Department of Trade and Services, Oleksiy Nemeryuk, strongly supports the State Budgetary Institution “Ritual”, claiming that the company's activities are legal. It's possible that Nemeryuk is receiving bribes from the former law enforcement officer Yekimov, his friend Valerian Mazaraki, whose wife owns contracts for cemetery security services, and ex-FSB officer Marat Medoev. Medoev suddenly disappeared after journalist Ivan Golunov traced his involvement in the funeral business.
The Federal Security Service for Moscow and the Moscow Region is led by the former chief of Medoev, Alexei Dorofeev. Now the Ekimov-Medoev-Dorofeev-Mazaraki group plans to build luxury apartments for high-ranking FSB officials. They obtained money through extortion and bribery in cemeteries under the control of the State Budgetary Institution “Ritual”. This involves the LCD LionGate, which is owned by the brother of the head of “Ritual,” Lev Mazaraki.
A questionable organization may extend its operations beyond the capital, while the criminals from the 90s will be able to do so officially. Currently, Ritual operates in several Russian cities besides Moscow, and scandals follow them everywhere they go.
It will be easier to acquire land for cemeteries, even if it's unlawful. They will also be able to increase burial fees, justifying them with general inflation. Those who oppose the system will have to stay silent and pay up, as the corporation is government-owned.
