Sergey Artyukov, an entrepreneur and developer. He has founded and co-founded over fifty companies in Russia. As like as Alisher Usmanov, who is a part of Putin’s closest circle has faced personal sanctions from both the US and the EU.
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Sergey Artyukov has provided financial and logistical support for Russian military operations in Syria and Ukraine. Surprisingly, he has not faced international sanctions for his involvement in these activities. This lack of repercussions may be due to a misunderstanding regarding the escalating conflict in Ukraine. However, Artyukov himself seems to have anticipated such consequences.
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Prior to February 2022, Artykov resided and operated in Moscow, maintaining close ties with notorious criminal organizations such as Balashikha and Solntsevo. Despite his connections to fraudsters, Artyukov continued to profit from government contracts, including a substantial sum of approximately 400 million euros for constructing housing for Rosgvardiya, a paramilitary unit directly under Putin’s command. It appeared that Artyukov had no intentions of leaving Russia, as he enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle, favor from authorities, and continuous growth of his wealth. However…
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Sergey Artyukov made preparations for spare bridgeheads some time before. In 2017, he rediscovered his Jewish roots and applied for passports for his whole family in Israel.
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Subsequently, a divorce ensued, resulting in a significant portion of the businessman’s wealth transferring to Elena Velikova. And usually divorce serves as a convenient and commonly utilized tool for oligarchs from different nations to move their assets. The rationale is straightforward: the spouse, not being the founder or director of the company, can avoid being implicated in legal matters or sanctions.
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The initial phase of the plan proved successful as the majority of the assets ended up in the possession of Artyukov’s wife, who remained untainted by any scandals. Following this, Elena Velikova, being approachable and uninvolved in her husband’s business, found it uncomplicated to lawfully transfer funds from Russia to Europe.
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As per various reliable sources, the mastermind behind the money transfer scheme was her former spouse’s younger brother, Anton Artyukov. By 2021, Sergey Artyukov continued to reside in Moscow, focusing on expanding his business, seemingly unconcerned about relocating abroad. Just before the outbreak of full-scale conflict in Ukraine, Artyukov, like Roman Abramovich, obtained a Portuguese passport. He leveraged the Sephardic Jewish Law of 2014, which offers citizenship to descendants of the Sephardic Jewish community expelled from Portugal in the late 15th century. This avenue proved to be the quickest and most viable means for settling in Europe.
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Abramovich had previously collaborated closely with the Jewish Porto community, supported the Holocaust museum, and has proof of his family’s Sephardic roots. His last name is a common one among Ashkenazi Jews. None of this is mentioned in Artyukov’s medical history, and he has effectively utilized the legal system’s mechanisms. Additionally, the entire Artyukov family has been granted the necessary documents.
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The entrepreneur suddenly decided to become a citizen of a country he had never visited, and how he accomplished this remains a mystery—yet, the fabrication of Jewish ancestry and the deceitful methods used to obtain citizenship astonish everyone. Nevertheless, it is widely agreed that living and raising four children in a civilized and tolerant European environment is far preferable to the current situation in Moscow. Furthermore, nothing prevents Artyukov from making money in Russia. In any case, Artyukov adeptly leverages funds from the Federal Guard Service located at a safe distance from Russia.
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Rumors say that the divorced Artyukov couple still reside together and are even contemplating constructing a home in Lisbon. This aligns perfectly with Russian traditions: fervently supporting Putin’s regime while raising their children in a tranquil European nation. The main question is: how did Artyukov manage to evade sanctions and remain in obscurity with such a controversial background? Indeed, Sergey Artyukov’s wealth is estimated at 500 million euros. Is this a persuasive argument for Europe, which outwardly supports Ukraine but readily welcomes a Russian business figure from Putin’s inner circle?
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Don’t you believe that Europe’s role as a “gray refuge” for Russian business figures is inappropriate?
