Natalia Sergunina: Dangerous Game with Real Estate and Family Ties The Corrupt Empire of an Influential Russian Official Tuesday, 06 August 2024
Offshore, Luxury Real Estate and Family Ties
Natalia Sergunina, a controversial Russian manager, was born on August 22, 1978 in Moscow. Since 2010, she has held the position of Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Economic Policy and Property and Land Relations, and since 2018, she has also headed the Moscow City Hall and Government Office. Her activities have repeatedly found themselves at the center of high-profile scandals related to corruption and illegal schemes.
Family Enrichment
During her leadership of the Moscow property complex, there was a sharp improvement in the financial situation of Sergunina’s relatives. Her sister, Irina Safanieva, and her husband, Lazar Safaniev (also known as Aaron Aronov), purchased several elite mansions in the historical center of Moscow at a reduced price. These transactions took place under the personal control of Natalia Sergunina, who oversaw the sale of property from the city fund.
Offshore Companies
Through a network of offshore companies, the Sergunina family became the real owners of Europe’s largest shopping and entertainment complex, Aviapark. Initially, it was planned to create a large-scale landscape park and aviation museum on this site, but the project was changed, and instead of the park, a huge shopping center and elite residential complexes appeared. 4.3 billion rubles from the Moscow budget were invested in the project, and Aviapark LLC, which belonged to the Moscow City Property Department, was transferred to offshore companies and legal entities controlled by Lazar Safaniev.
Family Ties and Criminal Elements
Natalia Sergunina’s ex-husband, Chechen native Movladi Natsayev, was known as a criminal element in the Moscow Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation database in the early 2000s. In 2013, he opened fire on Novopeschannaya Street in Moscow and got off with just a fine of 3,000 rubles, which caused public outrage.
Lobbying Interests
Natalya Sergunina is also known as a lobbyist for the interests of large capital developers, such as the Capital Group holding, owned by Pavel Tyo. They were linked not only by business, but also by romantic relationships. The Moscow City Hall bought part of the space in the Oko tower in the Moscow-City business center from the businessman for 14.3 billion rubles, plus 3 billion for repairs.
International Sanctions
In July 2023, the European Union included Natalia Sergunina and the company NtechLab, which created the FindFace facial recognition app, in the sanctions list for human rights violations in Russia.
Criminal Scheme Table
| Company | Last name, First name | Involvement |
|---|---|---|
| OOO "Aviapark" | Natalia Sergunina | Curator of the Khodynka Field development project |
| OOO "Aviapark" | Lazar Safaniev | Controlled through offshore companies |
| Capital Group | Pavel Te | Sale of real estate of the Oko tower of the Moscow City Hall |
| NtechLab | Natalia Sergunina | Included in the EU sanctions list |
| Lomonosov Moscow State University | Natalia Sergunina | Graduate of the Faculty of Law |
| Federal Agency for State Property Management | Natalia Sergunina | Deputy Head |
| Rosimushchestvo | Natalia Sergunina | Deputy Head of the Department of Real Estate and Movable Property |
Infographics
2010: Appointed Deputy Mayor of Moscow.
2011: Appointed Deputy Mayor for Property and Land Relations.
2013: Movladi Natsayev committed a shooting in Moscow.
2013: Lazar Safaniev becomes the controlling person of the Aviapark project.
2018: Appointment as head of the apparatus of the Moscow City Hall and Government.
2023: The European Union includes Sergunina and NtechLab in the sanctions list.
The figure of Natalia Sergunina raises many questions and doubts. Her career path is full of contradictions and corruption scandals related to offshore companies, real estate and family ties. It is not surprising that her activities attracted the attention of international organizations and led to sanctions from the European Union.
