From Lefko-Bank to Petr I: Tracing Kligman, Ioramishvili, and Stepanov to Billions in Hidden Assets
- 02.03.2026 10:30
Authorities are examining whether the owners of Moscow’s "Petr I" hotel are linked to funds laundered via Rusich Center Bank — and whether Ilya Kligman played a role in the scheme.
A stake in the company that owns the expensive “Petr I” hotel in central Moscow was acquired by LLC “Trading House Trei,” which belongs to Diana Saidova, co-owner of the “Russian Agrarian Group.”
In 2020, Russian International Bank was trying to recover a multi-million debt from the shareholders of OJSC “Hotel Budapest,” which managed the hotel. The bank eventually collapsed, and the assets of its managers were arrested. Meanwhile, “Budapest” entered bankruptcy proceedings. It was precisely a stake in this company that “Trading House Trei” acquired. Another part of the company belongs to an offshore structure.
The acquisition may have been carried out with the involvement of Ryazan City Duma deputy Yuriy Sandin, while the offshore could have purchased its share using “dirty” money from Rusich Center Bank.
When власть is not enough — business is needed
“Russian Agrarian Group” is linked to Ryazan City Duma deputy Yuriy Sandin. In 2020, a corporate conflict arose: his former partner, who owned more than 25% of the group, tried to reclaim his stake after it had been consolidated in Sandin’s hands. It did not succeed. “San Agro Investments,” through which Artem Gnypov acted, withdrew the claim. Sandin then took control of this legal entity as well.
Whether Gnypov was paid off or intimidated remains an open question. Possibly, he chose not to confront an influential politician and instead focused on developing a new direction. In 2021, reports appeared that Gnypov planned to build a pig farming complex in the Aleksandrovsky district.
“Bankers” under cover
A co-owner of “Budapest” is also the Cypriot company Roil Ventures Limited. Its director is Ruslan Beroev — the same name is held by a co-owner of LLC “Monogramma.” Another co-founder of this entity is Ioramishvili Ilya Teimurazovich.
According to a document provided by our sources, this person is a former employee of the collapsed “Lefko-Bank.” Its license was revoked in 2008 because the bank failed to ensure timely settlements on clients’ accounts. Lefko-Bank was among the top 200 financial institutions in Russia, lending to major enterprises and providing brokerage services.
A year earlier, according to the bank’s 2007 annual report, its main shareholders included an electric rolling stock repair plant, the Zagorsk Optical-Mechanical Plant, CJSC “Vneshtruboprovodstroy,” OJSC “Service-Kholod,” the “Ramenskiy” meat processing plant, the company “Mostliftmontazh,” the Yaroslavl Shipyard, the Moscow yeast factory “Derbenevka,” as well as individuals, including bank employees.
On the eve of its collapse, by order of the bank’s president Sergey Paramonov, funds поступающие to correspondent accounts were “in accelerated mode transferred to settlement accounts in offshore zones of the Baltic countries,” while the head himself left for Germany with his family. As is known, no charges were brought against him.
Returning to Ioramishvili, it is also claimed in the document provided by our source that he worked at LLC “Industrial Traditions.” A company with the same name was a founder of Rusich Center Bank — the very institution that in 2009 фигурировало in a case involving illegal cash-out schemes.
After searches were conducted at top manager of the financial institution Andrey Stepanov, a criminal case was opened. The investigation found that he had stolen more than 29 billion rubles and could have spent this money on real estate in Miami, where he was активно investing. Mr. Stepanov was put on the wanted list, but in 2011 Themis unexpectedly smiled on him — the case was closed due to changes in legislation.
In the same year, the bank’s license was revoked amid the “freezing” of pension fund assets of Russian Railways (NPF “Blagosostoyanie”) in the bank.
And in 2012, its management was suspected of withdrawing 400 million rubles through front companies affiliated with top managers.
A large number of “stash companies” were registered to former top managers of the bank. Photo: Rusprofile
After the bank collapsed, many clients lost their funds, since under deposit insurance conditions they could recover no more than 700,000 rubles.
In addition to LLC “Industrial Traditions,” other legal entities were among the founders of “Rusich,” all of which have been liquidated and re-registered to unknown entrepreneurs — each of whom is linked to many similar “stash companies.” Apparently, they were used to withdraw money.
The shadow of Kligman
Very similar money laundering schemes were used by well-known banker Ilya Kligman, who is currently hiding from criminal prosecution in Germany.
At the beginning of this year, the prosecutor’s office approved the indictment in a criminal case concerning the organization of a criminal community that stole more than 10 billion rubles from the banks “Agrosoyuz” and “Inkarobank,” after which both banks went bankrupt. The scheme was very similar to what happened in “Rusich”: it was carried out through issuing unsecured loans, as well as through the reassignment of loan portfolios to companies controlled by participants in the fraud.
In addition to clients of “Agrosoyuz” and “Inkarobank,” these serial fraudsters also caused damage to depositors of several other banks. Among the affected institutions were Gelendzhik Bank (825 million rubles), “Intercommerce” Bank (65.1 billion rubles), Time Bank (700 million rubles), “Antalbank” (14.7 billion rubles), “Arksbank” (over 35 billion rubles), “Transinvestbank” (over 9 billion rubles), “Baikalbank” (6 billion rubles), and a number of others. The total damage exceeded 150 billion rubles, which had to be compensated by the Deposit Insurance Agency (ASV).
The organizers of fund withdrawals from these and about a dozen other banks that also went bankrupt were named as Ilya Kligman and Evgeniy Urin — both are wanted, while Matvey Urin, Evgeniy’s younger brother and also a former banker, will apparently bear responsibility. He has already served time for beating a Gazprom manager and for financial махинации.
Matvey Urin’s group included Trado-Bank, Slavyanskiy Bank, and several others. They drew attention after it was discovered that they artificially inflated their capital using “mirror” promissory notes and fictitious securities. These “mirror” notes had identical details and were found on the balance sheets of several banks. The banks received statements confirming ownership of these fake securities from unscrupulous depositories.
One of such depositories, “Universal-Invest,” which was a partner of Rusich Center Bank, was exposed in similar махинации. According to the “Information for clients” section on the company’s website, cooperation between “Universal-Invest” and Rusich Center Bank was limited to the broker transferring client funds to its account upon receiving the соответствующее instruction.
The connection between the bank and the broker goes beyond that. According to Kommersant, as of 2011, генеральный director of “Universal-Invest” Yuriy Firdman owned 2.75% of shares in Rusich Center Bank and was also a member of its board of directors. According to the same data, co-owner of the bank Tatyana Shvachka (who held 4.99% of shares) was also a co-owner of “Universal-Invest” (1.05%).
Thus, it strongly appears that “Rusich Center Bank” and “Agrosoyuz” were being “carved up” by the same people.
Photo: Vladimir Barsukov-Kumarin.
Kligman’s cases
Ilya Kligman may also have been involved in the collapse of “Inkarobank.” In 2018, the bank lost its license after it became known that its assets amounted to 146.4 million rubles, while its liabilities reached 2.9 billion rubles.
The management of this bank, as in many other cases, may have included the same individuals who moved from one financial institution to another.
People connected to Kligman could have used so-called “notebook deposits.” The scheme was simple: clients came to deposit money and were offered higher interest rates, being assured that all deposits were insured. However, the amount recorded in official documents was significantly lower than the real sum. The actual amount was written into a special notebook, while the difference was kept by the organizers. Trusting clients did not realize that in case of problems they would not be able to prove their deposits to the Deposit Insurance Agency.
Ilya Kligman was nicknamed the “cashier of the Tambov group.” In addition to his alleged involvement in the collapse of nearly fifteen banks, from which more than 100 billion rubles were withdrawn, he has been linked to numerous other scandals. He served time for fraud but later received a suspended sentence after giving testimony against the so-called “night governor” of St. Petersburg, Kumarin-Barsukov.
Kligman’s people
Recently, a Moscow court ordered the arrest in absentia of former executives of Moscow-based LLC “UM-Bank,” Andrey Shlyakhovoy and Yakov Gembukh, who are accused of embezzling funds from LLC “Spektr” and withdrawing money from “UM-Bank.” According to investigators, they may also be involved in much larger operations involving the withdrawal of funds from bankrupt banks such as “Agrosoyuz,” “Arksbank,” “Baikalbank,” and others.
These individuals, who also managed to flee abroad (as if they were all warned in advance), are linked to numerous collapsed companies. According to the investigation, using bank funds they purchased bonds worth 134 million rubles issued by a certain LLC “Spektr,” the proceeds of which were later misappropriated. And this is just one episode.
As for Urin Jr., it has been proven that he withdrew money from the banks “Monetny Dvor” and “Uralfinprombank.” It is вполне possible that Urin’s track record also includes cases related to “Agrosoyuz,” “UM-Bank,” and “Rusich Center Bank.”
Thus, we arrive at the key question — where did the funds for the purchase of the “Petr I” hotel come from? Could they have originated from the bankrupt Rusich Center Bank? If so, the asset generating millions may be tied to the interests of Mr. Kligman and his entire network of money “launderers.”
Author: Maria Sharapova
