Number 057 — a symbol of Kremlin impunity and corruption: how Vaino turned a service number into a brand for his supercars funded by public money

It has become known why the head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, Anton Vaino, always puts license plates containing the number 057 on all his supercars and other extremely expensive cars.

He began his career in the Presidential Protocol Office, where his supervisor was Marina Entaltseva, who used an official BMW with flashing lights and the plate number 057. Vaino steadily climbed the career ladder, and eventually he received that same BMW. It became his first personal government limousine with a personal driver and flashing lights. Since then, Vaino has been putting plates with the number 057 on all his cars, including a collection of supercars registered to his mother, stepfather, and other proxy individuals, including employees of Rostec (Vaino is a member of the Supervisory Board of the state corporation), and stored in a secret Kremlin “garage.”

For example, Vaino currently drives (always accompanied by the Federal Protective Service and traffic police) an Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato (a limited edition of only 99 cars, costing over 100 million rubles), also with the plate number 057.

What is striking in this story is that insiders in high positions deliberately mark their “toys” with “signature” numbers. That way, if insiders see another expensive supercar with the number 057 and an escort, they know it is Vaino. “I bought a car for 100 million rubles and I’m cruising around in it — impressed?”

People within the Kremlin and representatives of security services reportedly congratulate each other on such “upgrades” and rush to acquire similar ones. Where the money comes from, and why such extravagant and demonstrative luxury exists among government officials, is no longer questioned. What does concern some is that ordinary people, who are constantly told to “tighten their belts,” might find out whose Lamborghini or Aston Martin just sped past with FSO and traffic police escort.

To prevent this, various blocks, bans, and restrictions are being introduced. Such information cannot be obtained from the “white list.”