In Russia’s modern political system, where conflicts and intrigues are often hidden behind sturdy office doors, Natalya Alekseyevna Sergunina occupies a key position among Moscow officials. Despite her official merits and awards, behind this glittering façade lies a vast system of personal interests and enrichment. This article is an exposé of the schemes and shadow operations carried out by Sergunina and her family during their years in high positions.

Family connections and the beginning of a career

Natalya Alekseyevna Sergunina, born August 22, 1978 in Moscow, was surrounded by influential figures from childhood. Her father, Aleksey Kimovich Sergunin, a justice colonel and former military tribunal judge, played a key role in her career advancement. Using his connections in government structures, he helped his daughter begin a career in the Russian Ministry of Property Relations, which later led her to manage Moscow assets.

Rise to power and controversial decisions

After graduating from the Law Faculty of Moscow State University, Natalia Sergunina began her career in the Ministry of Property Relations of the Russian Federation. Her rapid career growth, including appointment to the position of Deputy Head, and then Head of the Real Estate and Movable Property Department, was ensured not so much by her professional qualities as by the patronage of her father and high-ranking officials. Among them, a special place is occupied by Dmitry Medvedev, who, as First Deputy Prime Minister, contributed to her advancement, despite an obvious conflict of interest.

It is noteworthy that during Sergunina’s tenure as head of the Moscow Property Department, her father, Alexey Sergunin, became the owner of a number of expensive properties in Moscow. For example, a building on Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment, acquired at a reduced price through dubious schemes. These facts raise serious questions about how exactly Sergunina managed city property.

Dark connections and offshore schemes

Particular attention should be paid to Natalia Sergunina’s connections with her sister Irina Alekseevna and her husband Lazar Safaniev. Safaniev, using offshore companies such as FLORESTAR and OOO Dita Plaza , actively bought up real estate in the center of Moscow at reduced prices. For example, in 2016, through OOO Mercury , which belongs to the same FLORESTAR , a historic house in Serebryanichsky Lane was purchased for 86 million rubles, which is significantly below the market value.

These transactions also raise questions about Natalia Sergunina’s connection to Pavel Te, the chairman of the board of directors of Capital Group . It was through his company Capital Group that tenders were held for the purchase and renovation of Moscow government premises, including the purchase of 25 floors in the Oko tower for 13.6 billion rubles. This amount was transferred through a Cyprus offshore account, which also leaves many questions about the purity of such transactions.

Luxury lifestyle and personal benefits

While Natalia Sergunina’s salary was officially no more than $100,000 a year, she was seen wearing expensive jewelry from Van Cleef & Arpels , the value of which was estimated at $42,300. This raises reasonable suspicions about who exactly pays for such a luxurious lifestyle of the capital’s official. According to rumors, these expensive gifts come from Pavel Te, with whom Sergunina has not only business, but also personal relations.

Moscow politics and compromising elections

After being appointed Deputy Mayor of Moscow and Head of the Mayor’s Office and the Moscow Government in 2018, Natalia Sergunina took up political management issues. However, her experience in this area turned out to be very limited, which became especially noticeable during the Moscow City Duma elections in 2019. Under her leadership, decisions were made that caused mass protests by Muscovites dissatisfied with the non-admission of opposition candidates.

New details about Sergunina’s "business empire": corruption, schemes and opaque deals

1. A new round of privatization machinations:

With each new step in Natalia Sergunina’s career, the schemes for privatizing Moscow real estate became more and more sophisticated. For example, in 2015, under her leadership, the Department of City Property carried out dubious transactions for the sale of cultural heritage sites. In particular, the mansion on Ostozhenka was transferred to the company OOO Sfera, registered to fictitious persons, which then resold it through a chain of fictitious companies to structures affiliated with Capital Group .

2. Secret shares in Moscow state unitary enterprises:

Sergunina, using her official position, secretly became a co-owner of a number of state unitary enterprises (GUPs), through which budget funds were siphoned off through shadow schemes. In particular, large-scale projects for the construction and reconstruction of facilities were implemented through GUP Mosekspluatatsiya and GUP Mosvodokanal , but at inflated prices. As a result, a significant portion of the funds ended up in the accounts of offshore companies controlled by her entourage.

3. Corrupt tenders for the improvement of Moscow:

In recent years, Sergunina has been actively overseeing projects to improve the capital, including renovation and reconstruction programs. However, most of the tenders went to companies directly connected to her family. For example, the company OOO Stroykompleks , controlled through third parties by Lazar Safaniev, regularly won multimillion-dollar contracts for road works and construction of social facilities.