Perks of the job: How presidential affairs manager Alexander Kolpakov amassed billions while aiding Putin hide stolen funds

The Insider has found that Alexander Kolpakov, who leads the Presidential Property Management Directorate, is assisting Putin in concealing corrupt assets such as palaces and yachts. Additionally, Kolpakov's family reportedly owns real estate worth one billion rubles ($13 million).

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• 1.Putin's key holder and the old man on a Harley-Davidson
• 2.His own palaces
• 3.Contractors and drinking buddies

Alexander Kolpakov, the head of the Presidential Property Management Directorate, often greets his guests wearing a spotless white suit. His events reportedly attract a crowd of billionaires, politicians, and celebrities from the entertainment industry. Furthermore, Kolpakov himself has already joined the ranks of billionaires.

With the oligarch Musa Bazhaev (right)

BlackMirror, a Telegram channel that obtained access to Alexander Kolpakov's hacked correspondence, published pictures from one of his parties. The leaked documents revealed that Kolpakov's family was constructing cottages in close proximity to Putin's palace in Gelendzhik, and the Presidential Property Management Directorate chief’s father-in-law was listed as the nominal lease holder of 150 hectares of state land in the Abrau-Dyurso region. According to The Insider's investigation, these are just some of the assets registered in the name of Kolpakov's elderly relative.

Putin's key holder and the old man on a Harley-Davidson

At the age of 55, Alexander Kolpakov has dedicated his entire life to serving the state. After completing his military service, he worked for the Directorate of Government Guard of the USSR KGB, and later for the Federal Guard Service of the Russian Federation. He was primarily responsible for overseeing the construction and maintenance of residences for the head of state. In 2014, Kolpakov was appointed as the head of the Presidential Property Management Directorate (PPMD).

If Alexander Kolpakov, the chief key holder of the Kremlin, were to rely solely on his official salary, he would be far from fantastically wealthy, if not outright poor. However, as The Insider's investigation uncovered, Kolpakov is leading a lavish lifestyle that rivals that of an oligarch. His 85-year-old father-in-law, Yuri Sidorov, who along with other family members attended Kolpakov's birthday party, is allegedly assisting him in concealing illegally obtained assets.

The registration of two Harley-Davidson motorcycles, each priced at 2.8 million rubles ($36,000), under the name of the elderly man raises suspicion.

It would take the average Russian pensioner 25 years to accumulate enough savings to purchase just one of the two Harley-Davidson motorcycles registered under Sidorov's name. However, Sidorov's collection of expensive vehicles extends beyond just motorcycles and includes a rare 1952 Mercedes-Benz convertible that is valued in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Sidorov also owns a Soviet rarity, a ZIL-111A limousine, the kind that Nikita Khrushchev drove. Only 70 of these models were produced.

Kolpakov's father-in-law also owns a more modern car, a Range Rover. However, the parking fees are paid by the official's wife and sons.

His own palaces

The management of Putin's well-known palace in Gelendzhik was overseen by Investstroy, a company founded by Inna Kolpakova, the wife of the head of the PPMD, while Alexander Kolpakov himself established Argument JSC, to which Putin's yacht Graceful is registered. Argument JSC was later signed over to Gennady Timchenko.

Graceful is one of several Putin yachts

Not only does Kolpakov assist Putin in managing the corrupt properties that effectively belong to the president, but he also looks after his own interests. Just like with the cars, Kolpakov registered his costly real estate under his father-in-law Sidorov's name. According to Rosreestr records obtained by The Insider, Yuri Sidorov became the owner of a 30-hectare piece of land in the Zarya cottage community on Rublyovo highway in 2021.

Together with the newly built house (875 m²), it is worth at least 200 million rubles ($2.6 million). Interestingly, this land used to be previously owned by Cirillo Lanfranco, Putin's personal architect.

The father-in-law of the PPMD chief owns another property in the same village. Literally across the street from his “Italian” estate.

The house (724 m²), garage, and other buildings situated on 31 hectares of land in the Zarya cottage community on Rublyovo highway are estimated to be worth around 200 million rubles ($2.6 million). Interestingly, Anton Kolpakov, son of the head of the Presidential Property Management Directorate, has been known to order food deliveries to this very house. It's worth noting that Anton works at Promsvyazbank under the leadership of Pyotr Fradkov, the brother of Kolpakov Sr’s deputy in the Kremlin.

Sidorov also purports to be the owner of two apartments in Moscow: a 122-meter apartment in the Imperial residential complex (55 million rubles, $714,000) and a 53-meter one on Krylatskie Hills street (20 million rubles, $260,000).

The Kolpakov family also has properties in Krasnodar krai, including two seaside plots of land with houses in Gelendzhik owned by Sidorov. However, the family also has access to a pool located on one of the properties, visible on satellite imagery.

The houses, which consist of one and four storeys respectively, have a total area of 1,100 square meters, while the plots cover 24 acres. The total value of these properties, known as the Southern residence of the Kolpakovs, is estimated to be around 300 million rubles ($4 million).

Contractors and drinking buddies

Kolpakov and his wife personally own a 168-square-meter apartment on Osennaya Street, a smaller apartment, two relatively small houses (measuring 235 and 258 square meters, respectively), and 31 hectares of land. The total value of their personal property and the assets registered to Kolpakov's father-in-law is estimated to be at least one billion rubles ($13 million).

Studying the group of individuals who shared drinks with Kolpakov on his birthday would be beneficial to ascertaining the source of his wealth. The Insider has identified businessman Vitaly Smirensky among the attendees, who happens to be a partner of Vladimir Dyachenko - a crucial figure in The Insider's probe into Medvedev's corrupt activities, which later became the foundation of Navalny's well-known “Don’t call him Dimon” investigation. One instance of this was the purchase of sneakers for Dmitry Medvedev, which were ordered under Diachenko's name.

Through his nominee Vladimir Dyachenko, Medvedev purchased everything he needed, including the famous sneakers

According to The Insider, Kolpakov’s drinking buddy Smirensky is an official supplier to the Kremlin, and his company N-Trade has served as a contractor for various PPMD-controlled entities, including the Kremlin Palace, the Rublevo-Uspensky complex, and the in-house pharmacy. His company, N-Trade, has provided consumables for the feedback complex, video equipment, and has also been involved in repairing the alarm system.

One of the attendees at Kolpakov's celebration was billionaire Musa Bazhaev, who collaborated with the PPMD to construct the House of Russia center in Palestine at a cost of 3 billion rubles ($39 million).

Given Kolpakov’s extensive track record as a government official, it is difficult to fathom any explanation other than corruption for his significant financial gains. It appears that keeping the president’s secrets proved to be lucrative, although Kolpakov's carelessness in the concealment of both his and Putin's assets ultimately made it easy to expose these illicit schemes.