Rossiya Bank

The Rossiya Bank (Bank Rossiya, in Russian: Акционерный коммерческий банк Россия, АКБ Россия) is a Russian joint stock bank founded on June 27, 1990. The company's headquarters are in Saint Petersburg.

Bank Rossiya
Public company joint stock company
IndustryFinancial services
Founded1990 (1990)
HeadquartersSaint Petersburg, Russia
Key people
Dmitri Lebedev, CEO
Yury Kovalchuk, Board chairman
ProductsFinancial services
Revenue71,098,900,000 Russian ruble[1] (2017) 
2,400,000,000 Russian ruble (31 December 2012) 
Number of employees
2,106 (31 December 2011) 
RatingA+ (ACRA) (2017)[2]
Websitewww.abr.ru

History
Rossiya's Headquarters on Rastrelli Square in Saint Petersburg

Communist Party ownership and 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt

In 1990, the CPSU committee of the Leningrad Oblast became its largest shareholder (48.4%),[3][4][lower-alpha 1] but after the coup attempt in August 1991 the bank's activity was frozen as it was CPSU-related.[5] It was the first commercial bank to hold accounts for the foreign economic operations of both the regional committee of the CPSU and the local management of the KGB.

In December 1991 its activity was resumed, as the shares had been redeemed by some member ventures of the Leningrad Association of Joint Ventures,[lower-alpha 2] shares of which were held by Vladimir Yakunin, Yuriy Kovalchuk, Mikhail Markov, Viktor Myachin, Andrei Fursenko, Sergey Fursenko, Yury Nikolayev.[5]

Putin's capital support from Leningrad casinos

Beginning in 1991, Vladimir Putin was St Petersburg's chairman of the supervisory board for casinos and gambling (Russian: Председатель наблюдательного совета по казино и азартным играм) and, in 1993, began issuing gambling licenses in which shares were gained by the city of St Petersburg in the company Neva Chance (Russian: «Нева-Шанс») which owned the first St Petersburg casino AOZT Casino (Russian: АОЗТ «Казино») because it had the same address and phone numbers as city hall, but later it became JV Casino Neva (Russian: СП «Казино Нева») and opened on 19 August 1991.[6][7][8][9][10] In 1992 or 1993 it changed its name to Laguna, then in 1997 to Admiral Club or more simply known as Admiral.[9] According to the Yakuza Kinichi Kamiyasu[11] who supplied slot machines with cash prizes to St Petersburg casinos in the 1990s from his Stockholm, Sweden, company Dyna Computer Service AB which was a subsidiary of the Masimichi Iida (Japanese: 飯田正道) (Russian: брата шефа Киничи из Осака Ииды Мисамичи the brother of Chef Kinichi from Osaka, Iida Misamichi) owned Osaka firm, Dyna Company Ltd.,[12] the criminals Gennady Petrov (Russian: Геннадий Петров),[13] Alexander Malyshev (Russian: Александр Малышев),[14] and Sergey Kuzmin (Russian: Сергей Кузьмин) operated the casino through a Vladimir Putin issued license in order to establish JV Petrodin (Russian: СП «Петродин») in 1991.[9] JV Petrodin, which Kamiyasu owned a 35% stake and Gennady Petrov and Sergey Kuzmin owned a 65% stake through their company BXM (Russian: «БХМ»), used the money from the casinos to provide capital for Bank Rossiya.[9][10][15][16]

Capital outflows from the Soviet Union and Russia

In March 1992, the Yeltsin government contracted Kroll Associates to track down and find very large sums of money that had been removed from the Soviet Union prior to the August 1991 putsch on the Russian White House.[17][18] In 1992, First Deputy Prime Minister Yegor Timurovich Gaidar said, "Last year saw large-scale privatization by the nomenklatura, privatization by officials for their own personal benefit."[19] Gaidar called the Communists and KGB officials criminals and that a "a vigorous search" for the money trails from state-owned capital had flowed abroad virtually unchecked before the collapse of the Soviet Union in the summer of 1991.[18] On March 15, 1992, the Russian government froze all capital outflows from Russia.[18] In April 1992, Kroll Associates began their investigations with Joseph Serio heading the Kroll Associates efforts in Moscow.[20][lower-alpha 3] Also, Joseph Rosetti, the vice chairman of Kroll Associates, was in Moscow to assist.[18] The Kroll Associates determined that more than $14 billion in 1991 real dollars had been transferred from Switzerland to New York prior to the August 1991 putsch.[19] Also, the Communist Party of the former Soviet Union along with other government agencies, such as the KGB, had transferred more than $40 billion in 2014 real dollars out of the country.[22][lower-alpha 4] The assests of the Vneshekonombank were frozen during the investigation.[19] However, numerous transactions occurred to bypass the capital flow restrictions often with the British Barclays Bank in Cyprus acting a money laundering center for public officials from Saint Petersburg and Moscow.[19][lower-alpha 5] According to Valery Makharadze, the government's chief inspector, many joint stock companies were formed to provide an illegal means for capital outflows from Russia, such as the Leningrad Association of Joint Ventures[lower-alpha 6] and KOLO.[25][19][lower-alpha 7] Numerous officials became wealthy Russian oligarchs including numerous former KGB officials, prominent Communists such as Oleg Belyakov and other former Communists who headed the party Central Committee department that dealt with the defense industry, as well as Leonid Kravchenko, who was the former head of the state television and radio company.[19] Jules Kroll, the head of the Kroll Associates, uncovered hundreds of illicit transactions with massive capital outflows.[26] This outflow of capital from the Soviet Union and Russia directly contributed to severe economic conditions in Russia during Boris Yeltsin's second term, leading to its collapse, and resulting in the age of Vladimir Putin as the President of Russia.[17]

From 1998 to 2000 OCG Organized Crime Gang Tambov Gang leaders Gennady Petrov and Sergei Kuzmin each owned 2.2% of bank shares, and they were represented at meetings by Andrei Shumkov, who sat on the Bank's board of directors from 1998 to 2000 (as the Vedomosti business newspaper reported). In 1998 and 1999, 14.2% of Rossia's stock belonged to the St Petersburg firms Ergen, Forward Ltd and Fuel Investment Company (TIK), all associated with Mr Shumkov. Mr Shumkov and Mr Kuzmin owned Ergen, while BKhM and Finance Petroleum Company, both affiliated with Mr Kuzmin and Mr Petrov, were TIK co-owners.[27]

Putin as president of Russia

As of January 1, 2005, its major shareholders were Yuriy Kovalchuk with 37.6%, Nikolai Shamalov with 9.7%, Dmitry Gorelov with 9.7% and Alexei Mordashov's Severstal group with 8.8%.[3][4][5]

As of 2006, its major shareholders were Yuriy Kovalchuk (30.4%), Dmitry Gorelov (12.58%), Nikolay Shamalov (12.58%), JSC Transoil CIS (9.54%), JSC Severstal Group (7.15%), JSC Accept (3.93%) – owned by grandson of Vladimir Putin's uncle Michael Shelomov,[28] JSC Relax (3.65%), "Assistance to Business Initiatives" Non-Commercial Enterprise (3.08%), Russian Federal Property Fund (2.93%).[29]

On December 28, 2006, Fitch Ratings assigned the bank negative ratings (Long Term issuer Default rating B-, Short Term rating B, National Long Term rating BB- (RUS)[30]). As a subsidiary of the bank, ABRos Investment Company, had signed a non-transparent deal aiming to buy a considerable share of the Ren TV Media Holding (see below).[31]

During the 2012–13 financial crisis in Cyprus, more than one third (26.3 billion rubles) of Rossiya Bank's total cash (85.4 billion rubles) was frozen in Cypriot accounts.[32][lower-alpha 8]

On June 28, 2013, its major shareholders were Yuri Kovalchuk 30%, Dmitri Gorelov and Nikolai Shamalov 10.5% each, Gennady Timchenko 8%, Gazprom about 16%, Alexei Mordashov 6%.[32]

Sanctions

On March 20, 2014, the United States Government Office of Foreign Assets Control added Rossiya Bank to the Specially Designated Nationals List (SDN) as part of sanctions taken in response to the 2014 Crimean crisis, placing restrictions on US trade with the bank.[33][34][35][36] Visa and Mastercard stopped processing the bank's payment as a result.[37]

In response Vladimir Putin announced that he would open a ruble-only account with Bank Rossiya and would make it the primary bank in the newly annexed Crimea as well as giving the right to service payments on Russia's $36 billion wholesale electricity market – which gave the bank $112 million annually from commission charges alone.[38] Bank Rossiya also announced plans to expand into the Crimean market, becoming the first major Russian bank to do so.[37]

Assets worth – historical data
Date Asset worth Rank in banks ranking
April 1, 2005 12.2 billion rubles 68 in Russia
October 1, 2006 30.2 billion rubles 44 in Russia
April 1, 2015 508 billion rubles[39] 17 in Russia

Management

The head of its board of directors were, in order, Vladimir Kolovay and Andrei Katkov. The current head of the board of directors is Yury Kovalchuk, who has held this position since 2004.[40]

Director General and Head of the Management Committee:

On September 24, 2004, Viktor Myachin resigned from the Director General position and Mikhail Klishin, who had been the First Deputy Director General and held a 0.197% share, was appointed acting Director General.[43]

On December 10, 2004, Mikhail Klishin was appointed Director General, as the Central Bank of the Russian Federation had agreed to this decision.[44]

On April 3, 2006, the board of directors appointed Dmitry Lebedev Director General and Head of the Management Committee. Mikhail Klishin (holder of a 0.159% share) was appointed First Deputy Director General. The Management Committee appointed on that day: Dmitry Lebedev, Oleg Anufriev, Alexander Germanov, Konstantin Gorbachyov, Faniya Kabalina, Mikhail Klishin, Galina Lebedeva, Alexander Markin, Oleg Filatov.[45]

On December 26, 2006, the board of directors of the Bank elected its new Management Committee consisting of Dmitry Lebedev (Head, Director General), Alexander Germanov, Konstantin Gorbachyov, Faniya Kabalina, Mikhail Klishin, Alexander Markin and Boris Tikhonenko.[46]

Subsidiaries

As of 2005, the bank is a shareholder of the following companies[47] (see ):

  • JSC ABRos Investment Company (100%)
  • JSC Alfa Invest (100%)
  • JSC ABR Trust (100%)
  • JSC ABR Security Company (100%)
  • JSC ZEST (100%)
  • JSC Sankt-Peterburgskie Vedomosti Editorial House (20%, increased up to 35% in 2005)
  • JSC newspaper Sankt-Peterburgskie Vedomosti (20%, increased up to 35% in 2005 )
  • JSC Fund for Regional Development of St. Petersburg (15%)
  • JSC Center for Innovative Management (10%).
  • JSC Red Chemist (7.36%).

In January 2005 it turned out that ABRos, a subsidiary of the bank, and Accept, one of its shareholders, held a 49.97% share and a 13.5% share of the insurance group SOGAZ Ltd., respectively[48] , after a 49.979% share of the SOGAZ group had been sold by the Russian gas giant Gazprom to an unnamed purchaser for 1.69 billion rubles on July 26, 2004 , and in August 2004 Gazprom had sold 26% more of SOGAZ for 879.3 million rubles.[49]

On November 2005 ABRos Investment Company (chairman of the board of Directors since September 11, 2006: Lyubov Sovershaeva)[50] purchased a 37% share of the Petersburg TV and Radio Company.[51][52] Also it owns a considerable share of the Media Holding Ren TV (as of December 2006, ). On December 18, 2006 Lyubov Sovershaeva also became the chairman of the board of Directors of the Ren TV Media Holding (replacing Alexey Germanovich, a Severstal Group representative).

Notes
  1. Upon registration, Russian Video (Russian: "Русское видео") held a 13 million ruble stake compared to the CPSU's 15 million stake. Others with stakes were Rus (Russian: "Русь"), an insurance company, and Digital Transfer, a Soviet-Belgian company. Rossiya Bank's total capital at registration was 31 million rubles.
  2. The president of the Saint Petersburg Association of Joint Ventures was Gennady Volodchenko (Russian: Геннадий Володченко) and its CEO of TSA was Vladimir Kozhin (Russian: Владимир Кожин) and Vladimir Putin oversaw its interests from his city office. In 1993, Vitaly Savelyev (Russian: Виталий Савельев) became the advisor to the board of Rossiya Bank.
  3. From 1990-1, Joseph Serio, an American, worked with the Soviet Interior Ministry as an American liaison.[21]
  4. Other estimates show that the KGB had removed $50 billion in 1992 real dollars.[18]
  5. Vladimir Putin was in charge of the Committee for Foreign Liaison, (Russian: комитет внешних связей), the Committee for Foreign Economic Relations, or the Committee for External Relations during this period. Later, he was the advisor to Anatoly Sobchak until June 1991 while Sobchak headed the Leningrad City Council from May 1990 to June 1991. After Sobchak became the Mayor of Saint Petersburg, Putin became Sobchak's first deputy and later Sobchak's first deputy mayor. By 1990, Sobchak was reviled by the KGB for his uncovering of numerous irregularities and illegal actions by the KGB and former KGB officials.[23]
  6. The Leningrad Association of Joint Ventures was formed in 1990 and had two joint ventures with Germany, one with the United States, and one with Finland (FILCO).[24]
  7. KOLO removed part of the assets of six defense and space complex firms.[19]
  8. In 2013, this was equal to one billion United States dollars.[32]
  9. Mikhail Alekseevich Klishin (Russian: Михаил Алексеевич Клишин) (b. October 9, 1954) graduated from the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute (Russian: Ленинградский политехнический институт) with a degree in metallurgical engineering in 1980 and from the International Banking Institute (Russian: Международный банковский институт) in St. Petersburg in 1998. From 1980-1992, he was KGB in the management of the Leningrad Oblast, Soviet Union. From 1992-1995, he was Deputy General Director of Avanburg Joint Venture (JV) (Russian: СП “Аванбург”) which was established 18 November 1991 and liquidated 22 January 2007.[41][42] From 1995 to 1997, he headed the Credit Department of the Rossiya Bank. In 1997-1998, he headed the credit department of the St. Petersburg branch of Tokobank (Russian: Токобанк). In 1998, he was appointed Deputy General Director of Rossiya Bank and, in 1999, he became First Deputy General Director of Rossiya Bank.[3][4]

References
  1. "Рейтинг крупнейших компаний России по объему реализации продукции". Expert RA. Archived from the original on October 28, 2018. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  2. "BANK "ROSSIYA"". ACRA. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  3. Anna Shcherbakova. Interview with Mikhail Klishin, Director General of the Russia Bank. Vedomosti #35(1316), March 1, 2005. (in Russian)
  4. Щербакова, Анна (Scherbakova, Anna) (March 1, 2005). "Не все определяется высокими процентными ставками. Интервью: Михаил Клишин, гендиректор банка "Россия"" [Not everything is determined by high interest rates. Interview: Mikhail Klishin, CEO of Rossiya Bank]. Vedomosti (in Russian) (#35(1316)). Archived from the original on March 23, 2007. Retrieved January 28, 2020 – via Компромат.Ru (Compromat.Ru).
  5. The Origin of Putin's Oligarchy Archived June 21, 2006, at the Wayback Machine by Vladimir Pribylovsky. Ms., October 11, 2005. (in Russian)
  6. "Пригожин Евгений Викторович" [Prigozhin Evgeny Viktorovich]. Zampolit (in Russian). Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  7. "Расследования. Кто такой Пригожин: Игорный бизнес, питерская дружба, ресторан в Доме правительства" [Investigations. Who is Prigogine: Gambling, Petersburg friendship, restaurant in the Government House]. Novaya Gazeta (in Russian). September 1, 2011. Archived from the original on October 30, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  8. Петлянова, Нина (Petlyanova, Nina) (October 14, 2011). "Рецепт успеха личного повара Путина. Почему ресторатору Евгению Пригожину разрешили кормить нас блюдами, которые не портятся 21 день*" [Plots. The recipe for success for Putin’s personal chef: Why restaurateur Evgeny Prigozhin was allowed to feed us dishes that do not spoil for 21 days*]. Novaya Gazeta (in Russian). Archived from the original on April 15, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  9. Иванидзе, Владимир (Ivanidze, Vladimir) (February 8, 2012). "Сюжеты. Кому Нева дала шанс: Игорный бизнес в Санкт-Петербурге начинали российские ОПГ и японские якудза. Под контролем мэрии. Уникальное свидетельство непосредственного участника событий" [Plots. To whom Neva gave a chance: Gambling business in St. Petersburg was started by Russian organized crime groups and Japanese yakuza. Under the control of the city hall. Unique evidence of a direct participant in the events]. Novaya Gazeta (in Russian). Archived from the original on April 8, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  10. Кириленко, Анастасия (Kirilenko, Anastasia) (April 21, 2016). "Путин глазами якудзы. Японский мафиози рассказал о своем бизнесе в Петербурге" [Putin through the eyes of the Yakuza. Japanese mafiosi spoke about his business in St. Petersburg]. The Insider (in Russian). Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  11. Артемов, Денис (Artyomov, Denis) (July 28, 2016). "Почетные гости Александра Малышева – Якудза" [Honored guests of Alexander Malyshev - Yakuza]. mzk1.ru (in Russian). Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  12. "株式会社ダイナ" [Dyna Corporation]. baseconnect.in (in Japanese). Osaka. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  13. "Геннадий Петров Лидер малышевской ОПГ" [Gennady Petrov Leader of the Malyshevskaya organized crime group]. rusmafiozi (in Russian). March 13, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  14. "Александр Малышев Лидер малышевской ОПГ" [Alexander Malyshev Leader of the Malyshevskaya organized crime group]. rusmafiozi (in Russian). March 13, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  15. Кириленко, Анастасия (Kirilenko, Anastasia) (July 2, 2015). "Мафия на госзаказе. Как новые кремлевские олигархи связаны с преступным миром" [Mafia at the state order. How are the new Kremlin oligarchs connected with the underworld]. The Insider (in Russian). Archived from the original on July 3, 2015. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  16. "Крыша российской элиты" [The roof of the Russian elite]. Fontaka.ru (in Russian). June 23, 2008. Archived from the original on June 27, 2008. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  17. Dawisha, Karen (2014). Putin's Kleptocracy: Who Owns Russia?. Simon & Schuster. p. 18. ISBN 978-1-4767-9519-5.
  18. Bohlen, Celestine (March 3, 1992). "U.S. Company to Help Russia Track Billions". The New York Times. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  19. Sneider, Daniel (March 4, 1992). "Russia Goes After 'Party Gold': Money Communist officials allegedly shifted out of the country is called crucial to reform". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  20. Dawisha p. 19
  21. Dawish p. 19
  22. Dawisha p. 18
  23. Dawisha p. 55, 88
  24. Dawisha p. 65
  25. Dawisha p. 65
  26. Tikhomirov, Vladimir (1997). "Capital Flight from Post-Soviet Russia". Europe-Asia Studies. 49 (4): 592.
  27. Rossia & Company, premier.gov.ru, May 13, 2009.
  28. "From the New Times: Putin and His 'Family' – Gazprom : The Other Russia". Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  29. The Russia Bank, Stockmap.spb.ru
  31. Fitch put ratings of the Russia bank in its Rating Watch list with a negative mark, Finnews.ru, January 9, 2007 (in Russian).
  32. "У петербургского банка "Россия" в кризис на Кипре завис миллиард долларов: По оценке независимых экспертов, на кипрском депозите в период заморозки находилась треть денежных средств организации" [The St. Petersburg Bank "Russia" in the crisis in Cyprus, a billion dollars: According to independent experts, a third of the organization's money was frozen in the Cyprus accounts.] (in Russian). Neva.Today. June 28, 2013. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  33. US Treasury
  34. Specially Designated Nationals List (SDN)
  35. "Treasury Sanctions Russian Officials, Members of the Russian Leadership's Inner Circle, And An Entity For Involvement in the Situation in Ukraine". United States Treasury Department. March 20, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  36. Shuklin, Peter (March 21, 2014). "Putin's inner circle: who got in a new list of US sanctions". liga.net. Archived from the original on February 7, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  37. "Sanctioned Bank Rossiya Becomes First Major Russian Bank to Expand in Crimea". The Moscow Times. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  38. Hobson, Peter (April 14, 2014). "Sanctioned Bank Rossiya to Service $36Bln Domestic Electricity Market".
  39. "Rossiya bank | Банки.ру". www.banki.ru. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  40. Резник, Ирина (Reznik, Irina); Петрова, Ольга (Petrova, Olga) (July 24, 2008). "Помощники «России» Как ученому Юрию Ковальчуку удалось превратить мелкий обкомовский банк в бизнес-империю? Он никогда не использовал своих денег, а находил нужных инвесторов, объясняет один из его бывших партнеров" [Assistants of "Russia" How did the scientist Yuri Kovalchuk manage to turn a small Obkomov bank into a business empire? He never used his money, but found the right investors, one of his former partners explains.]. Vedomosti (in Russian) (№ 136 (2158)). Archived from the original on September 10, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  41. "АВАНБУРГ АОЗТ СП" [AVANBURG AOZT SP]. rusprofile.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on January 29, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  42. "АВАНБУРГ АОЗТ СП (подробный список)" [AVANBURG AOZT SP (detailed listing)]. rusprofile.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on January 29, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  43. Viktor Myachin resigned from the position of the Director General of the Russia Bank, Finnews.ru, September 28, 2004 (in Russian).
  44. Mikhail Klishin became the Director General of the Russia Bank, Finnews.ru, December 16, 2004 (in Russian).
  45. Dmitry Lebedev appointed Director general of the Russia Bank, Finnews.ru, April 5, 2006 (in Russian).
  46. The Board of Directors of the Russia Bank confirmed the appointment of its Management, Finnews.ru, January 11, 2007 (in Russian).
  47. Shleinov, Roman (2011). "Russian Businessmen Arrested in Spain on Charges of Operation a Criminal Organization Have Connections with Russian Government Officials, Politicians, Heads of State-owned Companies and Friends of Vladimir Putin". Russian Federation Office of the Prime Minister (Novaya Gazeta press release "Rossia & Company"). Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  48. SOGAZ sold to St. Pete Archived October 17, 2007, at the Wayback Machine by Pavel Miledin et al., Vedomosti #9 (1290), January 21, 2005 (in Russian, subscription required, full text freely available here: ).
  49. Who sold SOGAZ? Archived October 17, 2007, at the Wayback Machine by Pavel Miledin et al., Vedomosti #144 (1184), August 13, 2004 (in Russian, subscription required)
  50. The Russia bank found a top-manager in the state service, Kommersant (in Russian).
  51. The Russia Bank buys a considerable share of the Petersburg TV and Radio Company, Finnews.ru, November 28, 2005 (in Russian).
  52. Yesterday, Kommersant, January 30, 2006 (in Russian).
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