Baron Levitin de Deauville: The family of Russia’s former Minister of Transport resides in mansions worth $11 million

RU

Yesterday, IStories published an investigation revealing that the family of Vladimir Putin's aide Igor Levitin owns a large offshore business, with assets including apartments in the Czech Republic, a resort in Montenegro, and development projects in Russia. Most of the assets are registered in the name of Levitin's brother, but the origins of such riches in his case are unclear.

The Insider also discovered several other luxury properties registered to Levitin's niece and daughter. Furthermore, the daughter and brother of the former transport minister turned out to be linked to railroad tycoons.

Deauville, Moscow Region

The gated community Dovil outside Moscow proudly bears the name of the French resort Deauville near Paris. “Luxurious houses with customized facade solutions added a new touch to the landscape, completing the harmonious architectural and park ensemble. Combined with the beauty of Moscow Region's nature, the atmosphere of a fashionable French resort creates a perfect environment for a well-balanced life,” the real estate agency's leaflet reads.

According to extracts from Russia's real estate register (Rosreestr) available to The Insider, the neighboring land plots in Dovil holding Levitin's two mansions (in line with the community's policy, they were designed by the developer) are owned by Alexandra Levitina and Yulia Zvereva — Igor Levitin’s niece and daughter, respectively. In 2016 and 2013, they received the properties from Nelya Levitina, Igor Levitin's sister-in-law.

With an area of over 25 acres each, the estates have a current market value in the $6.2-6.4 million range, meaning $11 million is a conservative assessment of their aggregate worth.

Levitin's neighbors included “Orthodox oligarch” Konstantin Malofeyev, who sponsored the 2014 invasion of Ukraine, and current Russian Minister of Transport Vitaly Savelyev. At the end of last year, Savelyev, who headed the Aeroflot airline before taking up his government post, declared a yearly income of $4.2 million.

The Dar Foundation (not Dmitry Medvedev's)

Yulia Zvereva, the daughter of presidential aide Levitin, owns a penthouse in the Protopopovsky Residential Complex — a custom project designed and built for the Presidential Affairs Directorate (as confirmed by the extract from Rosreestr at The Insider's disposal). According to our data, Zvereva works for the Dar Charitable Foundation for the Promotion of Education — not to be confused with the foundation mentioned in Alexei Navalny's 2017 investigation as being responsible for handling Dmitry Medvedev's corrupt assets. This charity's founder is Nikita Mishin, one of Russia's wealthiest businessmen, with a fortune of $850 million, according to Forbes.

Mishin's main asset is Globaltrans, Russia’s largest private railroad operator, shipping metallurgical and construction cargo, oil products, and coal. His co-owners are billionaires Konstantin Nikolaev (known for sponsoring Maria Butina, among other endeavors) and Andrei Filatov. In partnership with Levitin's brother, the three entrepreneurs are involved in the Artek development project near Moscow and the Alexandrovsky housing project near St. Petersburg. Igor Levitin started his career in Severstaltrans, another entity run by the trio.

Through its subsidiaries Balttransservis and New Transportation Company, Globaltrans provides cargo transportation services to state-owned enterprise Russian Railways.

Igor Levitin's brother has also made money on contracts with Russian Railways, providing the carrier with linens for sleeping cars.

Levitin could influence his oligarch pals’ business decisions, as he had previously served as Minister of Transport and was on the Russian Railways board of directors. Presently, he is not just a “rank-and-file” aide to the President but also holds the position of State Council Secretary, chairing meetings on business development, transportation, and other important economic issues.