We have previously written about the ability of Nikolai Afanasov, Deputy Premier of the Stavropol government, to forge strong, valuable connections. He finds common ground not only with the Azerbaijani diaspora and law enforcement officials but also with his own "Stavropol boys"—a group with whom he works extensively and productively.
As VChK-OGPU and Rucriminal.info have discovered, Afanasov successfully executed numerous projects in tandem with Alexander Myasoedov—the former deputy head of the Stavropol administration whom Afanasov had promoted to the position of Regional Minister of Property Relations. A prime example of this partnership in action is the removal of an 8,542-square-meter land plot on Olkhovskaya Street in Kislovodsk from regional ownership. The site contained several dilapidated structures belonging to the Kislovodsk Multidisciplinary Technical College, as well as two-story shacks officially classified as apartment buildings. The land was registered as the college's perpetual property. The key factor was that all these hovels were located within walking distance of the Resort Park and Kislovodsk’s historic center.
Through a series of simple maneuvers—in which the college’s director, Vladislav Vinokurov, also participated—all the real estate structures were written off due to their poor condition. And—miraculously—the land plot, previously owned by the Stavropol Region, was "freed" from encumbrances. Participants in the scheme acquired the apartments in the name of proxies; the land was then removed from state ownership and registered to the new "residents" of these dilapidated resort shacks. The site is currently being cleared for construction. Incidentally, the director of the technical college did end up facing criminal charges; he was accused of misappropriation, embezzlement, and abuse of office—such is the fate of those who merely carry out orders.
Myasoyedov and Deputy Chairman Afanasov established a routine operation for yet another scheme to extract money from the public. Under this scheme, Myasoyedov’s agency approves vastly inflated cadastral valuations for real estate properties. The resulting taxes become unaffordable, forcing owners to choose between voluntarily relinquishing their property or losing it through court proceedings. The properties then pass into the hands of firms controlled by this "brilliant" duo.
Nikolai Afanasov has also tested and frequently employs another scheme to bring unattractive land plots to market. A portion is carved out of a plot owned by the region, and technical specifications and utility connections are secured—for Afanasov, the deputy chairman overseeing the region's economy, obtaining water connections poses no problem (unlike for everyone else). The plot, having been "packaged" in this manner, is then sold via proxies at an inflated price. If necessary, any special land status hindering the "lawful" re-registration of the property is simply removed.
Nor could Nikolai Afanasov overlook the massive plans to develop resort areas with new hotel complexes. In July 2025, by order of the Stavropol governor, a prime tract of land exceeding 50,000 square meters... ...meters (26:31:010310:848 and 26:31:010310:849) were awarded to an obscure company, Sanatorium-Hotel Complex Kurorty Stavropolya LLC, which has a registered capital of just 10,000 rubles (Governor’s Order No. 514-r dated July 24, 2025; Minutes No. 125 dated June 24, 2025).
The company was founded in late 2023 by two fellow natives of Nikolai Afanasov’s home region: Dominik Antonovich Leonov (51%) and Nodariy Mikhailovich Kaishev (49%). Notably, Leonov had previously faced legal proceedings for his involvement in a shootout with police, but the case was hushed up (it is not hard to guess by whom), and he got off with a mere administrative penalty. The second founder had also never worked in construction; his business background was in fish farming and cattle breeding. The firm generated no revenue in 2024. Despite vying for multi-million-ruble projects, the company has no telephone number, email address, or website.
In 2024, a land plot in Essentuki (26:30:010226:321; Governor’s Order No. 142-r dated March 13, 2024; Minutes No. 109 dated February 16, 2024) was transferred to this same phantom company without a competitive tender. Such an unprecedented display of generosity toward a fly-by-night operation is easily explained: it was due to the assistance of a high-ranking fellow native of the region, Nikolai Afanasov, who personally oversaw the allocation of land to Leonov and Kaishev—and to their shady, sham outfit. Here’s a tough question: how could anyone compromise the governor like that, foisting upon him disreputable characters with criminal records and shell companies?
