Why Polonsky was imprisoned? How the notorious businessman Polonsky avoided a real prison sentence
TASS DOSSIER. On November 8, 2017, Russian entrepreneur and former owner of the Mirax construction company Sergei Polonsky announced his intention to run for the Russian presidential elections in 2018.
In July 2017, the court sentenced Polonsky to 5 years in prison in a fraud case, but released him from punishment due to the expiration of the statute of limitations in the case.
According to the law, a citizen with an unexpunged or outstanding conviction for a serious or especially serious crime cannot be elected head of state. Also, persons whose criminal record was cleared or expunged less than 10 years before the election (in the case of a serious crime, which is fraud) are not allowed to vote. However, according to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, a person released from punishment is considered to have no criminal record.
The TASS-DOSSIER editors have prepared a biography of Sergei Polonsky.
Sergei Yurievich Polonsky was born on December 1, 1972 in Leningrad. In 1984, he and his family moved to Ukraine, to Gorlovka.
In 2000, he graduated from the St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering with a degree in Economics and Management in a Construction Enterprise, qualifying as an economist-manager.
Candidate of Economic Sciences (2002; dissertation topic "Formation of functional strategies for material and technical supply of construction production"). In 2008, he refused to defend his doctoral dissertation before the Higher Attestation Commission, citing the fact that he was “going to fail.” Conducted the so-called defense of his dissertation on his personal blog (topic: “Strategic management of profitable corporate growth taking into account the dynamics of consumer value”).
In 1990-1992, he served as an anti-aircraft gunner in the 21st separate air assault brigade.
After finishing his service, he was engaged in private business in Ukraine.
In 1994, he became one of the founders of the Stroymontazh company in St. Petersburg, which initially engaged in finishing work, and in 1996 began construction of housing. In 1997, Polonsky took the position of general director of the company.
In 2000, he headed the Moscow division of Stroymontazh, on the basis of which Mirax Group was formed in 2004. Under Polonsky's leadership, it became one of the largest Russian development companies. Among her projects are the business complex "Federation" in the international business center "Moscow City", business centers Mirax Plaza, "Poklonnaya, 11" and "Admiral", residential complexes "Fort Kutuzov", "Kutuzovskaya Riviera", "Rublevskaya Riviera" ", Mirax Park, "Golden Keys 1, 2", Well House and a number of others.
In 2003, Polonsky was elected vice-president of the Russian Academy of Business and Entrepreneurship. In 2005, he became one of the initiators of formation and first vice-president of the Association of Builders of Russia.
In 2009-2010, he was the head of the Department of Management in Development at the Moscow Financial and Industrial Academy (now the Moscow Financial and Industrial University "Synergy"). He gave lectures on entrepreneurship, business success strategies, etc., and conducted master classes for students of Russian universities.
In March 2011, it was decided to discontinue the Mirax brand, after which all company structures came under the control of Nazvanie.net LLC. Polonsky became its shareholder and investor. In December 2011, Nazvanie.net LLC was renamed into the development company Potok, the main owner of which was the businessman. By 2013, the company had sold all its assets except the Federation Tower. In December 2013, in order to pay off debts to Sberbank, this property was transferred to a new investor - Aeon Corporation of Roman Trotsenko.
In 2012, Polonsky left Russia for Cambodia.
In September 2012, the main investigative department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for Moscow opened a criminal case against Mirax Group employees for claimants who suffered from the company’s actions. According to the investigation, in 2007-2008 Mirax Group entered into purchase and sale agreements for apartments in the Kutuzovskaya Mile complex (Fili-Davydkovo district, Moscow), which did not comply with previously approved project documentation.
Mirax Group collected 5.7 billion rubles from shareholders, but invested less than half of these funds in construction. Construction was frozen in 2009; only five floors of the building were erected. More than 80 citizens were recognized as victims. The case was initiated under Part 4 of Art. 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Fraud committed on an especially large scale or resulting in the deprivation of a citizen’s right to residential premises”).
In December 2012, Polonsky was arrested in Cambodia by local police: according to investigators, the businessman and his friends staged a row on a boat, locked the captain in the cabin, and forced the crew to jump into the water. The detainees were charged with two articles - intentional infliction of physical harm to health and illegal detention of people. In January 2013, the Cambodian sailors withdrew their application in exchange for monetary compensation. On April 3 of the same year, Polonsky was released from prison on his own recognizance. At the end of May 2013, information appeared in a number of media outlets that he left Cambodia and lived in Israel and Switzerland, but then returned to Cambodia.
On June 14, 2013, the Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation charged Polonsky in absentia with fraud during the construction of the Kutuzovskaya Mile residential complex. On July 25 of the same year, he was put on the international wanted list.
On August 2, 2013, a representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that law enforcement agencies of a number of foreign countries also began an investigation against Polonsky, including on suspicion of laundering proceeds from crime.
On November 11, 2013, he was arrested in Cambodia at the request of Interpol, but was released in mid-January 2014. On April 25, 2014, the Supreme Court of Cambodia refused to extradite Polonsky to Russia. After the refusal of extradition, the businessman tried to obtain Cambodian citizenship, but to no avail.
On March 20, 2014, another criminal case was opened against him in Russia - for the theft of 256 million rubles. from shareholders of another Moscow residential complex, Rublevskaya Riviera (Kuntsevo district).
On May 15, 2015, Polonsky was arrested by Cambodian police on his own yacht near the city of Sihanoukville for violating immigration laws. On May 17, the businessman was extradited to Russia. He was placed in the Matrosskaya Tishina pre-trial detention center (Moscow). The court rejected the appeal of the businessman's lawyers to transfer him under recognizance not to leave the place. Polonsky refused to admit his guilt in fraud.
A psychiatric examination was carried out against him, and according to its results, on June 11, 2015, Polonsky was declared sane. On October 21, 2015, the Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs brought final charges against him, as well as five other defendants in the case - managers and executives of the Mirax Group. All of them were charged with theft of other people's property through fraud on an especially large scale (Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). According to investigators, in 2008-2009, Polonsky, together with other defendants, stole funds from citizens participating in the shared construction of apartment buildings in the Kutuzovskaya Mile and Rublevskaya Riviera residential complexes in the amount of 2.4 billion rubles. and 256.46 million rubles. respectively. The total amount stolen exceeded 2.6 billion rubles.
In October 2016, at the request of the court, the prosecutor's office reclassified the charge to a more serious one - fraud committed by an organized group (part 4 of article 159, part 2 of article 33 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The consideration of the case on the merits began in November 2016.
On July 12, 2017, the Presnensky Court of Moscow sentenced Polonsky to 5 years in a general regime colony and released him from punishment due to the expiration of the statute of limitations in the case. He was released from custody in the courtroom.
Over the years, he was a member of the Entrepreneurship Council under the Mayor and Government of Moscow (2001-2005), and the organization of entrepreneurs “Business Russia” (2001-2010).
Since 2016, he has been married to Olga Deripasko. From his previous marriage to Yulia Drynkina, he has two daughters and a son, Mirax.
Sergei Yurievich Polonsky(December 1, 1972, Leningrad, USSR) - Russian entrepreneur, owner and director in 2004-2011 of one of the largest development companies Mirax Group. Before the global financial crisis of 2008, he was one of the richest people in Russia. Currently, he is a shareholder and investor in a number of commercial structures united in the Potok holding (Stream), formerly called Nazvanie.net LLC.
In October 2011, Polonsky was named by Forbes magazine as one of the nine most unusual Russian businessmen, eccentrics and eccentrics. From 2012 to May 2015, Polonsky lived on his own island in Cambodia.
Since June 2013, a criminal case has been under investigation against Polonsky in Russia on charges of fraud and theft of citizens' funds, and the court has ordered his arrest in absentia.
On May 17, 2015, Polonsky was deported from Cambodia to Russia, where he was placed in the Moscow pre-trial detention center “Matrosskaya Tishina”.
On July 12, 2017, the Presnensky Court of Moscow sentenced Polonsky to five years in a general regime colony in a fraud case. The businessman was released from serving his sentence due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.
Encyclopedic YouTube
Biography
Sergei Polonsky studied at one of the city schools on the Petrograd side. In 1984, he and his family moved to Ukraine to the city of Gorlovka, where he graduated from high school in 1989. He was drafted into the ranks of the Airborne Forces. He served in military service in 1990-1992 in the 21st separate air assault brigade, stationed in Kutaisi, on the ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft missile battery. During the armed conflict between South Ossetia and Georgia, the brigade was stationed in the combat zone - in Tskhinvali.
From his former wife Yulia Drynkina, a yoga specialist, he has three children - daughters Marusya and Aglaya, son Mirax, to whom Polonsky gave the name in honor of his company.
Construction activities
When I arrived in Moscow, I held 200 meetings in the first three months! I met with absolutely all the developers, builders, land sellers, and so on. I inspected almost all the objects to understand what was happening in the capital's market. And I realized that there is still a relatively free segment of business class housing. This is how we started the “Crown” and “Golden Keys” projects.
"Stroymontazh"
In 1994, at the age of 22, Polonsky, together with his friend Arthur Kirilenko, created and headed a new St. Petersburg construction and finishing company, Stroymontazh LLC. Initially it was planned that the company would be engaged in finishing and selling apartments. However, soon Polonsky and Kirilenko took the unfinished project and brought it to completion. In 1996, the Stroymontazh company received the first contract, completing the project of an apartment building in St. Petersburg for the Lenenergo company.
Mirax Group
Mirax Group worked in the real estate markets of Russia, Ukraine, France, Cambodia, Montenegro, the USA, Switzerland and the UK. As of November 2008, the company's portfolio included projects with a total area of more than 12 million m². The company's revenues were estimated at $1.65 billion with a net profit of $616.4 million.
Development projects
Crown
“Crown” became a landmark project for Polonsky - the first in Moscow, which incorporated the most modern achievements in the field of architecture, planning, construction technologies and landscaping. The ceremony of laying the first stone in the foundation of “Crown” was a real event that demonstrated the new, unusual, energetic and assertive style of young entrepreneurs from St. Petersburg.
Golden Keys II
The residential complex “Golden Keys II” became the second project implemented by Polonsky’s team. Polonsky proposed a new concept “a city within a city”, in which high-rise residential buildings were adjacent to the cottage village “Y”.
After this project, Polonsky’s company launched new business centers “Pollaris” and “Europe Building”. In the period from 2002 to 2007, the company began construction of such residential complexes as “House on Taganka”, “Kutuzovskaya Riviera”, “Mirax Park” and “Federation Tower” - a multifunctional complex in the Moscow International Business Center.
Federation Tower
- Vostok Tower is a 95-story structure. Construction was completed in June 2015. The height of the building is 373.7 meters.
- Tower "West" is a 62-story structure. Construction has been completed. The height of the skyscraper is 242.4 meters.
The total area of the Federation Tower is 442,915.2 m². The total area of the land plot is 10,730 m². The Federation Tower complex houses offices and apartments. The stylobate, a 6-story atrium, is occupied by offices and a shopping gallery. In February 2006, the largest volume (14,000 m³) foundation slab in the world was poured, which formed the basis of Tower A of the Federation business complex. This record was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.
Global financial crisis and restructuring
In 2008, Polonsky was the first developer to admit that the global financial crisis had reached the Russian real estate market. According to Anton Chernigovsky, author of the article “Polonsky’s Demarche” in the Business Journal, “his competitors passionately continued to prove that there was definitely no threat to real estate in the country. But just a couple of months later they had to take back their words, hastily suspend projects and patch up financial holes.”
Conflicts and prosecution
Conflict with Alexander Lebedev
On September 16, 2011, during the recording of the TV show “NTVshniki,” Polonsky clashed with aviation entrepreneur, banker and co-owner of Novaya Gazeta Alexander Lebedev. The conflict arose after Polonsky said: “Here are the pilots sitting here (pointing to Lebedev), chicken coops (pointing to another participant in the program, Sergei Lisovsky). I’m already tired, I want, frankly, to just punch me in the face.” “Well, try it,” suggested Mr. Lebedev, getting up from his chair. “Are you completely crazy, my friend?” “Do you want to experiment?” - suggested Sergei Polonsky.
The presenters reassured the guests, however, after Polonsky said, “This man said three years ago that in the Federation Tower...”, that is, he hinted at the story of a crack in the foundation of the Federation Tower of Moscow City, the banker turned around and hit him with his fist. Polonsky published on the microblog a photograph of an abrasion on his arm and jeans torn at the back, after which he turned to President D. Medvedev, Prime Minister V. Putin and Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill for advice. On October 3, 2011, a criminal case was opened against Lebedev under Art. 213, part 1, paragraph b of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (hooliganism motivated by political hatred), the Investigative Committee of Russia made the corresponding decision after Vladimir Putin, at a meeting of the Coordination Council of the All-Russian Popular Front on September 21, 2011, characterized the incident as “hooliganism.” On July 2, 2013, for beating Polonsky, the Ostankino court in Moscow sentenced Lebedev to 150 hours of compulsory labor.
Seizure of the Kutuzovskaya Mile and charges of theft
On September 23, 2011, Polonsky wrote in his LiveJournal: “Trash like in the 90s! While I was dealing with Lebedev, raiders attacked the Kutuzov Mile facility! I'm leaving." Employees of the private security company “Vityazi-R”, acting on the order of CJSC “FCSR” (“Federal Center for Social Development”), which is controlled by Arkady and Boris Rotenberg, based on the decision of the Moscow Government in their hands, tried to establish control over the construction site.
The construction of the Kutuzovskaya Mile residential complex is being carried out on the basis of a contract between the general investor of the project, the FCSR company, and the Moscow government dated 2002. In 2005, Avanta LLC, part of the Mirax Group corporation, was involved as an investor in this project. According to Polonsky, about 2.5 billion rubles were invested in the project from this company (according to the lawsuit - 2.5 billion rubles and 1.5 billion rubles in interest for the use of funds). However, then, due to the liquidation of the Mirax Group, the contract with it was terminated by the Moscow government in January 2010, while construction actually stopped in March 2009 (according to Polonsky, due to disputes between the FCSR and the Mirax Group). Shortly before the attempt to establish control over the facility, Avanta LLC agreed with MSM-5 to complete construction of the facility. However, in parallel, the FCSR announced similar intentions, naming the volume of investments as $180 million. Polonsky also tried through the court to recover from the Federal Center for Social Development the funds invested in the facility for work under the contract. In September 2011, the Moscow government entered into a contract with the FCSR.
As a sign of protest against the actions of the Moscow authorities, Polonsky went on a hunger strike, while continuing to be at the construction site around the clock.
At the initiative of shareholders, in September 2012, the Main Investigation Department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Moscow opened a criminal case against “unidentified employees” of the Mirax Group company. Later Polonsky became the accused. Russia put him on the international wanted list.
According to investigators, in 2007-2008, Mirax Group management initiated the conclusion of “preliminary agreements for the purchase and sale of apartments” in the Kutuzovskaya Mile residential complex under construction. These contracts, as it turned out, obviously did not comply with both the approved project documentation and the legislation regulating shared-equity construction. According to the investigation, Mirax Group collected 5.7 billion rubles from shareholders of the Kutuzovskaya Mile, while Polonsky’s company invested only 2.5 billion in the construction itself.
Currently, the FCSR is independently completing the construction of the Kutuzovskaya Mile residential complex.
Arrest in Cambodia
Interpol, attempts at extradition to Russia and deportation
On June 14, 2013, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation accused Polonsky in absentia of fraud and theft of 5.7 billion rubles from shareholders of the Kutuzovskaya Mile residential complex. The Tverskoy District Court of Moscow, at the request of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, issued a decision in absentia to select a preventive measure against Polonsky - detention.
On November 11, he was detained by Cambodian law enforcement agencies and was held in the maximum security Prey Sar prison, located on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
On May 15, 2015, Polonsky was detained in Cambodia in connection with a violation of immigration laws because his visa had expired. According to published data, during his stay in this South Asian country, Polonsky more than once publicly boasted of his influential connections, which is why rumors began to spread throughout Cambodia that the businessman “bought” judges, high-ranking employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and almost reached the leaders of the state . Due to these circumstances, Polonsky’s stay in Cambodia only created problems and troubles for the country, spoiled its image, which ultimately forced the local authorities to get rid of the restless traveler.
On October 23, 2015, Polonsky was finally charged under Part 4 of Art. 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (theft of someone else’s property causing material damage on an especially large scale).
On July 12, 2017, Polonsky was found guilty “in the case of theft of more than 2.6 billion rubles during the construction of housing” and he was sentenced to 5 years in prison, but immediately after this the court decided to release Polonsky “due to the expiration of the term statute of limitations in his criminal case."
Social activity
Titles and awards
- Award "Construction Olympus - 2002" in the personal nomination "Head of a closed-cycle construction association."
- Personalized gold medal, diploma and personal badge of honor of the French Association for the Promotion of National Industry (French. Societe d'Encouragement pour L'Industrie Nationale, SPI).
- International award named after. Queen Victoria "For Honour, Dignity and Valor".
- Award "Person of the Year 2005".
Educational initiatives
Polonsky at different times was and is a member of a number of public structures: the Entrepreneurship Council under the mayor and government of Moscow (from 2001 to 2005), the organization of entrepreneurs “Business Russia” (from 2001 to 2010). In 2003, he was elected vice-president of the Russian Academy of Business and Entrepreneurship (RABIP).
In 2004, he was elected vice-president of the public association of professional managers “International Club of the Best Managers of the New Era.” In 2005, he was one of the initiators of the creation of the Russian Builders Association and currently holds the post of its first vice-president.
Failed space flight
In 2004, Polonsky was preparing to make a space flight to the ISS as a tourist and went through a full cycle of training under the cosmonaut program, but the flight did not take place due to the fact that the businessman’s candidacy was rejected for medical reasons. Experts came to the conclusion that Polonsky’s height and weight “exceed the established norm, so difficulties may arise with the use of the spacesuit and the ship’s support.”
Notes
- About Sergey Polonskiy(English) . Interpol official site. Retrieved November 11, 2013. (unavailable link)
- Polonsky renamed his company Advertology again
- Please no longer consider me an RBC businessman,
- 9 of the most unusual Russian businessmen - madcaps, eccentrics and eccentrics Forbes
- The plane with Sergei Polonsky arrived in Moscow
- Polonsky was delivered to “Matrosskaya Tishina”
- RBC, July 12, 2017. Polonsky was found guilty of the scam and released in the courtroom
- Polonsky, Sergei.
- Famous developer
- It was easier for me in the Airborne Forces in 1991
- S. Polonsky gets married on his birthday in a Cambodian prison
- Polonsky decided to get married in a Cambodian prison
- Sergei Polonsky got married in pre-trial detention center: the enchanting confession of Olga Deripasko
- Sergei Polonsky left his wife
- The heights of Sergei Polonsky // Own business. - January 2007
- Manhattan on the Moscow New York Times, 09.10.2006
- The Man Behind The Federation Tower The Moscow Times
- Hour of reckoning // Lenta, 4.4.2011 2009: all major events (undefined)
- Archived from the original on June 2, 2012. 2009: all major events The bankruptcy case of Stroymontazh Corporation LLC was postponed until April 8
His biography will be discussed in this article; he was born in Leningrad on December 1, 1972. After school, he served for two years in the airborne forces, where he met his future partner, Artur Kirilenko. The first steps in business were not easy for them. They had to sell ice cream, pick cherries, sell Herbalife, fish, sugar substitutes, etc. Soon they became interested in the construction business. To understand the subject, Sergei Polonsky, whose biography is interesting to many readers, entered the correspondence department of the architectural university together with Kirilenko. In 1994, they opened the Stroymontazh company and a year later earned their first million. After graduating from the university in 2000, Sergei continued his studies, starting to write a dissertation. Two years later he successfully defended it. In 2008, Polonsky made an attempt, but, considering the academic council to be biased, he withdrew the work and posted the text of the dissertation for open discussion on the Internet.
Personal life
The biography of Sergei Polonsky is as ambiguous as his actions and statements. The phrase he used to greet guests at the real estate exhibition in Cannes is quite well known: “Whoever doesn’t have a billion can go to hell.” The billionaire's attitude towards family life is also radical. According to close friends, it has always been difficult for him to get along with women, since he thinks only about himself. In 2007, Polonsky's only marriage ended in divorce. According to the terms, Natalya and Sergey retained their own property. Mirax went to the billionaire, and the ex-wife remained the owner of Stroyconsultgroup. But there were some minor problems with alimony. According to the biography of Sergei Polonsky on one of the trusted sites, his official income is 300 thousand rubles. Although in 2008 his fortune was estimated by Forbes magazine at $1.2 billion.
Professional activity
In terms of plan, the biography of Sergei Polonsky is filled with a number of ups and downs. The takeoff can be considered the early 2000s, when the billionaire’s company was entrusted with the construction of several residential complexes: “Crown”, “House on Taganka”, “Kutuzovskaya Riviera”, “Golden Keys-2”. One of the most ambitious projects was the Federation Tower, which was supposed to be the tallest building in Europe. But soon confidence in Polonsky’s company began to decline, since all the facilities were being built on what, naturally, promised financial problems for Mirax in the future. The decline began in 2007, when, due to debts, Sergei had to sell his company for only $8 million. In 2009-2010, he lost several major projects. His debts were bought out by banks, and his property was seized. In March 2011, the ex-billionaire announced to journalists the liquidation of Mirax and asked not to be considered a businessman. In 2013, law enforcement agencies revealed a large theft ($5.7 billion) in the Kutuzov Mile project, when Polonsky became the main defendant in the fraud case and hastily left the country. Currently hiding in Israel, which does not extradite its citizens. This is the sad note on which the biography of Sergei Polonsky ends. Although one can hardly call it sad for the former businessman. This story only ended badly for the thousands of shareholders he deceived.
An eccentric and notorious Russian entrepreneur in the construction industry, owner and director in 2004-2011 of Mirax Group, one of the largest development companies in Russia. Before the global financial crisis of 2008, he was one of the richest people in Russia. Currently, he is a shareholder and investor in a number of commercial structures operating in the field of construction business, which have become famous under the brand name and united in the Potok holding (Stream), formerly called Nazvanie.net LLC.
Biography of Sergei Polonsky
Sergei Yurievich Polonsky
Date of birth: December 1, 1972
Place of birth: Leningrad, RSFSR, USSR
Citizenship: USSR, Russia
Russian entrepreneur, owner and manager of large construction companies -
Mirax Group, Stroymontazh, LLC "Nazvanie.net", "Potok∞" ("Infinity Stream")
In October 2011, he was noted by Forbes magazine as one of the 9 most unusual Russian businessmen, eccentrics and eccentrics. From 2012 to May 2015 he lived on his own island in Cambodia.
Since June 2013 in relation to Polonsky In Russia, a criminal case is being investigated on charges of fraud and theft of citizens' funds, and the court has issued an order for his arrest in absentia. On May 17, 2015, he was treacherously deported from Cambodia to Russia and placed in the Moscow “Matrosskaya Tishina” detention center.
The early years of the life and work of Sergei Polonsky
He studied at one of the city schools on the Petrograd side. In 1984, he and his family moved to Ukraine to the city of Gorlovka, where he graduated from high school in 1989. After this, the hero of our story was drafted into the ranks of the Airborne Forces. He served in military service in 1990-1992 in the 21st separate air assault brigade, stationed in Kutaisi, on the ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft missile battery. During the armed conflict between South Ossetia and Georgia, the brigade was stationed in the combat zone - in Tskhinvali.
In 2000, he completed his higher education, graduating from the St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering. Qualified as an economist-manager with a degree in Economics and Management in a Construction Enterprise. In 2002, he defended his thesis on the topic “Formation of functional strategies for material and technical supply of construction production.”
Career of Sergei Polonsky
“When I arrived in Moscow, I held 200 meetings in the first three months! I met with absolutely all the developers, builders, sellers of land plots, and so on. I examined almost all the objects to understand what was happening in the capital’s market. And I realized that There is still a relatively free segment of business class housing. This is how we started the “Crown” and “Golden Keys” projects.- these are the revelations of our hero from an interview with the magazine “Own Business”.
Stroymontazh company of Sergei Polonsky
In 1994 at the age of 22 Polonsky together with his friend Artur Kirilenko, he created and headed the new St. Petersburg construction and finishing company Stroymontazh LLC. Initially it was planned that the company would be engaged in finishing and selling apartments. However, soon Polonsky and Kirilenko took the unfinished project and brought it to completion. In 1996, the Stroymontazh company received the first contract, completing the project of an apartment building in St. Petersburg for the Lenenergo company.
Mirax Group company of Sergei Polonsky
In 2000, Stroymontazh, under the leadership Sergei Polonsky entered the Moscow real estate market, undergoing rebranding and receiving a new name - Mirax Group, while Artur Kirilenko headed Stroymontazh in St. Petersburg. They each owned 10% of each other's companies until they sold their shares to each other in 2009. The St. Petersburg Stroymontazh, which went to Arthur Kirilenko, did not survive the crisis and, as of the spring of 2010, was in bankruptcy, and Mr. Kirilenko was put on the federal wanted list.
Mirax Group worked in the real estate markets of Russia, Ukraine, France, Cambodia, Montenegro, USA, Switzerland and Great Britain. As of November 2008, the company's portfolio included projects with a total area of more than 12 million m². The company's revenues were estimated at $1.65 billion with a net profit of $616.4 million.
Projects of Sergei Polonsky
The most famous are perhaps the following residential and office complexes, built under the leadership of Mr. Polonsky.
Residential complex "Crown" by Sergei Polonsky
The Korona residential complex has become a landmark project for Polonsky- the first in Moscow to incorporate the most modern achievements in the field of architecture, planning, construction and landscaping technologies. The ceremony of laying the first stone in the foundation of the Crown was a real event that demonstrated the new, unusual, energetic and assertive style of young entrepreneurs from St. Petersburg.
Residential complex "Golden Keys II" by Sergei Polonsky
The residential complex “Golden Keys II” became the second project implemented by Polonsky’s team. Polonsky proposed a new concept “a city within a city”, in which high-rise residential buildings were adjacent to the cottage village “Y”.
After this project, Polonsky’s company launched new business centers “Pollaris” and “Europe Building”. In the period from 2002 to 2007, the company began construction of such residential complexes as “House on Taganka”, “Kutuzovskaya Riviera”, “Mirax Park” and “Federation Tower” - a multifunctional complex in the Moscow International Business Center.
Federation Tower by Sergei Polonsky
"Federation Tower" is the tallest skyscraper in Europe, a flagship skyscraper being built in Moscow on the 13th section of the Moscow International Business Center. The architectural project was developed by Sergei Tchoban together with Peter Schweger. The complex consists of 2 towers erected on one stylobate:
The Vostok Tower is a 95-story structure. Construction will be completed in December 2014. Engineering work and glazing will be completed by the end of 2015. The height will be 373.7 meters. On September 25, 2014, the Federation Tower became the tallest building in Russia and Europe. The top elevation of the Vostok tower under construction at the Federation complex has reached 343 meters.
Tower "West" is a 62-story structure. Construction is completely completed. The height of the skyscraper is 242.4 meters.
The total area of the Federation Tower will be 442,915.2 sq.m. The total area of the land plot is 10,730 sq.m. The Federation Tower complex houses offices and apartments. The stylobate - a 6-story atrium - is occupied by offices and a shopping gallery. In February 2006, the largest volume (14,000 cubic meters) foundation slab in the world was poured, which formed the basis of Tower A of the Federation business complex. This record was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.
New projects and plans of Sergei Polonsky
Project "Archipelago" - 8 islands in the Kingdom of Cambodia, on which it is planned to open a training center, several hotels, banks, a dive center, and a medical center. The plans also include the construction of a university, school and kindergartens.
The global financial crisis and the restructuring of Sergei Polonsky’s projects
In 2008, Polonsky was the first developer to admit that the global financial crisis had reached the Russian real estate market. According to Anton Chernigovsky, author of the article “Polonsky’s Demarche” in the Business Journal, “his competitors eagerly continued to prove that there was definitely no threat to real estate in the country. But just a couple of months later they had to take back their words, hastily suspend projects and patch up financial holes.”
Conflicts and litigation of Sergei Polonsky
Conflict with Alexander Lebedev
On September 16, 2011, during the recording of the NTVshniki television show, Polonsky clashed with banker and co-owner of Novaya Gazeta Alexander Lebedev. The conflict arose after Polonsky said: “The pilots are sitting here (pointing to Lebedev), chicken coops (pointing to another participant in the program, Sergei Lisovsky). I’m already tired, the desire, frankly speaking, is just to punch me in the face.” “Well, try “, - suggested Mr. Lebedev, getting up from his chair. “Are you completely crazy, buddy?” “Do you want to experiment?” - suggested Sergei Polonsky.
The presenters reassured the guests, however, after Polonsky said, “This man said three years ago that in the Federation Tower...”, that is, he hinted at the story of a crack in the foundation of the Federation Tower of Moscow City, the banker turned around and hit him with his fist. Polonsky published on the microblog a photograph of an abrasion on his arm and jeans torn at the back, after which he turned to President D. Medvedev, Prime Minister V. Putin and Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill for advice. On October 3, 2011, a criminal case was opened against Lebedev under Art. 213, part 1, paragraph b of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (hooliganism motivated by political hatred), the Investigative Committee of Russia made the corresponding decision after Vladimir Putin, at a meeting of the Coordination Council of the All-Russian Popular Front on September 21, 2011, characterized the incident as “hooliganism.” July 2, 2013 beating of Polonsky The Ostankino court in Moscow sentenced Lebedev to 150 hours of compulsory labor.
Seizure of the Kutuzovskaya Mile and accusation of Sergei Polonsky in embezzlement
On September 23, 2011 at 10:55 am Polonsky wrote in his LiveJournal: “Trash like in the 90s! While I was dealing with Lebedev, raiders attacked the Kutuzov Mile facility! I'm leaving." Employees of the private security company “Vityazi-R”, acting on the order of JSC “FCSR” (“Federal Center for Social Development”), which is controlled by Arkady and Boris Rotenberg, based on the decision of the Moscow Government in their hands, tried to establish control over the construction site.
The construction of the Kutuzovskaya Mile residential complex is being carried out on the basis of a contract between the general investor of the project, the FCSR company, and the Moscow government dated 2002. In 2005, Avanta LLC, part of the Mirax Group corporation, was involved as an investor in this project. According to Polonsky, from this company about 2.5 billion rubles were invested in the project (according to the lawsuit - 2.5 billion rubles and 1.5 billion rubles in interest for the use of funds. However, then, due to the liquidation of the Mirax Group, the contract with it was canceled by the Moscow government terminated in January 2010, while construction actually stopped in March 2009 (according to Polonsky, due to disputes between the FCSR and Mirax Group, shortly before the attempt to establish control over the facility, Avanta LLC agreed with MSM-5 to complete it). construction of the facility. However, in parallel, the FCSR announced similar intentions, naming the volume of investments - $180 million. Polonsky also tried through the court to recover from the FCSR the funds invested in the facility for work under the contract. In September 2011, the Moscow government entered into a contract with the FCSR.
In protest against the actions of the Moscow authorities, Polonsky went on a hunger strike, while continuing to be at the construction site around the clock.
At the initiative of shareholders, in September 2012, the Main Investigation Department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Moscow opened a criminal case against “unidentified employees” of the Mirax Group company. Later Polonsky became the accused. Russia put him on the international wanted list.
According to investigators, in 2007-2008, Mirax Group management initiated the conclusion of “preliminary agreements for the purchase and sale of apartments” in the Kutuzovskaya Mile residential complex under construction. These contracts, as it turned out, obviously did not comply with both the approved project documentation and the legislation regulating shared-equity construction. According to the investigation, Mirax Group collected 5.7 billion rubles from shareholders of the Kutuzovskaya Mile, while Polonsky’s company invested only 2.5 billion in the construction itself.
Currently, the FCSR is independently completing the construction of the Kutuzovskaya Mile residential complex.
Arrest of Sergei Polonsky in Cambodia
At the end of 2012, Polonsky and two other Russians - Konstantin Baglay and Alexander Karachinsky - were arrested by Cambodian police. They were suspected of illegally imprisoning Cambodian sailors and the captain of a ship owned by Polonsky, and then throwing them overboard in sight of the shore. Baglay and Karachinsky were soon released. On April 3, 2013, Polonsky was released from prison after a three-month stay in it on bail and a recognizance not to leave.
According to media reports, a few days later Polonsky fled from Cambodia, first to Switzerland and then to Israel, where he asked the authorities to grant him citizenship, since his father is Jewish. However, on September 12, 2013, the businessman’s lawyer Diana Tatosova reported that Polonsky I still received a Cambodian passport. Subsequently, this was not confirmed; in 2015, the Cambodian authorities established that Polonsky had violated migration legislation and did not have a valid visa.
Interpol and the extradition of Sergei Polonsky to Russia
On June 14, 2013, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation accused Polonsky in absentia of fraud and theft of 5.7 billion rubles from shareholders of the Kutuzovskaya Mile residential complex. And the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow, at the request of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, issued a decision in absentia to select a preventive measure against Polonsky - detention.
On November 5, 2013, a photograph and personal information of Polonsky appeared on the Interpol website in the “Wanted” section. It also states that Polonsky is accused of fraud on an especially large scale.
On November 11, he was detained by Cambodian law enforcement agencies and held in the high-security Prey Sar prison, located on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
On May 15, 2015, Polonsky was detained in Cambodia in connection with a violation of immigration laws because his visa had expired. According to published data, during his stay in this South Asian country, Polonsky more than once publicly boasted of his influential connections, which is why rumors began to spread throughout Cambodia that the businessman “bought” judges, high-ranking employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and almost reached the leaders of the state . Due to these circumstances, Polonsky’s stay in Cambodia only created problems and troubles for this country, spoiled its image, which ultimately forced the local authorities to get rid of the restless traveler.
On May 17, 2015, Cambodian authorities deported Polonsky to Moscow, where he was immediately taken to a pre-trial detention center. The defense suggested that he agree to a pre-trial deal with the investigation, associated with a partial admission of guilt, in exchange for a pre-trial preventive measure not related to detention. However, Polonsky refused.
The investigation will test Polonsky for sanity
nsky forensic psychiatric examination at the Serbsky Center for Psychiatry and Narcology, Interfax reports. 05/20/2015 Tags: Polonsky, pre-trial detention center, examination
The investigation will conduct a forensic psychiatric examination of businessman Sergei Polonsky at the Serbsky Center for Psychiatry and Narcology, Interfax reports.
“The investigation issued a decision to order citizen Polonsky to undergo an outpatient forensic psychiatric examination on his sanity, as well as the presence of attachments requiring compulsory medical treatment,” the agency quotes a statement from the official representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Elena Alekseeva.
On May 18, Sergei Polonsky was placed in the Matrosskaya Tishina pre-trial detention center; he was soon charged with large-scale fraud.
On Sunday, May 17, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs brought Polonsky, who was deported from Cambodia, to Moscow to Domodedovo airport. The businessman was detained on Friday, May 15, by local authorities.
Innovations in deportation
The transfer of Sergei Polonsky from Cambodia to “Matrosskaya Tishina” is an unconventional legal structure
05/19/2015 Tags: deportation, Polonsky
Last Sunday, Sergei Polonsky was quickly transported from Cambodia to Moscow and placed in the Matrosskaya Tishina pre-trial detention center. Already on Monday, the businessman was charged under Part 4 of Art. 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He is accused of stealing money from 80 shareholders of the Kutuzovskaya Mile residential complex. The suspect's lawyer, Slavik Brsoyan, told Novaya that his client does not admit guilt and refuses to testify for now, citing acclimatization and the need to study the charges brought against him.
The lawyer recalled that back in December last year, the Moscow Arbitration Court made a decision according to which the money (2.1 billion rubles) transferred by Polonsky’s company to the developer of the Kutuzovskaya Mile, the FCSR company, was more than enough to fulfill all obligations to the shareholders .
This decision is based on an examination ordered by the court,” said Brsoyan. - It survived the appeal and has already entered into legal force. That is, there is no actual event of theft of money from shareholders. And, therefore, there are no grounds for criminal prosecution of Sergei Polonsky.
Meanwhile, details of Polonsky’s detention and transfer to Moscow are emerging. We have already written that Polonsky was detained on a yacht near Koh Danlong Island, located 40 km from Sihanoukville. The operation was carried out on Cambodia's official public holiday, the birthday of reigning King Norodom Singh Moni, which is celebrated from May 14 to 16.
The Russian businessman's yacht was stormed from the sea and from the air. Why did Polonsky's third arrest happen in Cambodia?
As we managed to find out from Polonsky’s Cambodian lawyer Benson Samaya, having learned about the detention of his client, he informally contacted the Kingdom’s Minister of Internal Affairs and received assurances that on his first working day, Monday, he would be able to meet with Polonsky and protest his detention. But, as it turned out later, the official lied to Benson Samay. Which in itself is amazing. The fact is that Samay is a very famous and respected person in Cambodia, a hero of the resistance, during the war he commanded a partisan detachment in which the current Prime Minister of the country, Hun Sen, fought. Benson Samay also has friendly relations with the King of Cambodia.
Apparently, the minister misled the lawyer, precisely because he feared that he might directly appeal to King Norodom Singh Moni and Prime Minister Hun Sen and thereby stop the “kidnapping of Polonsky.” Benson Samay believes that his client was kidnapped from the country and handed over to “unknown people who came to Cambodia on tourist visas.”
FROM THE EDITOR
The operation to remove Sergei Polonsky is very similar to the operation carried out by US intelligence services, which removed Russian citizen Viktor Bout from Thailand (later sentenced to 25 years in prison for intending to sell weapons to the Colombian group FARC). Will Russia be able to “consolidate its success” and repeat the same special operation in the United Arab Emirates, where the company commander of the “North” battalion, Ruslan Geremeev, who is of interest to the investigation into the murder of Boris Nemtsov, is allegedly hiding?
An employee of the Russian Prosecutor General's Office, on condition of anonymity, told Novaya that the procedure for bringing suspects and accused hiding in other countries to the country is clearly stated in the job descriptions:
A joint order is issued by the Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor General on the creation of a joint group and their business trip to the country where the “object” is located, employees receive travel certificates and daily allowances, our interlocutor said. - Having arrived in the country, they do not “take away” the person involved in the criminal case initiated in Russia, but arrange the transfer on the basis of a court decision of the country where the person involved was detained.
In relation to Polonsky, this procedure was violated. He was “taken away” from Cambodia despite the decision of the Kingdom’s Supreme Court, which refused to extradite him.
The media has reported that Polonsky was not extradited, but deported from Cambodia. But deportation also requires a court decision from the host country. But there is no such solution,” our interlocutor shares.
Our source believes that the law enforcement officers who brought Polonsky to Moscow may themselves become involved in a criminal case under articles of “exceeding official authority,” “kidnapping,” and “illegal deprivation of liberty.”
To quell a possible scandal, a video was leaked in which Polonsky, after arriving in Moscow, walks without handcuffs and gets into a car himself, without coercion.
Immediately after the arrest of Sergei Polonsky, his former lawyer Alexander Dobrovinsky suddenly became more active. Back in May last year, the High Court of London accepted Polonsky’s lawsuit against Dobrovinsky. Polonsky is seeking to recover $13.5 million.
Polonsky's London lawyer Sergei Vladi told Novaya that this process could begin in early summer:
But now that Polonsky is in “Matrosskaya Tishina”, the London litigation with Dobrovinsky may stall,” Vladi said.
Titles and awards of Sergei Polonsky
Award "Construction Olympus - 2002" in the personal nomination "Head of a closed-cycle construction association."
Personalized gold medal, diploma and personal badge of honor of the French Association for the Promotion of National Industry (French Societe d’Encouragement pour L’Industrie Nationale, SPI).
International award named after. Queen Victoria "For Honour, Dignity and Valor"
Award "Person of the Year 2005"
Educational initiatives of Sergei Polonsky
In 2002, he was elected senator of the International Youth Chamber (IYC) and its president.
In March 2008, he refused to defend his doctoral dissertation before the Higher Attestation Commission and organized a public defense on his blog.
He regularly conducted master classes for students of Moscow State University, MGIMO, Higher School of Economics, MPPA and other universities, and also gave lectures to Nazvanie.NET employees. The main topics of the meetings, as a rule, were entrepreneurship, personal development, and strategies for business success.
From the 2009-2010 academic year, he was the head of the Department of Management in Development, opened on a contractual basis with the Moscow Financial and Industrial Academy (MFPA) for targeted training of young specialists in the interests of construction companies.
Polonsky at different times was and is a member of a number of public structures: the Entrepreneurship Council under the mayor and government of Moscow (from 2001 to 2005), the organization of entrepreneurs “Business Russia” (from 2001 to 2010). In 2003, he was elected vice-president of the Russian Academy of Business and Entrepreneurship (RABIP).
In 2004, he was elected vice-president of the public association of professional managers “International Club of the Best Managers of the New Era.” In 2005, he was one of the initiators of the creation of the Russian Builders Association and currently holds the post of its first vice-president.
Sergei Polonsky's failed flight into space
In 2004, Polonsky was preparing to make a space flight to the ISS as a tourist and went through the full cycle of training under the cosmonaut program, but the flight did not take place due to the fact that the businessman’s candidacy was rejected for medical reasons. IBMP specialists came to the conclusion that Polonsky’s height and weight “exceed the established norm, so difficulties may arise with the use of the space suit and the ship’s support.”
Personal life of Sergei Polonsky
Polonsky is in a civil marriage, his wife's name is Olga Deripasko
From his former wife Yulia Drynkina, a yoga specialist, he has three children - daughters Marusya and Aglaya, son Mirax, to whom Polonsky gave the name in honor of his company.
Sergei Polonsky is a star of Russian development. It took him only 8 years to win a place in Forbes from scratch. At the age of 22, he became the head of a construction company, which in the future built the largest facilities in Moscow and St. Petersburg. But his success story is not like a fairy tale with a happy ending. Like Icarus, he flew too high and, melting his wings, fell down. However, Sergei got away with it. At the moment, the charges against him have been dropped, and he is full of ideas to conquer the world.
- FULL NAME: Polonsky Sergey Yurievich
- Date of Birth: 01 December 1972
- Education: higher education "economics and management in a construction enterprise"
- Date of start of business activity/age: 1994/22 years
- Type of activity at start: construction and finishing works
- Current activity: owner and director of Potok holding
- Current state: 2008/ Forbes $1.2 billion
- Link to social pages networks:
Sergei Yuryevich Polonsky is a colorful personality in Russian business with an unstable biography. He is known not only for scandalous news and provocative photographs, but also for the successful history of his development. Like everyone who has achieved a billion-dollar fortune from scratch, he had to give up a lot in the early stages, work hard and conquer the market. Ego thinking gave him an individual vision that allowed him to surpass those around him and always give him a head start over his competitors.
The success story of Sergei Polonsky is ambiguous and confusing. He was included in the Forbes list only once. It was in February 2008, when his company Mirax Group was at the peak of its popularity in the construction business. His famous statement dates back to this time: “Those who don’t have a billion can go to hell.”
Start of entrepreneurial activity |
|
Stroymontazh LLC and first successes |
|
Stroimondazh LLC receives its first major projects |
|
Entering the Moscow market, formation of Mirax Group |
|
Successful business activities, billions of dollars in income |
|
Crisis, troubled times, loss of management, problems with creditors |
|
The situation temporarily stabilizes, Potok is formed |
|
Charged with fraud, Sergei leaves for Cambodia, hiding from the Ministry of Internal Affairs |
|
Deportation and return to Russia, arrest and imprisonment, wedding in a pre-trial detention center, triumphant release from custody due to the expiration of the statute of limitations on the charges |
|
Early life
Biography
Sergei Yurievich Polonsky was born in Leningrad. His father was Jewish by nationality. Before moving to Ukraine in 1984, he studied at one of the ordinary schools. After graduating from high school in Gorlovka, he was called up for military service in the then USSR army. He was assigned to the 21st separate air assault brigade. The service took place in an anti-aircraft missile battery from 1990 to 1992. Its unit was stationed in Tskhinvali during the armed conflict between Georgia and South Ossetia.
Polonsky received his higher education in St. Petersburg, graduating from the State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering in 2000 with a degree in Economics and Management in a Construction Enterprise. And in 2002, he prepared and defended a dissertation in his field.
Commercial deposits
Studying at the university did not prevent Sergei from implementing commercial ideas. After the army, he and his friends traded small goods, and since 1993 decided to import guest workers from Ukraine to carry out construction work in St. Petersburg. He sold renovated apartments by paying off workers. Sergei admits that it was not easy to pull this off. After all, they had no “real money”. They had to work without start-up capital. They were settled with “air,” and they promised the workers the same.
Interesting moment! After the first traffic of illegal immigrants, Polonsky stopped attracting male workers, because, as he put it: “40 of them were drunkards, 40 lazy, 18 idiots, and the remaining 2 were once laying stones.”
First project
Innovative thinking smoothly transformed the idea of interior decoration into a completely viable business project. Sergei Polonsky and his friend Artur Kirilenko founded Stroymontazh LLC. Their company conducted successful activities both in Moscow and St. Petersburg. At the time of his first successes, Sergei was only 22 years old. After 2 years, their company received a large contract for the construction of an apartment building for Lenenergo.
Fact! Polonsky commented on his early success by saying that he quickly understood the essence of the market. In the first 3 months in Moscow, I held more than 200 meetings with builders, sellers and developers. Toured many capital infrastructure facilities. Thanks to this, he concluded that there was still a place for him here!
The rise of Polonsky's empire
Two paths, one of which leads to Mirax
At the beginning of the 2000s, friends decided to split up. Sergey headed the Moscow office, and Arthur headed the St. Petersburg office. At the same time, they continued to help each other in business processes.
Sergey rebranded and his “Stroymontazh” received the name “Mirax Group”. From 2002 to 2007, numerous projects were successfully implemented: “Crown”, “Golden Keys - 2”, “House on Taganka”, “Pollaris”, “Europe Building”, “Kutuzovskaya Riviera”.
The year 2007 and the beginning of 2008 are associated with the peak of its development. The Russian real estate market has been actively developing. Mirax's area reached 12 million sq.m., creating the image of the largest developer. Polonsky developed foreign activities. Developers have covered Montenegro, Turkey, Great Britain, and Switzerland. This is how Sergei began to conquer the “universe”. During these years, he appeared on the pages of Forbes.
Addition! Sergei was so imbued with the idea and brand of his company that he even named one of his sons after it - Mirax. They say that he later named his dog the same.
Decay period
2008 and its problems
When the crisis hit in 2008, it was no longer useful to deny its impact on the real estate market. Polonsky was one of the first developers to recognize the serious difficulties. All projects have been frozen since September. New financing from banks has become too expensive. In 2009, the deadlines for many projects were postponed by another year.
Things went really badly. Leading TOP managers began to leave the company, one after another. Serious passions erupted in the management elite; Polonsky and his entourage divided shares in the authorized capital of Mirax affiliated structures. They accused each other of lying, forming a continuous tangle of unfounded statements and accusations, which still cannot be unraveled. Creditors collected the debt, but the square meters were not sold. Polonsky's sun was setting in the west.
The result was another rebranding, Polonsky declared himself not a businessman and in March 2011 Mirax received the name Nazvanie.net, intending to complete all the projects started and not take new orders.
Horizontal stripe
Gradually, Sergei managed to level out the situation. He found new partners in Golubev and Trotsenko. We managed to attract new credit lines from Sberbank and Alfa Bank. Funds were found to complete the Vostok tower and the Federation complex. Construction of a ski resort has begun in Sweden. Projects were now carried out under the Potok company flag.
Potok became the latest creation of the rebranding, embodying the continuous movement of energy. The logo had an infinity sign at the end of the word. The new name attracted the attention of journalists and bloggers. They noted Sergei’s creative thinking and even made the new brand the butt of jokes.
Interesting! Sergey himself was actively involved in blogging, so he decided to present his logo independently. Using a can of spray paint, he painted the letters of the new brand on a paper canvas. This presentation, like the others, was not boring.
In 2012, unfounded statements again poured in from Polonsky. Unexpectedly, he announced the purchase of all shares from partners and the establishment of full power over the business. This was immediately refuted by his co-founders, stating the opposite - Sergei himself expressed a desire to sell his shares. The business went downhill, and Sergei moved to his own island in Cambodia.
Then he faced repeated attempts at deportation, as a result of which in 2015 he was finally put in a Moscow pre-trial detention center. The result of the high-profile fraud case was the release of Sergei from custody due to the expiration of the charges.
Sergei himself never admitted the guilt charged against him. Although the investigation guaranteed leniency for partial agreement with the accusation. Polonsky remained adamant and accused his partners in the Kutuzov Mile of fraud. He claimed that everyone who believes in this deception is simply crazy.