But the main Christmas spectacle was a trio: Leonid Tyagachev, president of the Russian Olympic Committee; Vladimir Kozhin, head of the Presidential Property Management Department; and Army General Yevgeny Murov, director of the Federal Protective Service (FSO). Vacationers who recognized them could not hide their surprise. They joked that the officials were not on holiday but on an official business trip—studying foreign experience. Mr. Kozhin and General Murov appeared in public together with fashion designer Valentin Yudashkin and Alexander Dostman, president of the ARTES cultural foundation. Another surprising sight was the husband of one of Courchevel’s female landowners, RIGroup president Zhanna Bullock—former Moscow Region Finance Minister Alexei Kuznetsov. He is currently wanted by the authorities. But his wife, they say, bought yet another Courchevel hotel this year in spite of everything—"Prolong." Mr. Kuznetsov, wearing a fur coat down to his heels, was spotted in the Hermes store selecting purchases.
A wonderful item in Kommersant’s society column. Ski Resort of Pride
The “siloviki” (security-service officials) and crooks are drinking and making merry in Courchevel. It would be one thing if they were merely “crooks” in the common ironic sense used for highly effective managers and officials. But here we are talking about literal crooks. This Kuznetsov is wanted on charges of embezzling God knows how many billions.
Actually, these “sovereign’s men,” as they like to call themselves, should have taken steps to detain the scoundrel. Or at least informed the criminal investigation department of his whereabouts.
It is interesting, really. A national newspaper with a circulation of 200,000 reports that a Major-League Crook is hanging out in Courchevel. Surely some measures should be taken. An extradition request. Interpol. Or is this how it goes: everyone reads it, shrugs, and puts the paper aside.