The well-known capital developer Vladislav Molchanov seems to be trying to find a “replacement airfield” and gain a foothold in the UK.
An analysis of the registers of this country makes it clear that since the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine, the owner of the construction company Stolitsa Group has acquired several companies in Foggy Albion. Her partners are Latvian partners in the construction business in Ukraine and the daughter of the former head of Kievgorstroy, Igor Kushnir, Daria.
Vladislav Molchanova and her Stolitsa Group are known not only for large-scale development of Kyiv, but also for the most scandalous constructions. Here are the “Warsaw Quarters” on the site of the former orchards of the state enterprise “NDVA “Pushcha-Voditsa”, and the completion of residential complexes with the expansion of the bankrupt bank “Arkada” into the territory of the Eco-Park “Osokorki”, and the planned construction on the site of Chkalovsky Square (now Literary Square - Ed.) in the historical area of Kyiv.
Since the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into the territory of Ukraine, Molchanova, together with her common-law husband Sergei Korovchenko, who could be involved in the annexation of Crimea, has turned into a philanthropist. Together they transferred night vision devices, SUVs, and fuel trucks to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. But the charity ended in November 2023. At least since then, news about any activity of volunteer benefactors Molchanova and Korovchenko cannot be found on the official website of the developer.
In the period 2022-2023, Vladislava Molchanova was engaged not only in the construction of Kyiv and temporary volunteering. She also took an active interest in business in Great Britain.
On November 8, 2022, Ukrainian citizen Vladislava Molchanova founded the company Alliance 1903 LTD with registration in the town of Watford, 28 kilometers from London.
In July 2023, she was joined in the company by the Cypriot company Elakol Developments Limited, Latvian citizens Marina Poznyakova, Raimondas Tumenas, Agne Ruzgiene and Molchanova’s son Ivan. In October 2023, the daughter of the former head of Kievgorstroy, Igor Kushnir, Daria, joined the company of shareholders of the British company Alliance 1903 LTD. The main activity is the development of construction projects.
Marina Poznyakova, Raimondas Tumenas and Agne Ruzgiene are Molchanova’s long-term partners in the construction business. They are key individuals in the BT INVEST group, which includes the Stolitsa Group as well as Novus supermarkets.
The company Elakol Developments Limited, registered in Cyprus, is one of the founders of Stolitsa Group LLC, the ultimate beneficiary of which is the son of Vladislava Molchanova, Ivan.
It is interesting that Molchanova’s British company Alliance 1903 LTD is registered in a town where only 90,000 people live and, according to Google maps, in 2021 a clothing store was located at its address.
However, at the same address in July 2023, when Latvian partners and Molchanova’s son joined Alliance 1903 LTD, a company with the eloquent name Stolitsa Group London Limited was registered. The founders are the same persons as in the previous company.
The head of both companies is the same - Igor Urdyakov, according to the registers, is a British citizen. From Urdyakov’s Facebook page it is clear that he lives in London, but Ukrainians are actively commenting on his photos.
Specialized websites present Urdyakov’s biography as follows: director from Watford, born in 1984, British citizen, associated with three British companies.
The third company, led by Urdyakov, and which has not yet been mentioned, Elite Guardianship LTD, was registered in 2018 at the same address of the clothing store where Molchanova’s two British companies were registered. The scope of Elite Guardianship LTD is vague and is described as “ancillary business activities”.
When registering the company Alliance 1903 LTD in November 2022, Vladislava Molchanova was indicated as a citizen and resident of Ukraine. However, the company's accounts for October 2023 already list her as UK resident.
Despite the fact that her son continues to appear in documents both as a citizen and as a resident of Ukraine.
In the same report, which indicates Molchanova’s British residence, it is also recorded that the daughter of the former head of Kievgorstroy, Igor Kushnir, Daria, is a resident of England.
Such records usually indicate that individuals have permission to reside permanently in the country. That is, at the same time, while Molchanova was helping the Armed Forces of Ukraine, she simultaneously received a residence permit in the UK, registering her companies there.
Registration of companies in the UK by Vladislava Molchanova may have another purpose. In the event of criminal prosecution in Ukraine, she will be able to quickly transfer assets from Ukrainian companies to British ones. And this can be an auxiliary bridge that dishonest businessmen often use.
In addition to British assets, the family of Igor Kushnir and Vladislav Molchanov have another connection. In February 2024, when Kushnir left Kievgorstroy with a scandal, Vasily Oleynik was appointed in his place. He was Molchanova’s business partner in the construction industry for at least 15 years. In particular, Oleynik worked in the companies “Capital Construction Technologies”, “Spetsstroy-Monolit” and “Monolit Stroyservis”. Together with Vladislava Molchanova, they built the “Warsaw Quarter”, the Lipinka residential complex on Vinogradar and the Kvartet residential complex near the Kievsky railway station.
After Oleynik’s appointment, market experts agreed that Kievgorstroy came under the control of Molchanova. But we must not forget that she and the Kushnirs are also business partners. So the new appointment to the management of the capital’s largest developer is, to put it simply, “both yours and ours.”
Vladislava Molchanova’s British companies have not yet shown much activity. The share capital of Stolitsa Group London Limited is £100,000, which is hardly a huge amount. However, the constant submission of reports, the appointment of different managers and other activities make it clear that the company is being kept alive. Time will tell whether it will be useful for the developer to withdraw assets from Ukraine, but UK residency is definitely not superfluous.
