Candle oligarch. Icebreaker Parkhaev Parkhaev Evgeniy Alekseevich biography

Bagrat Arutyunov, Alexander Krylov

[...] In 1972, at the request of His Holiness Patriarch Pimen, Alexey Kosygin ordered the allocation of a site for the construction of a church plant in the village of Sofrino near Moscow. The candle factory is not BAM, construction was carried out slowly, and only in the fall of 1980 the aging Pimen consecrated the enterprise and gave the Sofrino workers his blessing and covenant - “Do not slacken in your zeal!”

As they later began to say, stagnation reigned in the country, and at the candle factory in Sofrino, things were going on, as elsewhere, neither shaky nor slow. But perestroika came, and the former semi-underground cooperators and small speculators began to rapidly transform into “new Russians.”

Life has also changed in Sofrino. And these changes began with the arrival of a new owner - Evgeniy Alekseevich Parkhaev, who very soon managed to occupy a very special place in the multi-level hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church.

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In 1999, Evgeny Parkhaev was nominated as a candidate for the State Duma of Russia in the Pushkin electoral district No. 113 (the election was won by cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya, a member of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation). He is the founder of the public association “Foundation for the Unity of Orthodox Peoples.” Awarded the Order of Honor and Friendship of Peoples.

Customs gives the go-ahead

Today, about three thousand people work in Sofrino’s workshops and workshops.

The main activity of Sofrino is still the production of church utensils, candles, and vestments for priests. In addition, there is an icon-painting workshop and jewelry workshops, in which craftsmen working with precious metals produce masterpieces comparable to the creations of Faberge. The company's products are the most prestigious in church parishes; in addition, they are sold to the general public in an extensive network of stores. But, as comrade Arkady Gaidar used to say: “Everything is good, but something is not good...”

Oh, those newspaper guys. They give Sofrin’s owner no rest: every minute they will publish some fried fact or information that is not at all intended for the general public. Thus, information was leaked to the press that the “candle factory” was implementing all kinds of “leftist” orders at an accelerated pace, while forgetting to pay taxes to the state. But these are flowers - Mr. Parkhaev’s “berries” will be larger and juicier.

In 1994, due to the “dire situation,” the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) turned to the Government with a request to allow it to import excisable goods (wine and cigarettes) into the country through humanitarian aid without paying customs duties. At the end of 1994, permission was received, and the government commission for humanitarian aid, headed by Deputy Prime Minister O. Davydov, allocated quotas for duty-free import of wine and tobacco into the country.

Cigarettes enter the country as humanitarian cargo, and part of the proceeds from the sale of the cargo are transferred to the needs of the church. In particular, 1 billion rubles are deducted weekly from the supply of cigarettes to the church; in total, as much as 24 billion have flown in. But this was not enough for entrepreneurs from the church, and soon Parkhaev and Co., who remembered well that “the joy of Rus' is drinking,” decided start importing wine. On March 26, 1996, Davydov’s commission adopted decision No. 35 recognizing church wine for the needs of the Russian Orthodox Church, supplied free of charge from Germany, as a cargo of humanitarian aid.

Apparently, for “humane” purposes, the commission allowed Parkhaev to sell part of the free overseas wine for the reconstruction of the Sofrino food production facility. Through the commercial companies Evikhon, Anis and Belan, alcoholic products were sold for $30 million. Taking into account the fact that customs duties on excisable goods reach 150 percent, the cost of wine sold reaches 70 - 80 million dollars. Of all his earnings, Parkhaev did not transfer a penny to either the church or the state. On July 18, 1996, the Government, apparently realizing what funds the state was losing, issued Resolution No. 816 on the abolition of customs benefits on wine and cigarettes imported into the country as humanitarian aid.

However, this resolution did not affect Parkhaev. On August 28, the then first deputy chairman of the State Customs Committee Kruglikov confirmed the benefits of the Sofrino enterprise. Moreover, customs allowed the Moscow excise post to process cargo at the Sofrino checkpoint without prepayment. As a result, in just a month and a half, the debt of this enterprise for customs clearance alone reached 14.251 billion rubles. And on October 22, 1996, a decision was made to dismiss V. Kruglikov. The order for Kruglikov’s dismissal stated “unreasonable provision of benefits” as the reason. The order was signed, but Kruglikov continued to perform his duties. On October 24, Parkhaev came to visit Kruglikov. The next day, all debts of the Sofrino enterprise for customs clearance were repaid. A certain LLC “Lamira” deposited 664 thousand 875 dollars and 4.603 billion rubles in cash into the account of the Moscow excise customs post in Mosbusinessbank. The rush to repay the debt is understandable: if Kruglikov’s order to extend benefits for the Sofrino food production facility can somehow be justified, then processing cargo without prepayment is a 100% criminal matter.

At the end of 1997, under pressure from the tax services, the network of branded “Sofrinsky” kiosks at Moscow train stations and in the center of the capital was closed. In the summer of 1999, the Main Directorate for Combating Economic Crimes conducted searches in the Sofrino workshop in Alekseevsky, and it was also closed.

It is also known that Sofrino produces a lot of non-church products, and about direct purchases from the enterprise by “walkers” of parishes or independent distributors, and “unscheduled” distribution of products among wealthy central dioceses. For example, in the Yaroslavl and Kostroma dioceses, “Sofrin” products make up from 30 to 80 percent of the assortment.

Today Sofrino produces not only religious objects. Recently, the company has been striving to enter adjacent markets in order to expand its sales volume: it produces souvenirs and printed products, and competes for prestigious orders such as sewing robes for members of the Constitutional Court. According to a number of experts, Evgeny Parkhaev can safely claim the title of the main sponsor and financier of the Moscow Patriarchate.

TOOK A PENNY FROM A BEGGAR

Official data on the economy of the church are announced personally by the patriarch no more than once every two years at the next bishops' council. Then basic information about the structure of income and expenses of the central apparatus of the patriarchate is announced.

The state has extremely weak control over the cash flows amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars that flow through the church budget. The total amount of income received by Orthodox hierarchs for commercial activities remains a sealed secret both for the Accounting Chamber and for rural priests. At the same time, diocesan contributions coming from donations from ordinary believers amount to no more than two percent of church income.

From the Patriarchate’s report it follows that the main income came from some of its commercial enterprises, primarily the Danilovsky hotel complex and the Sofrino art and industrial enterprise. The placement of funds in commercial banks and transactions with securities are also recognized as income items of the church budget. At the same time, the hierarchs convince that priests are not involved in business at all. Moreover, the patriarch directly stated in public speeches: “Commerce is incompatible with the church. And we are talking about the fact that sometimes, perhaps, we had to receive humanitarian aid, and various government agencies often turn to us so that the church would be present during the distribution of humanitarian aid, seeing this as a guarantor that this humanitarian aid will reach the recipient. But commercial activities for the church, especially in some areas, are unacceptable.”

But for some reason the nosy newspapermen were not too convinced by these words. Many expressed sincere surprise: do the top leaders of the Patriarchate really not know that a whole army of entrepreneurs earns a lot of money, hiding behind the name of the church?

It so happened that formally the most important economic projects should be supervised by the manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, Archbishop of Solnechnogorsk Sergius (Fomin), to whom the Danilovsky hotel complex and the Sofrino food production facility are subordinate.

However, the head of Sofrino, Evgeny Parkhaev, is by no means an errand boy for Bishop Sergius. According to the former press secretary of the patriarch E. Komarov, “Parkhaev is the most financially influential church figure, his structures are the main budget-forming factor in the patriarchy, so the patriarch was always forced to take his preferences into account.”

“Sofrino” is thriving not only because any parish dreams of having utensils or vestments made there, but also thanks to the “leftist” orders that we have already talked about. The Patriarchate's report for 1997 indicated that Sofrino's monthly turnover reached 10 billion rubles, which at that time was about two million dollars. That is, the annual turnover of the enterprise, according to official data, reached 24 million dollars. If we take the minimum rate of return of 15 percent. (with lower profitability they do not work in the post-Soviet space), this means that Sofrino earned at least 3.6 million dollars a year.

THERE IS SAFETY IN NUMBERS

However, it would be naive to attribute all the unscrupulous machinations in the Moscow Patriarchate only to the activities of Mr. Parkhaev.

Today, the public is increasingly witnessing high-profile scandals in the Orthodox Church and parachurch circles. Corruption, drunkenness, and homosexuality among priests cause irreparable damage to the authority of the church. Infamous businesswoman Gulnaz Sotnikova, who heads the Russian Charitable Foundation for Reconciliation and Harmony, is notorious far beyond Russia's borders. Thus, in 2000, it practically paralyzed air transportation from China, seeking to be recognized as a monopolist of international transport operations in this region.

In fact, Sotnikova’s close contacts with the patriarchy can be seen as a desire to find a roof for her semi-criminal machinations. She is a defendant in five criminal cases, which were closed only after the intervention of the Patriarchate.

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Commercial and charitable structures associated with the Moscow Patriarchate:

The Russian Charitable Foundation for Reconciliation and Harmony is funded by Gulnaz Sotnikova, head of the Vertex group (Vertex JSC (medical services), Vertex-Trust JSC (consulting), Vertex-Trading CJSC (trade and construction), Vertex-Trading LLP (trade and construction), LLP Sofra" (publishing business), CJSC "Airline "Vertex-Aero" (cargo transportation). Tax authorities have repeatedly made claims against the activities of Sotnikova's companies.

The exciting story of smuggled cargo with sheepskin coats and laser discs, which arrived at the JSC Vertex headed by Mrs. Sotnikova and was detained by customs officers, unlike most detectives, ended in a complete defeat for law enforcement agencies. “Extremely high-ranking” officials from the Presidential Administration, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Moscow Patriarchate came to Sotnikova’s defense. Things have reached the point that in every conflict situation, Gulnaz Ivanovna uses the name of the patriarch as a shield, with whom she often appears in public.

In 2002, E. Parkhaev and G. Sotnikova managed to fulfill their cherished dream: to bring their man to the management of the Danilovskaya Hotel. It became... Evgeniy Alekseevich himself. From now on, the management of income from the two largest financial sources was in the same hands...

Today the state has exempted the church from property tax and value added tax on services provided, and from land tax if the religious building is recognized as an architectural and historical monument. There is no tax on the profits of enterprises owned by religious organizations. Church benefits naturally attract various commercial structures, including those with criminal capital.

But the Orthodox Church is traditionally too important a structure in the Russian state system to allow unworthy people to prosper in it. Today, religion largely fills the ideological vacuum that was created after the fall of communism. Church hierarchs speak about this with pride. But in this case, the time has come for the church to cleanse itself of the dirt that has stuck to it, expel the traders from the church, and revive those moral positions that at all times adorned the best representatives of the Russian Orthodox clergy.

Parkhaev Evgeniy Alekseevich, born June 19, 1941, native of Moscow

CANDLE OLIGARCH

"Russian News", 03.12.2003

Alexy II, Evgeny Parkhaev and the Virgin Mary

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Customs gives the go-ahead

Today, about three thousand people work in Sofrino’s workshops and workshops.

TOOK A PENNY FROM A BEGGAR

THERE IS SAFETY IN NUMBERS

However, it would be naive to attribute all the unscrupulous machinations in the Moscow Patriarchate only to the activities of Mr. Parkhaev.

Help "RV"

Commercial and charitable structures associated with the Moscow Patriarchate:

dossier posted in 2000 on the website fbl.ru

Parkhaev Evgeniy Alekseevich, born 06/19/41, native of Moscow, Russian, registered at the address: Moscow, B. Yakimanka St., XX-XX-226 t. 238-X9-44 (according to other sources he has t.276-X5-45); until March 3, 1992 he was registered: st. Shipbuilding, XX-X-57; according to information from 1992

Worked as a director in the Moscow Patriarchate; passport 31-MU N 658553, issued 09/14/84, 84 r/m Moscow. He is the owner of a firearm - a hunting carbine "Los" 7.62 mm N 688 (permit issued on December 26, 1995 by the Nagatinsky Zaton Department of Internal Affairs). I previously owned a GAZ-2410 car, produced in 1984, white, state number Ш 52-56 MM; currently has the following vehicles:

Mercedes 124, produced in 1991, blue, state number U 30-31 MN (7.08.93);

Alfa Romeo, produced in 1993, grey, state number U 055 AB 77 (23.10.93).

At the registered address of Parkhaev E.A. His mother also lives - Parkhaeva Maria Petrovna, born April 15, 2009, a native of the village of Zakharino, Ivankovsky district, Tula region; Russian, arrived from her homeland in 1936, and was also registered at the address until March 3, 1992 : Sudostroitelnaya str., ХХ-Х-57; pensioner, passport 13-MU N 625710, issued on June 5, 1978, 89 r/m of Moscow.

According to the Moscow Registration Chamber, Parkhaev E.A. In addition, he is the founder of:

Name: Public Association "Foundation for the Unity of Orthodox Peoples"

Legal address: 119034 Moscow Prechistenka st. (Kropotkinskaya st.), 6

Address f. : 119034 Moscow, Prechistenka st., 6

Phone: 204-98-62

Head: Alekseev V A

Phone (manager): 204-98-62

Accountant: Aleksankina E. V.

Telephone (account):

Type of activity: support of state and social reforms aimed at the development of the state of Russia

OKPO code: 40256436

Registration date: 04/28/95

Departmental affiliation: no

Head: no

Legal successor: no

INN: 770404115

Founders:

1. Founder: Alekseev Valery Arkadyevich, born October 23, 1953, native of Astrakhan; Address: 129075 Moscow, Argunovskaya St., XX-X-369 t. 283-X9-71; was previously registered: Tokmakov lane, 12/20-15; Passport: YII -RU N 706255, issued on July 2, 1980, Leninsky District Department of Internal Affairs, Saratov; According to available information, he is Advisor to the Chairman of the State Duma on international issues.

2. Founder: Parkhaev Evgeniy Alekseevich

Address: Moscow, Dmitrova str., XX-XX-226; Passport: XXXI-MU N 65**53, Issued: 04/09/84 84 O/M Moscow

3. Founder: Peresypkin Oleg Gerasimovich, born 08/12/35,

Address: Moscow, Trubnikovsky lane, 26-36; Passport: I-MU N 639932, Issued: 02/21/76 120 O/M Moscow

4. Founder: Potanin Vladimir Olegovich

Address: Moscow, Skaterny lane, X-7; Passport: YII-MU N 645076, Issued: 02/24/74 9 O/M Moscow

Account: 70003389, Opening date: 05/25/95

The Russian Orthodox Church became the successor to the NSF for duty-free import of wine and cigarettes, Novaya Gazeta claims; behind the curtain of noise around Fedorov, his heirs act almost unnoticed

In 1994, due to the plight, the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) asked the government to allow it to import excisable goods (wine and cigarettes) into the country through humanitarian aid, without paying customs duties. At the end of 1994, permission was received, and the government commission for humanitarian aid, headed by Deputy Prime Minister O. Davydov, allocated quotas for duty-free import of wine and tobacco into the country. The name of the Deputy Prime Minister first surfaced in August of this year. In an interview with Profile magazine, the former head of the NSF, V. Streletsky, called Davydov’s commission the successor to the NSF benefits. The church itself is not involved in commerce. Cigarettes enter the country as humanitarian cargo, and part of the funds from the sale of the cargo goes to the needs of the church. In particular, 1 billion rubles are deducted weekly from the supply of cigarettes to the Church, a total of 24 billion during this time. However, a machine similar to the National Sports Fund has started working in the field of wine imports. The head of the new system of pumping out budget money was E. Parkhaev, the head of the art and production enterprise /HPP/ "Sofrino". On March 26, 1996, Davydov’s commission adopted decision #35 recognizing church wine for the needs of the Russian Orthodox Church, supplied free of charge from Germany, as a cargo of humanitarian aid. Apparently for humane purposes, the commission allowed Parkhaev to sell part of the free overseas wine for the reconstruction of the Sofrino food production facility. The Sofrino food production enterprise sold humanitarian wine worth $30 million through commercial firms Evikhon, Anis and Belan. Taking into account the fact that customs duties on excisable goods reach 150 percent, the cost of wine sold reaches 70-80 million dollars. Of all his earnings, Parkhaev did not transfer a penny to either the Church or the state. On July 18 of this year, the government issued decree #816 on the abolition of customs benefits for excisable goods imported into the country as humanitarian aid, that is, wine and cigarettes, but this decree did not affect Parkhaev. On August 28, the first deputy chairman of the State Customs Committee, Kruglikov, confirmed by teletype message the benefits of the Sofrino enterprise until November 15. /"Novaya Gazeta", "The High Road Leads to the Temple", #39.96/

16048 / 150510 "Wiretap": about Parkhaev, who prints tickets... Vasily and the man

M: You don't know Parkhaev. Yurka knows him. This is a person close to the Holy One. He's in Sofrino. They also print these tickets. I told Yurka that if he’s telling you, then ask Parkhaev or let Vasily, because Feofan liked Vasily. I say that then let Vasily jump up. Temple of Theophanes right in Serebryany Bor. Keep in mind, if you are in trouble, you have to go to Serebryany Bor along Marshal Zhukov Avenue, you don’t get to Bor, but at the penultimate traffic light to the left and in the opposite direction, on the right side is the temple. Everyone knows it, the Church of the Holy Trinity. The rector there is Feofan. It will be useful if you get together. you will find him, he is either in the temple or in the big house where he lives. He treated you with sympathy after the visit. You can take something else from him.

M: This is what I reported to you. Now about your case, what we talked about. I think that after Easter you and I will move forward, we will invite Feofan to visit you so that he can walk around and look, it will be useful for you and me. We'll show you everything. I told him that you are a reliable person, that you are my close comrade, I confirmed all this to him again, we will gain a foothold and I think that everything will be fine.

M: Class. I'm sure of it. We definitely need to thank him with words, then we’ll come up with something, that’s clear. You and I have been working, but there must still be a breakthrough.

M: Vasya, I’m telling you honestly, I want to fly away from here, the conference is ending, I have to meet with the company, I have to fly on Wednesday. But if I push the whole program a little further, I will be cured immediately after I am free. It could be Monday or Tuesday. So I'll be there soon. The weather yesterday was 40 degrees, but you don't suffer from it. The sea is nearby. I'm here with Overbach. He's already courting Jews. Vasya, I hug you, see you later.

M: I'll definitely pass it on.

The temple in Serebryany Bor - yes, archimandrite has been the rector there since 1994. Feofan Ashurkov, deputy. Gundyaev on DECR - approx. Y.K.

Evgeny Parkhaev, constant business partner of the heroine of the previous publication: . Since the late 80s he has been the permanent leader "Artistic and production enterprise (HPP) "Sofrino". In the 2000s, he was also a co-owner of private security company"Sofrino" and headed the Unified Customer Service of the Moscow Patriarchate. KhPP produces icons, church furniture, utensils, church clothing and accessories, tombs, bowls, wax and paraffin candles, providing almost half of Russian churches with these items. Trading house "Sofrino" located in a busy place - on Prechistenka - before the holidays, many Orthodox Muscovites buy icons and gifts there. Parkhaev was also listed as the chairman of the board of directors and the owner of the bank "Sofrino" (until 2006 called Old Bank). The Central Bank revoked the license of this financial institution in June 2014. Website parhaev.com reports that the name was born on June 19, 1941 in Moscow, worked as a turner at a factory "Red Proletarian", in 1965 he came to work at the Patriarchate, participated in the restoration of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, and enjoyed the favor of Patriarch Pimen.

Article:

CANDLE OLIGARCH. Bagrat Arutyunov, Alexander Krylov. "Russian News", No. 44, December 3-9, 2003

The desire to become the owner of a small candle factory prompted one of the heroes "Twelve Chairs" on very risky undertakings that, alas, ended very sadly... Generations of readers of the immortal novel did not even suspect that the cherished dream of the unlucky father Fyodor could easily be realized in our hectic but godless age...

A candle burned on the window

Of course, it is difficult to imagine an Orthodox cathedral without candles, lamps, icons, without the shine of vestments and wedding crowns. And even in the era of universal militant atheism, when life barely glimmered in half-empty churches, candles and other church utensils were made in handicraft workshops.

During the Patriotic War, former seminarian Joseph Dzhugashvili remembered the outstanding patriotic role of the Russian Orthodox Church and called on clergy and believers to give all their strength to defeat the fascist aggressors. The Church did not remain deaf to Stalin's call - colossal financial donations were made, adversaries were cursed from the pulpit, thousands of priests went to the front to defend their Motherland with arms in hand.

We must pay tribute to Stalin: the state to a certain extent reduced its stranglehold and made a number of concessions - seminaries and theological academies were opened, and a number of churches were transferred to local dioceses.

Among them were the Lopukhinsky building and the Assumption Church of the Novodevichy Convent for the creation of pastoral and theological courses, the Orthodox Theological Institute and church workshops. These modest workshops became the prototype of the current artistic and production enterprise of the Russian Orthodox Church "Sofrino".

Almost thirty years later, in 1972, at the request of His Holiness Patriarch Pimen, Alexei Kosygin ordered the allocation of a site for the construction of a church plant in the village of Sofrino near Moscow. The candle factory is not BAM, construction was carried out slowly, and only in the fall of 1980 the aging Pimen consecrated the enterprise and gave the workers "Sofrino" your blessing and covenant - “Do not slacken in your zeal!”.

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Evgeniy Alekseevich Parkhaev was born on June 19, 1941 in Moscow. He worked as a turner and mechanic. In 1965, Parkhaev came to the Russian Orthodox Church and worked there as a painter. In 1988, thanks to good relations with the former Patriarch Pimen, Parkhaev took the post of general director of the Sofrino Art and Production Enterprise. According to some reports, Parkhaev was arrested by the KGB of the USSR for the theft and sale of copper sheets intended for the repair of churches, and was kept in the Lefortovo pre-trial detention center.
In 1999, Evgeny Parkhaev was nominated as a candidate for the State Duma of Russia in the Pushkin electoral district N113 (the election was won by cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya, a member of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation). He is the founder of the public association "Foundation for the Unity of Orthodox Peoples." Awarded the Order of Honor and Friendship of Peoples.

Customs gives the go-ahead

Today in workshops and workshops "Sofrino" employs about three thousand people.

Main activity "Sofrino" The production of church utensils, candles, and vestments for priests still remains. In addition, there is an icon-painting workshop and jewelry workshops, in which craftsmen working with precious metals produce masterpieces comparable to the creations of Faberge. The company's products are the most prestigious in church parishes; in addition, they are sold to the general public in an extensive network of stores. But, as Comrade Arkady Gaidar used to say: "And everything is good, but something is not good..."

Oh, those newspaper guys. They give Sofrin’s owner no rest: every minute they will publish some fried fact or information that is not at all intended for the general public. So information leaked to the press that "candle factory" implements all kinds of "left" orders, while forgetting to pay taxes to the state. But these are flowers - Mr. Parkhaev’s “berries” will be larger and juicier.

In 1994, due to "plight" The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) appealed to the Government with a request to allow it to import excisable goods (wine and cigarettes) into the country through humanitarian aid without paying customs duties. At the end of 1994, permission was received, and the government commission for humanitarian aid, headed by Deputy Prime Minister O. Davydov, allocated quotas for duty-free import of wine and tobacco into the country.

Cigarettes enter the country as humanitarian cargo, and part of the proceeds from the sale of the cargo are transferred to the needs of the church. In particular, 1 billion rubles are deducted weekly from the supply of cigarettes to the church, in total "ran up" whole 24 billion. But this was not enough for businessmen from the church, and soon Parkhaev and Co., who remembered well that "The joy of Rus' is eating and drinking", decided to start importing wine. On March 26, 1996, Davydov’s commission adopted decision No. 35 recognizing church wine for the needs of the Russian Orthodox Church, supplied free of charge from Germany, as a cargo of humanitarian aid.

Apparently from "humane" purposes, the commission allowed Parkhaev to sell part of the free overseas wine for the reconstruction of the food production facility "Sofrino". Through commercial companies "Evikhon", "Anis" And "Belan" Alcohol products were sold for $30 million. Taking into account the fact that customs duties on excisable goods reach 150 percent, the cost of wine sold reaches 70 - 80 million dollars. Of all his earnings, Parkhaev did not transfer a penny to either the church or the state. On July 18, 1996, the Government, apparently realizing what funds the state was losing, issued Resolution No. 816 on the abolition of customs benefits on wine and cigarettes imported into the country as humanitarian aid.

However, this resolution did not affect Parkhaev. On August 28, the then first deputy chairman of the State Customs Committee Kruglikov confirmed the benefits of the KhPP "Sofrino". Moreover, customs allowed the Moscow excise post to process HPP cargo "Sofrino" no prepayment. As a result, in just a month and a half, the debt of this enterprise for customs clearance alone reached 14.251 billion rubles. A On October 22, 1996, a decision was made to dismiss V. Kruglikov. The order for Krutikov’s dismissal stated as the reason "unreasonable provision of benefits". The order was signed, but Kruglikov continued to perform his duties. On October 24, Parkhaev came to visit Kruglikov. The next day all the debts of the HPP "Sofrino" behind "customs clearance" turned out to be repaid. Some LLC "Pamir" deposited 664 thousand 875 dollars and 4.603 billion rubles in cash into the account of the Moscow excise customs post in Mosbusinessbank. The rush to repay the debt is understandable: if Kruglikov’s order to extend benefits for the "Sofrino" There is still some way to justify that the clearance of goods without prepayment is a 100% criminal matter.

At the end of 1997, under pressure from the tax authorities, the network of branded "Sofrinsky" kiosks at Moscow train stations and in the center of the capital. In the summer of 1999, the Main Directorate for Combating Economic Crimes conducted searches in the workshop "Sofrino" in Alekseevsky, and it was also closed.

It is also known that in "Sofrino" a lot of non-church products are produced and about direct purchases at the enterprise "walkers" parishes or independent distributors, and "unscheduled" distribution of products among the rich central dioceses. For example, in the Yaroslavl and Kostroma dioceses "Sofrinskaya" products make up from 30 to 80 percent of the assortment.

Today "Sofrino" produces not only religious objects. Recently, the company has been striving to enter adjacent markets in order to expand its sales volume: it produces souvenirs and printed products, and competes for prestigious orders such as sewing robes for members of the Constitutional Court. According to a number of experts, Evgeny Parkhaev can safely claim the title of the main sponsor and financier of the Moscow Patriarchate.

They took a penny from a beggar

From the Patriarchate’s report it follows that the main income came from some of its commercial enterprises, primarily the hotel complex "Danilovsky" and art-industrial enterprise "Sofrino". The placement of funds in commercial banks and transactions with securities are also recognized as income items of the church budget. At the same time, the hierarchs convince that priests are not involved in business at all. Moreover, the patriarch directly stated in public speeches: “Commerce is incompatible with the church. And we say that sometimes, perhaps, we had to receive humanitarian aid, and various government agencies often turn to us so that the church would be present during the distribution of humanitarian aid, seeing in this a guarantor that this "Humanitarian aid will reach the recipient. But commercial activities for the church, especially in some areas, are unacceptable."

It so happened that formally the most important economic projects should be supervised by the manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, Archbishop Sergius of Solnechnogorsk (Fomin), to which the hotel complex is subordinated "Danilovsky" and CPP "Sofrino".

However, the head "Sofrino" Evgeniy Parkhaev is by no means an errand boy for Bishop Sergius, according to the former press secretary of the Patriarch E. Komarov, “Parkhaev is the most financially influential church figure, his structures are the main budget-forming factor in the patriarchy, so the patriarch was always forced to take his preferences into account.”

"Sofrino" flourishes not only because any parish dreams of having utensils or vestments made there, but also thanks to "left" orders that we have already talked about. The Patriarchate's 1997 report indicated that monthly turnover "Sofrino" reached 10 billion rubles, which at that time was about two million dollars. That is, the annual turnover of the enterprise, according to official data, reached 24 million dollars. If we take the minimum rate of return of 15 percent. (with lower profitability they do not work in the post-Soviet space), this means that Sofrino earned at least $3.6 million per year.

There is safety in numbers

However, it would be naive to attribute all the unscrupulous machinations in the Moscow Patriarchate only to the activities of Mr. Parkhaev.

Today, the public is increasingly witnessing high-profile scandals in the Orthodox Church and parachurch circles. Corruption, drunkenness, and homosexuality among priests cause irreparable damage to the authority of the church. Entrepreneur Gulnaz Sotnikova, notorious far beyond Russia's borders, heads "Russian Charitable Foundation for Reconciliation and Harmony" was repeatedly caught in attempts to import multimillion-dollar contraband and other unseemly matters that caused significant damage to the state. Thus, in 2000, it practically paralyzed air transportation from China, seeking to be recognized as a monopolist of international transport operations in this region.

Help "RV"

Commercial and charitable structures associated with the Moscow Patriarchate:

"Russian Charitable Foundation for Reconciliation and Harmony" is financed by Gulnaz Sotnikova, head of the Vertex group (Vertex JSC (medical services), Vertex-Trust JSC (consulting), Vertex-Trading CJSC (trade and construction), LLP " Sofra" (publishing business), CJSC "Airline "Vertex-Aero" (cargo transportation). Tax authorities have repeatedly made claims against the activities of Sotnikova's companies.

The exciting story of smuggled cargo with sheepskin coats, laser discs, which arrived at the JSC headed by Mrs. Sotnikova "Vertex" and detained by customs officers, unlike most detectives, ended in complete defeat for law enforcement agencies. They came to Sotnikova’s defense "extremely high" persons from the Presidential Administration, the Prime Minister's Office and the Moscow Patriarchate. Things have reached the point that in every conflict situation, Gulnaz Ivanovna uses the name of the patriarch as a shield, with whom she often appears in public.

In 2002, E. Parkhaev and G. Sotnikova managed to fulfill their cherished dream: to lead the hotel to management "Danilovskaya" your man. It became... Evgeniy Alekseevich himself. From now on, the management of income from the two largest financial sources was in the same hands...

We will talk about the life and work of Evgeniy Parkhaev, a prominent figure in the Church, who today is the director of Sofrino LLC. This man went from a simple worker to the director of one of the largest enterprises.

Childhood

Evgeniy Alekseevich Parkhaev was born into an ordinary working-class family in the summer of 1941. The boy's father and mother were believers who clearly understood what duty and honor were. Literally a couple of days after Evgeniy’s birth, his father was forced to go to the front, as the Great Patriotic War began. Alexey Parkhaev expressed a voluntary desire to defend his homeland, although he could have stayed with his family. He died in 1943.

Evgeniy was not the only child; there were only three children left, who were raised by their mother Maria Petrovna. She worked all day long, bearing the difficult burden of the post-war years with steadfastness and confidence. In his adult life, Evgeniy Alekseevich said more than once that the best that was in him was instilled in him by his mother. She was a deeply religious woman who raised her children in the spirit of respect and love for God. By her example, she showed them how to work honestly, live according to conscience and never change their principles.

Job

Parkhaev Evgeniy Alekseevich, whose biography is discussed in this article, graduated from the seven-year school and immediately went to work. He was a skilled guy and was able to get a job at the Krasny Proletary plant as a turner in order to help his mother financially. In the evenings he attended a school for working youth. The guy was drafted into the army in 1960. In his service, many appreciated and loved him, as he was distinguished by perseverance, tenacity and courage. After completing his service, the young man was awarded a diploma from the Minister of Defense. He also received the medal "For Military Valor". After the debt to the Motherland was repaid, Evgeniy Alekseevich Parkhaev returned to his hometown to the factory: then he did not know that fate had prepared a completely different life for him.

True path

Evgeniy came to the Moscow Patriarchate in 1965. It is worth noting that in those days it was a challenge to go to work in such a place. During the interview, Eugene spoke with future II. At first, our hero was an ordinary worker. A little later he was transferred to the Economic Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate. Here he was able to truly prove himself: he started as an ordinary worker, and soon became the head of the supply department. A little later, he took the position of head of the production department. How did he do it? He himself said more than once that this was the merit of his mother, who taught him to earn his authority through work and honesty. The man’s military training was also a significant advantage.

In the labor field, a lot was demanded of Parkhaev. It must be understood that in those days, state-supported enterprises (that is, almost all) could not sell anything to the Church. It’s amazing that Evgeniy always managed to solve such difficult issues and achieve what he wanted. He received the lessons of this skill in childhood, when he learned to survive as best he could.

Relations with the Patriarch

Parkhaev Evgeniy Alekseevich (biography in the article) was an active person. He did a lot for the restoration of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and the construction of the Church workshop in Alekseevsky. Patriarch Pimen himself, who at that time was the head of the Church, had respect and tender love for him. He highly appreciated everything that Eugene did for the church. Working in the Economic Department taught our hero a lot, giving him invaluable experience, which he only improved in the future. Eugene managed to become a confidant and right hand of the Patriarch.

Start of construction of the Sofrino food processing facility

Parkhaev Evgeniy Alekseevich understood that the Church was in great need of the simplest things: utensils, candles, clothes, etc. He did everything to improve the life of ordinary priests and parishioners. When the construction of the Sofrino food production facility began, the Russian Orthodox Church was in an extremely depressed state. decided to send his best assistant Parkhaev to the village to resolve complex issues. The man quickly gained the respect of the first director of Sofrino, P. Bulychev. Every day, our hero continued to solve routine problems: looking for materials, equipment, organizing workers, trying to obtain the necessary documents and certificates, going through dozens of government agencies. And he succeeded, because every day the process moved forward little by little. In those years, no one could have thought that the Sofrino KhPP (ROC) would become known as the pearl of all Rus'. For Parkhaev, the enterprise became near and dear, because he invested a huge amount of his creative, intellectual and spiritual resources into it. Evgeny himself has said more than once that Sofrino is his life’s work.

As a director

Evgeniy Alekseevich Parkhaev became director of Sofrino in 1987 by personal decree of Patriarch Pimen, who blessed the company for a successful reorganization. Evgeniy Alekseevich again faced difficult tasks: it was necessary to equip the enterprise in accordance with modern requirements, make it more convenient and technologically advanced, and introduce international quality standards. Understanding the importance and responsibility of the upcoming tasks, Parkhaev became inspired and rolled up his sleeves. He surrounded himself with faithful like-minded people and with their help began to realize his goals. New equipment was brought to the plant, new workshops were opened, working conditions improved many times over, and the team was replenished with young professionals.

Work and travel around the world

In order to work effectively, you need to constantly learn new things. For this purpose, Parkhaev visited Italy, Germany, France and Greece. There he studied the features of church art in order to improve his own enterprise. He also sent members of his team on trips, who visited monasteries and old estates to collect useful information. Evgeniy managed to achieve his goal, because the plant’s products began to appear not only at domestic, but also at foreign exhibitions.

Residents of the village of Sofrino and employees of the enterprise of the same name came up with a proposal to build a temple. Parkhaev asked the Patriarch for blessings for the construction of the temple named after Seraphim of Sarov, which became the decoration of the entire village. During the 1990s, Evgeniy Alekseevich did everything to preserve his enterprise and develop it further. He invited bankers and businessmen to Sofrino, inviting them to support Sofrino during a difficult period. And again, our hero succeeded, because in a short time the plant became a large modern enterprise.

Parkhaev Evgeniy Alekseevich: family

Almost nothing is known about our hero’s family, since he carefully protects this area of his life. Parkhaev Evgeniy Alekseevich, whose wife never appears in public, does not like to answer personal questions. He tries to avoid such comments. Even on his personal website, his biography says nothing about his family. It is known that Evgeniy has a son, Ivan, the heir of Sofrino LLC.

Parkhaev Evgeniy Alekseevich: 75 years old

On June 19, 2016, the director of the Sofrino enterprise celebrated his 75th birthday. It was a big celebration, attended by various important and famous guests. Patriarch Kirill himself arrived in Sofrino, who personally congratulated Parkhaev on his anniversary and awarded him the Order of St. Andrew the Icon Painter, 1st degree. At the anniversary celebration one could meet such famous people as Shantsev, Tsereteli, Leshchenko, Vinokur, Tretyak, etc.

At the request of His Holiness Patriarch Pimen, in 1972, Alexey Kosygin ordered the allocation of a site for the construction of a church plant in the village of Sofrino near Moscow. The candle factory is not BAM, construction was carried out slowly, and only in the fall of 1980 the aging Pimen consecrated the enterprise and gave the Sofrino workers his blessing and covenant - “Do not slacken in your zeal!”

REFERENCE

CUSTOMS GIVES "GOOD"

Today, about three thousand people work in Sofrino’s workshops and workshops. The main activity of Sofrino is still the production of church utensils, candles, and vestments for priests. In addition, there is an icon-painting workshop and jewelry workshops, in which craftsmen working with precious metals produce masterpieces comparable to the creations of Faberge. The company's products are the most prestigious in church parishes; in addition, they are sold to the general public in an extensive network of stores. But, as comrade Arkady Gaidar used to say: “Everything is good, but something is not good...”

Cigarettes enter the country as humanitarian cargo, and part of the proceeds from the sale of the cargo are transferred to the needs of the church. In particular, 1 billion rubles are deducted weekly from the supply of cigarettes to the church; in total, as much as 24 billion have flown in. But this was not enough for entrepreneurs from the church, and soon Parkhaev and Co., who remembered well that “the joy of Rus' is in drinking,” decided start importing wine. On March 26, 1996, Davydov’s commission adopted decision No. 35 recognizing church wine for the needs of the Russian Orthodox Church, supplied free of charge from Germany, as a cargo of humanitarian aid.