PART 1 IS HERE

Business career

Ludmila Putina graduated from the philology department, the Spanish language. In her youth, she worked as a lathe operator at the Torgmash factory, then as a flight attendant, a hospital nurse, and even organized drama courses. During her marriage, she took on a project for promoting and supporting the Russian language. The foundation entrusted to the First Lady is called the Center for Russian Language Development, founded in 2000.

Journalists from the Navalny.com portal did not find much information about this foundation, but after analyzing the donations and generous transfers for fictitious activities, they concluded that the purpose for which the center exists is to drain taxpayers' money from the budget.

In the early years of Vladimir Putin's rule, Ludmila was given control of a historic mansion in the center of Moscow, which had belonged to Prince Volkonsky, the grandfather of Leo Tolstoy - the author of the novel "War and Peace." The mansion, officially a monument of architecture, became the headquarters of the Center for Russian Language Development, led by Ludmila Putina, who paid nothing for its rent.

The Volkonsky mansion, a historical monument, is now a property of Ludmila Ocheretnaya-Putina. Credit: Navalny.com 

In 2005, the mansion was transferred to the aforementioned foundation, free of charge. The following year, the institution also became the owner of the land on which the building exists, totaling over 4,000 square meters – a gift from the Moscow city administration.

In 2010, an adjacent building was erected, becoming part of the historic complex, still owned by Ludmila Putina's center. The status of official monument was canceled a year before, so in 2013, reconstruction of the mansion began, despite protests from historians and residents.

Upon erection or two more storeys added in the following years, the mansion turned into an office building, and the pro-Russian language foundation became the official tenant.

Psychological mystique

Meanwhile, the foundation was renamed the Center for Interpersonal Relations Development (forget about the Russian language), and its purpose was reduced to "creating a favorable psychological climate in the country." Consequently, the main activity became organizing psychology courses and seminars on magical energy.

Here are some of the course topics: "Martian Stories," "Attracting Money into Life," "The Woman Who Runs with Wolves: The Primitive Woman in Each of Us," "The Goddess in Every Woman," "Solving the Mysteries of Sleep," "Working with the Shadow (Magical Energy)."

The Center for Interpersonal Relations Development has received generous sponsorships from the Moscow city administration, Gazprombank, Severstal, Vorkutaugol – companies owned by the president's friends. The transfers include amounts ranging from 14 to 70 million rubles for nonexistent services.

Ludmila the Investor

In 2010, the center's director became Artur Ocheretnyi, and Ludmila Putina, who would later change her name from Putina to her new husband's name, established the company Meridian. The center transferred the rights to collect office rent fees and Ludmila gained the right to officially receive dividends and salaries.

In this complex totaling 12,000 square meters, just 6 minutes away from the Kremlin, offices were rented by Sberbank, a debt collection agency, a burger shop, a pharmacy, a dental clinic, and many others. The annual rent payment amounted to 250 million rubles. In October 2020, Ludmila Putina-Ocheretnaya (feminine form of Ocheretnyi) increased her monthly salary from 1 million to 2 million rubles.

She also established other companies, and invested a portion of her earnings in Gazprombank-Invest stocks.

Artur Ocheretnyi, husband of Ludmila ex-Putina. Credit: Navalny.com

Thus, the state ceded a valuable, money-generating property for free of charge to a private company owned by the president's former wife, and later it donated the property, while Mr. Putin's friends, on the other hand, donated money for fictitious services through the center led by her new husband, according to journalists' investigation.

Ludmila Putin-Ocheretnaya is currently one of the richest women in the Russian Federation, thanks to her former husband, who steals money from taxpayers and distributes it among family members. However, she has not given interviews or written memoirs about her life with Vladimir Putin.

Alexei Navalny's team also presented evidence of the Ocheretnyi-Ocheretnaya couple's purchases of apartments, villas, and houses in Switzerland, France (Biarritz), and Spain (Malaga).

It should be noted that Ludmila Ocheretnaya (Putina) and Artur Ocheretnyi are not listed as sanctioned individuals by the United States or the European Union.

The Ocheretnyi couple's villa in Biarritz, France.

In Malaga, Spain, the Ocheretnyi couple owns two of these houses.

The Ocheretnyi couple's apartment is in the front row.