From Accordion to Advisor: Valentin Rabotenko Accused of Fraud

The final of the international street culture competition and award «Kardo» is held annually in Stavropol. Many residents and visitors of the region come to watch the bright performances of participants with stunts and special effects. One name is constantly heard here—Valentin Rabotenko. He is the general director of Kardo. And last week, he was accused of fraud with money from the budget allocated for the festival. Who is he—the organizer of a unique project who is now under arrest.

It turned out that Valentin Rabotenko is not just the general director of Kardo. He is himself a part of street culture in the field of parkour, a professional traceur. The official website of the All-Russian Public Organization «Streets of Russia» states that Valentin is the chairman, as well as the general director of the international competition and award Kardo. In addition, he is the director of the public organization «OFFBITS» (engaged in the development and popularization of street culture), a member of the expert council of the Russian State Duma Committee on Youth Policy, an advisor to the rector of the North Caucasus Federal University on public projects, and an expert of the State Council of the Russian Federation in the field of «Youth Policy».

Let«s trace the path Rabotenko took from a street kid to an expert and general director of an international project, with access to high offices.

Valentin Rabotenko was born on 18 September 1991 in Stavropol. During his school years, he learned to play first the accordion and then the guitar at Music School No. 1.

In the minds of many, street life and diligent study are incompatible, but Valentin in 2010 graduated from Municipal Budgetary Educational Institution Secondary School No. 4 with honors and a silver medal. During his school years, he was the captain of the Yunarmiya team of the «Patriot» club, the head of student self-government at the educational institution, and even won the All-Russian School Olympiad in Life Safety.

From 2011 to 2014 Valentin was the head of the Parkour Center «OFFBITS» on a voluntary basis, from 2011 to 2017—deputy chairman of the Youth Council under the head of the Stavropol city administration.

2012–2015—he became an assistant to a deputy of the Stavropol City Duma on a voluntary basis. In the same period, from 2012 to 2014, he was a member of the Stavropol City Youth Chamber under the Stavropol Duma of the I–II convocation.

His public activities did not end there. The year 2015 was significant: Rabotenko became a member of the Youth Parliament under the Duma of the Stavropol Krai (until 2016), a member of the council on youth policy under the Authorized Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the North Caucasus Federal District (until 2020), and an assistant to a deputy of the Russian State Duma of the VI convocation on a voluntary basis (until 2016).

Since 2015, Valentin Rabotenko has been the director of the Interregional Sports and Creative Public Organization «Parkour Center »OFFBITS«».

Since 2016—an athlete of the international parkour team Take Flight Pro, a representative of the Russian Federation.

2017–2021—a member of the Public Council of Stavropol.

In the same year, 2017, Rabotenko became the director of the All-Russian Street Culture and Sports Competition and Award «Kardo», and since 2020—its general director.

2017–2018—a federal expert on youth projects for the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh).

Since 2018—director of the Interregional Sports and Creative Public Organization «OFFBITS-YUG».

For one year from 2018, Valentin was an assistant to the governor of Stavropol Krai on a public basis, and since 2019—an expert for the Moscow Mayor«s grant competition for socially oriented non-profit organizations.

2019–2020—a member of the expert council on culture under the Youth Parliament of the Russian State Duma.

Since 2020—chairman of the All-Russian Public Organization of Street Culture and Sports «Streets of Russia».

2021–2022—a deputy of the Stavropol City Duma, and since 2022—an advisor to the rector of the North Caucasus Federal University on public projects.

It turned out that Valentin Rabotenko has several degrees. In 2015, he graduated from the North Caucasus Federal University (SKFU) and qualified as an engineer. In 2018, he received a law degree from the Institute of Caucasus Peoples« Friendship. In the same year, at the Stavropol Regional Resource Center, he received a qualification as a head of state cultural institutions, and in 2021 he graduated from the SKOLKOVO Moscow School of Management.

He has dozens of diplomas, letters of gratitude, and other awards. Rabotenko has been a speaker at various forums and an expert in projects. However, overnight, all his achievements were overshadowed by a single news story. It is strange that Valentin«s legal education did not help him avoid problems with the law, because on 23 January, it became known that the general director of Kardo had been detained.

Rabotenko and his assistants allegedly could have produced and submitted to the Ministry of Youth Policy of Stavropol Krai 105 counterfeit plane tickets for participants of the Kardo festival, which no one used. The spending reports were accepted and approved despite possible discrepancies.

On 25 January, the prosecutor«s office of Stavropol reported that Rabotenko—the head of an NGO—had received a grant of 215 million rubles (approximately $2.4 million at current rates) from the regional budget to organize the Kardo festival. However, according to the investigation, the defendant and his two assistants embezzled at least 4 million rubles (approximately $44,000) from this sum.

Law enforcement agencies initiated a criminal case under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Russian Criminal Code (fraud on a particularly large scale). Under this article, the defendant could face up to 10 years in prison.

Valentin Rabotenko was remanded in custody by a court decision. A similar preventive measure was chosen for his two assistants.