Harmony training center evicted in Samara, criminal case opened
Ella Prudnikova, the psychologist who founded the Harmony center, cannot be currently located.
Training Center «Harmony», founded by psychologist Ella Prudnikova, has completely ceased operations in Samara. The organization was evicted from its main premises on Gagarin Street due to months of unpaid rent. Simultaneously, it became known that law enforcement agencies have indeed initiated a criminal case under the article on fraud. However, as the journalist from 63.RU learned, the case was opened not against a specific person, but against an «unidentified person.» At the same time, one of the officially recognized victims in the case is Alexander Pozdnyakov, whose story of massive loans and credits was detailed in our previous investigations.
The Harmony training center was evicted from its office space on Gagarin Street in Samara.
Office stands empty, landlord confirms eviction
The center«s official VK community has been set to private, with no recent updates.
The premises, where just a few months ago personal growth trainings were held, is now sealed and empty. The information about the eviction was confirmed by the direct landlord of the venue, Sergei Ponikin. During a conversation with one of the victims, an audio recording of which is in the possession of the 63.RU editorial office, Ponikin explained the situation.
Alexander Pozdnyakov states that he was deceived into taking out loans for the center.
He said that the center rented the hall from March 2023 and for two years there were no problems. However, in the summer of 2025, payments began to be delayed. They tried to negotiate an installment plan with the tenants, but these agreements were also not fulfilled.
A doll represents a participant who left the Harmony training program early.
«In November, in December they failed to meet the installment schedule, and I evicted them. They peacefully packed their things and left,» stated the landlord.
Former attendees claim the center«s leaders deeply involved themselves in clients» lives.
The rent was 230,000 rubles per month (approximately $2,600 at current rates). Essentially, by the time of eviction, the debt was already significant. At the same time, the official group of «Harmony» on the social network VK was transferred to the status of a closed community, and the last publications in it are dated December of last year. For dozens of former clients, this became material confirmation of the collapse of the project in which they invested not only money but also trust.
Screenshots provided by a former participant show conversations with training organizers.
Criminal case: there is a process, but no defendant
Men were required to walk in high heels during seminar exercises.
This fact of eviction overlaps with new important information from 63.RU sources in law enforcement agencies. Despite previous statements by Ella Prudnikova«s lawyer, Irina Gorbacheva, that there is no criminal prosecution of her client, not everything is so cloudless.
Assignments in the Leadership Program included unconventional and boundary-pushing activities.
It concerns Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (fraud). The formal reason was probably a whole wave of appeals from citizens, supported by civil court decisions, which have already obligated Prudnikova to return money according to promissory notes. But the key detail is that in the resolution to initiate the case, in the «suspect» column, it says «unidentified person.»
Meanwhile, within this case, procedural actions have already been taken to recognize citizens as victims. According to our information, one of the first to receive this status was Alexander Pozdnyakov. Recall that it was he who detailed to 63.RU about the system he fell into: from training with humiliating tasks to building personal relationships, subsequent multi-million loans, persuasions to take credits and become a founder of the company LLC «ARS Group.» His financial claims against Prudnikova amount to millions of rubles.
What does the formulation «unidentified person» mean?
Such a formulation in the resolution to initiate a case is not uncommon at the initial stage of the check. It means that, in the opinion of the investigation, there is a corpus delicti, but it is not immediately possible to establish a specific suspect, or additional work is required for this. Essentially, the case will now be investigated considering possible persons involved, who, based on the logic of the victims« statements, could be Ella Prudnikova and her accomplices.
Backstory: 63.RU investigations
The eviction and initiation of the case became a logical continuation of 63.RU«s investigations. Our previous publications were based on dozens of testimonies from former clients and employees of the center, court documents, promissory notes, audio recordings, and screenshots from closed chats.
According to the victims, after completing programs costing up to 120,000 rubles, they began to receive special, almost familial attention. In their version, Ella Prudnikova and her assistant, using their status as a psychologist and coach, integrated into people«s lives, studying their dreams, fears, and financial capabilities.
Trust, formed during trainings where, according to participants, strict control and methods breaking personal boundaries were practiced (for example, tasks for men to walk in high heels or public humiliating surveys), became a tool for the next stage. People were gradually drawn into financial relationships: first they were asked for small sums with instant return, then the amounts grew, and returns were accompanied by interest, creating an illusion of reliability and benefit.
The culmination, according to the heroes of our materials, was pressure to take out large loans or even sell property under convincing promises to help with business or real estate. Simultaneously, some participants, as Alexander Pozdnyakov assured, were persuaded to become founders of shell companies, which, in his assumptions, could be related to schemes for cashing out and legalizing the obtained funds.
At the same time, Alexander Pozdnyakov won court cases to recover money according to simple promissory notes from Prudnikova. But enforcing these decisions turned out to be impossible — officially, she had no accounts or property that could be levied. Her lawyer Irina Gorbacheva insisted that these were merely civil debt disputes. Now, with the initiation of the criminal case, these civil stories have received a different legal assessment.
Open questions
Where is Prudnikova? The whereabouts of the founder of «Harmony» are unknown. Pozdnyakov assures that he imposed a ban on her departure abroad, but there is no confirmation of her presence in the country.
When will a suspect appear? The key question now is how much time the investigation will need to reclassify the case from an «unidentified person» to a specific person and bring charges. This process could drag on for months.
What about the money? Even being recognized as victims in a criminal case does not guarantee a quick return of funds. Compensation for damages is possible only after a guilty verdict and within the framework of a civil claim in the criminal process.
The Samara story of «Harmony» has physically already ended: the landlord reported that the sign will soon be removed, and the hall will be occupied by new tenants. But at the level of human destinies and the work of the law enforcement system, it is far from over. Dozens of people await justice, continuing to pay off others« debts.
This investigation is journalistic work and is not a verdict. All persons are considered innocent until their guilt is proven by a court verdict that has entered into legal force. We will continue to monitor the development of events.
