Scandalous Samara Training Center 'Harmony' Told to Vacate Premises
The nearly torn-off sign of the center confirms the collapse of the «Harmony» project.
The Harmony training center, founded by psychologist Ella Prudnikova, has finally ceased operations in Samara. The organization was evicted from its main premises on Gagarin Street for 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 journalist 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 it is Alexander Pozdnyakov, whose story of mass loans and credits was detailed in our previous investigations.
«Harmony» has been evicted from the office and the sign is already being dismantled.
Office Stands Empty, Landlord Confirms Eviction
The official community of the center has become closed to the public.
The premises, where just a few months ago «personal growth» trainings were held, are now sealed and empty. 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 available to the 63.RU editorial office, Ponikin explained the situation.
Alexander believes he became a victim of a fraudulent scheme.
He said that the center rented the hall since March 2023 and there were no problems for two years. However, in summer 2025, payments began to be delayed. They tried to negotiate an installment plan with the tenants, but these agreements were not fulfilled either.
A doll symbolizes a seminar participant who left the «Harmony» center early.
“In November, December they failed to meet the installment schedule, and I evicted them. They quietly packed their things and left,” stated the landlord.
Former participants are convinced that Ella and her accomplices integrated into personal lives.
The rent amounted to 230,000 rubles per month (about $2,500 at current rates). Essentially, by the time of eviction, the debt was already significant. Simultaneously, the official «Harmony» group on the social network VKontakte was moved 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 tangible confirmation of the project«s collapse, in which they invested not only money but also trust.
One former training participant shared screenshots of correspondence with our editorial team.
Criminal Case: There is a Process, but No Defendant
Men at the seminars were forced to walk in high heels during assignments.
This eviction fact overlays with new important information from 63.RU sources in law enforcement agencies. Despite previous statements from Ella Prudnikova«s lawyer, Irina Gorbacheva, that there is no criminal prosecution of her client, not everything is so cloudless.
This image shows one of the assignments during the «Leadership Program» seminar.
It concerns Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (fraud). The formal reason was likely a whole wave of appeals from citizens, supported by civil court decisions that 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».
At the same time, within this case, procedural actions have already been conducted 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 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 wording «unidentified person» mean?
Such wording in the resolution to initiate a case is not uncommon at the initial stage of verification. It means that, in the opinion of the investigation, there is a crime, but it is not immediately possible to establish a specific suspect or additional work is required for this. In fact, the case will now be investigated taking into account possible persons involved, who, based on the logic of the victims« statements, could be Ella Prudnikova and her accomplices.
Background: 63.RU Investigations
The eviction and initiation of the case became a logical continuation of 63.RU investigations. Our previous publications were based on dozens of testimonies from former clients and center employees, court documents, promissory notes, audio recordings, and screenshots from closed chats.
According to the victims, after completing programs costing up to 120,000 rubles (about $1,300 at current rates), 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, studied their dreams, fears, and financial capabilities.
The trust formed at the 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 asked for small sums with instant return, then the sums 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. Parallelly, some participants, as Alexander Pozdnyakov asserted, 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 based on simple promissory notes from Prudnikova. But executing these decisions turned out to be impossible — officially, she had no accounts or property that could be seized. Her lawyer Irina Gorbacheva insisted that these were only civil debt disputes. Now, with the initiation of the criminal case, these civil stories have received a different legal assessment.
Open Questions
Despite the initiation of the criminal case, the situation remains in a legal dead end for the victims.
Where is Prudnikova? The whereabouts of the founder of «Harmony» are unknown. Pozdnyakov claims that he imposed a ban on her leaving the country, 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 recognition as victims in the 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 lawsuit in the criminal process.
The Samara story of «Harmony» has already ended on a physical level: 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.
