Sponsor of TV series 'Glukhar' arrested in St. Petersburg
On 22 January, the Oktyabrsky District Court of St. Petersburg, at the investigation«s request, arrested five individuals involved in a criminal case. They are charged with abuse of authority, negligent handling of the environment, and particularly large-scale fraud.
The Investigative Committee for Leningrad Oblast reported that the damage to mineral resources amounted to 1.5 billion rubles (approximately $15 million at current rates), and the embezzlement — 380 million rubles (approximately $3.8 million at current rates).
Taken into custody were the general director of the company «Cementno-Betonnye Izdelia» (Cement-Concrete Products) Eduard Guziev, the head of the commercial department Alexey Albogachiev, the deputy general director for corporate security Denis Dorofeev, and the general director of «Voronstovskoye» LLC Lomakin. The central figure in the case is the beneficiary of TBI Alekhan Albogachiev, whose fortune is estimated at 4–5 billion rubles (approximately $40-50 million at current rates).
In the early 1990s, Albogachiev closely collaborated with cinematography. He was the main sponsor of the series «Glukhar» (The Grouse) — the first own series of Leningrad Television, which aired in 1994. A significant part of the filming took place in the old «Kresty» prison on Arsenalnaya Embankment.
«Glukhar» became a television adaptation of a real story that served as the basis for Yevgeny Tatarsky«s film »Tyuremny Romans« (Prison Romance). In the feature film, the main roles were played by Alexander Abdulov and Marina Neyelova.
The series script was written by director Valery Sarukhanov and Alexander Afanasyev. According to the plot, the character played by Andrei Kandov makes the investigator fall in love with him, escapes from «Kresty», and the investigation is handled by the KGB. About 70 people participated in the project, including actors Vladimir Yeryomin, Yelena Popova, Larisa Luppian, and Sergei Losev. Some episodes were voiced by Ivan Krasko.
As one of the filming crew members told, Albogachiev financed all aspects of production: venue rental, props, salaries of actors and the crew. At that time, he owned the company «Geopard», which was engaged in light bulb production.
According to the interlocutor, Albogachiev never visited the filming set. She suggested that it was an investment in image or love for art, as he did not profit from the project.
The series received wide resonance: newspapers published spreads with interviews of actors. The sponsor was not forgotten in the credits — AO «Geopard» was listed alongside the St. Petersburg departments of the FSK and GUVD.
