In late June, with Russia’s conflict towards Ukraine grinding on with minimal success and the nation within the throes of a historic crackdown on dissent, 27-year-old Ilya Medvedev — the one little one of former President Dmitry Medvedev — formally turned a member of the ruling United Russia get together.
Russian media printed a video of the youthful Medvedev, carrying a prominently seen Apple Watch, accepting his get together card from the hand of get together official Andrei Turchak, the son of a long-time buddy of President Vladimir Putin and a former regional governor who has been accused of ordering the near-fatal beating of journalist Oleg Kashin in 2010.
“I’ll attempt to use my skills within the appropriate manner in spheres which are essential for the individuals and the nation,” Medvedev mentioned, promising to undertake initiatives in sports activities, schooling, well being care, and “the digital transformation of presidency.”
It marked one thing of a popping out for the younger Medvedev, who beforehand had saved a low public profile – an initiation into the ranks of Putin’s ruling equipment. It additionally got here only a couple weeks after unconfirmed experiences that the US had cancelled Ilya Medvedev’s visa and given him two days to depart the nation. Though not one of the particulars of the experiences was confirmed, Dmitry Medvedev wrote an indignant Telegram post on June 4 lambasting the West for imposing sanctions on the members of the family of Russian officers concerned within the Ukraine conflict.
United Russia members who agreed to be interviewed for a profile of Ilya Medvedev by Present Time and Meduza positioned little inventory within the experiences of a U.S. visa, however pressured that Dmitry Medvedev, who’s now deputy chairman of Putin’s Safety Council and probably the most avid, outspoken proponents of the conflict on Ukraine, wanted to exhibit that each he and his son are “trustworthy servants of the Motherland.” The get together members spoke on situation of anonymity, saying they don’t seem to be licensed to remark to the media.
‘A Mannequin Younger Man’
In 2016, a celebration was held on the Royal Bar in Moscow for current graduates of the worldwide legislation division of the Moscow State Institute of Worldwide Relations (MGIMO). Music for the occasion was offered by the band Serebro for a payment of 1.5 million rubles (about $25,000). The tab was paid by 21-year-old Ilya Medvedev, based on two individuals who attended the occasion.
It was a typical gesture for the younger Medvedev, based on a number of individuals who knew him throughout his time at MGIMO, a prestigious institute linked to the Overseas Ministry that has a protracted custom of teaching Soviet and Russian elites. By all accounts, Medvedev was a great pupil who by no means skipped class or boasted.
“He was a typical consultant of the Moscow intelligentsia — very well-mannered, nice, tactful,” mentioned one girl who studied with Medvedev. “He was a mannequin younger man. Your mom could be joyful in case you introduced residence such a fiancé. He was at all times pleasant and good.”
“You may discuss to him,” mentioned one other fellow pupil. “You may joke round. He didn’t get into politics.”
“He didn’t have that swagger that you simply discover with so lots of the youngsters of high-ranking officers,” mentioned yet one more. These sources additionally spoke on situation of anonymity, citing doable repercussions for public remarks.
Different acquaintances mentioned Medvedev most well-liked the corporate of scholars who earned their manner into MGIMO on their educational advantage. He typically invited his group to his residence “the place there was a maid and a house theater.” A number of sources remembered such gatherings at a house within the rich suburban Moscow space often called Rublyovka, the place each Dmitry Medvedev and Putin stay.
The youthful Medvedev’s MGIMO acquaintances additionally recalled that he was at all times accompanied by two bodyguards in civilian garments. This was nothing uncommon for some college students of the celebrated institute. “There was one woman who had 5 bodyguards,” one interlocutor mentioned.
“One woman who dated Ilya complained that her social media had been hacked, apparently in an effort to test her out,” one in all Medvedev’s classmates recalled.
One other recalled accompanying Medvedev to a well-liked bar in St. Petersburg one weekend.
“Once we arrived, the bar was fully empty,” he mentioned, “and all the safety cameras had been coated up. [Ilya] additionally reserved a complete bathhouse in downtown St. Petersburg for us and paid for every part.”
Mates recall that Medvedev cherished enjoying soccer, discussing wine, and dreamed of a profession within the tech trade. On this regard, he appears a carbon copy of his father at the moment, who visited a number of Silicon Valley companies throughout a 2010 journey to the US.
“He talked quite a bit about start-ups and improvements,” one in all Ilya Medvedev’s acquaintances recalled.
“Ilya was an instance of a traditional man who understood the social scenario,” one other buddy mentioned. “Once we had discussions [about politics in class], Ilya’s views — though they had been patriotic — had been fairly near the [relatively liberal] place of his father earlier than he stepped down.”
Dmitry Medvedev was president from 2008 to 2012, steered into the highest workplace by Putin, and served as prime minister from 2012 till a authorities reshuffle that occurred in January 2020, amid preparations for a constitutional change that permits Putin to hunt reelection in 2024 and 2030.
His public rhetoric has modified dramatically since then and notably since Russia launched the large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February. He has railed towards Kyiv and the West in Instagram posts that rival among the most toxic pro-war, anti-Ukrainian propaganda on state tv.
‘You Should not Cross The Prime Minister’s Son’
One other interlocutor recalled that Ilya Medvedev spoke “quite freely” about political subjects, didn’t repeat pro-government rhetoric, and didn’t harbor any unfavourable attitudes towards the West.
“If we had extra guys like Ilya — succesful, younger, bold –and if we had regular transfers of energy, issues [in Russia] could be higher,” one other buddy added.
Throughout his time at MGIMO, Medvedev was notably shut buddies with two fellow college students: Ivan Koptenko, the son of Ivan Koptenko, a member of Russia’s legislature within the early Nineties who has been described within the media as an “oil speculator,” and Ilya Trufanov, the son of a mid-level businessman. Trufanov was thought-about the mental of the group — “probably the most excellent, the wittiest, probably the most erudite,” one former pupil recalled.
Throughout this era, Trufanov was relationship a fellow pupil named Yana Grigoryan. Individuals who knew them on the time described their relationship as “very critical.” Someway, nonetheless, Grigoryan ended up relationship Medvedev, and the 2 are nonetheless collectively a number of years later, based on media experiences and individuals who spoke with Present Time and Meduza.
“I believe Trufanov accepted this as a result of he understood you shouldn’t cross the prime minister’s son,” one former pupil who knew them each mentioned.
Rublyovka
In a 2016 interview with the tabloid Moskovsky komsomolets, Ilya Medvedev pressured that he wished to make a profession on his personal.
“I don’t need to work in a serious state company,” he mentioned. “I’m within the issues that younger persons are concerned with — like, know-how.”
Certainly, the brand new graduate’s first job was with the social media firm VK, often known as VKontakte. Based on a 2016 leaked database, Medvedev was paid slightly over 100,000 rubles ($1,500) a month whereas additionally finding out at MGIMO for his grasp’s diploma. He apparently left VK after a few yr, and in 2019 he took a job with Mail.ru for 226,000 rubles ($3,500) a month.
Each firms had been a part of the VK holding, which was partially owned by the holding firm of Kremlin-connected tycoon Alisher Usmanov.
“Ilya labored there because of his father’s title,” a Kremlin-connected supply mentioned. “They wouldn’t simply rent him on his personal.”
One other supply linked to Mail.ru mentioned Medvedev “did one thing linked with the authorized division. Two different sources who labored at VK till 2021 advised Present Time and Meduza that Medvedev labored on the firm, however they didn’t know his title.
“They talked about him so long as 5 years in the past, however I by no means as soon as noticed him at work,” one VK senior supervisor mentioned.
Seven former and present VK staff confirmed they by no means noticed Medvedev on the firm. VK declined requests to remark.
Medvedev’s girlfriend, Grigoryan, labored for an organization referred to as Korklass, based on a leaked 2019 tax database. Korklass is a part of IKS Kholding, an IT firm owned by Anton Cherepennikov, till not too long ago a enterprise accomplice of Usmanov’s. Korklass offers programming for “secure, good cities,” and a controlling share of it’s owned by a subsidiary of the state-owned Rostelekom.
Few observers had been shocked that Ilya Medvedev and Grigoryan discovered work in firms tied to Usmanov. In 2017, the Anti-Corruption Basis of opposition politician Aleksei Navalny launched a report primarily based on since-concealed Moscow property data that asserted Usmanov gifted then-President Medvedev an expensive Rublyovka residence price some $50 million.
Usmanov denied the allegations and efficiently sued Navalny in a Moscow court docket, which ordered the opposition group to take away the video and publish a retraction. The Anti-Corruption Basis stands by its report and has refused to adjust to the court docket’s orders. The video has been seen greater than 45 million occasions.
A Love Of Wine
In September 2018, media reported on a gala get together in Sochi at which Dmitry Medvedev’s spouse, Svetlana Medvedeva, appeared. Observers seen Ilya, Grigoryan, and their school buddy Ivan Koptenko on the occasion as nicely.
Ilya Medvedev and his buddies apparently additionally share a passion for tremendous wines. The three of them, and Koptenko’s girlfriend Kristina Khtei, are all lively customers of the Vivino wine-evaluating and buying app. Though Medvedev doesn’t use his personal title on the app, the opposite three all subscribe to 2 accounts that very possible are his. One is a non-public account below the title Il Vino 7 that’s registered to an “Anton Belov.” A VK account registered below the title “Ilya Belov” is adopted by Grigoryan and a number of other former classmates of Medvedev’s. The account can be a fan of Dmitry Medvedev’s official web page.
A second Vivino account below the title of Afanasy Medvedev was publicly out there till shortly after Present Time and Meduza printed this investigation in Russian. In among the pictures of the wine bottles, one can clearly see the reflection of a dark-haired younger man carrying an Apple Watch. Grigoryan reviewed lots of the identical wines on the identical day as “Afanasy” (Afanasy was Ilya Medvedev’s paternal great-grandfather’s title). One bottle that Medvedev notably loved sells for about 4,600 euros a bottle.
Ilya Medvedev shares his curiosity in wine along with his father, who, based on the Navalny report, owned a vineyard in Italy’s Tuscany area. Each Medvedevs have been tied to the Skalisty Bereg wine-producing enterprise in Russia’s Krasnodar area as nicely. The newspaper Sobesednik reported in 2017 that Dmitry Medvedev owns the vineyard by way of a basis created by a buddy from legislation faculty named Ilya Yeliseyev.
Based on buddies who spoke with Present Time and Meduza, Khtei works for Skalisty Bereg and graduated from its sommelier coaching program. A leaked 2019 tax database identifies the corporate as her employer.
No Remark
No info has been launched about Ilya Medvedev’s work as a United Russia member, if any, since he joined the ruling get together in early June. Sources throughout the get together advised Present Time and Meduza that he has not been seen at any United Russia occasions. United Russia Deputy Normal Secretary Darya Lantratova mentioned it was “too early” to debate Medvedev’s get together initiatives, including “Ilya Medvedev remains to be pondering.”
Ilya Medvedev declined to be interviewed or in any other case remark for this story, as did Trufanov, Grigoryan, and Koptenko. Dmitry Medvedev didn’t reply to written queries submitted to his assistant, Oleg Osipov. His former press secretary, Natalya Timakova, declined to remark.
After the Russian model of this story was printed, Usmanov’s press service despatched a written assertion saying that any assertion that “Usmanov ‘is near the Medvedev household’ is fake.” The press service mentioned it was not “in a position to verify or deny” the employment of Ilya Medvedev or his girlfriend in any firm of Usmanov’s holding, including that Usmanov had no private involvement in hiring selections.
