Also in Italy there are the wealth of Putin’s friends
Ukrainian war, the hunt for the assets of the Russian oligarchs continues throughout Europe. But the sanctions on millionaires close to Putin, the freezing of villas, yachts, landed properties, will cost Italy dearly. Among the villas that could be frozen in the next few hours, there is that of the “tsarina”, Valentina Matvienko, head of the Council of the Russian Federation. His signature is on the decree with which Putin authorized the use of the army in the Ukrainian invasion.
Who is Valentina Matvienko
Seventy-two of Ukrainian origin, her parents are buried in Šepetivka; she was an official and parliamentarian of the Soviet Communist Party in the 1980s, then ambassador to Malta and Greece; she is close to Putin since the beginning of his rise to power: first as Deputy Prime Minister and then as Mayor of St. Petersburg, the President’s hometown.
She was elected head of the Russian Federal Council in 2011, becoming one of the most important people in Putin’s party. In 2014 she was among the first people sanctioned by the United States for her involvement in the annexation of Crimea.
The Pesaro villa overlooking the sea
Valentina Matvienko is very tied to Italy: in 2009 she bought a 700 sq m farmhouse in Pesaro, surrounded by a land of 26 hectares which extends along 650 meters of Adriatic coast, overlooking the sea. The villa previously belonged to Tibor Rudas, a Hungarian musical entrepreneur, the manager of Luciano Pavarotti who invented the triumphal tours of Three tenors, Carreras, Domingo, Pavarotti. The Matvienko family, especially Valentina’s son, Sergey and his wife, a former model, have been attending the villa for years in the summer. On the column to the right of the gate, the letter “M” from Matvineko stands out; on the left you can see the symbol of the Orthodox Church.
According to the FNavalny wave, in opposition to Putin, the villa would be registered in the name of an Italian company domiciled in Corinaldo, a small town in the Marche hinterland, whose owner is said to be anonymous. Many wonder, therefore, what the fate of the property will be.
And many are already doing the math in their pockets.
The Russians and the local economy
“They are very kind, exquisite people. When they come to eat here, they order oysters but also tagliolini with meat sauce ”, says the owner of a restaurant a few hundred meters from the villa, immersed in the San Bartolo Park. “I am very sorry about what is happening”. Many people here in Pesaro think like him. According to what is said in the village, the tsarina a few years ago, would have donated 20 thousand euros to finance the fireworks of the Festa del Porto. Above all, in 2013, she would have donated one million euros for the restoration of the mosaics of the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi. In short, a “patron” family, inclined to invest, spend, enjoy life between parties and dinners attended by international guests.
The chef of the Matvienko family, exclusive dinners
The chef knows Valentina Matvienko well Lucio Pompili, owner of the Symposium restaurant, perched on the hills of Cartoceto forty minutes from Pesaro. More than a restaurant, a “culinary set” with all the ingredients to drive wealthy foreigners crazy. A very private place, between luxury and familiarity, a heated swimming pool overlooking the Adriatic Sea, a “bunker” full of bottles of wine that only a few can afford to uncork. “Valentina Matvineko she is a very affable and quiet woman, but with an iron fist. I had the pleasure of serving in her villa, hosting her here at the restaurant and people organizing a banquet for her with Marche products in St. Petersburg, on the occasion of the historic Madonna concert, in 2015 “, says Lucio Pompili who likes to define himself” country cook “.
“The Matvineko family has discovered a peaceful, cordial world in this corner of the Marches. It must be acknowledged that he made a different choice from many other Russian millionaires who preferred luxurious villas on the Costa Bravain Sardiniain the Tyrrhenian area such as Forte dei Marmi. They, on the other hand, chose a private corner that their guests also liked very much “. Then he underlines: “For Pesaro it was a great opportunity: they invested, gave work, created connections, supported the city for the Rof, for the Port Festival. A family that was well integrated into the local fabric. His dinners were attended by Russian guests but also from other countries and also local entrepreneurs ”.
Lucio Pompili
The war in Ukraine also damages the Marches
When Matvienko booked, the restaurant was for exclusive use. “The lady was very attentive to organic products, he drank little, just a glass of wine, perhaps well chosen; she was very attentive at the table, she understood that she wanted to learn from us the food, the wine but also our style: the shoes of the area were very popular “.
In short, its luxuries have brought wealth to the whole area. “The Marche economy will be affected by this war. We are very worried, certainly first of all about the images we see on television and they are not a film. We do not have great prospects, the situation is very difficult also because we have also come from two years of pandemic “. Pompili concludes: “The first bad signs for the local economy they have already arrived: in these days, in fact, we have already had to cancel a wedding with Russian guests and another with Ukrainian guests ”.
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