Russian businessman Konstantin Veniaminovich Goloshchapov is a person who is known only to a narrow circle of insiders. It is often called the gray cardinal. They say that he is part of the inner circle of Russian President Putin. And they have known Vladimir Vladimirovich since childhood. Many wonder how he manages to avoid publicity. By the way, they say that Konstantin Goloshchapov is Putin's personal massage therapist, and that he owes his career to the fact that he works great on the president's body. Isn't that enough? After all, not everyone gets such a great honor!
Goloshchapov Konstantin Veniaminovich: biography and education
The future businessman was born in 1954. Along with studying at school, he was engaged in martial arts and distinguished himself as one of the best athletes in hisweight category. After graduating from school, he entered the Leningrad Civil Engineering Institute, choosing the specialization "Industrial and Civil Engineering". The most important childhood event was Kostya Goloshchapov's meeting with Volodya Putin. Both of them were judoists and, despite the fact that they were engaged in different sports clubs and took part in competitions as rivals, they developed a friendship in life.
After the competition, Kostya put Volodya in order, because he had an excellent massage technique. By the way, Putin played for the Turbostroitel club, and Goloshchapov for the Soviet Army club. In 1982, Konstantin Veniaminovich graduated from the university and began working by profession in one of the construction companies.
Starting activities
What did Konstantin Veniaminovich Goloshchapov do after the collapse of the USSR? His activities in the troubled 90s are not advertised in any sources. Information slipped somewhere that he worked in the construction SMU-7, and then jumped from there to the chair of the general director of the New Russian Projects center (FSUE Rostsentrproekt, and then to the central Administration of the President of the Russian Federation. To do this he had to move from his native Leningrad to Moscow.
It happened in 1996, it was at this time that Vladimir Putin took the place of Yeltsin's deputy head of the administration. In a word, wherever Putin goes, Konstantin Goloshchapov goes there. His biography testifies that after this event, fate will give him many more chances to become successful. He is a modest person, so he does not wantpeople talked a lot about him, especially that he is one of the president's favorites, but it is not so easy for a person of this level to stay in the shadows.
Career
So, Konstantin Goloshchapov is Vladimir Putin's personal massage therapist, and, like Putin, is a judoka. In their youth, they were often rivals on the mat. How did it happen that an athlete-masseur became one of the most successful businessmen in the country? During the 2004 elections, he led Putin's campaign headquarters. After Goloshchapov was appointed to Moscow, he began to lead the federal enterprise Rostsentrproekt. Few people understand what exactly this organization was doing, however, according to a media investigation, Goloshchapov promoted his St. Petersburg acquaintances to serious positions, apparently not for free.
So, for example, an appointment to the executive branch cost up to $50,000. For the past few years, Mr. Goloshchapov has been engaged in charitable activities, namely, he leads an organization that is taking steps to restore temples on Mount Athos. As a sign of belonging to this community, Konstantin Veniaminovich wears a wooden rosary bracelet with Athos symbols on his wrist. Goloshchapov himself, in view of his activities, began to be called by the people “athonite”.
Former judoka
After Putin came to power, his judo friends from St. Petersburg moved to Moscow with him and became histhe nearest environment. Among them a special place is occupied by the brothers Rotenberg and Goloshchapov Konstantin. They strongly support each other in business. So, together with Arkady (one of the Rotenberg brothers), Goloshchapov established SMP-Bank, but soon transferred his share to his second brother.
Family
No matter how much the Athos citizen would not want to hide his personal life from prying eyes, nevertheless, the paparazzi are interested in covering it, because we are talking about one of the people close to the president of the country, who is Goloshchapov Konstantin Veniaminovich. By the way, he has a large family. His wife Iraida Gilmutdinova gave him 6 children, for which she was awarded by Dmitry Medvedev (during his presidency) the Order of Parental Glory.
However, she is not limited to the role of a housewife and mother, but is a big business woman. It has its share in Promtoring, a textile company; "Businesssphere", as well as in others. Naturally, her husband, Konstantin Goloshchapov, helps her in their management. Family for both is the most important value in life. And they are doing everything in their power to provide their children with a good future.
Goloshchapov's wife's business
Irai Gulmutdinova, in addition to the two companies listed above, has a few more in her "arsenal", for example, two large non-specialized companies in which her partner is the son of the governor of St. Petersburg, Alexei Poltavchenko. These firms are called"Investbugry" and "Peterburgstroy". According to the calculations of "Interlocutor", each of them monthly gives the owners about twenty million rubles of profit.
Iraya Gilmutdinova also has a stake in a woodworking company called BeamsStroy. Her partner here is Roman Kamyansky, President of the Ski Federation. By the way, he helped Irai's husband, Konstantin Veniaminovich, acquire the Italian football club Bari.
Italian interest
The media, which collected facts from the life of the country's most famous massage therapist, noticed that he was especially fond of Italy. According to the Italian press, Russian businessman Konstantin Goloshchapov bought an expensive apartment in the city of Bari. It is there that the Orthodox church is located, where the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker, the patron saint of Russia, are kept. Some part of these holy relics Goloshchapov transported to Russia, to one of the monasteries near the northern capital. In addition to an apartment in Italy (namely in Cagliari), Goloshchapov also owns a small four-star hotel. Goloshchapov Konstantin is known to Italian journalists as an intermediary between them and the Russian oligarchs.
Compromising evidence
In 2014, scandalous publications appeared in the opposition press about the Society for the Reconstruction of Churches in Athos, led by Goloshchapov himself. It was about the fact that the collection of funds for the reconstruction and restoration of holy monasteries is carried out forcibly, and not from anyone, but frommunicipal and road organizations of St. Petersburg. The press has also been able to reveal that this ostensibly religious society is in fact an organization of much broader significance.
The co-founders of the society are Goloshchapov Konstantin Veniaminovich, who holds the position of adviser to the governor of the Leningrad Region, as well as assistant to the governor I. Divinsky. Governor Zhora Poltavchenko himself acts as chairman of the board of trustees. This “religious” society also includes V. Kichedzhi and V. Lavlentsev (former assistants to Poltavchenko), the governor of Kaluga, and others. By the way, in view of this, a special term was also formed among the people - Orthodox Chekism. The high-ranking officials who are members of this society from time to time visit Greece to get to Mount Athos. There are rumors that it is there, away from prying eyes, that the fate of the country and its constituent peoples is being decided.
How FC Bari became the property of K. V. Goloshchapova
There is a story according to which fans of a small football club "Bari" during the visit of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin to Italy turned to him with a request to buy this club in order to save it from the current owner. They went out into the street with posters with this slogan. And during the meeting, the players presented the president with a uniform T-shirt with the club's logo. Of course, Putin decided to satisfy the request of the Italians, but it’s not like buying it himself! The Rotenberg brothers close to him took the initiative in their own hands, however, due to Europeansanctions had to be canceled. And then the personal masseur of Putin K. Goloshchapov himself appeared on the horizon. He signed a contract to invest in the Bari club and became its co-owner.
And again the Athos theme
It turns out that in the northern capital there are many officials who are in Athos society. They are called brothers in faith. There are rumors that VIP tours by helicopters are made to Athos. From time to time, the St. Petersburg elite flocks there. After Putin visited the sacred mountain in 2005, interesting events began to occur, namely, the relics of saints, as well as the famous belt of the Mother of God, began to be brought to Russia from churches. In view of this, the Russian Orthodox Church expressed its gratitude to the leader of the Athos society.
Update
Konstantin Goloshchapov, President Putin's personal massage therapist, is now creating the Association of Russian Massage Therapists. According to rumors, the functions of licensing such medical activities as therapeutic massage, bone cutting, etc. will be transferred to it. This means that if earlier massage therapists, wanting to engage in massage at a professional level, had to obtain a license from the Ministry of He alth of the Russian Federation (of course, we are talking about therapeutic massage), then after the creation of the association, it will need to be obtained by applying there. And this means that the USAID will issue licenses to everyone and make money on it. There is also information that the association will train special personnel to serve higherofficials.
