Biography:
Was born on February 18, 1951 in Leningrad.
Has higher education, married, has the child born in 1979.
On January, 17th, 1986 was condemned by the Leningrad city court:
- upon the case happened on 25.11.1982 – based on art.17 and art.146 of part II item "a" of the Criminal Code of RSFSR (in edition of 27.10.1960) – acquiescence for assaultive act by a group of persons by previous concert with intent of acquisition of the personal property, complicated with act of force, not life-threatening and threat of violence, life-threatening for the victim.
- upon the case happened on 03.08.1983 – based on art.17 and art.144 part 3 of the Criminal Code of RSFSR – multiple acquiescence for theft of the citizens by a group of persons by previous concert with entering into dwelling place and causing of a considerable damage to the victim.
- upon the case happened on 24.08.1983 – based on art.17 and art.91-1 of the Criminal Code of RSFSR – as acquiescence in plunder of the state property in especially large scale for the sum of 14680 rubles.
As a result by Definition of the Supreme Court of RSFSR from 25.08.86 he was sentenced to 8 years of imprisonment in correctional labor colony of reinforced regime and property confiscation.
After release he actively joined trading of antiques, got relations among the high-ranking persons; Became the owner of antiquarian salon "Bogema".
Source: FLB from 10/5/2010
File:
In 1986 Khochinsky was condemned by the Leningrad city court for 9 years for taking part in crimes against antiquaries. Organized criminal groups of 12 persons plundered antiquaries and temples, and then sold the stolen items. Khochinsky simultaneously was the tipper-of and the buyer.
Khochinsky was released already in the beginning of 1990s. At first term of imprisonment was reduced by the Supreme Court, and then he was released conditionally-ahead of schedule.
Khochinsky could get a penal for a longer term for drug traffic. However, the morphine that had been withdrawn from him was fake: Khochinsky again deceived associates.
Petersburg antiquarian Leonid Rubinstein was one of the first persons who suffered from Khochinsky in 1995.
Rubinstein redeemed a picture – portrait of Nikolay II - at Kozhevnikovs. Then it was not known yet that it belongs to Ilya Repin, but the collector decided to take risk. Then expert examination of Tretyakovskaya gallery authenticated. Khochinsky immediately began to persuade Rubinstein to sell out the portrait at his intermediary. He convinced him to conclude the commission contract with the auction house "Alpha-art". Under the contract Khochinsky had a certain monetary compensation, but he convinced Rubinstein to make note on document fields about transition of the property right for a picture; supposedly it will make difficultly to conclude the contract with the buyer.
Thus, in 1996 the picture appeared to be stored in the Tretyakovskaya Gallery with unclear status, and then was sold to some customer. Khochinsky received money for it. Rubinstein did not receive anything, but also the customer did not get a picture. Soon after the transaction Khochinsky disappeared – as he said, he was kidnapped and held chained to the battery. However, according to the witnesses, after three-monthly captivity Khochinsky looked was quite healthy.
Rubinstein was at law with Khochinsky for many years. Khochinsky used every possible trick. So, in 2000 at attachment was removed from a picture, and the court decided to return it to the legal owner – Rubinstein. But a lien was put again as Khochinsky submitted the claim to the Moscow district court of Petersburg about collecting of a nonexistent debt from the nonexistent person Leonid Rubenstein. One letter in a surname of Rubinstein was changed intentionally. It is remarkable that Rubinstein lived in Admiralteysky district. Probably, Khochinsky did not manage to agree with the judge in this area, and he had to create Rubenstein.
Nevertheless, despite it, the picture was returned to Rubinstein in the end of 2000. Khochinsky showered various instances with letters on abduction of "his" picture from Tretyakovskaya gallery. Rubinstein was still invited to interrogations for a long time, until it was discovered who at whom actually stolen.
In 1996 when Rubinstein did not get the hang of Khochinsky, he transferred through him 27.5 thousand dollars to Moscow for the surgeon Kharita Gureeva. Khochinsky giving her money suggested her to write the receipt which was prepared and printed by him. But the sum in the document was doubled and the receipt was addressed to Khochinsky. Gureeva noticed discrepancies already after she signed the document. Khochinsky told her that he was mistaken, threw out a paper in a recycle bin and made the correct receipt.
Actually, the wrong receipt was a part of the thought over combination of Khochinsky. In 1998 he applied to the court with the claim to Gureeva about collecting of money and with the requirement to arrest her apartment. The court satisfied his petition. The woman living with the disabled son was rescued from eviction only after the reference to Vladimir Putin's administration in 2003.
Source: In crisis.ru from 11/17/2009
Till July, 1996 Khochinsky had the mutual business with well-known lawyer Alexander Dobrovinsky; last was his legal adviser. But in July there was an episode when Khochinsky was ostensibly kidnapped under obscure circumstances and was imprisoned for more than three months, chained to the battery. Thus Khochinsky was not shown any requirements. He was released occasionally when police detained one of the thieves not concerning Khochinsky’s criminal case.
After that Khochinsky decided to suspend relations with Dobrovinsky as he suspected Dobrovinsky to organize his kidnapping. Besides, Khochinsky wanted to return 100 thousand dollars which Dobrovinsky owed him. That directed Khochinsky for negotiating to the patron – Lev Geller, the owner of bank «Business Russia». He refused Khochinsky to return debt.
Khochinsky did not want to forget about this incident, and started real war against Dobrovinsky and Geller, in particular, published on a site "Kompromat.ru" materials about their illegal activity. Soon, in March, 2000 employees of Department of Internal Affairs detained for men at an entrance of Khochinsky’s house at whom they found a photo of Khochinsky and a note with his address. The photo was made by Dobrovinsky in Switzerland. The criminal element Vladimir Belousov was one of arrested persons.
Source: МК from 7/30/2000
In 1998, Khochinsky sold alien BMW car to the Muscovite Sergey Ped without the knowledge of its owner. The proprietor proved the case in the court in 2001, and Khochinsky owed 400 thousand rubles to the court, however it’s still impossible to collect this money from him. At first he paid 3 thousand rubles per month for some time as his official salary was ostensibly 15 000 rubles in salon "Bogema" at his wife Tatyana. And then court orders began to disappear constantly, and collectors ceased to show enthusiasm. The sum in connection with inflation grew almost twice since then.
In 1998 Khochinsky let out brochure about Faberge Easter egg in which photos, and also "the expert" conclusions of his wife Tatyana Kamyshnikova were given. On a photo there was a fake; Kamyshnikova who did not have art education, represented herself as the expert. The brochure was let out under the Hermitage trade mark; all texts were duplicated in English. Actually, the Hermitage has never published such a brochure. The bonbonniere was really exposed in the Hermitage, but not under mark Faberge. The fake brochure helped Khochinsky couple to sell to uneducated foreigners.
In 2001, in the newspaper “Iz ruk v ruki” the announcement was published in which it was told about possibility of purchase of fake pictures of the certain artists performed in their style and individual handwriting. Phone under the announcement was the same that in 2001 was used by Khochinsky and Kamyshnikova in the salon «Intel Grace». Khochinsky could need copies and masters to deceive buyers, and also to present the pictures imitating the style of the famous artists as their unknown early masterpieces. Such "masterpieces" quite often appeared at auctions.
Source: In crisis.ru from 11/17/2009
In 2002 year dealer Alisa Selezneva became Khochinsky’s victim (her surname was changed by journalists). The head of "Russobank", Weinstein also participated in this case. Selezneva had five pictures of known artists to sell. Vitaly Tikhonov - the acquaintance of her, the head of noncommercial partnership company «Mutual insurance Society «Insurance benefit society” was the potential buyer. He informed Selezneva that the well-known banker (Weinstein) was interested in pictures also and took them for realization. Then Tikhonov left; he didn't answer the phone. It appeared that he brought pictures to Khochinsky, going to sell them to Weinstein through him. The transaction should be done using the nominal bill which ostensibly was let out by UNESCO. Its owner, the Russian-speaking citizen of the USA, must be treated well in Moscow so that the transaction took place,
Tikhonov took into account that he would pay for the foreigner’s treatment with the money received for sale of pictures by Selezneva. But he did not manage to sell pictures quickly, and he borrowed the necessary sum for treatment at Khochinsky on the security of Selezneva’s pictures. Smart treatment did not help, and the transaction was broken. He had nothing to pay Khochinsky. Tikhonov told everything to Selezneva, and they together went to redeem a debt. They had only a part of the sum, and Khochinsky refused to accept it, at the same time having requested and the interest. In two weeks the sum was collected, but Khochinsky did not accept it having explained that all banks were closed then. Selezneva applied to police with the statement for Tikhonov's loss together with pictures.
Criminal case about swindle was brought, Tikhonov was involved in responsibility only. Khochinsky declared that he didn't know who owned the pictures, and he sold them to the first comer.
However, before that Khochinsky suggested Selezneva to redeem pictures at him for 200 thousand dollars, probably because Weinstein, having learned about criminal case, decided not to buy them. To legalize pictures, Khochinsky offered Selezneva to apply to the court with the statement for the termination of their search, having promised her ten thousand dollars. Selezneva refused. She is still paying the cost of pictures to proprietors, Tikhonov gradually pays their cost to her, and only Khochinsky in this story remained winner, actually having appropriated pictures.
Source: In crisis.ru from 11/18/2009
Primary activity of Khochinsky in capital in gallery "Bogema" was connected to search of "correct" gifts for the businessmen to people with relations in the government and the high-ranking officials.
One such transaction of Khochinsky went wrong way and even forced him to leave the country. In 2006 at auction Sotheby's in Paris Khochinsky got 26 letters written by Voltaire to Catherine II. Soon he had a client, wishing to present letters to Vladimir Putin who was at that time the president so that Putin, in turn, could present them to any library. Thus, the businessman hoped to catch a power arrangement, having returned in the country cultural values.
But the gift was not delivered to Putin. Khochinsky declared that letters were gone after he transferred them to state television First channel for their delivery to Putin to be shown on TV.
Khochinsky applied with the complaint to the First channel and police. The director of the First channel Konstantin Ernst denied reception of these letters by TV channel. Also Ernst accused Khochinsky of attempt to blackmail him.
Source: "The New York Times", USA from 10/20/2009
In the letter of Khochinsky to Kompromat.ru e concerning this incident it is told that except Voltaire's letters, it passed Ernst also other subjects of cultural and historical value. According to Khochinsky, Ernst did not satisfy his requirement to return these subjects.
Source: Kompromat.ru from 10/28/2009
According to Ernst, in one of the last visits to his office Khochinsky informed that he owed to someone, and he was suggested two options to pay off: to bring 2 million dollars or to compromise Ernst. Therefore Khochinsky offered Ernst to give him 2 million dollars. Ernst refused, after that Khochinsky threatened him with fast problems which came soon.
Source: nrs.com from 4/30/2010
In 2006 Nikolay Semenov, the director of Theater of romance, brought Charles Bryullov's picture "Turkish woman" to salon "Bogema". He wanted to sell it for 500 000 dollars, and Khochinsky asked for three days to collect this sum. Semenov has never seen the picture anymore.
Source: In crisis.ru from 11/17/2009
Semenov needed money to repair the studio of Theatre of romance. Khochinsky prepared the contract on sale. While Semenov wanted to read the document, Khochinsky overturned a small bottle with sulfuric acid on the. Semenov’s eye was burned. Khochinsky told him that sulfuric acid was necessary for insects’ killing, and it happened occasionally. Not to waste time, Semenov signed the contract and left to get medical help.
Subsequently Semenov found out that conditions unprofitable for him were registered in the contract, and the sum of sale of a picture was twice less than stipulated. Khochinsky told him that he doubted authenticity of "Turkish woman", and he needed to make additional expertise in the Hermitage.
Then Khochinsky declared that the picture was a fake. That meant that Semenov should pay 1500 dollars for examination, and only then he could receive a picture. Semenov applied to police but it didn't help.
Khochinsky continued to communicate kindly with Semenov, said that he could find good doctors for one of Semenov’s sons, who had weak heart. Soon he called Semenov’s home telephone number and informed that they should pay already 5 thousand dollars – the sum for storage of the picture. The sick son picked up the phone; he got a heart attack, in some days he died.
Possibly, Khochinsky made Bryullov's copy, and sent it for examination to the Hermitage. The original could be sold abroad.
Semenov investigated Khochinsky’s activity independently, and found out some episodes. For example, about the old man who brought two diamond rings to Khochinsky’s salon, drank tea with Khochinsky and died. Semenov, by the way, refused tea then.
Also the train of strange deaths happened in 2004. For example, death of the owner of the antique shop on Nevsky prospect Alexander Malyshev who died behind a billiard table, having drunk a bottle of beer.
Source: In crisis.ru from 11/18/2009
The Petersburg collector Felix Geller who knew Khochinsky in students was plundered in the mid-nineties. Before a robbery Khochinsky visited Geller. In February, 2003 collector Michael Zvyagin was robbed. Shortly before a robbery Khochinsky’s assistant Mark Pirotsky came to Zvyagin. The collector was beaten, from his apartment only the most valuable items were taken out.
In 2004 businessman Alexander Makhno borrowed at Khochinsky on the security of a private residence on Rublevka. Soon the businessman suddenly died.
Often Khochinsky insured antiques subjects for the fabulous sums, and then they vanished. But not all combinations of Khochinsky worked. So, the antiquarian dealer Elena Veselova (the surname was changed by journalists) in 2004 wanted to sell Khochinsky pictures of Shishkin and Fedorov which authenticity was established. Khochinsky wanted to make the examination, but expertise was done in Veselova’s apartment. Khochinsky did not calm down, and informed Veselova that her picture was in the list of subjects of the art stolen during the Chechen wars from a museum Grozny. Examination in the culture ministry was required. Veselova arrived with friends and the list of the gone values in which the picture didn't appear. She knew that if she left a picture for Khochinsky, she would never see it anymore.
Source: In crisis.ru from 11/18/2009
Khochinsky personally acted in mass-media, denying the materials written about him. He underlined he fact that he had no previous convictions. He spoke about criminal case as about fabricated because of avidity of the high-ranking officials, which were fond of collecting. He also denied other episodes of the biography.
Source: Kompromat.ru from 11/23/2009
The head of agroholding "Magriko" Oleg Muzyrya became last victim of Khochinsky. In October, 2010 mass-media wrote that in foreign mass-media the antiPR campaign of Muzyrya could be developed by Khochinsky. Claims of Khochinsky to Muzyrya were that he ostensibly recommended him the collector of icons Roman Lokshin and mediated in purchase of icons by Khochinsky at Lokshin. Two icons were arrested on border. «Jesus Christ with John the Baptist» and «Maiden Maria with the baby» were stolen from sacred Jacob's church in Trikomo during intrusion of Turkish army to Cyprus in 1974. Since then they are in the international wanted list.
Khochinsky showed monetary claims to Muzyrya and Lokshin. It was written that it was again the blackmail for the purpose that famous people would not want to risk with the reputation.
Salon "Bogema" belongs to Khochinsky’s wife Tatyana Kamyshnikova, in a reality the chairman of the board of "Russobanka" Mark Weinstein and antiquarian expert Andrey Gilodo act as the senior partners.
In 2000s Khochinsky issued citizenship in the USA, the same as his wife. Both of them don't pay taxes abroad; Actually, as well as in Russia. However, tax "indulgences" in the USA can speak that Khochinsky gives to special services the necessary information on the high-ranking clients.
For example, US authorities resisted to the British oil company British Petroleum. For pressure on ВР the data received from Khochinsky, was used as, according to some information, he is the agent antiquarian market of in Herman Khan, the head of Russian affiliated company British Petroleum TNK-BP. He helps Khan to look for gifts to pay off the Russian officials.
It is supposed also that the head of "Alfa bank" Peter Aven, the head of bank «Russian financial corporation» Andrey Nechaev, Pavel Tepluhin (the founder of the investment company «Three Dialogue»), David Yakobashvili (the councilor of directors of Open Society «Vimm-Bill-Dann Products») co-operate with Khochinsky – all these people can be interesting also for the American special services.
Journalists also noticed that Khochinsky has commercial interests in Germany, France and Switzerland. In particular they paid attention that, except the offshore firms issued on the third parties, Khochinsky could use for storage of the millions and realization of doubtful transactions of an abacus in the Swiss bank (CREDIT AGRICOLE (SUISSE) SA, 4, Quai General-Guisan CH-1211 GENEVA 3, SWIFT: AGRICHGG, IBAN: CH36 0874 1010 5160 2000 1, Beneficiary: Khochinsky Alexander), and also the account of Swiss firm Mariat Ltd in the same bank and bank account HSBC.
Source: FLB from 10/5/2010