Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration made a statement to Pobjeda today saying that Konstantin V. Malofeev is unwanted in Montenegro and that measures taken against him are due to the fact that his actions threaten integrity and independence of Ukraine.
Malofeev is close to the Russian President Vladimir Putin, and is on a list of Russian citizens that are under sanctions from EU, having their assets frozen and given a ban on travel in EU countries.
The decision of Council of Europe on presenting restrictive measures against Malofeev from March 17th of 2014, Government of Montenegro supported and prolonged every six months.
The last decision on sanctions to Russians citizens, Malofeev included, was passed on September 14th 2015, they said in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration.
Precious fire
Wider public in Montenegro heard of Malofeev for the first time in April last year when he financed and supported bringing of ”precious fire” in from of Cetinje Monastery. This act made Malofeev get a blessing from Mitropolit Montenegrin Amfilohije Radović.
“If Malofeev was sinful, that this fire saved him“, Amfilohije said of Russian oligarch.
It turned out that the support Malofeev received from Amfilohije back then was not accidental, but was a part of a larger gathering of radical political teams.
According to Pobjeda, it was Serbian Orthodox Church and Russian Orthodox Church that recommended Andrija Mandić for the prime time of ”TV Carigrad”, where he stated scandalous opinions of NATO alliance, saying they were murders, and where he predicted conflicts in Montenegro in case there is not a referendum on the membership to NATO.
Really, who is Konstantin Malofeev?
According to the influential Russian newspaper Gazeta, in which Malofeev gave a long interview, Russian oligarch is a passionate monarchy believer, one of Putin’s favorite people that wants to see Russian Imperial state rise again. In 2014 he started a television station called ”TV Carigrad” in order to promote such attitudes.
“I strive for an alliance of Orthodox states that would be made of Russia, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia”, he said recently in the Russian media. It was unclear whether Malofeev counts Montenegro and Bosnian Republic of Serbia under Serbia.
Malofeev, according to Gazeta, was called Putin’s Soroš, due to his connections in the Kremlin, and he is also a founder of a big venture company Marshal Capital Partners, that invest in telecommunications, media and technology.
Due to accusations from Ukraina’s Government that he is financing Russian rebels on the orders from Kremlin, Malofeev was sanctioned by Canada and USA, as well as EU. This only contributed to his growing popularity and influence in Russia.
In his statements to Russian media the oligarch said his motive for investing in media is ”spreading of Orthodox, patriot and imperialistic values and lifestyle”.
Leader of NSD Andrija Mandić pleased the desires of Russian oligarch by stating that Montenegro is an Orthodox state whose life is threatened by joining NATO.
“The most important thing is to not let them corrupt our way of life. We are an Orthodox state, Orthodox people and we see Russians as closest to us. Serbia and Russia are Montenegro’s closest allies and we want to save this in the future because it is our inheritance”, Mandić said to Russian television. According to Russian media, Malofeev is strongly against gay rights and he finances conferences about values of traditional family that is attended by strict opponents of gay marriage.
“Adult person can choose their own fun in the bedroom, but the state and tax payers should not support teaching children different kind of sexual perversions”, Malofeev said.
His „Big Foundation of Saint Vasil” is the largest Russian Orthodox charity organization, and he also made a theology school not far from Moscow.
Malofeev is an owner of one popular Greece television station, while in Bulgaria he is about to buy channels TV7 and News 7, in collaboration with controversial Bulgarian tycoon Cvetan Vasilev, who until recently owned ,,Staklara Paraćin”.
