Ozero (russian: О́зеро, lit. ''lake'') (full name: дачный потребительский кооператив «Озеро», Dacha consumer cooperative "Ozero") is a

dacha A dacha ( rus, дача, p=ˈdatɕə, a=ru-dacha.ogg) is a seasonal or year-round second home, often located in the exurbs of post-Soviet countries, including Russia. A cottage (, ') or shack serving as a family's main or only home, or an outbu ...

cooperative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...

associated with

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...

's inner circle.

History

The dacha cooperative ''Ozero'' was founded on November 10, 1996 by Vladimir Smirnov (head), Vladimir Putin,

Vladimir Yakunin Vladimir Ivanovich Yakunin (russian: Владимир Иванович Якунин; born 30 June 1948) is a Russian businessman and close Vladimir Putin confidant. He was president of Russian Railways from June 2005 to August 2015. In March 2 ...

Andrei Fursenko Andrei Aleksandrovich Fursenko (russian: Андрей Александрович Фурсенко; ; born 17 July 1949 in Leningrad) is a Russian politician, scientist and businessman. He was the Minister of Education and Science of the Russian ...

Sergey Fursenko Sergey Aleksandrovich Fursenko (russian: Серге́й Александрович Фурсенко) (born 1954 in Leningrad, Soviet Union) is a Russian businessman. He is a brother of Andrei Fursenko. Career Since the early 1990s, Fursenko has ...

Yury Kovalchuk Yury Valentinovich Kovalchuk (russian: Ю́рий Валенти́нович Ковальчу́к; born 25 July 1951) is a Russian billionaire businessman and financier who is "reputed to be Vladimir Putin's personal banker". The Panama Papers l ...

Viktor Myachin The name Victor or Viktor may refer to: * Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname Arts and entertainment Film * ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film * ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...

, and . The society united their

s in Solovyovka,

Priozersky District Priozersky District (russian: Приозерский район) is an administrativeOblast Law #32-oz and municipalLaw #50-oz district (raion), one of the seventeen in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It is located in the northwest of the oblast and bord ...

Leningrad Oblast Leningrad Oblast ( rus, Ленинградская область, Leningradskaya oblast’, lʲɪnʲɪnˈgratskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, , ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It was established on 1 August 1927, a ...

, on the eastern shore) in the Melnikovskoe rural settlement on the north of the lake and Solovyovka (russian: Соловьёвка) in the Plodovskoe rural settlement on the southeast of the lake. of

Lake Komsomolskoye Lake Komsomolskoye is a lake in the north of the Leningrad Region Priozersky District, in the middle of the Karelian Isthmus of north western Russia. Until 1948 it was called Kiimajärvi (Finnish Kiimajärvi). Description Lake Komsomolskoye is ...

. on the

Karelian Isthmus The Karelian Isthmus (russian: Карельский перешеек, Karelsky peresheyek; fi, Karjalankannas; sv, Karelska näset) is the approximately stretch of land, situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern ...

, near

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

. Vladimir Putin returned from his

KGB The KGB (russian: links=no, lit=Committee for State Security, Комитет государственной безопасности (КГБ), a=ru-KGB.ogg, p=kəmʲɪˈtʲet ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)əj bʲɪzɐˈpasnəsʲtʲɪ, Komitet gosud ...

posting in Dresden in early 1990, prior to the formal establishment of the ''Ozero'' cooperative, and acquired property on the banks of Lake Komsomolskoye. His dacha burned down in 1996 but was rebuilt later that year. Others bought more land around this area and built a number of villas close to each other to form a

gated community A gated community (or walled community) is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences ...

. A bank account linked to this cooperative association was opened, allowing money to be deposited and used by all account holders in accordance with the

Russian law The primary and fundamental statement of laws in the Russian Federation is the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Hierarchy Constitutionism Adopted by national referendum on 12 December 1993 with 54.5% of the vote, the Constitution took ...

on cooperatives. By 2012 members of the ''Ozero'' cooperative had assumed top positions in Russian government and business and became very successful financially.

Ozero members

The table includes alleged net worth or annual compensation

Security

Purportedly the firm Rif-Security) are located at Ulitsa Tambovskaya (russian: улица Тамбовская) in St Petersburg provides security for the Ozero Dacha Community. Rif-Security is controlled by the alleged boss of the

Tambov Gang The Tambov Gang (in russian: Тамбовская преступная группировка, ''Tambóvskaya prestúpnaya gruppiróvka'') is a large gang in Saint Petersburg, Russia. According to common allegations, it was organised in Leningrad ...

Vladimir Barsukov (Kumarin) and Vladimir Smirnov.

Political effect

Some observers hint that the roots of Putin's power may lie in Ozero camaraderie. The Ozero cooperative society holds a bank account at the Leningrad Oblast Bank. The financial transactions of the Ozero cooperative are unknown. By law any of the members would be able to deposit and withdraw funds for his own use. Karen Dawisha, director of

the Havighurst Center for Russian and Post-Soviet Studies Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public university, public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded ...

Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the 10 ...

, concluded that "in Russia a cooperative arrangement is another way for Putin to avoid being given money directly, while enjoying the wealth shared among co-owners". '' Putin. Corruption'', an independent report published by the opposition

People's Freedom Party People's Freedom Party may mean one of the following: * People's Freedom Party (Russia) * People's Freedom Party "For Russia without Lawlessness and Corruption" * Constitutional Democratic Party, also called the People's Freedom Party * Constituti ...

, is about the alleged corruption in Vladimir Putin's inner circle and has a chapter about ''Ozero''.

Notes

References